Stealing Spree

Chapter 2459: Cheered up?

Upon arriving at the gym, I was met with Sena and Marika waiting for me right at the entrance. Sena was already in her training gear, eager to start while Marika looked like she just stepped out of a magazine photoshoot. They were chatting merrily before I approached so when they saw me, their conversation halted.

”My! Ruki-kun! How was your day?” Marika practically skipped over to me, her voice as cheerful as ever. Her golden locks bobbed with each step she took. Looks like she’s in a good mood today. There’s also no sign of her Aunt being around. As expected, though. That woman would probably not follow her in a gym.

Marika’s guards probably didn’t tell her that I was an instructor here.

”Ruki, whoa... Something’s different from you. Is it the hair? Or is it because you smell of soap? What did you do that needed you to take a bath?” Sena, on the other hand, circled around me, her lips curving up to a smirk.

Her question was more sarcastic than anything, they knew I was at the ’Special Swimming Class’, after all. Furthermore, she was also present in the video call when we ate lunch earlier.

I pinched Sena’s cheek before pulling her to my side while I reached for Marika’s hand.

”I took a shower to wash the smell of chlorine in my body. But what about you two? Sena, your training? And Marika... why are you still in that dress?” I replied, raising an eyebrow at Marika’s attire.

Marika looked down at her dress and then back to me. Her lips curved up in a mischievous smile as she whispered, ”Uhm... I thought I’d change with you, Ruki-kun.”

Sena, on the other hand, hugged my arm as she reasoned, ”Coach told me I could wait for you first. She’s inside, entertaining the enrollees for your program. You’re a little late, Ruki.”

I couldn’t help but shake my head and chuckle. Mhm. This was why I kept falling for them. No matter what happened, they would also match my pace when it comes to expressing our affection.

”Am I? Didn’t the schedule at five in the afternoon?” I tilted my head but then it hit me. I forgot that Ayu adjusted it to half an hour earlier.

Noticing my expression, both girls laughed at my error. They only laughed but if this was any other job, the error could probably cause me to lose some of the enrollees.

”Come and let’s get you changed, Ruki-kun. You can apologize later.” Marika said as the golden ringlet girl started pulling on my arm.

Then Sena took over, her grip firm on my other arm. ”Un. You two get changed. I’ll help Inaho-nee with calming down the crowd.”

As we entered, the sight of the eager children and their parents was something that could be seen as either endearing or overwhelming. I waved at them and the younger ones cheered while the mothers who also enrolled looked at me with various expressions of anticipation and curiosity. Luckily, no one was mad.

Before I could wave to them, Marika dragged me into the changing room with her.

With her eyes brilliantly shining with excitement, I could tell what was in her head. The moment the door closed behind us, I cupped her cheek, gracing her lips with one gentle kiss, whispering, ”Mhm... I miss my golden-ringlet girl.”

”Ruki-kun!” Marika gasped in surprise as our lips separated but it was followed by a pleasant giggling as if she got herself a candy from a secret stash. She blushed and her eyes sparkled. ”You’re always so quick!”

”How can I not sense my girl’s longing for intimacy?” I said teasingly, as I began to help her unbutton her dress. It was a rare opportunity to have her all to myself in such a private setting, and I didn’t plan to waste it.

Of course, we didn’t have much time to do something more but the fact that we could have this moment here was already a win for us.

”Ruki-kun, you pervert.” Marika sweetly giggled as she also started taking my shirt off.

We stripped each other down to our underwear, our movements playful and full of excitement. Marika’s giggles filled the small changing room as I whispered sweet nothings into her ear, making her cheeks burn a deeper shade of pink. We both knew that this stolen moment was all we could afford before we had to face the eager crowd outside, so we didn’t hold back.𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

I kissed her again before we started changing into our training attire.

”Marika, tell me, you’re not losing sleep because of your Aunt, right?” I whispered in between our kisses upon noticing a slight difference in her eyes today.

”Uhm... A little? She keeps teaching me what she learns on her travels until late into the night.”

”Oh? What kind of lessons?” I asked. As long as it’s not about those toxic mentalities that the West seems to propagate lately, I won’t be too concerned.

”Just... stuff. You know, the usual. How to act like a proper lady, manners, and... well, how to run a country, I guess.” Marika said with a laugh, her eyes sparkling with mischief. ”But I don’t mind. It’s kind of fun, actually. And it’s not all bad, she’s taught me some interesting things about leadership and diplomacy.”

”How to run a country? Now that’s a little too out of the box. Where did she go to even try to learn that?”

”Uhm. Auntie mentioned touring the African continent, checking on every country there. She gave up after two days.”

”Hmm. Why?”

”She isn’t impervious to the climate. She’d rather choose our humid summer than experience extreme heat”

”Oh... I see.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought of Marika’s Aunt trying to conquer the heat of the African continent. ”Well, that’s quite an ambitious trip.”

”It’s also meaningful for her. She wants me to broaden my horizons like her. Do you know what I said?” Marika whispered as anticipation built up in her expression as I helped her put on her training pants.

”Tell me.”

”Hehe. I said I will do it if I’m with you.” Marika grinned, beyond her innocence was her unique sincerity that despite her upbringing became one of her most wonderful traits.

”I bet she scolded you for that answer.”

”She did!” Marika giggled, the sound echoing in the small space. ”But I don’t mind. If I’m going to do it, it can’t be without you. Besides, I know you’ll always be there to save me if it gets too much, Ruki-kun.”

Upon saying that, she grabbed my shirt and also helped me put it on. Once that was done, she pulled me for another kiss. It was like a silent promise that we’d always be together in any adventure she might take, even if it was as simple as a trip around the globe.

There’s Mizuki who wanted a trip to Europe and now, here’s Marika who will only accept her Aunt’s suggestion of ’broadening her horizon’ with me.

After finishing our quick change, we stepped out of the changing room and faced the eager crowd.

Of course, Marika joined Sena on the side while I stood in front of the sixty enrollees of my Basics of Boxing Program.

Ayu was sitting on a bench, supervising me again.

”Alright. First off, I apologize for coming in late. I owe everyone this.” I announced along with a small bow. The mothers and children looked at me with understanding nods. ”Now, this is our ninth lesson. Tomorrow will be the last one and I appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding. I may be harsh at times but seeing all of you improve is what motivates me.”

One of the mothers spoke, ”You don’t have to apologize, sensei. You delivered an excellent course like what we’d been told by the previous enrollees.”

”Yes! Sensei, those bullies are now scared of me when I show them I can punch. Hehe.” One adorable grade-schooler spoke up, raising her gloved hand in a victory pose. The crowd chuckled at her enthusiasm, and I couldn’t help but walk toward her and ruffle her hair.

”Alright. But don’t discriminately hit someone, understand? You have to make friends too.” I said, gently smiling at her, making sure she knew that I appreciated her spirit. She nodded with a smile.

After a few more of these wherein my students felt like they were trying to cheer me up, Ayu, Sena and Marika chirped in, teasing me alongside them.

The mood lightened up so much that when I suddenly turned back to my usual strict demeanor when instructing them, the silence became a little awkward.

The other members of the gym exercising away from us couldn’t help but laugh at the amusing show.

Even Hisa-jii shook his head from his seat as if he had just witnessed a rare solar eclipse.

In any case, I waved it off and started the ninth and possibly the final lesson after telling them that tomorrow, there wouldn’t be any lessons anymore. It would be a practical test where they’d put all they learned in a short sparring match.

While the majority were excited, some dreaded it. When I revealed that they could opt out of it, the mothers released a sigh of relief.