You More Than Anything In The World

Gavin, Tim, Zachary, Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse burst into laughter as they stood at the doorway.

Jasper said, “Look at you, Mr. Bailey. You're not fit enough. Even I can run faster than you!”

Shaun was dumbfounded when he heard what Jasper said. However, his breathing was ragged as he lay on the ground, and he had no strength to retort.

Meanwhile, Jack cackled and eyed them with contempt. “Look at how foolish you all look! You've been slacking off on your training, and now you can't even keep up!”

Ethen gritted his teeth and glared at him, panting as he clapped back, “You train all day, yet you're still not much faster than us!”

“You guys are all fit. I really can't do this anymore...” Having finally completed his run, Bradley leaned both hands against the wall, panting like a dog.

Oliver turned to him with a grin and teased, “Mr. Hinton, a real man should never say that.”

Darius and Edwin, who were standing off to one side, chuckled.

Gripping his cane firmly, Darius said in a voice full of vigor, “You young folks don't exercise enough. You should train more often. Don't wait. You won't be able to do so anymore in a few years.”

After finally catching his breath, Shaun immediately retorted, “Old Mr. Graham, this is a punishment. I had to carry a hefty load for thirty kilometers. If I didn't have to carry that, I could've covered thirty kilometers without any problem!”

“You should admit you just can't cut it. I can run more steadily than any of you,” Darius replied, a smile playing on his lips.

“You're something else, Old Mr. Graham,” Shaun responded, flattering the older man with a forced laugh. He dared not argue with the latter.

Gavin, Tim, and Zachary were practically doubled over with laughter, and they watched the scene with glee.

“You'll feel better if you quickly drink some water,” Jesse said to Ethen, Shaun, and Bradley. The little girl was noticeably more thoughtful than her older brothers.

“I'll go get you all some water,” Mary piped up with a laugh when she saw how exhausted they were, sprawled on the ground without the strength to walk.

However, Darius stopped her. He looked at the young men with disdain, thinking they were too weak. “No need for that. Lads, it's a disgrace if you can't even handle this much.”

Ethen, Shaun, and Bradley were silent.

“Mdm. Mary, we'll just rest for a bit before going in for a drink.” After a pause, Bradley raised his hand to stop her, then wiped the sweat off his brow. His legs were still shaking.

Zachary's eyes gleamed mischievously as he looked at Bradley with a grin. “Are you feeling okay, Mr. Hinton? Your legs are shaking as though you have Parkinson's disease.”

Everyone immediately shifted their gazes to Bradley's legs, and he gave an awkward laugh. Trying to salvage a shred of dignity, he answered, “I'm just shaking my legs to relax my muscles!”

The children did not buy his explanation at all and sniggered.

Shaun, Ethen, and Jack also howled with laughter.