Hong Kong - 9 PM : Dan's Dojo

*BIP BIP BI-* *SLAM*

"Uwoo, what time is it, wait, it's already 9 PM!?" Have I really been knocking the snooze button off this clock the whole time?

"I got something right?" Do I? Think Dan Hibiki, son of Go Hibiki, think.

"Classes? No. I don't have students. Pee break? No, I already wet myself, food?... Oh god!"

"THE FOOD!"

"I invited Sakura to lunch in an hour! I've yet to make anything! Aaaaaa-ah my phone quick!"

Dan ran past his bed to stumble upon a pile of trash that was conveniently placed right by his bed, "Ow, my toe!"

He got out of his rom and knocked his pinky in the door, "OW, gnnn..." He barely got to his phone that he fell head first into it, he fell over because of dirty clothes he piled up here to supposedly, take to the washing machine later, too bad he's too late.

"Okay, quickly now, 555-6871... Yes hello? Yes this is the same guy- I need a meal for- like in an hour? WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!? Make it take the time you need but I'll need it in about an hour!"

*CLANG*

Good Dan Hibiki! You're the best, now I have to set the table.

He went in the local he calls "The cluster" because this is where he stores a bunch of tables and objects he doesn't use often like his bandroll for his dojo or the furnitures to sit.

Taking out a rectangle wood table that seems to have a feet be broken? But that's a detail, if it can stand, it'll be fine he thinks.

He brings it back to his training room and places it, along with the different plates he has, he makes sure to place the one that is clean for Sakura and quickly wipes off the few detritus that are left.

*DRRIIIING*

"Moshi Moshi!? I mean allo uh- Oh it's ready! Okay I'll be on my way soon!"

It was 9PM past 45, he had 15 minutes to go to the other end of the city back here. No sweat!

*Knock knock knock*

Two girls were standing by the entrance of the dojo, located in a rather hidden halleyway beside a pharmacy.

"Gee did he chicken out?" "Karin! Come on." The blonde friend rolled her eyes, not expecting anything superb from Dan but she still came for how much Sakura insisted.

"Dan?" Sakura invited herself in, opening the door(that wasn't locked) to see nothing but the table on the training matress with the plates.

"... Where did he go?" They sat down by the table(Karin mainly did because Sakura did without asking so she supposed it was an usual thing.) and a little moment of silence passed by before they both heard the clang of a bicycle. The door flew opened as the Saikyo master ran in with bags filled of chinese food. He stopped dead in his track when he noticed his two invitees were already placed and saw everything.(Maybe even his dirty plate.)

"Uh." Oh fu-

"I went to gather some ingredients! I had a shortage of celerie for my recipe!" The name of the restaurant was written on the bags, "Oh right, you sure you don't need help with all this?" Sakura offered her help, optimistically as Karin deadpanned. "Nah... No I think I'll be fine." Karin broke out of laughter as she pointed to Dan's stained clothes, "You should get an apron! Hahaha-"

Dan quickly ran to his kitchen, hoping that it'll look serious if he places it in bowls and heat it up. Thing is, his microwave is incredibly loud.

*BRRRRRR* The microwave sounded like.

Karin tried her best again to not smile but Sakura couldn't help to decipher she was laughing her ass off.

Okay if I put an egg like this, it'll look better and unique as well.

"It's ready!" He screamed out from the kitchen as he came with a big bowl of cantonese rice. It had a hard boiled egg in it and some soaked sea weed.

"Hajime! Oh wait- Bonne appétit!" Karin coughed, "Oh you got a cold, I got tissues if you need."

She pointed to her side and Dan noticed she didn't have a plate. Oh. Remember the cleaning plates part? Let's just say the plate he had was the cleanest of the load.

"O-okay sorry I didn't know Sakura invited you as well, I'll prepare your- uh yeah!" He ran back to the kitchen in a hurry, Sakura looked at Karin that looked back at her unconvinced, "Hey you know he's doing his best. Look at that, he left to get you a plate the quickest he could, he has a kind heart in the inside."

Meanwhile, the sound of a plate shattered in the distance as water ran through the sink, Dan was cleaning the dishes the quickest he could to make sure they looked perfect for the stuck up friend of her disciple. She could've told me! If I knew I would have cleaned two plates!

He came back with a wet plate and his kimono even more wet, "Sorry about the wait! I hope this will be to your pleasing!"

"It's enough Dan, I appreciate it." She answered, soaking it with the paper towels she had. Dan was visibly sweaty, Sakura asked herself if he was stressing or if he was tired as she was digging into the plate Dan sort of did.

Silence fell at the table as everyone was fed up, except Dan, his stomach was roaring and he was secretly crying as he gave out his meal to Karin. He tried filling his belly with water but it didn't help, now he felt sick.

"So, how was the meal?" Dan asked as he was shaking from hunger, "It was ok but that hard boiled egg was really not a good addition, I suppose you added it to your plate to make it look homemade?" Karin hummed as Sakura sighed, Dan opened his mouth in shock as he realized he has been discovered, but he quickly closes it to not puke as he started to feel his mouth salivate more and more.

"You know Dan usually you don't treat me to great meal but this one gotta be the worst." The brown haired school girl started, Dan suddenly felt his stomach call for help but he didn't know what he was feeling. "You're covered with food stains and I dare not assume what stain is that by your crotch and you stink from here, I can't imagine up close. Your dojo looks more like an abandonned asylum and the halls look more like the room of my younger brother that is 30 years younger than you. You keep trash and your laundry on the ground like a pig and the worst? Is that the smell doesn't affect you anymore." She continued to the discomfort of the master that was starting to feel his head spinning as tears were by his eyes.

"And then you wonder why your dojo doesn't have anyone anymore, I mean just look at you! I wouldn't even touch you with a stick even then, I would mistake you for a corpse."

Karin was nothing short of surprise as she looked at the scene with huge widened eyes, shocked at how violent her close friend is with her master.

"I was so desperate for advice that fate lead me to you, thank him because I would have never looked at you otherwise. You're nothing but a fraud that pretend to be something greater, but you're just like your kimono, messed up."

Pause.

Dan could barely breath anymore as he now knew what was wrong with him before, his heart, it's beating so loud. It hurts. He wish he could say something but he stutters, it's too hard..!.!.?

"Let's go Karin. I'm sorry to have insisted." They both got up from the floor and left, before leaving, Sakura nudged the door and turned to her master that was sweating in shock, "Goodbye Dan, have a nice evening." She said before taking her stand.

*Clac*

*CLAC*

As if it was to bring him to reality, Sakura insisted on closing the door, but she was actually just having trouble closing it correctly.

She left Dan here, with something else changed, heartbroken determination!

He wiped his tears off but it was too much and he started crying.

Yuup! So that was the first chapter of Dan's journey to become the better version of himself. Kaizen style! Shonen Mentality!

I hope you would have liked this first chapter as it will continue on Dan focusing on bettering himself(is bettering a word? Buttering.). I hope you have liked the surplus of onomatopes I've added, I started doing it in Felicia's Temptation(that is still not over) but I decided to use them in this more to initiate a certain dynamism in the text.

Next chapter : A wealthy wash!

"OYASHIII"