The next class was P.E., which, in my elementary days, I thought was Gym.

  However, now that the teacher/coach, Mr. Grym, has made a clear division, P.E. would involve us studying human anatomy, playing sports, or circling around the gymnasium in a series of different exercises to data-fied our cardiovascular health, and gym would involve us actually going to the school's gym where all the lifting and cardio equipment is.

  Today, we're having the latter as he doesn't seem to have time to referee us for soccer. Mr. Grym had scheduled us today to do our own thing as he sits there in the corner where a desk is, probably marking yesterday's test about the different types of equipment in here.

  A test in which the only equipment I probably got correct was the dumbbells, barbells, and treadmills. But everybody knows those three, so that doesn't really show that I tried, which Mr. Grym would probably chew me out about later.

  I was too preoccupied with watching the new comedy anime gem I found to even glance at the textbook once. I couldn't review at lunch yesterday like I'd planned as well since my mind was quite preoccupied with discovering my ability. I was also too dumb to realize its true potential on the day I found it, which was also yesterday, so I could use it as I just did in Math.

  On second thought, maybe I should tone it down a bit; if I use it like that to such a degree again, I'm afraid Mr. Grym would 'overreact' as well, and everybody would see a pattern and point toward me.

  Although I don't really care if they find out.

  That would be a nice opportunity to see whether I could also erase or rewrite memories, maybe both. If I couldn't, well, I'm either cooked to be delivered to some Area 51-esque location or have just found myself a key to a successful and well-documented life.

  So anyway, arriving at the school gym, I was one of the first ones there as almost all the guys were still changing since I learned a new trick. I call it 'instant equipped', which, by just the name; I'm sure you already know where I got the idea from. It allows me to instantly change clothes upon stepping through the gym; I saved at least five minutes of going to the locker room.

  After giving a quick greeting to Mr. Grym in the corner, which he only gave me a quick busy-looking nod in response, I now stand in front of racks filled with one of the only three equipment I know the name of: the dumbbells.

  I focused on the biggest one with red plated and the size of my entire torso with a 200 lbs label on it. It must've been made for super-jacked students who take creatine and 'roids for lunch or something. I mean, who could even lift this in school?

  Me, of course, so with a small "Ha!" I used all the strength I could muster as my arm was pulled towards it instead as the muscle fibers on my upper arms felt like they just snapped, which hurt quite a bit, but it's a good thing it worked when I thought it to be instantly healed.

  The pain was gone, and those few muscle fibers seemed all healed up, but the small psychological trauma was already there as I rubbed the muscles where it was hurt as if to also psychologically soothe it.

  Dumb dumbbell, why are you so dense and heavy?

  "Hahaha, Lex, that two hundred pounds are not even for lifting; that's just decoration here. How could your arms, no thicker than the grips of a baseball bat, ever lift it?" A familiar voice laughs mockingly behind me.

  I turned around and saw Eric lying on a bench, lifting a bar with thick plates on each side labeled '60'. Damn, he's literally lifting my entire weight, and with ease at that.

  "Well, well, well, if it isn't the high and mighty weeaboo. Training for your delu-delu apocalypse scene with the protein I've graciously given you, are we?" I retorted back rather sarcastically in response.

  "Yeah, you say that now but don't come asking for my help when shit really hits the fan later, hehehe," said the weeb as he effortlessly pumped the bar up and down in smooth motion. There goes the delusional weeb for you, always so dedicated to the craft of his delusions.

  However...

  "Keep dreaming. After all..." I said, then took a second to go at the biggest dumbbell, but this time, I also used my other hand to grab its other pair, and with not even a grunt...

  Effortlessly lifted both way above my head.

  "You are too weak." I finished my sentence

  "AYOO—!?"

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  Eric almost hit his head as the bar on his hand fell on the mat with a great thud, his mind was no doubt now spiraling as he witnessed the scene before him with eyes that he now doubted as functioning as intended, possibly thinking that he is dreaming as reality could not have agreed to the play of the scene before him.

  Mr. Grym looked up from the papers from the sudden shout of Eric, rapidly blinking several times as he proceeded to quickly take out a folder from the drawers under his desk, which I'm guessing from the color is my data-fied physical stats as he darted between it and the dumbbells thrice the size of my head that I was carrying above it rather easily without a single sign of struggle.

  When I let go of the dumbbells, Eric neared and tried lifting it himself only to find that it was indeed real metal as he couldn't even budge it. Mr. Grym probably thought it was some sort of prank, and Eric was in it, so he strides forward and tries lifting it, but he also couldn't lift it up until he used both hands.

  After he dropped it down from the inch he lifted it from, he looked at me with narrowed eyes, "You... explain."

  "I... invoke the 5th." I wisely said in response.

  Mr. Grym grumbled but eventually said, "Fine, suit yourself, kid."

  Mhn, the law sure does work like magic. Or rather, it seems...

  I could control minds after all.

  Anyway, Eric was still looking at me like I’d grown a second head, his eyes wide and jaw practically on the floor.

  “Lex, what... what the hell was that?” he finally blurted out, his voice cracking slightly.

  I shrugged again, trying to play it cool, though inside my mind was racing. How do you begin to explain something like this without revealing anything?

  “Just, uh, been working out more?” I finally said, sounding a bit unsure.

  “Working out more? Dude, you just lifted something that should’ve snapped you in half!” Eric emphasized, he didn’t look convinced either.

  “One should be able to lift this much, ya' know?” I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

  "No, you clearly awakened some sort of super strength!" He retorted.

  "Hahaha, skill issue, my guy. Do you even lift?" I said back, laughing, my eyes landing on a big bar of bells on the ground a few steps away, the bar already loaded with three thick red plates on each side. Most of them are '75' except for two that look a little a bit thicker, being 100, so 500 in kilograms.

  It's half a fricking ton, at least ten times my weight.

  I walked over, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Eric watching me, his curiosity piqued again. “You really gonna try that too?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Why not?” I lightly respond as I position myself above the bar, gripping it tightly with both hands. This time, I made sure to focus as I attempted to lift the bar off the ground.

  At first, it was as heavy as it seemed, then I thought it to feel as light as a dried twig to me like I did before, and the weight suddenly turned so light that all the force I was attempting to lift it made me standoff balance a little and it went far above my head. But after balancing myself, there was no strain or struggle at all.

  "It's lighter than a lighter." I said, removing one of my hands as I lifted it up and down with great ease. I did it again and again as it wobble-wobbles against its actual weight like I was just whipping a thin wooden stick, feeling a bit more confident with each repetition.

  I caught sight of Eric, whose jaw was on the floor, mindlessly preparing to take out his phone and record, so I instinctively dropped the barbell as a loud thud echoed throughout the room, and I think it made a big dent in the floor which thankfully was on the ground level...

  Oh, right, even though it felt light to me, it was still something too heavy to be dropped carelessly just like that.

  “Okay, I think that’s enough for today,” I said, trying to sound casual as I wiped the nonexistent sweat from my brow. “Don’t wanna overdo it now.”

  "Ey kid, you gon' pay for that floor renovation?" Mr. Grym coolly asked from his desk in the corner without even taking his eyes off the paper he was grading. Seem like making him a tad bit more chill is quite effective indeed.

  "What renovation?" I ask, seemingly puzzled.

  "That pit in the floor of—huh?" He stopped halfway through as he looked up at the supposed damage. "Huh, I thought that would've put a dent at least... Anyway, be careful next time, kid."

  Meanwhile, Eric beside me looked like he had just seen his parents having sex in his room as he mutteringly asked, "W-What did I just witness..? Did the floor just..."

  "Yes, I was having sex with your mom, son. It's only natural; don't act all weird now," I randomly said while making him vividly imagine it for a brief millisecond as a little experiment, though I don't really know how he exactly imagined it, nor have I even met his Mom before to imagine it myself.

  "Huh? What'd you... Wait, you were... Huh?"

  Works like a charm. As a neurosurgeon's son, I know all the ways of the mind; that is to say, I'm very good at fucking with people—in more ways than one, though I've never tried the other.

  So upon my non-superpowered mind tricks, Eric just looks at me stupefied, doesn't even know where to start. That'll stop him from asking questions.

  The other NPC classmates soon arrived and his buddies soon distracted him from the confusion. As the mind goes, if it can't find the remotest answer to a difficult problem, it tends to just go away from the problem entirely and find other things to occupy it.

  So, having dealt with possible breaches of my secrecy as such, I made my way to the much more tame cardio equipment, trying to act like everything was normal.

  The truth is, nothing was normal anymore.

  And as much as I could try convincing myself otherwise, I knew...

  Everything had changed.