A few minutes later, Misaki came out of the bathroom, wiping her wet strands of hair with a white towel. She was wearing Ahmed's loose shirt and his gray sweatpants, which looked slightly too big for her small body, lending her a look that was both cute and comfortable. When Ahmed saw her, he felt something warm creep into his heart without realizing why, but he pretended to be busy with the gaming console he was setting up on the small table in the living room.
Misaki approached with soft steps and sat near him, her eyes gleaming with excitement like a child waiting for a reward. She picked up the controller and said with a confident smile:
"I won't spare you this time, Ahmed-kun!"
The first round began... only minutes passed before she unexpectedly outplayed him. Ahmed raised his eyebrows in astonishment, while Misaki let out a light laugh, tilting her head toward him in clear triumph. Then, remembering the old wager from the hot springs days, she looked at him with mischievous eyes and said in Japanese, with a small, sly smile:
"I won! And now... show me all the muscles on your body!"
Ahmed froze for a few seconds, his eyes widening in surprise. A faint blush covered his face, and he felt a strange heat run through his body, but he soon managed a nervous smile when he saw her innocent laughter. He sighed softly, then slowly got up, muttering:
"Fine... I promised, and I won't back down now."
He changed into his gym clothes and stood calmly before her. He didn't try to exaggerate or show off, but merely performed a few simple movements—flexing his arms, straightening his posture, lightly turning—movements that displayed his strength and fitness without pretense.
Misaki watched him in silence, a small smile dancing on her lips. It was not a look of sarcasm, but a mixture of admiration, astonishment, and relief. It may have been a fleeting moment, but it carried within it something deeper than just a challenge in a game.
Ahmed then sat down beside her, smiling shyly, while she continued to look at him with a warm smile. In that moment, there was only soft silence in the room, and the evening light crept in through the window to envelop them in a calm that resembled the warmth of friendship... and perhaps, something a little bit bigger.