NTR Kousuke

Chapter 18

It's been five days since Tomonaga-san's diet started.

Progress is on track with mornings at the basketball club's gymnasium side for walking and running, along with me and my friend Koji doing strength training. Afternoons are boot camp! Evenings and nights are basically strictly managed with a walking game app on the smartphone.

Every day, she's gradually getting weaker, and her muscle soreness is nearing its limit.

I'm starting to feel like she's almost at her breaking point.

Both mentally and physically.

Tomorrow, I thought we'd just do the morning and take the afternoon off to let her catch her breath a bit.

I've been pushing myself too hard lately, and I'm feeling worn out too.

I want to see Shou, but I just don't have the time.

In the midst of this, Shou invited me to come to his part-time job at LINE!

Huh? Really?

Shou's workplace is a restaurant near the intersection of a large prefectural road and a national road, a short walk from Toko Station near Toko High School, and it seems to serve hamburg steak, curry, and sweets.

"Can you make low-calorie sweets?"

I asked, and

Shou: "Yeah, we have some! Ise-san (a gal from the same middle school) begs for them every time she comes, so we even have a version 2 of our signature pancake!"

That's it!

I made a promise to go to Shou's workplace tomorrow afternoon!

And then at night, we decided to gather with Shou and some classmates to play basketball at the nearby riverside park.

I get to see my best friend after so long!

The next day.

"Good morning."

Tomonaga: "Good mornin'."

Her shoulders are twitching from muscle soreness? And her movements have a strange sharpness to them...

They're oddly rhythmic, moving with a jerky shuffle.

Like the moves of Michael Jackson in the Thriller MV I watched with my dad...?

Aow! She might even say something like that!

...No, I can't say that out loud.

As usual, I encourage Tomonaga-san while starting my own practice.

From the court next door, Nagase-san is looking over with a suspicious expression... I want to say something, but there's Tomonaga-san's privacy to consider, so I end up not saying anything.

Nagase-san has been cold these past few days. But since I can't say anything, it can't be helped.

Airi: "Kousuke-kun! About Tomonaga-san..."

Airi-senpai has been researching a lot and studied Tomonaga-san's walking and running routines from the first half.

She introduced circuit training, which is effective for fat burning by repeating short bursts of running and resting, and even gives Tomonaga-san a massage after strength training to help with metabolism and fatigue recovery, cooperating with us.

Airi: "When a junior relies on me, it makes me happy as a senior, right?"

Her eyes almost disappear as she lowers her eyelids and smiles gently.

Not just helping out, but learning and aiming to train effectively! That attitude is also reflected in the basketball club, and many training methods recommended by Airi-senpai have been added.

Speaking of her studious boyfriend,

Sahori: "I can do more! If I just work hard, I can even become a pro basketball player!"

Or

Sahori: "With my height and good looks, I could be a model, right?"

In other words, he's the type who admires something and wants to become it. In the basketball club, he's nicknamed a "wannabe," a term for someone who only mimics the surface without grasping the essence.

Airi is about learning! Sahori is a wannabe!

That's what people say.

After finishing the morning, I get Tomonaga-san, who's despairing at the cafeteria over what she thinks is another protein set meal (chicken breast, boiled eggs, broccoli, something different each day, brown rice, protein), to change into her uniform, and we head to Toko Station by train.

Toko Station, which is also Tomonaga-san's nearest station, is right next to Toko High School.

Tomonaga: "Um? Where are we going?"

Kousuke: "...That's it for today. As a reward, I'll treat you to a meal, okay?"

Tomonaga: "Huh? Huh? It's not going to be a protein set meal at the place we're going, right?"

Over these past few days, Tomonaga-san has become quite suspicious... poor thing.

After walking for about 15 minutes, we arrive at the place I was told about!

Staff: "Welcome!"

The greeting echoes.

The one who welcomed us was Shou!

"...Shou! Long time no see! ...What's with the 'Welcome' thing?"

I just had to ask.

Shou: "Welcome. (whispering) Long time no see! ...Don't worry about it."

I'm definitely worried about it!

Tomonaga: "H-Hello...!"

Tomonaga-san is greeting Shou.

We're shown to a table.

Shou: "Kousuke! What'll you have? And this is...?"

Tomonaga: "Nice to meet you, I'm Yukari Tomonaga. Kousuke-kun and the others have been helping me a lot."

I've already explained Tomonaga-san's diet to him.

"...Yeah, I'm looking after her right now. ...To help her prove herself. ...Shou, the uniform looks good on you, huh?"

Shou pretends to be expressionless, but he's super embarrassed!

"...Then, I'll have the hamburg steak curry that Aoi recommended!"

I heard it's delicious and super filling! The nice smell in the restaurant is making me hungry!

Tomonaga: "Um, um, Kousuke-kun, what should I do?"

I had asked Shou in advance and got a few recommendations for high-protein, low-calorie options.

Tomonaga: "...Then, I'll go with that..."

I signal with my eyes to say, "Please."

After chatting a bit, Shou steps away.

Shou is talking intently with a girl at another table?

Seeing him like this, it's hard to believe he used to be shy, bad at talking, and struggled with gauging distance with people. Watching my best friend confidently chat with customers and handle orders and service efficiently at work fills me with a deep sense of nostalgia.

Tomonaga: "Is he the best friend you often talk about?"

"...Yeah. We were always together. It's my first time coming to his workplace, but... he's grown up, huh?"

Tomonaga: "You're the same age, right? You sound like a guardian."

Yeah, we both used to think we were the older brother to each other.

While talking, I can't help but smile at Tomonaga-san, whose eyes are drawn to the chocolate parfaits and sweets passing by, but I notice Shou's gaze on her. He probably thinks she's my potential girlfriend or something.

Here it comes! Hamburg steak curry for me and a lean hamburger set for her (high protein, low fat, lots of salad, small portion of rice).

"...Delicious!"

No flattery needed! I thought it was just a family restaurant, but wow!

Tomonaga: "Meat... meat other than chicken breast is so tasty..."

Tomonaga-san looks like she's about to ascend to heaven!

And after the meal, a surprise for Tomonaga-san, who loves sweets!

As the chubby girl sits there in a daze after eating, it's delivered right in front of her.

Shou: "Tomonaga-san, from Kousuke, a pancake with about 60% fewer calories."

Tomonaga: "Tch-tch-tch-tch-tch-tch-tch-tch-tch!!"

Tomonaga-san rapidly looks back and forth between the pancake and me!

I nod.

"...It's fine, take your time eating, okay?"

Tomonaga-san cuts the pancake with trembling hands.

With even shakier hands, she spreads cream on the cut piece of pancake and slowly puts it in her mouth.

I had the illusion that Tomonaga-san's eyes lit up.

Tomonaga: "So good!!!"

Ding-ding-ding!!!

I felt like I could hear some retro commercial sound effect!

I'm glad she liked it, that's the best part!

A low-calorie, satisfying sweet recommended by Shou!

Today, I'm eating heartily too.

Dieting is tough, huh.

To match Tomonaga-san, I'm also having a protein set meal every day in front of her.

No snacking, high protein, low fat, and carb restriction.

Seriously, aren't my abs gonna get ripped?

Nah, it'd be nice if they did.

While Tomonaga-san is happy and reaching a peak of joy, a girl from the other table?

Maybe the girl who was talking to Shou earlier? She came over to our table.

? "Excuse me, you're Kousuke-kun from Shinkawa Junior High, right?"

Huh? Who? I don't know her?

That girl is stunningly beautiful!

Glossy long black hair, perfectly shaped eyes and features, skin so pale it's like I've never seen before, and intense eyes. A pure, fair-skinned beauty?

Normally, she'd be totally my type, but wait, is that why? I'm scared.

When I'm made aware of a girl, fear comes first!

I ended up responding brusquely.

"...Yeah, that's me...?"

Kureha "Oh, I'm Kureha, a first-year at Toko High School. Um, I've always heard about you from Shou-kun?"

Ah! This is the girl Shou mentioned! The naive beauty with a strong personality!

Kureha "I've heard a lot from Shou-kun about middle school days and stuff? So it doesn't feel like I'm meeting you for the first time!"

While talking to me, her eyes shift to Tomonaga-san, who's with me.

Kureha "Oh, I'm sorry for bothering you while you're with your girlfriend. My apologies. I'd love to hear about the riverside stories or the fights between Aoi-kun's group and Shou-kun's class someday. Sorry for the intrusion."

That Kureha-san bows her head lightly and starts to return to her seat, and then.

Tomonaga "Kureha-san? I, I'm Tomonaga! Yukari Tomonaga!"

Kureha-san? That girl looked surprised. Were they from the same junior high?

Tomonaga-san tries to talk to her, but Kureha-san gives half-hearted responses.

After a short chat, Kureha-san went back to her own table.

Just to check, I ask,

"Classmate?"

Tomonaga "We were friends in elementary school. She stopped coming to school in junior high... But a beauty like her is rare, so I recognized her right away..."

The bits and pieces she started talking about were things I'd heard a little from Shou.

Around the upper grades of elementary school. That beautiful Kureha-san was bullied by some mean girls in class and stopped coming to school.

Tomonaga-san was friends with Kureha-san back then, but she was timid and easily swayed, so she couldn't stand up for her and felt guilty about it,

But it seems she stopped coming to school not because of bullying but due to illness, and she never attended junior high. Now, she's enrolled at Toko High School and looks healthy, which is a relief! She had an expression like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

If it were me, I'd have stood by Shou when he was bullied.

I thought that, but girls face harsher peer pressure, and since they were kids, the situation might have been different?

Tomonaga-san and I are different people, after all.

My bad habit—do I end up pushing my values on others? So...

Finished eating! Satisfied!

I call out to Shou for the bill.

"...It was delicious! Also, Shou, you look like an adult while working... See you at the riverside court tonight!"

Tomonaga "...Thank you for the meal! The pancakes were delicious! So good!"

From behind the register, I could see a rugged chef in the kitchen grinning happily.

Leaving the shop,

Tomonaga "Kousuke-kun! Thanks for the treat! Really! Really! It was delicious!!"

Kousuke "...I'm free after this today, but just do about 30 minutes of slow walking to ease the muscle soreness, okay?"

Tomonaga-san looked a bit more worn out than the first time I saw her, but there's strength in her eyes.

While walking toward Toko Station, she says to me,

Tomonaga "At first, after being rejected in my confession and humiliated, I thought I'd vent to this person and ended up getting involved with you."

I nod,

Tomonaga "Then, before I knew it, I got swept up and became a toy for the Video Research Society. But everyone is so kind to a chubby, rejected girl like me,"

She's tearing up a little.

I stay silent and urge her to continue,

Tomonaga "I was so insulted by Kousuke-kun's ex-girlfriend! ...I wanted to change myself and prove them wrong. But I can't do it alone. This body, this weight, is the result of my weak-willed nature and lazy habits. I can't change on my own!"

Muttering to herself, "It's frustrating, but,"

Tomonaga "Kousuke-kun, thank you for lending me your strength. I'm weak to temptation. So please help me? I'm begging you!"

Kousuke "...Okay, if it's something I can do?"

Tomonaga "...Then let's exchange contact info with LINE!"

Kousuke "...Alright."

And so, I exchanged contact info with Tomonaga-san.

From that day on, messages about diet struggles, complaints, trivial things, and all sorts of stuff started coming through LINE.

It was my first time with a girl other than Satsuki.

My rehabilitation with girls also began.