PROLOGUE: The Insane Announcement (August 1, 2026)
Setting: Lot Legends Gym, 8:00 PM, post-China celebration
The crew lounged across the pristine mats, gold medals glinting under the LED lights. The new AC hummed softly. Everyone expected Date to announce a well-deserved break.
Date stood in the center of the ring, arms crossed, that dangerous glint in his eye that preceded every crazy idea.
Date: "Two months until Olympic qualifiers. We're not training."
Dead silence.
Kenji (Sitting up, glasses sliding): "I'm sorry, did the concussion from Hana's hook damage your decision-making cortex?"
Aiko (Frowning): "We just swept Asia. Momentum requires maintenance. We should be drilling combinations."
Toshiro (Panicking): "Date-senpai, my 200 midnight jabs are a sacred, non-negotiable daily ritual! I'll regress to silver-level without them!"
Date (Grinning wider): "We're not training in the gym. We're training everywhere. For two months, we wear 25-kilogram weighted vests. Every. Single. Moment. Except sleep."
The room erupted.
Hana (Standing, voice rising): "TWENTY-FIVE KILOGRAMS?! That's HALF my body weight! I'll look like a pregnant Bantamweight waddling around Japan!"
Yumi: "My sprint speed will become my walking speed. That's mathematically catastrophic!"
Sora (Unusually animated): "That's... that's Rock Lee-level training. This is either genius or we'll all need spinal surgery."
Riku (Calm but concerned): "My dad's going to ask why I'm wearing a compression vest to breakfast. How do I explain that?"
Date (Pulling out blueprints): "Rock Lee principle. Our bodies adapt to the weight. When we remove them for Olympics, we'll be untouchable. Plus—" dramatic pause "—we're taking a tour. The whole crew. Parents included. Across Japan. Two months. Weighted clothes on a bus."
Emi (Already sketching physics diagrams): "The constant load creates muscular adaptation, increased bone density, cardiovascular efficiency... but the social dynamics with parents present will be volatile."
Date: "Exactly. We load for two months, then unleash for qualifiers. The tour is recovery without rest. We see Japan, bond with families, and become superhuman."
THE INVESTMENT & PREPARATION (August 1-2)
The Custom Weighted Vests
Specifications:
9 custom compression vests: ¥450,000 (~$3,000 total)
Adjustable: 15-30 kg in 5 kg increments
Breathable mesh with moisture-wicking
Distributed weight pockets (chest, back, shoulders, sides)
Looks like athletic compression wear under clothing
Custom Lot Legends logo embroidered
Funded by:
Yokkao sponsorship: ¥300,000
Parent contributions: ¥150,000
The Rules (Written by Date, signed by all):
Vests ON: 6:00 AM - 10:00 PM (16 hours daily)
Vests OFF: Sleep only (10 PM - 6 AM)
No gym training: Body needs pure adaptation
Normal activities: Walking, sightseeing, eating, everything
Start weight: 25 kg for all members
Duration: August 3 - September 30 (59 days)
Consequences for removal: 100 burpees at next gym session
Parent awareness: Tell them it's "Olympic conditioning gear"
The Tour Planning
Date's Father's Coordination:
Chartered luxury tour bus: 50-seater with reclining seats, bathroom, wifi
Route: Tokyo → Mount Fuji → Kyoto → Osaka → Hiroshima → Fukuoka → Hokkaido → Tokyo (circular, 3,500 km)
Accommodations: Mix of hotels and traditional ryokans
Total cost: ¥8,000,000 (~$53,000)
Split: 9 families + sponsor support (Mizuno contributed ¥1M)
Participants: 9 athletes + 27 adults (parents, siblings)
Parent Coordination Meeting (August 2):
Date's Father addressed the parents in the gym.
Date's Father: "Our children are Olympic-bound. This tour combines family bonding with cutting-edge conditioning. They'll wear specialized training equipment throughout."
Toshiro's Aunt (Suspicious): "What kind of equipment?"
Date (Smooth): "Compression vests. They optimize muscle engagement during daily activities. Very scientific."
Kenji's Mom: "Is it safe?"
Date's Father: "They swept the Asian Championships. I trust their methods."
Hana's Mom (Emotional): "I just want to spend time with Hana before she becomes too famous to travel with us."
Everyone nodded. The tour was approved.
WEEK 1: TOKYO TO MOUNT FUJI (August 3-9)
DAY 1 (August 3): THE DEPARTURE - 5:00 AM
Scene: Tokyo parking lot, luxury charter bus gleaming under streetlights
The crew arrived at 5:30 AM wearing their weighted vests under loose Lot Legends hoodies. The immediate effect was apocalyptic.
Toshiro (Taking baby steps): "This... is... Hell's... Training... Arc... I... can't... lift... my... legs..."
Hana (Shuffling forward like a zombie): "My Whirlwind Bloom sprint speed just became my snail-pace walk. I feel like I'm in 5x gravity!"
Sora (Breathing hard): "I've been wearing this for 3 minutes and I already regret every life choice that led here."
The Parents' First Confusion:
Kenji's Mom (Watching her son walk like a robot): "Kenji, why are you so stiff? Did you injure yourself in China?"
Kenji (Voice strained, adjusting vest secretly): "N-no, Mom! Just... post-championship muscle soreness! Very normal! Olympic athletes experience extreme... delayed-onset stiffness!"
Date's Father (Knowing look, whispering to Date): "25 kilograms?"
Date (Whispering back): "Dad, please. Don't tell the other parents. They'll panic and cancel the tour."
Date's Father (Chuckling): "Your secret's safe. But when someone asks why you're all walking like penguins, you're explaining it yourself."
THE BUS BOARDING DISASTER
The Bus Layout:
Rows 1-8: Parents (front section, best seats)
Rows 9-14: Crew (middle section)
Rows 15-18: Luggage + spare seats (back)
Bathroom: Middle of bus
The Problem: Sitting down with 25 kg vests
The crew approached the bus steps. Normally, boarding a bus takes 30 seconds.
Time elapsed for crew boarding: 8 minutes.
Why:
Step 1 - Climbing the steps:
Aiko (Gripping handrail): "Why... are there... FOUR STEPS?! This is... Everest..."
Each step required:
Full leg drive (like a weighted squat)
Arm pull on handrail
Rest period (3-5 seconds between steps)
Parents watched in confused horror as Olympic medalists struggled with bus steps.
Step 2 - Walking down the aisle:
Yumi (Shuffling sideways): "The aisle is too narrow! My vest is catching on the seats!"
She moved like a crab. Took 45 seconds to reach row 10.
Step 3 - Sitting down:
This was the catastrophe.
Aiko (First attempt): Tries to sit normally
Result: Falls into seat like a sack of rice - THUD!
"OWW! The vest compressed my spine! My vertebrae just introduced themselves to each other!"
The crew learned the hard way:
Turn around backward
Grip headrest with both hands
Lower body in controlled squat
Pray the seat can handle the impact
Riku (Lowering himself at glacial speed): "This... requires... more... focus... than my... Phantom Straight-Hook..."
Yumi (Already seated, now stuck): "I CAN'T GET BACK UP! My core strength is defeated by basic furniture!"
Parents' Growing Concern:
Sora's Mom (To Date's Father): "Why are they moving so strangely?"
Date's Father: "Olympic conditioning. Their muscles are learning to move efficiently under... uh... strategic fatigue."
Riku's Dad (Mechanic, skeptical eye): "That looks like weighted compression. I know weighted movement when I see it."
THE FIRST HOUR: The Highway to Confusion
Bus Driver (Speaking into PA): "Welcome aboard! We'll reach our first rest stop in 90 minutes at—"
Toshiro (Shooting up from seat - immediately regrets it): "NINETY MINUTES?! I need bathroom NOW! The vest is compressing my bladder!"
Date (Calm but strained): "Hold it, Toshiro. We all agreed to the vest rules."
Kenji (Calculating frantically): "25 kg distributed across torso creates approximately 8 kg of pressure on abdominal cavity. Bladder compression is mathematically inevitable!"
Parents Overhead This
Kenji's Mom: "Why is your vest compressing your bladder, Kenji?"
Kenji (Sweating): "It's... compression therapy! For core engagement! Very cutting-edge!"
Emi (Whispering to Sora): "We need scheduled bathroom breaks every 60 minutes, not 90. The vest physics are working against us."
The "Adjustment Period" Activities:
The crew tried normal bus activities:
Activity 1: Reading
Hana (Trying to hold manga above vest): "My arms are shaking! I can't hold a book! Gravity is oppressing me!"
She rigged the manga to the seat in front using hair ties. Read at 45-degree neck angle.
Activity 2: Eating snacks
Sora (Lifting chip to mouth - arm trembling violently): "Why... does this... single chip... weigh... 50 kg..."
He dropped it. Three times. Finally ate it off his lap.
Activity 3: Using phone
Yumi (Arms aching after 30 seconds): "I can't scroll! My thumbs are exhausted! How is SCROLLING exhausting?!"
She propped phone on vest, typed with index fingers only.
Parents Noticed Everything:
Hana's Mom (To Yumi's Mom): "Why are they all so... weak? They're Olympic athletes!"
Date's Father (Intervening smoothly): "Altitude training effects. The bus air pressure is... affecting their equilibrium."
Both Moms (Not convinced but accepting): "...Okay?"
THE FIRST REST STOP: 7:30 AM - Shizuoka Service Area
The Bus pulled into the massive highway rest stop. Crew had to:
Stand up from seats (30 seconds each)
Walk down aisle (2 minutes collective)
Descend bus steps (another disaster)
Walk to facilities (actually jogging, they were desperate)
THE BATHROOM CRISIS
Sora (Speed-walking/waddling to bathroom): "THE VEST MAKES URGENCY WORSE! IT'S PRESSING EVERYTHING!"
Inside the bathroom stall:
Problem: Sitting on toilet with 25 kg vest
Toshiro (From his stall): "I... can't... lower... myself... I'm doing a FULL SQUAT just to sit! This is worse than sparring!"
Sound effects from crew bathroom stalls:
THUD (Someone's vest hit the stall wall)
"OW!"
Clang (Someone's vest buckle hit the toilet paper dispenser)
"WHY IS EVERYTHING SO HARD?!"
Outside, parents waiting:
Kenji's Dad: "Why is the bathroom taking so long?"
Emi's Sister (Knowing smile): "They're... adjusting their compression gear. Very technical process."
THE FOOD COURT INCIDENT
The crew attempted breakfast at the service area food court.
The Scene: Brightly lit cafeteria, dozens of normal people eating normally
The Crew: Moving like geriatric patients, every motion labored
Menu: Ramen, rice balls, sandwiches, drinks
The Challenge: Eating while weighted
Toshiro (Sitting down - took 15 seconds - picking up chopsticks):
"Why... do these bamboo chopsticks... weigh 50 kg... when they're clearly... 10 grams...?"
His hand shook lifting noodles. Ramen broth splashed everywhere.
Hana (Attempting to eat rice ball):
"I'm the Bantamweight Gold Medalist. I punched people unconscious. And I can't lift a rice ball to my mouth without my arm spasming."
She bit the rice ball off the table directly. Like a seal.
Kenji (Rice everywhere):
"This is Bronze Medal trauma all over again. Except now I'm defeated by FOOD. Carbohydrates have become my opponent."
Aiko (Actually successfully eating - using both hands):
"If you use BOTH hands, the weight distributes better. See?" Lifts sandwich with both hands like a sacred offering
Parents Watching from Adjacent Table:
Yumi's Mom (Horrified): "Why is Yumi eating like she has no arm strength? She's FIFTEEN!"
Date (Smooth save, chewing methodically): "Olympic muscle recovery protocol, ma'am. We're teaching our bodies to move efficiently under systemic fatigue. It's cutting-edge East German sports science."
Riku's Dad (Pulling Date aside): "Kid. Those vests. How much weight?"
Date: "...15 kilograms?"
Riku's Dad (Deadpan): "I'm a mechanic. I know weight distribution. Those are at LEAST 25 kg. What are you doing to yourself?"
Date: "...Making us untouchable for Olympics?"
Riku's Dad: "Your father approve this?"
Date: "...He organized the tour?"
Riku's Dad (Sighing, impressed): "You're either geniuses or you'll need spinal surgery at 20. I'm not sure which. But I'm watching you kids. If anyone collapses, this ends."
Date (Respectfully): "Yes, sir. We'll be careful."
THE VENDING MACHINE SAGA
Time: 8:15 AM
Location: Rest stop vending machine area
Participant: Kenji
Objective: Purchase ONE bottle of Pocari Sweat
Normal person time estimate: 30 seconds
Kenji's actual time: 4 minutes, 17 seconds
The Process (documented by Emi, who timed him):
Walk to machine (32 seconds) - Weighted shuffling
Locate wallet in pocket (18 seconds) - Vest makes reaching pocket difficult
Extract money (24 seconds) - Fingers less dexterous when arms are tired
Insert money into slot (41 seconds) - Hand shaking, missed slot 4 times
Press button (12 seconds) - Arm lifting is monumental effort
Wait for bottle (3 seconds) - Normal
Bend down to retrieve bottle (58 seconds) - Nearly fell forward, vest weight pulling him down
Stand back up (45 seconds) - Struggled like beached whale
Walk back to bus (44 seconds) - Stopped twice to rest
Total: 257 seconds
Aiko (Watching from bus window): "Kenji just turned 'buying a drink' into an Olympic endurance event."
Sora (Timing on phone): "His movement efficiency decreased by 847%. The weighted vest has destroyed his basic motor functions."
Kenji (Finally returning, gasping): "Achievement... wheeze... unlocked... gasp... hydration acquired... wheeze..."
He collapsed into his seat. Didn't even open the bottle for 5 minutes.
DAY 1 AFTERNOON: The Journey to Mount Fuji Base (12:00 PM - 4:00 PM)
Highway scenery: Beautiful countryside, Mount Fuji looming ahead
Crew status: Slowly adapting, but still struggling
THE MID-JOURNEY ENTERTAINMENT
Parents decided the bus needed entertainment.
Hana's Mom (Standing up, microphone in hand): "Let's do bus karaoke! Who wants to sing first?"
The crew groaned collectively.
The Karaoke Incident:
Volunteer 1: Hana
Song chosen: "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor (Ironic choice)
The Problem: Standing up to sing
Hana (Attempting to stand from seat):
Grabs headrest: ✓
Pushes with legs: ✓
Gets halfway up: ✓
Gets stuck at 45-degree angle: X
"I'M WEDGED! THE VEST WEIGHT HAS ME TRAPPED IN A STANDING-SITTING LIMBO STATE!"
Date and Riku (Rushing over): "We got you!"
They physically hauled her up by her arms like a crane lifting cargo.
Hana (Finally vertical, grabbing microphone):
Music starts
🎵 "At first I was afraid, I was petrified..." 🎵
Her whole body was visibly shaking from the vest weight. Not from emotion. From literal muscle fatigue.
🎵 "Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side..." 🎵
Her knees buckled slightly. She grabbed the seat for support.
Parents (Watching, moved): "Such emotional performance! She's putting her whole body into it!"
Crew (Knowing the truth): "She's literally about to collapse from the weight..."
Hana finished the song. Sat down immediately. Didn't move for 20 minutes.
Volunteer 2: Kenji
Song chosen: "Eye of the Tiger" (Trying to prove he's still strong)
Kenji (Standing easier than Hana - he's heavier, better weight ratio):
🎵 "Rising up, back on the street..." 🎵
He attempted a power stance. His legs shook.
🎵 "Did my time, took my chances..." 🎵
He tried to pump his fist. His arm moved 3 inches.
🎵 "Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet..." 🎵
He was literally NOT on his feet properly. He was leaning on the seat.
His mom (Crying): "He's so passionate! My boy has grown so much!"
Kenji (After song, whispering to Date): "I can't feel my legs. I think I'm dying."
Date: "You're not dying. Your nervous system is just recalibrating. Drink water."
DAY 1 ARRIVAL: Mount Fuji Base Station Hotel (4:00 PM)
Location: Traditional Japanese mountain resort
Features: Tatami floors, futon bedding, communal baths, formal dinner
The crew's nightmare scenario
THE SHOE REMOVAL CRISIS
Japanese Custom: Remove shoes at entrance (genkan)
Normal process: Bend down, untie shoes, step up into building
Weighted vest process:
Toshiro (Attempting to bend down):
Bends at waist: Vest pulls him forward
Nearly face-plants into shoe rack
Catches himself on wall
Tries to reach shoes while supporting himself
Can't reach
"I NEED ASSISTANCE! I CANNOT PHYSICALLY REACH MY SHOES WHILE MAINTAINING BALANCE!"
Solution: Crew helped each other like elderly people
Emi untied Toshiro's shoes
Toshiro untied Sora's shoes
Sora untied Yumi's shoes
Chain of shoe assistance
Hotel staff (Confused): "Are they... injured?"
Date's Father: "Extreme conditioning. They're strengthening their... balance centers."
THE STAIRS TO HELL
Hotel layout: Rooms on 2nd floor, accessible only by stairs (no elevator in traditional building)
Stair count: 24 steps
Normal climb time: 30 seconds
Weighted crew climb time: 6 minutes
Why:
Each step required:
Full leg press (like weighted squat)
Rest period (5-10 seconds)
Mental preparation for next step
Occasional sitting break (every 8 steps)
Parents behind them:
Aiko's Mom: "Why did you stop, sweetie?"
Aiko (Sitting on step 16, breathing hard): "Strategic... recovery... interval... Mom..."
Parents started passing them. Carrying their luggage.
The crew reached their rooms eventually. Collapsed immediately.
THE FORMAL DINNER CEREMONY (6:00 PM)
Setting: Traditional tatami room, low tables, cushion seating
Menu: Multi-course kaiseki dinner (12 courses)
Dress code: Yukata (light cotton robes)
The Problem: Sitting in seiza (formal kneeling position) with 25 kg vests
THE SEIZA CATASTROPHE
Seiza = Kneeling with legs folded under, sitting on heels
Traditionally: Demonstrates respect, used in tea ceremonies
With 25 kg vest: Physically impossible
The Scene:
Host (Elderly, traditional): "Please, everyone sit in seiza for our welcome ceremony."
Parents: Sit gracefully
Crew: Attempt to kneel
What happened:
Sora (Trying to kneel):
Starts kneeling motion
Vest weight pulls him forward
Keeps falling forward
Can't stop momentum
FACE-PLANTS into table
CRASH
Tea cups everywhere.
Host (Shocked): "Young man! Are you unwell?!"
Sora (Face in tatami): "I'm... fine... just... gravitationally... challenged..."
Date (Smooth save): "He's practicing a new meditation technique. Very avant-garde."
Emi (Attempting seiza - more controlled):
Kneels slowly
Vest compresses lungs
Can't breathe properly
Starts gasping
"The... compression... is... compromising... my... respiratory... function..."
She gave up, sat cross-legged instead.
Kenji (Successfully achieving seiza - but at what cost):
He knelt. The vest compressed his legs so hard they went numb in 45 seconds.
"I've achieved seiza but I can no longer feel my lower body. This is a Pyrrhic victory."
Host (To Date's Father): "Your children seem... unique?"
Date's Father: "Olympic training creates unique challenges."
Host: "...I see."
THE DINNER ITSELF
12 courses. Crew had to lift chopsticks 200+ times.
By Course 8:
Hana's arms: Dead. Shaking uncontrollably.
Solution: Started eating directly from bowl like a cat.
Yumi: Switched to using serving spoons (larger, easier to grip)
Toshiro: Asked his aunt to feed him (she cried, thought he was being sweet, he was actually just exhausted)
Course 12 (dessert - mochi):
Aiko (Staring at mochi): "I cannot physically lift this. It weighs nothing but my arms think it's a barbell."
Date (Eating slowly, methodically): "Mind over matter, Aiko."
Aiko: "My mind has surrendered to the matter. The matter has won."
She ate the mochi off the plate. No hands. Just face.
Parents (Watching):
Kenji's Mom (Whispering): "Should we be concerned?"
Date's Father: "They're adapting. Trust the process."
DAY 1 NIGHT: The Onsen (Hot Spring Bath) Incident (8:00 PM)
The Setup: Traditional onsen (communal bath), gender-separated
The Moment of Truth: Vests must be removed (you bathe naked in onsen)
The crew's first vest-removal in 15 hours
BOYS' ONSEN:
Date, Kenji, Toshiro, Sora, Riku
The Vest Removal:
They entered the changing room, slowly unzipped vests...
The moment the 25 kg lifted:
Toshiro (Eyes widening): "I'M FLOATING! IS THIS WHAT ASTRONAUTS FEEL?!"
He jumped to hang his towel on the hook
Problem: His body didn't remember he was light now
Result: He LAUNCHED himself upward, hit the ceiling with his head
BONK
"OW! I FORGOT ABOUT THE CEILING!"
Kenji (Walking normally for first time in 15 hours):
Started walking at normal speed. Body accelerated. Couldn't stop.
"I CAN'T SLOW DOWN! MY MUSCLE MEMORY THINKS I'M STILL WEIGHTED!"
He speed-walked into the bath entrance, crashed through the curtain.
Inside the bath:
Elderly men already bathing peacefully
Suddenly:
SPLASH - Toshiro cannonballed in (couldn't control his jump)
SPLASH - Kenji crashed in (couldn't stop walking)
SPLASH - Sora tripped on the ledge (forgot how to step normally)
Wave of water flooded the entire onsen area
Elderly men (Soaked, shocked): "WHAT IS HAPPENING?!"
Date (Entering calmly, bowing): "Our deepest apologies! We're Olympic athletes adjusting to... altitude changes!"
Elderly man: "This is sea level!"
Date: "...Psychological altitude?"
GIRLS' ONSEN:
Hana, Aiko, Yumi, Emi
The Vest Removal:
Hana (Unzipping): "Finally free! I can BREATHE!"
She took a normal breath. Her rib cage expanded without resistance.
She gasped: "My lungs! They work! Air is amazing!"
Aiko (Walking to bath): "I feel like I'm made of helium. Is this what normal people feel like all the time?"
She walked. Too fast. Slipped on wet floor.
SLIP
Landed in bath with splash
Yumi (Testing her movement): "My body is confused. I'm sending motor signals for weighted movement but I'm getting unweighted results."
She tried to sit down slowly. Fell backward into bath.
SPLASH
Emi (Most controlled, but still affected):
Walked carefully, sat precisely...
But then relaxed
"The contrast between weighted existence and unweighted relief is psychologically intoxicating. I understand why weight training works now."
She sank into the bath with a blissful sigh.
Meanwhile, outside changing room:
Moms listening:
SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH
Hana's Mom: "Why is there so much splashing?"
Emi's Sister: "They're... enthusiastically embracing the bathing experience?"
DAY 1 BEDTIME (10:00 PM)
The crew in their shared room (boys and girls separate rooms)
Boys' room: 5 futons, vests piled in corner
Toshiro (Lying down, feeling light): "I don't think I can sleep. I feel like I'm floating. My body thinks I'm in zero gravity."
Kenji: "The weight removal creates sensory deprivation. Our proprioceptive systems are confused."
Sora: "Can you just say 'we feel weird' like a normal person?"
Date (Checking his phone - messages from Inoue):
Inoue's Message: "How's Day 1?"
Date: "Crew nearly destroyed an onsen. Otherwise, successful."
Inoue: "Good. Adaptation is suffering."
Riku (Staring at ceiling): "Do you think we'll actually get used to this? Or will we suffer for 60 days?"
Date: "Both. We'll get used to suffering."
They laughed. Then slept like the dead.
GIRLS' ROOM:
Hana, Aiko, Yumi, Emi
Aiko (Stretching): "I can move my arms without resistance. This feels wrong."
Yumi: "My body is confused about whether I'm tired or energized."
Emi (Sketching in notebook): "I documented the entire day. The vest created 247 individual moments of physical comedy."
Hana (Quiet, thoughtful): "You know what? Despite the suffering... I liked today. My mom laughed more than I've seen in years."
Silence. Everyone smiled.
Yumi: "My dad told me he's proud of me. He never says that."
Aiko: "My mom cried during my karaoke. Happy crying."
Emi: "My sister took 50 photos of me struggling with basic tasks. She called it 'art documentation.'"
They laughed together.
Hana: "Tomorrow we wake up, put the vests back on, and suffer again."
All together: "Let's do it."