First Day as a Gym Coach

Luo Zining still couldn’t quite wrap her head around it.

What kind of combat style could actually be considered terrifying to a magical girl?

The magic provided by the Magical Alliance for magical girls to study was always the kind that was “visually appropriate and suitable for children.”

She had never seen any spells that looked genuinely cruel.

“Maybe it’s innate magic?” Luo Zining figured that was the only explanation.

Clap clap.

Xingyue clapped her hands twice, instantly dispelling the heavy atmosphere in the room.

“Alright, let’s stop here. Would you mind showing me around the city?”

Luo Zining and Zhou Xi exchanged a glance.

“Together?” Zhou Xi asked.

“OK.”

Who wouldn’t want to get close to the legendary Xingyue? Luo Zining and Zhou Xi were no exception.

If magical girls were idols to ordinary people, then Xingyue was the idol among magical girls—the top-tier.

How lucky could you get, being able to spend time with your main bias up close?

Even if something urgent came up, they’d toss it aside and do everything they could to serve their queen.

And so, back in a certain empty-nester’s living room, the food on the table had already gone cold, but the sound of her daughter returning never came.

“Goddammit! Sleep it is, then!”

Luo You threw back her covers and dove into bed, absolutely fuming.

Even by the next morning, she was still holding onto the grudge.

She glanced at her daughter’s bedroom door, slightly ajar and an utter mess inside.

“Oh, she left for school already.”

Luo You checked the time—it was about time for her to head to the gym too.

Today was supposed to be orientation and meeting her trainees.

“Hm?”

Luo You noticed a slip of paper left on the living room table.

[Sorry~ Took my senpai around to get familiar with the area last night. Forgot to tell you.
Here’s a love-filled breakfast from your sweet daughter!]

Lifting the lid off the plate, Luo You found a heart-shaped piece of bread, slightly uneven in shape.

She flipped the note over. There was more on the back.

[See that test tube next to it? Put a bit of your bodily fluid in it—I need it for biology class tomorrow.]

“……”

You need my bodily fluids for bio class? What, to demonstrate photosynthesis with me as the plant?

Luo You poured some vintage Sprite from 1982 into the test tube.

Then she glanced at the so-called “heart-shaped” bread—was this torn by hand or gnawed out with teeth?

She slipped it into a ziplock bag.

“I’ll feed it to the fish downstairs.”

Without hesitation, she got dressed, headed out, tossed the bread into the apartment pond to feed the fish, and bought herself some proper bread and soy milk at the bakery. That was breakfast—handled.

The gym was already buzzing with people working out that morning—elderly folks, greasy young men, and energetic girls.

Warmups, stretches, dumbbell presses…

It all looked quite welcoming for newcomers. Even had a bit of a wholesome, fresh vibe.

“…Heh.” Luo You sneered.

She knew this gym far too well. This was all surface-level.

There was also a third floor here—the true…

Muscle Hell.

A haven for bodybuilders, powerlifters, and beefy gay bros.

Even with windows open, the stench of sweat lingered like a curse.

No one even glanced at the 20–30kg barbells—only triple-digit beasts mattered here.

Pulsing muscle. Streaming sweat.

Even the seat cushions on the machines bore permanent imprints of bulging glutes.

Thankfully, it was confined to the third floor. If this nightmare aired on the first floor, newbies would probably faint from shock.

Luo You used to coach on the third floor—

Though her muscles back then were nothing compared to those meat mountains (like a lean greyhound next to pit bulls), she never once lost in a strength showdown.

That earned her the undying worship of the devilish muscle freaks upstairs—they saw her as a living deity.

“Heh heh. Thinking back on those days… kinda nostalgic!”

She wiped her nose, but then her smile froze.

“Wait a minute… don’t tell me I have to coach those guys again? Goddamn it!”

Her words practically dripped with disgust.

She was a delicate young lady now—shoving her back into that sauna of testosterone would be like force-feeding a flower raw steak.

But the old Luo You—male Luo You—was gone.

That meant his former students were now without a coach.

Which meant there was a real chance those beasts would be reassigned to her…

“Ah! Miss Luo Youyou, over here!”

The gym manager spotted her immediately and rushed over with exaggerated hospitality.

“Let me show you around the place.”

“Sure. Thanks.”

It was mostly a refresher: work hours, breaks, gym rules, equipment maintenance.

Luo You had all of this memorized already—in one ear, out the other.

“By the way, where’d Mr. Luo You go? He contacted me out of nowhere to resign—so sudden!”

“Hm, he went abroad.”

“Abroad?”

The manager nodded thoughtfully.

“Right, right—same-s*x marriage is legal overseas. Makes sense, I guess.”

“…..? What exactly do you mean by that?”

The corner of Luo You’s mouth twitched.

The manager just gave her a mysterious little smile.

Goddammit! This misunderstanding’s getting out of control!

Spreading rumors takes one sentence. Clearing them up? That’s a marathon.

Luo You silently added another tally to Luo Zining’s name in her mental grudge ledger.

“By the way, what’s your relationship to the previous Luo You? Your names are super similar.”

“Oh, I’m his girlfriend.” Luo You answered without hesitation—it was her assigned cover story, after all.

“G-Girlfriend?! That guy’s?! (leg trembling)”

That muscly gay dude actually landed a cute, gorgeous girlfriend like this?!

God, are you blind?!

The manager had actually had a little thing for Luo Youyou at first.

But the moment he found out she was dating that meathead, any interest evaporated instantly.

He wasn’t about to challenge the gym’s muscle cult.

If the disciples on the third floor—who saw Luo You as their divine muscle priestess—caught wind of anything, they’d probably crush his head between their pecs.

“Ahem ahem, looks like you’re pretty much familiar now. Let me introduce your first student… she’s actually arriving this morning.”

As he spoke, the gym’s automatic doors slid open.

In walked a quiet girl with black-rimmed glasses.

She looked like the type who didn’t talk much in high school and worked part-time as a library assistant—plain at first glance, but with a beauty that could explode if she took her glasses off.

She clutched a fitness book tightly to her chest—unsurprisingly, she was holding a book.

“Hmm, the art style feels a bit off…” Luo You thought.

“Over here!”

The manager waved.

The girl came over, but the moment her eyes landed on Luo You, her grip slipped and the book almost dropped.

“An Jiu’er, this is your trainer, Luo Youyou. If you have any fitness-related questions, just ask her.”

[An Jiu’er… angel? Wow, someone’s full of themselves.] Luo You tilted her head.

Well, not like she was any better in that department.

“Hello, I’m Luo Youyou. Nice to meet you.”

“……”

An Jiu’er didn’t respond right away.

The manager thought she was questioning Luo You’s qualifications, so he quickly jumped in.

“Don’t let her looks fool you—she’s got serious credentials. She could pass the advanced trainer exam any day now—”

“It’s fine. I’ll go with her.” An Jiu’er cut him off without hesitation.

“Alright then.”

The manager turned to Luo You.

“She’s scheduled for Wednesdays and Fridays, from 8 to 11 in the morning. You—”

“Wrong. I’m coming every day.” An Jiu’er interrupted flatly.

“Huh? Uh, while we do encourage consistent fitness, coming every day isn’t necessary. Overtraining can actually harm your body…”

“It’s fine. I’m very robust.”

“Then… why exactly do you want to work out?”

“Because I need to build strength.”

“……Alright then. I’ll let you two get acquainted—I’ve got stuff to do.”

The manager slinked off, thoroughly confused by these modern kids and their logic.

“Let’s properly introduce ourselves again. I’m An Jiu’er. Can I just call you Youyou?”

“Call me Coach.”

“…Okay, Coach.”

An Jiu’er looked a little disappointed, but Luo You didn’t budge.

Other settings were one thing, but in this gym, she had one iron rule—everyone called her Coach.

“Don’t take it personally. It’s not just you—I’m the same with everyone.”

“…Alright.”

An Jiu’er quickly bounced back.

“Then Coach, you can just call me Jiu’er.”

“Sure.”

Guess I misjudged her. Doesn’t seem that introverted after all. Luo You mused.

“Jiu’er, you said you’d be coming every day. I don’t recommend that unless it’s for light activity. When do you usually come?”

“My schedule… isn’t fixed.”

“That’s not ideal. You’re not my only student, so you’ll need to book your time slots in advance.”

“Got it.”

Jiu’er paused.

“I’ll think about it when I get home.”

“Send me your WeChat. I’ll add you to the group chat—just message me there if anything comes up.”

They exchanged contact info.

Jiu’er made a tiny fist pump, like she’d just achieved some kind of milestone.

Luo You stared at her, totally baffled.

“So, Jiu’er, what kind of fitness goals do you have? Wellness? Weight loss? Muscle building? Or just overall health?”

Fitness, at its core, was about strengthening the body and mind—not about training till you drop.

[But for girls, it’s usually about losing weight, right?]

Luo You silently slapped that label on her.

“Umm…”

Jiu’er didn’t answer right away.

“Not sure, huh? Then tell me which area you want to focus on?”

“My waist.”

“Weight loss?”

“No. Just want to strengthen my waist… it gets sore after intense activity.”

Waist pain?

Luo You’s eyes shifted downward.

She reached out, then paused just before making contact.

“Mind if I touch?” she asked.

“I don’t mind.”

Jiu’er lifted her gym shirt without hesitation, revealing smooth, pale skin.

Okay wow—didn’t need to lift it that far…

Luo You hesitated for a moment, then cursed herself for being such a coward.

[Come on, I’m a girl now! What am I scared of? Touch it! Touch it like you mean it!]