Chapter 80 False Advertising!
Hugo hummed to himself as he tightened the laces on his sneakers. His outfit was on point—or as close to "on point" as his wardrobe would allow.
He looked sharp—well, sharp enough for a yoga date.
After his earlier sulking, he had come to a monumental decision.
Today, he was finally stepping out of his comfort zone, leaving behind his usual shut-in habits for something new.
Today was going to be great. No—amazing. He had a date, an actual yoga date with a girl he'd met on a dating app.
She was cute—okay, scratch that, she was gorgeous. Her profile picture had him convinced that fate was finally throwing him a bone.
After all his awkward attempts at romance and embarrassing failures, this was his shot.
With a spring in his step, he grabbed his phone, slid it into his pocket, and opened his room door, ready to conquer the world—or at least this date.
But as soon as he stepped into the living room, he was ambushed.
"Oi, Hugo!" Collins' voice rang out from behind him. His best friend-slash-tormentor stood in the doorway of his own room, arms crossed, eyebrows raised, and smirk firmly in place.
Hugo froze, his enthusiasm deflating slightly. "What?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
Collins pointed at Hugo's outfit—sleek joggers and a fitted T-shirt that was slightly tighter than usual to show off his newly acquired muscles from the Muscle Unlock Pills.
"Where are you off to, dressed like that? You look like you're auditioning for a budget fitness ad."
Hugo rolled his eyes, pushing past him. "I have a date, Collins. Some of us have lives outside of your constant sarcasm."
"A date?" Collins echoed, stepping into the room and blocking Hugo's path with a suspicious grin. "Wait, hold on—what kind of date? Don't tell me this is another library study group you're pretending is romantic."
"No," Hugo snapped, defensive. "It's a yoga date. You know, two people, some mats, deep breathing. Very romantic."
Collins barked out a laugh, nearly dropping his pizza. "Yoga? Are you serious? What are you gonna do, impress her with your downward dog? Who is she? Someone from class?"
"Nope," Hugo said, puffing up his chest. "Met her on a dating app. Her name's Daphne, and she's gorgeous."
Collins leaned against the wall, grinning like a shark that smelled blood. "Oh? Let me see a picture, Romeo."
Hugo hesitated but then pulled out his phone, opening Daphne's profile. He handed it to Collins, who whistled dramatically at the picture.
"Damn, she's gorgeous. Very gorgeous. But…" Collins squinted at the photo like a detective examining a piece of evidence. "…these filters are suspicious."
"They're not filters!" Hugo snapped, snatching the phone back. "That's just how she looks!"
Collins smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "I bet you $59—exactly $59—that this picture is not what she looks like in real life."
"Why 59?" Hugo asked, confused.
"Because that's all the cash I've got in my wallet right now," Collins replied.
"You're on," Hugo said with confidence, pocketing his phone. "Prepare to lose your precious 59 bucks."
_____
Hugo stood frozen outside the yoga studio, staring at the woman in front of him. His brain refused to work. No, it flat-out refused to accept what his eyes were seeing.
"Daphne?" he asked weakly, praying to every deity he could think of that this was a prank.
This… this was not the same person from the dating app. This couldn't be the same person from the dating app!
Daphne was tiny, standing at a mere 4'11, but the thing was she was nearly as wide.
She had plump, round cheeks that jiggled slightly when she smiled, and her small, beady eyes practically disappeared when she laughed.
Her yoga outfit was neon pink, the kind of blinding shade that made Hugo's eyes water. The stretchy fabric looked like it was barely holding on, and her fingers—thick and stubby—clutched a glittery water bottle.
Hugo wasn't one to body-shame, but… wow.
This was false advertising. The difference between her profile picture and reality was like the difference between a gourmet steak dinner and cold instant noodles.
"You're so handsome!" Daphne said, her cheeks reddening as she looked him up and down. "Your profile picture didn't do you justice!"
'I could say the same to you!' he thought inwardly. Experience new tales on empiren/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"Uh… thanks," Hugo mumbled, plastering on the most forced smile of his life.
"Come on!" she said, grabbing his arm. "Let's go inside! I'm so excited!"
"Yeah… sure…" Hugo muttered, dragging his feet as they entered.
The yoga studio was dimly lit and filled with calming music. Candles flickered on the floor, and the air smelled like lavender and eucalyptus.
It should have been relaxing, but Hugo felt like he was walking toward his doom.
"This place is amazing, right?" Daphne said, dragging him to a corner. "I've been dying to meet today's yoga instructor. They're supposed to be incredible!"
"Uh-huh," Hugo muttered, staring blankly at the mats.
Daphne dropped her bag and immediately began stretching, her neon outfit stretching even further. Hugo, meanwhile, slumped against the wall, glaring at the ceiling and muttering curses under his breath.
"This is all Collins' fault," he thought bitterly. "He jinxed it. Stupid bet. Stupid 59 dollars."
Just as he was about to spiral further into self-pity, a loud, unmistakable PFFFFFFFT echoed through the studio.
Hugo's head snapped toward Daphne, who froze mid-stretch, her face turning a shade of red brighter than her outfit.
"Oops!" she said with an awkward giggle. "Beans for lunch! My bad!"
Hugo blinked. He stared at her. Then blinked again. Of all the things that could've gone wrong today, this was not on his list.
This… this was officially the longest and most painful yoga date of his life.
_____
[A/N: What would you do if you were Hugo? Let me know!]
Power stone Goal!
50 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
100 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
200 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.
Castle - 20 Bonus Chapters!