They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System

Chapter 464: You Kept Up... Barely

But twenty minutes in, she risked a glance at Arthur. He was running without the slightest hint of strain, his jaw set in that same composed line.

He noticed her looking. "Eyes forward," he said curtly, though there was no real anger in his tone. Just something tense, tight, something he didn’t want to examine too closely.

She swallowed and looked straight ahead. The pace didn’t slow.

Thirty minutes passed. Then forty.

Her lungs began to burn. Sweat soaked her hairline, trickling down her neck in cold rivulets. She tried to keep her breathing even, but each inhale felt like it scraped her throat raw.

Surely we’re stopping soon, she thought desperately.

But Arthur didn’t so much as glance at the time. He kept going, silent, as though determined to run her into the ground.

Inside, he was wrestling with something he didn’t quite want to name. Why did it unsettle him to see her push herself? Why did it matter if she impressed him, or if she never looked his way at all, except as a student?

Stop thinking about her like that, he told himself sharply.

When the hour mark passed, he still didn’t slow.

"Sensei," she gasped finally, her voice cracking. "It’s been, more than an hour."

He didn’t answer, just kept running. For a moment, she wanted to cry, or yell, or collapse. But something in his unbending steadiness pulled her forward.

She clenched her teeth and kept going. One step. Another. Another.

At last, after what felt like an eternity, he drew to a stop near the training ground entrance.

Nnenna staggered to a halt beside him, doubling over, chest heaving.

Arthur turned to face her, his own breathing perfectly controlled. He studied her, her flushed cheeks, the sweat darkening her clothes, the stubborn light in her eyes.

She didn’t quit. Even when she could have. Even when I...

He caught himself, jaw tightening. noveldrama

"You kept up," he said flatly. "Barely."

A small part of him wanted to tell her she had done well. But he swallowed it down.

Nnenna managed to straighten. Despite how exhausted she felt, there was a tiny spark of pride in her gaze.

"Yes, Sensei," she said hoarsely.

He looked away, the familiar irritation prickling under his skin.

Why do you have to look at me like that? Like you’re...pleased to be here.

"Five minutes to hydrate," he said roughly. "Then we begin drills."

As he turned, he told himself it was just training. Nothing more.

But the tightness in his chest said otherwise.

Arthur didn’t give her more than five minutes to catch her breath after the run. He simply turned to face her, voice steady and cold as always.

"Next. Push ups. Twenty minutes," he said, as if announcing the weather. His eyes flicked over her, lingering for a second longer than they should have, but he didn’t let any expression slip through. "Go as low as you can. If you stop, rest for a moment. Then continue."

Nnenna swallowed, her throat dry. She lowered herself into the position and began counting in her head.

One.

Two.

Three...

Her arms trembled by the fifth push up. She could feel the burn spreading up through her shoulders and into her chest. At the eighth, she thought her elbows would buckle. By the tenth, she pressed her cheek to the mat, gasping.

Arthur dropped into push up position beside her, his form perfect and effortless. He started his repetitions without a single wasted movement.

Each time he lowered himself, she noticed the fluid power in his arms and back. His breathing was so calm, so controlled, it felt almost inhuman.

He didn’t look at her right away. When she finally forced herself to raise her head, his gaze shifted, meeting hers just for an instant. His expression was unreadable.

"You’re stopping already?" he asked quietly, no real mockery in his tone, just a neutral observation that somehow made her feel worse.

Nnenna pressed her lips together, feeling heat in her cheeks. "I-I’ll keep going," she muttered, embarrassed by how weak she sounded.

Arthur didn’t answer. He simply kept moving, steady as clockwork, never slowing, never losing form.

She tried to follow his example, pushing herself back up with a trembling groan. Her elbows nearly gave out. She rested her knees on the mat, shaking all over.

For a moment, she wished Somto were here instead. Somto would have encouraged her with a smile, told her she was doing great.

Arthur gave no such comfort. He didn’t need to say anything, his silence said everything. This was training. Either she would do it, or she wouldn’t.

After a minute of panting, she forced herself back onto her palms. She began again, each push up a battle against her screaming muscles.

By the time the twenty minutes finally ended, she collapsed on her stomach, arms feeling like they were made of lead.

Arthur finished his last repetition without a hint of strain. He pushed himself up to stand, glancing down at her, his expression as cold and composed as ever, but his eyes held something quieter, harder to define.

"You lasted longer than I expected," he said finally. His voice was low, almost thoughtful, as if he had surprised himself. He looked away quickly, hiding it. "Rest for five minutes. Then we continue."

Nnenna lay there, breath heaving, sweat soaking through her training clothes. Even though she felt like dying, her heart did a small, unsteady flutter at the fact he hadn’t outright criticized her. But as soon as she caught that thought, she shoved it aside.

Somto would have smiled. Arthur just...watched her.

She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing, aware of his silent figure standing over her like a shadow she couldn’t quite figure out.

After five minutes that felt more like five seconds, Arthur checked his watch and spoke without looking at her.

"Get up."

Nnenna’s muscles screamed in protest as she pushed herself off the mat.