After dinner, Hikigaya finally stopped letting his mind drift into a swamp of random thoughts and came to a rare decision. Tonight—no more excuses. He would start training seriously.
The reason was simple, and oh-so-painful. Yesterday afternoon, when he had tried to carry Yukinoshita, his useless arms and pathetic build had betrayed him. He couldn't even properly lift his own girlfriend. The memory gnawed at him like an insult carved into stone.
Tch… Hikigaya Hachiman, you weakling. Is this really the physique you're going to show Yukinoshita Yukino? Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic.
Determined, Hachiman fired up his old laptop, scrolling through dubious exercise forums that promised everything from shredded abs to instant "beast mode." After a few minutes of sighing at how ridiculous most routines sounded, he pieced together something simple enough even he couldn't screw up:
Squats to build lower body strength.
Push-ups to train his upper body and back.
Running to build endurance.
In short: train the lower body, train the upper body, and last but not least, don't keel over after climbing two flights of stairs.
"Yeah… simple, brutal, effective. The road to manliness starts here." Hikigaya clenched his fists with a solemn vow. Next time, Yukinoshita won't be the one towering over me. Next time… will be her doomsday!
He exhaled dramatically and muttered, "Alright. Squats first."
With the seriousness of a soldier preparing for battle, Hikigaya clasped his hands behind his back, got into position, and took a deep breath. His knees bent. He went down. He went up. A little wobbly, sure, but progress was progress.
Just as he managed a respectable rhythm, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Onii-chan, you saw Yui-nee's picture just now, right? Yui-nee, she—"
Komachi's cheerful tone cut off into a sharp gasp.
"Eh?!"
Hachiman froze mid-squat, glancing over. His little sister, wrapped in nothing but a bath towel, had stepped out of the bathroom, hair still dripping. She rubbed her eyes as if to check she wasn't hallucinating. Her jaw fell open, and then—
"Waaahhh! What's this?! What's going on?!" Komachi clutched her head like the sky was falling. "My hopeless, lazy, video-game-addicted, good-for-nothing Onii-chan is actually… exercising?! Waaah~ Papa, Mama, you won't believe it! All of Komachi's tireless efforts have finally paid off!"
"Hey, hey, hey!" Hachiman snapped, wobbling on his next squat. "Don't make it sound like I'm some kind of lifelong failure!"
Komachi's eyes glistened like she might actually cry tears of joy. "It's a miracle! Onii-chan has leveled up into a normal human being!"
"Stop looking so proud! And put some clothes on, seriously," Hachiman groaned, covering his face. I've told you a thousand times, Komachi. You can't just walk around in a towel. Have a little awareness that you're in front of your brother!
Komachi only hummed, clearly enjoying his flustered reaction.
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Steam curled gently inside a bathroom across town. Yukinoshita Yukino sank into the tub, her long hair fanning across the water. For once, she allowed herself to let go, to close her eyes and just breathe.
Until the familiar "ding!" shattered the peace.
[System Notification] Detected: Hikigaya Hachiman's first physical training session.Progress: 50 squats completed. Stamina +1.
"Huh?" Yukinoshita's eyes snapped open. "Stamina increased?"
The system's monotone voice echoed smugly: "In a broad sense, Stamina represents overall physical fitness—endurance, strength, speed. However, within this system, it primarily represents one's capability in sexual activities."
"Wha—?!" Yukinoshita's face stiffened, crimson blooming across her cheeks. She covered her mouth, nearly splashing water everywhere. "Why does this system always… always turn everything indecent?!"
Still, curiosity prickled. "So… if Hikigaya-kun gained one point, what's his total right now?"
[System Reply] Current Stamina of Hikigaya Hachiman: 43 out of 100 (Below Average).
Yukinoshita blinked, then let out a long breath of relief. "Only forty-three? Hmph. As expected of Zako-kun~" A mischievous smile tugged at her lips.
But then she froze. Wait, why am I happy about this? Shouldn't I be worried? If my boyfriend's stamina is low, that should be a problem, right? So why… why do I just want to laugh at him?
She buried her face in her hands, half-giggling, half-sighing. "Ahh, I really want to tease Hikigaya-kun about this right now."
Her eyes gleamed as she whispered to herself, "I bet his face would be priceless."
But curiosity hadn't finished gnawing. Tentatively, she asked, "What about me, then?"
[System Reply] Current Stamina of Host: 6 out of 100 (Extremely Weak).
"???"
Seeing the number glaring back at her like a cruel joke, Yukinoshita's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
"How can it only be 6?! That's way too low!"
"This value is calculated based on the Host's overall physical fitness evaluation," the system replied in its flat, mechanical tone. "It cannot be falsified."
"You're lying! I… I made Hikigaya-kun beg for mercy back then!" Yukinoshita snapped, biting down on her lower lip as she stubbornly tried to defend herself.
"If the Host had not consumed the Enhancement Potion during that incident, Hikigaya Hachiman would have been capable of making the Host completely submit within thirty minutes… possibly even forcing the Host to call him 'Daddy.'"
"…W-what?!"
Yukinoshita's delicate features froze, her voice trembling in disbelief. "That medicine was really that insane? It could boost me that much?"
"The Enhancement Potion used at that time temporarily raised the Host's stamina by eighty points for three hours."
"E-eighty?!" Yukinoshita blinked, her mind trying to process the number. "So that means my real stamina was just 6, but with the potion it became 86…? Compared to Hikigaya-kun's 43, of course I won that time."
The realization hit her like a punch to the gut.
A whole half difference.
She let out a long sigh. "I mocked Hikigaya-kun so smugly… and now I find out I was just the clown."
Her fingers pressed against the edge of the bathtub as her voice softened. "Why is he even training so hard now? Hikigaya-kun was perfectly fine as he was… why go this far?"
But then, the thought of Hikigaya surpassing her, becoming several times stronger in the near future, made her chest tighten with unease.
"Isn't it obvious?" the system interrupted coldly. "Because the Host was far too cruel to Hikigaya Hachiman that day, you ignited his fighting spirit. Now, all he seeks is to transform himself into a muscular powerhouse."
"A… muscular powerhouse?"
Just hearing those words made Yukinoshita's pale face turn slightly red. Her slender frame trembled, her legs—soaked in the warm bathwater—instinctively clamped together.
"Th-that's terrifying…!"
Will I really end up… calling Hikigaya-kun 'Daddy' in the future?!
No way. Absolutely no way! That's way too humiliating!
"I have to stop him!"
"Incorrect," the system corrected her. "The Host should in fact strongly encourage Hikigaya Hachiman's efforts."
"Eh?!" Her eyes widened. Then, as if struck by inspiration, they sparkled. "Ah, I get it! You're saying I can just use medicine again, right?"
That's right. She wasn't like before—she had a system now. A hidden trump card!
But the system's reply quickly crushed her optimism.
"That is not what this system means. Hikigaya Hachiman will eventually sleep with other women and perform that type of activity. Without sufficient physical ability, it would be impossible. After all, how could he properly satisfy five or six women in a single day without collapsing?"
"…???"
Yukinoshita froze, her expression stiffening as anger surged up like wildfire.
"That's ridiculous! He's my boyfriend—I won't allow Hikigaya-kun to sleep with other women!"
"Hikigaya Hachiman engaging in intimate activity with women will grant the system high point rewards."
"Still no!" Yukinoshita snapped, shaking her head furiously.
Three years. There was still plenty of time.
Even if it meant grinding points slowly, she could do it. She didn't have to sell out Hikigaya-kun to other women for system rewards.
No way. Hikigaya Hachiman was hers.
Forever.
He could only sleep with Yukinoshita Yukino in this lifetime!
She clenched her fists beneath the water, silently swearing to herself. That was her bottom line—her nonnegotiable rule!
Just then—
Ding! "Hikigaya Hachiman has completed 30 push-ups. Stamina +1."
"Hikigaya Hachiman's current Stamina: 44/100."
"Eh?!" Yukinoshita's eyes widened. "He's still… exercising?"
It increased again?!
No, no, no! Hikigaya-kun, please stop training!
Even if I can use medicine, watching you grow stronger like this is making me so nervous…
Before she could even catch her breath, the system chimed again.
Ding! "Detected Hikigaya Hachiman and potential target Hikigaya Komachi engaging in 'sticking together.'"
Ding! "System Points +50."
"…Huh?!"
Yukinoshita froze, utterly dumbfounded. "Wait… fifty points? With Komachi… sticking together?!"
Her mind spun.
Komachi? As in… his little sister Komachi?!
This rotten system—was nothing sacred to it?!
But beyond the shock, one question gnawed at Yukinoshita even harder.
Just what in the world did that brother and sister do to trigger fifty points?!
That was five times the amount from when Yuigahama had 'stuck together' with him!!