Kitagawa, Why Have You Been Standing There This Whole Time?

After the final exams ended, although the semester was not yet over, the school had not scheduled any more classes. That meant winter break had truly begun.

Legend had it that there was an unwritten rule in the construction industry: whoever could carry away a coil of steel with their bare hands got to keep it.

Kitagawa Kai thought that rule was great. Its only flaw was that it applied to far too narrow a range of situations.

If everything in the world followed the same rule—if anything you could lift became yours—what a wonderful world that would be.

After briefly loosening up, Kitagawa Kai put a large stack of weights back in place and accepted the towel Horikita Suzune handed him.

"Huh?"

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, glanced around, and casually asked, "Ibuki didn't come today either?"

"I haven't seen her in the mornings or evenings lately," Horikita Suzune replied.

Ichinose Honami, who was walking slowly on the treadmill, thought back as well. "I don't think I've seen Ibuki since she came over to eat noodles at our place last time."

Kamuro Masumi sat on a mat stretching her legs and responded without looking up. "She doesn't live here. It's perfectly normal for her not to come once in a while, isn't it?"

"Mm... I suppose."

Kitagawa Kai nodded thoughtfully.

Was Ibuki Mio's pride simply too strong for her to comfortably accept their meticulous care?

Still, in a few days, it would be time for him to coach her in hand-to-hand combat again, and she would have to spar with Horikita Suzune. Given that little wildcat's personality, she surely would not be absent then.

Not far away.

Karuizawa Kei was resting on a yoga mat.

The moment she saw Kitagawa Kai finish training, she immediately waved. "Kai-kun,