How Far Can My Abs Endure?
On Sunday morning, Subaru stood at the meeting spot in front of the station, looking a bit drowsy. It was rare for him to leave the house on a Sunday morning. He had tried to psych himself up for it, but he was still sleepy.
“I got here way too early…” he muttered, glancing at his smartphone. There were still 10 minutes until the meeting time. He regretted showing up so soon.
“Muscle training… This is probably at a gym, right?”
While waiting, Subaru nervously glanced around. Even though he felt reluctant about being out on a Sunday morning, he couldn’t deny a strange sense of excitement bubbling inside him. He didn’t have much experience hanging out with friends, and this might even be the first time he had arranged to meet up with a male friend.
(―Working out together might be weird, but maybe it’s not so bad.)
While lost in thought, a cheerful voice suddenly called out from a distance.
“Hey, Subaru!”
When he turned around, Yuto was running toward him, waving. His smile, as bright and fresh as an athlete’s, made Subaru unconsciously frown.
“Did I keep you waiting?”
“No, I just got here early.”
Subaru shrugged. Yuto misunderstood and grinned even wider. “Oh, so you’re fired up!”
“It’s not like that at all…”
“Don’t sweat it! We’re gonna go all out today!”
Yuto clapped him on the back and began dragging him along.
“Hey, you’re way too strong… Go easy on me, okay?”
Giving in to Yuto’s energy, Subaru found himself being half-dragged as they walked away from the station.
“So, where are we going? The gym?”
“Yeah, there’s a good training gym nearby. It’s beginner-friendly and has everything we’ll need, so don’t worry.”
Yuto explained confidently. His positivity was almost overwhelming, but somehow, it wasn’t annoying.
“Besides, I bet you’re secretly athletic, Subaru. You’d probably pick things up really fast.”
“Huh? Not a chance…”
Subaru turned his head away and denied it, but Yuto seemed to be getting excited all on his own.
“Come on! Moving your body feels great, and once you start building muscle, you’ll get popular too!”
“Popular…?”
Startled by the word, Subaru couldn’t help but react. Yuto caught on immediately and grinned mischievously.
“Oh, so you’re interested, huh?”
“I’m not, okay?!”
Seeing Subaru’s flustered and slightly red face, Yuto burst out laughing.
“You’re way too easy to read! But hey, if you want to be popular, you’ve got to put in some effort!”
“Yuto, you’re so simple-minded…” Subaru thought, exasperated. Still, deep down, he didn’t mind joking around like this with a friend…
Before long, they reached the gym, just a short walk from the station. Its modern exterior and large glass windows revealed people running on treadmills and muscular men lifting weights.
“…This place is the real deal, isn’t it?”
Subaru muttered under his breath, his face stiffening. He had imagined some light, casual exercise, but this place screamed “serious training.”
“Don’t worry, don’t worry! They’ve got beginner courses too!”
Yuto reassured him, giving his back another nudge.
“W-Wait, hold on…!”
“Relax! Let’s go!”
In the end, Subaru was swept along by Yuto’s enthusiasm and entered the gym.
Inside, rows of training machines filled the space, and energetic shouts echoed from every corner.
(I… I definitely don’t belong here.)
Quietly trembling, Subaru followed Yuto.
“Alright, first, let’s check in!” Yuto said, full of energy. Watching him, Subaru couldn’t help but think.
(―Still, hanging out like this with a friend isn’t so bad.)
He allowed a faint smile to cross his face, quickly hiding it so no one would notice.
While Yuto handled the paperwork at the reception desk, Subaru awkwardly stood nearby, already feeling out of place. Once they changed into workout clothes, their attitudes became even more distinct. Yuto, brimming with excitement, declared, “Alright, let’s crush this!”, while Subaru sighed softly, muttering, “Why am I even here…?”
The gym was packed with training equipment, and everywhere Subaru looked, people were intently building their muscles. The rhythmic hum of treadmills, the clanking of dumbbells, and occasional shouts of “Hup!” or “Yeah!” made it clear—this wasn’t a place to casually visit on a Sunday.
“Hey, Subaru! What do you want to train first?”
Yuto spun around and asked with a bright grin.
“…Huh?”
Subaru let out a dumbfounded sound without thinking.
“You’ve got to set a goal, right? Abs? Chest? Shoulders? Arms?”
Subaru glanced around the gym and thought for a moment. He didn’t have a specific goal in mind, but the atmosphere somehow made him feel like “maybe I should try”.
“…Abs, I guess. Maybe chest muscles too.”
As soon as Subaru said that, Yuto’s eyes lit up.
“Abs and chest?! Awesome, Subaru! That means we’ll have to hit the beach this summer!”
“…Beach?”
Subaru blinked in confusion, but Yuto was already hyped up.
“Yeah, this summer! The goal is to show off cool bodies at the beach. Let’s nail it together!”
“I don’t really care about that…”
Subaru mumbled half-heartedly, but Yuto’s infectious energy was hard to resist. Words like “beach” and “summer” felt distant, yet a small part of Subaru thought, “Maybe some change wouldn’t be so bad.”
“Alright, it’s settled! I’ll ask the trainer to make us a beginner-friendly workout plan!”
“Wait, wait… hold on!”
Ignoring Subaru’s protests, Yuto called over a staff member. Before Subaru knew it, a fit, friendly-looking trainer was walking toward them.
“Hi there! Is this your first time training?”
“…Yeah, I guess.”
The trainer smiled warmly. “No problem! Let’s work within your limits. I’ll create a plan that’s beginner-friendly but still gets you moving.”
Subaru sighed in relief. Hearing “beginner-friendly” was a huge weight off his shoulders.
“Let’s start with a warm-up! Hop on the treadmill.”
Subaru hesitantly stepped onto the treadmill. Next to him, Yuto was already running with ease.
“Subaru, keep your feet moving, or you’ll fall!”
“…I know.”
As the belt started, Subaru awkwardly began walking. Even at a slow pace, it already felt like a challenge.
“Whoa, this is harder than I thought…”
“It’s okay! Start slow and stay steady!”
Yuto encouraged him casually, but Subaru didn’t have the energy to respond. Sweat started forming on his face when the trainer called out, “Alright, five minutes down! Great job!”
“Hah… hah…”
As soon as he stepped off the treadmill, Subaru wobbled and sat down heavily.
“Five minutes, and you’re already wiped? I could go another 60!”
“Don’t compare yourself to me…!”
After the warm-up, they moved on to equipment for abs and chest training.
“Next up, abs! The sit-up bench is great for beginners.”
Subaru lay on the bench and followed the trainer’s instructions.
“Alright, Subaru, lift your upper body!”
“Ugh… I can’t…”
After just one sit-up, Subaru’s face contorted in pain.
“You’ve got nine more! Let’s go—1! 2! Keep it up!”
“Shut… up…!”
Subaru pushed through with sheer determination. Meanwhile, Yuto cheered him on from the side, “Nice, Subaru! You’ve got this!”, his face completely relaxed.
“Why… is this so easy for you…?”
“I do it every day! Consistency is key!”
“Ugh… I hate how right you are…”
After the abs workout, they moved to the chest press machine.
“This machine targets your chest muscles. Just push forward and let it return slowly.”
Subaru sat down and tried to push the levers but—
“This is… so heavy…”
His arms trembled after just one press.
“You’ve got four more to go! Let’s go—1, 2…!”
“I… can’t…”
Subaru’s face was a picture of agony. Still, with the trainer and Yuto’s encouragement, he managed to finish the set.
When all the exercises were done, Subaru collapsed onto the floor.
“I… can’t move anymore…”
“You did great for your first time! That was impressive!”
Yuto clapped him on the back with a big smile, but Subaru just stared blankly at the ceiling.
“I’m… never coming back here…”
“What are you talking about? It’ll get easier next time!”
“That’s such a lie…”
While Subaru lay there in despair, Yuto was still brimming with energy.
“Let’s grab a protein shake before heading back. Nutrition is crucial for muscles!”
“Just let me go home… I need my bed…”
Despite their back-and-forth, Subaru’s first gym session came to an end…
By the time they stepped outside, the sun was already setting. Walking beside Yuto, Subaru could already feel the promise of tomorrow’s muscle pain.
“Hey, Subaru, today wasn’t so bad, right?”
“…Maybe a little.”
Subaru murmured softly. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn’t deny a strange sense of accomplishment.
“Next time, we’ll push even harder!”
“No way… absolutely not…”
(Still, if this helps me change, maybe I’ll keep going.)
Even as he said that, a small smile crept onto Subaru’s face.