Vol. 2 Chapter 48 – A Close Look at Asahi Hikaru’s Day (3)

“This is the training room. It’s got pretty much everything, from aerobic and weight machines to core training equipment.” (Mitsuki)

From equipment whose use was obvious at a glance, to things I had no idea how to use.

Numerous training machines were lined up, cramming the space.

I’d seen famous gyms along the street from the outside, but this place was just as well-equipped.

The age range seemed a bit higher here, mostly used by people my age or older.

“By the way, members get unlimited use of all this latest equipment too! Now’s the time to join!” (Mitsuki)

Isn’t the purpose of this tour starting to shift…?

“Speaking of which, things like barbells and dumbbells… can Hikaru lift quite heavy weights too…?” (Reiya)

I asked while watching someone else doing weight training nearby.

Having seen her do everything else so perfectly up to this point, an image popped into my head of her easily lifting around a hundred kilograms.

“Hmm… Not really. She only does the bare minimum of weight training.” (Mitsuki)

“Really?” (Reiya)

“Yeah, as you can see, she has a slender build, right? Her strength isn’t power, but rather the flexibility to hit from any position and her delicate ball touch. Adding unnecessary muscle would actually be counterproductive. So, her basic training is mainly core and flexibility… Look, like that.” (Mitsuki)

Walking deeper into the training room, we reached an area covered with mats.

There, Hikaru, changed into training wear, was doing flexibility exercises.

“Whoa! Amazing…” (Reiya)

Seeing it, I couldn’t help but let out a voice of astonishment.

She was on the mat with both legs spread 180 degrees, her upper body pressed flat against the floor.

I knew she was flexible from seeing her do light stretches in my room, but I never imagined it was to this extent…

She looked like a rhythmic gymnast or a ballet dancer.

“Ah, Reiya-kun!” (Hikaru)

Hikaru noticed me as she lifted her upper body.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” (Reiya)

“Not at all. Look, I can even do this.” (Hikaru)

“Whoa…! The wonders of the human body…!” (Reiya)

This time, she placed her elbows on the ground, lifted her lower body, then arched backward like a shrimp, bringing her feet to either side of her head.

“And further… from here, like this… Hup!” (Hikaru)

From there, she went into a bridge pose, and finally pushed off the floor with her hands to spring to her feet.

“Oooh…!” (Reiya)

Feeling like I was watching some kind of street performance, I couldn’t help but applaud.

“Want to try too, Reiya-kun? As a light post-meal exercise.” (Hikaru)

“No, I’m good… I’m in my regular clothes too…” (Reiya)

“It’s fine, it’s fine! Come on, over here!” (Hikaru)

She grabbed my hand, half-forcing me, and pulled me onto the mat.

“Don’t make him do anything too crazy, okay? If he gets injured, it’ll be our responsibility.” (Mitsuki)

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Just something really light.” (Hikaru)

Replying to her mother, Hikaru moved behind me.

“First, cross your arms like this…” (Hikaru)

“Like… this?” (Reiya)

“Right, right, then use your hips and pull firmly…” (Hikaru)

She lectured me on how to do it from behind, but—

“Uh-huh, just like that! Now, try to focus on this spot here, and here, when you exert force?” (Hikaru)

…Isn’t there an awful lot of physical contact?

Even for things that could be explained verbally, she was deliberately patting and touching me.

Could it be she thinks she can flirt even during practice this way…?

But maybe she’s just being thorough in her instruction, so it’s hard to say anything.

“Ah… Yeah, I can feel it working.” (Reiya)

“See? Okay, next, bend this part here like this…” (Hikaru)

And so, quite literally, hand-holding me, my body was loosened up.

“Here too, push it inward like this… Look, it’s already gotten so much softer.” (Hikaru)

“You’re right… It doesn’t feel like my own body.” (Reiya)

“Okay, now sit down… I’m going to push from behind, okay?” (Hikaru)

This time, I was made to bend forward with my legs spread, but…

“Tell me if it hurts, okay?” (Hikaru)

She could have just pushed with her palms, but for some reason, she used her body in a way that was almost like hugging me.

But maybe this is the proper way to do it… No, she definitely just wants to touch me.

I mean, her mother is watching with an incredibly dubious expression…

“Does it hurt?” (Hikaru)

“N-Not hurt, exactly, but…” (Reiya)

“Okay, I’ll push a little harder then.” (Hikaru)

“Ugh…” (Reiya)

Something soft was pressing firmly against my back.

“Can you still take it?” (Hikaru)

“M-Maybe at my limit…” (Reiya)

“Hmm… Looks like you could still go further, though?” (Hikaru)

“Uooooh…” (Reiya)

When she whispered in my ear, her warm breath blew against it, making things even worse.

Something other than my joints was about to reach its limit.

“Okay, all done~!” (Hikaru)

At the signal to stop, I let out a huge sigh of relief.

S-Somehow, I endured…

“Alright, next up is~…” (Hikaru)

“Eh? Th-There’s more? I feel like I’ve pretty much done enough…” (Reiya)

“It’s okay. This is the last one.” (Hikaru)

“If it’s the last one… well…” (Reiya)

When she said that, for some reason, I felt like I had to do it.

Wondering what would happen this time, I waited while sitting, and she crouched down, glancing repeatedly at her mother’s position, shielding me from view.

“Put both hands up, like ‘banzai’?” (Hikaru)

“B-Banzai…” (Reiya)

“Okay, then grab the base of your arms like this…” (Hikaru)

To grab both my arms, she approached as if it were unavoidable.

Frozen in that position, she kept glancing sideways, checking her mother’s location again and again.

“So… what should I do next?” (Reiya)

Sensing a somewhat ominous atmosphere, I asked, and Hikaru looked me right in the eye from up close…

“…Kiss me?” (Hikaru)

She whispered in a pleading voice.

“Huh?” (Reiya)

“Come on, hurry, hurry…!” (Hikaru)

“No, no, no, no… Your mom’s watching…” (Reiya)

“It’s okay. She can’t see from this angle…!” (Hikaru)

“Ehh…” (Reiya)

“I wanna kiss~…! Wanna, wanna, wanna kiss~…!” (Hikaru)

She whined at a volume only I could hear.

True, Hikaru was blocking the view from her mother right now.

A light kiss, just a touch, probably wouldn’t be noticed.

But excessive flirting was currently forbidden.

Since I had asked to observe, I had to keep my promise.

I knew I shouldn’t, but the lips before me held an irresistible magic.

Just a little bit, I thought, and moved to grant her request—

“Honestly… Can’t let my guard down for a second…” (Mitsuki)

“Aah~…!!” (Hikaru)

Hikaru was grabbed by the scruff of her neck by her mother and dragged away.

And so, after that, I quietly observed the training, and we moved back to the indoor court.

From here until evening, she would practice basic serves and strokes.

That apparently concluded the day’s schedule.

Parting ways with Hikaru as she entered the court, I headed to the same spot behind the net as this morning.

I sat down on the provided chair, planning to just observe until evening, when—

“Okay, I need to step out for a bit for a trivial matter… While I’m gone, there’s something I’d like to ask you to do, Kageyama-kun, is that alright?” (Mitsuki)

“Yes, that’s fine… What is it?” (Reiya)

“Could you take some photos and videos of the practice with this? For Hikaru’s SNS uploads. As her boyfriend, you understand her charm best, so you’re the perfect person for the job, right?” (Mitsuki)

Hikaru’s mother said this, handing me a latest-model smartphone with a high-performance camera.