Everyone got used to the tell tale signs that Akihiko was in the middle of his summer workout routine. He still went running at night sometimes, but the air conditioned dorm was a saving grace when it got too hot out. Minako guessed all that scheduling he did wasn't for nothing. All the burnt calories in the world weren't worth heat exhaustion, he'd said.

She'd have to take his word for it.

Yukari said it was the perfect weather for cream anmitsu, so the two girls had spent the majority of that humid afternoon at the strip mall. By the time they got back, the cool air flowing out of the dorm's front door felt absolutely heavenly. While Yukari quickly found a free armchair to flop onto, Minako made a beeline for the stairs. If she laid down before taking a shower, she would never get up again.

She wasn't even halfway up the first flight before a familiar sound reached her ears. Some well-timed, rhythmic 'thwap' noises that were always accompanied by a controlled grunt. Minako strayed from her intended path, quickly noticing that Akihiko's door was wide open by the way extra light was streaming into the hallway. To keep the cold air flowing in, maybe?

Lingering on the boy's floor still felt kind of taboo. It was especially tricky now that Ken would be staying with them for a few weeks. Was it supposed to be this hard to date someone? She didn't really a have a point of reference, but they lived in the same building. Even if they agreed it was best to keep it a secret, it was hard not to feel like she wasn't allowed to hang around too much.

Despite that, her feet hadn't stopped moving for a second. Before she even realized it, Minako was close enough to watch the captain of the boxing team in action.

She'd seen Akihiko putting his skills to work plenty of times. He hardly ever lost his focus when it came to facing shadows or human opponents, but his solo training routine was something to behold. His expression held a sort of burning intensity, as if his mind was getting just as much of a workout every time he pummeled his punching bag again.

Did he have to imagine it was fighting back for this to work? Wouldn't it be boring, otherwise?

The bag swung wildly from the chain suspending it, making a smooth arc back toward its attacker only to be caught between two gloved hands. Akihiko looked through the doorway toward his audience of one. She'd been caught.

"What's the matter, Minako? It's alright to knock if you need something."

"Oh, um!" Her defense wasn't off to a great start. She took a few steps toward the open door, figuring it was better than yelling from several yards away. "I was on my way upstairs, but I… couldn't help but stop and watch, I guess. I didn't mean to interrupt you."

He laughed, flashing an amused smile before taking off each of his gloves. His face and neck were definitely flushed, but she figured it was probably from throwing so many punches.

It was nice to see that he was wearing a light t-shirt and some sweatpants, at least. He occasionally forgot to change out of his nicer clothes before working out. It was endearing, but not the best habit for a hot summer.

"You're fine. Was Junpei complaining again? Sorry, I know I can get kind of noisy." Akihiko grabbed a towel that he'd draped over a nearby chair, pressing it against his sweat-coated brow. The back of his hands were a shade of red that looked raw and painful. "Once the weather cools down, you guys won't have to deal with it as much."

"I don't mind. If anything, it makes me feel like I should be more active…" Minako trailed off, lifting her own hands to give them a quick once-over. They were a little calloused from tightly grasping the shaft of her naginata over so many nights, but still very pale and willowy. She looked back up. "Doesn't it hurt? Using your fists to fight, I mean."

Akihiko looked mildly surprised, but only shrugged. "At first, yeah. That's why most people can only throw one or two punches if they get into a brawl and don't know what they're doing," he explained. He examined his own hands, not appearing to see anything that looked wrong or out of place. "It's good for everyone to know fundamentals. We won't be fighting shadows our whole lives, after all." He paused, frowning. "Uh, hopefully."

He had a point. Living in a city meant it was inevitable that anyone would eventually be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Minako suddenly found herself wondering how she would deal with a real-life troublemaker. Even if she had her naginata for some reason, the idea of cutting down another human made her wince. No one deserved that harsh of a punishment, even if they were a bad person.

"...Do you think I could learn?" Minako spoke before she even realized the weight of her words, and Akihiko's eyes instantly lit up. They did that anytime she expressed interest in working out with him or learning more about fitness in general. "O-Or maybe not… I wouldn't even know where to start."

Akihiko moved past the door frame, poking his head out to check that the hallway was clear. There were voices and laughter coming from the lounge, but no obvious sign that the other members of SEES would be coming upstairs anytime soon. Seeming satisfied, he moved aside and made room for her to pass through.

"Teaching you a few basic moves will be a great way to cool down. Come on, it'll be fun."

Minako opened her mouth, then closed it again. She had a feeling this would happen. What she meant was like it could be nice to learn eventually, but Akihiko had already taken a shine to the idea. Sure, she'd been hoping for a reason to spend time in his room again soon. This just wasn't what she had in mind.

"Are you sure?" She asked, finding it tough to argue when he looked so excited. It was the same way the dog at the shrine looked whenever they stopped by to play with him. "I-I'm not sure you want me near you right now. Yukari and I just got back, and I'm really sweaty…" He laughed.

"I'm in no position to complain about that right now." Akihiko leaned over and took her by the wrist, gently pulling her across the threshold and into his room. "Don't worry, you'll be great at it. Your hand-eye coordination is already top notch."

She mumbled her concession as the door closed behind them. Akihiko stepped behind her, putting both hands on her shoulders and steering her toward the punching bag. The vivid red cover looked like it could have been brand new, if not for the scuffs and imperfections all over the fabric. If it was new, it was already well-used. Minako looked over her shoulder.

"I don't need gloves?"

Akihiko stepped to the side, casually drawing himself up into posture suited for fighting. He kept steady, clearly intending to demonstrate. When he was actually preparing for a match, his footwork took on an eager kind of bounciness.

"Nah, we're just going to work on your form. Punch as hard as you want, but use some judgement. It's easy to hurt yourself." He tilted his head slightly, eyes moving from her to his own extended arms. "Come on, stand like this. You've seen me do it plenty of times, so it should be easy."

Minako studied his form, using it as a reference as her body moved into place. The position felt strangely foreign. It wasn't that different from readying her naginata in battle, but the emptiness in her hands left her feeling too vulnerable. How in the world did people fight this way?

"Not bad. Straighten your wrists a little, okay? Good. Try a quick and easy jab."

Akihiko slowly extended his right arm without moving his feet, pulling it back into a defensive position once the imaginary blow had landed.

"You go in fast, then come out fast. Turn your fist, like I did. Your palm should be facing down when you connect."

The patience and effort he was putting into the explanations made her heart beat a little faster. Well, they were already doing this. It would be a waste of Akihiko's time if she didn't try and be a good student.

Mimicking his demonstration, she struck out at the punching bag and was rewarded with a surprisingly loud 'thwap'. The noise caught her by surprise, both hands retreating to cover her mouth in concern. Her defensive stance was ruined, but Akihiko didn't seem to mind. In fact, he was beaming.

"Hey, not bad for a first try!" He turned to face her, and Minako quickly busied herself with examining the back of her hand. Her angle wasn't perfect, and a small patch of skin on her knuckles was peeling. Akihiko took a step closer, and she could tell from his voice that he was frowning now. "O-Oh… Does that hurt? Sorry, I forgot how soft your hands are…"

She shook her head.

"It doesn't hurt. I think I feel worse for the bag, since it can't fight back." She glanced up, trying to urge his worried expression away with a smile. "I thought so when you were punching it earlier, too. It doesn't feel fair, even for an amatuer like me. Should I apologize to it?"

Akihiko began to respond, paused, and then appeared to think better of it. For a moment it seemed like her joke didn't quite land, but then she noticed that his ears were suddenly pink. Without meaning to, she seemed to have landed quite a blow.

"J-Jeez, how do you always manage to say such cute stuff?" He sheepishly ran a hand through his hair, then cleared his throat and stood up straighter. "Anyway, let's leave the bag alone until I can get you some gloves or tape to practice with."

He grabbed her shoulders again, turning her to face him before taking a sizeable step backward. Lifting both hands to slightly below chest level, his palms faced outward.

"It's a fair fight now. Try a few more jabs, alternating right and left. Count 'one, two'."

This was hard for a completely different reason. The idea of hitting one of her teammates felt like something a leader just shouldn't do, but again, Akihiko seemed one hundred percent in his element. As if standing there, waiting for his girlfriend to hit him, was the most exciting thing to happen to him all day.

Minako readied herself once more, striking out (a little softer this time) into his waiting hands. After two hits, he nodded with eager approval.

"C'mon, a little harder! Don't worry, you're not going to hurt me."

They went through the drill again and again, and each time her blows became more confident. It was tough not to smile, even if she was doing her best to take it seriously. Akihiko had an endless supply of encouragement to share with her, much like he always did.

"Aim higher. You're short, so knowing how far you can reach is important." His hands moved further up, and they instantly became a trickier target. "See? Don't lose your balance."

"I'm not that short," she shot back, but there wasn't really an argument to be had on that topic. He was several inches taller than her, and she was definitely feeling less steady in the new angle. Bouncing upward to gain a few more inches to her jab wasn't a practical strategy. All it did was make her skirt flounce around girlishly, which probably didn't look very intimidating.

"There are advantages to being small," he replied easily. Minako was starting to get the distinct impression that he was enjoying himself now. When the mood struck, he couldn't pass up an opportunity to tease her a little. "This height might be a little too tough for you right now. That's fine, we can work on it."

She kept throwing punches, determined to rediscover the rhythm they'd been working into. Each of her next few jabs got a little quicker, one finally ending with a sharp 'smack' as her fist collided against his open palm. Minako pulled the hand back, examining the area where she'd skinned her knuckles not moments ago. She bit the inside of her cheek, trying not to wince.

"Ah, that hurt…"

"O-Oh! Sorry…" Akihiko took a hurried step forward, reaching out to gingerly grab her wrist. As he pulled it closer for inspection, Minako took another half-step forward as well. "I-I really shouldn't joke around like that. Um, do you need a bandaid? I think I have some around here…"

While the senior fretted over what to do, Minako's free hand subtly slid between them. Still making a fist, she bumped it gently beneath his chin and flashed a wide, playful grin.

"...Got you!"

Akihiko blinked in stunned silence, trying to work out what had happened. After a split second of realization, he let out a laugh and pulled Minako into a warm embrace. Between her long walk back to the dorm and those few minutes of furious drills, she was glad to rest against him.

"Yeah, you got me." He pulled back to look down at her, and another hint of sheepish uncertainty lingered in his expression. Despite the pink creeping into his cheeks, he couldn't stop smiling. "I don't think I've ever been so happy to lose."

They were quiet for while, and Minako could only hear the sound of her heartbeat and the far-off noises from the lounge downstairs. The times when they both got quiet always gave her butterflies. This was still new to them. Even when it was clumsy, it felt good.

"...I still need to shower," she finally said, breaking the quiet. Her voice wasn't much louder than a whisper. She didn't want to ruin the way distant noises made it obvious that they were very much alone. "I can come back in a couple minutes, if you want to finish your workout."

He answered by leaning down to kiss her. His forward momentum bumped their lips together, and Minako stumbled backward. He cupped her face in his hands, continuing to guide her until her back bumped against his bedroom door. While her fingers tangled into the loose fabric of his shirt, he reached around her and clicked the lock into place.

He pulled away, panting softly.

"S-Sorry..." Akihiko's eyes looked apologetic, but not regretful. He was leaning over her, covering her with his silhouette. "I didn't want to lose my nerve. You can still leave, if you want."

Minako pushed up onto her tiptoes, gaining just enough height to sweetly peck the corner of his lips.

"Nevermind. I'll stay."