Strategy

Worst case, I refinance the loan and then break the place up for sale, or unload the equity. The problem is there isn't time for that. Nothing guarantees it sells on the spot. If that's where this is headed anyway, there's no point planning to sell—I'll have to solve it myself.

I had not the slightest intention of putting up the money. I'd come so our Rahi could earn, not so I could spend, and I didn't have that kind of cash anyway. A million dollars looked enormous, but set against the size of this commercial building it wasn't that large a loan. I'd have to check the market, yet with a lot that wide the place had to be worth at least three or four million. In the end, this was something we had to absorb, and hold.

"Then... may I ask what you're planning to do from here?"

"...That's the thing. I have no idea what to do. Every day I can barely breathe..."

"Then would you hear me out?"

"Yes. Yes."

"...Do you happen to know much about taekwondo?"

"...Taekwondo?"

Go Yewon cocked her head at the sudden question. I smiled, and started in.

"The location suits taekwondo perfectly. There's an elementary school, and judging by the shops clustered around here, there ought to be plenty of academies too."

"B-but for us to suddenly take up taekwondo..."

"I'm not telling you to open a taekwondo studio. I'm saying we borrow the way they run one."

"The way they run one?"

"Yes. Do you know why taekwondo succeeded even overseas?"

"...?"

I went on, watching her tilt her head again. One of the greatest advantages of this world was its birth rate. There were more than forty percent more children than in the world I'd left behind. Even accounting for the state facilities, there had to be at least as many kids out in the open as there had been back then. What could be used, ought to be used.

"They watch the children all day. On top of that, they drop them off at their other lessons and pick them up."

"...Oh."

"From the moment elementary school lets out until Mom gets off at six or seven. If she's working late, they need somewhere they can leave a child without a second thought until ten at night. If we were next to a public care center it'd be a hard sell, but in households comfortable enough to send their kids to private school, the mothers are going to be busy working."

"Th-that's true. Everyone says there are a lot of professionals around here.... That's why we were going to switch over to Pilates."

"Then this is even better. The age of the people we're selling to will change overnight, but still."

"...But if we suddenly have to recruit children..."

"Do you know what you have to do to move children?"

"...What do you do?"

"You move their mothers. And if you want to move a woman—"

I murmured it as I drew my phone from my pocket. I wasn't certain, but there was a chance. All I had to do was turn inside out a method that had already worked in the old world.

"—you move a man."

"...Ah."

"Huh?"

Rahi let out a little gasp, as if something had clicked, while Go Yewon clutched her head in both hands and went on tilting it.

"So... do you agree with what I'm suggesting?"

"...W-well, it's not like we have another way right now..."

Even if I told them to do exactly as I said, following blindly would have been foolish. I nodded once and continued.

"Then let's at least try it. If we keep on like this, we're finished anyway. And if you truly hate it, I can help you clean up the mess then."

"...All right. I still don't really understand what you're saying, but we have to do something."

I scrolled quietly through my contacts. Among the handful of numbers, I placed a call to the one and only man's name.

Of course I didn't remember. My brain wasn't so worthless that it wasted space storing a man's address. Now that he mentioned it, I did seem to recall him grumbling, back when we worked at the old company, that the place he'd moved to was far. I flinched for half a second, then opened my mouth with as much bluster as I could muster.

The call cut off on Chang-soo shouting for his mother. For a moment I wondered whether I'd just swallowed poison, but I didn't have a card as good as Chang-soo. It wasn't only that I was using him. There was something in this he'd actually like. The sparkling eyes of Go Yewon and Rahi, both fixed on me, snapped me back to myself.

"Two men on permanent standby. Secured."

"...R-really?"

"Yes. The guy's a complete exercise addict. Counting me, that's two. Should be enough, don't you think?"

If five Multi-Males were enough to justify founding an elementary school, then this had a real chance. Even at my old gym, two or three men training at the same time was as many as you ever saw. Whether it would land, I'd only know by trying. And ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if male members took one look at us, decided the place was safe, and started showing up on top of that, all the better.

"...O-of course it is. But everyone here is somebody's mom. Are you sure you'll be all right...?"

"Which is exactly why they'll like it more, don't you think?"

There was nothing to worry about. These weren't women who already had a man at home, and it wasn't as if I was going to sleep with them. All I had to do was plant a little anticipation. I understood that much by now—that a man drew eyes just by standing still. If I could use it, I would. I dipped my head, grinned, and met Go Yewon's gaze.

"Young men. It's been a while since you've seen any, hasn't it? Friendly ones, too."

"...Oh."

"Chang-soo's pretty good-looking himself. And he worked as an assistant instructor at a taekwondo studio all through college, so he'll know a bit about lesson plans for kids."

"...I see what you mean."

Once this model found its footing, filling the Pilates studio Go Yewon wanted would get easier as well. A discount for the mothers who enrolled their children would be more than enough. I didn't bother saying so. No need to raise hopes ahead of time.

"What do you think? The people we're selling to will shift a little, but."

Go Yewon's face had flushed as red as if she'd been drinking. She clasped her hands, looked at me with shining eyes, and nodded hard.

"A-anything. I think I can see a way forward, Teacher."

"You're going to have to trust me completely."

"Yes. Tea-cher."

She even landed the gag from that hit drama a few years back, rising from the sofa to sit at my side. The distance closed so suddenly that I was thrown for a second—but Go Yewon simply wrapped herself around my arm and nuzzled her cheek against it, for all the world like a pure white cat.

"Would you look at that. My fortune said a benefactor would walk into my life this year, and our Rahi went and brought one home."

I glanced to my right, where Rahi sat, but she was only smiling warmly as she took my hand. Our eyes met. She held my gaze a moment, then shaped the words without a sound. Thank you. Awkward for no good reason, I scratched at my nose and turned back to Go Yewon.

"Nothing's come of it yet, so it's a little early to get excited. And in case you're misunderstanding me—I'm not that old, you know?"

"Oh, come on. You know that's not what I meant."

"And it'll take some time. Publicity isn't that easy. The taekwondo studios nearby might get their guard up."

"There isn't a taekwondo studio around here."

It was Rahi who answered. When I looked at her, she thought it over, nodded once more, and went on.

"I looked around while I was running yesterday. I don't think there was one."

"...Then every kid in this apartment complex could be a target?"

"Yes. I can't believe I didn't think of it. I saw a lot of children, too."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Right around when I finished my run yesterday, I remember seeing a lot of kids with backpacks."

"Even so, we have to be careful with anything too blatant. The moment the intent gets misread, people can take it badly. It's about children. But if we neglect the publicity, we won't get anywhere either."

"Ah, that makes sense. This is going to be tricky."

"I don't know the first thing about marketing either. For now, let's run the neighborhood again and get another look at the streets."

"Yes, Shinwoo."

I glanced down at the warmth against my arm, and at the pretty face looking up at me—and for a second I nearly forgot how to breathe. It was those eyes, with their strange air of sweet vacancy, and that lovely face. She seemed to trust people far too easily, and somehow that only made her feel purer. Then again, when a woman was this pretty, what about her wouldn't be?

"Ahem. So. Between the two of you, can either of you drive a van?"

"...Ah."

"Ah..."

Go Yewon went rigid, and Rahi dodged my eyes. I didn't need either of them to say it.

"...First, both of you get your licenses. There should still be time. And I'll see if I can sweet-talk Chang-soo. He ought to be able to drive a van. You'll need to get us one, too. Buy it used and wrap it properly, and it'll do the job. Whenever there's a free moment, we drive it around the neighborhood on purpose. Perfect for getting the word out."

"Ah, I understand."

"I can't promise it'll work, but we'll give it everything we've got. Hiring more staff would be hard, right?"

"Ah, I'm afraid so..."

"Then we'll negotiate again once he gets here. You really don't need to worry too much, though."

"Yes, Teacher."

"...I have the strangest feeling you're teasing me for being old."

"Not even a little. You're so cool. You're sexy."

She was like Rahi, only more direct, and considerably brighter. Not that Rahi was dark—she just sank into herself from time to time. And there was no way I could miss the sexual pull coming off Go Yewon from the moment she'd sat down beside me. I tried to joke the mood into something else. It didn't take.

Maybe I'm still carrying some of that heat from the bus.

Uneasy, I turned toward Rahi, only to find her smiling warmly, as if she liked the look of us together, which only made it worse. Was this the part where I was supposed to feel guilty, like I was messing with my girlfriend's best friend? The truth was, the situation was a little stimulating, too. I scattered the thought in a hurry and opened my mouth.

"Next, then. About that equipment."

"Yes, yes."

"Would it be all right if we painted it? Something like that."

"Why?"

"I thought we could lean into the vintage feel and make it work, but for children it's a little..."

"...Oh. You mean ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it's too worn out."

She'd been a beat slow all through the conversation. So that was why I kept sensing that strange, sweet vacancy. Still, if the vacancy came with a face like this, it was welcome any time. Honestly, with looks like hers, she could have been an actual airhead and I might not have minded.

"Not something we have to decide right now. If this strategy doesn't take, we'll have to switch to another approach."

"...You had another plan?"

I gave Rahi, who had asked, a small nod.

"Yeah. Just something that occurred to me from what I saw today. If it really doesn't work, we package the place as an Instagram-aesthetic gym. Not selling expertise—selling a spot where you can take pictures and work out light. The backdrop already feels like a place where people train pretty seriously."

"...But treating exercise that lightly is a little..."

At Rahi's words, Go Yewon glanced at me, then gave a small nod. As expected of people who actually lived for training.