Ponytail and Protein Bars 8
“That may be true, but running twenty kilometers is impossible! Let’s do some other exercise, please!”
“Most of those alternatives are either tougher than running or require special equipment.”
Chika’s words were stuck at Sōma’s sound argument.
However, she didn’t give up there.
“Th-that’s it. Let’s swim in the pool! I’ve heard that swimming is a full-body exercise and burns a lot of calories. It’s a bit embarrassing, but I’ll wear my swimsuit just for you, Sōma-san!”
She was clearly desperate.
“Swimming, huh? Not a bad idea.”
“Right!? Then let’s go swimming!”
Swimming is indeed a suitable exercise for dieting. And honestly, he was curious to see Chika in a swimsuit.
But he shook his head and rejected the idea.
“But that’s impossible. You said yourself at the cafe that you can’t swim.”
“Uwaaah! Why do you remember that so clearly?!”
“Come on, let’s get running. Your mother over there is seriously getting irritated watching us.”
Chika’s mother’s face grew increasingly stern as she watched from the entrance, her daughter and her male friend showing no signs of leaving anytime soon.
“Ugh, fine, I get it already.”
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After being glared at by both Sōma and her mother, Chika finally gave in.
She pulled out a hair tie and gathered her brown hair into a neat ponytail.
“Alright, shall we go?”
Sōma was momentarily captivated as Chika shook her head to check the condition of her ponytail.
“Sōma-san?”
“Ah, yes. Let’s run.”
He tried to play it off, but this girl is very perceptive at times like these.
“Did you just get lost in thought looking at me? But a ponytail is nothing special… Ah, right. You wouldn’t have seen it since we’re not in the same gym class.”
It seemed she often wore her hair like this for physical education. However, it was a refreshingly new sight for Sōma.
The usual Chika had a gentle aura, not one you’d associate with being particularly active. But dressed in her running gear and with her hair in a ponytail, she looked sporty and cool in a different way.
I find myself getting nervous every time her appearance changes, he thought while feeling a bit frustrated.
So, when Chika approached with a broad grin, Sōma started running and dashed off ahead.
“Alright, let’s run!”
“Hey, wait for me!”
She hurried after him, trying to catch up and peer into his face as they ran side by side.
“Hey-hey, Sōma-san, were you thrilled by my ponytail? Is that the case?”
He glanced at her while keeping up the pace. She looked as if she couldn’t contain her joy, which seemed out of place during a run.
“No, not at all.”
“Oh, come on. Just admit it. If you do, I won’t mind you looking as much as you want! And I’ll enjoy watching the smitten Sōma-san in return!”
“No, thank you.”
He tried to play it cool.
“I have other hairstyles I like more than ponytails.”
That was the truth.
“Really? What kind of hairstyles do you like?”
“The kind where the hair is tied up in a bun at the back of the head, and, what’s it called, when braids are twisted up at the back…”
“Do you mean a braided chignon? That’s quite a niche preference for hairstyles.”
“Maid’s often wear it. That’s why I like it.”
“A maid!? Now that you mention it, you said something like that during our picnic. So, Sōma-san, you like maids…”
As Chika pondered while running, Sōma preempted her thoughts.
“Just to be clear, I haven’t thought, even for a millimeter, about wanting to see you dressed as a maid, Chika.”
“You don’t want to see me as a maid?”
“Because you’d definitely turn into a scheming maid. I like maids with a pure and clean vibe.”
“A scheming maid!? Isn’t that too harsh for the ‘Angel of Peace’!?”
“Should I take a picture of your face when you’re trying to tease me? It’s a seriously evil look.”
“To call it evil is an exaggeration!”
“What are you talking about? It’s the perfect expression to describe it.”
As they bickered back and forth, the two of them finally started their run.
It was a perfect day for exercise.
A refreshing blue sky stretched out above them, the temperature was pleasant, the air was clear, and the ridgelines of the distant mountains were sharply defined.
Their run under the autumn sky started off smoothly.
Chika had said she wasn’t good at physical activities, but as a high school student, she was still doing exercises twice a week during physical education classes. Therefore, it wasn’t possible for her to be completely unable to move.
She was running at a good rhythm, just fast enough to be slightly out of breath, but she was keeping up with Sōma just fine.
“I really hated the idea of starting to run, but it feels good once you actually get moving.”
Chika said with her ponytail bouncing as she ran.
“It’s hell when you push yourself to the limit like in sports clubs, but this level of exercise isn’t bad.”
“Yeah. We must have run about two kilometers by now. Ten kilometers one way might be surprisingly easy.”
“Look forward to it, because there will be snacks and tea once we reach our destination.”
He pointed to the running backpack he was carrying.
“Eh, snacks? I’m happy, but is that really okay?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve thought it through and made some low-calorie snacks.”
“Really? Alright, let’s do this!”
Knowing there was a reward waiting, Chika started running with even more enthusiasm.
However, this conversation turned out to be a perfect setup for what was to come. It was enough to make a comedian sigh in disbelief.
“Hiie…! Haa…! Hiie…! Haa…!”
By the time they had passed the halfway point of the entire trip, Chika’s energy had completely vanished.
She was gasping for breath without any spare energy to wipe away her dripping sweat.
Her running pace had deteriorated, and her staggering gait was so concerning that it made one anxious just watching.