A Healthy Mind Dwells in a Healthy Body (2)
It had been exactly one week since I started doing cardio in earnest. The report card? 3.2 kg of weight lost. 1.5 kg of body fat reduced. Some people might scoff at those numbers, but for me, it was a genuinely impressive achievement.
From the start, my BMI had been at least 34 by eye—full-blown severe obesity. Since weight isn’t made up of fat alone, I focused first on flushing out excess water and leftover carbohydrates. The real key was preserving muscle mass.
Surprisingly, Sido Toya’s body wasn’t in terrible shape. For someone obese, his skeletal structure was quite solid, and above all, he had inherited an excellent shoulder frame and thick calves. If he could reach this level without any focused training, the results once I properly carved him down would be even greater.
I’d honestly expected to lose weight much faster than in reality because this was a romcom novel. Turns out weight loss works the same here as back on Earth. I’d hoped for some protagonist correction, but I guess that was asking too much.
Besides cardio, I was also hammering bodyweight exercises. Flat push-ups were still tough, but knee push-ups were completely doable. My daily routine: 100 push-ups, 150 bodyweight squats, a 3 km run, plus planks and crunches for core strength. I’d thought that would be enough.
But something strange started happening.
When I entered the second week of training, my body felt far better than it had in the first. The way my feet struck the ground, the flexibility and power in my legs—everything had improved noticeably.
The problem was…
“……My weight actually went up?”
If the secondhand scale I’d picked up wasn’t broken, there was only one explanation. I’d gained more muscle than the fat I’d lost.
‘Is this the protagonist correction?’
Of course, I was someone who had once stood at the very top of the combat sports world. My coaching staff had been ridiculously luxurious. The head S&C coach was a legendary powerbuilder, an IFBB pro card holder, and a sports medicine PhD specializing in exercise mechanics.
“In the UFC, they tend to treat muscle like it’s just dead weight that only consumes oxygen. But that only applies in the lower weight classes!”
“You were born with the perfect frame. Muscle that’s densely packed without chemical help is the key point for building the perfect striking machine that doesn’t overload the joints.”
“When technique levels are nearly identical, the difference in weight class is overwhelming. Once you add pro-level fighting technique on top of that, there won’t be a single person who can stand against you in the same weight. In combat sports, weight class is king. That’s why middleweight and welterweight champions get pushed around and can’t utilize their strengths when they step up to heavyweight or light heavyweight.”
If that was true for this body as well…
“Looks like my eye wasn’t wrong after all.”
I stared into the mirror and laughed out loud. Even while focusing on weight loss, I was still gaining muscle? It meant this body had a natural talent for hypertrophy.
“Alright. Starting today, we raise the intensity. Keep the cardio the same, but increase the strength training ratio.”
Since things had come to this, aiming to become the strongest guy in Kamisato didn’t sound so bad.
“Toya, you look totally different lately.”
“Is it that obvious?”
“I’m not sure if you’ve lost that much weight, but… your body seems a lot more defined?”
Made sense. Fat was dropping while muscle was going up. I flexed my arm, and Kenta poked and prodded my muscles in amazement.
“Whoa, what the hell? It’s actually working. You running at the park again today?”
“Yep. It’s my routine. Why, you wanna join? Come out after school.”
“Uhh… I’ve got club activities today.”
“Then run in the evening. Come after club.”
“No way, dude! I’m still young and healthy. I haven’t gained any weight.”
When I kept pressing, he took a step back and waved his hands frantically. Yeah, figured as much. Most people don’t start exercising without a clear trigger. Usually it takes your body breaking down first before they think, maybe I should start working out.
“So? Did you look into that gym for me?”
“Oh right! Yeah, I checked it out. Totally forgot to tell you. Do you have the Kamisato Reviewers app?”
“Nope. What’s that?”
When I shook my head, Kenta looked at me like I was an alien.
“Wow, Toya. Where the hell have you been? How did you even end up in Kamisato?”
“Beats me. I opened my eyes and I was here.”
“You call that a joke? You’re killing me…”
He snatched my phone, downloaded an app from the store, and handed it back.
[Kamisato Reviewers]
“It’s like Tabelog or Google Maps. Outside apps don’t work in Kamisato.”
“Oh.”
From the perspective of someone who literally woke up in an academy city, I knew almost nothing. Even if I’d inherited Toya’s memories, it was the same situation. Before I possessed him, he’d basically been a hikikomori going between home and school, and everything else had been handled by Shinohara Misaki. So there was nothing in his head about daily life. The novel only covered the big plot events and their behind-the-scenes details—it didn’t bother describing what apps people used or how they lived day to day.
In that sense, having a friend like Kenta was incredibly valuable. He was basically my academy city guide.
“I’ll share the location with you. There are two places, but both have pretty bad ratings. The facilities are as cheap as the price suggests.”
“Really?”
“Still, where else are you gonna find a gym for 2000 yen a month? That’s practically a steal.”
Even Korean gyms were expensive these days. Guess Japan was the same.
“Anyway, thanks. Once I make some real money, I’ll buy you something good.”
“Have you finally grown up? The great Toya is actually offering to treat someone?”
That same day I received Kenta’s recommendation, I headed straight to the gym listed on the app right after school, still in my uniform. Unfortunately one place was closed, so only the other was open for business.
It was a gym located on the roof of a crumbling three-story building.
“Mmm~ that smell.”
Clink.
The moment I stepped inside, the intense metallic scent hit me. The padding on the machines was worn out, with foam bursting from several of them. The weight plates weren’t the plastic or urethane rubber commonly used nowadays—they were pure iron. And that wasn’t all.
Wiiiiiiiiiing.
Instead of the latest pop songs, the only sound was an old fan spinning lazily. Even with the windows open, the entire space was soaked in the unmistakable stench of old sweat that refused to leave.
“Who’s there?”
Finally, a man who looked like he’d just been enjoying a nice nap appeared with drool still on his cheek, completing the perfect picture. That’s right. This place was almost extinct in Korea—
‘A 100% pure old-school owner-run gym……!!!!’
My heart started pounding.
“Hm? You here to sign up?”
I immediately pulled out my card and handed it to the owner.
“Twelve months. I’d like the yearly membership. Any discount?”
“Uh… yeah, of course! No way I wouldn’t give you one! I’ll give you a generous 20% off!”
I watched the flustered owner hurriedly process my card and grinned. State-of-the-art fitness clubs with aromatherapy, massage chairs, 24-hour air conditioning, brand-new equipment, and blasting EDM? I didn’t need any of that.
“Payment complete— I mean, all done! Ahaha! You’ve come to the right place! When would you like to start your official membership?”
“Right now.”
To me, this was sex and entertainment rolled into one.
Fujiwara Shinsuke, the perfectly ordinary gym owner in the Kamisato Special Zone, had recently started looking forward to coming to work again.
It was because a boy had started showing up. A very rare kind these days—outstanding, polite, and possessing the proper mindset of a true athlete.
“Good afternoon, Coach!”
“That’s right!! Toya!! What are we hitting today?!”
“You’re asking the obvious. Legs, of course?!”
“What? Didn’t you just do legs the day before yesterday? Is your muscle recovery okay?!”
“Hahaha! Coach, the best cure for delayed onset muscle soreness is light exercise! I’m planning to focus on machines today. I’ll need a spot, please!”
“Light exercise but you need a spot…? O-okay!! Come on in!!”
To be honest, his first impression hadn’t been great. A boy with a body that looked like he’d never done anything more strenuous than jogging in front of his house had walked in. Shinsuke had assumed he’d stumbled into the cheap gym by accident and would run away in panic the moment he saw how run-down it was.
But what could he do? He needed the money. Shinsuke himself wanted to run a spacious, comfortable facility. He wanted to have a few junior trainers under him, pet a cat in peace, work out when he felt like it, and go home.
Ten years ago that might have been possible, but nobody came to outdated gyms like this anymore. He was barely surviving on a handful of loyal regulars, slowly withering away. If not for his past competition record and his position as a fitness association advisor, he would have sold the place and retired long ago.
But everything changed after he met one boy.
Sido Toya was different. The kid’s eyes had sparkled as he looked at him, then immediately paid for an entire year upfront. At first Shinsuke wondered what was so special, but the moment he saw the boy’s form, he understood completely.
‘This kid……!!!! He’s the real deal……!!!’
Every movement was clean. He completely eliminated any risk of injury and precisely targeted the right muscles with exactly the weight he could handle. That kind of performance from a body like his? The heart of a former Tokyo bodybuilding champion began to beat again.
From that day on, the two of them began a sweat-drenched training partnership. Shinsuke provided all sorts of supplements and boosters practically for free. He even gave him personal training sessions that normally cost 30,000 yen a month for free. (Though honestly the kid didn’t really need PT.) Sometimes he even spotted Shinsuke’s own lifts. It was a win-win relationship.
“Uraaaaaagh!!”
“Kuaaaaaaaa!”
“So good!!!!”
“Too damn good!!!!”
They were once again enjoying their usual storm-like dual workout when—
Clink—
“?”
“U-um… excuse me… can I still register for the gym…?”
The stale air was instantly purified. A delicate voice echoed through the previously heavy gym.
“I’m a first-year at Midorigaoka High… do you offer student discounts?”
A short-haired female student stood shyly at the entrance.