Chapter 23

Bring forth joy to all those you love, not hate.

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"Apparently, a peeping tom is roaming around the vicinity, taking pictures of women in their underwear and while they are inside the stalls."

"Uwah! What a pervert! I hope that man got his dick cut off!"

Berret snapped, flinching at the thought of having his manhood sliced off for being a pervert. The thought made him rethink his decision, but his urge tramples over his morality, thus continuing towards his wicked goal.

"What if that man is here right now, watching us?"

The two went inside the empty stalls, but little did one of them know that the invisible Berret was with one of them. However, the peeping tom mentioned was not Berret but someone else.

One was about to pull down their underwear when she noticed a light from the mirror flashing in her direction. And when she looked out the window, she saw the disgusting pervert licking the glass as he held a camera in his hand.

"Kyaaa! The pervert!"

Immediately, Berret moved to the side to avoid collision with the girl who sprinted out of the stall as she pulled her panty up to her waist. Her friends saw the man and did the same thing. It disrupted and prevented Berret from fully committing a crime. Thankfully, it stopped before it could get worse.

"What am I doing with my life?! Fuck!"

Realizing that he was going overboard and his mistakes, Berret went out of the women's toilet as his bulging crotch subsided from feeling guilt and conscience. He does not want to stoop so low as to peep in women's toilets just to satisfy his urges.

"I almost messed up. Man, I just want a girlfriend I can hold..."

There was more to Berret's sentence, but he just let his words trail off, afraid that he would jinx all of his chances if he ever mentioned more than what he had already spoken.

Defeatedly, Berret came to his senses and walked off the women's toilet while he was still invisible, slow-gaiting on the sidewalk with his head staring blankly at the ground.

Ring, ring, ring... Berret's phone began to vibrate when someone called his number. He picked it up after looking at the caller and spoke.

"Hello," he said in his most unenthusiastic voice. "What do you want now?"

"Bruh, why do you sound so lifeless? Anyway, let's go hit the gym! It will be fun!"

"How is weightlifting fun?"

"Just come and try it, Berret. You won't regret coming to the gym!"

***

Reluctant if he should still go or not, Berret was stuck outside the gym, having second thoughts about whether to go or not. He had already decided not to go when his friend saw him from inside, instantly waving his hand and calling out to Berret so that he would not be able to turn him down.

"Berret, hey! Over here!"

Hurriedly, Berret's friend went out of the gym to get him.

"You came! You're finally ready to change, huh? Great, great, great!"

Of all the people that surround Berret, this friend of his, Arthur, was the only individual he could call a real friend.

"Ohh, don't put your arm around my shoulder! You're sweating!"

"Okay, okay, dude. Chill! But you gotta check the gym out. It's packed with people! Come inside. I'll guide you!"

Unable to turn back, Berret just let himself be guided inside the gym. They stopped at the receptionist to have Berret sign a membership card.

"That'll be 10 dollars for 1 month. Just bring your card every time you're going here. Disturbing or instigating fights are strictly prohibited inside the gym. Let's be friends here and keep a harmonious environment. Thank you for choosing Marvelous Gym!"

With exhaust fans, spacious places, and multiple gym equipment, plus the lively people of the gym who were helping each other while there were those who were alone, Berret felt less embarrassed being there. None of them were looking at him, especially the girls because most of the gym goers were indulging in their workout programs.

"I always knew you looked pretty sturdy, Berret. You won't have a hard time hitting your reps!"

First of all, a workout program should always start with warmups. Berret began with the usual warm-ups that gym goers do, and once he is done, he goes to his friend.

"Here take these dumbbells," said Arthur as he handed out the two 10-pound dumbbells to Berret. "And do this."

Nodding, Berret seemed to easily understand. "Okay."

"12 reps, 3 sets. That should be pretty basic for you, no?"

"I can do that much, Arthur."

Around Arthur, Berret does not show his rude and troublesome behavior. For some reason, he does not want to involve Arthur in trouble or put him in any kind of dispute that will endanger the man.

Berret did as he was told to, doing chest, biceps, and triceps as his starting program.

"This feels pretty light," muttered Berret to himself. "Can't Arthur change these into something a little heavy?"

"Seems like you're kinda dissatisfied with what you're doing... Does it feel light?"

Unexpectedly, a woman, slightly older than Berret by a few years, maybe 5 years older, talked to him out of nowhere. In her sweaty fit gym clothes, which enhanced and emphasized her toned body, she formed a smile on the disturbed Berret.

"Uh, yeah..."

Her messy layered wolf-cut hair looked so attractive in Berret's eyes, but he could not show signs of attraction towards her, thus suppressing such emotions.

"You're a beginner, right?" The lady asked, and Berret nodded to his answer. "But you seemed pretty slightly built. You can change those dumbbells to the 15-pound ones. It's totally fine to start with something light. You don't want to start with something heavy without proper experience. It'll be painful for your targeted body parts once you're done."

Receiving advice and instructions from a female gym goer was something Berret did not think would happen. He was just happy to have a conversation with someone he found attractive.

~