The conversation proceeded along more or less the same lines as canon. Smith said she couldn't allow the girls to be unhealthy while under her care, and they promptly complained about how their exercising options were severely limited.

Miia declared with an overly-serious expression, "It looks like we'll need to install a gym now, too..." Kurusu was unable to mask his true feelings regarding her suggestion.

"Unfortunately, with the number of us that there are, we require almost twice the space we currently have to fit all the equipment," I commented regretfully.

"I got it!" Smith exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she snapped her fingers. "There's a brand-new sports gym specifically designed for liminals that was just built recently..."

Although it was still in testing, we were all used as test subjects to observe the results, and the explanation was nothing new to me.

"I'll take care of everything so you can all arrive there early in the morning, feeling refreshed and energized!" Smith finished, beaming with pride.

"I think I'll pass, thanks," Rachnera replied, not too pleased at the prospect of waking up super early. "Besides, it would be better if someone stayed behind to look after the little ones..."

"Actually," Smith said as she sipped her coffee, "I'd like you, Papi, and Suu to join in as well."

Huh. Well, that was new. What had changed that made Smith bring this up now, I wondered.

Rachnera pursed her lips as she glanced at us. "But I'm not hefty like this lot," she remarked, gesturing towards us with a wave.

"Hey!" Miia, Cerea, and Mero shouted in unison, scandalized.

"Despite that," Smith went on, prompting another "Hey!" from the three girls, which was ignored, "Given the recent events, I believe it would be beneficial for all of us to make a more concerted effort to stay in shape. I assume Romance Master-kun has already informed you all about Draco?"

All of their heads bobbed once.

Smith continued fervently, emphasizing the need for caution, "This is only one example of things going awry if not taken seriously. Aki-kun's experience only serves to amplify the risk of this residence becoming the target of evil forces. After all, the number of exchange students living here is much higher than most domesticated households in Japan. Thus, there is a greater probability of someone attempting to exploit this vulnerability."

"But what could they be aiming for by targeting us?" asked Cerea, her brow furrowing with worry. Mero shifted in her seat, a sign of discomfort, and looked away. I had been spoiled by the reveal that Mero was a princess, but I didn't know much else. Nevertheless, many unpleasant reasons why people may be after she came to mind.

Smith assured Centorea that she would soon see what he was talking about, though her expression indicated she wasn't pleased. "Unfortunately, there is a significant number of people who target liminals who are out of their element," she said. "Generally, these criminals are quite inept. However, some are very intelligent and come prepared."

"Let's make it clear - we can easily handle any human who dares to harass us," Rachnera declared firmly. "Miia and Papi have the strength to crush steel, Mero and Centorea can disable anyone with a powerful kick or slap, I can ensnare anyone with my webs, and Suu... well, Suu is Suu."

"You seem to be forgetting something called the Cultural Exchange Bill," Smith remarked, emphasizing her index finger.

Rachnera snorted in disdain. "What good would that do? Waving that piece of paper at them would be just as useless as trying to enforce the law at that point."

"You're not wrong," Smith conceded, "unfortunately, little can be done about it now. Nevertheless, opportunistic humans are not the only ones you have to be concerned about. In particular, certain groups are organized enough to be multispecies."

Mero muttered to herself, "Like Charybdis..." though she wasn't quiet enough to go unnoticed by everyone else. When she noticed everyone staring at her, she looked surprised that her words had been heard. "Oh, pardon me, I didn't mean to interrupt..."

"It's fine," I promised her, my curiosity piqued to the highest level. "What's Charybdis? I'm familiar with the Greek myth, but I'm sure you're referring to something else..."

"I am afraid so," Mero said grimly, her face a mask of anxiousness. "It is an organization much like the ones Smith-dono refers to, though they mainly operate at sea. They have been causing a great deal of distress to my kin - my home, harassing travelers and raiding smaller villages. They are truly a menace and a vexation."

Smith sighed in exasperation, "I'm sure you've all heard of them. To put it lightly, this is incredibly irritating. My point is that I want you all to be able to protect yourselves in the event of any trouble. I can offer basic self-defense training if needed, but at the very least, I want you all to be physically fit. This way, even the strongest of liminals may think twice before trying to cause you any grief."

It was clear that Smith was pushing too hard for this, and Rachnera was right in thinking this was an overreaction to a few of the girls gaining a bit of weight. It seemed as though Smith was using this as an excuse to force us all to become as fit and healthy as possible.

I'd have to ask her about it later. If she wasn't ready to divulge her motives yet, that meant she felt that the timing wasn't right to share the information with everyone.

Smith cheerfully declared, putting on an even bigger and brighter uncharacteristic smile, "All of that aside, a healthy body leads to a healthy mind, and both together bring about a harmonious life!"

As expected from everyone except Smith, it did the opposite of the intended effect.

"Fine then," Rachnera finally conceded, her exhaustion from the conversation evident in her voice as she hurried away, "I'll go this one time, but I'm not optimistic that they have anything suitable for an arachne like me..."

"Don't worry," Smith chirped, "I have already taken care of everything for tomorrow. I made some special arrangements that will be in place by then."

"Lovely," Rachnera shot back in a dull tone.

"So long as I can shed a few pounds, I'll be alright," Miia grumbled, holding her hips self-consciously.

"You and I are similar on that," Mero agreed.

Cerea beamed with excitement, much higher than the other two, as she declared, "I had intended to get into better shape in preparation for my time with MON, and this is the perfect chance to do so!"

Kurusu gave a warm smile and sang a cheerful tune as he strolled back to the kitchen, undoubtedly on his way to tackle some task.

Smith asked me, turning with one hand on her hip, "Will you tell Papi and Suu about this?"

I gave her a thumbs-up. "You got it, cap'n."

Smith nodded approvingly before walking closer to me and leaning in. "Also, did you get the opportunity to investigate the matter we talked about earlier?"

Ah, right, Katsumi Katsuragi. Sadly, I was not able to fulfill her request. I shook my head regretfully as I promised her I would take care of it later today.

"Do it as quickly as you can," Smith said, leaning back and sighing. "Anyway, I really must be on my way. Sadly."

"I wish you all the best of luck," I said, giving her a lazy salute. "The meeting with Draco went even better than I had expected. I'll fill you in on all the details when you have more time."

Smith sighed in relief as she rubbed her temple and said, "Well, at least it didn't end disastrously. I need a vacation..."

At that, she left, and everyone else dispersed to their usual spots. Before I could do the same, a voice called out, halting my movement.

"Hey, Bando!" Kurusu shouted from the kitchen, "Do you have a moment to spare?"

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked, taken aback by his sudden involvement. He typically kept to himself, only joining group activities when Miia or Cerea encouraged him. I walked into the kitchen to find him taking dishes from the dishwasher.

"Oh, I was just wondering if you were ready to tell me what happened yesterday," he replied calmly. "If you'd like to tell me now, that's great. But if not, that's completely okay too."

Oh, right, I had completely forgotten about that. Well, there is no reason why not to... Ooh! I have an idea!

"Sure, how about later tonight, then?" I suggested. "Let's go out for drinks and chat about it. Would you like to have a beer or something else? Do you drink alcohol?"

Kurusu nervously laughed as he replied, "I did try it once a while ago, but I didn't feel anything from it. Have you ever done it?"

"Uh, yeah," I said to him, "I haven't had a chance to do it since I arrived, and I'm missing it. Would you be okay with that?"

"Yeah, why not?" He shrugged and smiled. "It's worth a shot, right? Just make sure we don't stay out too late. We have to be up early tomorrow, after all."

"Right, right," I said off-handedly, "I don't plan on going full shwastey-wastey tonight."

"'Schwastey-wastey'?" Kurusu echoed, looking confused, "Is that even a word?"

"Doubt it," I shrugged, "Anyway, wanna leave around eight?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Excellent, see ya then."

I had left him to his dishes and rushed to my room, feeling guilty for not attending to Smith's request, which meant a lot to her. I had procrastinated long enough and decided to spend the rest of the day catching up on some reading while I was taking a break. It was time to find out who Katsumi Katsuragi was.

To be continued!