NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29: Info
Chapter 29: Info
After an intense one sided match earlier with the addition of the resistance band, Sevi was drenched in sweat and felt the ache of fatigue in every muscle.
'Finally..!'
He finally completed the last of his reps, his arms and wrists burning from the exertion.
Breathing heavily, Sevi slumped onto a nearby bench, trying to catch his breath. He looked up just in time to see Noemi approaching, having finished her own workout.
"Strip." Noemi said in all seriousness.
"...What?" Sevi blinked in surprise, still panting from his workout.
Noemi's expression remained serious as she brought up her right hand, holding a medicinal cream.
"Ah."
Sevi's eyes widened as he finally noticed the medicinal cream in Noemi's hand. Understanding the purpose now, he nodded, feeling a bit awkward but recognizing the need for the treatment.
He then removed his shirt, feeling a bit self-conscious.
Noemi's expression turned more serious as she watched Sevi remove his shirt.
[Noemi's favorability has increased!]
[Noemi's favorability: 24 --> 26]
'Wait a second...' Sevi thought, his gaze flicking to the system notification that had popped up.
His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
'Why did her favorability go up?'
Sevi quickly shifted his focus back to Noemi, who also looked back at her with all seriousness.
"Why don't you wipe yourself off first?" Noemi said, noticing the sweat glistening on Sevi's skin.
"It'll get in the way of applying the cream if you don't."
Sevi blinked, slightly taken aback by the straightforwardness. He glanced at the nearby towel and quickly wiped himself down, removing the excess sweat.
"Got it," he said, feeling a bit more comfortable as he finished drying off.
Noemi sat down next to Sevi, her gaze shifting to the bruises on his shoulder, chest, and wrist.
"Sorry about these," Noemi said, her voice carrying a hint of genuine remorse.
"I didn't mean for you to get beaten up so much."
Sevi looked at her, slightly surprised by her apology. "It's okay. I knew it was part of the process."
Noemi nodded, continuing her work with a careful touch.
Minutes of silence later, Noemi finished applying the cream and gave Sevi a reassuring look. "Alright, it's all done. Remember to rest up immediately."
Sevi gave her a grateful smile. "Will do. Thanks again for everything."
Noemi nodded in response and then stood up, ready to leave Sevi to his recovery.
Sevi and Noemi then began organizing their equipment, putting away the resistance band and tidying up the space.
With everything packed up, they walked back to their dorms together. The cool evening air was a welcome relief after the intense workout.
As they approached the dorm building, Noemi paused and looked at Sevi. "Remember to follow the advice I gave you."
Sevi nodded. "Got it Ma'am!"
Noemi nodded in acknowledgment. "See you, Sevi. Take care."
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Noemi's POV:
Sevi's eyes widened as he finally noticed the medicinal cream in Noemi's hand. Understanding the purpose now, he nodded, feeling a bit awkward but recognizing the need for the treatment.
He then removed his shirt, feeling a bit self-conscious.
Noemi's expression turned more serious as she watched Sevi remove his shirt.
As Sevi removed his shirt, Noemi couldn't help but feel her breath catch in her chest. She' had trained with boys before, plenty of them, but this was different.
She had always been used to seeing bodies, muscular, strong, beastmen with their powerful builds and impressive physiques. But Sevi... Sevi was different. His body was leaner, more refined, but it had an aesthetic appeal.
She quickly focused on her task, but her hands felt warmer than usual as she applied the cream.
'Why do I feel like this?'
'Stop it, Noemi. '
She mentally scolded herself, trying to push the thoughts away. Her face remained neutral, but inside, she was flustered.
'The bruises...' She glanced at the marks on his skin again, forcing herself to be professional.
'I'm just applying cream on a stone...'
Despite her attempts, her mind wandered again, and she found herself noticing the way the muscles of Sevi's body shifted beneath her fingers, the smoothness of his skin.
'Stop it,' she mentally chided, refusing to let herself dwell on it.
'It's just like a stone. Just... hard like a stone.'
She pushed the thoughts further down, telling herself that she had no time for distractions. The task was simple: apply the cream, make sure he recovered, and finish the job. Nothing more.
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Back to the present:
By the time Sevi reached his room, he was eager to collapse into bed. He unlocked the door and stepped inside.
He threw his bag onto the floor and took a quick shower to soothe his aching muscles. After his shower, he grabbed some comfortable clothes and settled onto his bed, mentally reviewing the day's activities.
Just as Sevi was starting to sleep, a sudden flash of light caught his attention. He glanced up as the crystal ball on his desk began to shine brightly.
The light swirled and flickered before an image of sir Cedric appeared.
"Hey, young master! I got some news again!" Sir Cedric with an enthusiastic tone.
Sevi sat up, intrigued. "What's the news, Sir Cedric?"
Sir Cedric's image shimmered slightly as he began to explain. "I've uncovered something interesting about Nurse Evelyn... It turns out she has a deeper connection to Noemi than we initially realized."
Sevi, already aware of their childhood connection, guessed, "Is she Noemi's childhood friend?"
Sir Cedric's eyes widened, his image flickering with surprise. "You knew about that?"
Sevi nodded, "Yeah, just recently."
Sir Cedric took a moment to gather his thoughts. "I'm impressed you're already aware of that. But there's more...Evelyn is not a beastman, but she's one of the few who genuinely cares about beastmen."
"So she's kind." Sevi then continued, "Nothing unusual or off about her?"
Sir Cedric's image remained steady as he replied, "Yes, Evelyn is indeed kind-hearted. She's dedicated to helping beastmen, which is a rare and admirable quality. However, there's nothing unusual or sinister about her intentions."
Sevi furrowed his brow, curious. "That's good to know. But how did Evelyn end up becoming a nurse here?"
" I mean, considering her background and the way she's so dedicated to helping beastmen, it seems like an unusual choice."
Sir Cedric's image brightened slightly. "Ah, that's an interesting detail. Evelyn was actually vouched by someone high up in the academy."
Sevi's curiosity was piqued. "Who was it that vouched for her?"
Sir Cedric's image flickered slightly. "I'm afraid I don't have that information. My source didn't disclose who exactly vouched for Evelyn. They were quite insistent on keeping that detail confidential."
Sevi nodded, "Someone high up huh..."
Sevi pondered the new information before shifting the topic. "Sir Cedric, can you do a background check on Kane for me?"
Sir Cedric's image nodded. "Certainly. I'll see what I can find and get back to you as soon as possible."
"Great. Thanks again sir Cedric."
'But is it really only Evelyn and Kane who are suspects for switching the bottle...?' Sevi thought as he finished his conversation with Sir Cedric and settled back into his bed.
'Anyways, I'll think about it tomorrow.'
He turned off the light and pulled the blankets up, letting his exhaustion take over.
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