Chapter 562: Sora's Idea, Everyone Going to the Gym
Soryuin Shion was currently experiencing a rare moment of sheer, unadulterated panic. If she had opened that door a second earlier, she wouldn't just be facing a scolding, she would likely be kneeling on a washboard in penance. The close call cemented her resolve to quit smoking entirely. She was already down to a mere two or three cigarettes a day, but to think her fiance would catch her right as she lit her very first one of the afternoon?
Ren stood in the doorway, an amused glint in his eyes. Before he could even utter a word, Shion smoothly pulled the door wide open, stepped past him, and wrapped her slender arms around his neck from behind. She pressed her soft curves against his back, her signature airy laugh masking her racing heartbeat.
"What is this?" she murmured, her breath brushing his ear. "Are you giving me a surprise?"
'Was it a surprise?'Absolutely.'Had he lied about being at Totsuki?' Yes, the absolute menace.
Ren simply smiled, leaning back slightly into her embrace. "So?"
"So," Shion said, her tone leaving no room for argument, "you have to accompany me on today's inspection. Every single step of the way. You barely picked me up when I was in college, you meanie. You owe me a proper walk this time."
Standing a few paces away, Hiratsuka Shizuka let out a long, suffering sigh. She rubbed her temples, feeling her blood pressure steadily climbing. "Shion, that is enough. I am standing right here. Spare me the PDA, please."
True to Shion's demand, Ren found himself flanked by the elegant Koyo Academy President and the imposing figure of Amou Kirukiru as they toured the campus. Their trio drew stares from every angle. The students whispered excitedly, their imaginations running wild enough to script a grand, sweeping romance novel right there in the hallways.
Eventually, their impromptu procession halted outside Kasugano Sora's classroom. This happened to be Shizuka's period. The chain-smoking teacher sighed again; she knew Shion and Kirukiru were primarily here to check on Sora, but they were definitely going to evaluate her teaching methods while they were at it.
Inside, Sora was slumped over her desk, resting her cheek in her palm with a thoroughly defeated expression. She had just been caught sneaking sips of carbonated soda. Even though she knew it was for her own good, she desperately wanted to scream at the heavens. 'How could my delicate, refined stomach possibly compare to you mere mortals?! The human body is supposed to be amazing!'
Naturally, she kept those rebellious thoughts entirely to herself. Sora knew exactly when to fold.
Just as she was wallowing in her misery, Shizuka strode into the classroom, her voice ringing out with theatrical vigor. "Listen up! Today's class is going to be a little different. We are incredibly lucky to have the President of Koyo Academy conducting an inspection today, and our classroom has been chosen! Let's have a round of applause!"
Ren, Shion, and Kirukiru had originally planned to slip in quietly through the back door to observe. Instead, Shizuka had completely sold them out. Shion let out a soft sigh, well aware that her senior was exacting petty revenge for the hallway PDA. She could not help but wonder if Shizuka maintained her youthful looks purely through sheer childishness.
At her desk, Sora blinked in mild surprise at the mention of Shion. But when her gaze drifted to the doorway, her blood ran cold. Kirukiru was there. And worse, Ren was there.
Sora shot up from her chair, her pale face draining of whatever color it had left.
Ren offered her a warm, teasing smile. "Sora, are you surprised?"
'Ren-nii?! Why are you here?! This is not a surprise, it is a horror story!'
Shion stepped forward, a graceful smile on her lips. "This is my fiance, Ren. And this is Amou Kirukiru, the Student Council President of the university department. We will not take up any more of your time, Shizuka. Please, begin your lesson."
Shizuka clicked her tongue, clearly annoyed that her attempt to fluster them had failed, but she quickly pivoted to her professional persona. She commanded the room with impressive enthusiasm and strict discipline. Watching her work, Ren nodded in approval. Even Shion and Kirukiru exchanged surprised, appreciative glances at the quality of the lecture.
As for Sora? The silver-haired girl was sitting straighter than she ever had in her life. The pressure was suffocating. With Shizuka barking lectures at the front, and two intimidating older sisters plus her brother watching her every move from the back, Sora genuinely feared her fragile heart might give out.
Ren and Shion did not stay for the entire day. After the bell rang, they caught Sora's terrified, questioning glare, which only made both of them laugh. Even the usually stoic Kirukiru allowed a rare, faint smile to touch her lips as she watched the frail girl muttering frantic complaints to herself.
Eventually, Ren departed on his own. Thanks to the sheer adrenaline of the ambush, Sora remained exceptionally wide-awake for the rest of the morning. When lunchtime finally rolled around, she immediately began venting her grievances to Shiina Mashiro and the rest of their friend group.
Her rant was cut short, however, when the other girls revealed that their classrooms had also been attacked by the inspection trio. Sora instantly deflated, a strange sense of peace washing over her. If everyone suffered, then it was perfectly balanced. The group of girls shared a collective, helpless sigh. Life was just too difficult sometimes.
Meanwhile, in the faculty office, Kure Yakusha was practically vibrating with a terrifying, murderous aura. She had completely missed Ren's visit. Her dark, oppressive presence kept Shizuka and the other teachers exceptionally quiet and well-behaved for the rest of the afternoon. 'Sister, you are genuinely terrifying when you are like this!'
Far from the academy, Riven was wandering the bustling city streets, looking around with the wide-eyed wonder of a curious child.
There was no fighting here. No killing. People strolled down the sidewalks, chatting animatedly with friends or hurrying about their daily errands. There were no bounty hunters tracking her movements, no wary, hostile glares from paranoid locals. Instead, the pedestrians who passed by looked at her with open, unabashed amazement.
The admiring stares caught Riven off guard. It slowly dawned on her that Ren and the others had not been patronizing her. She really was beautiful.
The city was clean, prosperous, and incredibly safe. Every corner held something new and fascinating that she had never seen before in her war-torn life. She could not deny it, she truly liked it here.
Walking beside her, Lucifer caught Riven's softened expression and smiled. "Is it really that surprising to be in a place where you do not have to fight?"
Riven nodded slowly. "Mmm. It seems... the only things left for me to do are wash dishes and water the flowers."
Justice threw her head back and laughed. "You are overthinking it! Look at us, we barely do anything productive all day. But speaking of doing things, Lucifer, where exactly are you taking Riven and me?"
Lucifer's lips curved into a playful smirk. "Justice, you love fitness, do you not?"
The demon nodded enthusiastically. Lucifer then turned her crimson gaze to the former exile. "And Riven, you feel too idle. You are itching to find something to do with your body, right?"
Riven nodded again.
"You two are both seasoned fighters," Lucifer continued smoothly. "Did you not mention wanting to exchange training tips with Riven earlier, Justice?"
"Hell yeah I did!" Justice grinned, flexing an arm. "Riven's physique is insanely cool. We definitely need to hit the iron together sometime!"
'I just got this from brutal military training,' Riven thought, feeling a bit awkward.
Walking a few steps behind them, Nami tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Does military training really have that much of an effect? I suppose the female marines I have seen always had great figures, but maybe I just have not paid enough attention..."
Lucifer clapped her hands together. "We are going to the gym! And not just any gym, one of the absolute best in the city. It has top-tier, complete equipment. Aren't you looking forward to it?"
Justice blinked, momentarily stunned, before a massive grin split her face. "Oh! As expected of the CEO! But wait... is human fitness equipment even going to be heavy enough for me?"
"You can customize the weights," Lucifer replied effortlessly. "And if it is still not enough, just increase your reps. At worst, you can just rip the bench press from the floor and use the whole machine as a dumbbell."
Justice barked a laugh. "Ha! Good point! You always have the answers, Lucifer. Let's go right now!"
"What is the rush?" Lucifer chided, adjusting her blazer. "We need to go shopping first. We have to buy Riven some proper clothes, get everyone's memberships sorted, and pick out some cute workout gear. Then, we lift."
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