Page 63 of Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

“You look great,” Tojin said. Then he flexedhisarm. “But maybe try some bench work with some reverse presses?”

Yumi couldn’t tear her eyes away. It wasn’t that this wasattractive. It was moreenthralling. She didn’t even blush. Instead her jaw dropped. It was like something in her brain had gotten scrambled and her responses were mixed up.

“Tojin!” Izzy called. “You’re breaking the new girl! Stop comparing sizes!”

He looked back at the table, thenheblushed. He scrambled to pull on his shirt again. Itcouldhave all been a display for her and the other girls, like Painter had flippantly said. Yet that didn’t feel right. He seemed more excited about talking technique with the other men. And when he sat back down, he apologized to her with what sounded like true sincerity.

“I didn’t mean to make a spectacle of myself,” he said, lowering his eyes.

“I…” Yumi stammered. “It…um… What kind of beasts do you fight?”

“Beasts?” he asked. “Fight?”

“Those muscles,” she said. “You train for…war? Battle?”

Izzy laughed so much she was likely to shoot noodles from her nose. Tojin appeared embarrassed. He was…shy? Really? Why would a shy person make such a display of himself, if not for battle?

“It’s not for anything like that,” he said. “I just like to make the best of myself that I can. See how much I can do. Reach my limits, thenpassthem.”

“To accomplish what?” Yumi asked.

“Thatisthe accomplishment,” he said, then flexed his arm in a very specific way that made hisveinsdistinct. It was almost grotesque, yet somehow impressive all the same.

“Our bodies are the most incredible tools ever,” Tojin said. “Isn’t it odd that we’ll fine-tune an engine until it purrs, but never do the same for our bodies?”

She barely knew what that meant. But she did notice Akane gazing at Tojin with fondness. And when the woman went to get some sauce for the noodles, she put a light hand on his arm and then let it trail away. Tojin gave her a goofy smile, then looked down, grinning.

He actuallywasshy about women. Either that or Yumi was completely misunderstanding—admittedly also very plausible. But now she felt she understood the way a woman might look at a man. Liyun might have tried to keep her away from people, but Yumi still had eyes. Akane’s way of looking at Tojin wasn’t the stare of a hungry woman wanting to feast. There had been more than a few of those around the room earlier.

Did he truly want muscles…just because? Was this what happened to a society that had hion lines to do all the hard work? Was that…a bad thing?

“It’s so odd,” Yumi said. “When my brother was talking about you, Tojin, he…” She paused, realizing that maybe she shouldn’t say it. Indeed, all of them immediately looked straight at her, intensely curious.

Talking to people was hard.

“…didn’t explain that part,” Yumi finished. “With the muscles. Why you’re building them.”

“I’m sure he didn’t,” Izzy said, with a smile.

“Whereishe, Yumi?” Tojin asked. “If you don’t mind me prying. I normally see your brother every night or two, patrolling near us. Foreman says he’s on personal leave. But it feels like we should still see him now and then.”

“He, um…” Yumi’s heart started thumping. Could she go grabPainter and have him tell her an untruth? She decided on something that was close to what he’d said. “He has important work. Very important work.”

“More important than his job?” Akane said, returning and handing the sauce to Tojin.

“No, no,” Yumi said quickly. “Itishis job.” She leaned in. “He’s hunting astable nightmare.”

She expected shock.

Instead Akane rolled her eyes. Tojin paused, then shook his head, looking down. Izzy outright laughed.

“You don’t believe…” Yumi said softly.

Why did everyone react that way to Painter? Was he reallysouseless? Strangely, the thought didn’t make her angry as it had before. This time she felt sad for him. Along with…an odd sense of indignance?

Surely they’re being unfair to him,she thought.He might not be the best, but he’stryingto learn stacking. And he picked it up quickly.

Perhaps, though, she could see why he had some hard feelings for this group, if their first reaction to this news wasn’t concern, but dismissiveness.

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