The sun rose in the east.
A cool sea breeze stirred the waves, sending them rolling onto the shore in soft, rhythmic crashes.
A group of high school boys in their prime sprinted along the beach, following the trail of retreating waves. Bathed in morning light, their youth and energy should've painted a poetic scene.
Should have, because if one looked closely, there was not a trace of that youthful glow on their faces.
Instead, all they saw were expressions that could only be described as... dead dogs dragging themselves forward.
"What the hell...? Why does running today feel so damn hard?" Yutaro Kindaichi gasped for air. He was only on his second lap and already felt like his legs were filled with lead. Even lifting them had become a challenge.
"Hahh... hahh... Save your breath and focus on not dying–" Akira Kunimi groaned behind him. He looked worse than Kindaichi, face pale and near collapse.
"Focus, all of you–" Hajime Iwaizumi called from the front of the pack. "The sand here is soft. Running on the beach takes more out of you than a regular track. Save the talking for later."
"Hah... I get it, but... how come Akashi doesn't even look tired?"
Yahaba Shigeru panted heavily. Just as he spoke, he heard rapid footsteps closing in from behind. His face froze in alarm.
Before he could react, Akashi Asuka breezed past him in long, powerful strides, overtaking him effortlessly.
Then, he passed everyone else.
He lapped them.
"...Shit!" someone muttered.
Watching Akashi jog ahead, breathing steady, face calm, the others couldn't help but curse in their minds.
That damn monster...
[Ding,, ]
[Congratulations, Host. In warm-up training, you've run double the team's average. Low-tier "Overachiever" performance completed.]
[Reward: Internal Progress Points · Stamina +0.1]
A familiar yet distant system notification echoed in Akashi's mind, causing the corners of his lips to curl ever so slightly.
To be honest, ever since entering high school, Akashi had rarely earned any [Overachiever Points] during regular training. Most of his progress came on weekends or days off.
It wasn't that he didn't want to outwork everyone during daily practice, it was just that when he first entered high school, his physical abilities lagged far behind the third-years.
Only after nearly a full semester of intense training did he finally start regaining the same rhythm and satisfaction he used to feel in Junior High.
And right now?
Akashi felt great.
Even his steps felt lighter as he ran. With a few more strides, he disappeared from Iwaizumi and the others' line of sight entirely.
"…"
What the hell... is he even human anymore?
They suddenly found themselves feeling a little jealous of Oikawa and Kyotani.
Yes, that's right.
Oikawa Tooru and Kyotani Kentarou weren't here. As for where they were?
Don't ask.
They were in remedial classes.
Although Akashi and the others had worked hard in the past few weeks to help tutor those two, and their grades had indeed improved significantly... there was still a problem.
Aoba Johsai was a private high school, and a top-tier one at that.
In Japan, public high schools usually embrace a relaxed "happy education" model. Grades didn't matter much as long as you passed. A score of 40 was often enough.
Private schools, though? Totally different story.
Since parents paid tuition, schools were expected to deliver academic results.
So while the passing score in public schools might be 40, at a place like Aoba Johsai, the passing grade was 50.
Thanks to a certain compassionate teammate who generously shared all his study materials, Oikawa and Kyotani had managed to pass nearly all subjects after a week of hellish cramming.
Unfortunately, both of them narrowly failed one subject, by just one point, scoring 49.
The result?
They were stuck in remedial classes for three more days before they could officially join the summer training.
At first, everyone laughed at their misfortune.
But now...?
Looking back, maybe they laughed a little too hard.
────────── ✦ ──────────
After the morning run ended.
The third-years could still stand, barely.
The second-years were hunched over, hands on knees.
The first-years?
Flat on the ground.
As for Akashi Asuka?
Oh, he was still walking in circles with small, relaxed steps to reduce lactic acid buildup.
After a short break, Coach Nobuteru Irihata announced the first training of the day, ball control.
Clearly, he was determined to build up their fundamentals from the ground up. And nothing was more basic than bumping drills.
For seasoned players, self-toss and bump was almost muscle memory, some could probably do it with their eyes closed.
But Irihata wasn't going easy.
He had a different method.
He drew multiple circles about one meter wide in the sand, placing players in pairs or trios in each. The rule was simple: all bump drills had to be done within the circle, without stepping out.
It looked easy, but it demanded precise, controlled passing.
None of them had ever trained like this before.
So naturally, chaos followed.
Mistakes piled up quickly.
And when one player's errors hit five?
They were "rewarded" with a special penalty.
[Run a full lap around the training base. Time limit: 2 minutes.]
Sounds simple, right?
Except Aoba Johsai's rented training facility was huge.
Running the full designated route was at least 500 meters, and more likely more.
On a track, two minutes might not be too tough. A full sprint would clear it in about 1:20–1:30.
But the real killer was the terrain.
One lap included running over sand, dirt, grass, and rocky patches, each with a different feel underfoot.
One or two laps? Manageable.
But if you racked up too many "rewards"?
Good luck.
Even Akashi received a penalty lap at one point.
And while he could probably handle seven or eight laps at full pace before hitting his limit, what about everyone else?
Needless to say, the morning training pushed everyone to their limits.
Akashi could clearly see how much progress his teammates were making.
Because those who weren't improving fast enough?
Were already lying in the corner, unable to move.
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 678+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 337
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 279
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 227
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 209
Playing Genshin Impact in Danmachi (Danmachi x Genshin Impact) — Up to Chapter 139
Kuroko no Basket: The Phantom Ace — Up to Chapter 67
Yukigaoka: Project Ace — Up to Chapter 62
Naruto: Starting from the Duel — Up to Chapter 52