◎I can’t call you ‘Teacher Seagull’ forever, can I?◎

From the other end of the phone, I heard voices growing closer as if someone was calling for him.

We hadn’t scheduled this call in advance, and before inviting him, I had considered the possibility that he might be busy tonight. Smiling, I said, “It’s okay. If you’re busy, forget about it.”

“I might need another hour to wrap things up,” X said quickly. “If you’re willing to wait, you can come find me first.”

Instinctively, I resisted breaking the boundary between the virtual and real world. “Ah, it’s fine, really. It was my fault for deciding on a whim—”

“Come, okay?” His voice, lowered, fell softly against my heart. “I want you to come.”

I had no strength to resist his firm yet gentle tone. Before I realized it, my voice had already softened into compromise. “To… your workplace?”

“Yes,” X replied without hesitation.

It felt as though another barrier had been broken. In just two short weeks, I had almost forgotten that X and I had started out as mere online acquaintances, connected by a fragile thread across great distances.

I booked a ride to the address X gave me—a gym named after him.

X?

X and the gym X… That couldn’t be a coincidence.

Of course. Why hadn’t I thought of it earlier? The reason he seemed to always be at the gym was because he actually worked there. It made perfect sense.

I didn’t know why, but I felt restless throughout the ride. I kept checking reviews of the gym on my phone. It was part of a chain with three locations, slightly more expensive than average, but overall, the reviews were excellent.

Locking my phone, I felt a mix of emotions. It was as if a door was slowly opening before me, and a voice whispered: Welcome to the real world. From this moment on, he is no longer just a symbol named X. He is a real man—with a name, a profession, and a social life.

Was I truly ready for this?

I searched my heart for an answer, but I couldn’t find one.

Reality, however, wouldn’t pause for my hesitation.

About thirty minutes later, I arrived at the city’s bustling commercial district. X’s gym was in a high-end sunken plaza, occupying a prime street-facing spot.

The staff was preparing to close for the night, and the gym’s speakers were playing the classic saxophone tune Going Home. The last few members, bags slung over their shoulders, trickled out one by one.

All my hesitation vanished the moment I saw X.

He stood there under the glow of the city lights, waiting for me with quiet focus.

Can the distant stars ignite the fire in one’s heart? I had no idea. But I figured—who cares? I was already here. Without a second thought, I skipped the escalator and sprinted down the stairs.

At least I managed to stop myself in time and didn’t crash right into his chest.

But even if I had, it wouldn’t have mattered.

I smiled to myself, feeling as if I had finally surfaced from underwater, gasping for air.

X grabbed my wrist and pulled me into his arms. His grip was strong, his palm pressed firmly against my back. Forced to look up, I met his deep, intense gaze, drawn in by the glimmer in his eyes.

I had a feeling—X must really want to kiss me right now.

Because I wanted to kiss him too.

A light whistle cut through the moment.

A gym member, slinging a bag over his shoulder, straddled his bike and smirked at us.

X calmly pulled me behind him and greeted the man. “Heading out?”

“Yeah. I’ll leave you two alone,” the man chuckled, waving. “Let’s play tennis next time.”

A few more people passed by, exchanging casual greetings with X. He responded to each one.

This little audience of onlookers didn’t seem like they were going to disperse anytime soon. X draped an arm around my shoulder and asked, “Want to go inside?”

I shrugged. “Well, I’m already on your turf. Of course, I’ll follow your lead.”

X chuckled at my remark and playfully flicked my forehead. I dodged, giggling.

As we messed around, the sensor-activated doors slid open, and X led me inside.

I resisted the urge to glance around like a curious tourist, settling instead for discreet side glances. Unable to hold back my curiosity, I asked, “Are you a fitness trainer?”

“Sort of,” X replied ambiguously.

“Ohhh—” I wiggled my eyebrows. “But I didn’t see your picture on the wall at the entrance with the other trainers.”

It was a test to confirm my suspicions, though I also felt a little disappointed. I had hoped to sneak a peek at his real name.

X tapped my forehead twice with his knuckle and smirked. “Then why ask?”

I hunched my shoulders like a mischievous child, laughing at the playful reprimand.

Then, he spoke more seriously. “I guess you could say that. Sometimes, I train long-time members that I am familiar with.”

I nodded, continuing to take in the gym’s sleek, well-designed interior.

The staff we passed greeted me with polite nods, their eyes filled with curiosity. Not sure how to react, I simply smiled back at everyone.

As we walked down a long hallway past the reception desk, we ran into a middle-aged couple. They seemed familiar with X, and upon seeing me, one of them teased, “Wow, is this your girlfriend?”

X smiled but didn’t deny it.

I understood. This wasn’t the time to clarify things, nor was there any need to. His ambiguous attitude was enough to convey everything.

I returned their smile politely and was about to walk past them when I heard X say, “Not yet. But I’m working on it.”

I was really startled and quickly tugged at his arm, lowering my voice in warning, “Why would you say that—”

Before I could finish my protest, the couple eagerly gathered around us.

The husband laughed heartily and said, “You should really consider our Xiao Xu. He’s a great guy.”

His wife nodded repeatedly. “That’s right. He’s good-looking and makes good money.”

The husband continued, “I’ve been working out at this gym for so long, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen Xiao Xu bring a girl here.”

I didn’t know what to say for a moment. I’ve never been the shy, reserved type. Most of the time, I lean more towards being an extrovert—but when it comes to X, this is completely different! All I could do was put on a polite smile, nodding along as they spoke.

“Alright, that’s enough.” X noticed my discomfort and cut them off with a smile. “Brother Zhang, Sister Li, she’s here to see me for the first time. Don’t scare her.”

Seeing this, the couple exchanged amused glances, likely thinking I was just embarrassed. They stopped teasing us and shifted their attention to chatting with X.

During their conversation, the middle-aged man complained to his wife about his back pain, and X suggested that he try swimming. I noticed that X’s clients seemed to trust him a lot—without hesitation, they immediately went to find the swimming department’s manager to inquire about private lessons.

After saying goodbye to the enthusiastic couple, X led me forward again. I poked him and said, “So your last name is Xu.”

X responded with a hum and then revealed his business-like nature. “Xu with double strokes. Now, fair trade—you tell me yours.”

Ever since I heard the couple call him Xiao Xu, I had a feeling he would ask for my name. I stalled by pausing. “Huh? Me?”

X pressed the elevator button, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. “I can’t just call you Teacher Seagull for the rest of my life.”

I panicked and fell silent. Oh no, why did he suddenly say something about ‘the rest of my life’? That’s terrifying.

Just then, the elevator doors opened, and I quickly stepped inside.

Seeing that I remained quiet, X didn’t press further.

He followed me in and wrapped his arm around me again. I felt a firm squeeze on my shoulder, as if he was silently conveying his disappointment—but he said nothing.

X led me to the second floor, to his private office. Everything around me felt both intimate and familiar. The first thing I saw was the dark walnut desk that I had seen countless times in videos.

Smiling, I walked over, ran my fingers over the surface, and greeted it softly, “Ah, so here you are.”

“Have a seat.” X played the perfect host and asked what I wanted to drink.

Seeing that he intended to stay and keep me company, I quickly asked, “Aren’t you busy?”

As a fellow working professional, I fully understood the struggles of balancing work responsibilities. I didn’t want to distract him from his tasks.

“It’s fine.”

X stepped outside and called for someone to bring me water. “The lawyer is still in a meeting.”

I was surprised. “Is there some kind of trouble?”

X shook his head. “No, a friend of mine is thinking about transferring his gym and asked if I wanted to take over.”

He pulled me to sit beside him on the long couch, naturally sharing the details of his friend’s situation. “Both he and his wife have demanding jobs. This year, they suddenly realized that their two kids, who are in elementary school, were already on the verge of becoming rebellious. That’s when they knew things had to change. His wife still wants to focus on her career for a few more years, so he decided to step back and be a stay-at-home dad for a while—to be there for the kids and get them back on track.”

“Are you thinking of taking it over?” I pondered aloud. “Managing an additional branch must be a lot of work.”

“I never planned to expand into another city, but now…”

He turned to look at me, letting out a short, lighthearted laugh.

“Plans never keep up with changes. Let’s take it one step at a time.”

Someone knocked on the door. X got up to answer it, exchanged a few words with the person outside, then turned to me and said quickly, “I haven’t made a decision yet. I’ll let you know once it’s finalized.”

I nodded, choosing not to press for more details.

To be honest, coming here today, I already felt like I was getting to know him on a much deeper level. The image of X in my mind was filling out at an unprecedented speed.

Before, I only knew him as a well-built, handsome guy—at most, I could guess that he was financially stable. But now, I learned that he owned three fitness centers in the city’s busiest district, that he lived in a luxury residential area right behind this gym, and that his last name was Xu.

These realizations only solidified my belief that X probably wasn’t serious about me. With his background and circumstances, he was undoubtedly in high demand in today’s dating market. If he remained unattached, it was likely because he was extremely picky about his partners—or perhaps, he simply had no intention of settling down at all. Either way, it was a conscious choice on his part, and it wouldn’t be easy to change.

I figured that all the things he had said—the ones that gave such an intense illusion of exclusivity—were probably just words that felt good to hear. Or rather, in this ambiguous, undefined connection between me and X, I preferred to think of it as a kind of flirtatious magic.

I knew my reality, and I was willing to indulge in this brief but intoxicating enchantment—because I had never planned for tomorrow.

The longer things dragged on, the more complications would arise. Looking at the medical report I had received on my phone earlier, I made up my mind to go all in with X tonight.

°.✩┈┈∘*┈˃̶୨୧˂̶┈*∘┈┈✩.°

📢 Author’s Note:

I originally just wanted a fun one-shot, but somehow, it keeps getting longer and longer!