Chapter 100: Yukinoshita: Miura!, Stop Hesitating with Hachiman and Hurry Up Already—Steal Him From Me!

Nighttime.

The park was tranquil, with barely anyone around. Beneath the glow of a streetlamp, Miura stood with arms crossed, coldly staring at Hachiman.

"So, what you meant earlier was... you just wanted me to train your body rigorously?"

"Y-Yeah."

Hachiman scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Sorry, I might've phrased that a little—"

"Next time, watch what you say!"

Miura cut him off, raising her voice. "Do you realize how easily someone could misunderstand that? For a second, I thought you were trying to—ugh, never mind!"

Her cheeks reddened slightly, and she bit her lip in frustration.

Hachiman noticed the subtle change in her expression and felt his heart skip a beat. But he quickly shook the thought away, clearing his throat to focus.

"Miura... Anyway, can we do this? If you increase the intensity, it'll be good for you too, right?"

It was, after all, a win-win situation.

"You—"

Miura narrowed her eyes, visibly annoyed. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't worry about my training! I'm fine without your help!"

"Okay, okay, got it," Hachiman relented. "But I'm doing this for myself. A man's got to be strong, or women will just look down on him, right? So—"

"... Hmph. Let's hope that's really the case."

The two fell silent.

After a brief pause, Miura let out a deep breath. Her face turned serious as she finally nodded. "Fine. If you want to become more of a man, I'll increase the intensity. But don't blame me if you end up puking halfway through, got it?"

"No complaints here," Hachiman replied with a confident grin. "From now on, I'll leave myself in your hands. Go ahead and take charge!"

"You..."

Miura felt her heart skip a beat at his words. She quickly turned away, hiding the blush creeping onto her face. "You're really just handing yourself over to me without a second thought? No hesitation at all?"

"With you, I know I can trust you completely."

"!?"

Miura's cheeks burned even brighter, but she quickly composed herself and huffed. "All right, fine! Let's start. No slacking, you hear me?"

She turned and began the warm-up exercises, gesturing for Hachiman to follow. However, as she faced away from him, her usually confident expression wavered, a faint trace of confusion and embarrassment visible for a fleeting moment.

Miura's thoughts began to race.

When Hachiman had said those words earlier, it had almost sounded like a confession. She couldn't deny the small surge of happiness that welled up in her chest.

What if he really had been confessing?

Would she... have said yes?

A small, triumphant smile played on her lips. Wouldn't that mean I'd successfully stolen him from Yukinoshita?

If that happened, she could hold it over Yukinoshita's head for the rest of her life. The thought of taunting her rival was oddly satisfying.

But then her mood soured. Wait, what about Yuigahama?

She shook her head, suddenly conflicted. If I go after Hachiman, wouldn't that hurt Yui?

Miura bit her lip, letting out a deep sigh. "Whatever. Let's just focus on the training for now."

---

The warm-up finished, and the two began running laps.

Unlike their previous sessions, Miura dramatically increased the pace, running almost twice as fast as usual.

"Let me know if you can't keep up," she said over her shoulder, glancing back at Hachiman.

"Don't worry about me. Keep going. If anything, you can push it harder," he replied, determination evident in his voice.

Miura said nothing, maintaining her current pace despite his encouragement. After all, she wasn't heartless enough to push him to his breaking point.

Half an hour later, she slowed to a jog, finally stopping for a break.

"That's enough for now. Let's rest," she said, turning to face him. "I've got to admit, you've really improved. You're way better than before, Hachiman."

But before she could finish her thought, Hachiman suddenly tripped and fell flat on the ground.

"Hachiman!"

Miura's eyes widened in alarm. She rushed to his side, crouching down as her hands hovered hesitantly over him.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just... slipped, that's all." Hachiman winced as he held his thigh.

"That's not 'fine'!" Miura snapped, her voice tinged with worry. "I should've been more careful. I—"

"No, seriously, you were great," Hachiman cut her off. "This was my fault, not yours."

Miura frowned, her frustration clear. "I'm the one leading the run. If anything happens, it's my responsibility!"

"Come on, it's not your fault. I just wasn't paying attention."

Their back-and-forth continued until Miura, exasperated, clenched her fists. For a moment, she had the absurd urge to shut him up entirely.

Under the moonlight, their faces were close—too close.

The scent of sweat and the heat radiating between them heightened the tension, and before either of them could react... their lips accidentally brushed together.

---

Elsewhere: Yukinoshita's House

In the bathroom, Yukinoshita sank into the tub, her face framed by steam. She adjusted the red glasses perched on her nose and stared into the distance.

"Did they... kiss? Will it work this time?"

Her voice was soft, laced with an odd mix of anticipation and frustration.

Though her heart felt heavy, Yukinoshita's resolve remained unshaken. "This is for the points. It's all for the points!" she muttered to herself.

If Miura actually steals him... so what? Hachiman still loves me. I'm the one he'll marry in the end. There's no need to panic.

With a determined gleam in her eyes, she clenched her fist.

"Miura! Hurry up and seal the deal already!"

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