“…….”
“…….”
“……Sis, what are you doing?”
“I’m photosynthesizing.”
“……Mia wouldn’t say something like that.”
I was lying on one of the benches in Hangang Park.
Not far away was a bike path unique to Hangang Park, and nearby were places for people to spend time. Naturally, there was also space for people to run.
I was lying there, taking up one of the benches without permission.
“Why don’t we just go a bit further?”
“I’m fully aware that if I leave you alone, you’d definitely try to escape Seoul.”
“…….”
Look at that.
Look at how she’s dodging my eyes. It’s clear she wanted to get out of Seoul.
I got up from my spot.
I didn’t notice it while running, but it was cold now that I stopped. It’s December, so it’s the middle of winter.
I think Claire, who suggested running in this weather, is out of her mind, and I’m starting to think I am too for going along with her.
Why did I do that?
While running, I was sweating and my legs were hurting, but now that I stopped to give my legs a breather, the sweat started to cool down, and my body began to shiver.
My legs felt a bit better, though.
I pondered when I last felt this way, and I realized it was during boot camp in my early twenties. It felt exactly like this after running in the middle of winter.
“Anyway, there’s a group following behind, right? It won’t hurt to wait a bit.”
“Mia is… oh, she’s coming from way back there.”
Naturally, Mia, who wasn’t as physically fit as I was, lagged the farthest behind.
In fact, Alice and Charlotte were both faster than me when it came to running, but I was in a state where I couldn’t even keep up with myself, so watching over Mia was nearly impossible.
In the end, Alice and Charlotte were sticking together beside the stumbling Mia.
At the speed they were going, it was absolutely not ‘running.’
“How about having the three of you come back instead? I’ll wait here with Mia on the bench.”
“Why do you hate exercising so much?”
I stared vacantly at Claire, who asked that with a look of pure incomprehension.
“How can anyone like exercising?”
“Well, you feel refreshed after running.”
“Running is painful.”
Some people say it feels good to arrive at the finish line and exhale, but that kind of accomplishment can be achieved in games too, right?
If I exercise, it’s strictly for health reasons. And I’m not at an age where I have to worry too much about such health right now.
“Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.”
While I was endlessly bickering with Claire, I heard that sound coming from a little distance away.
If it were any ordinary person making that sound, I would’ve thought they were trying to act cute, but it was convincing because it came from Mia, who looked almost like a walking dried squid.
Mia staggered over and collapsed onto the bench.
Claire looked at Mia, who had her thigh as a pillow and was lying sideways, and once again looked bewildered.
“Mia, what are you doing?”
“……Photosynthesizing.”
“……”
Claire facepalmed.
*
“To be honest, I don’t really like exercising either.”
After we finished running and sat on a nearby bench to eat ramen, Alice said that.
“I just did it because I didn’t want to fall behind everyone else.”
“Don’t you feel refreshed after running?”
Charlotte said the exact same thing as Claire, and I was horrified.
It seems like our five personalities are falling into distinct categories like this.
Claire and Charlotte enjoy moving their bodies. To be precise, Claire is a full-on sports girl, and Charlotte just enjoys it occasionally.
Alice is precisely in the middle, and Mia and I hate exercising. Of course, there’s a gap; I’m a bit more active than Mia.
How could five people with such different tendencies live in the same place for months? Not to mention, we don’t even have our own rooms; we’re living in the same living room with blankets spread out.
……But then again, if we eat ramen after running, doesn’t that completely nullify all the effort?
Thinking that suddenly crossed my mind, but as I watched Mia blowing on her ramen, I didn’t feel like pointing it out.
“……But I can’t deny that I had fun.”
“Huh?”
“Why do you ask?”
“No, Sis, did you just say running was fun?”
At that, I crinkled my eyebrows a little.
“I didn’t say running was fun; I said running with you all was fun.”
“……”
Claire fell silent for a moment, then said, “Hehe.”
She smiled a bit foolishly.
The reason we all came out and did this running—even though we normally didn’t—is that it stemmed from the idea of trying out something each of us wanted to do together.
I did exercise often, but I just didn’t do it as much as Claire, Alice, or Charlotte.
I usually ended up sitting on a bench with Mia, watching the other three exercise in the park.
But since we decided to do it this time, we ran with all our might.
The result? I could barely make it halfway before collapsing.
At first, I thought Claire was just trying to mess with me, but her face genuinely looked refreshed after running, so I realized she meant it.
“But this isn’t the end of the exercise, right?”
At my words, Mia’s chopsticks stopped dead in the air.
She looked up and gauged everyone’s expressions around the table, especially when her eyes met mine; the urgency in her gaze intensified. I guess I feel the same way?
“There’s no helping it. Today is a day to follow Claire’s lead.”
“Right, Mia. Sorry, but I already told the gym you’d be coming.”
“……”
Huh, what?
As I stiffly turned my neck to look at Claire, she looked back at me like it was strange that I was watching her.
“Why, Sis? Today is my day to do what I want.”
“That’s… true.”
The situation was even more ridiculous since I was the one who proposed it in the first place.
I averted my glance as I caught Mia giving me a disapproving look.
*
“…….”
After spending about an hour at the gym, I found I couldn’t even speak.
It wasn’t an important issue. I was just in pain all over my body, literally.
“Would you like to learn to exercise more systematically, member?”
And taking in my condition, a quite pretty female trainer asked me that.
“You’re too weak.”
“……”
No way, I had managed to roll around on the battlefield!
I turned my gaze to Mia, who had become even worse off than me.
“I’m not a member.”
And I answered in Mia’s stead.
Claire, Alice, and Charlotte were working out hard, as if competing.
Especially Claire seemed to have developed some muscles on her arms; it wasn’t the bulky kind, but more like the kind fitness models have, plastered all over her walls.
Well, considering she usually worked out, it’s only natural.
If she keeps it up, she might have a solid body by the time we return.
“……”
Though I never thought that was even a possibility.
*
“Hmph.”
On the way back home.
Claire was walking with a very pleased expression, her steps almost floating.
“Did you enjoy it?”
“Of course!”
Then she spun around to look at me.
“I hope we can keep doing this together.”
“……I’m not going to the gym, no matter what.”
Claire and Charlotte started going recently.
Alice didn’t feel the need to join them, and neither did Mia or I.
Now it seems like it would be fine to just go our separate ways without any major issues.
“That’s a bit disappointing.”
“……Well, I can at least accompany you for running.”
“Really!?”
Claire dashed over and linked her arm with mine.
“Sis, are you serious? No backing out?”
“…….”
I glanced at Charlotte for a moment as I said that.
“……But could you please let go of my arm a little?”
“Oh, sorry.”
Claire said that and released my arm, yet the smile never left her face. Is it really that enjoyable?
Considering we just came from exercising, my arm was sore.
Would I even be able to get up tomorrow morning?
“Well then, it’s Alice’s turn next.”
Charlotte said that and turned to Alice.
“Have you thought about what you want to do?”
“Of course.”
Alice nodded vigorously and said,
“I think we’ll be wandering around a lot tomorrow, so is that okay?”
“A little soreness in my limbs will probably go away after some time.”
“……”
At my response, Mia looked at me with eyes full of disbelief, but I made sure to avoid her gaze.
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