The grimace of effort was still there, pinching the corners of her mouth, but it was the face of focused exertion, not sheer survival.
Her endurance is miles better than it was, he thought, making a purely observational assessment based on visual cues. She's recovering quicker, her stamina's clearly increasing. That little spark of genuine pride flickered again. It was satisfying to see the results of consistent effort, even if his initial push was… unconventional.
It was quickly followed by a wave of awkwardness about the whole fake-couple situation overying this genuine progress. She's really putting in the work, though. Gotta respect that.
Finally, the painfully slow jog concluded. "Alright, stretching time!" James announced, maybe a bit too eagerly, seizing the chance to do something actually useful. They migrated back to the center of their grassy patch. James took the lead, figuring he should at least ensure a proper cool-down happened.
"Okay, let's start with hamstrings." He demonstrated a basic standing hamstring stretch, keeping his instructions clear and simple. He needed Dipa to get the benefit, but he also needed Toya to be able to follow along without looking like she was trying to fold herself into a pretzel for the first time. "Easy does it, just feel the stretch, don't force it," he coached, trying to sound like a normal person offering friendly advice.
"Ooooh, wow, okay, definitely feeling that one!" Toya excimed with theatrical fir, leaning deeply into a quad stretch. Naturally, she 'lost her bance' and leaned heavily against James’s shoulder, using him as a convenient, human-shaped prop. It was pure performance art at this point. Once 'stabilized,' she swiveled her attention pointedly towards Dipa, who was diligently mirroring James's instructions, her brow furrowed in concentration as she focused on holding the stretch correctly.
"Soooo," Toya began again, her voice taking on that light, breezy, just-making-conversation tone that usually preceded some kind of tactical social maneuver. "This sudden, like, super dedicated fitness journey you're on…" She let the observation hang in the air, casual but loaded. "Looks like you're really crushing it! Seriously impressive."
Pause for effect. "Any particur reason you're suddenly going beast mode like this? Find some… I don't know… extra special motivation tely?" She waggled her eyebrows conspiratorially, her eyes sparkling with way too much amusement.
Dipa’s reaction was instantaneous and volcanic. Her cheeks, still pink from the run, flushed a deep, furious crimson that spread down her neck. She snapped her head up, shot a wide-eyed, panicked gnce directly at James – a look that screamed HELP ME – before immediately yanking her gaze downwards, fixating on her left running shoe as if it were the most fascinating object on pnet Earth.
"Oh! Uh, no! Not really!" she stammered, her voice barely above a mumble. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear with a slightly trembling hand.
"Just… you know… trying to get healthier? Feel better? More energy? That whole… general wellness… vibe?" She trailed off, still refusing to meet Toya’s intensely curious gaze. James could practically feel the heat radiating off her face. Abort! Abort! his brain screamed.