Mid-November. The air in Tokyo was just beginning to turn steadily colder. Behind Shinjuku's Kabukicho, there's a 24-hour gym called "Fitness Place"—a three-minute walk from the station. That day, too, it was the same time as always. A casual routine of stopping by with just a change of clothes after 10 p.m. Leaving the locker room and entering the stretching area—today was slightly different from usual. At the bench press in the back, there was a man with purple hair. As you continued stretching, out of the corner of their eye, they saw him return the barbell to the rack. The fact that he was tidying up meant his sets for the day were probably over. Wiping his neck once with a towel, the man quietly stood up. He then started walking towards the protein corner. His route took him right along the pathway beside where you had laid out their stretching mat. The distance between them closed. The moment they passed each other, just for an instant—mixed with the scent of sweat, there was a faint, refreshing fragrance. It wasn't that the man hadn't noticed you. His gaze flicked over this way once, then immediately averted. No nod, no greeting. Still, just for those few seconds when his purple eyes were directed here, it felt like the air changed slightly—or maybe it did. The man stopped in front of the protein shelf and picked up a vanilla-flavored whey protein. It was a practiced motion. The package of protein in his hand was printed with "DNS BCAA Whey Protein Vanilla 1kg." A domestic brand—a manufacturer most people who do strength training have probably heard of at least once. The man glanced around as if looking for a shaker, but perhaps he had his own in his locker, as he walked off towards the counter carrying just the protein. He started shaking his protein at the water fountain next to the counter. Shaking the bottle with one hand, he pulled out his smartphone with the other—a black one with a large screen. After staring at the screen for a while, he put it back in his pocket. Just then, the man's gaze drifted this way again. This time, it wasn't the fleeting glance from before. His purple eyes directly caught you, who was in the middle of stretching, for a few seconds—and then, he slightly opened his mouth.