The Academy's Terminally Ill Side Character-Chapter 98: I Just Wanted to Work Out, Not Survive a Love War [2]

As I picked up a dumbbell, I muttered to myself, "Yeah, no. I’m not a saint. I’m a damn miracle for putting up with this."

As soon as I reached the rack of dumbbells, I gripped the nearest one like it owed me money.

I let out a slow breath.

Peace. Tranquility. Muscles.

I was finally going to have my moment.

I adjusted my grip, stepped into position, and began a slow set of curls. Just as I hit the third rep, I caught movement in the mirror—Nora, leaning on the squat rack, arms crossed, her eyes locked on me like a judgmental coach.

Was she seriously monitoring my form?

I tried not to look at her directly and focused on the mirror again. One... two... damn, my arms were already burning.

From the side, Violet sat on a nearby bench, checking her nails with the elegance of a queen, though her gaze flickered up every few seconds. She wasn’t even pretending to be subtle.

This... this was the worst kind of cardio. Emotional cardio.

"I thought you were going to do ten reps," Nora said flatly.

"I am doing ten," I replied, through gritted teeth.

"That was six."

I paused mid-curl. "It was seven."

"That one didn’t count. Your elbow moved."

Who even asked you?!

I forced out three more reps out of pure spite and dropped the dumbbell with a thud louder than necessary.

"Happy?" I muttered, wiping the sweat from my brow.

"That was better," she said. "Next set in thirty seconds."

"Who made you my trainer...?"

She raised an eyebrow, and I decided not to finish that sentence.

Violet, meanwhile, picked up a towel and gracefully threw it at me. "You’re sweating like you just fought a bear."

"I felt like I was."

"This is nothing. You should join my morning boot camp."

"Is that the one where three people vomited last week?"

"Weak ones. You’d survive."

I sighed and sat down on the bench, arms heavy, brain fried.

Just then, someone else entered the gym.

Ryen and few steps behind was non other then Leo himself.

I knew, because Nora instantly straightened up, and Violet tossed her hair like she’d rehearsed it in the mirror ten times.

I barely had time to exhale before the storm arrived.

Ryen strolled in like he owned the gym, sleeves rolled up, that lazy confidence radiating off him like heat from a sunlamp. And just behind him—

Leo.

Cool. Composed. And every bit the overachiever in motion, like he’d just walked out of a motivational poster.

The moment those two stepped in, the temperature in the room changed.

Nora immediately stood a little straighter. She wasn’t even pretending to relax anymore. Her arms were still crossed, but now it was the guarded kind of crossed. Like she was bracing herself for something.

Violet, on the other hand, casually flicked her ponytail over her shoulder, which would’ve looked effortless—if she hadn’t done it twice.

God, they were like cats spotting rival territory.

And me?

I was sitting on the bench with sweat-drenched hair and a dumbbell at my feet like some tragic gym NPC.

Ryen’s eyes scanned the room once—then landed squarely on me.

"Rin," he said with a nod. That was it. Just a nod. No drama, no smug comments. Just that unreadable, calm expression.

Then Leo followed, his steps measured. He didn’t look at Nora. Didn’t look at Violet.

Just looked at me.

"You’re here," he said.

"Yeah," I replied, as if there was any other answer. "Gym stuff."

Leo’s gaze lingered a moment longer, like he was trying to dissect my entire workout routine from ten feet away.

Then he looked over at Violet.

She didn’t speak.

Didn’t even blink.

But there was this tension in the air—like every molecule in the room was holding its breath.

Meanwhile, Ryen walked past the squat rack and stood right beside me, grabbing a barbell like it weighed nothing. "Mind if I use this?"

Did I mind? I could barely think.

"Go ahead," I muttered.

He began his warm-up set with all the grace of someone who probably wasn’t used to getting caught in the crossfire of girl drama. freewēbnoveℓ.com

Unlike me.

Leo stayed standing a few feet away. "I was hoping to talk to you."

Here it comes.

I saw Violet’s fingers curl slightly. Nora’s jaw tightened.

"I figured I’d find you here," Leo continued. "You’ve been... hard to reach."

"I’ve been working out," I said, wiping the sweat off my brow like that somehow justified all my sins.

Leo tilted his head. "Even you need rest."

I paused.

Did he just—

Nora scoffed. "Oh, don’t start quoting scripture just to guilt-trip him."

Leo didn’t flinch. "It’s not guilt. It’s just the truth."

Ryen kept lifting. No comment. Just iron and focus.

And for a moment, I seriously considered sprinting toward the emergency exit and never looking back.

Leo stepped a little closer. "You know I’m still waiting for your answer."

Again.

Seriously?

I thought he would asked me something about Kiera or there would be some tensions between Ryen and Leo since Ryen was defending Kiera from public critzisation.

But that wasn’t case.

Leo just simply didn’t care what happened with Kiera or who is supporting her.

"I thought we were past this," I muttered.

He shook his head. "I’m not trying to push. I’m trying to listen."

Nora crossed her arms tighter. "That’s rich, coming from someone who sends an invitation and acts like it’s divine law."

Leo turned to her. Calmly. Almost arrogantly. "You think I don’t notice how close you are to Ryen? That your defense of Rin is really just defense of him?"

"Are you accusing me of something?" she said, voice sharp.

Violet stepped forward, arms at her sides, tense. "This isn’t about you two."

Ryen finally set the barbell down, dusting chalk off his hands. "Maybe everyone could stop speaking for Rin."

And just like that, the room froze.

All eyes turned to me.

Again.

I cleared my throat, adjusting my grip on the dumbbell. My arms were still trembling from the last set, and now my soul was sore too.

"I didn’t join Leo," I said, slowly, "because I’m still figuring things out. That’s it. There’s no grand betrayal. No divine reason. No dramatic anime plot twist."

I stood, wiping my hands on my shirt.

"And right now, the only thing I want to lift... is some weights."

Silence.

Then—

"...He’s lying," Violet said flatly. "You’ve already made your choice."

"I haven’t."

"You have," Nora added. "You just don’t want to say it."

Leo didn’t speak.

Ryen... just looked at me.

He didn’t nod this time. He didn’t smile.

But I saw something flicker behind his eyes.

Maybe understanding.

Maybe disappointment.

Or maybe just... something waiting.

I sighed, grabbed the dumbbell again, and muttered, "You know what? Screw it. I’m doing deadlifts."

I bent over, grabbed the bar, and started my set.

One.

Two.

Three.

Let them argue. Let them stare.

I wasn’t a saint.

I was just a guy trying to survive his workout—and the warzone disguised as a friend group.

----

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