Scenario:So it's been about 7 or 8 months since Valerie, a black American girl, enrolled in this huge international university college. And while she's there, Jino, a Korean boy, still likes to tease, harasses and bully her along with haitte, a white British girl, in public. They've been treating her like that almost ever since she came there. Whenever she's casually minding her business, they randomly approach her and starts bullying her and won't stop until they get enough for the moment. They also purposely rub their relationship in her face. They do this for fun and pleasure. And of course, this makes her very miserable. They both know that but they keep bullying her anyway. For fun. Every day, they won't leave her alone. And one day, there was a certain someone who noticed this. A 20-something muscular fit Asian guy named Yule moldauer, a professional male gymnast. He was doing nothing important when he happened to witness Valerie being harassed and bullied by Jino and haitte. As he stood there and watched, he was feeling disturbed by this. He didn't like what he was seeing. He shook his head with a disgusted look on his face. They were harassing her for about 3 or 5 minutes before walking away together and he watched the whole thing. After they walked off, Valerie sat there sad and alone. Yule looked sadly at her as she sat there all by herself. He was about to go over to her and comfort her but then the bell rang. She grabbed her things, stood up and headed to where she had to be. He did the same as he had a class to get to. Later after that, he sat there in class doing his class work but he couldn't stop thinking about Valerie and Jino and haitte harassing her like that. He knew what they were doing was wrong. He just felt terribly bad for her having to deal with that. He was thinking about her all day long. The next day, he was outside walking on the campus with another male Asian gymnast. He was talking to him at first about Valerie and what he saw yesterday. Then they were talking about their gymnastics routine. After about 3 minutes of talking, someone, a girl, suddenly jumped and ran across them in front of them. Then she climbed up a platform all the way to the top. Then she jumped across to another platform and slid down the diagonal slide on the platform. As she reached the end of the slide, she foreword flipped as she went falling down to the ground. As she hit the ground, she foreword flipped again on the ground and ran to another direction. Yule and the guy watched her in amazement. They realized what this girl was doing. She was doing parkour. "Who's that?" The guy asked Yule. Yule watched her, trying to get a good look at her to see who she is. As she ran right past them, he was able to get a glimpse of her to see her face. As he saw her face after she ran past them, he immediately knew who it was. It was Valerie. He was shocked and amazed by her parkour skills as he watched her do all kinds of flips and tricks. She parkoured and he watched for about 40 minutes and he was enjoying every minute of it. One day, Valerie was in the college gymnasium, watching the gymnasts practice their routines. She was also there to watch her nephew, Jordan, who happens to be a male gymnast. And of course, Yule was there practicing his routine. And she watched him too. She even recognized him and immediately knew who he was. "Oh god. It's Yule" she whispered. She smiled at him as he practiced. Just like he liked her parkour skills, she liked his gymnastics skills. A little later after doing his routine, Yule decided to sit down and take a break on the stands. Just like Valerie, he sat there and watched everyone else practicing their routines. And Valerie was sitting a few stands behind him. He didn't notice her yet. After a few minutes, Yule happened to turn his head and look behind him. As he looked behind him, he saw Valerie sitting there behind him. She was still watching the other gymnastics routines as he looked at her. As he looked at her with his very Asian eyes, he thought she was really pretty and beautiful looking. Of course he recognized her from being harassed by jino and haitte and from watching her doing parkour. He gazed at her as she kept her eyes on the gymnastics routines. He was pretty much falling in love. He was thinking that a beautiful girl like her did not deserve to be treated so badly by jino and haitte. And he was amazed that said beautiful girl such as her is actually a parkour. As he stared at her, her eyes slowly moved to him and she looked back to him. She smiled a bit as they looked at each other. He also seemed like he wanted to go sit next to her and talk. He was moving like he was really trying to get near her. Valerie felt her heart flutter as Yule made his way over to her. She couldn't believe that the guy she had been admiring from afar was actually coming to talk to her. As he sat down next to her, she felt a rush of excitement and nerves all at once. "Hey, I'm Yule," he said with a warm smile. Valerie smiled back, feeling her cheeks flush with color. "I know. You're Yul moldauer. I'm Valerie" she said extending her hand to him for a handshake. He smiled and shook her hand. "You know who I am?" He asked as he shook her hand. "Well, yeah. Everyone sees you on the Olympics" she said. "You watch the Olympics? And you've seen me?" He asked. "Yes and yes. And I think you're a great gymnast. Seriously" she said. Yule felt a sense of pride hearing Valerie's compliments. He found himself drawn to her kindness and genuine interest in his passion for gymnastics. "You like gymnastics?" He asked. "Yes I do. It's the number one thing I watch in the Olympics" she said. "Really?" He asked. "Yeah. I've actually always wanted to be a gymnast" she said. "Really?" He asked. "Yeah. But I've never been able to" she said. 'aw. Why couldn't you be?" He asked. "I don't really know. I guess it's because I could never afford it or I couldn't find a good school or something to become a gymnast. I've just never got the chance" she said. "Aw, that's too bad" he said. "Yeah. But luckily I found out and learned about parkour" she said. "I know. I've seen you do parkour. You're amazing at it" Yule commented. Valerie blushed at the compliment. "Thanks. It's something I'm passionate about. It helps me feel free and alive and it's just plain fun. And think about it: Parkour is close enough to gymnastics, isn't it?" She said. "Well, yeah. Parkour is pretty much like gymnastics" he said. "Uh-huh. I call parkour The brother of gymnastics" she said. "That's actually a perfect name to describe it as" he said. "Yeah. As much as I would like to try gymnastics, I do enjoy watching it. See, there's my nephew out there" she said pointing out to the mat. Yul looked out on the floor. "Where? Who is he?" He asked. "It's Jordan" she said. "Jordan? Debow?" He asked. "Yep that's him" she said. "You're Jordan's aunt?" He asked. "Yeah. You know him?" She asked. "Yeah. He and I are on the same team" he said. "Really?" She asked. "Yeah. And he's one of my friends as well. And now I see why he also does a little parkour himself. Because he has you for an aunt who's a parkour" he said. "Yeah. He gets it from me" she said. "I see. I can't believe he never told me about you" he said. "And I can't believe he didn't tell me he was friends with you. Yul moldauer" she said pointing to Yul. "That's me," Yul said with a chuckle. She chuckled too. They continued talking and getting to know each other as they watched Jordan practice his routine. Yul found himself growing more and more interested in Valerie with each passing minute. She was strong, determined, and had a passion for physical activity just like him. As they talked. Yul wanted to change the subject a little. "Hey, Valerie. I've been wanting to say. I've seen you being harassed by those two people before. And I didn't like that. I didn't like it at all" he said. "What two people?" She asked. "Those other two students. That Korean guy and that white girl. Aren't they always harassing you around?" He asked. "Oh. I know who you mean. You mean Jino and Haitte. Yeah they're always like that to me" she said. "Why?" He asked. "No idea. I think it's because Haitte doesn't like me because I'm black and Jino just wants to stay on her side or something" she said. "They've been like that to you? Because of your race?" He asked. She nodded. "They can't be like that to you. That isn't right at all" he said. "Yeah. But they don't care. They just like seeing me miserable" she said. He put his arm around her. "And you don't deserve to be miserable" he said. She looked at him and saw the seriousness and concern for her all over his face. Valerie was touched by Yul's concern for her well-being. She had never met someone who was willing to stand up for her like he was. It made her heart flutter knowing that someone cared about her enough to want to protect her. She couldn't help but feel a wave of gratitude towards him. As they sat there together, Jordan was coming up to them. "Hey Auntie Val, hey Yul!" Jordan greeted with a big smile. "Hey, Jordan" Valerie and Yul both said back to him. Yul stood up to give Jordan a bro handshake. "Good job out there" Valerie said. "Yeah, you did great out there," Yul said. "Thanks, y'all" Jordan said. The three of them continued to watch the rest of the gymnastics practice and talked about various things. Yul couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness and contentment being around Valerie and Jordan. As the days passed, Yule and Valerie found themselves spending more and more time together. They would meet up for coffee, go for walks around campus, and even practice their respective skills together. Yule was amazed by Valerie's agility and flexibility, and she was in awe of his strength and precision. They would always cheer each other on as they practice their sports side by side. Yule even taught Valerie a few gymnastics moves and she showed him some of her best parkour tricks. She even helps him stretch to get his splits so he can become flexible to do the splits on the floor routines. They laughed and bonded over their shared passion for movement and soon, their friendship blossomed into something more. They were pretty much acting like a couple now. And Jino and Haitte had no idea about the buddying romance Valerie was having with another guy. They didn't even know who Yul was. So one day, Valerie approached her locker and started opening it. And from the distance, Jino and haitte were walking side by side talking to each other. Then they stopped and saw Valerie at her locker as she opened it. Then smiled smugly at her. Then at each other, nodded at each other, then looked back at her, still smiling smugly. Of course that meant they just decided to go up to her and harass her. They started to walk towards her. Then all of the sudden, Yule came around the corner, approached her, and hugged her from behind. Jino and haitte stopped dead in their tracks as soon as they saw Yule hugging her like that. Their smug smiles immediately faded away, their eyes grew big and their mouths hung open. They were shocked to see this tall, muscular, caramel skin colored Asian guy hugging her and embracing her lovingly like a boyfriend. Haitte grew jealous at what she was looking at. And Jino looked jealous, hurt, and a bit heartbroken at what he was seeing. While Yule was still holding her, he talked softly to her in her ear. She nodded her head at whatever he was saying to her. Jino was just completely broken inside to see Valerie being lovingly held by another guy like he's her boyfriend. Especially when she hugged him back. He felt that crying feeling in his throat as he watched them hug. After they broke the hug, Yule took Valerie's books, carried them for her, took her hand and they both walked away together, holding hands. Jino and haitte still stared at them as they walked off. She was still looking and feeling envious. And he was still looking and feeling heartbroken. This is actually the first time they've seen Yule. Later after that in class, Jino was sitting at his desk, with his head down, and sadly doing his class work. He couldn't stop thinking about what he just saw. He felt crushed that Valerie might be involved with this other guy he saw her with. He was even starting to regret the way he treated her. The way he kept harassing her along with haitte. He always knew he was acting mean to her and that she never deserved that. He just didn't think it would end up with something like this. He knew he never should've treated her like that or even listened to haitte in the first place. He realized he should've stopped haitte from bullying her. He realized how stupid and immature he was acting. He just regretted all so much. As he sadly sat there still with his head down, he felt that crying feeling in his throat. He was softly breathing rapidly as he was about to cry. Then a tear streamed down his cheek. Then he slammed his forehead down on his desk. Later that day, students were at the main college cafe. Some were in line to get their coffee drinks and some were sitting at tables talking and having their coffee. Valerie and Yul were in line together. Soon it was their turn. Ever the gentleman, Yul ordered Valerie's coffee drink for her as he ordered one for himself. He already knows her favorite kind of coffee and how she likes it. After he bought their coffee, they went to a table as he carried their drinks and sat down together. In the distance, Jino and Haitte happened to be in the cafe, sitting at a table too. Both of them looked and saw Valerie and Yul together. They saw how happy they were, talking, and laughing together. "I can't believe this. Who is he anyway? And where the f*ck did he come from?" Haitte said angrily. Jino just watched them with sadness in his Asian eyes. He never seen Valerie so happy before now that she's with a guy. Still glanced over at Valerie and Yule, his eyes filled with regret and longing. He knew he had messed up by not treating her right, by not being nicer to her, by not showing her the respect she deserved. Haitte, on the other hand, was just feeling jealousy and envy as she watched Valerie and Yule together. But Valerie and Yule didn't pay them any mind. They were too wrapped up in each other, too focused on the love and happiness they had found in each other's arms. Seeing her happy with someone else made him realize the depth of his feelings for her. He couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for not treating her better when he had the chance. He realized that he had missed out on something special with Valerie because of his own immaturity. Now every time they see Valerie and Yul together, in the hallway, at their lockers, in classrooms, in the cafes, everywhere around campus, they glare at them with jealousy. Haitte looks at both of them with jealousy. Jino looks at Yul with jealousy and anger and he looks at Valerie with sadness. Whenever Jino and Valerie happen to be in the same class together, he turns around in his seat and just stares at her with a blank look on his face and in his eyes. She does notice him staring at her but she tries to pay no mind to him. One day after she and Yul made plans to go to the college fitness center to work out together, Valerie was in her dorm getting changed into her work out clothes. After she was done getting ready, Yul texted her asking her if she was ready. She texted back saying yes. She waited in her dorm room for him just like he asked. After a few minutes, he knocked on her door. She opened it and found him standing there in his work out clothes and his gym bag. "Ready?" He asked. "Yep" she said. "Let's go" he said. She grabbed her packed gym bag and left her dorm with him. They walked down the hallway making their way to the fitness center while chatting with each other. As they were walking and talking, Jino happened to see them and stared at them with the same angry jealous look on his face every time he saw them together. They didn't notice him though. As he stared at them, he decided to follow them to see where they were going together. They had no idea he was following after them. "I like your tank top. You look hot in it" Yul said. "Thanks!" She chuckled as she blushed at his compliment. And of course, Jino did not like that. He glared not liking the way Yul complimented Valerie's work out clothes. Specifically her shirt. As they arrived at the fitness center, Yul and Valerie headed to the warm-up area. They started with some warm-ups like jumping jacks, jogging in place, toe touches, etc. They did their warm-up together for about 5 minutes. Then they moved on with Yul doing weightlifting and Valerie doing flexible stretching. Yul was impressed and in awe at Valerie's flexibility and her perfect splits.  "Wow, you're really flexible," Yul commented as he watched her stretch her legs effortlessly. "I am? Thanks!" She said with a chuckle. "Yeah. Seriously. Perfectly flexible for gymnastics. Really" he said. "You think?' she asked. "Yes. You definitely ought to be a gymnast. You can already do flips and jumps like a gymnast. And you have the flexibility of a gymnast. You should seriously be a gymnast" he said. "Well I guess you're right. But I don't have the muscles and strength of a gymnast like you do" she said. "Oh. But that's not a problem. Wanna feel them? Here. Go ahead" he said as he flexed his muscles to her for her to feel his arm. She blushed as he did so. She gently placed her hands on his muscular biceps and her mouth dropped open. "Whoa. So this is what biceps feel like" she said as she felt his arm. Jino, who had been following them, watched from a distance with a scowl on his face as he saw Valerie putting her hands on Yul's biceps and the way she smiled as she felt his muscles. He hated the sight of Yul letting her touch his arm. Jino couldn't believe how close Yul and Valerie had become and how happy they seemed together. "Wanna know what abs feel like too?' Yul asked her. Then he lifted up his shirt, revealing his six pack abs. Valerie's and Jino's eyes both widened. "Go ahead. Touch them" he said. She shly nodded and slowly brought her hands to his stomach, touching his abs. "Oh god. Talk about man of steel" she said. Yul smiled at her for that comment. Jino couldn't't take it anymore. He did not like what he was seeing at all. He shook his head in disgust, his face filled with anger and jealousy and stormed off. After Yul let her feel his muscles, he stood up and had her stand up. "Come on, Valerie. Sit here and lie down" he said, gesturing at the bench pressing machine he was sitting on. She did what he said. "What are we about to do?" She asked. "We're gonna start building you up" he said while putting weights on the barbell. She looked at him, surprised. "Wait, what? Seriously? Build me up?" She asked. "Yep. You're going to do some weightlifting" he said. "But Yul. I'm so little" she said. "Don't worry. Your size doesn't matter. You have the potential to be an amazing gymnast. You just need to build up some muscle and strength. And I'm gonna help you with that" he said with a smile. "I'll start you off with some light weights and we'll work our way up from there" he explained. She was hesitant at first, but she trusted Yul and knew that he wouldn't push her beyond her limits. So she went along with it. As they started their weightlifting session, Yul guided Valerie through each set, teaching her proper form and technique. As he helped her lift the barbell up and down, Jordan approached them. Another male gymnast followed him. They stopped what they were doing as Jordan and his friend came up to them. "Hey, Auntie Val. Hey, Yul. What are you two up to?" Jordan asked. "Hey, Jordan. I'm helping your Aunt with some weightlifting" Yul said. "Auntie? You? Lifting weights? But you're so small" Jordan said. "Yeah yeah! I know!" Valerie said quickly, loudly but playfully. They laughed. They all ended up working out together, pushing each other to do their best and encouraging each other along the way. Yul did make sure no pressure was put on Valerie because of her small size. After a few minutes, Valerie and Yul were sitting on a mat together, heavy breathing from their tiredness of working out, taking a break and drinking water while Jordan and the other gymnast continued working out. "So how'd I do?" She asked Yul. "You did amazing, Valerie. You have great potential. With some more practice and dedication, and with your parkour skills and flexibility, you could definitely become a gymnast and even end up joining the womens gymnastics team" Yul said with a smile."join the girls team?" She asked. "Yeah. You'd be perfect on their team. They might end needing someone like you some time" he said. She smiled at his encouragement for her. "I guess a parkour can keep up with gymnastics" she said. "Definitely" he said. "But right now I'm exhausted to do anything like that" she said. "Yeah me too. And because you did so good, how about I buy you a smoothie?" He said. "You know what? A smoothie sounds great right now. But I'm also gonna need you to help me up. My legs are aching" she said. He chuckled. He stood up, got behind her, grabbed underneath her arms and lifted her up off the floor. "Oh!" She groaned in pain as she held her aching back and stumbled a little. He grabbed her and supported her to stand straight. "You ok?" He asked her. "Uh-huh" she said. Then he grabbed both of their gym bags. "Come on. My treat" he said as he put his arm around her to keep supporting her and making sure she walks straight. Already at the smoothie bar, Yul ordered both her and himself each a smoothie. He ordered her her favorite flavor. A smoothie with a mix of mango, oranges, and pineapple. He carried their drinks and they sat down at a table, sipping on their drinks. "Now Yul, I'm kinda confused about something about you" Valerie said. "What is it?" He asked. "Are you like... Asian American?" She asked. "Yeah. I am" he said. "But if you're Asian, why are you caramel colored? The exact same dark skin tone as me? Are you half Asian and half something else?" She asked. "Well, yeah. I'm mixed race. My dad is Korean and my mom is native American" he said. "Native American? As in native Indian?" She asked in shock. "Yeah" he said. "That's what I am. I'm native Indian!" She said. "You are? Really?" He asked in surprise. "Yes. I'm half black and half Indian" she said. "Wow! Both of us are native American. And mixed race" he said. "So your Indian inheritance is from your mama?" She asked. "Yep" he said. "Nice. My inheritance is from two of my native Indian grandmothers. Both of them have sadly died though" she said as she bowed her head. "Oh that's too bad. I'm so sorry. My condolences" he said as he touched her hand sympathetically. "Thanks. One of them was like my favorite grandparent and I didn't like being at her funeral" she said. "I know how hard that is. No one likes being at funerals" he said. "True. My family keeps saying I have her exact type of Indian hair" she said as she ran her hand through her black hair. "I like your hair" he said as he touched her hair. From a distance, Jino and Haitte saw them sitting together. They both saw Yul touch Valerie's hair. Jino scowled out of jealousy as Yul tucked her hair behind her ear. "He actually likes her?" Haitte asked quietly as Yul tucked Valerie's hair behind her ear. Valerie smiled as Yul played with her hair. "You think he does?" Jino asked quietly. "It sure looks like it. Look at the way he's touching her hair. And the way she's smiling. They seem really close" Haitte said, feeling a pang of jealousy. "I can't believe this. I can't f*cking believe this is happening. How did he even get close to her like that?" Jino muttered with a dark expression on his face, feeling a mix of regret and anger. As they watched Yul and Valerie, they both couldn't help but feel a sense of bitterness and envy towards the budding romance between them. As Yul and Valerie were talking, Yul excused himself from the table. "Excuse me a minute, Val. I'll be right back" he said as he stood up from the table. Then walked away. Jino and Haitte watched Yul walk away from the table leaving Valerie there. After a few seconds of sitting there waiting for Yul to come back, Valerie felt a tap on her shoulder. "Hey!" Someone behind her said as they tapped her shoulder. Valerie turned around and saw Haitte and Jino standing there. Haitte just stood there over her with her arms folded and glaring at her. Jino was standing behind Haitte staring at Valerie with a serious sad expression. "What is it now, you two?" Valerie asked. "Where'd your new boyfriend go" Haitte asked in a sarcastic snarky town.  Valerie gave her a look of annoyance. " And who the f*ck is he?" Haitte asked her. "What?" Valerie asked. "Him. That guy you've been hanging out with. Who is he?" Haitte asked. "Oh. You mean Yul? Oh he's-" Valerie was saying. "What? Yul?" Haitte asked, cutting her off. "Yeah. That's his name. Yul" Valerie said. "What the f*ck kind of name is Yul?" Haitte asked. "Well-thats...just his name" Valerie said as she shrugged. "Ok whatever. What's going on between you and him? Are you two together?" Haitte asked. "Why? Would that be a bad thing?" Valerie asked. "Just answer the f*cking question. Are you and him a thing together?" Haitte asked. "What's it to you, Haitte?" Valerie asked. "Is he your boyfriend or not?!" Haitte asked demandingly. "You know what? Just ask him" Valerie said. "I'm asking you. Who is he and why are you two always together? He must be your boyfriend, isn't he?" Haitte said. Valerie just shook her head annoyed. Then Jino, who was still standing behind and staring at Valerie the whole time,  walked up towards her. He kneeled over her and gazed at her with the same blank expression on his face as he got close. Haitte didn't like the way he kneeled down close to Valerie and the way he gazed at her. "Jino, what are you doing?" Haitte asked. But he ignored her. "Who is he?" He asked Valerie softly after staring at her for 5 slow seconds. And still with the same blank, serious, sad expression on his face. Valerie looked into Jino's eyes and saw a mix of regret, longing, and sadness. She could tell that he was genuinely curious about her relationship with Yul. "He-he's-" she was saying. But then Yul was coming back over. "Hey, I'm back," Yul said as he came back to the table. Yul walked up to the table and saw Jino and Haitte standing there, hovering over Valerie. His eyes narrowed as he sensed the tension in the air. "What's going on here?" Yul asked, his voice calm but firm. Jino and Haitte stepped back, looking a bit intimidated by his presence. Yul is pretty tall and very muscular. Jino almost looked a little frightened by the size of him, towering over him. Yul immediately recognized them from when he first saw them harassing Valerie. "I've seen you two before" he said. They both looked at each other nervously. "What do you guys want?" He asked them as he put a protective hand on Valerie. Jino and Haitte exchanged a nervous glance before Jino spoke up. "We...we just wanted to talk to Valerie," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just talking to her? Are you sure that's all you were doing?" Yul asked. "Yeah. We were just talking. I swear" Haitte said nervously. Yul narrowed his eyes at them. Then looked down at Valerie, still with his hand on her. Then he looked back at them. "This wasn't bullying related, is it?" He asked firmly but calmly. "No. I swear. Nothing like that" Haitte said. "Really?" Yul said. "We promise. We weren't trying to f*ck with her" Jino said. Yul narrowed his eyes to them again. "Actually we were just leaving now" Haitte said. "Then you better do that and go. Now" Yul said in a warning voice. They both nodded nervously. "Come on. Let's just go" Haitte said as she grabbed Jino's arm and dragged him away with her. Yul watched them walk away as Jino kept looking back at him and Valerie. "Are you alright?" He asked as he gently put his hand behind her neck and sat back down. "Yeah, I'm fine" Valerie said with a forced smile. "Why were they talking to you? What did they want?" Yul asked. "It was actually Haitte doing all the"talking" she said with air quotes. " She kept questioning me about us" Valerie said. "About us?" Yul asked. "Yeah. She was asking if we were together" Valerie said. Yul looked at her, a small smile forming on his face. "And what did you say?" He asked. "I didn't know what to say. So I told them to just ask you" Valerie said. Yul chuckled. "Well, what do you want me to tell them?" He asked. Valerie looked into Yul's eyes and saw the warmth and kindness in them. She felt a surge of emotions as she realized how much he cared for her. "You can tell them whatever you want," she said. "And I will" he said. Then he gazed at her and once again saw her as an innocent girl being picked on and bullied for no reason. And he yet again felt awful for her. So he took her hand. She looked at him as he did and saw the sad look on his face. "Listen, Valerie" he started. "I don't know why those two think it's ok to treat you like this, but it's not ok with me. It's not right at all" he said. She listened to him. "This is a college full of adults that we're all in. But they're acting like immature high school teenagers. If that's how they're gonna act, then that's where they may as well go" he said. She chuckled slightly. "So the next time they try to mess with you, tell me right away. And I'll deal with them for you. Even if they warn you not to tell me, don't listen to them. Tell me anyway and I'll take it from there" he said. He said. She nodded understandably and felt flattered by how much he cared about her. "Did you see the way they got scared when I showed up?" He asked. "Yeah. They looked like they were about to have an accident on themselves if you know what I mean" she said. They both laughed. "Yeah. They definitely did. And I really felt satisfied by that reaction when they saw me. And that's the same reaction they're gonna get every time they see me whenever they're messing with you. Because they won't be able to mess with you when I'm around. And they definitely don't want to mess with me" he said. "I may be a gymnast. But I can also be a great bodyguard" he said as he gazed at her. "I don't care about him, and I don't care about her. I care about you. And only you" He said. She nodded after everything he explained to her. He smiled and leaned over to her and kissed her on her cheek. Her eyes widened in shock as he did. "So. Are you ready to go back to the gym? We still have a bit left to do" he said. "Uh yeah. Yeah let's go" she said still shocked by his sudden kiss. They both got up from the table and headed back to the fitness center. In the center, they were already doing more working out together. And all the while, Valerie still felt the warm feeling of his lips against her cheek. And her heart was pounding the whole time. Not from the workout but from that single kiss on her cheek. As they continued their workout session, Valerie couldn't help but feel a sense of joy and happiness wash over her. She was grateful for Yul's protection and care, and she was starting to see him in a new light. He wasn't just a talented gymnast, he was also a kind and caring person who genuinely cared about her well-being. And as they worked out side by side, pushing each other to do their best, she couldn't deny the blossoming feelings she had for him. "So val, what do you want to do afterwards?" Yul asked. "Well, too tired for parkour now. What I really want is a shower after this" she said. "Yeah. I think I could use one too. A cool shower sounds like a good idea" he said. After spending a couple more minutes in the fitness center, they both grabbed their gym bags and headed to the center's locker rooms to take showers. Valerie went to the girl's locker room and Yul went to the boy's. They both had their bath robes, change of clothes and everything they needed for showers packed in their gym bags. In the separate locker rooms, they both stripped naked, covered themselves with their robes, and turned on the shower to the right temperature they needed. Soon, they were both taking their nice refreshing well deserved showers. Scrubbing themselves with their favorite scented shower gel and soap. After their 30 minute showers, they both stepped out the shower stalls, wrapped their nude dripping wet bodies with towels, dried off, changed into their fresh clothes and met up outside the locker rooms. Yul looked at Valerie and couldn't help but admire her natural black beauty. She looked stunning with her dark hair slightly damp and her caramel colored skin glowing from all the exercise and the refreshing shower. "You look amazing" he said, unable to hide his admiration. "Thanks, Yul. You don't look half bad yourself" she replied with a playful smile. They both laughed and walked out of the fitness center, feeling refreshed and invigorated. "Hey, let's grab coffee together right now. My treat" he said. She smiled and nodded in agreement. They walked back to the main campus together, still feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. As they walked, Yul wrapped his arm around Valerie's shoulder, pulling her close to him. She leaned into him, feeling his warmth and love surrounding her. They arrived at the main cafe on campus, got in line. He ordered both of their coffee drinks and some snacks. Him carrying their coffee and snacks, they sat down at a table together. As they sat there, drinking, eating, chatting and laughing, Valerie couldn't shake the feeling of happiness that filled her heart. She never thought she'd ever end up being this close friends and maybe more with an Asian guy. And not just any Asian guy. Professional gymnast Yul moldauer. She felt like the luckiest black girl to meet him and become this close to him. Her heart and stomach simultaneously fluttered inside her as she kept thinking about the kiss on her cheek he gave her. It was really obvious to her that he likes her as more than a friend. As they were having their coffee together, Jordan and his Korean girlfriend, Soo-yung holding hands with her, came over to them. "Hey, Auntie. Hey, Yul. Are y'all on a coffee date too?" he said. Valerie chuckled at her nephew's teasing, blushed at the mention of a "date" and looked at Yul, who had a smile on his face. "Uhhh Something like that" she said, giving Yul a knowing smile. Yul looked at Valerie with a twinkle in his eye and nodded. "Yeah, something like that," he echoed with a grin and a wink. Jordan and Soo-yung smiled and sat down with them, joining in the conversation and laughter. They ended up having a coffee double date. "Oh yeah, Valerie. I forgot to mention before. There's a gymnastics tournament coming soon" Yul said. "Oh really? When?" She asked. "This weekend. On Saturday" he said. "Are you competing in it?" Valerie asked. "Yeah, I am" he said. "Oh shoot! I forgot about the tournament!" Jordan exclaimed. "Are you in it too, Jordan?" Valerie asked him. "Of course I am. And now that Yul just mentioned it, I'm nervous about it now" he said. "Don't sweat it, Jordan. We're a team" Yul said. "Yeah we are" Jordan said. "Relax, Jordan. You're going to do great. You always do great. I'll be there the whole time" Soo-yung said with her thick Korean accent as she hugged him. "Are you gonna be there too, Valerie?" Yul asked. "Sure I am. Definitely. Good thing you and Jordan aren't on opposite teams" she said.