Early next morning, Shirase went out for his routine morning jog as usual.
Tonight, he had a date with Nakano Nino, so naturally, club practice couldn't run until dark like last time.
He activated [Fixed Hosting] and jogged leisurely, completely oblivious to the young man with long, tanned legs, wearing a sleeveless marathon jersey, quietly trailing behind him.
Only when the young man caught up and ran alongside him on the dimly lit streets did Shirase glance at him briefly.
And then he continued spacing out.
With the Hosting System in charge, he could comfortably daydream or think about other things. Anyway, once hosting ended, the results would be automatically there waiting for him.
The two jogged side by side for several streets. Gradually, the sky brightened, and people started to appear on the once-empty roads.
The young man glanced at Shirase repeatedly, seeming hesitant to speak.
But Shirase was lost in his own world, utterly unaware of his companion's conflicted expression.
After another twenty minutes, the young man finally couldn't hold back. Breathing heavily, he asked, "Are you also a competitor in this year's track meet?"
Shirase continued spacing out.
Getting no reply, the young man blinked in confusion. Is he just aloof, or is he socially awkward and shy?
Initially, he had assumed Shirase was simply another enthusiast out for regular exercise.
Yet after running for so long, despite carefully pacing himself, he was panting more and more heavily. Meanwhile, Shirase looked perfectly composed—only a slight hint of fatigue on his face, but otherwise no sign of strain.
The young man gritted his teeth. He was at an age where pride mattered. With Shirase so blatantly ignoring him, his competitive spirit flared up. He stubbornly decided to see who could hold out longer.
...
Ten minutes later.
The young man's clothes were soaked through, his forehead drenched in sweat. His breathing grew ragged and irregular.
He turned his head to glance sideways, and saw Shirase, steadily pulling ahead, breathing just lightly—an entirely different state from himself.
Unable to bear it, the young man forced himself to speed up again and catch Shirase, gasping, "I guess I guessed wrong earlier... You must be a marathon athlete, right? Strange, though—I've never seen you before. Someone with your stamina couldn't possibly have gone unnoticed…"
Shirase remained unresponsive.
Just as the young man started to think he'd never get an answer today, Shirase suddenly came back to his senses, noticing that someone was still running next to him.
So Shirase asked plainly, "Are we headed in the same direction?"
The young man's mouth hung open awkwardly, his expression like he'd eaten something bitter.
I asked him multiple questions just now—yet suddenly he throws out a 'headed in the same direction?' Does that mean he wasn't listening to a single thing I said?
Distracted by this, his breathing fell out of rhythm completely, and he quickly lost pace, unable to keep up anymore.
Meanwhile, Shirase withdrew his gaze, muttering quietly, "Oh, he must be unable to speak."
"…"
...
After returning home and showering, Shirase sat down in his room and began reviewing test questions.
Kana woke up a bit later. Seeing him with headphones on, studying seriously, she thoughtfully didn't disturb him and instead went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Their relationship had always been like this: whoever had the time cooked the meals. This comfortable routine had formed long ago.
In the afternoon, Shirase changed clothes and left home. As usual, Hayama Hayato sent him a message, reminding him of today's practice.
"Be careful out there," Kana called gently, wearing an apron and waving from the doorway. Her gaze was tender, the image of a loving wife sending off her husband. If someone saw her like this, they'd certainly misunderstand.
Shirase waved back in acknowledgment. Lately, he felt their relationship had grown closer, though he wasn't entirely sure.
Only after Shirase had disappeared from sight did Kana reluctantly close the door. Leaning back against it, she vividly recalled certain scenes from yesterday.
"I'll always like Kana-nee."
Shirase's voice echoed in her mind again.
A soft blush blossomed on her cheeks, and Kana giggled softly, covering her face with her hands. She murmured shyly, "Stop overthinking! He definitely didn't mean it that way…"
Yet a second later, she muttered dreamily, "But thinking about it is fine, right…?"
Standing at the door lost in her silly happiness, Kana suddenly remembered something. She hurried into her room, grabbed a chair, and climbed up to open the compartment above her wardrobe.
Her underwear was still inside.
Only last night did she realize that she'd absent-mindedly stuffed it there while knitting the sweater, completely forgetting about it afterward.
"That kid was squeezing it around yesterday... he probably didn't do it on purpose, right?" Kana held her garment, eyes flickering shyly and reproachfully, a soft sheen of embarrassment brightening her gaze.
Although she believed Shirase hadn't done it intentionally, she couldn't shake off the nagging doubt.
But what if he actually did do it deliberately?
If so, as his older sister, should she personally provide him with a thorough education on matters involving the opposite sex?
A very private lesson, perhaps?
Kana's imagination ran wild again, and her blush deepened further.
...
Meanwhile…
The completely oblivious Shirase had already reached school.
He'd arrived relatively early today. Besides the soccer club captain and a few diligent members, most players hadn't arrived yet.
"Yo, Shirase," the captain greeted him first, gesturing toward Isshiki Iroha sitting in the shade beneath a tree. "You'll be training individually today. Isshiki-san has your training schedule. If you forget what you're supposed to do, just ask her."
Isshiki Iroha waved at Shirase sweetly upon hearing her name mentioned.
Shirase glanced at her, puzzled. "I'm training alone?"
"Yes," the captain smiled a little helplessly. "Hayama and I discussed it privately. Even though it's frustrating to admit, our stamina just can't keep up with yours anymore. If you sprint during matches, there's basically no way we can match your pace right now."
"That's exactly right," Isshiki Iroha interjected leisurely from her seat. "Even Hayama-san, who's considered one of our soccer club aces, has a noticeable gap in stamina compared to you."
Shirase understood at last. "So you're all going to focus specifically on endurance training during this period?"
"Exactly. We really don't want to fall too far behind you…" the captain muttered quietly, then added, "Though honestly, I still can't figure out how you reached this level. Seriously, you're a freak."
Shirase laughed softly. Everything I have was earned through my own efforts, after all.
System, take over for me!
He had long since memorized the soccer club's training plan, so he didn't need to ask Isshiki for it. Instead, he immediately activated the Hosting System and began training.
Isshiki Iroha puffed her cheeks slightly. She'd hoped to use this opportunity to chat a bit more with Shirase.
After all, she knew that as soon as Hayama Hayato arrived, the two boys would enter their own "private world," leaving her almost completely unable to join in.