Nicole watched Zeke’s back as he started to run once more.
She returned to her previous position and stood still. Her slender figure and straightened back made her
seem as if she were a ruler or a monument.
‘Fourth lap. Fifth lap. Sixth lap.’ He thought.
Zeke’s pace was getting slower. He knew that he was truly nearing his limit now; the three laps he ran
just now were a piece of cake.
‘Seventh lap. Eighth lap.’ he thought.
At this point, for someone who did not have the habit of exercising, it was a matter of having a will that
was strong enough. His legs had gone numb and were swinging mechanically.
There was a voice in his head constantly shouting and instigating him, ‘Stop running, just stop running!
You’re too tired and need rest. This is enough for today!’
Zeke shook his head. The sweat on his face dripped onto the running track, silencing the voice in his
head for a moment.
He looked at Nicole, who was standing in the distance. Though his vision was a little blurry, he could
sense that she was watching him closely.
Zeke’s legs felt as heavy as lead, but he tried his best and continued moving his legs. He was fighting
the toughest battle with himself.
‘We live to become better versions of ourselves. Lucifer is looking at me. I can’t let someone who cares
about me down again,’ he thought.
‘Ninth lap. Tenth lap,’ he thought again.
Zeke looked at Nicole, who was within arm’s reach, and revealed a child-like smile. He firmly stopped his
incredibly sore knees. He did not allow himself to fall onto the ground as he did previously. He then lifted
his head to look at Nicole. His parted lips seemed as if they were conveying something.
‘Nicole, I did it,’ he thought.
Nicole looked at Zeke; he looked as if he had just gone for a swim. He was panting quickly with his body
slightly hunched over. It was not a beautiful sight, but it was the best he had ever looked in her eyes.
‘Nothing is tougher than surpassing yourself,’ she thought. Nicole looked at Zeke with a slight smile in
her eyes. They looked incredibly beautiful under the reflection of the sun.
“Good job, Zeke.” Zeke’s eyes instantly lit up. He looked at Nicole and moved his lips before finally
saying,” Thank you, Nicole.” Nicole did not respond but helped him up. They slowly walked on the sports
field for a bit before stopping
“You should be thanking yourself, not me,” she said softly.
Zeke looked at Nicole and revealed a smile, “But still, thank you. Nicole, if it weren’t for your harshness, I
would never have learned to man up and fight for myself.” She didn’t teach him how to run; she taught
him how to grow up. Nicole patted his head and did not answer. She turned around and prepared to
leave.
“Go back to class. You’ll get used to it soon.” Meanwhile, Zeke thought to himself, ‘Ten laps is still a long
way to go.’ Zeke watched as Nicole turned around and left without hesitation. He felt disgruntled and said
frustratedly, “Hey! At least let me walk me to your school entrance!” Nicole did not spare him a single
glance. ‘Northon Institute is practically right across Royal Creek Institute. If I were to walk him to the
entrance, I might as well carry him upstairs too,’ she thought. “I need to return to class.”
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