Page 53 of Back Room Host

“The guy I threw down the stairs afterward.”

“You did what?”

“It wasn't intentional. I was angry. I didn’t know how to handle it and just needed to get away. Without me realizing, Juri followed me and unexpectedly touched me from behind. He was trying to calm me down, but out of pure reflex, I unintentionally pushed him down the stairs. I took him to the emergency room, and now he has a twisted ankle and a sprained hand. Since there's no elevator in his building, and he doesn’t have anyone else to care for him, he'll be staying with me for the next two weeks.”

I ended my spiel with a shrug.

Dario stared at me with his mouth open.

“Believe me, I would have done anything to prevent that, but it just happened. How am I supposed to control myself if I don’t even realize I’m doing something like that? And I swore to myself not to hurt anyone anymore.”

“Listen, Luca, I wouldn’t have agreed to the fight if I wasn’t convinced that you have yourself under control.”

“And if I had told you about it before the fight with Vasily?”

Dario’s mouth twitched as he stared at me for a moment. “I don’t know. But … No, I’ll stick to it. You’ve gotten it under control lately.”

“I threw the guy down the stairs!”

“Yeah, that’s obviously crappy.”

“Is that all?”

“It’s hard for me to only see the bad in it.

I mean… Who’s the guy? Is he living with you now? Is he your boyfriend?”

I brushed off the question with a grunt. “No, he didn’t have anywhere else to go. It’s just crappy timing, with Christmas and all. And this way, I can make it up to him.”

“Uh-huh.”

“What’suh-huhsupposed to mean?”

“Luca, you just fought against Vasily. The guy is your age, has been training as long as you have, and is usually here on the same days as you. Until just now, you didn’t even know his name. I’m not blaming you for it. That’s just your way. You handle your own stuff. We've known each other for a few years now, and you’ve improved in fighting. But you’re still oblivious to a lot. And now, out of nowhere, you're bringing some guy home?”

“So what?”

“At least admit that the guy’s piqued your interest a bit.”

“He’s the guy who inspires me. My muse. I did promise him not to nag him about it, but now, after Verena rejected my concept … Okay, I admit, it’s not entirely selfless.”

And he’s hot too. But that’s not the point.

“It’ll probably do you good to have someone around. So I’m sticking with it. I’m signing you up for the competition.”

“Thanks.”

“Also, make sure you can maintain your weight until then. It would be ideal if you gained another four pounds. And don’t overdo it with the training. Understand?”

I nodded eagerly. The upcoming competition motivated me immensely. It felt invigorating to prepare for such an event. I found myself more focused and composed. Especially now, with everyone feeling stressed due to the holidays, and my own desire to retreat and hide away at home, it felt like perfect timing.

“And what’s your patient doing at your place now?”

“I guess a bit of Netflix and stuff.”

“What does he do for a living?”

“He’s a chef,” I replied, stuffing the sweat towel into my sports bag. “I met him by chance. At the café, and then I saw him again at the club.”

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