Later that afternoon, Catherine invited Rachel to the training room.
"You said you've done CQC, right?" Catherine asked, stretching casually.
Rachel nodded.
"Marine training. Mercenary work. Close-quarters combat proficiency."
"Perfect," Catherine said warmly. "Let's spar a bit."
Rachel tightened her gloves.
But then—
Catherine stretched.
Her arms flexed. Her shoulders rolled. Her abs tightened. Her back muscles rippled.
And Rachel's soul left her body.
She just stood there… staring.
Not in a romantic way. Not lustfully. But in holy devotion.
Like an artist seeing Michelangelo sculpt himself out of pure muscle.
Catherine blinked. "…Rachel? You good?"
Rachel whispered, almost reverently:
"…Incredible."
"What?"
"Your musculature. The definition. The symmetry. The balance of upper to lower body strength. You may be… the most physically perfect mortal specimen I've ever seen."
Catherine blushed—actually blushed—her cheeks softening into something adorably shy.
"Oh… thank you? I didn't think anyone noticed those things."
Rachel stepped closer… eyes scanning like a soldier analyzing a masterpiece.
"These deltoids… sculpted. Quadriceps… optimal. Core strength… superb. You are… breathtaking."
Catherine laughed nervously.
"Um… we're supposed to be sparring."
Rachel blinked.
"…Right."
They squared up.
Catherine smiled.
"Okay. Come at me."
Rachel nodded…
…then Catherine flexed again accidentally.
And Rachel lowered her guard instantly.
"Perfect…"
Catherine tapped her forehead lightly.
"Rachel. Focus."
"My apologies. Your triceps are distracting."
Catherine stepped back, giggling.
"This is supposed to be MY compliment arc, not yours!"
Rachel straightened.
"…Forgive me. I am loyal to Zumi. But my admiration for your muscles is… unshakeable."
Catherine placed a hand on her heart dramatically.
"That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."
Then—
She pulled Rachel into a friendly side hug with her massive arm.
Rachel died inside again.
Emotionally. Platonically. Spiritually.
Her loyalty to Catherine skyrocketed into a new category:
PLATONIC MUSCLE DEVOTION: 100/100
Training ended. Rachel finally peeled herself away from Catherine's biceps and went to report to Zumi.
She stepped into the hallway—
—and immediately froze.
Zumi had just walked out of the shower.
A towel around his waist. Hair damp. Chest bare. Abs defined but not overdone. Shoulders sculpted, divine aura faintly humming around him like heat from a bonfire.
He looked like a myth carved into mortal flesh.
Rachel's brain malfunctioned.
She opened her mouth—
—and nothing came out.
Zumi looked at her casually, drying his hair with another towel.
"Rachel? You needed something?"
His voice— Low. Husky. Authority wrapped in velvet.
Rachel's knees actually bent.
"I— I— I—"
Zumi tilted his head.
"Are you okay?"
Rachel stood rigid, eyes locked on his chest like she was staring at the sun.
"Yes— I mean— no— I mean—"
Then his abs flexed slightly as he adjusted the towel.
Rachel made an actual sound:
"—hhh."
Zumi stepped closer.
"Rachel?"
She snapped her gaze to the wall instantly.
"I APOLOGIZE MY LORD— I DID NOT EXPECT— YOUR— FORM— I AM— PERISHING—"
Zumi blinked, amused.
"What?"
Rachel kept staring at the wall.
"Your chest is… ideal."
"…Ideal?"
"Perfect ratio. Perfect symmetry. Perfect mass. This should be illegal. It is too efficient. Too well-formed. My internal systems are compromised."
Zumi smirked.
"You're worse than Catherine."
Rachel immediately straightened.
"I am loyal to your physique professionally. Catherine's muscles are— are— different. They are holy relics. Yours are… divine architecture."
Zumi actually laughed softly.
"Rachel."
"Yes—sir?"
"You can breathe."
Rachel inhaled like she'd forgotten air existed.
"And you can look at me. It's fine."
Rachel turned her head slowly… cautiously…
Then saw his entire divine upper body again.
And nearly fainted on the spot.
"—I can't," she whispered.
Zumi chuckled and walked past her, brushing her shoulder lightly with his hand.
"Get used to it. You'll see me like this a lot."
Rachel stood frozen like a statue.
Her internal monologue:
"I serve a god. A beautiful god. I must not perish."
Rachel was trying — trying — to walk normally through the mansion after surviving Zumi's shirtless divine ambush. But Catherine saw her stiff military march and suspiciously red ears.
"Rachel…?" Catherine smirked. "Why do you look like you just ran through a battlefield?"
Rachel cleared her throat.
"I am fine."
"You're sweating."
"It is… training residue."
"You weren't training."
Rachel froze.
Catherine narrowed her eyes.
"…What happened?"
Rachel whispered:
"I saw… Zumi. Shirtless."
Catherine shrieked laughing.
"Oh my god— YOU ALMOST FAINTED, DIDN'T YOU?"
Rachel's silence was confirmation.
Catherine did not keep this information to herself.
She sprinted into the living room like it was gossip Christmas morning.
"GIRLS! RACHEL ALMOST DIED SEEING ZUMI SHIRTLESS!"
The reaction was immediate:
Bia: falls off the couch laughing "Ohhhh Rachel, welcome to the club!"
Serafina: smirks, shadows curling "I warned you… divine bodies are overwhelming."
Kasumi: covering her mouth, giggling "She made that face like when she saw my muscles!"
Carmella: trying not to laugh, failing "She froze like a malfunctioning robot."
Hina: soft gasp "Awww… she's adorable."
Rachel stood in the doorway, arms stiff at her sides, looking like a punished cat.
Gia sipped her tea and added calmly—
"You should've seen me the first time I saw him shirtless. I forgot English."
Everyone died laughing.
Rachel, mortified, vowed aloud:
"I will never look directly at Master Zumi shirtless again."
🚨 Vow Broken in 10 Seconds
The universe heard her vow…
…and immediately tested her.
Zumi opened the door and walked in casually wearing:
gray sweatpants a fitted black muscle shirt bare feet damp hair and that effortless godlike aura
The squeaky sound Rachel made was not human.
"—eep."
Everyone stared.
Then exploded laughing.
Bia: "OH MY GOD— WHAT WAS THAT NOISE!?"
Serafina: "Did she just squeak?"
Kasumi: "Rachel.exe has stopped responding!"
Rachel slapped a hand over her mouth.
Zumi looked at her, raising a brow.
"…Did you just squeak?"
Rachel, mortified:
"No."
Everyone:
"YES."
Rachel pulled Catherine aside desperately.
"HOW do you survive being around him? His physique, his voice, his aura— how!?"
Catherine patted her sympathetically.
"Oh sweetheart… we don't survive."
All the girls nodded dramatically.
Kasumi: "We just pretend we're normal."
Hina: "We internally scream."
Carmella: "He walks by and my brain stops."
Bia: "If he flirts? Forget it. I lose hit points."
Serafina: "If he says something dirty, we all fold instantly."
Every girl lifted a hand in agreement.
Rachel stared, horrified.
"So the weakness… is universal?"
Serafina smirked darkly. "Universal… and fatal."
Zumi, from the hallway:
"I can hear all of you."
Every girl:
"WE KNOW."
Gia leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, smirking.
"Rachel," she said sweetly.
"Yes?" Rachel replied cautiously.
Gia lowered her voice.
"Just wait until you see his… thing."
Catherine instantly turned bright red, whole face matching a tomato, squeaking louder than Rachel did earlier.
Bia choked on air. Kasumi covered her face. Hina stared at the ceiling like she wasn't hearing this. Serafina grinned with pure evil delight.
Rachel blinked.
"…His what?"
Catherine slapped a hand over Rachel's mouth.
"NOT YET. YOU ARE NOT READY."
Zumi from down the hallway:
"…Gia."
Gia shrugged unapologetically.
"What? She has to learn eventually."
Rachel stood there, confused and terrified.
"Learn… what?"
Serafina whispered:
"You'll know the day he forgets a towel."
Rachel nearly passed out again.
Catherine dragged Rachel into the training room like she was about to teach her how to fight dragons — not survive a sexy god-man in sweatpants.
"Okay," Catherine said seriously, hands on hips, muscles flexing like sculpted steel.
"We need to fix this."
Rachel straightened, military posture snapping into place.
"Fix what?"
"Your inability," Catherine poked her forehead,
"to handle Zumi's entire existence without squeaking."
Rachel stiffened.
"I do not— squeak."
Catherine raised a brow.
Rachel wilted.
"Okay… I squeak a little."
Bia's voice echoed from the hallway:
"A LITTLE?? Girl, you squeaked like a rubber duck!"
Kasumi coughed delicately.
Hina giggled softly.
Rachel's soul left her body for a moment.
Catherine pulled her close, whispering:
"Look, Rachel… I get it. I used to malfunction around him too."
"You… malfunctioned?" Rachel asked, wide-eyed.
Catherine blushed.
"Oh absolutely. First week here, I punched a wall because he smiled at me."
Rachel nodded solemnly.
"That is… relatable."
Catherine cleared her throat.
"Okay. Lesson one."