Chapter 9

Finally, I managed to finish the military training Beth had prepared without my consent for a month. And the results are starting to be felt now. My body is much stronger than before I worked out with my best friend, where I don't get tired easily, and maybe I will find all the muscles in my body will be in perfect shape if only I decide to do it regularly for the long term. Unfortunately, I'm not the kind of person who likes routines related to exercise, so it seems I'll have to settle for the increased stamina I get from my workouts.

After all, I'm not the type to really care about the appearance of my muscles. As long as my body can look a little more muscular than before, that's enough for me, so I don't want to act greedy by adding another bodybuilding session with Beth, which I am pretty sure that she won't mind if I ask her to continue with me.

And it looks like I'm not the only one enjoying the results of my workout because I found that Beth also seems very satisfied with the increase in my stamina over the past month.

No. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that his satisfaction was not that she saw my physical changes during the time we followed her exercise plan, but that it was for the reason that the exercise plan she planned had helped her to lose her weight early in the month. In addition, a second reason for the success of her weight loss plan is thanks to the diet menu that Beth and I have purposely tailored to enable us to achieve our respective goals.

For example, the list of dishes I prepared for Beth. Every morning, I always force her to drink a variety of smoothies or overnight oatmeal to recharge her body and help her feel full longer before her lunch hour starts. As soon as noon, I will make her eat a salad or nuts that she can eat as snacks with the calories I deliberately control so that it's not too heavy, or her workout plan will end in absolute failure. As for the dinner, I was more focused on how to increase my intake of plant-based protein instead of animal-based for two brief reasons.

Firstly, plant protein is much healthier and safer for both of us than animal protein, and luckily we both did not have nut allergies, so we didn't find it difficult to include nuts in our lunch and dinner menus. The second reason, of course, is that the price of food that comes from vegetables and beans will be cheaper than buying meat, considering that I prepare all of our meals using my monthly budget, which I deliberately limit so that I do not end up buying too many groceries.

Meanwhile, I focus more on increasing my protein and carbohydrate intake to build my muscle mass. If it weren't for Beth's help, I probably would never have gotten this new muscle of mine. Maybe it would be better if I considered continuing with this exercise routine, but I'd better give up weight training. It's not good for the safety of my hands if I continue to do so, considering I'm a cook who relies heavily on the strength of my hands to do my main daily work.

As for the results of Beth's plan to lose weight, you don't have to worry about her since the answer is obvious; she told me directly that she managed to lose the weight as she expected after she was weighed on the scale I put in the bathroom. As soon as she told me the good news, she continued to look at herself in my bedroom mirror with great satisfaction when she saw the "new" change in her physical appearance.

And, of course, she did after she managed to kick me out of my room because I only had one two-meter high mirror, and that was after I put it in my room. While I, who heard her words earlier, felt happy for the reason that I managed to help her lose the weight she expected indirectly, I preferred to be quiet and enjoy Beth's reaction, who is still busy seeing her new appearance at this time.

"Are you satisfied with the results of the diet and exercise for a month, Beth?" I asked as I was smiling at her in a half teasing tone when I saw my best friend, who still hadn't taken her eyes off my bedroom mirror.

"Of course! I am really satisfied with the results of our hard work! Finally, this way we can go to the festival next Sunday!"

I could feel my lips no longer smiling like I did when I teased Beth as soon as I heard what had just left her lips. Festival? It turned out that she still has not given up on taking me to the festival, I mumbled to myself while I tried to hold back my disappointment at Beth. Even though I had told her many times that I would not ever participate in the festival, it seemed that she still didn't understand what I meant at that time.

"Look, Beth..."

"Yes?"

"About the festival... I already told you that I would not be attending any festivals, didn't I? So I think it's best to just throw away your thoughts of forcing me to attend the festival because I won't be able to go there anytime soon."

"Well... what exactly is the reason you don't want to go to the festival, Marleen?"

Beth, who was initially busy looking at her reflection in the mirror, now turned her body towards me, who was standing not far behind her, and she put on a frowning expression that made her look far scarier than any gorilla I had ever met in my lifetime. At least that's the impression I got when I saw his sulky expression, as well as the reason why I never thought about our friendship that would end and change status to lover one day. "Why don't you want me to take you to the festival?"

I just shrugged my shoulders when I heard his question earlier. If I'm honest, I actually refused his invitation to come to the festival, not for the reason that I didn't want to go to the festival, but it was due to the atmosphere of the festival was definitely crowded with people who had been waiting enthusiastically. And the problem is that I have always hated crowded places because they feel so crowded and full of people. If only Eutimia had such a festival that was not too crowded, I could be sure that I would go to the festival willingly.

"Even though I promised Shanon I would take you to the festival as well. It would be a shame if you didn't come to the festival after I told her you would come to the festival..."

"What? Did Shanon tell you that she wants to go to the festival? How come she doesn't say anything about that to me?"

Beth only answered it by rolling her eyes when she heard my question. "That's because she wants to surprise you, moron. Do you know that festivals are synonymous with costumes? For women, this is the right time to show their charms. So am I."

I looked my best friend up and down with a look like I was doubting her words earlier. No, maybe it would be more correct to say that I really doubted his words. "Are you sure you have the charm of a woman? I think even gorillas are still much better than you."

And, of course, my answer was met with two fists that landed smoothly on my stomach. Don't ask how it feels after feeling the fist of my best friend, who has above average physical strength, because it hurts so much. There doesn't seem to be anything different about Beth when she's skinny or fat, because I think she's still as awful as ever.

"That's for your stupidity earlier. So, where are we earlier? Oh, right. I've prepared costumes for you to wear in the living room. I don't want to know, you just have to come to the festival later. All right! I want to go back first. Bye! "

Without hearing my response, which was definitely protesting with her words, Beth grabbed her bag and disappeared from my room like a bat out of hell. I only responded by clicking my tongue at Beth's behavior, which was so annoying to me. In my heart, I actually admired the haphazard figure of a woman like Beth, who still has the charm that makes her never end up single for too long.

While I was shaking my head, I walked out of my room into the living room where Beth had put the costume she said was for me. I did not get any ideas about whether I should be happy or annoyed when I remembered her words when she asked me to wear the costume she had prepared for me in the living room, but I had no other choice except to comply with his request and check the costume that my best friend gave me before she left.