"Phew... I should just use the bus next time," Frizz exclaimed, panting and huffing from the constant exhausting pedaling.
Arriving at the old gym where he and Mill used to hang out. He parked his electric bike near the entrance and locked it, and as he was about to open the half-tinted glass door, it opened.
Behind it was Mill with a welcoming smile.
"I saw you arrive; it's good you're here," Mill greeted, welcoming Frizz inside and giving him a short tour of the boxing gym.
"That there is the boxing ring; it wasn't there before when we used to come here," Mill showcased.
"That's my coach and my trainer." Mill pointed at the two.
"We have punching bags, but we use punching mannequins mostly."
"Oh hey, Hana." A tall woman wearing a sports bra and tight leggings with shorts passed by, briefly glancing at the duo.
Her height was similar to Frizz's, sporting a slender and muscled figure. The expression on her face resembled an eternal frown, focused and straightforward.
Hana nodded at Mill, greeting back as she walked by. Not paying a single attention to Frizz.
"That's pretty much it." Mill smiled, giving Frizz a thumbs up. "Welcome to the gym."
Mill's trainer and coach waved at him, motioning him to come. "We'll drink later after I am done here. This shouldn't take long."
Frizz hummed, looking around the gym. The inside was different from the outside. The front looked old and unchanging, but inside it had a modern aesthetic.
"I have something to discuss with my coach. Feel free to try my new gloves." Mill excused himself, tossing the white gloves at Frizz.
(I might as well have some fun.) Frizz took off his jacket and stretched his arms and legs. Putting on the boxing gloves, he approached the punching mannequin and delivered a jab. Thud!
Seeing the mannequin sway, he punched again and again. *Thud!*Thud!
"Your punches are sloppy." A feminine voice punched in, causing Frizz to turn around.
(Smelly girl...) "Hana, right?" Frizz asked, landing another blow. Thud!
"Sorry for butting in, but if you punch hard like that, you're going to end up with a broken wrist."
"Oh. Thank you for the concern." Frizz courtly nodded and smiled, appreciating her concern.
"It's strong, like actually strong." Hana looked surprised.
"However, it lacks the precision and the proper technique."
"Precision?"
"Yeah, you're just hitting it for the sake of hitting it. You need to aim properly, especially in a fight. The fewer punches it takes for your opponent to be knocked out, the better," Hana explained.
Frizz stopped for a moment, remembering his past encounters. "I see... You're exactly right." He aimed a punch at the head, causing the mannequin to wobble.
(His punching is, like, really bad; anyone half decent can see it from a mile away. He tends to wind it up far back. However, they are very powerful. He must be working out for a long time.) Hana mused as he eyed Frizz's figure, noting that he was tall but was barely physically impressive. (Huh...)
"Hey Hana! Frizz, you've been going to the gym, haven't you?" Frizz turned around; it was Mill this time.
"Why'd you say that?" Frizz, confused, inquired about Mill's question.
"Because your punches actually have a lot of power in them, you're like way, way stronger than me when I had my first fight," Mill bluntly stated, with Hana silently agreeing.
Frizz froze for a moment. (Right, I have been leveling up and gaining perks; I have gotten stronger.)
"I guess you could say that, though I still don't know how to fight."
"Not an issue; no one really needs any fighting techniques when you can just call the police," Mill pointed out the obvious.
"I guess you have a point," though Frizz recalled the time when he had to get violent with some drug dealers.
"Or sue..." Hana pointed out, causing Mill to laugh. "Good one! Anyways, Hana? Want to join us? We're going out to drink."
"Pass. I've something to do." Hana swiftly turned around, highlighting her back.
Mill briefly stared below, attracted.
"Quite a looker," Mill pointed out using his brows, looking at Frizz.
"Yeah, she's alright." (That body odor though. Still, to be fair, even Mill or probably everyone here in this gym reeks.)
"Anyway, do you want to go away? Let's go drink; I am thirsty," Mill asked.
"What time is it?" Frizz asked as he took off the gloves and slipped on his jacket, wiping the sweat on his temples and brows. "Seven o'clock in ten minutes," Mill checked his watch.
"Let's go meet at Faye Bar; I've heard that they have discounts today, and there'll be a lot of women!" Mill exclaimed.
"Don't you have a girlfriend or something?" Frizz asked in concern.
"Nothing wrong with window shopping," Mill huffed his chest.
"I guess that makes sense," Frizz reluctantly reasoned.
"Let's go."
Twenty minutes later...
"Dude, what took you so long?"
Frizz put up a finger, huffing and panting hard. "These bikes are not built for speed," he commented, turning on the dashboard; it was almost out of battery.
Mill rolled his eyes. "Just park it over there, and let's go inside."
Frizz parked and locked his electric bike. They both headed towards the entrance until a guard stopped them and tapped on the sign. 'Entrance Fee, 100.' Frizz was about to pull out the exact amount until Mill stopped him and motioned that he'd pay.
"Where should we sit?" Mill asked.
Frizz pointed at a distant table, away from the music booth. "There."
"I'll go order; you sit there." Mill hurried to the counter.
One hour later...
Mill and Frizz laughed as they reminisced about the old times, slowly emptying the bucket of beer they'd ordered. However, as the night progressed, it was getting harder to converse as the music got louder and the disco lights got flashier.
Still, they persisted until everything blurred out, and they were just slurring at each other as they laughed.
[System]
[Alcoholic Advantage] perk is active.
"Oh, that's cool, hahaha," Frizz muttered, chuckling.
Two hours later...
Frizz could make out Mill's figure, 'dancing' on the dance floor with other people. The dancing in question was more of an erratic shift of his limbs.
Frizz laughed and clapped as he suddenly recalled an old memory of Mill 'dancing' and stepping on the feet of his prom partner.
He finished another bottle, feeling the urge to relieve himself; he stood up and wobbled his way to the restroom, entering the wrong gender and promptly leaving as feminine screams screeched. "Wrong room, hahahahaha...."
One hour later...
The night still raged on. Frizz, however, had enough; the drinks were good, but Mill kept dancing and talking with strangers. Leaving no time to converse properly, he was bored.
It was about time to head home, and he couldn't risk his friend doing something that he'd regret.
He spotted Mill dancing with a woman, and it looked like they were dangerously close to each other. He stood up, approaching Mill.
There, on the dance floor, Mill and a short, pretty woman in a red, skimpy dress were staring at each other, with two other women giggling beside them.
Frizz grabbed Mill's right forearm. "We have to go home."
"Is this your friend?" the scantily dressed woman asked Mill. Frizz was rather uncomfortable with the woman's seductive look. It didn't help that her two friends joined in with the eyeing.
"We have to go home, Mill," Frizz emphasized, but Mill snickered, scoffing.
"And leave these three respectable, pretty women alone?" Mill shrugged away Frizz's hand.
"Frizz, this beautiful woman's name is Ayah, and the ones behind her are Kae and Aylin." Mill introduced them.
Frizz glanced at the two women that Mill pointed to. Kae wore a yellow crop top with shorts, and Aylin wore a white long sleeve with skimpier shorts.
"Nice to meet you; I am Frizz." He politely introduced himself, softly smiling.
(The women were indeed pretty as Mill said, even if without their makeup.)
"Let's all go take a seat," Mill suggested, walking towards their previous table.
They all took a seat, and Ayah sat near Mill, with her hands dangerously close to his crotch.
Kae and Aylin sat near Frizz. (Ah, screw it. I tried to stop him. It's your grave.)
Frizz was about to reach for another bottle when a drunk customer kicked Mill's chair.
"Why are you three here? We were having fun with my friends until you left us and disappeared." The drunk man questioned loudly, causing the three women to shrink.
The three women were not interested, avoiding the man and his friends.
"You left us for these two?" The disco light briefly shone on the drunk man, who was almost bald.
Mill stood up. "Hey, what's your problem?" he asked, pushing him away.
Frizz facepalmed. (Oh, he didn't. He just shoved him.)
For him, it was obvious where this was heading—a fight.
The almost bald man clenched his fists, snapping and throwing a punch aimed at Mill's head.
However, Mill easily parried the strike and headbutted the man, staggering them. Three of the almost bald man's friends approached, backing him up.
A bouncer arrived just in time, forcefully breaking the tension between the two. "Fighting is not allowed outside, all of you. Now."
Frizz restrained Mill as they walked outside, the three women closely following.