"Asuna, how long has it been since you've been with a man?"
"??"
Yuigahama's mom, who had managed to keep her composure until now, suddenly flushed bright red at Sayuri's words.
"Hehehe~"
Sayuri's lips curled into a mischievous smile as she leaned in close to Yuigahama's mom's ear and whispered:
"Hikigaya-kun must be the second boy you've kissed besides him, right?"
"Ugh!"
Yuigahama's mom's face turned crimson as she stammered, "W-What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Heh, Asuna, don't play dumb. Tell me, have you had any bold thoughts about Hikigaya-kun?"
"B-Bold thoughts…?"
Her heart pounded faster, and Yuigahama's mom quickly shook her head. "I just want my Yui to be happy… I want her and Hikigaya-kun to—"
"Oh? That's it? How disappointing."
"You… Aren't you the same?"
"Who said I was only thinking about my daughter?"
Sayuri countered with a smirk. "Don't moms deserve happiness too? As a woman, if you don't have a man in your life, how are you supposed to survive the rest of your years?"
"You, you, you…! Ugh!"
Before Yuigahama's mom could finish, Sayuri suddenly wrapped her arms around her.
"Jeez… what an enviable figure."
"Ugh! S-Sayuri!!"
Yuigahama's mom's face turned pale as she struggled. "What are you doing? Let me go!"
"A woman with a body like yours… No man could possibly handle it."
"M-My personal life is none of your concern."
"Hehe, tell me, if Hikigaya-kun became your man, could you accept it? How would you feel?"
"???"
"Oh? Your heart's beating faster. Are you getting excited?"
"N-No!!"
Even her neck had turned red. Frustrated, Yuigahama's mom snapped, "You shameless woman! You're actually setting your sights on a boy your daughter admires? Are you crazy?"
"He's not her man—he's just someone she admires. What's the problem?"
Forcing herself to suppress the strange emotions stirring in her chest, Yuigahama's mom scowled. "Quit joking around already!"
---
Meanwhile…
Hikigaya had jogged quite a distance, finally putting a safe gap between himself and the two women. He let out a deep breath of relief.
He had to admit—women's arguments were terrifying.
Before he realized it, he had wandered into an open space within the park.
There, a girl was stretching her leg against a barre, doing flexibility exercises.
Hikigaya didn't interrupt Miura; instead, he stood at a distance, quietly watching her stretch.
After the incident with the two moms, Miura suddenly seemed much more agreeable in comparison.
At least she was just a tsundere—she might insult him, but she wouldn't smother him with excessive kindness or physical affection like those two.
At the same time—
After stretching one leg for a while, Miura switched to the other.
And in doing so, she finally noticed Hikigaya from the corner of her eye.
Her heartbeat jolted violently.
A faint blush spread across her cheeks before she instinctively put her leg down, then quickly stomped toward him with an aggressive air.
"…Uh."
Seeing the queen charging over, Hikigaya's instincts screamed at him to flee.
However—
Like a rabbit in full sprint, Miura reached him in an instant and scolded, "You came here and didn't even say anything?"
"…I didn't want to disturb you," Hikigaya explained.
"…"
Hearing his reason, Miura's heart skipped a beat, and her irritation melted slightly. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "How long have you been here?"
"Three, maybe four minutes?"
"'Maybe'?! That's a long time!"
Her expression changed slightly, and she unconsciously tensed her thigh.
Feeling the tension in the air, Hikigaya averted his gaze, not wanting to provoke her further.
And because he lowered his head—
His eyes accidentally landed on her fair, slender legs.
Huh.
Miura was an athlete, always working out.
Yet her legs were incredibly smooth, almost like delicate tofu.
"Ugh! W-Where do you think you're looking?!"
"Ah, sorry!"
"Hikigaya, you…!"
Her legs tensed even more, a faint sheen of sweat forming on her skin.
Hikigaya quickly averted his gaze again, staring at a random pebble on the ground instead.
The atmosphere grew increasingly awkward.
Unable to take it anymore, Hikigaya hastily changed the subject.
"Now that I think about it… I never really noticed, but this park has a lot of workout equipment."
Aside from the barre, there were other fitness structures like parallel bars and pull-up bars.
Hikigaya's eyes naturally drifted toward the pull-up bar.
"There's even a pull-up bar."
"What, you wanna give it a try?"
Still recovering from her earlier embarrassment, Miura quickly caught on to his interest.
"Yeah."
"Go ahead, then. But…"
Miura glanced at his frame and remarked dryly, "Pull-ups are pretty tough. With your build, I'd say five at most."
Five was already a generous estimate.
If not for her wanting to give him a little dignity, she might have said he'd struggle to do even one.
As the school's athletic committee member, Miura had a solid grasp of the physical capabilities of the bookish boys at Sobu High.
However—
"Haah!"
"Haah!"
"…?"
Before she could even blink a few times, Hikigaya had already completed five pull-ups.
Not only that—
He was still going.
Ten.
Fifteen.
Twenty…
Miura stood frozen in shock.
Finally—
Hikigaya finished his first set at twenty-four reps.
And—
His form was flawless.
Miura was dumbstruck. She stared at him, eyes wide. "You… Have you been secretly training?"
"Nope, this is my first time."
Hikigaya shook his head, glancing at the bar.
Doing pull-ups felt amazing!
Not just his arms—
Even his whole body felt energized, as if his strength had been fully unleashed.
He wanted to do more!
Exercise was awesome!
"First time, and you did twenty-four?"
A storm of disbelief raged in Miura's mind.
Her gaze instinctively moved to his body.
After the intense workout—
The muscles in his arms bulged slightly, veins faintly visible beneath the skin.
Not just his arms—
Even his thighs were well-defined, packed with lean, powerful muscle.
And with sweat glistening on his body, an overwhelming masculine energy radiated from him.
Miura was enthralled.
Did Hikigaya hack reality or something?
How did he suddenly become this strong?
His physique looked amazing.
Even his scent was incredible.
Without realizing it, she squeezed her toned thighs together.
And in that moment, a thought surfaced in her mind—
Only strong men deserve strong women.
If Hikigaya was this strong, then obviously, a strong woman should be the one to claim him!
Looking at him, brimming with raw masculinity, Miura bit her lip and blurted out:
"Hikigaya… Can a frail girl like Yukinoshita really satisfy you?"
****************************
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