Muscle Pain Isn’t So Bad
—Monday morning. Subaru woke up, instantly regretting everything.
“…Ah, ouch…! Damn it…”
Just trying to sit up made his entire body scream in protest. His abs, arms, thighs, shoulders—all the muscles he had trained the day before were now punishing him.
“…Yuto, you overdid it… I can’t move…”
He tried to crawl out of bed, but a wave of muscle pain sent him collapsing back into the covers. Finally, with a defeated sigh, Subaru made the reluctant decision to skip school.
From downstairs, he could hear Mio bustling around cheerfully as she prepared for the morning. Soon, there was a knock at his door, and Mio peeked in with a mischievous grin.
“Hey, Subaru. I left breakfast for you. …Huh? You look a little stiff?”
“Shut up… I’m just sore.”
“Haha, I knew it! That’s what you get for pushing yourself too hard. Let this be a lesson—get outside and move your body more often!”
Mio couldn’t contain her laughter as she got ready to open the café. Subaru, meanwhile, turned his face away in frustration, curling up in his covers.
“…Don’t laugh at me…”
“Oh, by the way. Kanon-chan might stop by to check on you. I’d love to see her again—it’s been so long!”
“Kanon won’t… come.”
Subaru mumbled quietly. Mio looked surprised for a moment, but she quickly masked it with a cheerful smile.
“Oh, really? Well, take it easy then. While you’re resting at home, I’ll make sure to earn enough for the both of us~!”
Winking playfully, Mio slung her café apron over her shoulder and left the house with a confident stride. Left alone, Subaru stared at the ceiling and muttered to himself.
“…Kanon, huh…”
Not long ago, it had been natural for them to see each other often, but lately, things felt awkward between them. Subaru shook his head, forcing himself to close his eyes.
“…I’ll just sleep. I’m not thinking about anything today…”
Back at school, it was midway through first period when some classmates began noticing Subaru’s absence.
“…Hey, where’s Subaru?”
Yuto, with his face on his desk and fiddling with his phone, suddenly received a message from Subaru in their group chat.
[Yuto, you idiot! I can’t even walk—what were you thinking?!]
Yuto burst out laughing, drawing puzzled looks from the surrounding classmates.
“Haha, sorry, sorry… Maybe I pushed him a bit too hard yesterday…”
“What’s going on?” a friend asked. Yuto explained the situation with a grin.
“Yesterday, Subaru said he wanted to work out, so I took him to the gym. But I might’ve gone a little overboard.”
“A little? You practically broke him!”
“No way! He was serious about wanting to train—it was a guy thing, you know?”
The others chuckled, though someone jabbed, “Were you trying to kill him or what?”
Listening to the conversation, Maria couldn’t hide a flicker of concern.
“I hope Subaru-kun’s okay…”
“He’ll be fine if he just rests. Muscle pain is no big deal.”
Yuto’s nonchalant reply made Maria frown slightly.
“…But what if he overdid it?”
After school, the classroom was filled with the noise of students packing up to leave. Maria was tucking her textbooks into her bag, preparing to head home.
At that moment, Hiyori-sensei peeked into the classroom, looking flustered as her small frame darted back and forth, searching for something.
“Oh no… What should I do…?”
Standing in the hallway, Hiyori-sensei looked visibly distressed. Maria noticed her and naturally walked over to help.
“Is something wrong, Sensei?”
“Ah, Maria-san!”
Hiyori-sensei’s face lit up with relief.
“I have some documents I need to deliver to Sorano-kun, but he’s absent today… I’m not sure what to do.”
“I can take them to him if you’d like.”
Maria offered casually, and Hiyori-sensei’s expression brightened instantly.
“Really?! You’re a lifesaver! I’ve been so swamped with other tasks. Thank you, Maria-san! Café Pleiades is where Sorano-kun lives. Please take these to him!”
Hiyori-sensei handed over the documents with great care, her gratitude shining through.
“These are for Sorano-kun. I’m counting on you!”
“Understood.”
With the papers in hand and Hiyori-sensei’s enthusiastic thanks echoing behind her, Maria left the classroom. Her steps felt just a little lighter as she headed toward Subaru’s home—the café.
By late afternoon, as the sun began to dip slightly, Maria arrived at Subaru’s house, which also served as Café Pleiades.
“This is my first time here… It’s such a lovely café.”
The warm, wooden signboard and the stylish exterior drew a small murmur of admiration from Maria. As she stepped inside, the gentle chime of the doorbell announced her arrival. Behind the counter, a woman looked up from her work.
“Welcome—”
The woman—Mio—blinked in surprise at the sight of Maria, her expression briefly blank.
“Oh? A first-time customer, perhaps?”
“Good afternoon. I’m here to deliver some school documents for Subaru-kun.”
Maria offered a polite smile as she explained.
“Oh, you’re a friend of Subaru’s? That’s rare.”
Mio smiled back warmly, adjusting her apron as she took a moment to study Maria.
“What a polite and adorable girl you are.”
“Thank you…”
Blushing slightly, Maria shifted shyly under Mio’s kind gaze. Mio’s smile softened further.
“Subaru’s in his room, resting. He’s been complaining about muscle pain all day.”
“That bad, huh…”
“He tends to overdo things sometimes. You can go ahead and deliver those to his room.”
With Mio leading the way, Maria headed towards the home area at the back of the cafe. Despite her nervousness, she couldn’t shake the feeling of excitement at the prospect of seeing a different side of Subaru.
Standing outside Subaru’s door, Maria hesitated briefly before knocking gently.
“Subaru-kun, are you awake?”
“…Huh? Who is it…?”
A groggy voice responded from inside. Maria chuckled softly, announcing herself before opening the door and stepping in.
There lay Subaru, sprawled on his futon, looking utterly drained.
“Maria-san!? Why are you—!”
Subaru tried to sit up in surprise but—
“Ahh—ouch! Damn it…!”
“Don’t push yourself!”
Startled, Maria quickly pressed a hand to his futon, gently urging him to lie back down. Subaru exhaled sharply, wincing from the pain.
“…Why are you here all of a sudden, Maria-san?”
“Hiyori-sensei asked me to deliver some documents. And… to check on you.”
Maria spoke gently, setting the documents on his desk. Then, she turned her gaze back to Subaru, who was clearly struggling.
“You really pushed yourself too hard…”
Subaru said nothing, turning his head slightly, his cheeks tinged red. Maria chuckled softly at the sight.
“But for working so hard—here’s a reward.”
“A reward?”
Subaru blinked in surprise. Maria smiled warmly and said, “Wait here for a moment,” before quietly leaving the room.
“…What’s she talking about, a reward…?”
Alone, Subaru lay back on the futon, his face burning with a mix of confusion and anticipation.
Meanwhile, Maria stood in the bathroom, staring at the small bag in her hands. Inside was the nurse’s uniform she had hurriedly borrowed from home.
“…This is so embarrassing…”
She muttered softly, her cheeks already turning crimson.
—Subaru-kun has been changing lately. From going to the salon with Chiharu-san to this… If I don’t take action, I might lose him.
That thought drove Maria forward. Looking at her reflection in the small mirror, her face grew even redder.
“…I can’t let my guard down.”
Taking a deep breath, Maria began to change.
Back in Subaru’s room, the quiet was almost oppressive. Still immobilized by pain, Subaru stared blankly at the ceiling.
“…What kind of reward, anyway?”
Just then, there was a soft knock at the door.
“Subaru-kun, may I come in?”
Maria’s voice reached him. Subaru peeked out from beneath his covers and replied, “…Yeah, come in.”
And then—
“…Wha—!?”
Subaru’s words caught in his throat as Maria entered, dressed in a pristine white nurse’s uniform.
—A short dress with softly puffed sleeves. The neckline was modest, yet subtly highlighted her figure, while the fitted waist accentuated her silhouette. The gentle sway of her long blonde hair and the faint blush on her cheeks only added to her charm.
“…How do I look?”
Maria asked shyly, holding the hem of her dress with trembling fingers.
“W-Wha…!? What’s with that outfit!?”
Subaru’s face turned bright red as he instinctively tried to sit up—
“Ouch, ouch, ouch…!”
Only to collapse back onto the futon, groaning in pain.
“I told you not to push yourself!”
Maria giggled as she sat down beside his bed.
“…Why are you dressed like a nurse?”
Covering his face with his hands, Subaru grumbled. Maria pouted slightly, her lips forming a playful pout.
“Because I said I’d give you a reward, didn’t I? And besides—”
Blushing, she added,
“I promised I’d reward you for working hard. This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”
With a small towel in hand, Maria smiled brightly.
“Let’s start with a massage!”
“What?! Wait a second!”
Ignoring Subaru’s protests, Maria cheerfully pulled back the covers.
“Tell me where it hurts, okay?”
“Everywhere! Everything hurts!”
Despite his exasperated cries, Maria began gently massaging his shoulders and arms.
“…You’re really tense here.”
“Ouch, ouch! That spot hurts!!”
“See? That’s what happens when you overdo it.”
Maria teased him lightly as her fingers pressed into his sore muscles. Subaru clutched the futon, wincing with every touch.
“I told you it hurts!”
“Pain means it’s working! Just hang in there.”
Though she scolded him, Maria’s touch was gentle, and her teasing smile never wavered.
—However, her close proximity, the scent of her shampoo, and the crisp white of the nurse’s uniform made Subaru’s heart pound uncontrollably.
“…Hey, you’re too close.”
“Hmm? Did you say something?”
“N-Nothing…!”
Maria’s cheerful laughter filled the room, her teasing clearly intentional.
“All done!”
Finishing the massage, Maria clapped her hands with satisfaction. Subaru, utterly exhausted, flopped back onto the futon.
“…You’re relentless, Maria-san.”
“Well, don’t you feel a bit better now?”
Smiling down at him, Maria’s gaze softened. Subaru turned away, hiding his face.
“…Maybe a little.”
At his reluctant admission, Maria’s expression turned gentle.
“Subaru-kun, don’t push yourself too hard. I’ll worry about you.”
Her words sent a jolt through Subaru’s chest.
“Maria-san… Does that mean…?”
“It’s only natural to check on a friend, right?”
Maria winked mischievously.
“Friends don’t usually visit wearing nurse uniforms…”
Subaru muttered, pulling the covers over his head. Maria giggled and stood up.
“I’ll leave it at this for today. But—”
At the door, she added softly,
“If you keep working hard, I’ll show you something special again. Next time, it can be your request.”
Her parting words lingered in the air as she left.
Under the covers, Subaru squirmed, his face flushed.
That day, his muscles ached even more, yet a strange warmth filled his heart.