The change of Fujimaru Ritsuka

It has been widely accepted that times and great stress and upheaval can change a person, molding them into something stronger or breaking them entirely.

For the Chaldea Security Organization, no one embodies this concept more that it's one and only Master, Fujimaru Ritsuka.

A young man who was only 16 years of age, who has carried the burden of the world on his shoulders for over a year, it is a wonder how he managed to stay strong and determined throughout the entire ordeal.

But such trials do not leave someone unscathed, tending to leave scars and wounds that may never heal. For the Chaldea Security Organization who had known of Fujimaru Ritsuka for a year, such slow and gradual changes that allowed him to overcome any challenges he'd face could be overlooked as him gaining experience as a Master, never knowing that some of the changes he'd gone through were not for the better.

What would happen though for the people who did know him from before the whole events of Grand Order? How would they react to the unexplainable changes that Fujimaru Ritsuka would refuse to explain?

Here below are some short thoughts of the people from the life of Fujimaru Ritsuka, before he became the saviour of humanity.
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1: A Mother's anxieties

Fujimaru Kie was worried for her son, who seemed to always sink into himself when he thought nobody was looking.

When he came home one day to announce that he had been accepted to summer job from a rather rich and prestigious sounding overseas company she was ecstatic, her son was already moving up in the world! His future was set, all he had to do was work hard and impress the company enough to have them to hire him full time when he graduated college.

But now, ever since he came home, he'd changed so much that she'd hardly believe only a summer had passed, he'd seem to mature and focused now that she'd wondered what happened during his summer job.

If that was the extent of his changes she would have happily praised her son for growing up, with a gentle reminder that he could still fool around if he wanted to, he was still a young man after all, he had his whole life ahead of him. So why not let him enjoy it?

But it seemed like, someone had ripped most of his childishness away and she had no idea what to do or how to go about it.

Her son was still the same person, he still greeted her every morning with a kiss, he still watched sports with his father and he still played silly little games with her other precious baby Ryoko.

But to her, he always seemed like he was tired, no matter how much or how early he slept, she always felt that he never got enough sleep. Often she would wake late into the night to hear her son toss and turn on his bed, making pained noises that tore at her heart and soul, only for him to wake up bright and early in the break of down to exercise until she finished making breakfast with the same endearing smile he had on his face when everything was fine, even if she knew it wasn't.

She knew her boy was hurting somehow, but she didn't know what to do about it.

She was such a terrible mother.

And so Fujimaru Kie fretted and worried, wondering what she could to to help her son.
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2: A Father's concern

Fujimaru Muzan was not an emotive man, in truth interaction with others made him extremely uncomfortable, but he still cared deeply for his children and his wife whom he knew how deeply his love ran for them.

But lately, he felt as if a gulf had opened up between him and his son.

His son, who'd always have a childish joke or a massive smile on his face had suddenly diminished when he returned from his summer job, replaced by a young man who seemed to be a lot more distant and detached from reality but had a drive that honestly surprised even him.

But all his changes were not entirely in how he matured so quickly, Muzan noticed that his son had somehow gained an incredibly toned physique that would have taken normal people more than a few months to gain.

This he knew, was probably not impossible. He himself did not know enough about the human body to make such assumptions, but he did know one thing;

Bodies did not spontaneously gain scars.

This fact alone had Muzan shaking in rage, it took all his willpower to prevent him from running up to this Chaldea and beating down everyone remotely involved in his son's injuries, the only thing that stayed his hand was his son mentioning a workplace accident that could in no way explain any of his injuries. He accepted the blatant lie about the source of his injuries as his son explained, truthfully this time, that all his coworkers were the ones to administer aid and tend to his wounds afterwards and that he was definitely going to get a large compensation for the injuries he had gained, be it due to his own recklessness or a 'workplace accident'.

But Muzan didn't care about money or compensation, all he cared about the wellbeing of his son, whom he'd always tried to shelter and protect from any harm and danger to the best of his ability.

Seeing his son, with wounds and scars all over his body, being pained every time he moved his body too suddenly, burned him.

He hated feeling so helpless at his son's pain, he hated seeing the scars and injuries that should not have been littered all over his son's body.

What he hated most of all was being unable to express exactly how he felt to his son, he wanted so badly to be able to help his son, seemed to nervously refuse every offer for help, citing that 'he was fine' and that 'he could handle it'.

If this went on any longer, he didn't know what he would do.

He hoped to find a solution soon.
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3: A little sibling's thoughts

Fujimaru Ryoko was confused and worried about her big brother, who always looked like he was waiting for something ever since he came back from his 'summer job', she really didn't understand it, but she was happy he came back.

Though ever since then, Ryoko noticed that her big brother had started acting weird.

Whenever their parents were not home and the house got too quiet, her brother would start acting weird. She couldn't understand it, but he always seemed like he was waiting for something to happen.

Sometimes he would stare at a wall or walk around a lot, sometimes he would exercise or do his homework.

Often he would play with her and help her with her own homework, but ever since he taught her how to study and memorize things, she barely needed help anymore with her homework, not that she stopped asking for help from him, since it stopped him from acting weird.

She really didn't like her big brother acting weird.

And so she did all she could, hoping to help him stop acting so weird all the time.

Whether it be playing with him or making up stories to make him laugh, she did all she could to make him stop acting weird.

It didn't work all the time, but that was okay, it didn't need to.

As long as he stopped acting weird then he'd go back to be the amazing big brother that she loved.
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4: A best friend's musings

Hashibara Kyoujirou was no fool, despite being academically dumb, he knew people like nobody's business. And right now, his biggest business was with his best friend Ritsu, who seemed to be acting weird ever since he last saw him.

After taking an overseas summer job his family was handsomely paid for, it seemed like Ritsu had completely changed into a totally different person. Not totally, they still hung out and did stuff together, but he seemed a lot more mature and responsible lately trying to push him into studying harder and being more responsible...

It was weird to say the least, but not as weird as how he seemed to be able to drawn in a crowd. No matter what type or personality, a few minutes with Ritsu would at least produce a burgeoning acceptance of the most dickish of people.

What had happened? Every time he asked, Ritsu would just laugh and talk about "These amazing charismatic guys you know? I sort of became their manager during my summer job and I guess they sort of rubbed off on me?"

Seriously, did people like that really exist? It was kind of freaky, was it magic or something? No way they could have 'just gave him tips' to change the goofball that he knew into a mature goofball.

And manager? What the hell, he saw some of the pictures his friend sent of his co-workers and all of them were goddamned models and he was their manager? Lucky bastard.

Kyoujirou wondered if Ritsu would introduce him to some of the younger cuties, he didn't have a chance or anything but it'd be good to pretend to hit on them while finding out about where he worked and find out about what he did that made him change so much.

Who knows, he might actually get someone interested in him along the way.
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5: The Unrequited one's love

She always watched from the sidelines, looking at him from afar but never approaching.

They talked sometimes, only for very brief moments, but he always managed to send her heart aflutter.

She always tried to gather her courage to confess to him, but with just one look at his earnest and sincere eyes, she always started to get too flustered even speak.

And now, she'd lost her chance.

Oh he never said it out loud or talked about it, but the way he rejected every love confession with a soft apology or how he would sometimes look fondly to the side whenever he talked about something trivial had clued her in to the fact that he was already with someone or at the very least, was in interested in someone else.

Someone other than her.

She had tried to move on, tried to stop the wild beating of her heart every time she saw his face, tried to not thinking about his face at every hour of her waking day it was hard but she had to do it, for it would be terrible of her to pursue a love that would never be hers, especially when she had the chance before and just threw it away.

It was hard, but she was starting to move on, day by day, step by step, she was staring to move on.

She hopes to completely move on someday.