Reiji almost lost his composure when he heard the training assigned by Nishimura Sensei, feeling immense regret for deciding to participate in the club session despite his injury.
'I hate lower body workouts.....'
They were not fun.
At all.
But there was only a small moment of frustration before he accepted his fate and tied his shoelaces.
This was also a good opportunity to start improving his kicking skills, which were far behind his upper body movements.
".....Rest in peace, Junior."
Fujita Senpai shook his head as he patted Reiji's shoulder, walking off while facing the sky to hide the non-existent tears.
The scene looked quite melancholic.
Reiji's mouth twitched.
"Well..... Don't kill me off just yet?"
He jumped up and down a couple of times to warm up and then started running around the hall to finish his initial 10 laps.
Because he'd arrived late, all the clubs had already begun their training, including the Taekwondo Club, which Yui was a part of.
He glanced at their group as he ran past them and saw the energetic redhead waving at him with a massive smile.
She looked like she was going to rush forward and join him in this torturous endeavor, but her collar was yanked back by the female instructor as soon as she made a move.
"ACK!"
"Pfft!"
Reiji chuckled, shifting his focus away from the amusing scene.
'.....Should I take her on a date this weekend?'
With so much that had happened these past few days, he hadn't had much of a chance to hang out with her after confirming their relationship, and that needed to change soon.
It would also allow him to start making some moves to deal with her situation.
'But what can I realistically do to help her? Even using my Yakuza connections wouldn't make it that easy, and might even come back to bite her in the future. I'd be on the back foot legally.'
If possible, he'd try to think of a cleaner way to handle it, unless it forced him to use his last resort.
In his second lap, as he ran past the Taekwondo group again, he saw Yui hiding behind a few other women.
When he was close by, Yui crouched slightly and started tiptoeing away.
"Yui! Get back here!"
Yui's collar was yanked back again, and her miserable face made Reiji completely depressed.
'.....I should've taken a photo.'
Such a shame.
Either way, Reiji began to plan out what he could do this weekend with Yui while he ran, a few different options flickering through his mind.
It couldn't be simple.
Not for their first date.
Some say that you shouldn't set the bar too high, but he felt that the first time they went out should be one of, if not the most, memorable moments.
So he thought back to all the events and locations in the game in an attempt to see if there was anything suitable, anything that would create a lasting, unforgettable memory.
And then it hit him.
'That.....That would be perfect, right?'
His steps faltered, slowing his pace considerably as the idea grew bigger and brighter.
The location?
Quite far.
But it would undoubtedly be something he could be proud of even a few years down the line.
"YAGAMI! ARE YOUR LEGS INJURED AS WELL?"
Reiji winced as he turned to the shout, and saw Nishimura Sensei glaring at him with murderous intent, his hands firmly on his hips.
"...Not yet, but it very well might be the case soon!" he yelled back, returning to a proper speed.
"Hmph, hopefully you aren't that frail!"
Reiji rolled his eyes and focused on his training, but the small curve of his lips betrayed his good mood.
'.....I'll get my driver's license on Saturday first, and then the date's gonna be on Sunday.'
He saw Yui's lonely figure amongst her club, standing apart from the other students with a sad pout.
His eyes softened as he sighed.
'Yeah, let's make some preparations.'
***
"Ughhhh, my legs!!" Reiji muttered with a groan, rubbing his thighs as the stream of water from the showerhead cascaded over his built body.
His right shoulder was out of the danger zone, keeping it mostly dry.
After a quick shower, he dried himself off and put on his school uniform as fast as he could because he knew that Yui was waiting for him outside the changing room.
"That fucking demon," he cursed, condemning Nishimura Sensei to a hundred years of squats in his head.
Now he was scared that his hair really might fall off if he kept this up like a certain man, and he gulped nervously at the thought.
He hobbled out, not unlike a penguin with how he was moving.
Yui was blowing a bubblegum as she leaned against a pillar, her red eyes brightening when she noticed him coming.
But seeing the agonized expression on his face, her smile dropped.
"...That bad?" she asked.
"Meh, I'll be fine. I've just been slacking with leg days lately."
"Should I give him a good kick in the nuts?"
".....Who?" Reiji asked with a raised eyebrow.
"That Sensei of yours, who else?"
A short period of silence ensued.
"That's quite bold of you. He's insanely strong, you know?" he laughed.
"Hmph, you don't believe in me?" Yui snorted, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"Get your black belt first, and then we'll see."
Reiji flicked her nose and walked off, with Yui trailing behind, grumbling under her breath.
"You just wait, my promotion exam is set for next week, and I'll make sure to ace it!" she declared proudly.
She was glancing up at him, like she wanted to be praised.
So Reiji obliged.
"Huh? Already? Come to think of it, you said you'd get it before the tournament, so that makes sense. But that's still incredible, you know?!"
He ruffled her hair, making her squint with joy.
"Mhm!"
"Will I be able to come watch, or is it a closed-door exam?"
Yui frowned, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
"I.....I don't know, I didn't ask," she mumbled.
"Ask your instructor later, and let me know. I'll come cheer you on, unless my being there distracts you?" he asked.
"Of course not! You have to come!!"
Reiji nodded and made a mental note of it.
"Perfect, then send me the details once it's confirmed."
Yui grinned, her pearly white teeth peeking through her lips with pure delight, and the adorable sight made Reiji want to lean over and give her a kiss.
But he held back when he saw quite a few students still around, knowing that she wanted to keep their relationship a secret for her own reasons.
'.....Sunday.'
"By the way," he spoke up, and continued when Yui turned to him. "Are you free this Sunday?"
"Ah? I should be. Why?"
There was a trace of expectation on her face when he asked that, her smile widening even further.
"Okay, then make sure to keep it free," he replied, not divulging anything.
"Ehhhh? At least tell me why??"
"You'll find out on Sunday."
"...You meanie, just tell me!"
"Hehe, nope!"
Yui narrowed her eyes and stood on the tips of her feet, her breath tickling his left ear as she whispered quietly.
"Pleeeease can't you tell me now ~?"
Reiji's body shivered involuntarily, but he immediately regained his composure and smushed her face, squeezing her soft cheeks with both hands.
"Let gfo! Thish ishn't fair!" she wailed.
"I'll turn you into mochi if you keep this up!" Reiji smirked, letting go of her reluctantly.
Yui's red cheeks, both because of the sudden attack and the blush, deepened further as she once again purred in his ear, with no sense of fear.
"As long as I taste good ~"
"...."
'This woman is a vixen, a succubus! I had no knowledge of this!'
Reiji pursed his lips and continued walking, not dignifying her with a response.
Because he had no idea what to say.
Yui giggled again and jogged to catch up, her arms crossed behind her back playfully.
Both of them headed for the school gate with a quiet, but comfortable silence in the air.
It should've felt awkward, especially after their interaction, but for some reason, that wasn't the case.
They both had their own thoughts and emotions running through them, yet their soft smiles showed that it was more peaceful than anything else.
If only Reiji wasn't waddling like a penguin.
'Tch, I can't walk properly.'
He glared at Yui, who occasionally broke out into laughter when she saw his uneven steps.
So much for gaining the upper hand.
They soon arrived at the school gates, where they'd have to take separate paths because of the direction of their homes, but before they could even say goodbye to each other, a large black SUV pulled up on the road in front of them.
Reiji closed his eyes and exhaled, his breath trembling with anger.
'Why are they here??'
The doors on both sides opened, and his two henchmen stepped out, donning their black suits as they always did.
When they saw Reiji, they scratched their heads awkwardly, though Baldy had nothing to scratch in the first place.
And when they saw Yui next to him, their eyes flickered.
"Boss, please come with us," Beardy spoke, his tone a little hesitant.
".....Yui, you go on ahead. See you later," Reiji sighed.
The redhead looked back and forth between them, but instead of the curiosity or disappointment that he was expecting, there was excitement.
"Okay! I'll see you soon, Reiji!" she stated, leaving with an extra skip in her step.
'Is she looking forward to Sunday that much?' Reiji wondered, taken aback by her reaction.
"....I gotta make sure it'll be fun."
"Huh? Did you say something, Boss?" Baldy asked.
"Nothing, let's go."
Reiji climbed into the back seat, placing his bag on the seat and leaning back while massaging his legs.
"So? What's this about?" he muttered. "Some new case where I get to stab people?"
Beardy and Baldy exchanged looks and then shook their heads.
"No. The Big Boss has agreed to your terms and wants to discuss it with you."
".....Huh?"