Yumo barely made it through his run before hitting the morning rush hour. He had no choice but to squeeze onto the subway with hordes of office workers, sighing at the flood of commuters pouring through the turnstiles.
*"I hate crowded transport. You go alone~"* the stupid Demon had said.
*"I’ve always wondered—can you appear anywhere you want at will?"* Yumo asked.
*"Physical ‘distance’ means nothing to me. Demons are born from human hearts, in a way. We can reach anywhere the human mind can conceive."*
*"Like…?"*
*"The edge of the universe, perhaps?"*
*"Can you only move yourself? Could you take me with you?"*
*"Do you wish to experience eternity beyond the cosmos?"*
*"I meant take me to the gym—hey! Stupid Demon?!"*
The guy vanished. Only Yumo stood frozen like a fool before the turnstiles.
*"...Damn it!"*
...
...
...
An hour later, he stumbled into the gym where his stepmother worked.
All the way here, he’d worried whether Liyu and his stepmom would get along. Would his stepmother—mistaking Liyu for his girlfriend (which she technically was)—give her a hard time? But arriving, he realized the odd one out was himself. The two were getting along perfectly fine on the treadmills.
*"Keep your heart rate high. Control your breathing. Focus on your form—yes, keep your upper body straight, head up! Short strides. Keep your knees low to avoid injury. Initiate the movement from your glutes. Feel it?"*
*"Huff... y-yes—"*
*"Just nod. Don’t force it. Stop if you can’t handle it!"*
*"...(nods)"*
*"Good, good. You’ve got talent. Now—huh? You’re here?"*
Chen Xiang flinched instinctively at the sight of Yumo, as if fearing he’d pull a cleaver from behind his back again.
*"How’s Liyu doing?"*
*"I need to find her limits first. Then I’ll make a plan—maximize fat loss without harming her health. Results depend on her persistence. As for you..."*
Chen Xiang let Liyu keep running while she pulled Yumo aside. *"Is she really your girlfriend? Be honest!"*
*"She’s my benefactor."*
*"But—"*
*"My·be·ne·fac·tor."*
*"Forget ‘benefactor’ for a sec. After talking with her, I can tell she really likes you. She said you care about her. That you pleaded with her homeroom teacher for her? Honestly... I’m starting to see you differently."*
*"But in truth, I’m just using that ‘debt’ as an excuse to force her to change."*
*"You’re such a stubborn kid... Still. You want her to stick with this, right?"*
*"Of course."*
*"Then train with her. If she sees you sweating on the machines too, it’ll boost her motivation."*
*"…………I guess so."*
Yumo shuddered. His arms and legs still ached from yesterday.
*"No time to waste. Go change. Start with the treadmill beside her."*
*"……………………Fine."*
——————————
*Huff... huff... huff... ughh...*
Sweat poured down Liyu’s face on the treadmill. Her soft body jiggled with each stride as she rigidly followed Aunt Chen’s instructions. Dieting was exhausting... and this was just the warm-up. The real workout loomed ahead.
*Why am I even doing this?*
*Because... Yumo confessed. We’re at least dating now. I don’t want to disappoint him... But is that enough to keep going? I snuck out without Mom knowing. What if she finds out? And it’s so tiring—just running! How will I survive the rest...?*
*"I’ll run a few laps too."*
*"!"*
Yumo suddenly started the treadmill beside her, dialing the speed to medium.
*"Focus on your run. Ignore me."*
*"Eh...?"*
*"Can’t let you suffer alone. I need muscle too."*
*(He’s training with me!?)*
Warmth flooded Liyu’s chest. He wasn’t even overweight, yet he’d endure this for her. *Such a good boyfriend!*
*"Just do whatever my mom says. If you clash, tell me, okay?"*
*"Okay... thank you..."*
*"And I’ll keep you company—WAIT, ‘ALL OUT’ TOO!?"*
Yumo yelled at empty air mid-sentence, making Liyu jump. He forced a poker face but kept muttering under his breath to something unseen. Seconds later, he seemed to surrender—and slammed the speed dial to MAX.
*"YUMO!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"*
*"I—I just wanna burn some youthful energy! OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! A REAL MAN SHOWS HIS SPEED TO WOMEN!!!!!!"*
*"SINCE WHEN IS THAT A THING!?"*
Thirty minutes later—
*"Ghk... glrk... huff... ahhh............"*
Yumo knelt on the floor, gasping, eyes bloodshot. Liyu and Chen Xiang stared, dumbfounded.
*"What the hell was that? Do you even know how fast this treadmill goes? How did you survive?!"*
*"Guh... cough... no big deal... just... showing off... for my classmate..."*
*"Right... Yumo, hydrate. Liyu, come here. Let’s start with basic machines. This rower first..."*
Chen Xiang seated Liyu on the rowing machine with the lightest weight. *"Grip the handle. Learn the posture. Feel the muscles working."*
Just then, Yumo plopped onto the adjacent rower—and cranked the weight to MAX.
*"...What are you doing?"*
*"Training."*
*"Are you insane!? Know your limits! No one starts at max weight!"*
*"I’ll ease down gradually... stay near my physical limit..."*
*"That’ll wreck your body!"*
*"I HAVE MY REASONS! Mom, just watch Liyu! Leave me—GYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"*
He began. Veins bulged on his neck. Teeth gritted. Eyes wide as if about to turn Super Saiyan.
Fifteen minutes later—
*"Liyu, how’s the rower?"*
*"Okay... urgh, my back and thighs ache..."*
*"Good sign. You’re using the right muscles. Next—the ab wheel. Posture is critical to protect your spine... Yumo? You holding up?"*
*"I... guh... hiss... fine..."*
Yumo drooped like a wilted plant but stubbornly followed them to the next machine.
Then—like a man possessed—he attacked the ab wheel.
*"ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!"*
The wheel clattered rhythmically across the floor. His body surged and dipped like storm-tossed waves. Miraculously, his form stayed textbook-perfect. Chen Xiang gaped. *Is this kid a bodybuilding prodigy?*
*"...Just know your limits. And this is a public gym—no screaming during sets."*
*"Got it hmmph-hmmph-hmmph-HNNNNNNNGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"*
