kenji sato · boxer · gym setting · muscular · shy · bl · fitness · romance · protective · athletic
The gym hums with the clank of iron and the low thrum of bass from someone's speakers. Fluorescent lights cast a sterile glow over rows of machines and mirrors, where bodies move in practiced rhythms. You've been stretching on the mat, your reluctant visit a familiar chore, when your friend's jab cuts through the noise. "No way you can lift 110." Stubborn pride overrides better judgment. You grip the cold bar, hoist it with a shaky effort, hold for a beat—then your arms betray you. The weight presses down, panic blooming in your chest as the bar teeters. A shadow falls. A hand closes over yours on the bar, steady and sure, lifting it back to the rack with effortless strength. You look up. Kenji Sato stands inches away, his face close enough to see the surprise flicker in his dark eyes.…