After some questioning, Hiratsuka Shizuka finally understood the situation between Tanaka Masao and Yukinoshita Yukino.
He had come here by coincidence and submitted a weight-loss request.
Everything sounded reasonable enough, so Hiratsuka Shizuka didn't suspect anything.
Still—
This weight-loss request was… a bit long-term.
Hiratsuka Shizuka pinched her chin, looking back and forth between Tanaka Masao and Yukinoshita Yukino.
[Before losing weight, it'll take at least half a year—maybe even a full year. Spending that much time together, feelings are bound to deepen.
And this Tanaka kid… sure, he doesn't look like much right now, but what if he's a hidden gem? If he loses weight and turns into a handsome guy, wouldn't it be natural for them to end up together?
One request helps Tanaka lose weight, and at the same time solves Yukinoshita's problem of loneliness and inability to make friends.
Heck, it might even go further and solve both of their lifelong problems in one go. This should be something worth celebrating…
So why does it piss me off this much?]
The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable Hiratsuka Shizuka felt as she watched Yukinoshita Yukino supervising Tanaka Masao's training.
At that moment, the Service Club room felt reeking of romantic sugar and vinegar to her.
She couldn't help but imagine a scene one year later.
[Yukinoshita Yukino and a slimmed-down, handsome Tanaka Masao in the Service Club.
I walk in, and what greets me is Yukinoshita's glare and her annoyed voice
"Hiratsuka-sensei, could you please stop interrupting our private time?"]
Jealousy twisted her expression.
No matter what, Hiratsuka Shizuka realized she absolutely could not accept such a future.
Still, she couldn't come up with a good solution right away.
She couldn't just ban people from falling in love out of jealousy—that'd make her look petty.
After sitting in the Service Club for a bit longer, Hiratsuka Shizuka noticed—
Training someone to lose weight was actually… kind of fun.
So she spoke up to Yukinoshita Yukino.
"Hey, Yukinoshita. Let me train Tanaka a bit too."
Tanaka Masao, already on the verge of collapse, complained weakly:
"Hey, Hiratsuka-sensei, I'm not a toy."
"That's right, Hiratsuka-sensei,"
Yukinoshita Yukino echoed calmly.
"We're in the middle of club activities. Please don't interfere."
"Hey! What do you mean interfere?!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka protested indignantly.
"I'm the supervising teacher of the Service Club, you know. I have the right to participate in club activities."
Yukinoshita Yukino nodded.
"That… is true."
She was a reasonable person; with a legitimate request, she had no grounds to refuse.
"…Fine."
Tanaka Masao looked at the two women, who had clearly reached some kind of agreement, and urgently pointed at himself.
"Hey, hey! Shouldn't you at least ask the opinion of the person involved?!"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "You can refuse."
Hiratsuka Shizuka: "You can refuse." (cracking her knuckles)
Same words.
Completely different meanings.
Tanaka Masao instinctively shrank his neck.
After all, the reputation of Iron Fist Shizuka the Cute was no joke.
"Then… Hiratsuka-sensei, please be gentle with me."
With his neck tucked in, body drained from exercise, and weak, pitiful voice, Tanaka Masao somehow managed to sound shy.
Unfortunately, paired with his 200-plus-pound hardcore otaku body—
It was just plain disgusting.
Hiratsuka Shizuka shuddered and said with visible disgust:
"Don't make it creepy."
Yukinoshita Yukino didn't say anything to Tanaka Masao, only turning to Hiratsuka Shizuka.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, please be serious."
Tanaka Masao's very limited rest time ended.
What awaited him now was Hiratsuka Shizuka at full power.
"Being hit nonstop like this… no one can take that,"
Tanaka Masao muttered quietly.
"What are you mumbling about? Get over here."
Hiratsuka Shizuka urged him impatiently.
"Just doing strength training gives you stiff, useless muscles. That won't do. You need to move—use your whole body. That way you'll be agile and coordinated later on. Come on, I'll teach you how to throw a punch."
As she spoke, Hiratsuka Shizuka demonstrated a punching motion.
Seeing this, Tanaka Masao copied her and raised his arms.
"Good. Just like that. Now throw your fist like this—"
Before Tanaka Masao could even react, Hiratsuka Shizuka's punch was already coming at him.
[I'm dead.]
Tanaka Masao reflexively closed his eyes, bracing himself for unbearable pain.
Then—
He felt a ripple across his stomach.
And then… nothing.
He opened his eyes and looked at the fist pressed against his belly.
Feeling only the faintest trace of pain, he subconsciously asked:
"Hiratsuka-sensei… did you skip lunch?"
Rage.
Hiratsuka Shizuka's smile turned nuclear-level gentle, black aura spilling from her body.
She admitted that she'd held back since it was her first time hitting Tanaka—
But being accused of not eating was unacceptable.
"Take this one!"
She stepped back with her right foot and slammed her right fist into Tanaka Masao's stomach.
Thud.
The fat on Tanaka Masao's belly rippled violently.
That punch was no joke.
He did feel pain—but…
It didn't really affect him much.
Why?
As Tanaka Masao thought about it, the answer came quickly.
The body's original owner had suffered long-term school bullying.
Unlike Yukinoshita Yukino's cold violence and social exclusion, this body had been physically beaten many times.
Those bullies weren't gentle like Hiratsuka Shizuka—
Even when angry, she could still control her strength and avoid causing real harm.
They had no such restraint.
Especially during middle school.
They were in their growth phase, full of raw strength.
Luckily, the original owner had plenty of fat to cushion the blows.
This body might not have power—but it had endurance and shock resistance.
Almost like a crude version of Iron Shirt training.
Thinking this, Tanaka Masao sighed internally.
[This might be a blessing in disguise…
but if given the choice, the original owner would rather not have such a punch-resistant body.]
Having figured it all out, Tanaka Masao decided to give Hiratsuka Shizuka some face.
Suddenly, he staggered back, dropped to his knees, clutched his stomach with both hands, and screamed in agony.
"Ahhh~! It hurts so much!!"
The room fell into an awkward silence.
Because Tanaka Masao had just been lost in thought for about two and a half seconds.
His delayed reaction made it look… laggy.
Combined with that booming, overly energetic scream—
It really didn't look like he was in pain at all.