Shiina Kanzaki was a very well-proportioned girl.
Her fitted training uniform hugged her figure in all the right places, revealing the powerful curves of a girl who trained with discipline but never tried to show off. Her waist was narrow, her hips gently flared, and her chest… well, it rose and fell a little too noticeably with every breath she took after the fall.
His eyes wavered.
His breath caught.
For just a second… he felt it. A thrum. A heartbeat not entirely his own. A heat that had nothing to do with battle or bloodlust, but something warmer… messier… and was down south on his body.
"She's… beautiful."
The thought hit him like a sword stroke to the ribs.
He turned his face away sharply and clenched his jaw, as if ashamed to have thought it at all.
"No. No. I cannot."
His hands curled into fists against the mat.
"My Yuki… my wife… I failed you once. I couldn't protect you when it mattered most. Even now, I chase your shadow in this twisted future world. This Shiina, she's not you. I mustn't… I can't…"
"Kyaa!" Shiina squealed in embarrassment and scrambled to her feet.
But in that frantic motion, her soft, athletic form brushed against his in just the wrong (Read: right) ways. For a single breathless instant, her knee slid across his thigh, her hand grazed his chest, and the press of her hips shifted against his ribs as she tried to push away.
It was fleeting. Accidental. Innocent in intention.
But devastating in effect.
Akira froze
He was stunned by the warmth, the softness, the vivid realness of her.
Shiina's face was crimson. She spun around with mechanical awkwardness, adjusting her top and pulling it taut with short, jerky tugs, as if she could erase what just happened through force alone.
Akira sat up slowly, the air still thick with tension, his thoughts in chaos.
"This is wrong… and yet…"
He looked at her back, her shoulders stiff, her fingers trembling just slightly as she tried to act normal.
"Y-you! Why did you do that? Y-you're so mean!" Shiina blurted out, still facing away from him, her arms crossed tightly over her bountiful chest.
Akira blinked.
"Mean?" he repeated, genuinely puzzled. "You mean the part where I saved you from a cursed rotating platform of endless self-punishment?"
"That was a treadmill!" she shouted, spinning around, her face a deep shade of red. "It's just for cardio! Not some… ancient soul-grinding torture device!"
Akira tilted his head, eyes narrowing as he considered it. "That's exactly what someone trapped in its cycle would say. This treadmill even has brainwashing capabilities. What an impressively evil device."
Shiina let out a sharp groan. Her fists trembled slightly at her sides. "This. Is. Not. A. Torture. Device. This is a treadmill. Treadmill! I run on it so I can stay in shape!"
"You run on it? Why would you do that?" Akira frowned in genuine confusion. "If you want to run, why don't you just… run? Outside. Where the air is fresh and the wind speaks freely? Why choose this glowing, humming beast?"
Shiina stared at him for a long moment, blinking slowly. It finally sank in. He wasn't mocking her. He wasn't joking. He had really meant to save her. And he truly didn't understand how any of this worked.
A soft warmth bloomed in her chest. Her arms lowered, her expression softened, and her entire posture shifted as if some weight had quietly lifted.
"Ah… this student here," she said gently, her voice smooth as cool spring water. "What is your name?"
Akira straightened a little. His mouth opened automatically to deliver his usual grand line. But something in her tone stopped him. Just for her, he decided to respond differently.
"I… I am Akira. And you're Shiina-san!" he said with a touch of excitement.
Shiina smiled. It was the kind of smile that softened the light in the room.
"Yes. I am." Her voice had turned soft, and her expression held the patient kindness reserved for animals or lost travelers. "You… you've never seen a treadmill before?"
Akira shook his head. "No. This is my first time."
The smell of warm rubber and faint citrus-scented cleaning spray lingered in the air. The overhead lights hummed gently as she stepped forward, her sneakers brushing lightly across the padded flooring.
Akira could hear the soft creak of a nearby weight machine, the rhythm of someone skipping rope in the far corner, and Shiina's voice now calm and kind, cutting gently through it all.
"Let me help you then." she said, looking up at him. "How about I show you around the gym, and explain how each equipment works? That way, you will be able to train by yourself in the future."
Her offer came without hesitation.
Akira stared at her for a beat too long. She was tall and strong, but her presence felt gentle in a way he couldn't quite place. Like a warrior who trained to protect and not to destroy.
"I… I would appreciate that." he said quietly, unsure how else to respond.
Shiina smiled again, then turned toward the nearest machine.
"Alright. Let's start with something easy. This one here is called a rowing machine. You sit here, hold the handles, and pull back like you're rowing a boat. It's good for your back and arms."
She gestured, then paused.
Akira was staring at the machine like it had just threatened him.
"You row, but the boat never moves?"
"…Yes."
His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Cursed object."
Shiina let out a small laugh.
Shiina stepped closer to the rowing machine and patted the seat lightly.
"Come on, give it a try. Just sit here, place your feet on the pedals, grip the handlebar, and pull straight back. Like rowing."
Akira eyed the contraption with mild distrust. The metal bar gleamed under the lights, cold and slightly worn from frequent use. The seat creaked faintly as he lowered himself onto it, posture stiff like a man preparing for ritual combat.
He gripped the handle with both hands, stared down at it, then pulled.
Nothing happened.
No movement. No boat. No water. No sound of victory.
He pulled again, harder. The chain inside spun with a mechanical clatter, the wheel whirring softly.
"This… is the illusion of effort," he muttered darkly. "It pretends I move the world, but I remain where I began. This place is very confusing."
Shiina stifled a cute laugh behind her hand.
"It's for strength building, Akira. Not transportation."
"Then I shall not be deceived." He stood up firmly, brushing his hands as though casting away something cursed. "Show me the next demon."
Shiina gestured toward the bench press area. "Okay. This one is for building your chest and arm muscles. You lie down on the bench, grip the bar, and press it upward. Like lifting a heavy opponent off your body."
Akira nodded solemnly. "Ah. I've done that before. After being crushed by a huge black bear."