"Ugh!" Yuel nearly buckled over all of a sudden. He's been faring fine for the first couple of seconds, but the heaviness ultimately beat him down.
But, I'm almost there…! He pushed himself past his limits, ignoring his muscles' complaints. It was foolish to stop here. He was just a couple of steps away from the bench of the bus station, so he commanded his legs to move onward.
Just a little bit more…! Agh! Yuel's knee gave in, and he fell toward the asphalt.
"W-Wah!" Nia nearly fell off her steed! She dropped her bag and hugged the horse tightly to not get hurled!
BAM! They crashed into the ground! But the impact wasn't all that much. In the heat of the moment, Yuel sacrificed his bag and used it as a cushion to soften the landing.
Good thing I simulated this scenario in my head ahead of time. Yuel sighed in relief. I wouldn't have been able to react in time otherwise.
And so, despite the dramatic fall, nobody was hurt. Well, except for Yuel's knees and back.
Nia burst out laughing. "Pft, haha!"
"Yeah, keep laughing at my expense."
"Pft, sorry. Haha!" The girl was having the blast of her life while Yuel was squashed between her and the bag.
"Yes, very funny. Haha." Yuel made a face. "Do you mind getting off me already?"
"Ok, I'll try." Nia pushed herself off Yuel's back. "Uuuuuu!" This time, she finally managed to pull herself up.
"O-Ok, safe! I think." She wobbled from side to side but ultimately stabilized on her feet.
Now that the load was off his back, Yuel turned around and prepared to stand up as well. It proved harder than expected. His muscles were screaming in pain.
Nia stretched out a hand in response. "Need help?"
"Yeah, thanks." Yuel accepted the offer and pulled the offered hand. But, instead of going up…
"W-Wah!" Nia tripped over and crashed into him!
"... are you for real?"
"Pft, haha! Sorry!" Nia burst into laughter but soon quieted down. Her eyes met Yuel's, and she realized they were practically in each other's faces! "I-I better stand up!"
"Yes, you better."
"Aye!" Nia jumped back on her feet as nimbly as a cat. Seeing this, nobody would believe she was tired or that her muscles hurt. But, a moment later…
"W-Whoa!" She almost fell backward because of the sudden momentum. "O-Ok, safe!" She finally stabilized, at least for now.
Her footing looks stable, alright. Yuel rolled his eyes. Sigh. I'd better stand up on my own. He pushed himself off the ground and rose to his feet.
"Oh, that's my bus." Nia pointed at the road.
"Okay, let's get on."
"Hm?" Nia tilted her head. "Do you normally take this bus, too?"
"No," Yuel replied. "But, I can't trust you not to fall asleep during the ride. So, I'll see you home."
Nia squinted her eyes. "Hmm. So suspiciously caring."
"I'm just taking responsibility," Yuel explained. "I'm the one who forced you to exercise, so it's on me if you pass out from exhaustion."
"Mhm. It's all your fault." Nia nodded. "So, this means I can sleep during the ride, right?"
"Sure."
"Yay!"
"Are you still that sleepy? You already took a nap." Yuel gave her a look. "Also, I don't know which station you get off at."
"Oh, it's Amber Pass."
Yuel typed it down on his phone. "Okay. Amber Pass, noted."
"Ok, then, good night. Zzz." Nia dozed off as soon as she sat down. Her ability to fall asleep in an instant was bordering on the supernatural…