"Hare, are you okay?"
Hearing my concern, Hare held her forehead and replied,
"Ugh... My head has been dizzy and aching since yesterday, my whole body feels heavy... I even feel a little nauseous... Even though I slept for a long time today, I'm still exhausted..."
"Those are probably caffeine withdrawal symptoms."
With her wealth of experience, Kotama immediately came to a conclusion.
"And they don't look mild at all. Don't tell me, Hare, the last few days you also...?"
With a tearful face, Hare said remorsefully,
"Waaah... It's all because I never knew when to stop before..."
The more deeply someone indulges in a vice, the more painful it is to quit.
Although seeing Hare like this made me feel a little sorry for her, for the sake of her health, all I could do was have her endure it a little longer through sheer willpower and her affection for me.
"Oh, I have a great idea!"
Before I could comfort her, Maki excitedly raised a finger and spoke first. She then pulled a can out of a drawer.
"Whether you're tired or sleepy, as long as you drink a bottle of Monster MAX, everything will be fine!"
What kind of terrible idea was that!? Was she serious!?
Yet even Kotama nodded in agreement.
"That's true."
For a brief moment, I genuinely wondered if I was the one with the problem.
The moment Hare saw the energy drink she hadn't had in days, she swallowed hard. Her eyes were practically glowing green.
"Sensei... C-can I have just one sip?"
It took considerable effort for her to tear her gaze away from her favorite passion fruit flavored Monster MAX before she looked at me pitifully.
"Because it was a promise with you, Sensei, I've been trying my best to endure it. But I'm really at my limit... Just one sip, only one sip. I feel like I'll be able to pull myself together."
"...If you drink it now, all your previous effort will have been for nothing. If you can hold out..."
"Ugh... I can't! Even if Sensei won't allow it, I can't take it anymore!"
Just as I was about to offer her a compromise, Hare interrupted me.
The next moment, she lunged at Maki like a starving tiger, snatching the Monster MAX from her hands before anyone could react.
Before anyone had the chance to stop her, Hare had already popped the tab and began gulping it down.
And she didn't just take the one sip she'd promised me. Only after the very last drop had disappeared into her mouth did she finally let out a satisfied sigh.
"Ah... So refreshing... So delicious... An energy drink after so long... This wonderful feeling, like it's soaking into every corner of my body... I feel like I'm melting... As expected, trying to force myself to go more than three days without an energy drink was impossible from the very beginning..."
"Hahaha! What a bold way to drink it, but I totally get it!"
Maki laughed in agreement. She tossed a can to both Kotama and me before opening one for herself.
"Let's have a toast to Senpai Hare's revival!"
I seriously wished this idiot would stop egging her on. No wonder she got along so well with Momoi and the others.
Sure enough, Hare licked her lips and turned to Maki.
"If we're making a toast, then just one mo-"
"No."
I stopped her as firmly as I could.
"Hare, since you've already had one today, shouldn't you start quitting again?"
"...No."
To my surprise, the usually gentle and obedient Hare showed an unusually resolute refusal.
"Sensei, I've finally realized it... I can't quit. I absolutely cannot give up this taste! Even if I die from caffeine poisoning... I'll never quit Monster MAX!"
I couldn't help freezing in place.
I understood that withdrawal was painful.
I also knew everyone had something they simply couldn't let go of.
And I understood that her declaration about dying rather than quitting was partly an exaggeration.
I had witnessed with my own eyes just how dramatically her condition had changed before and after drinking Monster MAX.
But...
Was the promise between us really so easy for her to throw away?
The words, "Do you really care so little about your own health?" caught in my throat, unable to come out.
I forcibly suppressed the anger that had welled up inside me, though I wasn't even sure who it was directed at. Even the urge to storm out gradually subsided.
In the end, I settled for a compromise.
"At least don't drink as much as you used to."
"Mm... I can still try my best with that."
Hare looked a little shaken.
"Thinking back on it now, ten cans a day really was way too much. I never imagined I'd end up with withdrawal symptoms this severe..."
At least she seemed genuinely remorseful. That eased my mood a little. As long as she actually kept her word this time, things probably wouldn't reach the point where I'd have to take more forceful measures.
Even so, I didn't stay in Veritas for much longer. I made an excuse about having work to do and took my leave.
I had come to help because Hare was enduring withdrawal symptoms and struggling because of them. Now that she'd given up on quitting caffeine, there wasn't really any reason for me to stay.
I politely declined the girls' attempts to keep me around. They seemed completely unaware that I was in a bad mood, and somehow the disappointment on their faces only made me feel a little better.
But it still wasn't enough.
I'd need some other way to vent this frustration.
"Trainer, one set left! Endure it, and victory will be yours!"
At Millennium's gym, drenched in sweat, I finally finished my weighted squats with Sumire's assistance.
It's a little embarrassing to admit, but although she kindly called me "Trainer," all I really did was make sure her workout plan stayed within reasonable limits. The one actually receiving instruction was me.
Before we started the next exercise, I should have used the short break to recover my strength, but I couldn't help asking Sumire a question.
"Sumire, what helped you endure the hardest part at the beginning and keep exercising?"
As Millennium's oddball, perhaps she'd have some insight.
The black-haired girl blinked in surprise before answering,
"I've never thought exercise was miserable."
Then she continued,
"Of course, exercising is hard work. If you want results, you have to stick with it over the long term, and you also have to watch your diet in daily life. But all of that is for the sake of your own health. That's why exercise is something enjoyable too. Every time the sweat I've put in turns into muscle I've gained, I feel genuine happiness."
I see.
Visible progress.
"And also... um..."
Sumire suddenly became a little shy.
"For some reason, when I'm exercising together with Trainer, it feels even more... So I have a request."
She looked straight at me and said earnestly,
"From now on, please keep exercising together with me."
"...Ah, of course."
I smiled.
"Thank you, Sumire."
I understood now what I had to do.
Why had I always overlooked something so simple?
The thing capable of resolving the vast majority of troubles was none other than my own damn unparalleled charisma!