A Beautiful Girl Confessed Her Love to Me as a Punishment Game, but After We Started Dating, She Started Getting More and More Obsessive - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“Alright, come on! You can do three more! Hang in there!”

Kiriatsu-san cheered me on with a big smile and an unnecessarily loud voice.

It’s already impossible. I can’t even do one more, and he’s saying three—he doesn’t understand me at all. People like him are the ones who push their employees to overwork and cause them to die from exhaustion.

The unexpected fatigue and Kiryu-san’s uncle’s (who’s also Kiryu-san, so Kiriatsu-san) annoying, overly passionate encouragement made dark emotions swell up inside me.

“No, I… I can’t. It’s my limit.”

“You can do more! If you don’t push past your limit, your muscles won’t grow!”

I don’t even care about making my muscles bigger.

During Kiryu-san’s routine, I just wanted to pass the time by trying out the equipment… Damn, why do I have to go through this?

He brought me to the floor with the pool, gave me a little hope for a swimsuit scene, and then…

“Kiriatsu-san, Numata-kun is a beginner, so don’t push him too hard.”

“Hmm, if he’s Kirino’s boyfriend, I think he can do at least three more.”

Kiryu-san, who had been doing his own workout, came to stop Kiriatsu-san.

When I opened my eyes slightly at the unexpected savior, I saw that Kiryu-san’s bangs were damp with sweat, and his shirt was slightly lifted, showing a glimpse of his white stomach.

I was a bit surprised, and my legs moved up.

“See? You can lift them up this high!”

Kiryu-san looked at me with a worried expression.

Somehow, it felt like I couldn’t say “I can’t do it anymore” because of the gentle words from Kiryu-san.

No, wait, it’s not that.

It’s just embarrassing to give up in front of Kiryu-san when she believes I can do it.

I squeezed out the energy that should’ve been gone and lifted my legs up, two times, then three times.

“Alright, you did it! Amazing! You worked hard!”

Kiriatsu-san praised me with a big smile.

I was surprised, too. It wasn’t that I managed to do it, but more that I was pretending I could. Maybe because Kiryu-san was watching?

“Wow, you’ve got some guts. Just like Kirino chose you!”

“Ha… ha… cough, cough.”

“Here, drink this.”

I was about to deny that I was only chosen as part of a punishment game, but then I started coughing. Kiryu-san rubbed my back and handed me a bottle filled with sports drink.

My body was craving hydration, so I didn’t hesitate and drank it quickly.

The sweet-salty sports drink soaked into my body.

Sweat poured out from my overheated body, and I felt my heart pounding faster.

By the way, wasn’t this bottle of sports drink full to the top?

I unintentionally glanced at Kiryu-san’s lips.

Could it be that… now, was this an indirect kiss? N-no, that’s not it. Kiryu-san was just being kind and offering me a drink.

I exhaled deeply. My racing heart wasn’t because of anything like that, just from the unfamiliar exercise.

I closed my eyes and repeated it to myself in my mind.

The relationship between me and Kiryu-san started because of a punishment game. More precisely, it started because of the mess between Kiryu-san’s and Fujisaki-kun’s groups.

Kiryu-san didn’t have any romantic interest in me. It was just a process of elimination. This relationship would end soon enough. I shouldn’t expect anything weird. I need to know my place.

I won’t misunderstand, I was chosen by Kiryu-san.

I began to calm down a little.

“Well, how was it? Doesn’t it feel good when you push past your limit?”

Kiriatsu-san asked with a big smile.

Honestly, no, it didn’t feel good at all. It was just tough, and I was tired. But, I didn’t have the guts to say that in front of a guy who was like a wild bear.

“Well, uh… yes.”

“Hahaha! You don’t need to be polite! Everyone finds it tough at first! But as you keep repeating it, it starts to feel good!”

“Is that how it works?”

“That’s how it works!”

“Then, Kiriatsu-san, you… oh, wait, that’s a silly question.”

“What’s the matter?”

“No, I was going to ask Kiriatsu-san, when you push past your limit, it feels good for you, too? But when I saw those big muscles, I figured I didn’t need to ask.”

“Hahaha! Numata-kun, right? You’re clever!”

“It wasn’t really a compliment.”

I didn’t even really mean to praise him.

“Kirino-chan, Numata-kun is good! He’s got guts and he’s interesting!”

“Right?”

Kiryu-san, wiping the sweat with a towel, walked over with a different sports drink in hand and answered happily.

What was that smile supposed to mean?

…I tightly gripped the sports drink in my hand.

I felt a bit disappointed, but even more, I felt relieved.

“Numata-kun, thank you for sticking with me.”

“Ah, no…”

“Huh? Kirino-chan, you’re done already?”

“We’ve been at it for about thirty minutes.”

“Only thirty minutes? That’s not much!”

“I just want to maintain my figure, so this is enough for me.”

“Hmm, I think girls should be a bit more muscular, though.”

“Numata-kun, let’s go.”

Ignoring Kiriatsu-san’s borderline sexual harassment comment, Kiryu-san beckoned me.

“Ah, Numata-kun, come again! As long as you’re Kirino’s boyfriend, it’s free!”

“Ah, yeah, thank you.”

Well, I’m probably not coming next time.

I forced a smile and bowed my head, then left the gym.

“So, finally, cake?”

“…Numata-kun, do you really like cake that much?”

“I do like sweets in general, but right now, I’m really hungry because we’ve been exercising.”

“I see, that’s perfect then. We’re going to a buffet now. They have all-you-can-eat cake, ice cream, and even a full meal.”

“R-really?”

“Yes.”

If I think of it as a way to enjoy the food to the fullest, the workout earlier almost feels like Kiryu-san’s considerate gesture. It’s funny how things can change once you’re past them.