Their Punching Bag Became The Storm novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15 Is the vibe a little weird?

Thanks to Kayla’s reminder, Ryan’s fans suddenly remembered that Whitney’s foot injury was pretty serious, the one Ryan himself vouched for.

Everyone instantly started worrying about Ryan.

[Well, Ryan picked his teammate himself. As fans, all we can do is respect his choice.] [Like, what else can we do?]

[Ryan wouldn’t listen to us anyway.]

[If she knew her foot was messed up, why did she even agree to team up with Ryan? Now she’s just holding him back. He’s probably going to end up starving tonight because of her.]

[Seriously, what is Ryan thinking? Emily already asked him, and he still chose the girl with an injured leg.]

[With Whitney alone on Ryan’s team, you just know that sly fox is going to do everything she can to charm him.]

[Come on, Emily’s so much better than Whitney, right?]

Suddenly, comments like these flooded the live chat, completely taking over the

screen.

Many of Ryan’s fans couldn’t help but frown at what they were seeing.

[Have you even listened to yourselves? Maybe you should go back and rewatch the stream.]

[Is cashing in on drama really that easy? If we’re talking about foot injuries, isn’t your fave’s injury even worse?]

[Emily’s foot is wrapped up like she’s about to get it amputated.]

[Who do these people think they are, talking trash about the teammate Ryan picked himself?]

[Yeah, even we, his own fans, think Whitney might slow Ryan down, but that’s our right as his fans.]

[But if anyone else starts mocking or insulting her, isn’t that just saying Ryan has lousy judgment?]

[Do they really think we are just gonna sit back and take it?]

Ryan’s fans dove straight into the fight.

There were a few comments here and there from people who were upset about Ryan turning down Emily, saying it was really low to embarrass a girl like that on camera.

Chapter 15 Is the vibe a little weird?

But Ryan’s fans shut them down hard.

The live chat was a total warzone.

Ten minutes zipped by in the stream.

Everyone finished picking their teams.

Whitney teamed up with Ryan, and Chase teamed up with Emily.

Jason and Kayla, both artists under Anderson Group, had been keeping up their simp act since the show kicked off.

They’d actually gathered quite a few shippers.

People started calling them the “Simp Couple.”

Not the best reputation, honestly.

But hey, as long as it kept them trending, they were more than happy to milk the hype and team up.

Elian, the youngest, didn’t make the first move to invite Nora, who had just been snubbed by Emily. Still, the pairing of the sweet girl and the cool guy made for an interesting combo

So, Henry and Bella, left without a team, automatically ended up together.

The five teams headed off toward five different parts of the wild island.

Chase and Emily thick–skinned as ever, went up to the crew and snagged two raincoats and some flashlights.

Of course, the viewers couldn’t help but roast them for it.

Once all five teams headed out, the main stream split into five separate channels.

Each channel had the names of the guests displayed at the top.

Viewers could simply click to watch whichever team they wanted.

Thanks to Ryan’s star power, Whitney and Ryan’s channel was by far the most popular of the five.

They outpaced the runner–up by millions of viewers.

The drone stream couldn’t capture all the close–ups and little details like a human camera crew could.

But it made up for it with sharp clarity, top–notch night vision, and real–time tracking, never missing any of the big action.

The production team really found an awesome location.

Once night fell, this huge wild island turned into a total haunted zone.

The vibe was off the charts.

Chapter 15 Is the vibe a little weird?

Even through their screens, viewers could feel the spooky breeze blowing.

As Whitney and Ryan stepped into the darkness, the drone switched to night vision mode.

Whitney was walking ahead.

After walking about 650 feet, she came to a halt.

[Is Whitney scared, or is she plotting something sneaky?]

[If she even tries to make a move on Ryan, I’ll make her wish she never left that wild island.]

[Hey, calm down. We don’t mess with illegal stuff here.]

As the chat was blowing up with comments, Whitney turned to Ryan and said, “There’s a dense woods up ahead, branches sticking out all over the place. It’s really hard to get through with this raincoat on.”

[Didn’t she ask for the raincoat herself?]

[What’s she trying to pull? Is she seriously expecting Ryan to take off his raincoat?]

[She just said there’s a thick forest up ahead and it just poured on the wild island. If Ryan really takes off his raincoat and goes through the woods, isn’t he just gonna end up totally drenched?]

[Honestly, a soaked Ryan… Wouldn’t be the worst thing ever. He’s wearing white, after all.]

[Girls, keep your pants on.]

[Why did the chat suddenly take such a weird turn?]

“Miss Harrington, so what should we do?” Ryan looked right at her, a small smile

playing on his lips.

That smile nearly had all the thirsty viewers in the chat swooning.

Whitney handed the flashlight to Ryan.

Then she reached out and grabbed a corner of her raincoat.

With a loud rip, the raincoat tore open.

The live chat went absolutely wild.

Whitney lowered her gaze, calm and unhurried, her fingers moving deftly as she quickly worked on the raincoat.

In no time, that baggy raincoat was completely transformed.

Not only did it protect her hands and feet way better, but it also fit her figure much better now.

Chapter 15 is the vibe a little weird?

Now it kept her dry and was super easy to move in.

After that little tweak, even weaving through the woods, she wouldn’t have to worry about the raincoat slowing her down anymore.

The viewers in the chat started to send exclamation marks.

[Gotta go back and rewatch the replay.]

[Need to see how Whitney actually pulled that off.]

Once she finished fixing up her raincoat, Whitney looked up at Ryan.

The flashlight lit up her bare face. No makeup, but she was still striking, her features shining bright in the darkness.

Ryan stayed silent, quietly raising his hand and letting Whitney do her thing.

‘Why does that move feel kind of awkward?‘ Whitney thought.

She pressed her bright red lips together, then walked over and grabbed onto Ryan’s raincoat.

The clean, woody scent of cedar filled the air around her, subtle yet unmistakable.

For a moment, she felt completely enveloped by that fragrance.

The atmosphere between them was definitely starting to feel a little off.

Whitney tried to lighten the mood. “Since we’re teammates now, you don’t have to call me Miss Harrington anymore.”

“So what should I call you then?” Ryan’s voice was deep and velvety, sounding extra

alluring in the quiet night.

It was downright mesmerizing.

Whitney felt a soft tingle in her ears.

She pressed her lips together again, feeling a little flustered.

[

‘This guy really is the undisputed national heartthrob. No one could ever hope to top him,‘ Whitney thought. ‘He’s a total heartbreaker!‘

“Whatever,” Whitney said, speeding up her movements, determined not to let her body and mind get wrapped up in his aura.

She wasn’t used to this kind of closeness.

At 5’7“, Whitney wasn’t exactly short.

But when she stood in front of Ryan, she couldn’t help but lower her head a bit.

From the drone’s angle, it looked just like Whitney was wrapped up in Ryan’s arms.

4