The cardio continued for half an hour until both finished their twenty kilometre sprint on the treadmill. The machines hummed softly as they slowed to a stop, their breaths coming in deep, controlled gasps.

They headed to the separate changing rooms again.

The room Vlad entered was long and spacious, with a wall-sized mirror hanging on one side. Along the walls were several door-covered sections that led to individual shower stalls.

He took a quick cold bath for ten minutes, washing away all the sweat from his body. The water ran down his skin in sharp, refreshing streams.

"This isn’t enough," Vlad muttered as he dried his body with a towel. His muscles still buzzed with leftover energy. "I should come in the evening again."

He changed into his academy uniform, placed the used clothes in his gym bag, and came out.

"If I knew you were this much work, I would have charged you 40 credits a month instead of giving a discount," Roman sighed, leaning back on his chair behind the desk.

"I’m impressed, Mr. Roman," Vlad said, his voice carrying mild surprise. "You supported me with the thousand kilogram reps without breaking a sweat. I can depend on you as my personal trainer from now on."

"Yeah, I’m honoured," Roman retorted, his eyebrow flickering in annoyance.

"I will be coming to the gym twice a day from now on."

Roman instantly flinched, hearing Vlad’s words. His eyes widened slightly. He was about to say something when Vlad continued,

"Don’t worry. I will pay you separately for both time slots."

The annoyance vanished from his face, replaced by a wide smile. His teeth gleamed under the fluorescent lights.

"You’ll certainly not regret your decision."

It took Chloe ten more minutes to come out of the changing room after taking a shower. Droplets of water still clung to the ends of her hair.

As soon as she stepped outside, a cold paper cup touched her cheek.

"Good work today. I’m proud of you," Vlad said in a soft voice, standing beside her. His eyes held a gentle warmth.

"Chocolate shake?" Chloe murmured, instantly snatching the cup from Vlad’s hand. Her fingers wrapped around it eagerly.

"My legs hurt," she continued, placing her lips on the straw, her eyes only half open and her breathing uneven. The post-workout exhaustion was hitting her low stamina hard. "I want to sleep."

"We are free after the next lecture," Vlad revealed as they walked out of the gym. The door swung shut behind them with a soft click. "You can sleep as much as you want then."

As they reached the long stairs leading to the central hall, Chloe stopped in her steps. The expanse of stone steps stretched before them like a steep mountain path.

She turned to Vlad, raised both her hands, and said, "Piggy ride."

"Eh?" Vlad raised an eyebrow. "I also did the same amount of leg workout as you." His own thighs still ached from the sprint. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Piggy ride!" she said again, her voice a bit sharper. Since Vlad had made her run twenty kilometres on the treadmill, he must take responsibility for her hurting legs now.

Vlad released a sigh and bent down. The tension in his shoulders eased as he lowered himself. Chloe climbed onto his back, placing one hand on his shoulder while holding the paper cup in her other hand.

Vlad grabbed her by the thighs and rose straight. Her light weight settled against him. As he began climbing the stairs, he asked, "Do you remember the first time I gave you a piggy ride?"

"Eight years ago. I broke my ankle after falling from a tree in the forest. You carried me back," she answered, moving her legs back and forth playfully.

"I took you to the forest to help me hunt a boar and ordered you to climb the tree to attack it from above," Vlad said, his voice low as he recalled the event. "You were so stupid back then. You didn’t know how to climb a tree, yet you did it nevertheless. My heart almost reached my throat when you fell from such a height."

For a moment, Chloe didn’t say anything. The only sound was Vlad’s steady footsteps on the stone. Then she whispered, removing her lips from the straw.

"I was afraid. You would think I’m useless and wouldn’t play with me anymore," she revealed.

Vlad stopped mid-step, his eyes slightly widening. The confession struck him like a soft blow. Before he could speak, Chloe continued,

"But I became happy. When you started crying for my injury after carrying me back to Mama."

"I-I only cried in your place because you weren’t crying at all," Vlad blurted, a faint red hue forming on his face. His ears burned beneath his hair.

Chloe didn’t reply. She placed her chin on his shoulder from behind while moving the straw of her cup to his lips. The cold paper touched his lower lip gently.

"Geez, I thought you also got hit on your head," Vlad muttered, taking a sip from the straw. The sweet chocolate flavour spread across his tongue.

They climbed the rest of the stairs in silence, Chloe focused on the remaining content in her cup while Vlad felt embarrassed because Chloe remembered something she should not have.

From the busy central hall where numerous students walked in and out while chattering, Chloe decided to walk on her own feet even though her legs still hurt.

Vlad opened the map of the main building on his phone. The screen glowed with blue lines and labels. Following it, they soon reached the lecture venue. The wide double doors at the end of the hallway revealed a massive circular hall.

The space opened up before them like a grand arena. At its center stood a foot-high circular platform, its surface polished smooth by years of use. Groups of students were gathered around it, chatting among themselves as they waited for the lecture to begin.

Vlad recognised most of them. He had seen them in the Orientation. But there were a few unseen faces as well.

As soon as they entered, all eyes locked onto him. Those who had met him before carried annoyance or anger in their gaze, their scowls sharp and unmistakable. Others had more curiosity behind their stares.

A smile formed on Vlad’s face as he found a more familiar face among them: a white-haired boy who stood alone, leaning against the wall at the back. His posture was relaxed with his arms crossed.

’Yo, Noah!’ Vlad called from the entrance, raising his hand. The greeting cut through the chatter like a blade, causing a gasp of shock to ripple through the crowd. Heads turned, whispers erupted and the sea of students parted slightly as all attention shifted between Vlad and the solitary figure at the back.