The sun had barely risen when the last traces of night quietly disappeared beyond the horizon.
The countryside woke slowly. A gentle breeze carried the scent of damp grass through the air, warmer than it had been the previous evening, while birds hidden among the trees filled the morning with their songs.
Hiro had already returned from his morning workout.
A thin black long-sleeved compression shirt clung to his upper body, while loose gray shorts fell just above his knees. A pair of headphones rested around his neck, and a light sheen of sweat covered his forehead after nearly an hour of running through the familiar trails surrounding the village.
It had been a long time since he had exercised this early.
Lately, there had simply been too much on his mind.
Whenever his thoughts became too loud, the only thing that managed to silence them was exhausting his body until there wasn't enough strength left to overthink.
