Chapter 26
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 26: Jiu-Jitsu (8)
"Then, get home safely."
I signed the registration form and turned around as if fleeing.
However, the way home is always rougher than the way to work.
"Excuse me, Jin-hyuk-ssi!" "Older Brother! Wait a moment!"
As I tried to leave with my bag, a pack of hyenas... no, members surrounded me in layers.
Their eyes, fresh after showering, were burning even more intensely than during the sparring earlier.
"Drink this! It's a protein shake, chocolate flavor!"
The office worker older sister from earlier put a shaker bottle in my hand.
"Ah, thank you."
"You have to drink it right after exercise to prevent muscle loss. I mixed it myself... don't know if it suits your taste."
She stared intently at my mouth.
'...Why is she looking like that? Telling me not to spill?'
People in this world seem particularly sensitive about nutritional intake. Whether they have an obsession that men shouldn't be frail, or they just like feeding. I drank the shake out of a sense of duty.
Then a hand popped out from the side.
"Older Brother, where is your house?"
It was Kang Yu-ri. She grinned while shaking her wet hair, looking exactly like a hunting dog eyeing prey.
"Just right in front here."
"Ay, night streets are dangerous. I'll take you! I came on my motorbike."
"...?"
I let out a hollow laugh, dumbfounded.
"Am I a kid? It's right in front, takes less than 10 minutes to walk."
"Aing, still! The world is so scary these days! It's big trouble if a man walks alone. What if you get kidnapped!"
Yu-ri pulled my arm as if genuinely worried.
'...This worldview really treats men like sunfish (fragile creatures).'
Treating a sturdy adult male like an elementary schooler going to the convenience store in front of the house. Overprotection is a disease too. I pulled my arm out and refused firmly.
"Forget it. I'm sturdy so turn off your nerves."
Then this time, smartphones were thrust out from other sides.
"Excuse me, please give me your number!" "What's your Talk ID? I want to add you!" "I'll invite you to the group chat!"
In an instant, a dozen QR codes danced in front of my eyes.
'Ha... annoying.'
Recalling experiences from the original world, it's obvious.
They probably want to ask questions about techniques.
Seeing the sparring earlier, their competitive spirit was no joke. Since I said I'm a Purple Belt, it's clear they intend to extract some technical tips or know-how.
Or it's for scheduling sparring appointments to catch the match they couldn't finish today.
"...I don't look at my phone much."
"Ay~ It's fine! Just save it!"
"So we can ask if we're curious about something! Yes?"
See. Said they'd ask curious things. People crazy about Jiu-Jitsu.
I sighed and reluctantly scanned their QR codes. Then cheers of "Kyaak!", "Daebak!" burst out here and there.
Is getting one number that good? Their desire for sharing exercise information is truly amazing.
"Excuse me, Older Brother. But can I touch your forearm just once?"
Someone asked slyly.
"Yes? Why?"
"No... your strength was so good when I was caught earlier... curious how hard the muscles are..."
Before I could answer, fingers poked my forearm.
"Wow... Crazy. It's a rock." "Me too, me too!"
In an instant, strange touches poured onto my arms and shoulders. Pretended to ask for permission but it was practically a notification. The sensation of pressing, kneading, and sweeping down.
'......'
The mood is strange.
Feel like meat hanging in a butcher shop getting graded. Or like members staring fascinatingly at a fit trainer in a gym.
The touches were excessively blatant and sticky, but I tried to blur my eyes.
I want to believe... there is no ulterior motive in their eyes. It must be pure inquiry like 'How can I make muscle quality like this'. It has to be.
"...I'll be going now... I'm tired."
Felt like even my muscle fibers would be analyzed if I stayed longer, so I hurriedly broke through the crowd.
"Jin-hyuk-ssi! See you tomorrow!" "Older Brother! I'll message you!" "You'll appear in my dreams!"
Regretful shouts pouring from behind.
I shook my head and left the gym building.
"...People have... too much... affection (Jeong)... burdensome."
Making such a fuss just to take care of one new member. The culture of lifestyle sports clubs in this world seems stickier and more radical than I thought.
I should keep a moderate distance, just exercise and leave. It gets tiring if I get caught up in socializing.
Ignoring the notification sounds buzzing in my pocket (already 30), I trudged home.
. . .
Arrived home.
According to the original plan, I should have washed up and finished the day with a round of Vortex.
"...Ah."
F*cking sleepy.
No strength to wash either. I dived straight onto the bed.
The aftereffects of rolling with 30 people seemed to rush in only now.
Suddenly, I took out the phone that was in my pocket.
"......"
Usually don't look at phone much because it's on silent... why did so many come?
I scanned the contents displayed in the preview.
"...Huh."
It's awkward to react to all of this one by one.
I turned the phone over and stared blankly at the ceiling.
An ordinary man might get ahead of himself here. 'Uh? Are they interested in me?'
But I am different. I am cool-headed. No, I must be cool-headed.
Because there was a time when I mistook a woman's kindness for interest and wrote the biggest dark history of my life.
Anyway, this is not romantic interest. It's just social manners and curiosity.
'Right, that's it...'
Think about it. It's a world where men are precious. Like seeing a rare panda newly arrived at the zoo. Because it's fascinating, they want to talk, take care of, and take photos. Nothing more, nothing less.
Plus, there must be that camaraderie unique to people who exercise. Everyone acts close after sweating.
The moment I drink the kimchi soup (count my chickens before they hatch) thinking 'Do they like me?' alone here, I become a hopeless Prince Disease patient (narcissist) on that path.
"What's the difference from a guy naming his grandchildren just because a convenience store part-timer smiled saying 'Welcome'. Must distinguish between kindness and interest."
I shook my head, admiring my iron-wall-like logic. As expected, I am rational.
'I'm an idiot for fluttering even for a moment.'
The moment I assign meaning here saying 'Oh my, I must be a popular man', I become the most ridiculous figure in the world. I don't do such things.
Suddenly, a forgotten scene flashed through my brain.
Noisy bar. Turbid air. And the two bastards sitting in front of me.
The last drinking party with me, and the friends like stains on my life, Lee Eun-seong and Bang Jae-hyuk.
That day was quite peaceful.
The bar was noisy, but our table was quiet focusing on the snacks. Lee Eun-seong had his nose buried in a mobile game, and Bang Jae-hyuk was silently tearing a chicken leg.
For reference, Bang Jae-hyuk, looking only at his appearance, is a reliable main tanker face responsible for the party's frontline. But in reality, he is an extreme dealer grinding even allies' mental health with that mouth. My friend characterized by slit eyes buried in flesh.
Anyway, at the time I was fiddling with a soju glass and spacing out.
Suddenly, Bang Jae-hyuk, who was deboning chicken, stared intently at me out of the blue.
"Jin-hyuk-ah."
"Why."
The guy wiped his greasy mouth, and came in abruptly.
"You f*ck... your face is decent, and body is good."
"......?"
Suddenly a compliment? Is he drunk?
But the guy sighed deeply and continued.
"Your personality is sh*t so you will have a hard time dating for life. You pitiful bastard."
"......"
Silence flowed. I put down the soju glass I was holding.
"Bullsh*t. Suddenly?"
Why sudden acceleration while eating chicken quietly.
But Bang Jae-hyuk didn't stop. He inserted facts seriously like a professor presenting a thesis prepared for a long time.
"It's real? I guarantee there's no psycho like you in the world, top rtard among rtards. You look fine but you break the mood as soon as you open your mouth."
Even Lee Eun-seong, who was playing phone games next to him, nodded and chimed in.
"Right. Jin-hyuk is likable if he shuts his mouth and stays still, but the moment he opens his mouth he's just a r*tarded neighborhood idiot brother who ate his wits in rice soup."
"Hey."
I laughed hollowly, dumbfounded.
"Didn't you guys gather because it's my birthday today? Drinking on someone else's birthday, instead of giving blessings you suddenly curse and act crazy, you sons of b*tches."
"Not curses but facts."
Bang Jae-hyuk said throwing a chicken bone on the plate.
"Last time when the cafe part-timer Noona wrote 'Have a good day heart' on the cup holder, what did you say? 'Service jobs must be really hard, having to do this emotional labor too'? Crazy bastard, seeing that I was convinced there's no one shot in the head as much as you."
"R*tard, that's in the comment manual. It's because you haven't done social life. It's customer management dimension."
"Ah, frustrating! Hey, Lee Eun-seong. You hit him a bit."
"Let's not speak. He's destined to live like that and die."
Lee Eun-seong shook his head.
'These bastards...'
I laughed hollowly, dumbfounded.
"Really why are you acting crazy to me..."
"It's a fact, r*tard. If you're bitter bring a woman then."
Bang Jae-hyuk smiled hatefully and filled his glass. The sight of those slit eyes curving like crescent moons made me so angry, stubbornness soared in an instant.
"Ha... Okay. You guys are attacking in a pair."
I opened a new soju bottle.
"Let's see who wins. Today I'll catch up to your alcohol tolerance and lay you down here before leaving. Drink, you pig bastard."
"Where? You against me? Puhahaha! Hey, Eun-seong. He says he's challenging me with alcohol."
"Jin-hyuk-ah, don't overdo it. Jae-hyuk that bastard's liver is a fatty liver so alcohol decomposition speed is different."
"Shut up! Shut up and pour!"
That day, I drank excessively showing off bravado saying I'd smash their mouths.
Poured until the film cut (blackout), no, until brain cells were pickled.
And when I opened my eyes, it was here, the Reverse World.
Thinking about it, the main culprit who brought me to this world is that pig bastard. If I drank moderately that day, I would have gone home and slept quietly.
Waking from the flashback, I chuckled and muttered.
"...See. Jae-hyuk-ah, Eun-seong-ah. You guys were wrong, r*tards."
Dating eunuch? Can't get women? Die alone and old?
Look at my phone right now. It's on fire, on fire.
I lifted the phone once again and checked the message at the very top. It was that office worker older sister from earlier, Choi Su-jin.
But a person needs to have wits.
Ordinary guys would have fluttered here saying 'Uh? Just the two of us? Alcohol? Is this a green light?'.
But I am an intellectual who knows how to read between the lines, and a person with learning ability.
Past bitter experiences rang warning alarms in my head.
'Regretful' means regretful that she couldn't learn techniques properly in sparring today.
'Drink just the two of us outside' means she can't ask technical questions to her heart's content inside the gym because of the Master's eyes, so she intends to buy alcohol outside and receive high-level know-how transmission. It's a kind of tuition fee.
"This is exactly social life, and networking management. They don't know anything, these guys."
I nodded, and turned off the phone screen instead of sending a reply.
"Have to know how to distinguish kindness and interest."
That is not liking me as a man. It's liking my Purple Belt.
The moment I get deceived there and grin, I become Pushover No. 1 who gets sucked of technique and discarded. I don't do such things.
I threw the phone and sprawled out.
Looking at the ceiling, the touch of soft flesh and sweet scent that touched during sparring earlier grazed my brain belatedly.
"...Haa."
A deep sigh came out without realizing.
"Ah... want to have sex."
Honest feeling. I am also a male in his 20s with a healthy body and vigorous hormones. Lonely, and instincts wiggle too.
But sadly, my surroundings are full of only 'Martial Arts Otakus crazy about exercise' so geez.
"Romance in my life my ass... only sweat smell will vibrate."
I clicked my tongue and covered my head with the blanket.
...Anyway, like that I endured another day.