After school at noon, Tanaka Masao arrived at the Service Club on time.
To his surprise, Yukinoshita Yukino was already waiting there.
"Good afternoon, Yukinoshita-san," he greeted.
"Good afternoon," she replied.
Perhaps because she was the second daughter of the Yukinoshita household and well brought-up, Yukino always answered Tanaka politely. He liked that feeling.
He opened his backpack and took something out.
"Yukinoshita-san, I went to Tokyo this week and brought you a present."
Yukino glanced over and reflexively began to refuse.
"You don't have to—"
She stopped mid-sentence. Tanaka had pulled out a pure-white cat plush, extremely cute. As a cat lover, Yukino couldn't resist; her attempt to refuse vanished.
Seeing Yukino look at the plush with longing but remain silent, Tanaka smiled. He'd known she'd like it.
He put the toy on Yukino's desk and said, "Don't be so formal. Consider it a small thanks for all your help."
Yukino, who'd been restraining herself inwardly, finally surrendered to temptation after receiving Tanaka's gift.
"All right, I'll take it," she said, reaching out to touch the plush. It felt very nice. Though not the same as a real cat, it would be a pleasant comfort for someone who couldn't keep pets in her apartment.
Suppressing the urge to squeeze it immediately, Yukino tucked the toy away and cleared her throat to hide her excitement.
"Okay, let's start training."
A responsible person through and through, Yukino became even more diligent after accepting Tanaka's present. As a result, today she drilled Tanaka harder than usual.
When the session ended, Tanaka's legs were trembling. Today he was exhausted to the point that even standing straight hurt; he collapsed on the floor with a weak groan.
"I… I can't— I really have no strength left."
Seeing Tanaka completely spent, Yukino realized she'd overdone it.
"You took it too hard," she said, checking the time. "There's still time—rest for half an hour before you go back. I'll go buy you a drink."
"Oh—thanks, Yukino-san. I wanted to drink cola."
"I think I mentioned that sugary drinks like cola are off-limits while you're dieting," Yukino reminded him.
"I'm just exhausted. A little indulgence won't hurt."
"Nope—no exceptions. Dieting means sticking to it. I'll bring you a sports drink."
With that she left the clubroom.
A few minutes later she returned and set a sports drink in front of Tanaka.
"Here."
Tanaka gratefully opened it and drank. The sweet, refreshing taste revived him.
"Phew—alive again," he said, sipping. He looked over at Yukino sitting quietly by the window reading. After exercise, a beautiful girl—the campus beauty—had bought him a drink. For Tanaka, that sensation was pretty much heaven. He felt like the most popular guy on campus. The quiet atmosphere was warm and pleasant.
Because Yukino, as club president, needed to lock the room when she left, she waited for Tanaka so they could go back together. He wanted to linger a bit longer with her, but he knew it was time.
After resting they left the clubroom and headed home.
·····
"I'm back."
Tanaka came home exhausted but pushed himself to take a shower. Keeping clean after training was important. After drying off he stepped on the scale and smiled.
"Three hundred grams lighter today."
A little more than a week into his diet, he was seeing results: from around 100 kg he'd gotten down to 97,5 kg. The progress motivated him.
"Okay, keep going—soon I'll be a ripped guy with six-pack abs."
As he imagined that, a voice spoke from behind him.
"What are you doing?"
Tanaka turned and saw Jahy had somehow come in.
"You snuck in while I was showering—are you spying on me?" he teased.
"Huh? Jahy spying on you?"
Jahy pointed at herself, indignant.
She wouldn't spy. She'd just followed him because when he'd come back earlier he'd looked completely worn out—practically dead.
That aroused her curiosity: what made him so exhausted? If she could figure that out, perhaps she could use it.
"I, Jahy-sama, never spy!" she said proudly.
"Right, right—scholars don't spy," Tanaka replied sarcastically. Jahy understood the mockery but pretended not to.
"So—are you saying you go to school? Why did you come back so tired? Do you fight at school?" Jahy asked.
Tanaka laughed. "Fight? I don't learn how to kill people. Come on, go finish your bath. I'm going to rest."
He flopped on the sofa with a milk and the TV. Jahy stood there, hand to chin, thinking.
[I see. So human schools only teach the things he mentioned this morning.
They don't teach actual combat or assassination.
No wonder Tanaka is so special—he must learn different things at school.
I can't beat him yet. If I go to that school and learn human combat, my power will rise.
Then Tanaka will submit at my feet. Wahahaha!]
She thought gleefully, then hid the grin when Tanaka's mother Kazumi called them for dinner.
"Jahy, what are you so happy about? Come eat."
"All right, coming."