After breakfast, as usual, Takashi and Yotsuba went for a morning jog with Kuro.
Of course, in Kuro's mind, he was the one walking them.
What could he do? These two were just too slow. In the dog world, their speed wouldn't even let them get to warm poop in ti.
Ichika didn't join the run.
She hadn't slept a wink last night. If she had to run now, she was afraid she might drop dead.
Besides, even if she tried, she wouldn't be able to keep up with Takashi and Yotsuba.
With Yotsuba's stamina at 6 and Takashi's at 5, there was no way her 3 could match them.
When they finished their first lap—
[You have a new ssage.]
The system notification chid.
Takashi thought it might be another urgent quest, but when he looked, it wasn't.
[Stamina: 5 → 6]
He had grown stronger.
Just as he suspected.
Attribute points could be earned not only with system credits but also through other ans.
That was why Takashi insisted on running every morning and lifting weights at the gym.
Talent can't carve muscles out of thin air.
Fitness is different from chasing girls.
With fitness, if you're disciplined and work out daily, you'll see results.
With girls, you can spend effort, ti, and money—take them to eat great food, buy them cute clothes, bags, and lipstick—and in the end, you'll learn what it ans to throw money into a bottomless pit.
As he ran, Takashi suddenly ca to a halt.
Yotsuba stopped too, puzzled. "What's wrong, Takashi? Are you tired?"
That couldn't be it.
Takashi wasn't quite as good as her, but he was never this winded after just one lap.
Kuro also stopped, staring at Takashi suspiciously.
He seriously suspected that while he was away, so fem fatale had drained his poor human dry.
Is he really that hollow now?
Takashi rolled his shoulders. "Yotsuba, let's have a race."
Not having outrun Yotsuba had always been a sore point for Takashi.
Now that he was stronger, it was ti to redeem himself.
Besides that, the sudden boost in stats didn't feel real to him yet.
Takashi didn't feel any different from usual.
If not for the system alert, he wouldn't have noticed the change at all. He needed a comparison to confirm it.
"Woof?"
Kuro was convinced his human hadn't drunk soy milk today—he had clearly had sothing much stronger.
Does he really not know his own limits?
"Takashi, maybe let's not..."
Yotsuba wasn't really up for racing him.
She didn't want to hurt his confidence.
"Just one race. I've been training hard lately."
This ti, I must reclaim my lost dignity.
Today, I'm definitely going to beat her.
"You really want to race?"
"Yes."
"Well, alright."
Seeing how determined Takashi was, Yotsuba had no choice but to agree.
Once their heartbeats gradually steadied, the two of them stood side by side, bent over into a starting stance.
Takashi turned his head to Yotsuba and said, "Yotsuba, give it your all this ti."
"Uh, okay."
Yotsuba didn't understand why Takashi wanted to race her, nor why he insisted she go all out.
But since he said so, she decided not to hold back.
Kuro glanced at Takashi, then at Yotsuba. Seeing that both were ready, it barked, "Woof!"
In an instant, Takashi and Yotsuba launched off like two cheetahs spotting prey.
Pia, pia, pia, pia, pia—the rhythm of Takashi's feet hitting the park path was steady, his arms swinging wide, his legs speeding up with each stride.
Wind rushed past his ears.
He glanced sideways to see her reaction.
That was a mistake.
The mont he looked, he was dumbfounded.
Yotsuba was at least a body-length ahead of him.
'Wait, haven't I gotten stronger?'
You're a level 6, I'm a level 6—we should be neck and neck at most.
So why are you so much faster than ?
Which one of us is cheating here?
Yotsuba maintained her lead all the way to the starting pavilion before stopping.
"Do you two always run like this?"
Ichika looked at the two, panting and drenched in sweat, and was sowhat stunned.
This morning run was a bit too intense.
"Takashi, you've gotten stronger."
Yotsuba looked at Takashi with admiration in her eyes.
She clearly rembered their first eting, when Takashi could only trail behind her.
This ti, even though he was still behind, he had pushed her to use her full strength.
If this kept up, it wouldn't be long before he surpassed her.
'Looks like I need to start training seriously again,' Yotsuba made up her mind. She couldn't afford to slack off anymore.
Takashi lay on the grass, feeling utterly defeated. "Sorry for not giving Lady Yotsuba a worthy match."
This race taught him that even within the sa level, there were still gaps.
He guessed Yotsuba's stamina had already reached the halfway mark to level 7.
anwhile, he had just stepped into level 6.
"Don't be so dramatic," Yotsuba offered her hand to help him up. "Co on, get up."
Takashi grabbed her hand and stood.
"Boring. I'm heading back."
He brushed off the grass and reached out to grab the leash.
But Kuro slipped behind Yotsuba and placed the leash in her hand.
"...Hey, what's the aning of this?"
You've been staying at their place this long and now you don't even want to co back? Are you addicted to their ho or sothing?
Kuro nodded.
Your crappy little place is too small. He wants to live in a mansion!
Takashi forced a grin. "I'll count to three. If you don't co here, I swear I'll end you."
Isn't there a saying that dogs don't mind a shabby ho?
You're clearly a vain mutt.
"Whine~"
Kuro made a pitiful, human-like face.
It first rubbed against Ichika's leg, then tugged on Yotsuba's pant leg with its mouth, pointing at Takashi as if to say: "Sisters, look at him! Just look at him!"
"Takashi, just let Kuro stay at our place. We're not busy anyway."
Yotsuba, known for her soft heart, was terrible at saying no.
Back at school, if anyone asked her for a favor, she couldn't refuse.
That was just her personality.
And that was with people—let alone such a cute little dog.
With just a bit of pity play, Kuro had her hugging its neck, unwilling to let go.
Then Ichika chid in, "Takashi—can I call you that?"
Yotsuba pursed her lips when she heard Ichika call him that, but didn't say anything.
"Kuro has been really well-behaved at our place. My sisters love it. Why don't you just leave it with us for a while?"
"We'll take good care of it."
If I let you take care of it for much longer, it's going to change its last na to Nakano.
That's what Takashi thought, but he didn't refuse.
Now that he had more and more dates lined up, he really didn't have much ti for the dog.
Dogs aren't like cats.
Lock them up in the house every day, and they'll get depressed.
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