Post-Training Assessment
"Does Akashi-senpai maintain this practice routine every evening?"
"Only intermittently."
Upon concluding one hundred spikes, Akashi Asuka, the primary attacker, felt somewhat unsatiated, whereas Nishimori Tomohiko, the assisting setter, was on the verge of exhaustion.
Akashi Asuka cast a meaningful look at the younger boy.
"This youth's physical conditioning is inadequate!"
"Not for endurance."
"He will be incapable of satisfying others in the future!"
Perhaps perceiving the complex scrutiny in Akashi Asuka's gaze, Nishimori Tomohiko's face flushed scarlet, and he insisted, "I am perfectly fine, Akashi-senpai; I can certainly continue."
Akashi Asuka shook his head, stating, "There is no necessity; we have achieved sufficient volume for today."
"But—"
"Physical management constitutes a vital component of an athlete's daily regimen. Excessive exertion is not necessarily beneficial."
Before Nishimori Tomohiko could complete his protest, Akashi Asuka interrupted him, "Furthermore, after such an extended practice session, I find myself rather hungry. It is an appropriate time to return home for my evening meal."
"Understood," Nishimori Tomohiko responded, his voice softening with disappointment.
Akashi Asuka registered his lowered spirits and, after brief consideration, offered encouragement: "Do not be discouraged. Your setting today was excellent; thank you for your considerable effort. Exercise caution on your way home."
Nishimori Tomohiko's eyes brightened perceptibly, and his voice gained several decibels: "Yes, I understand."
...
After bidding farewell to Nishimori Tomohiko and departing the school grounds, Akashi Asuka procured some provisions en route to his residence. His statement to Nishimori Tomohiko was not merely a pretext; he was genuinely experiencing hunger.
The energy that the system utilized to augment Akashi Asuka's physical attributes did not materialize spontaneously.
The enhancement process was more akin to an accelerated training stimulus, which, while highly effective, drastically depleted his body's stored energy reserves.
Home Life and Personal Planning
Akashi Asuka's current family structure was typical of the working class.
His original parents were both office professionals, heavily committed to their careers, and were still at work at this hour. Except during holidays, Akashi Asuka habitually dined out.
The original Akashi Asuka, after all, lacked culinary skills.
This arrangement, however, proved advantageous for the present Akashi Asuka, as he had not yet formulated a strategy for interacting with the parents of this body.
As an orphan in his previous life, he was accustomed to solitude.
Even if these individuals were not his biological parents, he surmised that even a reunion with his biological parents back on Earth might have resulted in an awkward relationship.
After consuming his dinner and taking a shower, he returned to his bedroom. It was just past seven o'clock.
Akashi Asuka reclined on the bed, fixated on the wall clock, and momentarily froze.
In his recollection, he had never before been idle or retired before seven o'clock during his entire middle school tenure. Now, faced with such a relaxed schedule, he felt a degree of disorientation.
He lay there for a while.
Feeling profoundly restless, Akashi Asuka rose and retrieved a textbook from his bag to read.
Despite the fact that he had fundamentally forgotten all his junior high curriculum since his college years, the material taught in Japanese middle schools was remarkably simplistic. In commonplace institutions like Sengoku Middle School, which espoused "relaxed education," the curriculum taught in the third year was essentially equivalent to the first-year junior high material from his previous life.
In less than two hours, Akashi Asuka had completely absorbed the contents of an entire book.
At this rate, Akashi Asuka estimated he could commence preliminary study of high school material in less than two weeks.
At nine o'clock, Akashi Asuka retired precisely on schedule.
Though he did not feel overwhelmingly fatigued, this discipline was critical to his self-management. Akashi Asuka had assigned himself an aggressive training volume, and given that middle school students are in a key developmental phase, he required increased energy and prolonged sleep for adequate recovery.
The purported standard sleep duration for an average middle school student is eight hours.
However, Akashi Asuka had strategically allotted a full nine and a half hours of sleep for himself to guarantee complete physical restoration.
The Morning Regime
The following morning, at 6:30 AM, Akashi Asuka awoke punctually. After performing his routine stretches, he subconsciously flexed his arms, then paused briefly.
"Is this physiological state an effect of the system's assistance?"
Akashi Asuka assessed his body's condition and found that his recovery rate significantly surpassed his initial expectations.
He had anticipated considerable soreness that morning due to the impulsive, multi-fold increase in training intensity the previous day, but in reality, apart from a minor swelling sensation, his body exhibited no other physical abnormalities.
He was, however, exceptionally hungry.
"This is logical. Under normal circumstances, even the most robust physique could not endure the system's level of intense training. This protective mechanism appears entirely reasonable."
"If that is the case, perhaps I can further escalate the intensity of my training plan."
Akashi Asuka's initial schedule allocated one hour, from 6:30 to 7:30 AM, for practicing basic skills that were not overly demanding on physical energy.
But if the system indeed furnished a recovery mechanism, Akashi Asuka felt he could justify pushing the envelope further.
For instance, adding another thirty minutes to an hour of pure physical conditioning.
In any event, the first formal morning assembly in these junior high schools does not commence until 8:50 AM. Even without the system, Akashi Asuka felt that such an extended period in the morning was inefficiently utilized if not dedicated to productive activity.
······
[Ding······]
[The day's training commences in the morning. The discipline of engaging in covert training while others are resting is a prerequisite for a qualified Training King.]
[Congratulations to the Host for successfully executing a low-level intense training session in the daily ball passing drill, achieving twice the training volume of teammates.]
[Acquired Passing/Roll King Value +0.1]
...
[Congratulations, Host, for successfully completing one intermediate-level involution protocol in daily training—passing—with twice the training volume of your teammates.]
[Acquired Passing/Roll King Value +0.2]
...
[Congratulations, Host, for successfully completing one low-level involution protocol in daily training—jumping—with twice the training volume of your teammates.]
[Acquired Jumping/Roll King Value +0.1]
...
[Congratulations, Host, for successfully completing one intermediate-level involution protocol in daily training—jumping—with twice the training volume of your teammates.]
[Acquired Jumping/Roll King Value +0.2]
...
At 8:10 AM, Akashi Asuka concluded his involution—or rather, his intensive morning training. Subsequently, drenched in perspiration, he returned to the washroom for a five-minute rapid shower, consumed the substantial breakfast he had pre-prepared, and packed an equally voluminous lunch box.
At 8:30 AM, Akashi Asuka departed his home and proceeded toward school.
At 8:46 AM, Akashi Asuka entered his classroom, deposited his bag, and proceeded to the restroom.
At 8:49 AM, Akashi Asuka returned to his assigned desk and retrieved his academic materials.
Simultaneously, the morning assembly bell rang throughout Senkoku Middle School…