Chapter 24: Pushing Yourself Too Hard Is Bad, Yeah.

Never thought my heart would stop last time. Went through all that trouble to look cool…! Of all the catchphrases to steal, it had to be that brigade commander’s “Don’t you dare stop…!”—only for me to stop... Talk about rotten luck.

But damn, this is pretty bad. Didn’t think prolonged exercise would wreck me this hard. Maybe I should change my approach.

"Good work, everyone…"

"Tired, I am…"

"[Fatigue Apostle]"

"………………eh-ta"

But no sound comes out. Hell, my body won’t move. This sucks… If this keeps up, I won’t be able to move for a while even if I get home. How am I gonna get back?

"Kawaru, you… sure you came back to life properly?"

"……………u-i"

"Seems she doesn’t even have the energy to speak… Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Kawaru gets home safe. The others are heading back, but what about you, Iku?"

Hold up, Rentarou. If you just dump me at the doorstep, I’ll have to drag myself to school like this tomorrow. If I can even make it. Guess I’ve got no choice but to rely on him for now.

"I’m gonna stick around for some extra practice…"

"Then I’ll join—"

"Rentarou, you should see the others off and get Kawaru home. I’m used to staying late for practice."

"Damn, you’re still going after all this…?"

"Extra practice?! That’s amazing…!"

"As expected of the sports club girl…"

Whoa, Iku…?! She’s still going? More than this? Guess people with stamina really are built different…?!

"Alright then, Iku! See ya tomorrow—!"

"[Get home safe.]"

"Thanks… You too, everyone!"

The next day.

"Ow ow ow… The muscle pain…"

"[Me too…]"

"Humans are such flawed creatures…"

"Youth is a resource, huh…"

"Is this related to Habari-sama’s saying, ‘Little girls are national treasures’?"

"Different thing… But yes, little girls are national treasures."

"Goooood mornin’—!"

While everyone else groaned from soreness, Kusuri-senpai—surprisingly mobile—plus Karane (obviously unharmed) and Mei-san (used to physical labor as a maid) were fine. Y’all should take notes.

"Listen up, everyone! Muscle pain is nothing to fear! Be more like Kusuri-senpai and the others—"

"Your voice is tiny, low, dumbass?!"

"Kawaru-senpai, you’re the least energetic here…"

Well, yeah… Sure, Rentarou helped me limp my way to school today, but right now? Still piggybacking my way there. Can’t even stand on my own yet.

"Hey, I hear voices from the field…"

"…Hm?"

"101,128…‼︎❤︎ 101,129…‼︎❤︎"

"That’s a number you only hit pulling an all-nighter?!"

"How long has she been swinging that bat?!"

No way… She’s been swinging nonstop since then?! Even for Iku, this is insane. Her body’s swaying, eyes unfocused.

"Ah… Everyone…? Good evening—wait, why’re you here so late…?"

"Early morning isn’t nighttime?!"

"Her sense of time is broken."

This is bad. If she thinks this brightness is nighttime, she’s way past her limit.

"Iku is… still living inside yesterday—?!"

"Don’t make it sound cool like some metaphor?!"

"It is cool, but now isn’t the time…"

"Then when is—?"

"Wow… Weird… My vision’s spinning… Rentarou’s girlfriends look like nine people…"

"At least the headcount’s accurate."

"[Numerical recognition remains functional.]"

"Oof…‼︎❤︎"

Iku?!—Rentarou caught her just in time, sliding in to stop her from face-planting. That’s my guy. “Nine girlfriends”? What a power move… Wait, no, that’s factual. But after dropping that bombshell, Iku finally hit her limit and collapsed.

After carrying her to the nurse’s office and laying her down, she’s now quietly asleep—seems she’s finally comfortable. What could’ve driven her this far? From what Rentarou told me, she wasn’t this obsessive before. So then… what?

"…It’s thanks to everyone’s kindness—to Rentarou and all of you helping me—that I even get to play this match! That’s exactly why… I have to win…!!"

"If I, as the pitcher, shut them all out… and I, as the batter, score just one run… we win! So…!"

"Iku…"

This is insane. No way she can pull this off. But still, to push herself this hard… Even ignoring the fact it’s class time right now. And winning at baseball alone? Impossible. Yeah… Iku’s like that, huh? Reminds me of Kurumi-chan back then.

She still doesn’t get us—that’s why she can’t rely on anyone. And… I’m part of the reason too. Maybe seeing people like me, who can’t even handle normal practice, makes her wonder if we’re worth relying on. Hell, if it’s even okay to rely on us at all.

…………Gotta step up.

Hm? Why am I eavesdropping? Well… let’s just say I tried to stand up for homeroom roll call, failed spectacularly, and got sent right back to the nurse’s office. Now I’m stuck in the bed next to Iku’s. Seriously, my body’s done. I can wiggle my fingertips, but… doubtful I’ll recover by afternoon.

Not like I meant to overhear, but what’s a guy supposed to do? Can’t even lift my arms to cover my ears. Besides, someone way worse than me is here, so I’m off the hook. Jesus, Hahari-san… Why are you under Iku’s bed with your phone out? Sneaky pics of her sleeping face? Isn’t that, y’know, illegal? Or does being the chairwoman mean campus rules don’t apply?

…Oh, and she definitely snapped a shot of me too. Not that I’d mind if she just asked for a sleeping pic.

After school.

Somehow, I’m back on my feet. Today’s practice got restructured—I’m prepping as a pinch hitter—but it’s still brutal. Well… more to do, so gotta push through.

After baseball drills, everyone volunteered for extra practice, seeing Iku still straining herself. Habari and I filled them in earlier. Once they understood Iku’s resolve—her real feelings—each in their own way, they told her, "Rely on us as teammates." She agreed. And so, for these two weeks leading to the match, nearly everyone stayed late to train together.

Oh, and Rentarou showed up in a fundoshi. Dude… "Soak in ice water, practice in a loincloth, collapse with a fever before Iku can overwork herself" isn’t a strategy, it’s a joke. You just looked like a weirdo keeping it secret. (Though I do love how you played it cool to spare Iku’s guilt.)

…Alright, gotta say it. The mood’s awful for this, but it’s necessary.

"Really bad timing, but… I’ve got something non-negotiable these two weeks. Can’t do late-night practices. Sorry, Iku. Sorry, everyone."

"Unavoidable, huh…"

"W-well, overworking is bad!"

"Says the guy who could barely stand…?"

"I’ll go all out during the day, promise!"

"K-Kawaru, you traitor! This is bonding-through-suffering time! …Though with your stamina, you’d probably die by tomorrow anyway."

"Really sorry…"

"……………"

"Something wrong, Karane?"

"…Nothing."

"?

And so, the Rentarou Family’s whirlwind two weeks raced by in a blink.

"Kawaru…? What’s with the bandages?! Did you hurt your arm…?!"

"Ahaha… Just took a tumble down the stairs…"

"Kawaru-senpai…? Why the crutches?!"

"Uh, y’know… Achilles tendon met a time-limited sale…"

Don’t notice, don’t notice. Sure, I’m covered in injuries, and yeah, I’ve been sleeping through class to recover—but they totally don’t know! I even cut off my mental link with Rentarou for now. (Though he’s probably figured it out anyway.)

"That’s the situation, Senior Kuneri…"

"Kawaru’s a klutz! Danced too hard at home, smashed into furniture—bruises everywhere! Sprained ankle too…!"

"Kawaru? All these cuts and scrapes… You sure you’re not secretly training—?"

"Nah, just fell a bunch on the way here. My luck’s cursed today—gotta trip at least 20 more times…"

"Oof…‼︎ ❤︎"

Match day.

The Rentarou Family huddles up before the game—and there I am, wrapped head-to-toe in bandages, leaning on crutches.

Doctor’s orders? Never heard of her. Muscle pain, abrasions, internal bleeding, contusions, sprains, shoulder/elbow/Achilles agony? Pfft. Just two weeks’ worth of injuries and fatigue. Nothing. Only one problem…

"We’re gonna crush it, uho! Show ’em our training results, Kawaru!"

""UHO—!!""

"Do your best…!"

"YOU GUYS JUST BLEW MY COVER?!"

"So you were training secretly…"

"That’s why Karane was acting weird…"

"[Secret grindset, huh?]"

"Admittedly, specialized training would suit Seibetsu Kawaru’s fatal lack of stamina…"

…Yep. The secret’s out. I might’ve forgotten to tell the Gorira Alliance not to show up…!