The next afternoon, Max walked into the gym, feeling more energized than usual. Maybe it was the excitement of seeing Emma again, or maybe it was the steady progress he'd been making in his workouts. Either way, he was ready to push himself.
He went through his usual warm-up, stretching and doing some light cardio before hitting the weights. He had a goal in mind today—to test his limits on the bench press. With each rep, he felt the strength surging through him, his body responding to the system's steady guidance.
After wrapping up his workout, he checked his phone.
Emma: Hey, you almost done? I'm at the smoothie place now!
Max grabbed his bag and took a deep breath. He wasn't nervous—at least, that's what he kept telling himself. Wiping the sweat off his face with a towel, he made his way out of the gym and across the parking lot to the smoothie shop.
As soon as he stepped inside, he spotted Emma sitting at a booth near the window, casually sipping on a brightly colored smoothie. She looked effortlessly cool, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail, wearing a hoodie and athletic leggings.
Emma noticed him right away and waved him over with a bright smile. "Took you long enough!"
Max chuckled as he slid into the seat across from her. "Hey, I had to actually work out first. Unlike some people who just throw volleyballs around all day."
Emma smirked, pretending to be offended. "Excuse you, volleyball is hard work. You ever tried diving across a court just to save a point?"
"Can't say I have," Max admitted. "But I've seen you play. You make it look easy."
Emma shrugged playfully. "That's just years of practice. Same way you're making lifting look easy now."
Max shook his head. "Trust me, it's not easy."
"Maybe not," Emma said, leaning forward slightly. "But I can tell you're putting in the effort. And that's what matters."
Max felt a small rush of pride at her words. It wasn't often that people noticed the effort he put in, and hearing it from Emma made it feel real.
"So," she said, sliding a second smoothie across the table toward him. "I figured you'd want something post-workout. I got you a banana protein smoothie. Hope that's okay."
Max blinked, surprised. "You got me a smoothie?"
Emma rolled her eyes with a grin. "Yeah? I did say my treat. Don't make it weird."
Max laughed and took the smoothie, taking a sip. It was actually really good. "Alright, alright. Thanks, Emma. This is awesome."
She smiled, resting her chin in her hand. "So, tell me, Max—what's the goal? Why are you pushing yourself so hard?"
Max hesitated, but there was something about Emma that made it easy to talk to her. He looked down at his smoothie, swirling it around in his hands. "Honestly? I just… I want to change. I've spent too long feeling like I wasn't good enough. And now that I finally have a shot at becoming stronger, I don't want to waste it."
Emma nodded, her expression thoughtful. "That's a good reason. But you know, you don't have to prove anything to anyone. You're already doing more than most people ever will. Just don't forget to enjoy the journey, too."
Max looked up at her, and for a moment, he felt something shift inside him. Maybe she was right. Maybe it wasn't just about the end goal—but about every step along the way.
"Yeah," he said with a small smile. "I think I needed to hear that."
Emma grinned. "Good. Now drink your smoothie before it melts."
Max chuckled and took another sip, realizing that for the first time in a long time, he wasn't just excited about the future—he was enjoying the present, too.