w  a  r  r  i  o  r | {08} 

A couple weeks later

Miyeon stepped into the gym with Zitao after being gone for so long. Zitao had come once or twice a week to workout with the boys while Miyeon caught up on her sign language lessons.

She spent time with her father and improved immensely on her cooking skills.

She stood by the door and chuckled as Sehun did his pushups. His competition was the day after and this was his final session with Minseok.

Sehun was crying as he counting. “2016…”

Minseok turned around and walked over to Miyeon. “Goodness! It’s been a while!”

Miyeon nodded. “They’re going to hate me for leaving them with you.” She said.

“Sehun can do 2000 pushups now without getting tired! He’s up to 2050 today…I think we’re good for the competition.”

“Let me guess, Chanyeol and Yixing got the 10 mile sprint and Luhan got the 30 minute plank?”

Minseok nodded. “Yep!”

Miyeon rolled her eyes and dropped her things down. “Zitao, warm-up and then weights, dead-lift.”

Zitao nodded. “Geez, you were so nice to me for the past few weeks but okay Miyeon, okay.”

She pushed his arm playfully and walked next to Sehun. She got down on her hands and started doing pushups too. “Come on Sehun, 10 more to go.” Miyeon said as she switched to one handed pushups. She used her free arm to poke at his biceps. “Oh my gosh! Sehun, you got muscles!”

“2050.” Sehun laid on his stomach and wiped his eyes. Then his lips curled into a frown and his eyebrows furrowed as the youngster started to cry. “N-Noona.” He blinked a few times. “The last few weeks were hell.” Then he rolled over and flashed his 6-pack and his pecks. “But now I got this.” He continued to cry. “Mommy help me, everything hurts right now.” He sobbed.

Miyeon slapped his chest. “You used to be all skin and bones you idiot, thank Minseok if anything.”

“You planned this all along didn’t you?”

“Hm?”

“Get me strong and fast before you suddenly leave me with hyung…”

Miyeon scoffed. “Well he did all the hard work and now you have a rocking body.”

Sehun sat up. “Will you come watch me tomorrow?”

She nodded. “Of course.”

“I heard the guy is taller and bigger than me.”

“Muscles ain’t , kid it’s all about the force and the techniques. If he’s a body builder, sure his muscles are bigger but does he know how to use them?”

Sehun nodded along. “Well…that makes sense.”

Miyeon looked around. “Guys, if Sehun wins, I’m letting you off one day from training. We’ll go and eat meat! Zitao’s buying!”

The boys turned around in unison. “Really?”

While Zitao dropped one of his weights. “WHAT?”

Minseok laughed. “I’m in!”

“I’m in!” They all said as Zitao stood there with an unamused expression.

Chanyeol looked at Miyeon and sighed. “What’d…how’d you get so close to Zitao?” He asked.

They were out getting lunch and energy drinks for the boys and everyone else at the gym.

“He came over a lot…my father has a good relationship with him and I didn’t want him to be lonely…ever. Zitao knows sign language a lot better than me and he knows how to cook and how to do this and that. There are a lot of things I should know how to do but I don’t…and he taught me.”  Miyeon said.

“A-Ah.”

“Jealous?”

Chanyeol quickly shook his head. “N-No.”

Miyeon laughed. “I’m kidding!”

“He made you laugh and smile though…something I was never able to do even if I knew you for almost all of your life. That’s not fair Miyeon.”

“I guess you guys were right…Zitao’s melting the surface of my ice lake.” Miyeon said softly before walking off. “Luhan likes red bull right?”

Chanyeol sighed and looked down at his feet. “Y-Yeah, he does.” 

***

That night, Zitao sat in his living room and flipped through a few magazines. His father was a bit annoyed that Zitao rarely came home ever since he joined the new gym.

“Why aren’t you home these days?”

“I’m with Miyeon half the time.” He said. “We’re getting really far in training and the guys at the gym are gearing up for their competition.”

“Are you going to fight too?”

Zitao shook his head. “I’m just there for the experience, and besides…some of my kids who graduated from Kris’s place are actually coming here. Minseok said that I can train my old kids again if enough come.”

His father sighed. “Why can’t you be a doctor or something…”

“Because it’s not something I want to do. It’d be nice if you dropped the idea that the only way to be successful is through being a doctor. Miyeon makes what a doctor gets in a year just by getting one commercial deal…how’s that for a change?”

Zi Yin popped out of the kitchen and sat next to her older brother. “Ah does she really? That’s so cool!”

“Did you see her on TV the other night?”

“She was advertising that brand right? The workout gear?” The girl asked.

Zitao nodded. “Yeah, and she gets to talk to famous trainers and aspiring fighters, tell me that ain’t success right there…”

His father rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t mean that you’ll make it big too.”

Zi Yin wrinkled her nose. “Keep saying that! When Ge gets famous, don’t ask him to bring you to Italy or whatever.”

Zitao laughed. “Oh gosh, stop it.”

“But Ge…”

“Hm?”

“Are you and Miyeon in a relationship?”

Zitao almost shoved his little sister aside. “What the! No…”

“But you wish you were, don’t cha?”

Zitao rolled his eyes. “Alright, time for bed.” He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

“Answer me!”

“No.”

“Oh you like her don’t you!”

“No!”

“Liar! I know what you sound like when you lie!”

“Go to sleep Zi Yin!”

“Ge!”

The next day

Zitao stood by the bus stop and reached into his pocket for his phone. Dialing Miyeon’s number, he waited patiently for her to pick up.

“Tao?”

“Yeon?”

Miyeon chuckled. “Yeah what?”

“Whoa, Miyeon is laughing at seven in the morning? Did you win the lottery or something?”

“No, I just…I have a feeling that Sehun’s going to win his first match. And if he does, it’ll be great! Because Taozi’s buying…”

“Taozi?”

“Y-Yeah, Taozi. Doesn’t that sound cute?”

Zitao grinned. “You think I’m cute?”

“I’m hanging up, bye.”

He pulled his phone away from his ear and stared at it. “She totally thinks I’m cute.” 

[a/n] Comments are much appreciated!