Chapter 40

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"729, 730, 731, 732, 733, 734..." Kai's breath came in short, shallow gasps as he pushed his body up and down with each push-up. Kaori was lying on his back, the weight of her body adding resistance to Kai's workout. With each repetition, Kai's arms burned with effort, but he was determined to reach his goal and increase his strength.

As Kai neared the end of his set, he let out a triumphant grunt, pushing himself up with more force than before.

"Wow, Kai, you're a beast!" Kaori exclaimed as Kai finished his set of push-ups, his muscles shaking with exertion. She climbed off his back and gave him a playful punch in the arm.

Kai collapsed onto the floor, a smile spreading across his face. "Thanks, Kaori. It's not every day I get a cute weight to add to my workout."

Kaori blushed at the compliment, her cheeks turning a rosy shade of pink. "Well, at least one of us is looking cute today.

Kai laughed and massaged his aching biceps. "If you want to see some serious progress, you could always come work out with me. Or are you simply going to remain concealed by those books?"

With a lighthearted grin, Kaori folded her arms. "Oh, Kai, I'm not hiding. While I take in the scenery, I'm just letting you handle all the laborious job."

With a mock-scolding expression on his face, Kai shook his head. "Come on, Kaori, let me exercise without using a bag of potatoes. I'm worthy of more than that!"

Kaori chuckled, her mischievous eyes glistening. "Okay, okay, let me perform one push-up. However, don't expect me to suddenly become a bodybuilder."

Although Kai rolled his eyes, his demeanor was still amused. "Just one push-up? That is not sufficient to reduce your caloric intake. Kaori, you'll need to perform better than that."

With a determined expression on her face, Kaori narrowed her eyes. "Okay, let me perform five push-ups. However, only if you find me."

Though it sounded more like a scoff, Kai laughed. "Five push-ups with a spot? Kaori, you have to be kidding. I've seen hens in infancy perform better than that.

Kaori's eyes became wide with mock-indignation. "Young chickens? I'll demonstrate to you how much stronger I am than a baby chicken.

She fell to the ground and planted her hands firmly on the earth. She looked at Kai with an angry expression on her face. "Alright, let's do this."

Kai bowed, his face a mixture of doubt and laughter.

"Okay, Kaori, on the count of three," Kai said, his voice filled with anticipation. "One..."

Kaori's muscles tensed, her breathing shallow.

"Two..."

Her eyes narrowed, a look of fierce determination on her face.

"Three!"

Kaori's arms shook as she lowered herself towards the ground. "One," she grunted, pushing herself back up.

Kai nodded approvingly. "Good form."

"Two," Kaori huffed, her arms shaking.

Kaori's arms trembled as she lowered herself for the third time. "Three," she whispered, pushing herself back up with a determined grunt.

Kai watched, his expression now serious as he realized Kaori was actually putting in the effort. "Looking good," he said, his voice low and encouraging.

Kaori didn't respond, her focus entirely on the task at hand. She lowered herself again, her face contorting in concentration. "Four," she said, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps.

"Five..." As she lowered herself for the final time, Kaori spoke, her body tensing. Her hands suddenly slid on the floor, sending her tumbling loudly to land face-first on the floor.

Kai tried not to laugh, as his hands sprang up to cover his mouth as his eyes widened in disbelief. Trying not to lose his cool, he managed to ask, "Are you okay?" his voice faltering.

Kaori said, "I'm fine," her voice muffled into the floor.

Kaori pushed herself up off the floor, her cheeks turning red from embarrassment. "That was all your fault," she accused, pointing a finger at Kai. "Your sweat made the floor slippery!"

Kai looked at her incredulously. "My sweat? You were the one lying on my back the whole time. If anything, it was your sweat that caused the problem."

Kaori raised an eyebrow. "My sweat? Please. I don't sweat like a pig like you do."

Kai rolled his eyes, playfully nudging Kaori with his elbow. "You know, for someone who can't do more than five push-ups, you sure are cocky. Maybe next time, you should stick to reading those dusty old books."

Kaori scoffed, pretending to be offended. "Oh, please. My superior intellect is enough to compensate for any physical deficiencies I may have. Besides, those dusty old books might just hold the key to our survival in this apocalypse."

Kai let out a laugh, shaking his head.

"So, you're saying your superior intellect is going to save us from the yomigaeri?" Kai said, his tone teasing. "You know, I've always suspected that your head was too big for its own good."

Kaori narrowed her eyes at him, but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. "Well, if my head is big, it's only because it's crammed full of knowledge. Unlike some people, who have more brawn than brains."

Kai grinned, folding his arms across his chest.

"Oh, you're full of knowledge, huh?" Kai said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Then maybe you can tell me what the capital of Uganda is."

Kaori hesitated for a moment, her lips pursed in thought. "Uganda? Hmm, let's see. The capital of Uganda is...um..." She paused, a look of consternation on her face. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe you can tell me, Mr. Muscle-head."

Kai laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Gotcha!

"Admit it, Kaori, you don't know everything," Kai said, his tone still teasing. "Even with all those books you've read, you don't know all the trivia in the world. And that's where I come in. I may not have your intellectual prowess, but I've got street smarts."

Kaori huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Alright, Mr. Street Smarts. If you're so smart, then tell me the boiling point of water."

Kai scoffed, a gleam in his eye. "Boiling point of water? Easy.

"It's 212 degrees Fahrenheit, 100 degrees Celsius," Kai said confidently, a proud smirk on his face. "Boom. Street smarts to the rescue."

Kaori looked at him, her expression doubtful. "You're just making that up," she accused. "How do I know you're not pulling numbers out of your..." She trailed off, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

Kai's grin widened. "Oh, come on, Kaori. Are you questioning my street cred?

"Well, let's put your street cred to the test," Kaori said, a glint in her eye. "If you're so smart, then what's the name of the smallest mammal in the world?"

Kai's expression faltered, his brow furrowing in thought. "The smallest mammal in the world? Hmm, I know this one. It's...um..." He paused, his gaze flitting around the room as he searched his memory. "Ah! I've got it. It's the Etruscan shrew."

Kaori's jaw dropped, her eyes widening in surprise.

"The Etruscan shrew?" Kaori repeated, still disbelieving. "How on earth did you know that? You didn't read about it in a book."

Kai shrugged, his expression smug. "I may not be a bookworm like you, but I've watched my fair share of nature documentaries. I learn things too, you know. Just in a different way."

Kaori's eyes narrowed in mock-suspicion. "You don't have some secret stash of books hidden away, do you? Maybe in that pillow of yours?"

Kai laughed, a deep chuckle that shook his entire body. "Ha! You really think I'd hide books in my pillow? That's where I keep my protein bars."

Kaori shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. "Well, I guess I was wrong about you, Mr. Street Smarts. You're not as brainless as I thought."

Kai grinned, his eyes glinting with mischief. "And I guess you're not as bookish as I thought. Maybe we make a good team after all."