Hikigaya's Inner World of Spring

After his frantic escape, Hikigaya resumed his workout, continuing his run.

Thinking back to the two ladies from earlier, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was... off about them.

"...They seem even more forward than before?"

Could this have something to do with Sawamura and Yuigahama?

After all, Hikigaya had a vague idea of what those two had in mind.

But still.

He was a warrior of pure love!

With a sigh, he pushed those thoughts aside.

No distractions.

He needed to train.

Get stronger.

Defeat the wicked Kasumigaoka.

Oh, and the ultimate final boss—Yukinoshita.

He had to show them what true masculinity was!

After a few more laps, Hikigaya felt strangely unsatisfied.

How should he put it...

There was this lingering sense of unease in his body.

Running, after all, was monotonous and repetitive.

He wasn't like Miura, a born athlete. Mindlessly running for hours on end? No way.

"Maybe I should switch it up."

Spotting a bench near a streetlight, he nodded in approval.

Placing his hands behind his head, feet shoulder-width apart, he kept his posture straight and began squatting.

"One, two, three, four..."

Unlike before, squatting today felt incredibly easy.

Hikigaya had this weird feeling, as if he had untapped strength coursing through him.

"Inhale… exhale..."

"Man, working out feels amazing!"

A sudden surge of confidence made him feel like he could make Kasumigaoka kneel and beg for mercy.

Even his girlfriend, Yukinoshita, would be crying and calling him 'Daddy' in no time.

"Squats are awesome!"

"Let's go! More!"

"Haah! Hoo!"

Dressed in sports shorts, every time he lowered himself, the defined muscles in his legs flexed with power.

It was the result of all his training.

Just as he was getting into the rhythm, a surprised voice called out to him.

"H-Hikigaya-kun?!"

"Hm?"

Looking up, he was surprised to see—

"Mrs. Yuigahama?"

She was still in her kimono.

But earlier, she had been with Mrs. Sayuri.

Now, she was alone.

"Hikigaya-kun, what are you doing...?"

"Ah?"

Hikigaya quickly stood up, feeling a bit awkward under her gaze.

"I'm doing squats."

"Squats?" Mrs. Yuigahama glanced at the sweaty boy, curious. "How many have you done?"

"About… 107, I think."

"W-What?! That many?!"

Mrs. Yuigahama covered her mouth in shock.

"I remember back in school, the boys could barely manage seventy at most. Hikigaya-kun, you've done over a hundred? That's incredible."

"Well, I've been training a lot."

He chuckled modestly.

"Training every day, huh? Hmm..."

Mrs. Yuigahama looked at him with concern.

"Hikigaya-kun, you've been running and working out all this time. Aren't you exhausted?"

"Nope."

He nodded and casually changed the subject.

"Where's Mrs. Sayuri?"

"Oh, she went to the restroom."

Mrs. Yuigahama walked over to the bench, smoothing out her kimono before sitting down.

"I see."

Hikigaya responded absentmindedly and continued his squats.

If he didn't feel awkward, then the awkwardness would be someone else's problem.

He still had energy to burn.

Stopping now just didn't feel right.

Squats felt amazing!

Minutes passed.

Mrs. Yuigahama, momentarily lost in thought, snapped back to reality and asked again:

"H-How many now?"

"Almost two hundred."

"?!"

Mrs. Yuigahama couldn't stay seated anymore. She stood up and walked to him.

"Hikigaya-kun, stop! You're going to exhaust yourself!"

"I'm fine."

Honestly, he didn't want to stop.

There was an addictive pleasure to working out.

The more he did it, the better he felt.

Training was incredible!

"But Hikigaya-kun..."

Her voice was soft, filled with concern.

Mrs. Yuigahama watched the boy intensely, anxiety clear on her face.

"Seriously, I'm fine. I feel like I have unlimited energy."

Hikigaya spoke confidently, then blurted out without thinking:

"I bet I could even lift you and still do dozens of reps."

"Wha—?!"

Mrs. Yuigahama's face turned red.

But then, with a serious look, she said,

"I don't believe you. There's no way you could squat while carrying me… Unless you try."

"...Huh?"

Hikigaya froze.

"Well? Hikigaya-kun, do you dare?"

Clearing her throat, Mrs. Yuigahama met his gaze, determined.

She figured this would make him back down and stop overworking himself.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Hikigaya nodded.

"I guess I could try… but I'm all sweaty."

"A boy's sweat isn't dirty at all."

She stepped closer, her face tinged pink, and hesitantly said:

"Go on… hold me."

"Uh… okay."

Normally, Hikigaya avoided unnecessary physical contact with women.

But right now, he had an urge to test his limits.

Besides—

This was Yuigahama's mom. His elder.

There was nothing inappropriate about holding an elder.

So, without hesitation, he scooped Mrs. Yuigahama into a princess carry.

And resumed squatting.

"!!!"

Her body rose and fell with each movement, eyes wide with shock.

Hikigaya-kun was squatting even more intensely than before?!

T-This was ridiculous!

He was still just a teenager, wasn't he?!

Instinctively, Mrs. Yuigahama glanced down at his lower body.

What she saw made her heart race.

His thighs, tensing with every motion, bulged with raw strength.

Veins subtly surfaced, showcasing sheer endurance and power.

The sheer masculinity of it all…!

"Uhh..."

Gulp.

Mrs. Yuigahama swallowed hard.

Hikigaya-kun's lower body strength was… terrifyingly impressive.

---

[Ding! Hikigaya Hachiman is now carrying Yuigahama Asuna in a princess carry…]

"?!"

Yukinoshita was in the middle of reading 99 Ways to Please Your Husband when an alert from the system suddenly appeared.

"Wait, what? He's carrying Yuigahama's mom like a princess? How did that happen?"

Curious as she was, excitement quickly overtook her.

She had been lamenting how short their previous interactions had been.

But now, what a surprise!

This was perfect!

Grinning, Yukinoshita returned to her book, enjoying the increase in her points.

Life was good.

****************************

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