🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 43
I told him to come to his senses and face reality, but there was no change in Lihart’s confident expression.
Instead, he leaned that annoyingly handsome face closer to mine.
“Don’t they score each event separately by gender? We just have to rank high in each one. You’re my rival, so of course you should place near the top.”
“So what you’re saying is we compete by ranking in each event—grip strength, flexibility, long jump, long-distance running, and so on?”
“Exactly. Since they’re measuring pure physical ability without mana, you won’t be able to cover up your frail body like before. Which means the victory is obviously mine.”
Lihart looked me up and down from head to toe and shook his head as if I were pathetic.
“Unfortunately, this match will be terribly one-sided.”
“For someone saying that, aren’t you preparing a bit too seriously? I know you’re secretly shaking at the thought of losing to me again.”
I dragged out the last words and shot him a sidelong glare.
“It’s not even a sports festival—going all-out for a physical fitness test is ridiculous.”
And then I ended up doing exactly that ridiculous thing.
“Li…hart… huff… If it weren’t… for that jerk… haah…!”
Panting as if I might collapse, I wiped the sweat streaming down my forehead.
The dawn air was cool, but heat blazed from my body.
“Li…hart… haah…”
I sank to the ground, muttering the duel addict’s name through clenched teeth.
As I gulped down water, I reflected on how I had ended up exercising at dawn.
Keeping up with regular classes and assignments was exhausting enough, but I also worked part-time at a café, attended talent classes, sat through student council meetings, and even went to early morning prayers to look like a devout believer.
Twenty-four hours a day wasn’t enough.
At this rate, won’t I just die from overwork again?
Adding exercise to this already monstrous schedule felt threatening, so I had been surviving on basic stamina alone.
And then Lihart had boldly thrown down a challenge at the perfect moment.
Maybe I should take this opportunity?
Tempted despite mocking him to his face, I found myself secretly running behind the scenes.
I ran on the way to the chapel and ran even harder on the way back.
Right, this is purely for my health. I’m absolutely not falling for Lihart’s childish provocation. It’s not like I’m investing that much time anyway.
Nodding to myself, I conveniently forgot that refusing to admit I’d taken the bait was far less mature.
Whenever I was around Lihart, I felt like I became childish too.
“Ugh, it’s hot.”
As I caught my breath with a frown, a cool breeze brushed gently against my right cheek.
The ticklish, refreshing wind made me close my eyes for a moment—until a strange feeling made me turn my head.
I met a pair of red eyes.
“Ah!”
The strength left my crouched legs, and I fell backward onto the ground.
Still seated like that, I looked up.
“You said it was hot.”
The one fanning me with his large hand was none other than Ban.
Yes, that Ban—the one who had barged into the flower bed and then run away without a word.
As I stared up at his suspiciously handsome face, Ban grabbed my shoulder and pulled me to my feet.
He lifted me up as easily as if he were pulling a radish from a field.
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Why is he so strong?
There was even a sense of stability in his solid arm.
“You’ve been running diligently lately. Busy?”
Apparently he’d seen me running more than once; he mimicked a jogging motion with both arms.
Even the way his long arms stretched out carried a certain restraint and elegance.
Those are all muscles too, right? I’m jealous.
“No. I’m just building stamina.”
“Hm.”
“Everything starts with a healthy body.”
I raised my forearm and flexed.
I had my fair share of practical, hard-earned muscle. If I exercised just a bit more, wouldn’t my stamina improve quickly?
I smiled at my reasonably grounded hope—only for Ban’s large hand to cover my arm.
“You won’t be able to use this for anything.”
His firm words instantly crushed the confidence that had been peeking out.
Unlike me, the shape of his arm muscles was visible even through his shirt, making it hard to argue.
I’ll just work harder from now on…
As I bit my lip and lowered my gaze, he suddenly grabbed my hand and began leading me somewhere.
“Follow me.”
“W-wait!”
With long strides, Ban walked toward a passage hidden behind thick bushes.
There was something like this here?
From the outside, it had looked like an ordinary grove of trees.
But astonishingly, there was a narrow path behind it, just wide enough for someone to pass through.
Unpaved and slender, the path stretched on endlessly until it finally guided us through a gap between low shrubs.
It felt like walking through a secret garden. As I looked around in wonder, something dazzlingly bright shimmered at the end of the forest path.
“Wow.”
The pond before us was so clear it perfectly reflected the clouds in the sky.
Sunlight scattered across the water like morning stars, as though someone had thrown diamonds across the surface.
Trees growing irregularly around the pond stretched their branches in every direction, blooming with flowers of various colors.
“Where is this…?”
With every breath, the scent of flowers and grass drifting through the air tickled my nose.
Though untouched by human hands, it formed a beautiful harmony all on its own—a small garden.
After wandering around alone for a moment, I approached Ban, who was now standing beneath a large tree.
The weeds around him were neatly trimmed, suggesting he maintained the place from time to time.
Is this his hideout?
A man who carried a scent as intense as roses felt oddly out of place among the pastel surroundings.
Everything seemed slightly blurred—except for Ban, who appeared sharply defined.
Why did he bring me here?
Keeping a small distance, I looked up at him quietly.
Ban curved his red lips smoothly and met my gaze.
As he tilted his head and rolled up his sleeves, he exuded a maturity that made it hard to believe he was a student.
He is a teenager, right?
The red gleam showing through his tousled black hair made me swallow unconsciously.
It felt as though time had stopped. A shiver ran down my spine.
Like a deer standing before a lion.
And finally, from those beautifully curved red lips came a firm command.
“Start. One hundred jumping jacks.”
“What?”
My voice cracked so badly anyone else would have burst out laughing, but Ban showed no hint of amusement.
“If you miscount, you start over. Begin.”
Why am I doing this?!
“One, two, three.”
“One!”
“One, two, three.”
“Two!”
My body obeyed despite myself.
