Coach Pedro's hospital room was filled with laughter as Brown animatedly reenacted Jason Luo and Tomio's match, sending everyone into fits of laughter...
The old coach looked in great spirits that day. He reminisced with Jason about old times and repeatedly reminded him to watch his diet, stay humble, and keep his focus.
It wasn't until a nurse came in to remind them of visiting hours that everyone realized they had overstayed. They quickly took a group photo and said their goodbyes.
Brown and Raul returned that same day, while Jason's family planned to stay a couple more days. That afternoon, Henry and Grace went sightseeing, leaving Jason free to meet up with Catherine.
When Catherine got Jason's call, she was in the middle of training—but she immediately snuck out. "Wow, you actually kept your promise! So, did you see the old coach?"
"Yeah, I did. Thanks for helping take care of him. He's looking great."
"Of course! I'm his new best friend now. If I show up late, he gets upset like a kid. It's pretty cute, actually."
Jason chuckled. "Wait, you and the coach are friends now? Doesn't that make you a generation above me? My apologies, ma'am!!"
"How dare you call this lady old? You're asking for a beating! Come on, let's settle this in the judo dojo!"
"I surrender! I surrender, okay? But seriously, you just ran off like this—won't your coach notice you're gone?"
"Haha! That's what you don't get. We wear protective helmets during training—our coach can't see our faces, only our numbers. So as long as I leave my number behind, it's easy to find someone to cover for me."
Jason finally understood and couldn't help feeling a bit envious. Having more people really did make it easier to find loopholes!
As for where they went next, Jason didn't even need to ask. The young lady had already planned everything. She took him straight to the dock and piloted a sleek, luxury yacht out onto the water for a fishing trip.
Under the clear blue sky, the surface of Carnegie Lake sparkled in the sunlight. Catherine expertly hooked a small baitfish and handled the long sea rod with practiced ease, leaving Jason deeply impressed once again.
"You even know how to fish? Next to you, I feel like a total idiot."
Catherine smiled faintly. "That's perfect. I happen to like you when you're a bit clueless."
In the warm sunlight, her smile was bright and genuine—beautiful enough to make Jason sigh. "You know... the moment I got off the plane today, I went straight to your house and met your father. We... talked quite a bit."
"What?" Catherine's hands trembled, and her fishing rod almost slipped into the lake.
"You've already met my father? Ugh, that old man! Jason, honestly, none of that matters. I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. Even at school, hardly anyone knows who I really am."
Jason raised a hand. "I'm not blaming you. But Catherine, I've thought about this carefully. We're both still young. Sure, we like each other, but that kind of deep, lasting love... we're not there yet. Besides... besides..."
Catherine frowned. "Besides what?"
Jason hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "I just think it'd be irresponsible to start something serious right now. You're so full of life and have all these hobbies, while I—other than boxing—don't have much to offer. I'm afraid we'll eventually have nothing left to talk about."
Catherine, frustrated, tossed her fishing rod into the lake. "You're doing it again! You guys are so strange. Who asked you to take responsibility? I'm just asking you to be my boyfriend, not to marry me right now! You like me, I like you—shouldn't that be enough?"
"Seriously! What, do you all fall madly in love on the first day? How can there be love if you don't even give us a chance to get to know each other?"
Her words left Jason speechless. She was right. When they first met, he hadn't even liked her much—but over time, as they got to know each other, he had grown more and more drawn to her. Without spending time together, how could love ever develop?
But Catherine wasn't done. "You say you've got no hobbies because you don't have time! Don't tell me someone who became world champion can't even learn to fish! Stop lying to yourself—you're just making excuses! Fine! Let's pretend we never met. Go find your so-called love-at-first-sight girl!"
She spun around and stormed toward the yacht controls, ready to head back.
Sometimes, people only think straight after being scolded. Catherine's outburst actually snapped Jason out of it. What was he doing? It was just dating! The girl was so open and straightforward, yet here he was overthinking everything like a fool!
He rushed forward to stop her, but Catherine was surprisingly strong when angry. As they struggled, the small yacht began to rock violently. Jason, who couldn't swim, lost his balance and toppled straight into the lake!
Thankfully, Catherine was an excellent swimmer. She dove in immediately and dragged him back up. Jason, after swallowing several mouthfuls of water, coughed and gasped miserably until he could finally breathe again.
"Holy crap... I almost became the shortest-lived boxing champion in history..."
Catherine burst out laughing. "Champion, huh? You're such a coward! With me here, what's there to be afraid of?"
"I was afraid you'd be too mad to save me..."
Jason lifted his head mid-sentence—and froze. Catherine's clothes were soaked through, clinging tightly to her skin. The sight was... dangerously captivating.
The scene looked like a painting of a beauty emerging from her bath, the sunlight glinting off the tiny beads of water sliding down her pale skin, tracing teasing lines that sparked endless imagination...
Catherine noticed his gaze, her cheeks flushing red. She pulled her wet shirt closer and shot him a glare. "What are you staring at? We're strangers now. Keep it up and I'll file a complaint!"
Jason quickly looked away, the air between them turning awkward. "Sorry, I didn't mean to... Don't be mad. I'll treat you to dinner tonight to make up for it, okay?"
"Hmph! Too late. Find someone else." Catherine turned her back, but the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.
Jason caught that little smile and couldn't help grinning. "Oh? In that case, why don't you give me Jennifer's number? Remember, she said if you didn't want me anymore, she'd be happy to take over..."
Catherine spun around, eyes narrowing. She grabbed him by the neck. "Oh, I see how it is! No wonder you hesitated back then. Be honest—did you pick her because she's bustier?"
Jason panicked. "No, no! I just picked randomly!"
"What? I'll give you one more chance to fix that answer!"
"Oh, no, wait—I meant I picked carefully! Of course, I chose the most beautiful, radiant one. You know how men are..."
"Oh, you pervert! So that's your true self! Tell me the truth—were you peeking back then?"
Jason felt completely doomed. No matter what he said, it was wrong.
Being a man was really tough!