HA1 3.3 - Determination
As soon as today Running for Donation ended, Sayaka gave Hide permission to go home. He did not have to help to return the equipment to the school. However, Hide did not go home immediately. He went to restroom and took a small rest first. It was a habit that he developed in his previous life.
In Airborne Ranger training and selection, there was a phase called Hate Week because in this phase every student would sincerely hate their instructors. Some of them even went to shrine or temple to wish their instructor a bad luck for the whole year.
In the Hate Week, every student would undergo an extreme physical and mental training for the whole week almost without sleeping. The only resting time they could enjoy was 50 minutes meal break and medical examination every six hours.
During the 50-minute pause, Hide would go to the restroom after eating and undergo the medical examination. Over there, he would just sit silently and pensively. It was a habit that reflected his character as a solitary person. As well as habit that unintentionally taught him how to enjoy solitude.
A few years later this habit had enabled Hide to complete the Stalking Phase in the Sniper Advance Course, where the monotonous and boring routine alone thwarted more than half of the students.
While he was pensive, Hide's mind was filled with questions, how could anyone directly chose him to run 2 km as soon as his profile was uploaded? Then, just before the Running for Donation ended the number rose to 18 km.
'Am I popular without realizing it or someone is pranking on me?'
While Hide was wondering to himself, four members of Hiking Club suddenly entered the toilet and started a conversation.
"I guarantee the Weak Hide won't come back tomorrow."
"Tenma, don't you think 18 km is too much? I think 12 km is more than enough to make Hide tremble."
“It’s not that I complain because we have to give up our allowance for the whole month to get the 18 km mark, but I also think 12 km is enough to scare Hide."
"Maybe it’s truly too much, but there's no point in regretting it now."
Although Hide could not see their faces, he could easily recognize their voices, and then he heard the fifth voice.
"So, you all are the anonymous donors who specifically asked Hide to run."
"Sayaka, this is a toilet for boys."
"I know," Sayaka firmly replied.
"Are you going to report us to Isamu Sensei?"
"No, instead of reporting you I'll join in by adding 4 km to Hide's quota."
"Why?"
"Looks like Hide still have feelings for me, and there is a possibility he will join Running for Donation when Hiking Club is on duty again. Therefore, I want him to realize as soon as possible, that Running for Donation is not a place to play."
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"Okay, we understand."
Not long after that, Sayaka and the four members of Hiking Club came out of the toilet. Meanwhile, Hide was sighing in silence.
'Self-centered bitch, making conclusions arbitrarily.'
Somehow, hearing Sayaka’s assumption that he still had feelings for her, made Hide wanted to vomit.
---
Hanna worked at Beauty & the Beast on Tuesday-Sunday, with the average daily working hours around 15 hours. That's why she would enjoy her vacation to the fullest.
Sunday night, as soon as she finished her working hours, Hanna would go straight to an All You Can Eat restaurant. The next day she would wake up at 11:30, order fast food, and then spend her day watching anime or reading manga while enjoying potato chips and ice cream.
Of course, Hanna could exercise the lazing and great glutton eating style only once a week, to ensure her posture and figure remains ideal and perfectly defined.
Hanna just took a bit a mouthful of fried chicken when Hide's call came in. She reflexively frowned before placing a bookmark on the manga she was reading. Then, she answered Hide's call with a super serious tone.
"Hide, I'm busy putting together a training program for you. You better do not bother me for too long."
[I just want to ask, from tomorrow to Thursday I have to run for 22 km and maybe more. Will it affect the program I will undertake?]
"The key is no more than 40 minutes for each set. You do not only want endurance but also explosive power, and so monotonous repetitions that are too long will be counterproductive. Of course, right now your body is not ready to do Short Fast with duration of 40 minutes.
So, do it with a pattern of 10 minutes interspersed with 5 minutes rest, with total repetition no more than eight times."
[. . .]
"After the run, you must immediately drink something with high amino acid content, but low in sugar, to help your muscle recover as soon as possible.”
[Understood and thank you.]
"You're welcome."
Hanna immediately ended Hide's call, and then cheerfully devoured her fried chicken and continued reading the manga.
---
In his previous life, after completing basic training Hide was able to run 2.4 km in 12 minutes without making his breath rise and fall. After he was completing the formation training for infantry unit, his speed rose to 11 minutes, while when he was on duty in Airborne Ranger his running speed increase again.
However, now he could only cover a distance of 1.7 km within 10 minutes. Moreover, it had made him bathing his body with his own sweats. The distance also became shorter in the second and subsequent rounds. Overall, Hide only managed to record a distance of 7.9 km after running 5 times 10 minutes each.
Seeing Hide gasping for air while his face was deathly pale, several members of Hiking Club immediately handed him energy drinks, but Hide kindly refused and drank his own sport-drink that he bought accordingly to Hanna’s sugestion.
Not far from Hide's position, Sayaka looked at Hide with a complicated expression. As for Tenma and his three comrades, they were desperately trying to hold back their laughter.
Only Isamu Sensei was fully aware of how heavy and serious the running pattern that Hide used. Even when he was still a professional climber, he would prefer 16 km jogs in one go rather than having to do short fast with a much shorter distance.
While Hide was lying on his back on the edge of the athletic field, Isamu Sensei approached and sat next to him.
"Hide, why did you do the Short Fast so eagerly? If you want to complete 22 km in three days, you just need to increase your speed a little and with duration of 3x90 minutes, I'm sure you will be able to complete it. It wills very tiring, but it won't as hurt as Short Fast."
"Sensei, I have joined a body development program before coming here for Running for Donation. I only do what my adviser told me."
As soon as he heard Hide's answer, a question mark instantly appeared on Isamu Sensei's forehead. As far as he recalled, the only body development program that had Short Fast as a menu was explosive power. The problem was, only sprinters or professional martial artists would undergo such torturous programs.
Also, if the goal was only to have a healthy body with an ideal posture, there were hundreds of other programs that were more humane. But in the end Isamu Sensei didn't ask further and only muttered, ‘Hide, honestly, I can’t tell whether you are a fool or someone with admirable determination.’
*****