The Heroines All Regretted It

Finally, after a series of official remarks from Student Council Secretary Fujiwara Chika, the term-end awards assembly came to a close.

Starting with the first-years, the students gradually began to leave the auditorium.

Yoru didn't rush. He quietly leaned back in his seat and waited for the crowd to thin out.

Ten minutes passed. Yumiko got up, but Yoru didn't move.

He waited until the room was nearly empty before finally standing, surveying the Shuchiin student council members on stage from above.

By the time he left, it was noon.

The scorching sun beat down on the ground, and even the breeze carried heat.

For a brief moment, Yoru felt a strange sense of déjà vu—like he had seen this scene before.

He was sure of it.

But when he tried to recall the details, they slipped away.

"Hoo~"

He exhaled deeply, then slowly walked away from Shuchiin.

He made his way out of the school gate, heading toward the station at the far end of the shopping district.

His summer plans were already clear.

Study. Lose weight. Maybe take on a part-time job to kill some boredom.

"A month and a half. I'll definitely slim down."

Yoru kept his eyes forward, thoughts firm.

Before long, he passed by a café under renovation and ran into Yuigahama.

She was just about to push the door open.

"Yuigahama-san."

Yoru greeted her and glanced at the inside of the café.

"Mm. Have a nice summer, Kitakami-kun."

Yuigahama seemed to be in a hurry and didn't stay. She went straight in after greeting him.

Yoru nodded. Just a random encounter. Nothing more than a simple hello.

"Mom..."

Yuigahama stepped into the cluttered café still under renovation and called out.

"Ahaha, Yui's home?"

From the kitchen, a cheerful voice responded.

A woman with orange hair tied back, wearing a pink apron—Yuigahama's mother.

Looking closely, she resembled Yui quite a bit, but was even more beautiful.

Youthful and mature at the same time, with a full figure—like a perfectly ripe, juicy peach.

She was in the middle of cooking and didn't come out.

"Are you making lunch?"

Yuigahama asked as she walked toward the kitchen.

"Yeah, there's a batch of renovation materials being delivered this afternoon. Let's just have something simple for lunch. We'll treat our Yui properly tonight."

Yuigahama's mother, Yuigahama Yae, glanced back at the doorway.

She had been so busy lately that she hadn't been able to take care of her daughter during this crucial time before final exams. She felt a little guilty about it.

Maybe she should hire a worker to help out?

Yui had already appeared at the kitchen door.

The conditions inside were rather rough. The walls weren't even painted, and the water pipes were exposed.

"Don't come in yet, it's pretty dirty inside."

Yae quickly waved her hand at Yui.

"Okay."

Yui just nodded and stepped away.

Standing in the dusty, muddy café where it was hard to find a place to stand, Yui let out a sigh.

Then she took out her phone and sent a message to Yumiko.

[Yumiko, I'll be helping my mom with the café renovation over the next two weeks, so I won't be going out with you guys.]

[Got it. Good luck!]

Yumiko replied almost instantly.

Yui quietly put her phone away. There was no helping it.

It was just her and her mother at home. Her father had divorced her mom back when she was in elementary school because he was greedy for status and wanted to climb the social ladder.

Her mother had raised her alone all these years.

Yui felt it was time for her to start helping out and share some of the burden.

There was no man at home to take care of them—so she had to step up.

...

Yoru returned home after picking up some bread and groceries.

As soon as the key clicked in the door—

The sharp-eared San-san immediately stood up, her big amber eyes staring toward the entrance as she went to greet Yoru.

"San-san, I got some beef for your lunch. Come here."

Carrying the grocery bag, Yoru changed into his slippers.

"Meow~ meow~"

San-san jumped up and ran over, rubbing against his feet affectionately.

"You're so cute. How could your previous owner abandon you?"

"Or maybe you just ran off by accident?"

"Does your owner's name have the word 'San' in it?"

Yoru chuckled, scooping Sansa up into his arms and heading toward the kitchen.

It was Yukino who had said that the "San(3)" engraved on San-san's tag was probably part of the owner's name.

Yukino had experience working with many cats at a pet clinic.

The purpose of the nameplate was to prevent pets from getting lost—it usually listed the owner's name and phone number, maybe even their address for easier contact.

Yoru brought San-san to the kitchen, tossed the bag onto the makeshift table, and put her down.

"Even if your real owner sees you one day and wants to take you back, I won't give you up so easily..."

He playfully scratched San-san's chubby little chin and opened the fridge.

Wait, no.

San-san's real owner—was him.

Who even was the previous owner?

He took out some plain-boiled beef from yesterday, washed his hands, reheated the beef, shredded it, and fed some to San-san.

Then he grabbed a bowl and added sesame seeds, chili, crushed peanuts, shredded onion, minced garlic, a pinch of sugar and salt, low-cal soy sauce, and chopped cilantro.

After mixing it all, he heated a capful of oil and poured it over the sauce.

The hot oil sizzled—

"Zzzz—"

A mouthwatering aroma filled the air!

Low-fat lunch, done.

Yoru paired it with the Italian bread and mozzarella cheese he had bought, admiring his creation.

Golden crispy bread, cut into two slices, sandwiched creamy white cheese, rich in nutrients, and strands of dark red beef.

He had seen this kind of foreign dish in a short video and wanted to try it.

Of course, he made several modifications of his own.

"Wonder if it tastes good?"

He held the crispy shell of the bread and took a big bite.

The outer layer was crisp and dry from being toasted.

Inside, the bread was incredibly soft and fluffy, slightly sweet when chewed.

The aroma of cheese blended with the savory beef in his mouth into an unexpectedly delicious flavor.

Delicious—and surprisingly so!

Yoru's eyes lit up, and he devoured the whole big sandwich in a flash.

He wanted more but restrained himself, eating a cucumber to balance it out before leaving the kitchen.

...

After lunch, Yoru rested and took a nap.

When he woke up, it was not yet 4 PM.

He pulled out his yoga mat and, after thinking for a moment, sent a message to Megumi.

She had just finished her exams too and would be spending time with her family, so she'd be unavailable for a while.

Yoru wasn't surprised. He sent her a photo of a white beret to see if she wanted it.

Megumi politely declined, saying she had just bought the exact same one.

"Then I'll give it to my mom when I get home."

In his mind's eye, he pictured his beautiful mother, Kitakami Megumi.

She could definitely pull off wearing a white beret.

"She's going to love it."

Excited, Yoru put away his phone.

He had never thought about giving his parents a gift before.

Not even a gift—he rarely even said good morning or good night.

Even just a greeting might've made his mom extremely happy!

After a half-hour workout, his muscles were sore and swollen.

He showered, changed, and brought San-san along.

He was going home.

On the way to the station, at the entrance to the neighborhood, he ran into Gabriel.

"Good afternoon. You brought San-san with you?"

Gabriel greeted him first.

"I'm heading home. Do you have any plans for summer break, Gabriel? Not going home?"

Yoru looked at the petite Gabriel, who was carrying two large, bulging shopping bags.

They were packed with snacks, drinks, and instant food.

He was a bit worried whether someone her size could even carry them.

"Of course I'm going home."

Gabriel said.

But first, she planned to go wild for at least two weeks before heading back to heaven.

Otherwise, it would be torture with no Genshin to play.

Yoru nodded and left.

There were no security checks at the station—even on the Shinkansen.

Carrying San-san in a cat carrier, Yoru rode the train back to his family's home in Shinagawa.

Half an hour later—

He arrived.

"At this time, Mom and Dad should be getting off work."

He opened the door and let San-san out.

"Meow?"

As soon as she stepped out of the carrier, San-san warily stared at the unfamiliar place and meowed.

"It's okay, it's okay. This is home too."

Yoru took off his sneakers and smiled, picking her up again.

San-san immediately relaxed.

Wearing slippers, he entered the living room, casually turned on the TV, and walked toward the kitchen.

On the dining table, a white ceramic flowerpot caught his eye.

"Wait... isn't this..."

Still holding San-san in one arm, Yoru bent down and stared in surprise at the soft pink chrysanthemum blooming in the pot.

A fresh floral scent filled the air.

He recognized it—it was the same variety from Eriri's house.

His mom, Kitakami Megumi, ran a flower shop near a Park in Shinagawa.

The whole house, including the yard, was filled with potted flowers.

"Is this a new breed?"

Yoru didn't think too much of it. He opened the fridge, took out a bottle of barley tea, and walked out with San-san.

By 5:30 PM—

His mom, Megumi, returned home early. She brought a large bag of premium groceries to celebrate Yoru's summer break.

As long as the cooking method was right, eating more wasn't a problem.

And seafood was the best—high-protein and clean!

"My son really lost a lot of weight..."

Megumi said as she took things out of her Toyota Alphard while observing her son.

"But isn't it a bit too fast? You didn't take hormone pills or anything, right?"

Alongside his happiness, Yoru felt a slight worry.

He carried a bag of high-end fruit for his mother, which included a large watermelon, back into the house.

A small black shadow darted out from the dark, startling Yoru's mother,

Megumi.

"This is the cat I'm raising..."

Yoru gave an awkward smile.

"Really? It's so chubby and round—so cute."

Megumi calmed down. It turned out to be her son's cat.

Looking closer, it was plump and round, perfectly suited for her son.

"By the way, Mom, I bought a gift for you."

Yoru suddenly remembered the white beret and rushed inside with the bag.

"A gift?"

Megumi froze.

Back when she was younger, she had received plenty of gifts from admirers—if not a thousand, then at least a few hundred.

But this was the first time her own son gave her a gift.

Sniffling a little from emotion, Megumi's nose tingled as if she were about to cry.

Yoru brought over the white beret without a gift box. Not wanting to see his mother's tearful expression, he crouched down and started playing with the cat to shift her attention.

"Thank you. I really like it."

Yoru carefully put it away.

"Mm."

"By the way, Mom, is that chrysanthemum on the kitchen table a new variety?"

"It smells really nice."

He casually asked, having remembered it.

"Yes, it is a new variety," Megumi replied with a smile.

It had been bred by Sawamura Sayuri, a regular customer and friend of hers from the flower shop. She gave Megumi a few pots as a gift.

Megumi had simply placed one on the dining table.

"By the way, have you done your follow-up checkup since being discharged from the hospital?"

Megumi asked while changing shoes.

"Checkup? Do I still need one after being discharged?"

Yoru was surprised. The doctor hadn't mentioned anything.

"The doctor said it's best to do a full-body checkup, including blood and urine. Go tomorrow, and bring the report back to show me."

Megumi calmly told a white lie.

She was just worried that Yoru had lost too much weight too quickly and wanted to trick him into getting a thorough exam to ease her own mind.

"Okay."

Yoru didn't hesitate and didn't suspect anything.

After resting for a while, Megumi called Yoru over to help her with dinner. Her goal was simple—she just wanted to spend time with her son.

No matter what her son was like outside—

At home, whether he was fat or annoying, he was still her precious child.

And now, Yoru was thin.

Sitting in a chair, Yoru used a toothbrush to clean a large abalone. Both sides were dark and covered in seaweed, squirming slightly.

It was a far cry from what Eriri would eat.

Around 7 PM, Yoru's father, Toyotani, came home, and the family enjoyed a hearty dinner together.

The next day was free.

Yoru went for his checkup. It took nearly a whole day to complete.

Some results wouldn't be ready until the next day.

...

On the third day, Yoru went out to pick up his test report and sent a copy to his mother via phone.

He also included his final exam scores.

Without staying long, he headed home at noon with San-san.

In the same train car, he ran into Nanami, who was returning from her part-time job.

"Aoyama-san, just got off work?"

Yoru greeted her, reminded of his own desire to earn money through a part-time job to buy gifts.

Maybe lose a bit more weight first.

"Yeah, and you?"

Nanami took a small sip from her water bottle—she was really frugal.

"I'm coming back from my parents' place. Heading back to the apartment..."

"Aren't you going home for summer break?"

Yoru asked, facing her.

He only knew a little about Nanami—not much. Just that she didn't have a great relationship with her family, who didn't support her dreams. She had come to Tokyo all by herself.

"I'm not going back for summer break..."

Nanami's mood dipped a little.

Why?

Why wouldn't her family support her decision?

Why wouldn't they support her dreams?

She had even compromised, promising to study both voice acting and doll-making so she could eventually take over the family's doll shop. But her father still wouldn't agree.

He had forced her to flee to Tokyo.

Since then, Nanami had only returned home briefly when her grandmother passed away.

She wanted to go out and have fun too. She wanted to eat, drink, laugh, and enjoy herself.

"Ah..."

Yoru looked deeply at her and realized he'd said the wrong thing.

"It's okay. My dad and I just don't get along. He's a stubborn old man, stuck in the Showa era. I just don't want to go back, that's all."

Nanami quickly pulled herself together and smiled with squinted eyes.

Her ponytail gently swayed behind her.

The view outside the fast-moving train rushed by in reverse—

So pretty.

That was Yoru's first thought, and then he quickly nodded.

A while later—

The train reached their stop, and the two walked home together.

Nanami took out her key, opened her apartment door, and went straight for the shower.

In the mist, her snow-white figure shimmered faintly...

Thunk

Suddenly, the water from the showerhead stopped.

Nanami didn't want to waste water. She grabbed a blue towel and wiped her face and hair.

Then she picked up a white towel and dried her body.

Afterward, she blew her hair dry, lay down on her bed for a quick rest, and hugged a tiger-shaped plushie.

It was hard to imagine that such a tough high school girl still slept hugging a stuffed animal.

"Torajirou..."

Nanami called out the plushie's name as she held it tightly.

If anyone saw this, they'd probably laugh at her.

But Torajirou was one of Nanami's most treasured belongings.

It had been handmade by her late mother and had accompanied her to sleep ever since she was little.

Even now, Nanami couldn't sleep without it.

Her family ran a traditional doll shop that made geisha dolls.

She had both talent and skill, and her stubborn father saw her as the natural heir—especially since she had no siblings.

But because she dreamed of becoming a voice actress, she broke ties with her family...

...

Yoru returned home, played with San-san for a while, then pulled out his yoga mat to work out.

When his muscles started to ache, he stopped to take a shower.

Then he pulled out Yukino's notes and textbooks and began reviewing.

Two hours later, Yoru stopped writing, exhausted, and lazily collapsed on the couch.

It was only afternoon.

But he already felt bored.

He really had nothing left to do.

Even the games he used to love, the ones he'd stay up all night grinding—he had zero motivation to play anymore.

Back then, he'd spend all his time gaming and browsing on his phone. It felt like there was never enough time.

"San-san, are you bored too?"

Yoru didn't really know how to read cats. He reached out and gently patted Sansan's head.

Time flew by, and just like that, a week had passed.

...

That morning, Yoru stood on the scale, excited and full of anticipation.

It was the tenth day of summer break, about a quarter of it gone.

He had jumped out of bed, not even brushing his teeth or washing his face, just eager to check his weight.

The numbers on the scale lit up instantly.

Yoru's breath seemed to freeze as he stared down intensely.

The number settled on—

198.

198 pounds!

"Not bad. I've already moved from severe obesity to moderate."

"I can start looking for a simple job now."

Seeing the number, Yoru wasn't overly excited but still gave himself some encouragement.

With his height, the ideal weight range should be between 115–125 pound.

Putting away the scale, Yoru brushed his teeth, washed his face, and finished his fasted cardio.

Then, unable to wait, he stepped into the shower, stripped down, and examined his body.

Hmm...

It had grown again...

His future girlfriend would be in for some suffering...

Especially if she was petite like Eriri...

No, wait...

The excess fat that used to bulge on his fair face whenever he smiled was gone.

His facial features were beginning to show some definition. Still a bit chubby—faces are the hardest to slim down after all.

Back during the school outing, his waist looked like a water tank. Now, it had gone from cannon to rifle—barrel-shaped.

That was a good sign.

The fat on his thighs, which used to jiggle with every step, had clearly shrunk.

His entire body was shrinking.

"At this weight, I can switch up my training regimen."

Yoru quickly got dressed and stared at the person in the mirror, a little dazed.

Was that really him?

Laughter echoed from the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Yoru calmed down and had breakfast.

While playing with the newly-awake San-san, he began to draft a new advanced fat-loss plan.

With his tenfold return buff, there was no need to throw money at a gym.

The next day.

Yoru left the house, carrying a sports shoulder bag filled with a sandwich breakfast, a water bottle, and a sweat towel.

He had originally chosen to rent nearby because of the historical Matsudaira residence ruins park.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum was located inside this beautiful park—perfect for running.

Yoru started with a brisk walk for warm-up as he made his way there.

It was still early morning.

The busy Tokyo metropolis was just waking up.

Near the park, the air felt noticeably fresher.

Warm sunlight filtered down.

Yoru entered the park.

Shaded by lush trees, the pathways were wide and well-lit. He saw a few elderly people and children already out for exercise.

After a while, Yoru found a bench and set his shoulder bag on it.

He took a small sip of water from his thermos and began warming up.

He stretched carefully to avoid pulling any muscles, did a few jumps to activate his muscle groups—especially his calves.

Once warmed up, Yoru set the bench as his starting point, grabbed his phone, and began a light jog.

His goal: 1,000 meters.

This was an ideal starter distance for someone like him—overweight and inexperienced.

Back in school, he had run before.

Every time, he was dead last. Others would run while he could only power walk.

The moment he tried to speed up, his knees couldn't handle the weight.

His lung capacity was poor, and he'd quickly start hurting.

Plus, he was always under the gaze of others.

Falling behind made him want to catch up. That threw off his rhythm and breathing, making him exhaust himself even more.

Now, with much less weight and no one watching, jogging alone felt comfortable.

After 200 meters, Yoru began to feel the strain and broke a light sweat.

He left his shoulder bag behind. He wasn't worried about theft—just breakfast and a thermos inside.

At 500 meters.

More than half his energy was spent. Yoru reduced his pace, and his breathing grew chaotic.

At 700 meters, unable to hold on, he switched to a power walk, gritting his teeth through the muscle soreness.

Finally, when his fitness app notified him he had run 1,000 meters, he came to a stop.

"No rush... huff... take it slow..."

"Seven days to adjust, then gradually add 500 meters each week!"

Yoru leaned on one knee, panting.

Once he recovered, he walked back to the bench.

His training plan wouldn't stop there.

Back home, he'd still do crunches, planks, jumping jacks, and some light strength training.

At night, no more running—just more cardio. Adjusting his routine as his body adapted.

Near the bench.

A dachshund with a red bone-shaped collar circled the bench repeatedly, its shiny black eyes fixed hungrily on Yoru's bag.

Drool was about to drip from its mouth.

Yoru hadn't noticed. He was scrolling news on his phone—another yakuza skirmish had broken out recently.

Only when he returned to the bench did he spot the brown-furred dachshund.

"I remember... wasn't Yuigahama-san's dog also this breed?"

Yoru could tell right away this wasn't her dog.

"Woof! Woof!"

Pace barked as Yoru reached for his bag, sitting down and opening its mouth.

"Hmm?"

Yoru, drinking from his thermos, looked curiously at the well-trained dog.

"Woof woof!"

Pes nose was full of sandwich aroma. It barked flatteringly and raised a paw.

"You're so smart. Do you want to shake hands?"

Yoru hadn't yet realized the issue.

It was all Chika Fujiwara's fault—taking the dog out early in the morning without feeding it first.

"Woof woof!"

Pes wagged its tail furiously, eyes full of longing.

"Are you hungry?"

Just as Yoru was about to grab a sandwich, it hit him. Then he pulled out one wrapped in cling film.

Pes drooled and rolled around to act cute.

Yoru chuckled, unwrapped the sandwich, and tore off about a third to place on the ground.

It was a healthy sandwich—whole grain bread, lettuce, tomato slices, bacon, and seasoned shredded chicken.

Whimper...

Pes barked in gratitude before starting to eat.

Yoru had brought two sandwiches. He shared a portion of the second one too.

After finishing breakfast and sipping some water, he headed home to resume his workout.

Woof woof...

Pes barked smartly, sending Yoru off before running off again.

The park was huge. On the other side near the artificial lake—

Chika Fujiwara, in a tracksuit and wearing a white headband, anxiously called for Pes.

Finally, the dog came running. She rushed up with the leash in hand.

She had let Pes roam free for a while, and in the blink of an eye, it had vanished.

Woof woof...

Pes reached Chika, its mind still full of the delicious sandwich.

"What did you eat, Pes?"

Chika crouched down, noticing food residue at the corner of its mouth, instantly worried.

Dogs couldn't tell what food might be harmful.

Woof!

As the future Prime Minister's dog, how could it be ordinary? It had been thoroughly trained.

Pes intelligence was no less than that of a guide dog or a rescue dog.

"No more eating random things next time."

Chika warned seriously.

...

Afternoon. The sun blazed overhead.

Yoru used a cat toy to play with San-san while watching TV in boredom.

He really had nothing left to do.

He wanted to do cardio, but his body wasn't a machine—it needed rest.

Even machines need power and periodic replacement of old parts.

As for studying, he had crammed two and a half hours earlier. His brain was mush.

"Maybe I should go out for a bit, find something to do."

After moving out on his own, Yoru had discovered his talent and interest in cooking.

He glanced at the kitchen, put down the cat toy, and walked over.

Soon, the sound of heavy items being moved echoed from the small kitchen.

Yoru was cleaning the kitchen, clearing out space.

San-san stood on the back of the sofa, staring intently.

Half an hour passed.

Yoru finished cleaning, but still wasn't satisfied, so he ended up doing a full deep-clean of the entire place.

Wasn't this also a kind of aerobic exercise in its own way?

...

He swept out a whole bag of trash and even made slight adjustments to the room layout.

Yoru took the adult comics and games he'd already gone through and stuffed them together with regular games into a big box under the bed.

He didn't need them anymore—he could sell them as second-hand when he found the time.

It was a big box. He might be able to recoup some money from it.

Exhausted and unable to move, Yoru rested for a while. Feeling fulfilled, he headed out again.

He took a bus and arrived at the Seibu Department Store in the harbor district.

Yoru went straight to the kitchen appliance section.

Since it was summer vacation, and Japan had the world's most visa-free travel privileges, the store was promoting sunscreen and similar seasonal products.

There was also a lottery—spend a certain amount and you could draw once.

Yoru bought an air fryer, a small electric oven, and a high-speed blender...

All kitchenware—he wanted to improve his cooking skills.

He was bored anyway.

Gabriel seemed to have gone home, Nanami was working part-time, and mm Megumi was with her family, likely traveling. Students who could attend Shuchiin usually had pretty decent family backgrounds.

So what could he do?

There was no one to talk to!

Aside from aerobic workouts, all he could do was review his studies.

Might as well…

Once he slimmed down and returned to a normal diet, he would make up for all the suffering he endured during this time!

He paid a bit extra to have the supermarket deliver the items. Holding his receipt, he headed to the first floor of the department store for the lottery.

Honestly, putting the lottery station right on the first floor where everyone could see it was a smart way to trigger consumer impulse and the dream of winning a big prize.

The grand prize was a ten-day luxury Mediterranean cruise for three.

First prize was a luxury cruise departing from Chiba Port...

Holding his receipt, Yoru quietly queued up.

"Logically, with my small-luck buff active, I should occasionally encounter good fortune. Will I win something?"

There were a dozen or so people ahead of him. The lottery machine was one of those old-style transparent spinning ball machines—somehow that made it feel more trustworthy.

Yoru watched closely. Almost no one among the dozen ahead had drawn anything above fourth prize.

Someone did win a fourth prize—a pack of soda.

"Please spin."

A staff member scanned Yoru's receipt and, after verifying it, affixed a label and gave him the go-ahead.

Yoru licked his lips and gave the lottery machine a light spin.

White balls filled nearly half the machine.

As it spun, a few green balls flashed by!

Clack clack...

Suddenly, a blue ball rolled out of the narrow chute.

"A blue one. Excuse me, what prize is this?!"

Yoru knew his small-luck had kicked in and pointed to the blue ball in the tray, asking the staff.

White meant no prize, green meant fourth prize.

So his blue one—could it be first prize?