How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? IF: The Return of Gina Boyd
Sakura Hibiki has a problem—and it's not just the two kilos she just gained.
Between her bottomless appetite, her empty house, and her hopeless crush on a certain trainer whose muscles defy the laws of nature, Hibiki's "serious about getting fit" resolution is hanging by a thread. But when a silver-haired stranger with piercing blue eyes snatches the last sakura mochi protein cup right out from under her nose at Muscle Mart, Hibiki's comfortable routine shatters in an instant.
That stranger is
How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift? IF: The Return of Gina Boyd - Blonde Gal, Muscles, Protein, and the Silver-Haired Assassin
"Ahh, this nikuman is seriously the best!"
In the middle of the shopping street in front of Sakuragioka Station, Sakura Hibiki clutched a steamed meat bun in one hand and a croquette in the other, her face melting into bliss.
It was just past four in the afternoon, and the shopping arcade was bustling with a comfortable crowd of shoppers. The smell of freshly fried food drifted from the butcher's, the greengrocer's display was piled high with citrus fruit in vivid colors, and the sweet aroma of just-baked melon bread wafted out of the bakery. Hibiki felt like she wanted to gather up every one of those smells and hug them all at once.
She shook her loose, blonde gyaru curls and flashed a grin that showed off her fang. A tiny piercing on her left ear glinted in the evening sun. Her nails were flashy pink again today. Against the chest of her white sailor uniform, the cherry blossom crest of Kizakura Girls' Academy swayed.
"Haah... I'm in heaven..."
Eating was Hibiki's one and only joy.
Both her parents were constantly flying around the world for work, so these days she was practically the only person living in their detached house in the Tokyo suburbs. An empty house to come home to. That was why she loved this time most — wandering the shopping street after school, eating her way from stall to stall. As long as her stomach was full, she could forget the loneliness.
Munching on her nikuman, Hibiki glanced at the three-story building visible at the end of the arcade. Its glass exterior gleamed with a silver logo.
"Silverman Gym, huh..."
A high-end fitness club chain with forty-seven locations across Japan and twelve overseas. The Sakuragioka branch was a five-minute walk from the station, boasted about eight hundred members, and was known for its top-tier equipment and trainers — a paradise for anyone who loved lifting.
Hibiki had been going there for eight months now.
The reason was simple. She'd stepped on a scale and been horrified by the number. She was 162 centimeters tall, and back then she'd weighed over 65 kilos. Even she had to admit that was bad. So she'd joined on her best friend's recommendation.
But.
Reality was not kind.
She passed through the gym's automatic doors and walked by the front desk. On the wall hung a framed quote from the founder, Ginzan Kenichi: "Muscle never betrays you." Every time Hibiki saw those words, she felt a tiny pang in her chest. Muscle might never betray her, but her appetite betrayed her every single day.
In the locker room she changed into a pink tank top and leggings, then headed for the training floor. On the way, she passed the corner where the scale sat and stopped in her tracks.
"...Might as well."
Three seconds for the digital display to settle.
62.0 kg.
Two kilos heavier than last week.
"No way...!"
Hibiki couldn't believe her eyes. Eight months of going, and she'd lost three kilos in the first three months. But after that, nothing. If anything, it was creeping back.
"Why... I'm doing the training properly..."
Deep down, she already knew the answer.
She was training. But she was eating even more.
Last night she'd downed three convenience store desserts after dinner. The night before, a large bowl of ramen plus a chashu pork bowl. Whatever she held back at lunch, she paid back double at night. Eight months of that. Of course she wasn't losing weight.
Standing on the scale, Hibiki heaved a deep sigh.
"I'll get serious again starting tomorrow..."
She said it to comfort herself. She'd lost count of how many times she'd said that line.
Shaking it off, she headed for the free weights area. Just then, a cheerful voice called out.
"Oh, Hibiki-chan. You're looking energetic today."
She turned to find Machio Naruzo, one of Silverman Gym's trainers, standing there.
Machio was the reason Hibiki had signed up in the first place. At first glance he was a slim, refreshingly handsome guy — a gentle smile, kind eyes, and a white polo shirt that suited him perfectly. His voice was calm and his manner polite.
"Ah, Machio-san. Hello."
Hibiki unconsciously fussed with her hair. Somehow her blonde gyaru look suddenly felt out of place. It always did, in front of Machio.
"So what are we doing today? Chest? Legs?"
"Um... legs, please."
"Nice. Then let's start with squats."
Machio smiled. Something in Hibiki's chest tightened again.
Why is this guy so refreshing?
His voice as he explained the exercise, his posture, even the way his fingertips moved — all of it was beautiful, and she couldn't help staring.
"Okay, let me demonstrate first."
Machio shouldered the barbell and dropped into a squat.
"You lower slowly like this..."
And then.
Rrrip!
Machio's polo shirt tore wide open at the shoulder.
"Wha—"
Hibiki couldn't believe her eyes.
What emerged from beneath the torn fabric was an impossible mass of bulging muscle. His shoulders swelled like logs, his arms were thicker than Hibiki's thighs. Everything below the neck belonged to a completely different person. Where had the slim, refreshingly handsome guy from a moment ago gone?
"Whoops, tore it again. And this one was new, too."
Machio scratched his head sheepishly. The gesture was as refreshing as ever — if you only looked at his face, he was a normal handsome guy, but his body had long since surpassed bodybuilder and become something closer to another species.
"...Machio-san, you really should get that fixed."
"Haha, I get that a lot. But you know, muscle is honest — clothes just can't keep up."
Laughing, he started striking bodybuilding poses right there on the spot. Chest out, arms flexed, back spread. With each pose, the remaining fabric tore with another riiip.
Hibiki was speechless.
No — to be precise, she was fighting for her life not to laugh. His face was that of a refreshingly handsome man, his body an impossible mass of muscle, and he was posing with complete and utter seriousness. It was ridiculous. Ridiculous, and yet she couldn't look away.
And then she noticed.
Her heart was pounding.
She was laughing, but her eyes were following Machio's muscles. The ridges of his abs visible through the torn shirt, the veins on his arms — she kept catching herself staring.
"...What am I even looking at?"
Hibiki murmured under her breath and shook her head.
Was this a crush, or was she just startled? Even she couldn't tell. All she knew was that her chest got all fluttery around Machio. It was a strange feeling — pleasant and ticklish at the same time.
"Hibiki-chan, something wrong?"
"N-nothing at all! I'll do the squats!"
Hibiki hurried to stand in front of the barbell. Her face was hot. She was definitely blushing.
As if to cover for herself, she shouldered the bar and sank into a squat.
"Oh, nice form. Just like that, slowly."
Machio's voice was close. She could feel his gaze on her back. Her heart hammered as she worked through her squats, and her head was filled with far more Machio than muscle.
After training, Hibiki stepped outside the gym.
It was already dusk, the sky stained orange. The breeze was a little cool. She pulled a hoodie on over her sweat-soaked tank top and headed for the protein shop by the station, Muscle Mart.
It was a protein specialty store right in front of Sakuragioka Station, and since the owner, Mr. Todo, was a former competition competitor, the selection was absurd. Whey protein, BCAA, EAA — over two hundred varieties packed in tight. If she heard there was a tasting event for a new product, Hibiki always made a point of showing up.
"I wonder what today's new flavor is."
Inside, a line had formed at the tasting corner. Muscular male customers and women in sportswear stood chatting over little paper cups.
"This matcha one dissolves easily and has a clean finish." "Nah, I'm backing the caramel latte."
Conversations like that flew back and forth. Protein taste-testing was a genuine hobby for the regulars here, and a place to trade information. Hibiki joined the line and read the small sign describing the new product.
"New release! Sakura Mochi Flavor Protein — Spring Limited Flavor."
"Sakura mochi...!"
Hibiki's eyes lit up. Japanese-sweets-style protein was rare. And spring-limited on top of that. She had to try it.
The line crept forward. The tasting cups were running low.
"One left...!"
The man ahead of her took a cup and walked off. On the tasting table, a single cup remained.
Hibiki reached out her hand.
In that instant.
A gust of wind whipped past her side.
By the time she realized, the cup on the table was gone.
"Huh?"
A girl was standing beside her, as if she'd been there all along.
Silver bob hair. Pale skin. A slender frame.
She held the sakura mochi protein tasting cup Hibiki had been reaching for, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Hey, that's mine—"
The moment Hibiki tried to speak, the girl turned to face her.
Her eyes were sharp.
Blue-tinged pupils pierced straight through Hibiki. Like a beast that had found its prey, her eyes were narrowed and fierce.
"...You."
The girl murmured in a low voice.
Hibiki caught her breath.
She didn't know this girl. They'd never met. So why was she being glared at like this?
The girl drained the tasting cup in one gulp and tossed the empty cup into the trash. Then she turned back to Hibiki one more time.
Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something.
But no words came.
She walked straight out of the shop. Her silver hair glittered in the setting sun and vanished into the crowd.
"...What was that about?"
Hibiki stood frozen in front of the tasting table.
That look. Those sharp eyes, like a declaration of war.
She didn't understand. She didn't understand at all — but the intensity of those eyes stayed lodged in her mind.
"Did I... do something?"
Hibiki tilted her head, gave up on the tasting, and left the shop.
The first star of the evening was out.
The shopping street was quieter than during the day, and only Hibiki's footsteps echoed along it.
When she got home, an empty living room was waiting for her. She flipped on the lights and collapsed onto the sofa. Today was exhausting too. Her legs were stiff and swollen from squats.
Staring at the ceiling, she thought vaguely about the silver-haired girl.
That girl... she felt like she'd seen her somewhere before. But she couldn't place it. With silver hair that beautiful, she shouldn't be able to forget.
Beep-beep-beep, went her phone.
She looked at the screen. A call from her mother.
"Hello?"
"Ah, Hibiki? Are you doing all right?"
Her mother's voice came through the line. Maybe because of the time difference, she sounded a little tired.
"Yeah, more or less. How about you?"
"We're fine over here. More importantly, we're going to have a guest at the house starting tomorrow."
"A guest?"
"Yes. I'll give you the details later, but please welcome her properly, all right? She's a girl."
"A girl? Who? A relative?"
"Something like that. All right, take care. I'm hanging up."
"Wait, hold on, give me details—"
Click.
The call ended.
"...What was that?"
Hibiki stared at her phone, unable to move for a while.
Starting tomorrow, a guest. A girl.
Someone was coming to her house.
With no real explanation.
"Well, if Mom says so, it must be fine..."
Hibiki set down her phone and headed for the fridge.
Today's regrets could wait until tomorrow.
She pulled out the pudding she'd hidden in the back of the fridge and stabbed a spoon into it.
"Dieting starts... tomorrow..."
Even as she said it, Hibiki took a bite of pudding.
Sweet, cold, and delicious as always.
But more than the taste—
The silver-haired girl's sharp gaze, for some reason, wouldn't leave her head.
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