Haruto clung to the edge of the deep pool, gasping for breath as if he had just escaped a bear. His face was a tomato-red, and his eyes sought solace in the water that enveloped him, his sweat mingling with the chlorinated pool.
"Haaah... Haaah... Just... 27 more times... Haaah... And that's just day one... What... Haaah... This is too extreme..." He panted, gripping the pool's edge as if it were his lifeline, his body shivering under the cold winter breeze while a cloud obscured the rising sun.
"How is this going to help me... Even if I get fit, it's not like she'll like me more than him... Maybe I should take it easy—" His thoughts were interrupted by the memory of Himiko and Kyoya together, her breathing rough, her smile wide.
A spark of determination flickered in Haruto's eyes as his grip on the ceramic edge tightened. His eyebrows drew together, and his lips twitched in resolve as he stared across the pool.
With gritted teeth, he released the edge and propelled himself forward, swimming towards the other side, driven by the vision of the results his training could bring, awaiting him at the end of this grueling period.
------------------------------------------
Kyoya burst into the gym, panting and dripping with sweat, clad in his sports gear. At two years older than Himiko, he possessed an excellent physique and stood tall, his presence marking him as both a catch and a source of envy among his peers—a veritable deity of his era.
However, the confident, handsome façade of Kyoya faltered as he laid eyes on the figure that had just entered his gym.
An average-height man with a protruding belly, clad in a white button-down shirt and jeans, stood before him. His face was framed by an excessively white beard and matching hair on the sides of a balding head, and perched on his nose were what appeared to be reading glasses.
Yet, it wasn't the man's appearance that caught Kyoya off guard—it was the object he held in his hands.
Haruto Sakurai announced himself with an almost theatrical air, his back arching slightly. "Aaaaah, based on the portraits adorning the walls of this... ehh... 'fair' establishment, you, dear sire, must be Mr. Guuji!" He knew everything—Kyoya's face, possibly even his social security number.
This was a character straight from one of Yuuto Sakurai's dramatic scripts, ready to play out his ridiculous hero game.
"Do you seeee what I'm holding...? Mr. Guuuuuuuji?" Haruto's voice boomed, resonating throughout the gym.
Kyoya started, "A... Ra-"
"A dead rat, yes. A dead gym? Possibly. While I MIGHT understand that pests come and go, why is there one just as I decided to arrive and inspect this place?"
Kyoya stammered, "Y-you came without notice, Mr. Sakurai! If you had scheduled a meeting then—"
"IN OTHER WORDS, if I hadn't, you would've let this rat fester and cause sickness among your gym members who pay handsomely for a membership!?"
Kyoya protested, "N-no, sir! That's not what I mean!" His voice was desperate to correct the misunderstanding, but the accusation had already set the tone for a difficult confrontation.
"IT SOUNDS EXACTLY like what you mean, Mr. Guuji. You are losing points rapidly, I might say... Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
Kyoya sighed, his eyes scanning the room desperately for some sort of justification.
"Look. Yesterday was rough for me and my team. Half of them are in the hospital and couldn't come to work today! The timing of that rat dying here just as you showed up is purely bad luck!"
"There's just one thing I missed—You said your workers got...?"
"Beat up, man—they were brutalized by two maniacs in costumes during a huge brawl in Tokyo, and they're all hospitalized for at least a week!"
"Oh, they got beat up? I missed the part where that's my problem."
Yuuto then gestured towards Kyoya with the dead rat still in his hand.
"You are the instructor. The gym is under your leadership and your responsibility to oversee. I understand that you and your... 'boys' encountered an inconvenience—"
"-An inconvenience!? They were—"
"-IF YOU cannot prepare for such days, I'm afraid your gym might be..."
"Now, just wait a goddamn—"
"Hm... What are these trophies?" Yuuto interrupted, walking past Kyoya to examine a wooden plank on the wall filled with golden trophies.
"The results of our blood, sweat, and tears," Kyoya declared, puffing out his chest, though his expression remained tense from their earlier exchange, as he stood beside Yuuto.
"I see... You seem to be quite an accomplished character. I haven't had the chance to thoroughly delve into this place. You're new to this city, aren't you?" Yuuto observed.
Kyoya's shoulders relaxed slightly as Yuuto appeared to take a more interested stance.
"... Yeah. Four months now."
"Interesting. And you've gathered so many members already... Perhaps I may have judged this gym too hastily," Yuuto conceded.
Kyoya's eyes lit up, a glint of hope flickering within them.
"Then...!"
"However, it remains a fact that a dead rat was found decomposing in a space where people train, sweat, and rest. Therefore, I'll give you a chance," Yuuto continued, lifting his finger, which drew Kyoya's gaze with curiosity. "Just for this month, I will be visiting in short notices, making sure you comply. For general health check-ups. I will require your presence here to ensure everything is under control. Unfortunately, I can only inform you of the exact times I'll be visiting a day in advance. And I might come here in weekends, as well."
Kyoya exclaimed, "Weekends!? Is that really necessary?"
"My, the weekends are when the gym is most inactive and a pest could sneak in. Imagine if another inspector came the day after and closed your gym without giving you a chance. These visits will also allow us to implement and discuss new rules." Yuuto explained with a cautionary tone.
Kyoya exhaled a deep sigh of frustration. Yuuto then patted his shoulder lightly after slipping the rat into his breast pocket.
"Worry not, my boy. It is just for this month, starting today, and then I will be out of your hair."
Kyoya's eyes widened in disbelief. "Today too...? It is my day off, Inspector Sakurai. I had plans."
"Are your plans more important than the wellbeing of your gym?"
Kyoya clenched his fists. "Today, they are," he responded firmly.
Yuuto remained unmoved. "Then you care not if the gym closes, I see. Well then, I'm afraid I'll have to pause your business for the entire month. I'll inform my superiors that the reason was you taking a day off."
Yuuto thought to himself, 'Weakness 2! Japanese people's work ethics are off the charts! Especially true for this guy.'
He then pulled out his phone (Sendo's phone) and began dialing random numbers.
Kyoya interrupted, "WAIT..."
Yuuto paused his pretense of dialing random numbers.
"Hmm?"
Kyoya asked, "Just this month, right?"
Yuuto's grin widened, a wicked gleam in his eyes hidden from the frustrated Kyoya.
"Just this month, and I'll get out of your hair. Like I promised."
Kyoya sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to gather himself.
"Fine. Can I just make a phone call real quick before we start?"
"We are tight on schedule... But I'll allow it, seeing as you're being so cooperative," Yuuto conceded, thinking to himself, 'Especially when it wouldn't matter much.'
In a rush, Kyoya pulled out his phone and dialed Himiko. She answered almost immediately.
[Kyoya...? Is everything alright..?]
"Yeah... Just wanted to let you know we ran into some unplanned scenarios. We're gonna have to... Delay the trip for a bit," Kyoya explained, his voice trailing off.
[Oh... That's okay... Then, tomorrow, maybe?]
Kyoya clenched his teeth. "Maybe... I need to see when we're going to have inspections. Don't get your hopes up... This inspector I mentioned? He found a dead rat in our gym, so it looks like the whole month will be like this."
[That's horrible...! But since it's you, I know you'll pull through! And don't worry about it... Who knows, maybe by the time this is over... Haruto... might also come with us...] Her voice was weak and timid, causing Kyoya's fist to tighten as Haruto's name slipped from her lips.
"Haha, yeah. But a man like Haruto wouldn't want to upset his girlfriend... We'll still invite him, though. But don't be disappointed if he doesn't show up... Like I said, it's not like he doesn't love you or anything. He just has a girl in his life now. I'd understand..."
Yuuto's eye twitched slightly at the conversation.
[I-I... I suppose... I still want him to come though... Hehe, I guess I'm still not ready for him growing up on me... I'm such a needy mom, aren't I...?] She chuckled nervously, her voice shaky.
"It's only natural since you're his mom and all. God knows my mom was the same... Heh. I miss her..."
Yuuto watched with a critical eye, his thoughts sharp. 'Look at this guy... The "You are his mom with normal mom feelings for her son, just like my mom, but now I have a partner that is not my mom because that would be unnatural" technique. A-technique... Rare to see it employed so deftly. Perfect for when a man wants to distance a potentially romantic figure by emphasizing familial bonds. It subtly suggests her feelings should be purely maternal, nudging her to relinquish any romantic thoughts as inappropriate. Kyoya's handling it like a pro.'
[I... I see... So just let me know whenever we can go out... I... I want to spend time with you, Kyoya.]
Kyoya's expression relaxed, and a triumphant smirk spread across his face.
"Me too, Miko... Don't worry, we'll get this sorted out and continue on with our lives. I'll catch you later."
[Yeah... See you, Kyoya.] She hung up.
Kyoya turned to face Yuuto, maintaining his smug grin.
"Well then, Haruto—if you don't mind me calling you that. Ready to get this started?" he said, standing tall and looking down at Yuuto from his imposing height.
"Of course." Yuuto replied calmly, smiling blankly.
'Oh, it's on... Manipulate all you want, motherfucker (Pun intended). Even with all your resources and the man backing you up, you STILL won't get what you want.'