I Swear, I'm Straight!

The gym was unusually quiet. Too quiet.

The only sound that filled the room was Hugo's moans, echoing off the walls like the world's most awkward symphony.

And the worst part? Hugo had no idea what was happening around him.

Hugo dipped into another squat, trembling with exertion, his eyes squeezed shut as waves of pleasure radiated through his quivering thighs.

Each dip sent waves of strange pleasure rolling through his muscles, making him feel lighter and warmer than he ever thought a workout could.

He gritted his teeth, determined to complete one more set. 'Focus, Hugo, it's just a workout… not… not whatever it feels like right now—oh god...'

Another push. Another jolt of weird, tingling pleasure. "Ahhh… oooh…" he moaned softly, eyes squeezed shut, oblivious to how loud he was being.

The sensation was so overwhelming that his whole body relaxed… a little too much.

And then...

PFFFFT!

A loud, unapologetic fart burst out.

Hugo froze, his legs halfway through a rep. His eyes stayed shut, as if by sheer will he could pretend it didn't happen.

'Oh no.' His brain screamed at him to pretend it didn't happen. 'Maybe it wasn't that loud. Maybe nobody noticed...'

He placed his hope on the fact that the gym music was loud enough to cover any funny sound and if they smelt it, he hoped they thought it came from the air vents.

Trying to regain some composure, Hugo dipped into another squat again, only for another wave of euphoric pleasure to hit him like a freight train.

His back arched slightly, his thighs trembling uncontrollably.

"Ahhh! Yes!" he moaned, the sound bursting out before he could stop it.

And this time, it was louder. Much louder.

Hugo's eyes remained clamped shut. 'Oh god, please tell me no one heard that. Please…'

Unfortunately, the gym had fallen into a deathly silence. Everyone had paused mid-workout, their attention laser-focused on the strange man moaning by the squats rack like it was his honeymoon suite.

The gym became disturbingly still. No one lifted weights. No one grunted with exertion. They were all… just listening.

Then came the moment that sealed his fate.

A concerned man—tall, broad-shouldered, with a perfect five o'clock shadow and gym gloves—walked over and placed a hand on Hugo's chest.

"Hey, mate," the man asked, his voice low and smooth and laced with genuine concern. "you okay?"

The moment the guy's hand touched his chest, Hugo's brain short-circuited. A tidal wave of euphoria exploded from his chest, sending pleasure shooting through every nerve in his body.

His back arched again, his muscles tensed, and before he could stop himself—

"OOOHHHH! AHHH!"

The moan that came out of Hugo's mouth was loud enough to make the weights rattle.

His legs clamped together on reflex, and he shuddered uncontrollably, his entire body twitching with uncontainable bliss.

For a brief, horrifying second, Hugo was utterly lost in the sensation. His toes curled. His head tilted back.

And then—just as quickly as it came—the euphoria vanished, leaving him gasping for air and blinking rapidly in confusion. He hadn't even known when he had dropped he weights.

His eyes shot open… and the first thing he saw was the concerned man still standing over him, staring.

"...What?" Hugo whispered, panic blooming in his chest.

And then he realised: the gym was still dead silent. Everyone had definitely heard him.

'F*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck! They heard. They definitely heard everything!'

The man standing over him gave him a slow, knowing grin. Then, with a playful wink, he said, "Didn't know you were that sensitive to a man's touch."

Hugo's brain went blank. For a second, all he could do was sit there, stunned. Then, it clicked.

'Oh god, no. No, no, no, no!'

"That's not—! I mean—! It's not what you think!" Hugo stammered, his face flushing a deep crimson.

He frantically waved his hands in front of him, as if he could swat away the misunderstanding like a fly.

"Oh?" The man raised an amused eyebrow. "So, you didn't just moan like that when I touched your chest?"

Hugo's jaw worked up and down, words failing him completely.

The other gym-goers were now openly watching, some covering their mouths to hide their grins, others not even bothering to hold back their laughter.

"No! It's not like that!" Hugo blurted, panic rising in his throat. "It's… muscle cramps!"

The man snorted. "Muscle cramps? Mate, you sounded like you were on a date with those weights."

"I swear, it's just... cramps!" Hugo insisted, his voice cracking slightly as the embarrassment piled on.

"Look, I'm not—" He paused, trying to find the right words without giving away his system-powered secret.

The man smirked, crossing his arms. "Not what? Enjoying yourself? 'Cause it sure sounded like you were."

"No! I mean—YES! I mean—wait, no! That's not what I—!" Hugo clamped his mouth shut, realising he was digging himself deeper into the hole.

His brain screamed for an escape plan, but nothing was coming.

The man leaned in closer, clearly having way too much fun with Hugo's misery. "Relax, mate. No judgment here. Just saying, if you're that sensitive to a man's touch..." He gave a cheeky grin. "You might want to explore that."

Hugo's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "I'm not gay!"

The man raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "Could've fooled me."

"I swear, I'm straight!" Hugo shouted, throwing his hands in the air.

The gym burst into laughter. People doubled over, slapping their thighs, some wiping tears from their eyes.

A guy on the bench press gasped between giggles, "Bro really said 'I'm straight!' like he's in a courtroom."

Hugo groaned and buried his face in his hands, wishing the floor would open up and swallow him whole. 'Why does this keep happening to me? This devilish Muscle Unlock Pills!'

The man patted him on the shoulder one last time, giving him a sympathetic smile. "Hey, no worries, mate. You do you."

And with that, he strutted away, leaving Hugo drowning in a sea of second-hand embarrassment.

'This is it,' Hugo thought miserably. 'Another social death. I need a new gym.'