I just got here to see my peeps and I look at something like this happening huh?

Now how will I handle this situation?

I smirk and call out for the Little Princess, “Yo Little Princess, how’s everything going?”

It seems that the Little Princess is quite an angry person right now. Not like she wasn’t back then.

I walk towards my kids.

*Slap*

“Eh?!”

Everyone seems to be surprised as I clap both my hands on both of Izumi’s cheeks.

“Is everything okay?” I ask with a smile.

Izumi seems to be back in her senses.

“Y-yes! It hurts but I am fine now!” I say.

“I think so we will be seeing you all in the versus tournament.” I say with a smile.

“You really think you can win with a bunch of scaredy cats on your team?” Tarand questions me with a smile.

That smile really is dangerous...

“A bunch of scaredy cats is much better than a bunch of lost souls.” I say as I turn my back.

“I see...” Tarand smiles.

“Let’s go home everyone, I will tell you who we will be fighting tomorrow.” Tarand says as he smiles.

“Let’s go to the locker room and change up.” I say.

Everyone nods.

XXXXXX

Outside Class 1-A Team B’s locker room,

*Smack*

Izumi hits her fist on a wall next to the locker room, “I was scared...I was scared again just like that time! I couldn’t move again!” Izumi seems to be frustrated.

“I was intimidated by Kaileen’s anger...I couldn’t do anything for my friends. Elena hid behind me but I couldn’t do anything. How can I be a team leader if I can’t even face fear?! Sir Dan, you idiot!”

XXXXXX

“Am I an idiot?” I ask as I walk next to Izumi and give her a cola drink. Izumi takes it.

“That’s not what I meant but why did you make me a team leader? When I am inexperienced?” Izumi asks me.

“Two rounds, you easily won two rounds today, do I need to say anything else?” I ask.

“But...I was scared again, I couldn’t move my body because of the fear she inflicted on me.” Izumi says.

I keep my hand over Izumi’s head, “Izumi, it’s important to be scared. You have to be scared of losing your loved ones, you have to be scared of your death because if you die, people who love you will cry for you, you have to be scared of doing the wrong thing because it might inflict harm to the people close to you, you have to be scared of various things in life. It’s natural to be scared. Fear shows that you are still human! Even I fear about things like losing you!” I say.

Izumi’s face becomes all red, “Sir Dan, you shouldn’t things like that to a young girl like me or else Miss Carly will be upset with you!” Izumi says with a flustered expression.

“Eh? No, no, I didn’t mean it like that...” It seems I might have said too much in the process of speaking...

“But anyway, the case is that it’s okay to fear something. What’s not okay is that fear to take over you.” I say.

“Hmm?”

“You have to stand up to your fear and face it head-on like it’s just another obstacle of your life and if fear ever takes over you, then hold yourself together and have a huge smile on your face.” I say as I spread my lips to smile.

“Pfft! Hahahahahaha! Hahahahaha!”

Izumi begins to laugh.

I begin to soothe her hair, “See? You smiled without any fear, right?.” I say with a smile.

“Smile, smile and smile, you have to smile against that fear of yours and make it your own and if it tries to take over you than just remember that I will always be by your side. After all, I am your teacher.” I say with a huge grin.

“Sir Dan...You idiot...” Izumi looks away.

“Huh? What did I say now?!” What’s with her? Was there a glimpse of a small smile there as well?

“I think I understand the gist of what you’re saying though.” Izumi says with a smile.

“Good for you.” I say.

“Sir Dan, I will see you tomorrow, so be ready for the tournament.” Izumi says with a smile as she runs to the locker room.

“Sure will!” I say with a smile.

Fear huh? Mama Serena...

ABOUT 7 YEARS AGO,

“KEEP IT AWAY FROM ME! KEEP IT AWAY FROM ME!” I still remember that day when I was at Granny Kai’s house and I was scared of fireflies.

“Granny Kai, that thing is scary!”

I screamed and screamed for hours and cried for it. I was afraid. I even asked Mama Serena that what should I do about my fear of fireflies.

“Fear huh? Let’s see, fear is something that you can just overcome with a smile.” Mama Serena said to me.

“Huh? How’s that?” I asked.

“Come at night around 9, I will show you.” Mama Serena said to me and just as she said, I came at 9.

Mama Serena held my eyes until she took me to a place. She took her hands off of my eyes and the next thing I knew was that I was surrounded by a beautiful sight of the fireflies flying all around me.

Mama Serena smiled as I smiled looking at those fireflies.

“Those Fireflies...They are beautiful...” I said to her with a huge smile on my face.

“See...You smiled in the end without any fear, right?”She asked me.

I nodded.

“That’s the beauty of fear. You fear things you don’t have to but once you see how beautiful they are, you can never fear them but they are things that you fear and are quite horrible and even then, you need to keep on smiling because those are the times when a smile on your face can raise not only your morale but everyone else’s morale around you. That’s why it’s important to be afraid so that you can smile and never ever back down from that fear of yours.”

XXXXXX

I think I wasn’t able to explain the meaning of fear as beautifully as Mama Serena did but I am sure she understood what I said, right Mama Serena?