Chapter 125: Kitahara Takes Care of Rena-chan

After what felt like an eternity to Rena-chan, the lesson finally approached its conclusion.

The instructor lowered the music volume and guided the two sisters through a final sequence of slower movements. They stretched their arms, relaxed their shoulders, and gradually brought their practice to an end.

“Excellent work today. Remember to stretch gently afterward and drink some water. You’ll probably feel a little sore tomorrow, especially if you’re not accustomed to this kind of exercise.”

The instructor smiled as she gathered her belongings.

“Rina, you picked up the movements quite quickly. Keep practicing, and you’ll become more comfortable with the techniques. Rena, you did well too. You just need to build up your stamina and get used to moving for longer periods.”

Rena managed a weak nod.

At that point, she was far too exhausted to offer a proper response.

After saying goodbye, the instructor packed her equipment and left the house.

The moment the front door closed, Rena’s remaining determination seemed to disappear.

She lowered herself onto the living room floor and sat there, breathing heavily as she tried to recover. Her arms felt tired, her legs were uncomfortably heavy, and even the thought of standing up seemed like an unreasonable demand.

She had never imagined that a dance lesson could be so exhausting.

Rina, who had also worked up a sweat, was in considerably better spirits. After fetching some water for her younger sister, she crouched beside her and began helping her relax.

“Are you all right, Rena? Does anything hurt?”

“My legs…” Rena replied weakly. “They feel so heavy. I don’t want to move anymore.”

Rina couldn’t help giving her a sympathetic smile.

“You poor thing. You really aren’t used to this kind of exercise, are you?”

“I told you I didn’t want to do it…”

“All right, all right. I know. But you did finish the lesson, didn’t you? That’s something to be proud of.”

Rina gently massaged her sister’s calves, using light pressure to help her relax. She was careful not to press too hard, especially when Rena indicated that certain areas felt particularly uncomfortable.

Just then, footsteps sounded from the staircase.

Kitahara Chiki came downstairs and entered the living room. Taking in the scene before him, he couldn’t help smiling.

Rena was sitting on the floor with an utterly exhausted expression, while Rina knelt beside her, patiently tending to her tired legs.

“Rena-chan, you really need to exercise more,” he remarked teasingly. “We only had one lesson, and you’ve already run out of energy. What are you going to do if you have to practice for longer next time?”

Rena lifted her head and glared at him.

Under normal circumstances, she would certainly have found something to say in response. Kitahara’s teasing would have provided her with plenty of opportunities to complain about the unfairness of the situation.

Unfortunately, she was simply too tired.

After giving him a half-hearted look, she lowered her head again and continued resting.

Kitahara chuckled.

He turned to Rina.

“What do you think? Doesn’t practicing at home seem much more convenient?”

Rina looked up at him and nodded enthusiastically.

“Absolutely, Kitahara-kun. The living room is spacious enough for us to practice without worrying about bumping into furniture. It’s also much more comfortable than traveling to a studio, especially when we have to carry our things around.”

She paused to help Rena adjust her sitting position before continuing.

“And it’s much easier for me to arrange everything around my other responsibilities. I don’t have to spend extra time going out and coming back. Hehe, I think this worked out wonderfully.”

“Then let’s continue doing it this way,” Kitahara suggested. “We can ask the studio to send the instructor here regularly. If they charge a little extra for the convenience, that’s perfectly fine.”

He glanced toward the windows.

Autumn had already arrived, and the temperature would continue to drop as the seasons changed. Before long, winter would be approaching. On cold, rainy, or snowy days, traveling outside for a scheduled lesson could easily become a nuisance.

Having the instructor visit their home would eliminate much of that inconvenience.

Of course, convenience was not the only reason Kitahara favored the arrangement.

He had thoroughly enjoyed watching the lesson through the system’s live-stream function. The lively music, the coordinated movements, and the sight of the women gradually becoming more comfortable with the dance had made the afternoon far more entertaining than he had anticipated.

He was certainly happy to see the arrangement continue.

Rina, unaware of the full extent of his private amusement, readily agreed.

“That sounds good. I’ll contact the dance studio and discuss the arrangements with them. If we offer to pay a little extra for home lessons, I’m sure they’ll be willing to accommodate us.”

She then glanced at the clock.

Her expression suddenly changed.

“Oh! It’s almost time to pick up Aya-chan!”

Rina had become so absorbed in the lesson that she had nearly forgotten about her daughter’s kindergarten pickup.

She immediately stood up, mentally reviewing everything she still needed to do.

“I need to take a quick shower and change before leaving. Kitahara-kun, could you look after Rena for a little while? I won’t be long, but I should get ready now.”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

“Thank you!”

After giving him a grateful smile, Rina hurried upstairs.

She had to rinse off the sweat, change into fresh clothes, and make sure she left enough time to reach the kindergarten. With Aya waiting for her, she couldn’t afford to dawdle.

The living room soon became quiet again, leaving Kitahara alone with Rena.

He turned toward the young woman, who was still sitting on the floor and attempting to recover her strength.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“Rena-chan, can you stand up?”

Rena looked at him with an expression that clearly conveyed her answer.

She tried shifting her weight forward, but her legs felt unsteady after the prolonged practice. She stopped, let out a quiet sigh, and decided that remaining where she was would be much easier.

Kitahara crouched beside her.

“Are your legs still hurting?”

“A little. My calves and thighs feel especially sore,” Rena admitted. “I didn’t realize dancing would be this tiring.”

“That’s understandable. Your body isn’t accustomed to these movements yet. If you suddenly do much more exercise than usual, your muscles can become tired and sore.”

He examined her expression to make sure she wasn’t experiencing anything unusually severe.

“Don’t force yourself to get up. We can let you rest somewhere more comfortable.”

Rena hesitated briefly before nodding.

“Sorry to trouble you, Kitahara-kun.”

“It’s nothing. You don’t need to apologize for something like this.”

Kitahara initially helped her adjust her position and gently worked on the tense muscles around her calves. However, he soon realized that kneeling on the floor wasn’t particularly convenient for either of them. The floor was also cool against their legs, and there was little room for Rena to relax properly.

After considering the situation, he proposed moving to the bedroom upstairs, where she could lie down and rest comfortably.

Rena agreed without hesitation.

The only problem was getting there.

When she tried to stand, her legs trembled slightly, and she had to steady herself before taking even a small step. She managed to rise, but walking remained an uncomfortable struggle.

It was hardly surprising.

Someone who rarely engaged in strenuous physical activity could easily find an unfamiliar exercise routine exhausting, especially when it involved repeated movements that challenged several muscle groups at once. The sudden increase in activity could leave the muscles fatigued and tender afterward.

In many ordinary cases, rest, hydration, and gentle movement would help the body recover over the following hours or days.

Still, Kitahara wasn’t about to make Rena struggle all the way upstairs when he could offer a simpler solution.

He stepped closer and looked at her.

“Come on. I’ll carry you.”

Before Rena could protest, he carefully slipped one arm behind her back and the other beneath her knees, then lifted her securely into his arms.

Rena let out a small gasp of surprise.

“Kitahara-kun!”

“What? You can barely walk right now. Do you want to climb the stairs one step at a time?”

“I… I can probably manage if I take it slowly.”

“And how long do you think that will take?”

Rena opened her mouth, only to find that she didn’t have a convincing answer.

Kitahara adjusted his hold to make sure she was comfortable before turning toward the staircase.

“Just relax for a while. You can recover upstairs, and I’ll help you get settled.”

Rena’s cheeks warmed slightly at the unexpected situation. Nevertheless, with her legs still aching and her strength far from restored, she eventually gave up on arguing.

She settled carefully into his arms, trying not to put unnecessary pressure on her tired legs.

Kitahara carried her toward the second floor at an unhurried pace.