I wake up early and start gathering mammoth wood. I still feel a little down from yesterday. Shinobu is asleep even after I finish collecting supplies. I haven't heard her cry so far today, which is an improvement. I quietly organize the lumber and remove all the broken pieces from the den. Once I've finished my chores, I start working out. While doing squats, I notice Shinobu stirring. I tend to grunt during each lift which may have woken her up.
"Mmmn…" Shinobu moans while rubbing her eyes. "Hello?"
I rack the weight and walk over to the groggy girl.
"Hey, sorry if I woke you up." She looks up at me with a slacked-jaw expression. "Shinobu?"
"Oh, no. I didn't even notice. Are you working out already?"
"Yeah, I picked up a bunch of wood for Josh so he can fix all the equipment. In the meantime, I figured I'd exercise."
"Alright, I'll join you."
"That's fine, don't push yourself too hard."
"O-okay, I'll do my best!" I try to focus on my squats, but Shinobu keeps asking me questions. I don't mind helping her out, but it's interfering with my regimen. Eventually, I manage several sets around mid-morning and then transition to ancillary exercises. I do some hanging leg raises with a barbell and concentrate on my core. Without proper exercise equipment, it's difficult to workout your hamstrings and glutes, but I make the most of it.
"Nick!" Shinobu calls for me again.
"Yes?" I finish my set and walk over to her while she is standing at a rack. She has a bar with one small plate on either side.
"Can you spot me?"
"Sure."
"Thanks." I hold my hands out to grab the bar while she drops down into the hole to knock out some bench presses. On her sixth rep, she struggles a bit, so I grab the bar and pull up slightly to help her finish.
"I can tell you're improving quickly. Keep it up." I throw some generic encouragement her way. If she could physically hold her own in battle, she would be a real asset, but for the moment, she's a bit of a burden.
"I'll do my best." I can see her cheeks flush with excitement at my words, so I take it as a win. I continue working out for a while with Shinobu's intermittent interruptions until I feel satisfied. Shinobu keeps pushing herself, which is nice to see. Once we're finished, I bring her to the slope, where we take turns running up and down the length of the cave. A little before noon, Woohee arrives, and I leave Shinobu in her care while I head back to town. Josh and Sakura are running laps around the palisade as I arrive.
"Hey!" I call out to the pair running in tandem.
"Hi!" The kids come to a stop in front of me.
"I was just working out earlier. Do you mind if I join you on your run?"
"Actually, we were almost done. We were about to head to the den."
"That's fine. I'll run a few laps while you do that." I make sure not to give any orders and just agree. I think the best thing I can do to improve my relationship with Sakura is to stop telling her what to do.
"We'll see you in the forest when you're done."
"Sounds good." I watch the pair walk to the forest. They chat and laugh as they disappear into the distance.
[Let's do this.]
I stretch a bit before starting my run. I haven't been doing as much cardio recently, so I push myself. The avalanche that Inari poured into me is still flowing through my head.
I think my assertiveness is my biggest issue. I should look to others more when considering my options. I know I tend to miss sensory information, so it's good to keep it in mind either way.
I run five laps just a little faster than my normal pace, which leaves me exhausted. The feeling of my body screaming at me is cathartic. I take a minute to catch my breath before heading into town. I need to pick up some food for Shinobu, but I decide to go home and check up on my family first. I enter the front door and find Carroll sitting at the dining table.
"Nick!" She runs up and hugs me tightly. "Where have you been?"
At this point, it dawns on me that my parents do not know what I have been doing.
"Sorry, I've been busy," I explain everything that has been going on for the last few days to the very upset woman currently holding me. I have been so concerned about Shinobu that I didn't consider how I was affecting my family.
"I just wish you had told us what was going on."
"I'm sorry. I'll make sure not to do that again." We stand in silence for a few moments before Vincent walks into the room.
"Where the hell have you been?!" He tosses his arms up in frustration.
"Hey…" I don't really know what to say since I just explained everything to Carroll.
"Honey, give him a break."
"He just disappears for a few days, and you want me to give him a break?!"
"Vincent!" She takes him by the arm and pulls him into the library. I take this opportunity to run up to my room and grab a few books. Since I'm stuck in the den, I might as well get some books to read for the time being. This might be a good way to give Shinobu an escape as well. I don't know what she's been through, but the sound of her crying at night still haunts me. I grab whatever piques my interest and head back downstairs. I can hear my parents arguing in the library. I don't want to, but I choose to interrupt them.
"He just runs about causing trouble; It feels like I don't even have a son anymore!" Vincent yells into the ether.
'Smack!'
Carroll lands a hard slap across his face. It's bizarre to see her actually get mad; she's so quick to try and defuse the situation. I don't know whether I should feel good about Carroll standing up for me or bad for Vincent disowning me.
I push aside the jumble of feelings roiling inside me and step into the room.
"How dare you say something like that? You know as well as I do how hard he's been working lately. Nick has been going through a lot, and we need to give him his space." Vincent looks fairly shocked that Carroll struck him, so I take this opportunity to interrupt him.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was going on, but someone needs my help. I have to go now." Vincent and Carroll turn to me with shocked expressions. I smile broadly to assuage their worries. "I promise I'll take care of myself."