Sudden Interlude: Hayashi Megumi’s Defeat

As written in the title and summary, this work is getting published as a book!

Release date is January 25th. Everyone, you better buy it!

For the author who’s already forgotten the setting,

For the author wondering about the characters’ personalities,

For the author who can’t even remember how long it’s been since the last post!

I’ll be posting again at a decent pace for a while, so stick with me!

This is a story from when Megumi returned to her family home, went through some stuff, and ended up back at Yamamoto’s place.

At Yamamoto’s house, Megumi was feeling a slight sense of unease.

Yamamoto was currently in the middle of a university lecture.

Megumi was alone in the house. She’d just finished folding the laundry and preparing dinner without any hitches, and it was precisely because she had a bit of free time that she felt this way.

“I’m living with Yamamoto right now, just the two of us…”

Those words slipped out only because the housework had settled down for the moment.

She was watching a feel-good video on a tablet borrowed from the person she liked, the kind everyone loves. But right now, none of its contents were sinking into her mind.

Living together with the one she cared about.

Sure, until just recently, Megumi had been living with another guy, but the emotions swirling in her heart now were nothing like what she’d felt back then.

“Now that I think about it, at this time of day, I could mess around with Yamamoto’s stuff as much as I want, couldn’t I?”

What an utterly shameless thought.

“This kind of thinking is no good. It’s like I’m some kind of pervert.”

At least she was self-aware, which was some small salvation.

“…Haa.”

After a deep sigh, Megumi stood up.

She wanted to shake off her impure thoughts. Though, to be fair, about seventy percent of them had already dissipated.

Megumi had one method for clearing her mind of such thoughts.

From childhood through high school, Megumi had constantly clashed with her nagging father. Complaining about it to Akari was one reason she’d picked up this method.

Yoga.

It involved striking unique poses, meditating, clearing stray thoughts, and calming the mind.

Through years of practicing yoga since high school, Megumi knew how effective it could be. That’s why, right now, she decided to do it for the first time in a while.

“My swelling’s been pretty bad lately, so this is perfect timing.”

However, Megumi’s mind was already overflowing with distractions.

Listening to the ticking of the clock, she breathed slowly and began her yoga practice.

Virabhadrasana.

Parivrtta Trikonasana.

Natarajasana.

How much time had passed, she wondered.

The front door opened.

“Whoa!”

A small yelp from a man.

Megumi slowly opened her eyelids.

Standing in her line of sight was Yamamoto, his face etched with suspicion.

“Welcome back.”

“What’re you doing?”

“Clearing my mind of distractions.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve been feeling out of shape lately… so, a little dieting.”

“Sounds like you haven’t cleared anything.”

For a while, Megumi continued her yoga under Yamamoto’s skeptical gaze.

Normally, she’d be more conscious of someone watching her, but perhaps because her mind was calm from the yoga, his stare didn’t bother her much.

“Phew, that was fun.”

Megumi stopped her yoga.

“…Huh, Yamamoto? You’ve been standing there the whole time?”

With a refreshed heart, Megumi asked Yamamoto, who was standing with his arms crossed at the boundary between the living room and kitchen.

Yamamoto seemed deep in thought.

He was staring at her with a complicated expression.

A moment later, Megumi’s heart skipped a beat.

She’d been doing yoga under Yamamoto’s gaze for a while… but now that she thought about it, some of those poses must have accentuated her figure.

Right now, Megumi was wearing a T-shirt and shorts.

Could it be that Yamamoto, seeing her in this outfit, doing those poses up close…

…Could it be?

Could it be!?

Megumi’s heart pounded so loudly it was almost deafening.

“Hey, Hayashi.”

Yamamoto’s voice was calm.

“Yoga… how do you do it?”

“Huh?”

“Yoga. How do you do it?”

“…”

“Yoga, how do you—”

“Stop going on about yoga!”

That was the moment Megumi felt a deep jealousy toward yoga.

But she quickly calmed down.

It was just that he wasn’t interested in her confident figure and got swept up by yoga instead, right?

Calm down.

C-c-calm down.

Breathing deeply, Megumi began explaining yoga to Yamamoto.

No choice.

Megumi thought to herself.

Sure, she was jealous of yoga right now.

Jealous that it stole his attention when her figure didn’t even get a glance.

Jealous that yoga so easily captivated the one she cared about.

Yes, Megumi was a little jealous right now.

But!

No matter how jealous she was, she wasn’t so low as to spread false information about yoga!

“First off, yoga’s tough to do without a good chunk of time. Honestly, with university and your part-time job, I don’t think it’s for you.”

That wasn’t true at all!

“A-and… yoga takes a lot of stamina. You haven’t been exercising lately, so you’d probably give up quick.”

Her jealousy was burning bright!

“A-anyway, dinner tonight’s stew. Wanna taste it?”

Megumi wanted Yamamoto to say it.

Stew, huh?

Guess yoga can wait.

That’s what she wanted him to say.

“Nah, later’s fine.”

That was the moment Megumi was utterly defeated by yoga.

Disheartened, Megumi reluctantly taught Yamamoto about yoga.

From then on, Yamamoto became so hooked on yoga that he made it a routine after cleaning.

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