It was the next day, and the air was crisp with the chill of early morning. Hikaru and Lina stood at the front door, both dressed in their jogging attire, ready to begin their routine. Hikaru's mother stood nearby, a steaming cup of tea in her hand, her expression curious yet slightly concerned.

"Are you sure about jogging this early?" she asked, her voice tinged with both amusement and worry.

Hikaru stretched his arms and offered a confident smile. "Yes, Mom. We'll be fine," he said reassuringly.

Lina nodded in agreement, adjusting her ponytail. Hikaru's mother chuckled softly, her concern easing, and gave them a small wave before heading back inside.

Outside, the world was still cloaked in darkness, with faint stars scattered across the sky as they faded into the early glow of dawn. The streetlights cast long shadows, and the quiet hum of the sleeping neighborhood lent a sense of calm to the moment.

"Let's stretch first," Hikaru said, stepping onto the pathway.

Lina followed his lead, and the two began their warm-up routine. The cool morning breeze brushed against their skin as they stretched their legs and loosened their arms. The faint chirping of birds hinted at the approaching sunrise.

"I've never been up this early before," Hikaru admitted, breaking the silence.

"You should get used to it," Lina replied with a smirk.

"Do you wake up this early all the time?" he asked, glancing at her curiously.

"Hmm? I thought you'd heard me groaning in the mornings before," she teased. "I always train early—it's just something I'm used to."

They started jogging down the quiet street, their footsteps echoing softly in the stillness of the morning. Hikaru stole a glance at Lina as they fell into an easy rhythm.

"You're really trained, huh?" he said, half-admiring, half-curious.

Lina smirked and shrugged lightly. "Because I was blessed to grow up in a harsh area," she replied, her tone carrying a hint of dry humor.

"Ah… well, I mean, no wonder you can handle a big sniper like it's nothing," Hikaru said, grinning. "By the way, where is your sniper? I haven't seen it since, well... you know, since we caught you."

Lina slowed her pace slightly and glanced at him with a sly smile. "I've kept it safe. Made it portable," she said casually. "I had to improvise after you guys took me in."

"Portable? You turned a sniper into something portable?" Hikaru's eyes widened as he tried to picture it.

Lina gave a short laugh. "What? You think I'd just leave something that important behind? I had to adapt, especially with all the chaos around here."

"Still, that's impressive," Hikaru said, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can barely figure out how to fix my backpack, and you're out here modifying weapons."

"It's just what I do," Lina replied with a shrug, her tone nonchalant but proud.

As they continued jogging, the horizon began to lighten, the first rays of sunlight peeking through the trees. The quiet chatter between them made the jog feel less like a workout and more like a casual, unexpected bonding moment.

***

They returned to the house just as the sun broke fully over the horizon, painting the sky with streaks of orange and gold. Hikaru stumbled through the front gate, his breath ragged, beads of sweat rolling down his face.

As soon as they stepped into the yard, he collapsed onto the ground, lying flat on his back. His chest rose and fell heavily, his panting loud and uneven.

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"Ahhh… I'm dead…" Hikaru groaned, throwing an arm over his face. "How… how are you still standing?"

Lina stood over him, barely breaking a sweat. Her arms were crossed, and her expression was calm yet tinged with amusement. Tilting her head slightly, she looked down at him as if he were a fascinating specimen.

"Is this the mighty Hikaru I've heard so much about?" she teased, her voice laced with mock disbelief. "You didn't even last half as long as I thought you would."

"Give me… give me a break," he huffed, weakly waving a hand in her direction. "You're built different. I'm just a normal guy…"

Lina crouched down beside him, her face close enough for him to feel her calm breath. Her eyes locked onto his, playful yet sharp.

"A normal guy can't go to the Mirror World," she said pointedly.

Hikaru groaned, tilting his head to the side to avoid her piercing gaze. "You've got a point," he muttered before sighing. "But still… I'm just a normal guy."

Lina smirked faintly, her tone shifting to a softer, almost teasing one. "Normal guys don't cross dimensions, Hikaru. You might want to reconsider your definition of 'normal.'"

As Hikaru lay sprawled out on the ground, still catching his breath, the sound of the front door creaking open caught their attention. His mother stepped out, her warm smile contrasting with the brisk morning air.

"Breakfast is ready," she called out, holding a towel in her hand. "You two should get cleaned up and start preparing for school."

Hikaru groaned, throwing his arm off his face and sitting up slowly. "School already? Can't I just... skip today? I think I've earned it," he mumbled, his tone half-joking.

Lina raised an eyebrow, smirking as she stood up. "You're already giving up? That jog wasn't even that bad."

Hikaru's mother chuckled softly, walking over to hand him the towel. "Hikaru, if you spent half the energy on school that you do complaining, you'd be a top student."

"Harsh, Mom," Hikaru muttered, though he accepted the towel gratefully. He glanced up at Lina, who had already started walking toward the house. "You're not even tired, huh?"

Lina turned back to face him with a slight smirk. "Nope. But you better hurry up, or I'm eating your share."

Hikaru scrambled to his feet, clutching his sides dramatically. "You wouldn't dare!"

His mother shook her head with a knowing smile. "Go on, both of you. You'll need to clean up first. Don't keep me waiting too long."

As they headed inside, Hikaru groaned under his breath, already dreading the day ahead. Lina, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed, as if the morning jog was merely a warm-up.

"Seriously," Hikaru mumbled as they climbed the stairs toward their rooms. "What are you made of?"

"Discipline," Lina said simply, her tone light yet firm. "Now hurry up before I actually eat your breakfast."

The morning at school followed its usual rhythm, but Hikaru was far from his usual self. Slumped over his desk, his head rested on one arm while the other lazily twirled a pen. The buzz of his classmates chatting filled the room, but he couldn't muster the energy to join in.

Lina sat across the room, her gaze occasionally flicking toward him before darting away. It was an unspoken rule between them to act like strangers at school, a boundary neither seemed willing to cross.

Sakura, seated in front of Hikaru, noticed his lack of enthusiasm and turned around, propping her chin on her hand as she studied him.

"You look like you've been hit by a truck," she teased, though there was a hint of concern in her voice. "What happened? Pulled an all-nighter?"

Hikaru let out a groan, offering her a tired grin. "Not quite. Let's just say I'm not cut out for waking up before the sun."

"Wait, you actually woke up early?" Sakura raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Are we talking about the same Hikaru who shows up half-asleep every morning?"

He chuckled weakly, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, shocking, right? I thought I'd try something new. Big mistake."

"Something new?" Sakura's curiosity deepened as she leaned in closer. "What were you even doing so early?"

"Uh…" Hikaru hesitated, realizing he was cornered. "A jog," he mumbled, hoping she'd drop it.

"A jog?" Sakura's eyes widened, then narrowed suspiciously. "You? Jogging? That sounds even less believable than you waking up early."

Hikaru fumbled for a response, scratching his head. "Yeah, well… it seemed like a good idea at the time."

Before she could press further, the classroom door slid open, and the teacher walked in. The chatter quickly died down, and everyone returned to their seats.

Hikaru let out a quiet sigh of relief, slouching lower in his chair as he tried to focus on the lesson. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Lina glancing at him again.

Hikaru couldn't help but smirk to himself. Even if the morning had been rough, he figured surviving Lina's workout its feels good to be rest.

The morning lessons dragged on, but Hikaru somehow managed to survive without faceplanting onto his desk. By the time lunch rolled around, he made his way to the student council room, desperate for some peace and quiet.

The room was empty when he arrived, filled only with the faint scent of paper and freshly polished wood. Hikaru sighed in relief, grateful for the solitude. He sank onto the couch in the corner, stretching out before deciding to just lie down.

"Just a quick nap…" he mumbled to himself, closing his eyes.

The warmth of the sun streaming through the window made it even harder to resist sleep, and within moments, he was dozing off.

To Be Continue.