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 - Silver-Haired Tears, at the End of Overwork ~Because I'm Moscow's Disgrace~
Gina's smile looked hollow somehow.
Sakura Hibiki chewed her toast in the morning living room, staring at the silver-bobbed girl seated across from her. Gina Boyd. The roommate who'd come from Russia—stubborn, competitive, and secretly lonely.
Two days ago, that woman had shown up at the Silverman Gym Sakuragaoka branch.
Victoria.
An elite trainer with cold eyes, sent from the Moscow branch. She'd mocked Gina as "Moscow's disgrace" and exposed her past in front of everyone. A country bumpkin with no equipment, a lonely girl who couldn't make friends. And she'd declared that if Gina lost the Silverman Cup qualifiers, she'd be forcibly sent back to Moscow.
Since then, Gina had been off.
"Gina, aren't you eating your tamagoyaki?"
When Hibiki spoke, Gina looked up with a start. Faint dark circles shadowed her blue eyes. Her skin, too, seemed somehow pale.
"Yes, I'll eat. Thank you, Hibiki."
Gina said that and cut the tamagoyaki into small pieces with her chopsticks. But she only brought a tiny bit to her mouth. The rest, she just poked at. The tips of her chopsticks traced the same spot on the egg—three times, four times.
(Something's wrong. The usual Gina would've challenged me to a contest first thing in the morning.)
Hibiki set down her toast.
"Hey, Gina. Did you actually sleep last night?"
"...Yes, of course."
Gina smiled. Just her mouth, a little curve. But her eyes weren't smiling.
"I'm just a little short on sleep. I'm fine, so don't worry."
"...Really?"
"Really. You're such a worrier."
Gina stood as she said it and carried her dishes to the sink. Her back looked somehow small. The sound of the bowl soaking in water went on longer than usual.
"I'm going to the gym alone today."
"Huh? I'll come too. Let's go together."
Hibiki stood up before she knew it.
But Gina didn't turn around.
"I want to do this alone. I'm sorry."
Her voice was quiet. The faucet water stopped with a sound.
Hibiki couldn't say anything.
(She wants to do it alone? We've trained together all this time.)
A small ache pricked deep in her chest.
Gina headed straight for the entryway. The sound of her putting on shoes seemed terribly far away. She tapped her heels twice—ton, ton—and the doorknob turned.
"I'm off."
"...Take care."
The front door clicked shut.
Silence fell over the living room. Only the refrigerator's motor sounded strangely loud.
Hibiki stood alone before the table. Gina's bowl was still steaming in the sink.
(Why couldn't I say it more firmly?)
I should've said "let's go together" with more force.
(Gina's definitely pushing herself.)
Those dark circles under her eyes. The way she wasn't eating. Going to the gym alone.
It was all Victoria's fault.
That woman had cornered Gina.
Hibiki clenched her fist. Her nails dug into her palm.
(I haven't done anything.)
Gina was suffering, and I just watched.
That was what ate at her.
◆
That night.
The Silverman Gym Sakuragaoka branch closed at ten p.m.
The reception lights went dark, and the training floor lights were cut too. After the members had gone home and the staff had retreated to the office, the floor fell dead silent. Only the low hum of the air conditioning murmured overhead.
But in one corner of the free-weights area, there was a single figure.
Silver hair.
Gina Boyd was alone in the gym after closing.
She gripped a barbell. The rack's metal creaked against her sweaty palms.
"...Hah!"
Squats.
Bend the knees, drop the hips, stand up.
One. Two. Three.
The weight of the barbell on her back bit into her shoulders. Her breath grew ragged. Sweat dripped from her silver hair. One stain spread on the floor, then another.
(Not yet. Not yet. I have to get stronger.)
That woman's voice echoed in Gina's head.
'Oh my, still playing around in a place like this? What a disgrace to Moscow.'
'A country bumpkin with no equipment, a lonely girl who can't make friends.'
'Lose, and you're forcibly sent back to Moscow. Don't think that's all it'll be.'
And then her father's voice.
'You've embarrassed yourself enough. That's the end of it.'
(Father...)
Gina gritted her teeth. Her molars ground together.
(I'm weak. It's my fault for being weak.)
Fifty squats.
Her legs were trembling. Her knees wobbled inward.
(More. I have to get stronger. If I lose, I'll lose my place.)
One hundred.
Her breathing whistled. A taste of iron rose in the back of her throat.
(I want to stay with Hibiki. I want to stay in Japan. But if I lose...)
One hundred fifty.
Her vision swam. The lights blurred and doubled.
(It's because I'm weak. It's all because I'm weak.)
Two hundred.
Gina racked the barbell. The bar clanged against the rack with a heavy thunk. Panting, she moved to the next machine. The soles of her feet stuck to the floor and wouldn't lift.
Deadlifts.
The barbell on the floor. Fifty kilos. Twice her usual weight. The numbers on the plates blurred.
Gina gripped the bar.
"...Hff."
She lifted.
Her lower back screamed. She could hear each vertebra grinding.
But she didn't stop.
(More. More. Stronger.)
One rep.
Her form was breaking down. Her back rounded, straining her lower back. Her knees shook violently.
(Ah, no. But I can't stop.)
Two reps.
Her hands slipped. Sweat made the bar's grooves slick.
Three reps.
Her vision went white and blurred. The ceiling lights smeared, bled, and seemed to fall toward her.
(Huh...?)
The fourth rep.
The barbell fell from her hands.
Clang.
The huge sound rang through the silent floor. The plates slid without catching the floor, leaving a shrill metallic echo.
Gina's body crumpled on the spot.
Her knees hit the floor. The hard rubber mat bit into her kneecaps.
(I can't stand...)
She put her hands on the floor. Her fingertips slipped on sweat.
(Ah, I've done it again...)
Her consciousness faded. The ringing in her ears receded like a distant wave.
Into a dark, deep bottom.
◆
"Gina-san!?"
Machio Naruzo came for his after-closing rounds and found Gina collapsed.
His fresh, handsome face went pale in an instant. The towel in his hand dropped to the floor.
"Gina-san! Stay with me!"
Machio shook Gina's shoulder. But there was no response. He pressed his fingers to her neck and realized his own fingers were trembling.
"Damn it... call an ambulance!"
Machio pulled his phone from his pocket. With shaking fingers, he pressed 119. He misdialed twice.
"Hello! This is the Silverman Gym Sakuragaoka branch! A female member has collapsed! She's breathing, but she's unconscious!"
After hanging up, Machio gently lifted Gina's body. In his arms, Gina's head lolled backward.
"It's all right. Help will be here soon."
Machio's voice was gentle.
But Gina couldn't hear it.
◆
Hibiki's phone rang thirty minutes later.
The screen read "Machio Naruzo." The vibration buzzed against the table.
"Hello, Machio-san?"
'Hibiki-san. Please listen calmly.'
The usual cheer was gone from Machio's voice. She could hear him swallow over the speaker.
'Gina-san collapsed at the gym. She's on her way to the hospital by ambulance right now.'
"...What?"
Her mind went blank. The TV was playing somewhere far away, but the words didn't reach her.
'It's Sakuragaoka Central Hospital. Please come right away.'
"...Okay."
Hibiki hung up and ran for the entryway. On the way, she banged her knee on the corner of the table. She felt no pain.
(Gina collapsed? Why? How?)
Her hands trembled as she put on her shoes. She couldn't tie the laces. They came undone twice.
(If only I'd noticed sooner.)
Hibiki ran through the night streets.
Her breath ran short. Her legs tangled. Still, she ran. The cold of the asphalt seeped into her feet as if she were barefoot.
◆
The hospital's white corridor.
The smell of disinfectant. The white of the fluorescent lights stung her eyes. The clock at the nurses' station read past midnight.
Hibiki stopped in front of the room she'd been directed to.
From beyond the door came a faint voice.
"...Uuuh..."
It was Gina's voice. A moan broke off, then started again.
Hibiki opened the door. The handle slipped slick with sweat.
Inside the room.
Gina lay on the bed.
Her silver hair spread across the white pillow. A pale face. Closed eyes. Beneath her lids, her eyeballs twitched. An IV tube ran up from her slender arm. The monitor's electronic beep sounded at steady intervals through the room.
"Gina..."
Hibiki stood at the bedside. The linoleum creaked underfoot.
Machio noticed Hibiki and bowed deeply. His back was hunched.
"Hibiki-san... I'm so sorry. This is my failure as a manager. I should have looked after Gina-san more."
"It's not your fault, Machio-san..."
Hibiki started to say it, then stopped. The words caught in her throat.
(It's not Machio-san's fault. I noticed. I noticed something was wrong with Gina. And I couldn't do anything.)
"According to the doctor, it's exhaustion and dehydration from mental stress. She'll need complete rest for a while."
"...I see."
Hibiki took Gina's hand.
Cold.
Cold as ice. The base of her fingers was stiff and rigid.
"Gina..."
When Hibiki called her name, Gina's eyelids slowly opened. Her lashes fluttered once, twice.
Her blue eyes gazed vaguely up at Hibiki. Her focus slowly sharpened.
"...Hibiki?"
"Gina! Thank goodness, you're awake."
Hibiki smiled through held-back tears. Her cheeks twitched.
But tears spilled from Gina's eyes. A drop traced her temple and soaked into the pillow.
"I'm... sorry..."
"Huh?"
"Because I'm... weak... because I'm... Moscow's disgrace..."
Gina's voice trembled. It broke off again and again in her throat.
"So... I caused you trouble too, Hibiki... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
The tears wouldn't stop. The pillow darkened.
Hibiki squeezed Gina's hand tight.
"Gina, you're not the one at fault. The ones at fault are the people who cornered you."
Hibiki said it firmly. Her voice cracked a little.
But Gina shook her head. Her hair rustled against the pillow.
"But... if I lose... my father... to Moscow... my place... will be gone..."
Gina's voice was barely audible. The monitor's beep filled the gaps.
"I... don't want to go back... I want to... stay with you... Hibiki..."
Hibiki couldn't say anything. Her throat was dry. Gina's coldness seeped into the palm of her hand.
(Gina, you were that scared.)
(I never understood at all.)
Hibiki's grip on Gina's hand tightened. Her knuckles went white.
"...It's okay. I'll do something about it."
Hibiki said it quietly. Even to her own ears, her voice sounded unreliable.
But Gina's tears wouldn't stop. On the sheets, her fingers faintly squeezed back against Hibiki's hand. Then the strength left them.
◆
The way home from the hospital.
Hibiki walked alone through the night streets of Sakuragaoka.
The moon was out in the sky. A coldness that didn't quite turn her breath white touched her cheeks.
Her phone buzzed. In her pocket, twice.
One message.
The sender was Victoria.
Hibiki stopped and looked at the screen. Her fingerprint smudged the glass.
'Two weeks left until the qualifiers. I've told Gina. If she's going to withdraw, now's the time. I heard the girl collapsed—Moscow's disgrace after all. Well, struggle all you like.'
Hibiki's hand trembled. The words on the screen blurred and became unreadable.
She gripped the phone. The edge of the case bit into her palm.
Her fingers went white. Her nail tips turned purple.
"You've got to be kidding me...!"
Her voice shook. The back of her throat burned.
"You... all of you... you're the ones who cornered Gina!"
Hibiki shouted at the night sky. Her voice echoed off the walls of the houses and died.
But no one answered. Under a streetlight, a single moth circled the glow.
The streetlight stretched Hibiki's shadow long. The tip of the shadow broke off at the base of a utility pole.
"...Damn it."
Hibiki bit her lip. The taste of iron spread through her mouth.
Tears welled. She wiped them with the back of
Novelia is an AI-powered platform to read original light novels and fan fiction, create your own in just a few taps, and chat with the characters. New, illustrated episodes arrive daily — free to start.