Reborn As An Evolving Monster

"Mark, I have a note from your doctor. Ley, I have a note from your mother."

The two children, six years of age, stared awkwardly at their PE teacher.

"Mm... Since the two of you aren't participating today, maybe you would rather stay in the classroom? It's your choice of course. Just if you would rather do something else. Like homework or read a book?"

The two exchanged a look and turned towards the teacher at once.

The young Mark's lips parted. But before he could say a thing,

"Yes! Let's uh... Let's do that." Ley said with glittering eyes.

"Is that okay with you, Mark?"

The hesitant Mark turned towards her and her shining eyes.

Nod-

...

"The first one is Bloom! She's my favorite! She can control and use fire to attack her enemies. She's super beautiful and can make fire balls and stuff! I love her hair!"

"Fire? That's so cool!"

"This one can control the earth and make roots rise from the ground to stop the enemies. She's really cute."

"So she can control nature? So cool!"

"Right?" Ley was excited to talk about her favorite cartoon show. She had taken the seat in front of Mark, and was seated with her arms on the chair's back. "This one can control water..." She pointed at the different characters on her notebook's cover. She liked that notebook a lot.

With unending enthusiasm and amazement, Mark listened to her as she told him about each character and the powers they could wield.

But from time to time, when the discussion wasn't about powers anymore,

"And sometimes she turns evil, right? Which is actually one of the reasons she's my favorite! Her hair becomes messy and her clothes change. At first, I didn't like her a lot, cause she was a bit scary. But then I realized that I loved her style a lot! Anyways, at one point she even turns against her friends and her boyfriend! Ughh! I liked him so much and it was so scary when she went against him. But then eventually the good Bloom came back and... Hey, are you listening to me?"

"Mm? Oh, yes, yes. The good one came back. Then?"

'Ughh! So annoying! He's not listening but he is listening at the same time!' Ley felt rather frustrated by that as it wasn't the first time.

Once in a while, his gaze would wander and she would totally lose him!

"What are you looking at... Anyways..."

Ley winced.

It was the gymnasium.

"So? What happens after?"

With her lips pressed together, Ley turned her head repeatedly.

"Do you... Want to go see them?" She reluctantly asked.

Mark looked to the right, then to the left, then to the ceiling.

Nod-

"Let's... Go..." Her eyebrow was twitching.

"REALLY?!"

...

"HIT THE BALL HARDER!"

"I'M TRYING!!"

"HAHAHAHA!"

lightsΝοvεl ?οm 'How come? What's so fun about watching them? Oh... It's because they're having fun. I'd like to have fun with them too.' Ley thought to herself, seated on the bench next to the energetic Mark. 'I like seeing them play. I like seeing them have fun. No, I hate it. Because the more I see it, the more I want to be part of it. But every time I become part of it, they stop having as much fun. They stop laughing as much. They don't pass to me. They hate me-'

"Why don't you play too?"

'You're only asking now??'

"Uh... Because... They don't like it. When I play with them."

"So?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SO?" Ley flinched as she noticed that her sudden shout had caught the teacher's attention. "I don't... Know how to play well."

"What? You just have to run and hit the ball."

"... It's not that simple."

"It is!"

"It's not! I get scared when they hit the ball towards me! And last time... Last time..."

"When you stepped on the ball and fell?"

"Yes, it was-"

"Bahahhaha! That was so funny!"

"Don't laugh at me! They were so mad at me for... For messing it up."

"But it was funny. I was laughing so hard! Plus, the same happened to... I can't remember who. But it did happen before."

"I know."

"If you know that, then why are you still mad about it?"

"Because it's different!"

"How is it different?"

"When it happened to Eliott... Everyone laughed. When it happened to me... They all just..."

"I was laughing." Mark said, his index finger pointed to his face.

"They don't like me being there. I can feel it every time. They won't pass to me. I know I'm not a good player but... I wish they would laugh like you do when I mess up."

"Mmmm... You are a scaredy-cat, that's true."

"Thanks for hitting me where it hurts." Her eyebrow twitched.

"I have fun watching you play. It's really funny seeing you try and mess up. Plus... If you try and it works, that would totally be super cool. I think. I like seeing you play, so you should!"

"I... Don't know..."

Ley ended up entering the ball about ten minutes later. Mostly because Mark pestered her.

She touched the ball three times. She didn't receive one pass. She hated being there.

Ley thought it would be better and easier with him watching, but it ended up being worse.

She wanted to show off in a way, but was unable to do that.

...

"Welcome home, Ley! Are you hungry? I just-"

"I'm not... I'm not hungry mom..."

"You're not? I just made-"

"I'm going to my room."

The young Ley walked up the stairs.

"What's up with her?"

"Don't pester her again. You were a handful when you were younger too."

"I was?" Frank, Ley's older brother, chuckled. "I'll go pester her still! After eating though."

...

'He said he wanted me to play... Tsk! I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even mess up! They would rather do anything than pass to me. I should just... I should just stop playing. But he... Ughh!'

"Hiyaaa!" Frank shouted as he entered the room without knocking. He found his younger sister on her bed, lying on her stomach and face, her school clothes and backpack still on. "What's up with you?"

"Why do you care? Want me make fun of me? Want to bully me again? Leave me alone!"

"I would you assume that...?" He whispered to himself.

Stop pestering her again-

'Geh...'

"How was school?"

"What kind of question is that? What are you, grandpa?"

'Annoying... Brat...!' His eyebrow twitched. It seemed to run in the family.

"Classmates? Or is it a teacher?"

"Why do you care?"

"Must be a teacher, since you're always mad on Mondays. Though Mondays do have that effect on me too..."

"What do you want?"

"Oh. Don't tell me... Is it still the football thing? Bahahah! Are you mad because you suck-"

She was mad, and on the verge of crying.

Frank was used to making fun of his younger sister. But her face as she turned around was enough for him to stop right away.

Ley was probably about to curse. Or, perhaps, about to scream -MOOOOM-. Before she could do either, Frank had disappeared.

'Stupid big brother... Always making fun of me, I hate you! I wish Mark was my brother! I wish-'

"Ley." He had reappeared.

"WHAT DO YOU W-"

He raised the ball in his hand.

"Want to play for a bit? Before dinner?"

Her eyes wandered left and right.

"Didn't you eat dinner already?"

"Just cookies. It's only 5pm. Want to play?"

"Why? So you can make fun of me?"

'Why does she have to be so difficult?!'

"You know, I can teach you some things. I used to be one of the best players in my class."

"Really?" She asked, doubtful. "I don't think so. Only saw you play volleyball. And even in volleyball, you're not all that."

'Cheeky... Brat...!!'

"I'm way better than you at volleyball."

"Only because she you're older."

'...!'

"This is the last time I'm offering. Do you want me to help you get better or not?"

"..."

I like seeing you play, so you should-

"Okay... I guess..."

"Haha! You won't regret that."

"Somehow, I doubt that..." Ley whispered as she pushed herself off the bed.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you can score three times by next Monday. I won't let anyone bully my sister. Only I can do that. Ha ha ha!"

'... Seriously?' Dumbfounded.

Nevertheless, she followed him to the front yard.

...

"So? What... Do you think?" Ley asked. She was breathing heavily. Her face was covered with sweat.

Frank put a foot on the ball, taking a pose he liked, before,

"You suck."

"I KNOW THAT! YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SO BLUNT! AND YOU'RE NOT HELPING! BYE!"

She started walking away when,

"You freeze up when I hit the ball towards you. Sometimes, I wasn't even hitting hard. So it's not that they don't want to pass to you. Just me acting like I'm going to hit the ball makes you freeze."

"..."

"Even if they pass to you, you get scared of the ball."

"I can't help it!"

"Your dribbling also sucks. Well, can't even call that dribbling. You have no balance. Just running with the ball is too much to ask from you."

"..."

"But you can hit the ball. You're fast, and have good endurance. Therefore..."

"Therefore...?"

Ley hated her brother's theatrical pauses.

A silent thumbs-up.

"THIS ISN'T ONE OF YOUR MANGAS! SPEAK! IN THE FIRST PLACE, READING FOOTBALL MANGAS DOESN'T MEAN YOU KNOW FOOTBALL-"

"Ha ha ha." He chuckled as he pushed his hair back. "There's hope, Ley."

"I'm so... Annoyed... Right now...!"

"Every day after school!" He shouted as he pointed at her. "I'm turning you into a football hyena."

Ley fell to her knees, exasperated.

"Just... Because... You read Manga... Doesn't mean..."

Still, he was willing to help. And he was the only one who could.

"Fine then. Let's do it."

Handshake-

...

The next day, classes had just ended.

'She didn't have much fun yesterday... Plus she didn't finish telling me about...'

Mark walked towards her.

"Ley. Want to go get some chips? You can continue telling me about what happened when the good-"

"Sorry Mark, I can't. I'm busy. I have to hurry home."

"Really? Okay..."

"My brother is helping me with something! It's going to be super amazing! You'll see!"

"I will?"

"Yeah! Want to hear about it? He even gave it a name."

"Tell me. Tell me!"

"I'm currently undergoing..." Ley took a dramatic pose, with her hand covering part of her face. "My Secret Training Arc." She blushed, slightly embarrassed to have been influenced by her brother. "Anyways! You'll see! All of you!" She shouted, before running to her mother who had come pick her up from school.

'Secret... Training... Arc...' The words repeated inside Mark's mind many times.

He had no idea what it meant but,

"That sounds... So cool!"