Chapter 45

Elena was still leaning against the support post, catching her breath.

She instinctively looked up.

With nearly a thirty-centimeter height difference between them, the man standing in front of her felt particularly imposing at this distance.

And from where she was standing, her entire field of vision was filled with his broad, solid chest. His sweat-soaked dark-gray tank top had practically become a thin film against his skin.

Through the damp fabric, she could clearly make out the muscles beneath it and the trails of sweat running across his chest.

She suddenly snapped back to reality and quickly moved her gaze away, fixing it instead on the hard, sharply defined line of his jaw.

“…Had enough?”

The man’s amused voice came from above her.

Elena’s face instantly burned.

“I wasn’t looking—” she instinctively protested. “Uh, I was thinking about your question!”

“Mm.” There was obvious amusement in Richard’s voice. “And what did you come up with?”

As he spoke, he leaned slightly closer.

His breath fell directly across her forehead.

Elena pressed her back firmly against the support post.

“Could you move back a little?”

“Why?”

“…It’s hot.”

Elena pressed her lips together as she spoke.

There was central air-conditioning in the gym, after all, and the heat generated by their workout should have dissipated fairly quickly.

But—

Her heartbeat was still far too fast.

Chaotic, completely out of rhythm, pounding wildly in every direction.

Richard looked down at the girl in front of him.

Her cheeks were as red as a perfectly ripe peach, and even her neck was tinged with a soft flush.

She was still biting her lower lip, her eyes darting everywhere, the tips of her ears slowly turning red as well.

And yet she still wore that stubborn little expression.

…Adorable.

Richard suppressed a breath and forcibly pushed aside a few thoughts that were decidedly out of place.

“So,” his voice returned to its usual unhurried tone, “have you decided? Losing comes with a price.”

“What?” Elena bristled. “Who said I lost?”

Richard raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a competition, not a duel. Since when does one round decide everything?”

Elena lifted her chin, sounding completely confident despite having no real argument.

“Best two out of three. That’s only fair!”

Richard stared at her silently for a few seconds before suddenly laughing.

It wasn’t the polite little smile he usually gave.

He was genuinely amused by her.

His usually cold, deep black eyes were filled with a warmth and indulgence that was almost impossible to miss.

The cold, distant aura that normally kept everyone at arm’s length seemed to melt away completely.

Elena’s heart gave a sudden little jump.

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—Why did this man have to look so good when he smiled?

“Fine.”

Richard straightened and took half a step back.

“Best two out of three.”

Elena let out a long breath, feeling as though she had temporarily saved her life.

“What do you want to do for the second round?”

Richard asked, a trace of laughter still lingering in his voice.

Elena’s mind began racing.

She had to win this round!

Her gaze quickly swept over Richard.

Broad shoulders. Thick back. Narrow waist.

The muscles across his upper body were exceptionally developed.

The sheer thickness of his chest and lats made his torso look solid as a wall.

…Got it!

The larger the muscle mass, the more limited the range of motion around the joints could become.

Especially around the shoulders, hips, and other areas surrounded by large muscle groups. If those muscles were excessively developed, they could naturally restrict the body’s ability to bend and extend.

The corners of Elena’s lips curled slightly.

“This.”

She walked a few steps to the side and glanced at the mirror.

Then, without hurry, she raised her right leg.

Her long leg, covered in black dance pants, rose straight behind her, passing ninety degrees, one hundred and twenty degrees, then one hundred and fifty—

until it was completely vertical to the floor.

She held it there steadily.

Her toes pointed toward the ceiling.

She tilted her head slightly backward until the top of her head lightly touched her raised leg.

The entire movement was smooth and effortless, without the slightest tremor or hesitation, as natural as eating or drinking.

The mirror reflected the full pose.

The young woman’s slender body looked like a bow pulled to its absolute limit, forming an extraordinarily elegant, almost unbelievable vertical line from the tip of her raised foot to her fingertips.

Beneath her camisole, the graceful lines of her waist and back were stretched to their fullest.

She held the position for a few seconds before effortlessly lowering her leg.

“This is basically a beginner-level move… Your turn.”

Richard:

“……”

His expression barely changed.

But deep within those dark eyes, a trace of helplessness flickered.

“Back leg.”

“Exactly.” Elena smiled brightly at him. “And then touch your head to it.”

Richard let out a quiet sigh.

He lowered his head and rolled his shoulders before turning to face the mirrored wall.

Elena couldn’t help widening her eyes.

She was genuinely surprised.

—Was this guy actually going to try?

Richard raised his right leg.

His legs were long, and the black athletic pants made the contours of his muscles clearly visible beneath the fabric.

His leg rose behind him even more slowly.

Once it reached roughly ninety degrees, his hamstrings were already beginning to protest intensely.

But he didn’t stop.

He reached his right hand behind him, caught his ankle, and began trying to pull his leg higher.

Elena’s gaze drifted for a moment.

…From this angle, the guy really did have long arms.

To counter the tension created by raising his leg behind him, every muscle in Richard’s core tightened.

His fitted tank top stretched to its limit, the fabric clinging tightly to every raised contour of his muscles.

The definition of his abs became even sharper, like slabs of stone pushing beneath the skin.

When he turned slightly sideways, Elena’s gaze unconsciously followed.

The lines of his muscles curved down from his shoulders, narrowing into a tight arc around his waist. His shoulder blades shifted slowly beneath his skin, like a dormant beast stretching its body.

The fabric of his tank top clung to his back, outlining every groove and rise.

Elena’s fingers tightened slightly.

But—

Those thick muscles had also become his greatest obstacle.

The sheer volume of muscle around his body severely limited the extension of his shoulder joint and thoracic spine.

His leg reached roughly one hundred and twenty degrees before he was almost at his limit—not because he lacked strength, but because the physical bulk of his muscles was compressing against itself, leaving him unable to extend any farther.

His brow furrowed slightly.

Elena was actually a little surprised.

That range of motion had already gone far beyond what she expected. Apparently, the man’s flexibility was better than she had assumed.

Her gaze slid from his chest to his thigh, where the curve of his quadriceps looked almost like something straight out of an anatomy textbook.

Richard held the position for another two seconds before calmly releasing his ankle and lowering his leg.

“Can’t do it.”

He said it matter-of-factly.

“So—” Elena planted her hands on her hips and looked up at him, unable to hide her triumph. “You lost too.”

Richard didn’t argue with the result.

“True.”

One to one.

Elena couldn’t help curling her lips into a smile.

At least some of the frustration from earlier had finally been released.

“Third round,” Richard said in his usual unhurried tone. “I’ll choose.”

Elena’s smile instantly froze.

“Why?!”

“I chose the first round. You chose the second.” Richard looked at her as though the answer were obvious. “It’s my turn for the third.”

“No way!” Elena immediately became alert. “What if you choose arm wrestling? Or bench presses or deadlifts or something else involving weights? I’m doomed!”

Richard raised an eyebrow and mimicked her tone.

“You picked a flexibility exercise. Wasn’t I doomed too?”

“…That’s different!”

“How is it different?”

“It just is!” Elena argued confidently. “I wasn’t even the one who suggested a competition. You suddenly brought it up!”

Richard looked at her refusing-to-back-down expression, and the amusement in his eyes deepened again.

“Then tell me. What would be fair?”

“How about—” Elena tilted her head back and looked at him. “We draw lots.”

“Hmm?”

“You write down three exercises, and I’ll write down three. We put them all in and draw one.”

As she spoke, Elena was already pulling out her phone.

“We’ll use a random-draw app, but there are rules—”

She raised one finger.

“First, nothing involving flexibility.”

Then she raised another.

“Second, nothing involving physical combat or pure strength. I’m not arm-wrestling you or getting into a boxing ring with you.”

“Of course.” Richard lowered his gaze toward her. “Unless you want to, I won’t suggest anything like that.”

A little thing this cute—what if he accidentally hurt her?