Indoor Gym Tour

As the tour group trod down the pavement, they could overlook the enormous scale of a concrete building facility, housing indoor courts for basketball and volleyball teams.

"We are here. Indoor courts. If you are into sports and stuff like that. I would recommend coming in here." Antonio spoke out as he swung the metal door open.

Upon opening, they were greeted by a sound of sneakers squeaking across the courtroom, bouncing dribbles from the ball, and intense huffing from the players in their ongoing practice play.

The court was bright like a flash of blazing sunrays from rows of dangling lamps beneath the high steel beams over the roof structure.

"This looks like an intense game," Alexis muttered as he came in to check.

"Yeah. Is it the main team against each other?" Feyline observed as she noticed key players.

"Oh yeah, look- That's Robin!" Antonio pointed at one of the players in the field with a look of intensity brimming from his eyes.

"Let's sit right over here." Alexis motioned them to the nearby bleachers.

The game was between two teams from the main roster split into different combinations with the substitutes. Robin's team was a point behind, and the game was nearing the last few seconds in the fourth quarter.

They needed to clutch this game in the last minute.

As the ball was once played into the court, players started rushing, stealing, and passing the ball from one player to another. It was a flurry of adrenaline rush. No one stopped to catch their breath, not even a pause in their steps to think. It was just pure decisive actions that could turn the tide.

One of the sub players attempted to score a three-pointer.

As they watched the ball cross through the rows of guards who tried to reach with their fingertips, the ball slipped through, but it missed by the edge of the board's ring.

A chance has been made.

Without further hesitation, Robin quickly grabbed the ball midway from its descent and used the chance to score once more.

The clock ticked in its last few seconds.

10 . . . 9 . . . 8

His footstep rushed further across the room in huge strides while the ball dribbled following his flow.

A player appeared before him to block his path, but he swerved through the corner, left with a spin, a quick, successive footwork. It confused his enemy.

7. . .6. . . 5

The countdown continued to descend further.

There's not enough time to get closer for a better chance of scoring. He has to aim now.

He quickly positioned himself to shoot a three-pointer from his location while the time ticked.

He flung the ball upwards towards the ring.

It was like a meteor falling ...

Then, it swooped right inside the ring. Decisively clutching the game with 2 points ahead!

The game whistle sounded, ending the game.

"Yooo Robin!" Antonio cheerfully flailed his hands around to get his attention.

Feyline and Alexis also cheered loudly on the side.

The man huffed, taking quick breaths before glancing over the students along the bleachers. A smile drew across his face as he waved back at them.

After a few handshakes and pats on the back with all good-game words of encouragement, he approached with a bottle in his hand.

"Hey, surprising to see you guys here." The man with clean-cut dark blue hair, tall, well-built figure in a jersey shirt and shorts, finally spoke as he chugged the bottle of water.

"What are you guys up to this time?"

"Giving this new guy a tour." Antonio wrapped his arm across Raphael's shoulder and pulled him closer. "Meet Raphael."

"Uh, Hey... I am Raphael Kiersten," he awkwardly introduced.

"Hi, I am Robin Spencer." He replied with a grin on his face. He seemed like a genuine, reliable man. "Pretty sure it's kind of late to accept new students at this time."

"Oh. He said he is apparently homeschooled." Alexis chimed in.

"Yeah. Just thought it would be better for me to experience this." Raphael added.

"Hmm, yeah. It's definitely a different one. Hope you are going to enjoy it here," he said as he wiped his beads of sweat across his face and neck.

"Do you play basketball?" he inquired once more. Raphael just shook his head in disagreement.

"No, I haven't."

"That's alright. You can join to learn. It's better than knowing with bad habits to change," he encouraged and complimented. "You got perfect height and built for it."

Is this another recruitment shenanigan?

"I will think about it." Raphael meekly declined as he waved his hand.

"Alright. Lemme know if you decided to. Our team needs another player," he didn't back down and still said his piece. " I will catch you later, guys. I still need to do some cool downs."

"See ya, Robin!" Alexis and Antonio bade goodbye in unison while Feyline just casually waved.

Before they could get off the bleachers to continue their tour, another figure rushed towards them. A young woman clad in a varsity jersey and shorts from another sport called volleyball quickly rushed towards their direction. Her colorful pink locks in a ponytail swayed left and right like a galloping horse coming through them.

"Who's that?" Raphael pointed out.

"Guys! I didn't know you were here!" She squeed in excitement.

Feyline beamed as she greeted the figure in an exciting hug.

"Oh! That's Judy Brenner." Alexis introduced as he waved back at her.

"Judy! You came here cheering for your boy again?" Antonio shouted at her in a tease.

"Antonio, you don't have to make it obvious," she sighed with her hands on her hips.

She finally reached over them with Feyline clinging on her side.

"My... who's this guy with you?" she said in surprise.

"That's Raphael. He is a newbie." Antonio kindly introduced him.

"Hi."

"I am Judy, it's nice meeting you," she replied as she shook his hand. " I bet Robin asked you out for the team."

"Bet he did." Raphael scoffed in agreement.

"He is sometimes pushy like this guy over here," she warned him while pointing at Antonio.

"Yeah. It's fine."

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Antonio inserted himself into the conversation as they gave him suspicious looks. "You are not talking behind my back, are you?"

"Nah... you are good." Judy laughed it off. "Where are you guys heading this time?"

"Hmm...probably gonna give him a tour of the facilities inside the gym." Antonio rubbed his chin.

"Alrighty. We can go together."

Without any interruptions, they stood up all together as they headed towards the back of the court area. Just right in between the two indoor courts, a sign indicated the place as the locker room area,

Rows of metallic storage lockers lined up in uniformity, while some swung open and ajar as students began to grab things. Others lounged comfortably by the bleachers in the middle of the hall, chatting about stuff, changing their footwear, wiping sweat off their faces.

"Here, this is where you change into your uniforms for sports you specialize in, or during Physical Ed classes, we get to change into our school's designated PE uniform," Antonio stated as they walked across the hallway, passing by a bunch of students.

"If you get to the end of the hall, that's where the bathroom and communal showers are located." Judy chipped in as she weaved through the crowd like the familiarity of her home court.

"Can we check it out?" Raphael suggested. A communal shower? Never heard of that before. His interest piqued with curiosity.

Judy glanced over her watch to check the time. "Should be fine. I think most of them finished. You go ahead."

"Damn. I was hoping for you to see muscular male bums in here." Antonio snickered.

"Antonio got horrified when he visited this place for the first time." Feyline blurted out.

"Hey, don't tell him that." Antonio nudged her. " You're ruining my image."

"I remember how you reacted. Your face went like this." Feyline continued to tease him as she made a stupid face. They just laughed at her while Antonio cried out in defiance.

"Nah, that's over exaggeration. Don't believe them, Raphael."

"If the majority says so." Raphael smiled back playfully.

"Not you too, man!" Antonio cried out. " You guys are harassing me."

"Nah, of course not." Judy denied while making the same face once more.

"That's just looks so silly." Raphael chuckled.

"You know what, why not get in and see for yourself?" Antonio urged Raphael as he pushed him forward into the bathroom's entrance.

"Fine. It doesn't seem like a bad thing." Raphael accepted his challenge.

"Alright. Adios man! May the odds be in your favor!" Antonio crossed his arms like sending his last soldier into the battlefield.

Raphael just shook his head. This felt like some sort of a setup. What's so scary inside the male's bathroom anyway?

He swung the bathroom door open and stepped inside before glancing over his shoulder to check their faces. Antonio just leaned over the wall, whistling and pretending not to care. Feyline and Judy just sat on the benches chatting while Alex just smiled at them.

Without further hesitation, he shut the door behind him as a loud thud echoed all over the room. A faint scent of sweat mixed with menthol shampoo and strong, cool soap. A stream of warm fog engulfed the room as warm showers continued to emit steam. It felt like a miniature sauna.

Raphael glanced over the showers. It was quite empty except for a few showers dripping from the corner of the room beyond his field of vision.

Nothing seemed amiss or weird? What was Antonio even afraid of in this place?

He quietly crept around the corner, hoping to find something interesting.

The communal showers? Looked like nothing out of the ordinary except Raphael scrutinizing how they use this place.

Do students just come in naked while showering? Or do they wear something like a suit?

Clearly, he has no idea.

A voice whimpered past the few showers on the other side while a moan followed in a continuous trail.

Is that someone else in there?

Raphael listened closely as the voice seemed to be muffled. He slowly approached the next corner of the shower room. The faint, muffled voices became clearer the closer he reached the area.

Amidst the steam-filled showers, silhouettes formed through the steamy fog as Raphael tilted his head to peek out the corner in a steady, slow motion.

From the corner of his vision, he could see two guys in a seemingly weird position. One bent down on the ground with his hips lifted and pressed against the other guy's legs. Meanwhile, the guy standing held his hips as his body swayed back and forth in a thrusting motion.

A look of confusion formed across his face as he witnessed this.

Are these two goofing around? He had never seen anything like this, not even from books, websites, or in his life.

Afterwards, a flurry of moans trailed off like a broken record repeating the same sound.

Then, as the sounds echoed, it grew more intense as the pitch heightened further, like in the middle of feeling ecstatic.

A deep breath of exhaled relief followed right after, like something had been released, calming their nerves while catching their breath.

It was like the calm after a storm, but the hot, steamy shower didn't seem like it. The sense of passion filled the air as the two locked in a kiss, with the other arching his back.

What in the world am I seeing? He thought to himself. 

Raphael just turned his back and walked off, pretending his best to clear off the image in his mind.

As he opened the door outside, Antonio and the rest patiently waited outside. When Raphael emerged, they could clearly see a different vibe from his look.

Antonio just stifled his laugh.

"You good, Raphael?" Feyline asked in a worried tone.

"I-I am fine." Raphael just forced a smile with a sweat on his forehead.

"I think you got him," Alexis whispered into Antonio's ear, which made him burst into laughter.

"Bud, you don't look great. I am sorry, man. That's definitely gonna haunt you in your dreams."

"Antonio!" Judy pinched his cheek. "Don't be mean to him."

"It's all good." Raphael just waved it off.

"Well, time's up, guys." Feyline glanced over her watch. "Dinner in the dorm housing should be ready in less than an hour."

"Dorm housing?" Raphael tilted his head.

"Oh yeah. You should get your dorm assignment in your locker." Feyline remembered. " Hope you find a good roomie."

"Yeah, sometimes the assignments are wild like a gacha game," Antonio commented. "But I am definitely lucky to have Alexis."

"I guess we should continue this tour some other time." Raphael suggested."

Okay. Tomorrow it is!" Antonio agreed with excitement.

"We should start getting over there now." Judy reminded us as they all nodded in unison. The group began to journey back to their next destination.