Chapter 133

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**Nozomi-san. (4)**

“So yeah, that’s what happened…”

“Ah, I saw that stream.”

“…You did?”

“I saw Toya grabbing you and touching you all over.”

“…”

Well, if she saw that, then I guess I don’t need to explain anything.

What was more concerning was how Nozomi-san didn’t seem to be in a good mood.

Had something happened?

While I kept doing squats and glancing at her for signs, she sighed and shook her head.

“Did something happen?”

“Do I look like something happened?”

“Well, you keep sighing, so I thought…”

Should I mention her expression doesn’t look great either? Might come off too serious…

It seemed like Nozomi-san wasn’t aware of the face she was making.

“It’s not like anything specific happened… I’m just a little upset.”

“Upset?”

“Because of your stream yesterday.”

“…My stream?”

Was there something upsetting in my stream?

Oh. Maybe the part where Toya touched my arms and legs to check for muscle growth?

It probably looked uncomfortable to someone who didn’t know us.

Especially since Nozomi-san had only interacted with me and never met Toya before. And this was the first time she saw her—could’ve easily misunderstood.

“Toya’s not a weird person or anything. She’s like family to me. That kind of teasing is just… something she does sometimes. It’s rare, though, so please don’t worry—”

“I’m not upset about Toya’s behavior… just… I don’t know. I’m just a little mad, that’s all.”

“…What part upset you?”

“…Never mind. It’s just a personal grudge.”

I was curious what that “personal grudge” was, but… maybe it’s better not to ask.

What really mattered now was whether Nozomi-san was willing to meet Toya after her request.

“Well, fine. Since you say she’s a friend of yours, I guess it’s okay to meet her.”

“Then I’ll let Toya know?”

“Yeah.”

She responded surprisingly calmly for someone who seemed so annoyed just moments ago.

So I guess they’ll be meeting tomorrow or the day after…

To be honest, they had a lot in common: both were passionate about music, good at singing, and fanatical about exercise.

No wonder I kept thinking of Toya whenever I looked at Nozomi-san.

If Toya were just a little more reserved, she might feel a lot like Nozomi-san.

“Anyway, shall we get started?”

“Eh? W-wait—”

“You had a good rest yesterday, so let’s make today a little more intense, shall we?”

“…Nozomi-saaaan?!”

And… yeah. I got completely wrecked by a clearly grumpy Nozomi-san.

But it was kind of funny too, because she pushed me just hard enough that I could _still_ move around afterward.

No, not funny. Terrifying. She somehow trained me to the exact limit of my recovery.

Even though I was trembling from her scariness, the workout still went well, which made it all the more confusing.

“So, should I take it you’re meeting her tomorrow?”

“Y-yep…”

As I lay sprawled on the floor, Nozomi-san asked me with a calm tone.

And as she wiped the sweat from her face, there was a glint of resolve in her eyes.

Like she was saying, _“I’ll see for myself if this Toya person is worthy of Ichinose.”_

…Though, maybe that’s just my imagination.

—

“So, what’s the person you’re working out with like?”

“I mean… you’ll find out as soon as you meet her tomorrow…”

“Aw, c’mon. If I get a little background info, it’ll be easier to warm up to her, right?”

Toya’s eyes sparkled with the gleam of a predator.

It was like she was a fox, demanding to know who was trying to take what was hers.

Her gaze was sharp enough to shred steel.

Um… I’m not sure why she’s so wary of Nozomi-san, but really, we’re just workout partners, okay?

“I think you two could actually get along.”

“Me and her?”

“Yeah. She likes working out and singing. You probably have a lot in common—might become friends fast.”

“…Really?”

Toya looked a little sour at the idea of having the same interests as this mystery person and seemed to be deep in thought.

Was she trying to imagine what kind of person she was?

‘Actually, if you tied your hair in a ponytail and put on glasses, you’d pretty much _be_ Nozomi-san…’

Nozomi didn’t wear glasses now, but that past photo she showed me where she did left such a strong impression that I kept picturing her with them anyway.

Thinking about it like that, they really were similar… and different.

Kind of like how Koyuki and I are similar but not the same.

What if Toya had a secret twin…?

Nah, no way. There were enough differences—like Nozomi-san being shorter than Toya, for example.

“I wonder what kind of sly fox is trying to steal my precious Yeoreum away, haha.”

“Toya…?”

“Yeoreum, you’ve got to be careful around people who seem similar to me. Just because someone feels familiar doesn’t mean you can let your guard down, okay?”

Toya grabbed my shoulders and gave me a very serious warning.

Hmm. Is this… jealousy?

It’s not like I’ve _never_ seen Toya jealous before, but this might be the first time she’s been this openly possessive.

Did I mind?

Not at all. If anything, I found it… adorable.

Honestly, who _could_ resist a jealous Toya?

“Toya, you don’t need to worry. You’re the person I love most in the whole world.”

“Yeoreum…”

“You’re way bigger than me—why do you worry so much?”

I giggled softly and reached out, and Toya lowered her head to let me pat it.

Come on now, calm down.

It felt funny being the one doing the patting for once, since I’m usually the one getting headpats, but I wanted to savor this rare opportunity.

‘Guess falling asleep right after getting home was the issue, huh.’

We always went to work together, but once there, we’d go our separate ways. Then I’d come home exhausted and collapse, while Toya would stream.

We’d just been missing each other slightly.

…Looking at it like this, I was totally the bad guy here.

I was working out secretly to make Toya happy, but if doing it in secret was _making her sad,_ then… what should I choose?

Things had gotten a bit better now, but I doubted the uncertainty and worry in Toya’s heart had completely gone away.

“It’s been a while since you patted my head like this, huh?”

“Yeah, usually you’re the one doing the patting.”

Toya’s hair had a softness totally different from mine.

Mine was more fluffy and youthful, with a few stray baby hairs here and there, while Toya’s was like pure, smooth ebony.

As I watched her finally start to relax, I smiled. Then Toya gently lifted me into her arms.

Yup, this felt familiar. This was nice.

We weren’t going anywhere in particular, but she started walking slowly around the living room with me in her arms.

It looked like she was making up for all the times she hadn’t been able to carry me lately.

“Alright. Once my live’s over, I’ll start working out with you too.”

“Guh…! Ugh, c-could you hold off just a bit longer…?”

There was no way I could tell her, _“Once your live’s over, I’m not planning to keep up this intense workout routine anymore…”_

If I said that, she’d know I was hiding something.

Speaking of which, I really should try singing again sometime.

The whole reason I started exercising was to get healthier, and the reason I wanted to be healthier was so I could sing—but somewhere along the line, I’d just been focused on working out.

I think part of the reason I hadn’t even tried was because I’d been avoiding the thought altogether.

_“What if I still sound the same as before, even after all this effort?”_

If that really happened, I don’t think I’d be able to take it.

I didn’t want to try singing again until I felt 100% ready.

Of course, I’d need to try before Toya’s live. And not just try—I wanted to piece together at least one song, even if it was stitched from takes.

That way, I could give Toya a surprise at her concert.

“Alright. But if I don’t like the person helping you exercise, you’re working out with me from now on.”

“…Okay.”

Honestly, that was a pretty one-sided deal.

If Toya said, “I don’t like her,” then that’d be the end of it.

But I trusted Toya.

Even if she acted childish sometimes, she was a thoughtful and mature person deep down.

I was sure she’d make a fair and objective decision when it came down to it.