Taking a Leap

When Seong-min showed up for work on Monday and ran into Min-hyeok, Team Leader Jeong and the rest of the crew all asked how the move had gone.

Seong-min was no different.

"Thanks to everyone looking out for us, we got the move done without a hitch…! All the paperwork should wrap up this week, so by the time you come over this weekend everything ought to be settled…!"

The new villa seemed to have Min-hyeok completely smitten.

Of course it did. He and his sister A-reum had been living in a rundown multi-family house; now they finally had a two-room villa of their own. The rent was a million won a month—hardly cheap—but it was a brand-new building with a shower booth, and the living room came fully optioned. Counting the living-room space as a third room, it might as well have been a three-room place.

"So if you moved in over the weekend, that means you've slept there two nights already?"

"That's right~!"

"Still feel a little weird?"

"It's only been a couple of days, so yeah, it's still a bit strange… heh…!"

He was beaming from ear to ear; the kid looked happier than Seong-min had ever seen him.

"After work today I'm swinging by the mart to grab a pot and some other stuff we need."

"Yeah~ once you move, there's a ton of household stuff to buy."

"Anyway, housewarming's this weekend, so let's see each other then~!"

"Did you tell your sister we're coming?"

"I told her~! Noona already knows…!"

And so Monday morning was filled mostly with talk about Min-hyeok's new place.

Today they only had one morning job—day rate three hundred thousand for the others, four hundred thousand for Seong-min—and it would be finished before noon. That left them with time to spare.

"All right, all right~! Let's get ready!"

"Yes, sir~!"

"Got it, hyung-nim~~!"

After six straight days of living together and climbing a mountain of work, the gombang jobs that followed felt almost light. Once you clear a big hurdle and grow past it, everything afterward comes easier and stronger.

"Let's give it our best again today~!"

That went for Min-hyeok too. On top of everything else, the move had him brimming with extra drive.

But the lightest, most effortless worker among them was, of course, Seong-min.

His Physicality stat had already passed 150; right now it sat at 160. He had put three more points into it, bringing it from 157 up to 160.

With Martial Power raised as well, gombang work no longer felt like real labor. He could keep the same pace all day long; a single morning job was nothing.

Finishing before noon and walking away with four hundred thousand won meant free time for himself afterward.

Of course, if they took two jobs—one morning, one afternoon—they wouldn't wrap up until after five. But two jobs meant at least six hundred thousand, sometimes as much as a million, so that was fine too.

Two gombang days and Seong-min could cover the BMW 520d installment without even thinking about it. No pressure at all.

Today they finished hauling the stone before noon and closed out the job by moving the last paint cans.

"All right, good work, everyone."

Team Leader Jeong handed out the envelopes.

"Thank you~!"

Min-hyeok took his three-hundred-thousand-won envelope. Seong-min received four hundred thousand—a hundred thousand more.

By now it felt completely natural. The ace simply got the extra incentive. You could call it special treatment, but the rest of the team agreed it was only right.

"You've looked happy all day."

On the way home after work, Min-hyeok was still grinning.

"Moving into a nicer, more comfortable place makes even the walk home feel good~ And also…"

"And also?"

"I get to punch in a door-lock code and walk into my own house now!"

Seong-min snorted a laugh. Their old place had used a regular key.

"So A-reum noona doesn't have to wear that key necklace anymore?"

He knew A-reum had always worn the house key around her neck so she wouldn't lose it.

"Noona doesn't wear it either now. She just memorizes the code and punches it in."

The image of A-reum carefully memorizing the password brought a quiet smile to Seong-min's lips.

"Come this way."

"Huh? The subway's not over there."

There was a station nearby; Min-hyeok had taken the subway that morning.

"You'll see when you get here."

Seong-min led him toward an empty lot that doubled as a parking area.

"Hyung, why'd we come here?"

Even as Min-hyeok looked puzzled, Seong-min didn't answer.

"Huh? This is just a parking lot."

Then Seong-min pulled something from his pocket and pressed a button.

Beep-beep.

The headlights of a white, brand-new BMW 520d flashed.

"Holy crap! Hyung, you bought a car?!"

Min-hyeok's eyes went huge.

"Picked one up."

"That's insane~!!!"

Still stunned, Min-hyeok hurried over and started examining every inch of it.

"Whoa… this is a BMW?! A 5 Series?! Are you kidding me… it looks brand new—is this the latest model?! This thing is sick as hell~!!!"

Watching Min-hyeok bounce around, unable to contain his excitement, Seong-min could only laugh under his breath.

"Looks good?"

"It's crazy?! Did you buy it because of what I said before?! I'm so jealous…!!!"

Seeing him inspect every detail and keep gasping in admiration made Seong-min feel like he'd made the right call.

"Get in. We'll hit the mart, then I'll drop you off at home."

"Whoa… for real?!"

Min-hyeok yanked open the passenger door and scrambled in. Seong-min walked around to the driver's side.

"The interior's awesome too?! Definitely a 5 Series! This is the new model, right?! Inside's so clean."

"Came out last winter."

"Then it's basically a new car?!"

"New-car level, yeah."

"Mileage?"

"A little over seven thousand?"

"Yep, new-car level!"

Under ten thousand kilometers.

"Buckle up."

"Already did~!"

A click as the seatbelt locked. Seong-min started the engine and eased out of the lot while Min-hyeok kept gushing.

"Oh~ the ride's so smooth~! Brand-new level really is something else~!!!"

"We're moving now, you idiot."

All the way to the big-box mart Min-hyeok chattered nonstop—how buying the car had been a great idea, how having your own wheels was so convenient, how amazing it was that hyung had gotten a car like this. He didn't shut up until they arrived.

Even while pushing a cart inside he kept talking.

"You gonna buy ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠anything?"

"Of course~ heh…!"

They bought the pot he'd planned on, plus assorted household goods and a coffee pot—things chosen with A-reum in mind. In the food section they added bread, milk, and cocoa. By the time they finished, it filled two boxes.

"If you hadn't been here, carrying all this home would've been rough."

They wheeled the cart to the parking lot and loaded the trunk.

"That's why I gave you a ride."

"As expected~!"

They left the lot and followed the address Min-hyeok gave him.

"Hyung, you're a better driver than I thought."

"I did some driving-gigs before."

In truth, that alone shouldn't have made him this smooth behind the wheel. The only explanation Seong-min could think of was his physical ability. Raising Martial Power had upgraded his entire body; his reactions and motor control had improved right along with it. Better physical ability meant better athletic sense, and driving was still something you did with your body—so of course he handled the car better.

And right now his Martial Power had already passed 100. Strength wasn't the only thing that had climbed; every physical faculty had risen with it.

After about twenty minutes they turned into the alley Min-hyeok indicated and parked in the first-floor lot of the villa.

"Hyung, come up with me."

"I was planning to anyway."

Two boxes—he'd carry one himself.

He followed Min-hyeok to the main entrance. Min-hyeok set his box down and punched in the code. The door opened.

"See?"

Min-hyeok looked back at Seong-min, proud as anything.

Inside, they took the first-floor elevator up to the fifth. The doors opened and they walked to unit 507. Min-hyeok set the box down again, entered the door-lock code, then turned around.

"Did you see?"

Seong-min already knew what he was going to say.

"Yeah~ me punching the door lock… hehehe!"

"I saw. Let's go in."

Could anyone really be this happy? Watching Min-hyeok beam just from entering a door code made Seong-min laugh again.

They opened the front door and stepped inside.

"Hyung~ you're the first guest to set foot in our house—this is a glorious moment~~!!!"

"I'll call it glorious, sure."

"Not 'call it'—it really is glorious! Not just anyone gets to be the first guest~!!"

They slipped off their shoes and entered the living room. On one side was the sink, a small balcony, two closed bedroom doors, and what looked like a bathroom door.

"Well? Doesn't even compare to the old place, right?!"

Seong-min nodded. It was clearly cleaner and more comfortable than the multi-family house they'd left behind.

"Just set it over there~!"

They put the boxes down beside the refrigerator next to the sink.

"Hyung, I'll show you my room~!"

Seong-min followed him to the room on the right. Min-hyeok turned the handle. Inside were a desk, bedding, a computer, and the rest.

"Stuff from the small room, huh?"

"Yep~ still feels empty, but I'm gonna get a bed later~!"

He'd earned three hundred thousand again today; if he kept this up, he could furnish the place just fine.

"When we moved we had a lot of old junk to throw out, so we only brought about half of what we had. There was more to sort ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠than I expected."

Seong-min had moved often enough to know exactly what Min-hyeok meant. Once you start cleaning out, you always find useless things you've been hanging onto for no reason. And Min-hyeok hadn't been living alone—he'd shared the place with his sister A-reum—so there had been even more.

They closed the door again and came out.

"I'd like to show you Noona's room too, but I shouldn't just walk in on my own, so I'll pass. You get it, right?"

"Of course. You can't just barge into your sister's room."

"Next time just ask her yourself and she'll show you."

"It's fine."

Seong-min said he didn't need the tour, but Min-hyeok spoke up again.

"If you don't ask, Noona's gonna be disappointed, you know? Hehehe…"

"Disappointed?"

"She really wants to show off her room in the new place."

"Then at the housewarming…"

"Only to you, hyung."

"Ah… is that so?"

Seong-min gave a wry smile and nodded as if he understood.

"And this is the bathroom-slash-shower room~!"

This time he led Seong-min over to the bathroom for a look.

"See—there's a sink, a toilet, and back there is the shower booth…!"

The lights were bright, the interior bright and clean—exactly what you'd expect from a new build.

"You already tried the shower?"

"Obviously~! Noona showered in there too and came out smiling so bright…!"

A-reum's smiling face floated up in Seong-min's mind.

"Want to shower before you go, hyung?"

"I'm good. Just a cup of tea today and I'll head out."

A-reum wouldn't be home from work for a while yet. She usually got back after six.

"Coming right up~!"

Min-hyeok went to the sink, filled the coffee pot, plugged it in, and hit the power button. He set out two mugs, opened a cupboard, and pulled down instant coffee mix and a jar of cocoa powder.

"You bought coffee too?"

"We keep some ready in case guests come, even if Noona and I don't drink it ourselves."

"Thorough."

"Of course~!!"

When the water boiled and the pot clicked off, he poured the powder into the cups and filled them. He stirred thoroughly with a teaspoon and brought both cups over.

"This table's the same one you had before?"

"Yeah, we're still using it."

"Looks pretty old."

A new dining table might have been nicer.

"It is, but… Noona treasures it. She can't throw it away."

"Because of your mother…?"

"Yeah. Mom always set the food out on this table. It's full of memories, so Noona doesn't want to get rid of it."

"Special table, then…"

Buying a new one and tossing this one was out of the question.

"I… want to keep using it as long as we can, too. Rather than buying a new one."

Min-hyeok seemed to feel the same way.

Seong-min finished the coffee Min-hyeok had made and left. He didn't go straight home, though. He stopped by the gym, worked out for about two hours, and showered.

His level had reached 450. Appearance sat at 75.

Once Appearance passed 70, Seong-min's height had become 178.3 cm. Five more points and it would hit 178.4 cm.

That wasn't all. His jawline had grown sharper and more refined, the way it might after jaw surgery or a square-jaw reduction. His nose bridge had straightened and was gradually gaining more height and definition. Overall, his gaze and facial structure had shifted into something warmer and more handsome than when Appearance had been only 39.

A little more and anyone who looked at him would immediately think "handsome guy."

It wasn't a complete face-off transformation into someone else. It was more like an artist slowly sculpting and refining the face he already had—bringing out the most handsome version possible from his original base.

That was why Hye-suk had said what she did: it was still Seong-min, yet somehow his face looked better than before. A natural change.

After the workout Seong-min stepped into the shower room and studied his body in the mirror.

With Martial Power at 150, his shoulders had broadened and the muscles across his entire frame had settled into balanced, well-defined lines.

Ever since Martial Power crossed 100 he had been watching his body carefully as he kept raising the stat. Strength increased and the body changed, yes—but the muscle growth wasn't simply about bulk getting bigger and bigger.

It was density and quality that improved. Think of the difference between human muscle and the muscle of a gorilla, the strongest of the primates: same volume, completely different output. Seong-min wasn't at that level, but the density and quality of his muscle were evolving and growing rather than simply inflating like a balloon.

So the Seong-min in the mirror was stronger than ever, yet his physique remained the balanced, aesthetically pleasing kind women liked. The quality of that muscle was fundamentally different from ordinary human muscle. Even at the same mass, the force he could generate was more than double.

Once he understood that, he had raised Martial Power to 150 without hesitation.

The question of muscle growth was settled.

And from those same bodily changes he had realized something else: even if he kept raising Vigor, his equipment would stay within a reasonable "large" range and wouldn't keep growing forever. He could raise Vigor later without worrying that it would become so massive it turned into a burden.

I wonder just how much stronger I am now…

When he had saved Min-hyeok, his Martial Power had been 60. Now it was 150. Even at his current level, he couldn't fully imagine how much more powerful he had become.

He finished showering, dried off in the changing room, dried his hair, got dressed, and left the gym.

Then the weekend arrived.

Seong-min loaded a brand-new microwave—still in its packaging—into the trunk.

"How much was this?"

"One million two hundred thousand."

"Nice one~"

"If I'm giving a housewarming gift, might as well get a good one."

He had bought a high-end model from a major brand.

"Have a good time, then."

"Yes, ma'am~!"

Hye-suk waved as Seong-min climbed into the driver's seat ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and pulled away.

At that same moment, Min-hyeok had finally bought a large dining table for the special occasion so they could properly set out the housewarming food. Of course he had asked A-reum first. The table was already covered with japchae and a whole spread of other dishes—everything he and A-reum had cooked together since early morning.

"Min-hyeok… do I… look okay?"

"Of course you do~! Noona, you look really pretty in that outfit~!"

She was wearing the checkered skirt and heart-neck blouse she had worn on Seong-min's birthday. She had carefully put the clothes away after that day and brought them out again specially for today's housewarming.

"You already know, but… today the team leader and the whole gombang crew from my work are coming. Don't be nervous, though. They're all good people."

A-reum nodded.

"But… the one you're looking forward to most is still hyung, right…?"

A faint ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flush rose in A-reum's cheeks.

"Hehehe…"

Min-hyeok found his sister adorable like this.

"It's fine, Noona. Seong-min hyung already said you looked really pretty in that outfit before~! He'll think the same today for sure~!!"

A-reum nodded again.

After the food was all set out, time passed.

"They should be here soon…"

Min-hyeok checked his phone and glanced toward the front door.

Just then the intercom rang.

"Ah! They're here~!"

As Min-hyeok headed for the entrance, A-reum watched his back and swallowed dryly without realizing it.

Since that birthday…

Today would be the first time she saw him again.