[Um… Koichi, will you be busy after class?]
[I’m thinking of hitting the gym for some weight training... but I’m a bit scared I’m doing the form wrong. Can you come with me?]
The moment Suzuran sent the message, her face turned as red as a boiled shrimp.
Her finger still hovered over the screen as her mind automatically replayed that moment from yesterday—
The quiet hand-holding on the mall escalator… the gentle smile at the corner of his lips, so tender it made her breath catch.
His expression had been restrained as always, but the words he said often made her imagination run wild.
Yes.
She was well on her way down the path of being a hopeless romantic—and getting deeper by the day.
Arriving early at the gym, she made a detour to the restroom and checked her appearance in the mirror three times.
“Hmm… Bangs aren’t sticking up, lip tint is a perfect matte pink.”
She whispered to herself and gave a quick spritz of her go-to scent: Hermès Un Jardin sur le Toit—a crisp, non-sweet mix of apple and pear, layered with a hint of dewy grass. Light, fresh, and just cute enough. Her signature gym fragrance—non-intrusive but unforgettable.
Her outfit today was the most non-nursing-student set in her wardrobe.
A fitted white crop tank top that revealed a glimpse of her abs. A soft pink logo sat over her chest, subtly drawing attention. The cut was just right—showing a hint of cleavage without trying too hard.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JX06jB0BD
She paired it with pale grey, ultra-short compression shorts. Her thighs were nearly fully exposed, and the fabric shifted slightly with every movement.
She caught her reflection in the mirror and blushed.
“Ugh, why am I trying this hard…”
Standing before the mirror in the locker room, she folded her arms, took a deep breath, and gave herself a pep talk.
“No, come on. No being shy…”
“Today, he’s the one who’s gonna blush first!”
“I’ve had enough of being the only one flustered and heart-pounding every time! So unfair…”
“I’ll make him lose his cool today. I swear!!!”
She patted her cheeks, now warm from adrenaline, and marched toward the first-floor training zone.
And then she saw him.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaKS7PRUD9
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Koichi Kimijima stood near the weight machines, just finishing a set. He had just put down his water bottle and turned her way.
Today, he was wearing a loose-fitting, sleeveless gray-white tank. The workout had clearly just ended—his body was still tense.
His collarbones were sharply defined, arms taut with muscle, deltoids and pecs flowing smoothly together. Sweat trickled from his jaw into his collar.
His bangs were slightly damp, clinging to his forehead.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdV8WL7OBQs
He looked like a fitness model from a magazine—clean-cut, stoic, and impossibly composed.
He didn't do anything flashy, but just standing there, he radiated a quiet intensity.
——
“…"
Suzuran stopped mid-step. Her face flushed all the way to her ears.
Lost again.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB2jastHayK
She bit her lip and grumbled internally:
This battle of hotness is rigged!!!
Where did I even get the confidence to think I could make him blush first?!
“What would you like to work on today, milady?”
Kimijima’s voice was calm and courteous as ever, handing her a familiar-looking shaker cup of protein powder.
A faint mix of hazelnut and coffee aroma lingered—her usual.
“Didn’t Coach Yuri usually train you? What made you call me today?”
Suzuran gripped the cup, eyes darting away guiltily.
“No reason… I just thought I’d try working out with a guy for a change, y’know? See how it feels different from a female coach…”
He nodded, tone still steady:
“Shall I look up which male trainers here are the most qualified, then?”
“Eh…?”
Suzuran screamed inwardly:22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOuSzGukFj
Do you seriously not care at all?!22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6LtSa7MbUt
This is one-on-one time we’re talking about! And there might be… contact! Physical contact!!
She was about to protest when something warm settled on her shoulders.
He had draped his jacket over her.
The scent of white tea wafted from it—cool, crisp, and clean.
He leaned in, whispering softly in her ear:
“Milady, I’m afraid your outfit today is a bit light. I’m worried you might catch a chill.”
His deep voice brushed against the edge of her ear like velvet, and her heart instantly short-circuited.
He took a step back and continued in his usual tone:
“Let’s start with some shoulder presses, shall we?”
Suzuran, seated on the bench, hadn’t yet recovered from that whisper when he stepped in front of her and began demonstrating the movement.
Raising the dumbbells, he calmly explained the mechanics of the exercise.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDQMfd8TCWT
His tone was steady and professional—but she couldn’t focus.
His arms, tense under the weight, his shifting back muscles, the rise and fall of his shoulders—she couldn’t tear her eyes away.
“…Koichi,” she mumbled softly, “When did you even get like this…?”
“When did you go from the boy who was always just there… to this?”
It was half awe, half a whisper to herself.
He didn’t stop lifting. Just chuckled quietly.
“I’ve been training all along.”
He finished the set, slowly sat up straight, and looked at her.
“Boxing, martial arts, weight training… I’ve kept it up.”
“After all, if milady ever gets married…”
He paused. His tone was calm—too calm.
“…I’d still like to stay by your side. As your bodyguard, at least.”
Suzuran sat on the bench, face burning, mind spinning.
If milady gets married, I’ll stay as her bodyguard.
So calm. So composed.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUXPUk7G4w
Yet it landed in her heart like a quiet grenade.
“You… you still want to stay with me?”
Her voice trembled.
“But… as a bodyguard?”
He nodded lightly, as if this was something he had long since planned out.
“Of course, milady.”
“After all, not every husband would be okay with his wife having a 24/7 personal butler.”
His voice was gentle, his eyes steady—but that one word, wife, stirred something she didn’t dare touch.
She froze.
“No—I didn’t mean it like that…”
She looked down, fixating on the towel in her hands. Her ears burned red.
That’s not what I wanted to ask…
What I wanted to say was… Do you really only want to stay as my butler?
Have you never once thought… maybe… stay by my side as someone who loves me?
And how could you just casually say ‘when you marry someone else’ like it doesn’t bother you at all?!
But of course, she couldn’t say any of that out loud.
Because saying it would mean admitting—
That she didn’t want him as a guard, a servant, or even a friend.
She just wanted him. Just him.
The feelings churned in her chest, hot and sticky, stuck in her throat.
A mix of bitterness, frustration… with just the faintest touch of sweetness.
Like drinking an entire cup of hot cocoa—but forgetting to add sugar.
Too bitter to smile, yet too precious to throw away.
“Ugh… do I really have zero feminine charm or something?”
She mentally punched a wall.
Staring at his always-calm face, she shouted inwardly:
If I can’t make you flustered even once today, I swear—!!
She suddenly stood up, chin raised, with a stubbornly flirtatious spark:
“No more shoulders.”
“I want to work on my glutes.”
Kimijima blinked, confused.
Before he could ask why, she confidently added:
“I want to be more feminine. You know, sexy!”
“I’m tired of being treated like a little girl!”
It was too real. She instantly felt embarrassed and coughed awkwardly, trying to regain composure.
He glanced at her, a strange flicker in his eyes, before letting out a quiet laugh.
His voice was soft.
“Which oblivious man had the nerve to say our lady lacks femininity?”
——
Suzuran’s smile twitched.
You, damn it! It’s you, you slow, infuriating butler…
Internally she screamed, but outwardly kept her graceful, ladylike smile.
“Well, you said I’d become someone else’s wife one day, right?”
Her voice was light and teasing—but the playful tone barely masked her challenge.
“So shouldn’t I be working on my womanly charm for my future husband?”
Kimijima looked at her silently, not responding immediately.
His eyes, always calm, seemed to hold a storm behind them.
He stepped closer.
This time, even closer than before.
His voice dropped slightly, though still composed.
“If it’s for your future husband…”
“Then I’ll make sure the training is extra strict.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpW9elgiDlO
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You made it this far—you're seriously the sweetest! 🥹💗22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8n3AdX3Dm
If you liked it, don’t forget to like 👍, bookmark ⭐, and drop a little comment 📝~22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXI6YoY2fN9
Your support keeps me going—and keeps the characters falling deeper in love 💞💭22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLl8wJDjcEJ
and then Add to home screen.