Chapter 202 Strength is for the Advanced
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Haruto had passed by Rin’s gym several times since then.
He never went inside—just drove past—but even from the outside, it was clear there weren’t many customers.
(That’s probably why she’s pushing herself so hard…)
It was just as he had guessed, but knowing the reason didn’t mean he had any idea how to fix it.
Ding-a-ling♪
”Welcome,” Haruto said as the clinic door opened.
”Huh? Ayase-senpai? What’s going on?” he asked, surprised.
Rin, whose next appointment wasn’t for another two weeks, had shown up out of the blue.
A faint worry crept into Haruto’s chest—maybe she’d hurt herself.
”Um, I didn’t book a session today, but… is it okay?” Rin asked, glancing around.
”It’s not busy, so don’t worry,” Haruto said, giving a gentle nod. “Did something happen? Are you hurt?”
”Uhh… yeah. I think I strained my lower back…” she muttered, lowering her gaze.
”I see. I’ll take a look right away,” Haruto said as he guided her into the usual treatment room.
He decided to check her condition lightly first, just in case she didn’t need to change clothes.
”Please lie face down here. I’ll do a quick check on your back.”
”Like this?” Rin asked as she settled onto the table.
”Yes, perfect. I’ll touch your lower back now,” he said, placing his hands gently on the spot she’d mentioned.
(…Hmm? Doesn’t feel like anything’s wrong.)
Her shoulders were a little tight, likely because it had been two weeks since their last session.
But her lower back—the area she said was hurt—felt perfectly fine.
”How did it happen? The lower back, I mean,” Haruto asked.
”Uh… it started hurting when I woke up this morning!” Rin said quickly.
(…That’s definitely a lie.)
Her behavior was just a little too suspicious. Haruto had a feeling he knew why.
Maybe their last session had left something unresolved.
”Maybe you twisted it in your sleep?” he asked, watching her expression.
”Y-yeah… probably…” she replied, fidgeting slightly.
”Well, since you’re here, I’ll do your shoulders too. Could you change into the treatment clothes?”
”O-okay… I’ll go change,” Rin said, quickly heading to the changing room.
(Ayase-senpai… I’ll take responsibility this time. No—I want to take responsibility!)
Once Rin returned, now dressed in her treatment outfit, she sat on the table like usual.
Haruto explained the updated treatment plan he had come up with while she was changing.
”For today’s massage, I’ll work on your shoulders while using some electrical stimulation on your lower back,” he said.
”E-electrical…?” Rin repeated, her eyes widening a little. “D-does it hurt?”
”It might feel a little tingly, but it won’t be painful,” Haruto assured her with a calm smile.
”Oh… then, that’s okay!”
”It won’t be effective if we only stimulate one spot, so today I’ll attach electrodes to four areas,” he explained.
”F-four?” she asked, blinking. “That many?”
”Yes. First, the lower back where you said it hurts, and then the inner thighs—since they’re important for blood flow,” he said.
As he explained, Haruto carefully attached the electrodes to her lower back, then to the inner sides of her thighs.
Of course, all his explanations were completely made up.
While it’s true that electrical therapy can help with lower back pain, Haruto personally believed it was only a temporary fix.
So why use such a device in the first place?
Well… truthfully, it was obvious.
Low-frequency massagers were easy to buy and often used for “other” purposes.
They sent gentle electrical pulses to muscles, mimicking the natural signals from the brain.
These pulses made the muscles twitch slightly—as if they were being touched.
This strange, passive sensation could trick the body into feeling like someone else was touching it.
But the effect depended on the strength. Too strong, and it just hurt.
To feel good, it had to start soft… build up gently…
Going in strong from the start never worked—at least, not for most people.
”Okay, please lie face down,” Haruto said, his tone calm but slightly firmer than before.
Notes:
• Rin – Second-year member of the swimming club; currently experiencing a physical problem that Haruto may help solve.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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