𝟭. 𝙃𝙀𝙍 𝙎𝙄𝘿𝙀 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙔 || 𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐮 [✔]

Chapter 72: Well-Deserve Treat

𝖘𝖚𝖓𝖓𝖞𝖘𝖎𝖉𝖊𝖇𝖆𝖇𝖍𝖊'𝖘 𝖋𝖎𝖈𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑 𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖞
#110523
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Aeris woke up before the sun.

On the final day of training camp, she forced her eyes open long before her alarm had even considered ringing. For a moment, she stared at the dim ceiling, wondering why she had agreed to wake up this early in the first place. Then she remembered: today she and the other managers were supposed to prepare a surprise lunch for both teams.

Her body insisted that this was a terrible decision.

"I hate this... argh..." she groaned, collapsing back onto the futon and pulling the blankets over her head. The cold morning air nipped at her arms, and the warmth of her bed begged her to stay.

Behind her, a rustling voice croaked sleepily, "Someone's energetic."

Aeris peeked over the blanket and glared half-heartedly. Yukie stood near the sliding doors, her hair sticking out in every direction, clearly just waking up. She rubbed her eyes slowly, as if even the act of staying upright was a battle.

"Energetic? I'm literally dying," Aeris muttered as she sat up reluctantly.

Despite their complaints, both girls got up and headed toward the small restroom space at the end of the hall. The camp was quiet—eerily quiet—aside from the sounds of sleepy footsteps and running water. They washed their faces, brushed their teeth, and tried to shake off the exhaustion weighing down their limbs.

The surprise lunch had to stay a secret. That meant sneaking out earlier than everyone else and pretending nothing unusual was happening later when the boys woke up. Aeris doubted she had the acting skills for that, but she'd do her best.

The sun was barely a thin line above the horizon when the girls stepped outside. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of trees and mountain earth. Waiting by the small path was Miyuki, an elderly woman with kind eyes and a posture that never seemed to bend despite her age. She was part of the cooking staff Coach Nekomata had hired for the camp.

"Good morning, young ladies," Miyuki greeted warmly, her voice somehow gentler than the morning air.

"Good morning," Yukie and the others echoed, bowing politely.

After gathering ingredients—vegetables, meat, seasonings, and more snacks than Aeris thought necessary—they headed back to camp. By the time they returned, the boys were still asleep, sprawled out in messy piles of blankets, completely unaware of the army of aunties preparing to feed them an entire feast.

"Thank you for your help," Miyuki said with a small bow once they'd unloaded everything.

The other managers bowed in return and began heading back toward their rooms to get ready for their own morning duties. But Aeris hesitated. Her eyes landed on the supplies, the cooking stands, the empty tables waiting to be filled.

"Um... Miyuki-san?" Aeris spoke up. "Can I help a bit more? Just for a while?"

The older woman's smile widened as if she'd expected this all along. "Of course. We'd love the help."

So Aeris stayed.

Within minutes, she found herself assigned to the grills.

Four grills.

Not one. Not two.

Four.

"Who uses matches? Why can't they use a lighter or a torch?" she muttered under her breath as she crouched beside the first grill. She struck a match once, twice—each time it fizzled out before she could guide it into the charcoal.