Hachiman's Perspective
"Nnnngh... Haaaah..."
Last night, Rice's parents had once again leaned on me, practically begging me to keep looking after their daughter. Not that I had any intention of quitting. I don't plan on stepping down as Rice's trainer, and frankly, I don't want to. I can't be 100% sure how Rice feels about it, but I'd like to think she's on the same page.
I just rolled out of bed, and the clock says it's 6:00 AM. Since it's winter, the world outside is still draped in a pre-dawn gloom. Despite the cold and the hour, I have no intention of breaking my routine.
My routine is simple: running. Or "jogging," if you want to be casual about it. Ever since I became a trainer, I haven't missed a single morning. I usually cover about two to three thousand meters—nothing too grueling, just enough to kick my brain into gear. I might break a sweat, but it's not enough to exhaust me.
The problem is, I'm a guest in someone else's house. There's a good chance everyone else is still dead to the world. If I want to head out, I have to be a ghost—silent and swift. I'd scouted out a local bathhouse that opens early for the "morning bath" crowd; my plan was to stop there on the way back to wash off the sweat.
Actually, it's a bit of a mystery. I run every single morning, yet I've never once bumped into a horse girl doing early morning practice. Not even Rice.
(The answer is simple: 6:00 AM is just too early for the game's schedule!)
"Well, whatever. I'm prepped. Time to move."
Click...
I eased the door open. Still dark. No sign of life. Perfect. At this rate, I can just slip out and—
"Oh? Good morning, Trainer."
I froze. "...Eh?"
"You're up quite early, aren't you?" Rice's mother asked, appearing from the kitchen. "Did you have trouble sleeping?"
"Ah... no, nothing like that. It's just part of my daily routine to go for a morning run. It's so early, I didn't want to wake anyone, so I was trying to sneak out as quietly as possible..."
"I see! How diligent of you," she said with a warm smile. "I'm actually quite an early bird myself. I find that if I don't start the breakfast prep early, the morning just slips away from me."
"Hahaha... yeah, I get that."
"Well then, Trainer, please be careful out there. I'll make sure the bath is ready for you when you get back."
"Oh, don't worry about that," I said, trying to decline politely. "I found a bathhouse nearby that opens early. I was planning on using that so I wouldn't be a bother."
"But that costs money, doesn't it? Please, use our bath. You're Rice's trainer; let us do at least this much for you."
I hesitated, but the sincerity in her eyes was a brick wall. "...Alright. Thank you. I appreciate it."
"Wonderful! Leave it to me ♪"
Rice's mom... she really is just like Rice. No, wait, that's backward. Rice is the one who took after her mother.
"Well then... I'm off."
"Have a good run! ♪"
Mother's Perspective
Fufu... getting to see the Trainer first thing in the morning. Maybe that's a sign today will be a good day? Although, Rice-chan might pout if she finds out I beat her to the morning greeting.
Now then, breakfast! Since Rice-chan and the Trainer are both here, I need to make way more than usual or it'll be gone in a heartbeat! Oh, and I can't forget to prep the bath... Goodness, I took on a lot this morning! It's going to be a busy one!
— Several dozen minutes later —
"Good morning, Lilac," her husband said, shuffling into the kitchen.
"Oh, good morning, dear."
"You look like you're in the middle of a whirlwind. Is it because the kids are home?"
"That's part of it! And the Trainer is out for a run, so I've got the bath going for him. Could you do me a favor and go check on it?"
"A morning run? He certainly leads a healthy lifestyle," the father noted, nodding. "Sure, I'll take a look while I'm washing my face."
Fufu, it's so helpful having him around ♪ Now, back to breakfast!
"Mother? Good morning..." Rice murmured, rubbing her eyes as she entered the room.
"Good morning, Rice-chan. Your father is just finishing up in the washroom, so wait just a moment, okay?"
"Mm... where's Big Brother? Is he still asleep?"
"He's out for a run. I'm not sure exactly how far he goes every day, so I don't know when he'll be back."
"Uuuh... I'm not sure either," Rice said, tilting her head. "My runs usually only take about thirty minutes."
"L-Lilac..."
The father appeared in the doorway, looking pale.
"Oh, honey! How was it? Is the water level okay?"
"The level is perfect," he said, his voice trembling. "The amount of water is exactly right... however... it's entirely ice-cold."
The mother froze. "...What?"
"It's all cold water! Lilac, you forgot to turn on the boiler! You just turned the tap and let it fill up without any heat!"
"A-aa-aa-aaaahhh!!?"
"Wait, did I really!? I filled the whole tub without even noticing the heater wasn't on!?"
"Yes! At this rate, the Trainer is going to come back to a polar plunge! I've turned the boiler on now and I'm letting the hot water run, so it might be ready in time... I hope!"
"Thank you, thank you, dear! You're a lifesaver!"
"But... but Big Brother might get back before it's warm!" Rice cried, looking panicked.
"I-If he does, I'll just have to apologize! Rice-chan, if that happens, I might need you to help me finish breakfast while I deal with it. Can you do that?"
"Y-yes... I can do that!"
(Note: They successfully managed to get the bath hot before Hachiman returned, but the mother spent the entire time he was home apologizing profusely for the "Cold Water Incident.")
"I am so, so sorry! Truly! Please forgive me, Trainer! I'm honestly so hopeless at these things...!"
"Please," I said, holding up my hands to stop her from bowing any further. "The bath was perfectly warm when I got in. There's no need to be so down about it. Really, it's fine."
"She's right, honey," her husband added. "The bath was fine in the end. Although... if you hadn't asked me to check on it when you did... things would have been terrifying."
"Y-yeah," Rice whispered, shivering. "An ice-cold bath after sweating in the winter... Rice would probably turn into a popsicle..."
"I mean, if that happened, I probably would have just used the shower," I pointed out logically.
"I-I'm still so sorry!!"
"Right... okay..."
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