The day after our mock battles at the training facility, I headed down to the living room to find Mika looking quite miserable. She was clearly suffering from muscle pain, a lingering souvenir from yesterday’s training session.
I suppose muscle soreness is unavoidable when you overwork muscles that usually lie dormant. It just goes to show how vital daily training really is. It would likely be a struggle for both Mika and Saori-chan until they grew accustomed to this level of activity.
"Morning... You look like you're hurting."
"Y-yeah. A little."
When I offered my morning greeting, Mika replied while maintaining her pained expression.
I hadn't thought the mock battles were that intense, but for someone unaccustomed to it like Mika, the burden was apparently significant.
"It’s definitely muscle pain from yesterday. Didn't you massage yourself last night?"
"I did. Even after doing that, I'm still like this. Everything hurts, and even moving feels like a chore."
"Well, you used muscles you don't normally use, so it's only natural. Even when you sparred with Saori-chan before, you never had matches like yesterday’s, right?"
"Yeah. We were always afraid of someone getting hurt if we failed to stop an attack or dodge properly."
Mika and Saori-chan had been practicing their forms for a while, but as Mika said, the risk of injury is high between amateurs. Consequently, they had never performed a mock battle that fully utilized the enhanced physical abilities they gained as explorers.
Even at their level of enhancement, they could punch through a cinder block wall if they really committed to the strike. For guys like Yuji and me, it would be closer to total pulverization.
"I think that was the right call. But since you were taking such a large safety margin, the quality of the training suffered. Unless you move with everything you've got, you won't know your current limits. I’m not saying you should exceed them, but working right at the edge is what yields the best growth."
"I know. But still, jumping straight into mock battles in that unfamiliar 'limit zone' was a bit much, don't you think? Not just for me—Saori-chan was gasping for breath and practically collapsing after every round."
"That’s only natural. After all, I’d deliberately pushed you both to that point."
"I knew it... I thought so..."
Mika let out a heavy sigh and directed a resentful gaze toward me.
Honestly, I wasn't sure what she was so grumpy about. She was able to test her full power against a clearly superior opponent in a safe environment; she should have been happy to turn that effort into experience. I understood the muscle pain was rough, though.
"Since you usually focus on stretching, your flexibility is fine. However, the fact that muscles you don't normally move are hurting means you've been restricting your movements until now. In high-level interpersonal combat, a single centimeter can be the difference between a hit and a miss. If your offensive or defensive movements are stiff, you'll miss opportunities or increase your risk of getting injured. The fundamental of interpersonal combat is being able to use your body exactly as you imagine it."
"...It hadn't really sunk in yet, but I think I get what you're trying to say, Daiki. When I was fighting you guys, I felt a strange stiffness in the areas that hurt now whenever my attacks fell just short. Since they're muscles I don't usually use, they didn't extend that last little bit."
"Probably. It’s only natural for your reflexes to be poor in areas you don't use. To improve, you have to train them to move just as naturally as your other muscles."
"Which means I'm going to have to deal with this pain over and over again for a while..."
Contemplating the training to come, Mika let out another sigh, her expression turning gloomy.
Well, you'll get used to it eventually. Hang in there.
"How long are you two going to keep chatting? Daiki, go wash your face. If you don't eat quickly, you'll be late for school."
"Ah, right."
As I was talking to Mika, Mother called out from the kitchen where she was preparing breakfast.
Checking the clock, I realized we had indeed been talking for a while. The time to leave was fast approaching. Father had already left for work before we even woke up.
"Anyway, let's talk more later. If it's really too much to bear, don't be stubborn—just use a recovery potion."
"Using one for just muscle pain feels like a waste. I'll just tough it out."
"Suit yourself."
After checking in with Mika, I followed Mother's urging and headed to the bathroom to wash up.
Once we finished breakfast and got ready, Mika and I said our goodbyes and headed out.
As we crossed the threshold, Mother watched Mika’s stiff, awkward movements with a worried eye. She then gave me a sharp look, clearly warning me not to push my sister too hard.
"Well then, we're off."
"I'm going now."
"Be careful, both of you. And Daiki, make sure you look after Mika. You were the one who pushed her, after all."
"She can still move, so she’ll be fine. But understood."
After giving Mother a casual reply, Mika and I began walking toward school.
"Well, Mother has a point. Don't overdo it, okay?"
"Yeah. It’s a bit hard to walk, but I’m okay."
"I see. By the way, did you apply any medicated ointment? The kind that doesn't smell too much?"
"I put some on, but the effect doesn't last very long."
The rub-on type is easy to apply to joints, but compared to relief patches, it doesn't provide a continuous effect and requires frequent reapplication.
Still, when your entire body is aching and you need broad coverage, the rub-on type is usually the best bet.
"You can just reapply it during the breaks."
"You say that like it's easy. It's actually quite hard to reach your own back, you know?"
Mika tapped my back with a dissatisfied pout.
We continued at a slower pace than usual out of consideration for Mika’s condition. As we rounded a corner, we spotted a pair walking just as stiffly as we were.
"Ah, that's Yuji."
"Saori-chan's with him... She's walking pretty stiffly, too."
"Just like you, the muscle pain must have set in."
"I guess so. Saori-chan, good morning!"
When Mika called out, Yuji and Saori-chan stopped and turned around.
The look on Saori-chan’s face confirmed my suspicions—she was gritting her teeth against the same pain Mika was feeling. Since they’d undergone the same training, it was hardly surprising.
"Ah, Mika-chan. Morn—ow!"
"I told you not to move so suddenly if it hurts. Morning, Daiki, Mika-chan."
Saori-chan had tried to greet us, but the simple act of turning around sent a jolt of pain through her, forcing a groan of agony from her lips.
Yuji looked at her with a mix of exasperation and concern, advising her to stay still.
"Morning, Yuji. Saori-chan's muscle pain seems pretty severe."
"Unfortunately, she said her family didn't have any relief patches in stock at home."
"Oh boy, that's rough..."
Ah, so that's why she looked even worse than Mika. Running out of relief patches right when you need them most is terrible timing. I should have had them check their supplies before we parted ways yesterday; we could have stopped at a drugstore.
Since I’d kept them stocked ever since becoming an explorer, I’d just assumed Saori-chan’s house would have them too. I shouldn't have made assumptions; I need to be more thorough.
"Are you okay, Saori-chan? You look like you're in a lot of pain..."
"M-my whole body is screaming. Just getting out of bed this morning was a battle to keep from crying out..."
Mika rushed to Saori-chan’s side. Despite her own discomfort, seeing her friend in worse shape seemed to make her temporarily forget her own aches.
"T-that sounds awful. Um, I brought some rub-on ointment. Do you want to use it?"
"Y-yeah. If you don't mind, I’d really appreciate it. I don't think I can keep going like this..."
Mika patted her school bag, and Saori-chan nodded weakly, her eyes pleading for relief.
"I see. Well, shall we apply it once we get to school? I wonder if the locker room is open yet."
"I-I don't know. Actually, Mika-chan, if it’s the quick-drying kind, could I put some on my legs right now? Just walking a few steps is painful..."
"Eh?! Ah, yeah, it’s a stick type, so we can do it here. Hold on, let me get it out."
Mika reached into her bag to rummage for the ointment.
While they handled that, Yuji and I watched them, reflecting on yesterday's session.
"Did we go a bit too far?"
"The muscle pain was expected, so I don't think the training was the problem... but the aftercare was definitely sloppy. We should have confirmed they had the necessary supplies beforehand."
"You're right. If she’d used patches last night, she’d probably be in better shape, like Mika."
"Yeah."
We watched Saori-chan gritting her teeth in the shade of a building while Mika carefully applied the ointment to her friend’s legs. We both felt a twinge of guilt.
If the pain was still this bad after school, I figured I might have to just give them a recovery potion.
After somehow reaching the school, the four of us split up at the entrance, drawing a few curious glances from the other students. I was a bit worried about whether they could make it to their classroom, but Mika insisted they’d be fine on their own, as having second-years escort them to the first-year wing would attract too much attention.
Fortunately, the ointment seemed to be taking the edge off, as Saori-chan’s expression had softened slightly.
"Well then, do your best in class, even if it hurts."
"Yeah. Luckily we don't have PE today. With the ointment, hopefully I'll feel better by this afternoon. I really hope so..."
Mika put on a brave face, but she looked a bit gloomy, likely remembering that training awaited her after school.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble."
"Don't worry about it. I know exactly how much that pain sucks. Good luck in class."
"Yes, thank you."
Saori-chan bowed her head to Yuji, who had walked with her all that way. Yuji, who understood the agony of muscle soreness through years of experience, gave her a word of encouragement.
Given how much Juzo-san worked him, Yuji and muscle pain were probably old friends. He didn't need to say it for the sentiment to sink in.
"Well, I want to apply a bit more before the bell, so we'll be going now."
"Yeah. Just don't get so focused on the ointment that you're late."
"Of course. See you later."
"Excuse us."
With that, Mika and Saori-chan dragged their aching bodies toward the first-year classrooms.
"Shall we head in too?"
"Yeah. It wouldn't be much of a joke if we ended up late after warning them."
Yuji and I turned and headed toward our own wing.
The day's classes passed without incident, and soon it was after school.
There were no special announcements during homeroom, so the three of us packed our things and left the classroom together. I wish every day could end this peacefully; I still don't understand why massive problems always seem to drop out of the sky.
"So, I wonder if Mika and Saori-chan's pain has let up?"
"Did they send any messages?"
"Nothing. Since we haven't heard anything, I assume they're still coming to club."
"We should probably stick to a light menu today, just to loosen them up."
I agreed. Forcing them to train while they were stiff would only lead to them developing bad habits to protect their aching muscles, and those are a pain to correct later.
"Was it really that bad for them?" Hiiragi-san asked.
"Mika was okay since she took care of it early, but Saori-chan had it rough. She's been using Mika's ointment, though, so hopefully it's better now."
"I see. It sounds like I should teach those two the proper way to handle their care once more, then."
"Please. I'll leave that to you, Hiiragi-san."
It was a topic better handled by another woman, so Hiiragi-san was the perfect choice. I decided to have her teach Tatebayashi-san and Hino-san the full suite of care techniques as well, including basic massage.
Neglecting post-exercise care out of laziness is a one-way ticket to hell, after all...