Chapter 2: A New Beginning.

Josh stood in the middle of the gym, his eyes scanning the group of fighters as they went through their drills. The rhythmic thud of fists hitting heavy bags filled the air, and the sound of feet shuffling across the mats echoed through the space. This was his world—structured, disciplined, and focused.

The door creaked open, but Josh didn't look up right away. The gym often had visitors, and it wasn't unusual for new people to come in for a trial session. But the sudden hush that fell over the room made him pause.

"Is that…?" one of the fighters whispered, awe in his voice.

Josh finally glanced up and was met with the last face he expected to see in his gym. Lily Hart—the woman he'd saved last night, and, more importantly, the international superstar—stood in the doorway.

The entire gym froze.

Lily stepped inside, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on Josh. She offered a small, determined smile, like she was already prepared for the disbelief she was facing. Josh, on the other hand, didn't return the smile. His expression remained as unreadable as ever.

The whispers from his teammates grew louder. "Is that really her?" "What is she doing here?" "Man, this is crazy!"

Lily ignored the murmurs and walked up to Josh, stopping just a few feet away. "Hey. I don't know if you remember me from last night," she said, her voice calm but confident. "I wanted to thank you properly this time."

Josh crossed his arms, his gaze steady on her. "I remember."

The gym was so quiet that it felt like the entire place was holding its breath, waiting for what would happen next.

Lily cleared her throat. "And, well… I was wondering if you could teach me. Self-defense."

Josh raised an eyebrow, still not offering more than a brief reaction. "This isn't a place for celebrities."

"I'm not here as a celebrity," she replied quickly. "I'm here because I need to learn. I don't want to be that helpless again."

Before Josh could respond, the coach, an older man with silver hair and a knowing smile, stepped in. He had been watching the entire exchange from the back of the gym, amusement twinkling in his eyes.

"Josh, why don't you let her train for a session?" the coach suggested, his voice light and encouraging. "It won't hurt anyone."

Josh shot his coach a look, clearly reluctant. "It's not about that."

"Just one session," the coach added, placing a hand on Josh's shoulder. "Besides, it'll be good for her."

Josh sighed. He could already feel the weight of attention that came with having a celebrity in the gym, but he wasn't one to argue with his coach. "Fine," he muttered, his tone resigned. "One session. After that, you're on your own."

Lily smiled, relieved. "That's all I'm asking for."

The Teammates' Reactions

As Lily moved toward the mat, Josh's teammates exchanged wide-eyed glances. None of them could believe what they were seeing.

"Is this really happening?" one of them whispered.

"Man, Josh doesn't seem thrilled," another added, chuckling under his breath.

The coach's children, two young girls and a boy who trained regularly at the gym, were peeking around the corner, watching the newcomer with wide eyes. They hadn't seen many famous people up close, and it was clear that Lily's presence had them captivated. They weren't used to seeing a superstar like her in their father's gym.

Lily, for her part, tried to stay focused. She wasn't here to impress anyone, just to learn. But the attention was unavoidable. Her fame followed her wherever she went, and it was clear that her presence in the gym had stirred up a mix of excitement and curiosity.

The coach clapped his hands. "Alright, back to work! Let's not let our guest distract us."

The gym slowly returned to life, the sound of punches and kicks resuming, but everyone kept sneaking glances at Lily as she prepared for her session.

After Training: The Social Media Post

After the session ended, Lily sat on a bench, catching her breath. She had pushed herself hard, determined not to look weak in front of the fighters, especially Josh. Her body ached, but there was a sense of satisfaction that came with it.

Her assistant, Claire, who had been watching from the sidelines, walked over, phone in hand. "That was impressive," she said, handing Lily a water bottle.

Lily smiled, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Thanks. I didn't want to make a fool of myself."

Claire chuckled. "You did great. The coach's kids were practically in awe of you."

Lily glanced over at the coach's children, who were still peeking at her from behind one of the punching bags, giggling when they caught her eye. She waved at them, and they shyly waved back.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this," Lily said, feeling a bit more comfortable.

"You know," Claire began, her eyes lighting up with an idea, "you should tell your fans about this. They'd love to see you doing something different, like training in martial arts."

Lily thought for a moment. It was true—her fans were always eager to see her trying new things. Maybe this would be a good way to engage them.

"Why not?" Lily said, pulling out her phone. She typed out a quick post:

Started something new today. Can't wait to share it with you all. Stay tuned!

She hit send, and within minutes, her followers began reacting. Comments started flooding in:

What's she up to now?

Is Lily training for a new role?

Can't wait to see what this is about!

Lily smiled, her excitement growing. This was just the beginning.

To Be Continued...