[TSSIM] Chapter 397: Lovey-Dovey

Back at the Minamiya residence, Umi was getting ready to have Honoka sign a series of unfair treaties to help her lose weight.

Despite Honoka's pitiful look, Umi remained firm and unmoved. However, Honoka's expression did seem to make Homura go all soft inside.

"Ahem, how about this, Honoka works out with me?" Homura coughed and spoke up.

"Hmm? Homura-kun, got any good methods?" Honoka asked with a relieved smile.

"Can't just force it, right?" Homura chuckled. "I'll think of some exercises you girls can do without pushing yourself too hard."

"Well, as long as it's practice, Honoka always puts in top-notch effort." Umi chimed in.

True enough, when it came to practice, Honoka always gave it her all, no need for anyone to push her. However, their usual practice didn't seem to have much effect on her weight loss.

"Oh, that sounds great!" Honoka's eyes lit up.

"Let's go! Out to the yard."

Homura nodded, then turned to Eriri and the others.

"You guys coming?"

"Nah..." Eriri shook her head. "We're not into the whole weight loss thing..."

"Fair enough." Homura shrugged.

Soon, the girls who wanted to join the exercises lined up in the yard.

Nozomi always found these scenes particularly amusing, feeling like Homura was some sort of fitness instructor.

"I'll teach you exercises for different parts of the body. You can choose where you want to focus on, whether it's for fitness or weight loss, consistency is key."

Homura explained, looking at Honoka.

"Considering Honoka's needs, let's start with the latter!"

Honoka: "..."

===

"Hold on! Yeah, keep it up a bit longer for better results!"

Homura and the others twisted into the same pose, he looked relaxed as he cheered on the eleven sweaty girls.

"I believe this set of moves is definitely effective for weight loss..." Nozomi managed a strained smile.

"Yeah, totally... Even though there aren't many moves, the sweat just keeps pouring, nyaa..." Rin nodded.

"It's probably because of this pose..." Eli chimed in, struggling. "Even though each part of the body isn't moving much, it creates opposing support, and that's where the energy burns..."

"How about this lazy folks' weight loss plan? Just strike a pose and you're good to go! No need to move a muscle!" Homura grinned.

"I actually feel running is easier than this..." Nico suddenly quipped.

"The results matter, it's all about the results!" Homura emphasized.

"Who's lazy enough to do this..." Maki couldn't hold back her sarcasm.

"Honoka! Can you keep going?" Homura asked with a smirk.

"I... I can..." Honoka's breath was getting a bit short.

"If you feel like you can't hold it, just stop. Better safe than sorry." Homura warned.

In the end, it took about two more minutes before Yukiho and Alisa really couldn't hold on anymore.

"Alright, don't relax just yet. Let's take a walk and have some water." Homura advised. "Leave the relaxation to me; don't let your bodies idle."

"I don't know why, but Rin feels motivated again, nyaa~!" Rin's eyes lit up.

"Ara~? Is Rin-chan looking forward to Homura-kun's massage?" Nozomi's spirits seemed pretty high now too.

"Aren't you the same, Nozomi-chan?" Rin retorted without hesitation.

"Fufu... My overflowing Nozomi Power has found another place to channel..." Nozomi reached out her hand.

"Kyaaa!" Rin lamented as her chest got caught. "That's so unfair, nyaa!"

"Just give up, Rin-chan. We can't compete with Nozomi-chan..." Hanayo couldn't help but console her.

"You could all just channel your energy into Nozomi..." Homura muttered quietly.

Nozomi: "???"

Homura's remark instantly relaxed the atmosphere, and Nozomi stopped her attack on Rin, walking over to him with a mischievous smile on her face.

"What's up?" Homura raised his eyebrows, already guessing what she would do.

"Homura-kun came up with a great idea—Eiii!"

Compared to the first time, Homura seemed much more calm this time.

"Why are you pinching me?" Homura asked calmly.

"Oh, nothing, just thought touching you felt nice." Nozomi also replied calmly.

"Don't you feel weird touching me in this getup?"

"Nah, it's all good, doesn't bother me at all~"

Ignoring their slightly odd interaction, Honoka spoke up again.

"Hey, guys... why do you keep pushing yourselves like this? Isn't this weight loss exercise supposed to be for me?"

Upon hearing that question, Maki shrugged lightly and answered.

"Isn't it just practice? Building stamina and flexibility. So, why not keep at it? Besides, out of the nine of us, I'm the weakest in terms of stamina."

"Exactly, it's all about practice. And when it comes to idol training, how could Nico miss out on that!" Nico replied in her iconic pose.

"Just gotta hang in there, nyaa~" Rin smiled brightly.

"I'd rather stick with Honoka-chan." Kotori forced a smile. "Even if it's practice, it's hard to keep going alone, right?"

"But it's different when you have others. With your friends supporting you, you can always keep going." Umi chimed in.

"As long as we're together, no matter what happens, we can overcome anything." Eli added softly.

"We're nine... but one." Hanayo nodded.

"Everyone..." Honoka looked at every member of Muse, touched.

"That's right, we're one as nine!" Nozomi said, mouthing 'as one' while doing something different from the rest.

Everyone: "..."

"You said you're one, but why are your moves a bit different from everyone else's? Your words are a bit unconvincing." Homura rolled his eyes.

"Well, Homura-kun, you interrupted me, so if I redo it, the effect wouldn't be the same as everyone else's. Anyway, I'll just give up this time."

"Then why are you still going around trying to tickle me?"

"Just wanted to try it out. Looks like Homura-kun isn't ticklish at all. Doesn't matter if it's under the arms or the sides, nothing works, huh?"

"Your method is flawed."

"Oh? Then how about you teach me, Homura-kun!"

"I really can't deal with you..." Homura sighed in defeat. "Having the one who's being tickled teaches you how to tickle others, there's no one else like you, you know?"

"Fufu, but Homura-kun will still teach me, right?" Nozomi smiled.

"Did you read yesterday's magazine?" Homura asked.

"Yeah, I did." Nozomi nodded.

"Then you should know, right? I've drawn out how to make someone feel ticklish."

"Huh?" Nozomi started to recall what she had seen. "Ah, it's Takagi-san, right?"

Homura nodded.

"I remember... using fingers to lightly tap." Nozomi pondered while touching her chin.

"That's right, from under the arms to the sides, lightly tapping with fingers or continuously tapping, most people will feel ticklish." Homura nodded.

"Eiii~!" Nozomi immediately started to act.

Unfortunately, Homura remained unaffected.

"You're tricking me." Nozomi pouted.

"No, I'm not. Don't believe me? Let me show you."

Homura smirked, no longer bothering with his image, and started a series of deadly techniques on Nozomi's waist!

"Pfttt!"

Nozomi instantly covered her mouth, stifling a laugh, and ran away.

Once again, the others were left speechless.

However, they couldn't help but feel like they had just witnessed a whole feast of lovey-dovey moments.