We returned to the running path and began moving side by side. The girl adjusted her speed to match mine during the first few steps. My pride hurt a little when I noticed, but I kept quiet so I could remain beside her longer.
We ran in silence for a while.
Our shoes struck the ground in almost the same rhythm, and the cool morning air refreshed my sweaty face. Her breathing remained perfectly steady, while I had to control mine carefully so she wouldn’t notice how nervous I was.
I tried to keep my eyes on the path ahead, but my gaze occasionally drifted toward her. Her golden hair swayed behind her shoulders with every step, and as the sun rose higher, a thin line of light formed along its edges.
This time, I made sure not to stare for too long. I looked at her for two seconds, quickly turned forward, then looked again after several steps.
I decided it didn’t count as being a creep as long as I didn’t stare for ten seconds at once.
During my fifth or sixth secret glance, the girl suddenly turned her head toward me.
"Do you live nearby?"
I almost stumbled again, but this time I managed to recover.
"Yes, about twenty minutes from here. It takes a while on foot, but it’s shorter if I run." A few seconds later, I returned the question. "What about you?"
The girl raised a hand and pointed toward one of the tall apartment buildings on the other side of the park.
"I live there."
The building she indicated was taller than everything surrounding it. Its exterior was covered in dark glass, and even from a distance, the wide balconies, security area at the entrance, and rooftop lighting made it obvious that it was expensive.
So my angel was rich.
That information didn’t make her any more beautiful in my eyes. She had already reached the highest possible level. Thinking about the financial gap between us merely placed an invisible weight on my shoulders.
Still, I smiled as I looked at the building.
"You’re lucky to have a park like this right outside your home. In my old life, I always wished I could live somewhere like this."
The girl’s steps slowed slightly.
"Your old life?"
Cold sweat ran down my back as I realized what I had said. When I turned toward her, I saw the curiosity on her face.
"Ah, um... I meant when I was a child!"
My voice was too loud again.
"I was talking about my childhood. Sometimes I call it my old life because everything feels so different once you grow up. That’s a completely normal expression, right?"
It wasn’t normal at all.
The girl studied me for a few seconds before laughing softly.
"It’s a little dramatic, but I understand what you mean."
"Yes, exactly. I’m a little dramatic."
For someone who called himself Great Noctis during his streams, that excuse was surprisingly believable.
At that moment, blue light flashed at the edge of my vision.
[Natural growth threshold exceeded.]
[Stamina: 12 → 13]
Considering I had nearly killed myself to gain two points yesterday, I would normally have stopped and celebrated this notification.
But while my angel was running beside me, I didn’t have time to spare for a single number on a screen.
I would deal with it later.
I pushed the panel out of my mind and tried to move the conversation away from dangerous territory.
"How old are you?"
I regretted the question the moment it left my mouth.
In my old life, I had seen enough examples of how dangerous asking a woman’s age could be. Of course, the girl in front of me wasn’t an older woman trying to look young, but I had no idea at what age such questions became forbidden.
"You don’t have to answer," I added hurriedly. "I was only curious. Your age doesn’t actually matter to me at all."
As though she didn’t understand why I was panicking, the girl calmly replied:
"Eighteen."
My face immediately lit up.
"Really? We’re the same age!"
Actually, I would turn eighteen in 1 month, but saying I was eighteen felt more accurate, so that was what I went with.
The number of things we had in common was finally beginning to increase. Being the same age might not have been a huge deal by itself, but my mind was ready to accept it as another sign of fate.
"Really?" The girl looked at me and smiled. "I thought you were a little younger."
A small knife stabbed into my heart.
She probably thought that because of my slender body and face. At least she hadn’t said I looked thirteen, so I decided to count it as half a victory.
A second notification appeared before my eyes.
[Natural growth threshold exceeded.]
[Agility: 11 → 12]
The System was showering me with rewards today, but once again, it had chosen the wrong time. I subtly waved the panel away and hoped that if the girl noticed, she would assume I was swatting a fly in front of my face.
We continued running for two laps. Thanks to my new Stamina point and White Snake’s constant recovery effect, I could maintain the pace, but the girl’s breathing remained far calmer than mine.
As we approached the outdoor exercise area at the end of the second lap, she looked toward the metal bars.
"Would you like to do some pull-ups?"
My steps faltered for a moment.
Yesterday, I had managed a single pull-up in front of her before falling on my butt. If I did the same thing today, I might lose every bit of respect that had begun growing between us.
Refusing her offer would be even worse, though. I couldn’t let her think I was afraid.
"Sure," I said, making sure my voice didn’t tremble. "It was already part of my routine."
As we left the running path, I opened the System panel.
[Identity: Noctis Evernight]
[Strength: 11]
[Agility: 12]
[Stamina: 13]
My Strength was one point higher than yesterday, and White Snake had allowed my muscles to recover completely. I had managed another pull-up yesterday even while exhausted at the end of my workout.
Now that I was rested, I should be able to do at least five.
Probably.
If five proved too much, I would stop at four and claim I cared more about perfect form.
When we reached the pull-up bar, I rubbed my palms together and looked up. Just as I bent my knees slightly to go first, the girl touched my arm and stopped me.
"How about I go first?" she asked. "I can show you the correct form, and you can rest a little longer while you watch."
I already knew the correct form.
Pull-ups had been an ordinary part of my daily training in my old body. The reason I had struggled yesterday wasn’t a lack of knowledge. It was because this body’s arms were as weak as cooked noodles.
Of course, I couldn’t tell her any of that.
So I stepped back and made a polite gesture toward the metal bar. Trying to put all my gentlemanly charm into my voice, I smiled.
"All right. Ladies first."
Instead of reaching for the bar, the girl tilted her head adorably. Brief surprise appeared in her blue eyes before she covered her mouth and laughed.
My heart filled with warmth because I had made her laugh, but since I didn’t understand what was so funny, I raised my eyebrows.
"What is it?"
The girl shook her head while trying to suppress her laughter.
"Nothing... It just sounded funny coming from another girl."
The smile froze on my face.
One part of me was unbelievably happy to hear her cheerful laughter up close. The other was silently mourning the realization that, just as the distance between us had begun to shrink, my masculinity had completely disappeared from her mind.
I opened my mouth to correct her, but she was already reaching for the bar. Her blonde hair slid back from her shoulders as she wrapped her fingers around the metal and gave me a perfectly innocent smile.
I abandoned what I had been about to say and took a deep breath.
I had managed to meet my angel for a second time, run beside her, and discover that we were the same age.
For now, that was enough.
I could deal with being mistaken for a girl later.
Probably.