Lena stretched carefully, her fingers reaching toward her ankle as she held the position, counting quietly in her head. Just a little longer… don’t lose balance. The gym was still mostly empty, and she liked it that way—no noise, no eyes on her.

The door suddenly creaked open.

She flinched and quickly sat up straighter, her heart skipping a beat. Someone’s here already…

“Oh—Lena,” her teacher said as he stepped inside. “You’re early again?”

“…Yes,” she replied softly, avoiding direct eye contact. “I wanted to practice a bit.”

He nodded. “Good. Today we’ll focus on your individual training.”

Lena swallowed lightly and looked down at her hands. Individual training… so I really am behind.

“…Okay,” she murmured, trying to sound more confident than she felt.