In the corner of the restaurant, Arisu, wearing the uniform of Advanced Nurturing High School, leaned back in her chair.
Her posture was a bit awkward, looking like she was about to slide off the chair, with most of her body outside the chair and her back bent like a shrimp.
At this time, Arisu was wearing Bluetooth earphones and holding her phone horizontally with both hands. Her face was flushed, her usually proud eyes were watery, and she gritted her teeth as she looked at the information on the screen in front of her.
If someone were behind her, they would discover that Arisu was watching a video demonstrating basic foot massage and leg recovery techniques, and she was diligently learning while practicing at the same time.
The reason her posture was a bit strange was that the table was too long, and she was too short. Even when she straightened her legs, they still weren't quite long enough.
Toru sat across from her, holding his phone and reading the news.
Just then, a waiter walked over, holding a steak.
Arisu was startled and quickly flipped her phone over, placing the screen on the table to prevent anyone from seeing the content on it.
She instinctively wanted to pull her legs back, but Toru was a step faster and stopped her.
Arisu used some force, but found she couldn't pull back at all. She glared at Toru, her expression tense and flustered.
The waiter placed the steaks in front of Toru and Arisu.
Seeing Arisu's strange sitting posture, with her whole body almost falling off the chair, he asked with concern, "Ms., would you like... um, a different chair?"
Arisu quickly shook her head. Her face was awkward and nervous as she forced a smile. "No, I'm used to sitting like this."
Since the customer said so, the waiter didn't say anything more. He only thought it was a shame that such a beautiful and elegant girl had such a strange posture. It felt like a waste of beauty.
He held the black pepper shaker in his hand and stood by their table, ready to add seasoning for them at any time.
Arisu said, trembling slightly, "Just put the black pepper on the table. We'll add it ourselves. I'm not used to having someone stand beside me while I eat."
The waiter subconsciously glanced at Toru.
It seemed she really couldn't hold on much longer. If this continued, Arisu might lose her composure. Toru didn't continue to pressure Arisu, but instead smiled at the waiter and said, "Just do as she asks."
The waiter bowed and placed the shaker on a corner of the table, then turned and left.
As waiters in high-end restaurants, they would always encounter customers with peculiar requests. As long as these requests weren't too excessive, the waiters would naturally satisfy them all.
The waiter left, and Arisu breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes even showed gratitude toward Toru.
Toru smiled. "Keep it up. You're starting to get the hang of it. If you don't work harder, I'll call the waiter back in a moment."
"Actually, when the waiter was standing next to us just now, you seemed more focused. Perhaps you also perform better under pressure?"
Arisu was afraid that Toru would really do that.
No, this bastard man would definitely do that.
In her panic, she quickly focused her attention on her movements, carefully following the steps shown in the video.
Sometimes she pressed down, and sometimes she stretched, her movements gentle yet firm.
When she was watching the video just now, she had already learned the basic techniques.
As a top student at Advanced Nurturing High School, this small technique could not possibly stump Arisu.
The only problem was that Arisu had been inconvenienced by her legs since she was a child. Her leg strength was extremely weak, and she couldn't even run very far.
Maintaining the same posture all this time made her legs feel sore, and the muscle soreness made her wonder if her legs still belonged to her.
She didn't know how long had passed. Just when the steak seemed to be getting cold, and Arisu even showed a look of despair, Toru finally let her rest.
Arisu finally breathed a sigh of relief, moved back a bit, and slumped onto the table, exhausted.
She wanted to get up and go to the restroom, but as soon as she moved, her delicate body swayed.
If she hadn't quickly pressed her hands against the edge of the table, she probably would have fallen to the ground.
The waiter on the other side was also startled by this scene and quickly came over to ask if she was alright.
Arisu waved at him and said, "I'm fine."
The waiter was slightly puzzled, but he showed a professional, polite smile and went to serve other customers.
Arisu adjusted herself, her small face flushed as she breathed heavily.
She was already weak, and at this moment, she really wished there was a bed here so she could lie down and rest.
Even the steak in front of her made her mouth water, and she had the urge to eat it all.
Arisu had a very small appetite and usually only ate two small pieces of steak, but at this moment, she felt like she could eat half a cow.
Toru smiled. "How is it? Are you hungry? You're too thin. You should gain some weight."
"But I know some girls have a big appetite, while others have a bird's stomach and lose their appetite after a few bites. This can make you eat more."
Arisu hummed softly. "So should I thank you?"
"No need to thank me. I've investigated your information. There are no pathological problems with your legs. In fact, if you exercise your leg muscles step by step, you can walk like a normal person."
"I think you're just lazy and don't want to exercise."
Toru's words made Arisu embarrassed.
Toru was right. She was indeed a bit lazy, so she wasn't willing to exercise.
If it was studying, she could read for a whole day without getting tired, but when it came to anything related to exercise, she couldn't stand it for more than ten minutes.
"Are you still going to say this is helping me exercise my leg muscles?"
Arisu said irritably.
"Not bad, Arisu. You've learned to answer quickly. I estimate your legs will be especially sore tomorrow. With your extensive knowledge, you should know that's lactic acid buildup, the soreness caused when a body that hasn't exercised for a long time suddenly engages in strenuous activity."
"Once your soreness is gone, I will force you to exercise again, striving to restore your body to that of a normal person in a year."
Arisu was so angered by Toru's shamelessness that she laughed. "A year? I hope you won't be so weak by then that you beg me to stop."
"Haha, Arisu, you can also make some interesting jokes. If you want to do that, you must work hard."
Toru laughed heartily.
Arisu was much more interesting than before.
(To be continued.)