The Beginning of Change

"Welcome."

Seong-min pushed open the front door and stepped inside. Upbeat music filled the air, and his eyes took in the people working out in earnest and the rows of fitness equipment. He surveyed the space at an unhurried pace before walking over to the counter.

"Um… it's a hundred thousand won a month, right?"

"Yes, that's correct. Is this your first time at a gym?"

Seong-min nodded at the staff member's question.

"Yeah, today is my first time…"

"In that case, it's a hundred thousand a month, or you can do three months for two hundred thirty thousand. PT is separate. What would you like to do? If you're planning to come regularly, locking in three months at once is usually the better deal."

A hundred thousand a month meant three hundred thousand over three months. Paying for three months upfront at two hundred thirty thousand saved him seventy thousand won.

Should I go for the three-month plan?

Two hundred thirty thousand was no small sum for Seong-min. That was exactly what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠he'd earned from a hard day of gombang work.

Yeah. If I'm going to do this, I should do it properly. I'd just end up renewing after a month anyway — better to lock in three months and stick with it.

Having made up his mind, Seong-min spoke to the waiting staff member.

"I'll take the three-month plan."

"Good choice. All right, then…"

He provided his basic information, completed his gym membership registration, and received a locker key and a set of gym workout clothes.

"The men's locker room is that way — just walk over and head inside."

"Got it."

Following the directions, Seong-min made his way into the men's locker room, slipped off his sneakers, and set them aside.

"What number was it…"

He checked his locker number, looked around, found number twenty-one, and tapped the electronic key against it. The lock disengaged and the door swung open.

"I'll leave the shower bag in here…"

He stowed the toiletry bag he'd brought for the showers off to one side, then peeled off his clothes one piece at a time.

"Ugh…"

He let out a quiet breath as he took in his reflection in the mirror on the wall.

I've definitely been eating well and living well this past month.

He'd put on some weight, and his belly had rounded out a bit — the result of a month of recovery under Auntie Hye-suk's care.

That's how well she looked after me.

From here on out, he was going to have to train hard and get his body under control.

He changed into the gym clothes, locked the locker, and headed for the exit. After putting his sneakers back on, he stepped out of the men's locker room and made his way toward the exercise equipment.

It's still early, so there aren't that many people.

It was nearly ten o'clock. The spacious gym felt comfortably open and uncrowded. Not many people were using the machines.

As he looked around, the staff member who had greeted him at the counter approached.

"Have you ever been to a gym before?"

"Sorry? No. Today's my first time."

"Then you probably don't know how to use the machines either."

"Right, yeah."

"What about exercise in general? Have you done any?"

"I've done a little bodyweight stuff, but…"

Seong-min scratched the back of his head, and the staff member nodded as if that told him everything he needed to know.

Is he a trainer?

The man was wearing shorts and a snug-fitting top, and the arm, shoulder, and leg muscles on display were impressive. One look was enough to tell he trained seriously.

"In that case, rather than jumping into split routines, let's start you off building a foundation. Think of it as getting familiar with the machines here by trying each of them once."

"Sure, that works."

"First, I'll show you how to stretch in front of the mirror over there so we can loosen up that stiff body of yours. Then we'll start with about ten minutes of easy walking on the treadmill. Once you're warmed up, I'll walk you through how to use the machines on the floor — form and equipment both."

"Okay…"

"This way."

Seong-min followed the solidly built trainer over to the full-length mirrors. Starting with his neck, he worked through each stretch the trainer demonstrated, loosening his body one movement at a time.

"That's good… nice and slow, no rushing. Hold each one for a count of thirty."

Neck, shoulders, wrists, knees, lower back — he stretched every joint and worked the stiffness out of his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠whole body.

"All right. Now let's head to the treadmills and walk lightly for about ten minutes."

He followed the trainer over to the bank of treadmills. When he stepped onto the one the trainer indicated, the man climbed onto the machine beside him.

"Just because it's a treadmill doesn't mean you have to run. Fat burns through sustained cardio over a long stretch of time, so the important thing is being able to keep it up consistently."

"I get what you mean…"

"I'll set the speed to six. Go ahead and walk."

He pressed the start button, and the belt began to move. The trainer gradually adjusted the speed upward.

"How's the pace?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

Seong-min had expected six to feel fast, but it was about the same walking speed he'd used on the way to the gym. At this pace, it was basically a light stroll.

"Good. When the treadmill hits ten minutes, stop it and hop off. After that, I'll show you the machines one by one."

"Got it. Thank you."

The staff member stepped away, and Seong-min was left alone, continuing to walk forward.

There's a TV mounted on it.

A small television was installed on the front of every treadmill. Looking closer, he noticed a remote tucked into a storage slot on the side of the machine.

So you can actually watch?

He glanced at the other members on treadmills nearby and saw them power-walking while watching the screens in front of them.

Guess it's fine to watch.

Seong-min nodded to himself as if that settled it, then pulled up his Status Window.

Oh!

He let out a silent exclamation of delight. His experience had already climbed five percent from where it had been when he left the house. He was only just getting started, and the fact that his EXP had jumped five percent simply ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from the walk over put him in a great mood. It almost felt like free progress.

Walking from home to here counts as walking exercise, in a way.

As he basked in the satisfaction, something else occurred to him.

The speed I'm walking on this treadmill is about the same as the pace I used getting here from home. And it took me roughly ten minutes to reach the gym.

He'd committed to ten minutes on the treadmill — roughly the same amount of time as the walk over.

Which means ten minutes on the treadmill at speed six nets me five percent EXP.

With that realization, even this stretch on the treadmill felt rewarding.

Still, this feels weird.

It was his first time on a treadmill, and the sensation was awkward and strange. No matter how much he walked, it felt like he was standing in place.

I hope I can level up before I leave today…

Seong-min was currently Level 3. Over the past week, he'd trained within the limits of what wouldn't worry Hye-suk and had managed to climb to Level 3. Naturally, he'd invested his points into his Physicality stat.

Let's give it everything I've got!

Starting today, this was real training. For a full ten minutes, Seong-min walked with energetic strides, ignoring the mounted TV and focusing solely on the walk while the upbeat music played around him. Before he knew it, the ten minutes had flown by.

Following the trainer's instructions, he hit the stop button and stepped off the treadmill.

Walking really does count as exercise.

Ten minutes of walking had burned over thirty calories according to the treadmill display. That meant it had actually worked.

Seong-min walked over to the water cooler, pulled out a paper cup, and took a drink. Across the floor, he spotted the trainer finishing up with another member and heading his way.

"Did the ten minutes go well?"

"Yeah — this actually counts as a workout, huh?"

"Of course. Running isn't the only form of cardio. Walking like this counts as aerobic exercise too."

Watching Seong-min nod, the trainer pointed toward the machines.

"All right. I'll show you how to use each machine one by one, so pay attention and learn."

Under the trainer's guidance, Seong-min learned the proper use and form for every exercise machine installed throughout the gym. As a beginner, he worked with light weights rather than heavy ones, doing sets of ten. With every movement, the trainer also taught him how to breathe.

"This is a Smith machine. It's essentially the same as a regular barbell setup you'd see anywhere. The difference is that the bar is fixed on a guided track, designed so even beginners can train stably with a lower risk of injury."

The barbell being locked into the machine frame did look considerably more stable than loading free plates onto a manual barbell and working with that.

"All right. I'll walk you through how to use this Smith machine — stance, breathing, and which muscle groups it targets."

The trainer demonstrated in detail, explained the working muscle groups, and coached him meticulously through the contraction and release. Seong-min listened with full concentration.

"Okay. Now you lie down and give it a try the way I showed you. We're just using the bare bar with no plates, so you'll be fine."

"Got it. Still a little nervous, though."

"Haha… everyone is."

Seong-min lay back on the bench. With the trainer's help, he set his hands at shoulder width, squared his posture, and gripped the bar. He twisted the bar free of the catches, then — following the breathing pattern he'd been taught — slowly lowered it toward his chest before exhaling steadily as he pressed it back up.

"When you're training, don't let your mind wander. Focus on the muscle that's being stimulated. It's not about the number of reps — even one rep done properly is what matters."

Piece by piece, Seong-min absorbed the trainer's careful instruction and learned how to use each machine.

"Hooah~"

Before he knew it, more than an hour had passed.

"All right. You've gotten a solid introduction to the machines, so when you come in tomorrow I'll show you how to use the free weights over there and cover some bodyweight exercises as well."

"Understood."

"Good work today. If you have time left, finishing on the treadmill is a solid way to wrap up."

"Walking cardio, right?"

"Haha… exactly."

"Got it. I'll do some aerobic work on the treadmill and then head out."

"Better to walk safely than push yourself into a run. Injuries are the one thing you really have to watch out for."

"I'll keep that in mind!"

"All right — enjoy the rest of your workout."

The trainer stepped away, and Seong-min headed back to the treadmills. Having already used one once, he pressed the start button with easy familiarity and set the speed to six.

How much has it gone up?

He was itching to check his Status Window and see his experience. The moment he called for it inwardly, a holographic window materialized before his eyes.

"Nice!"

Seong-min clenched his fist. His experience sat at eight — which meant he had leveled up. His level had risen to 4, and his stat points had gone from zero back to one.

"Hm?"

The trainer, who had been walking toward the counter, turned his head and looked at Seong-min. There he was, walking along with one fist clenched and a goofy grin on his face.

Weird guy.

The trainer smirked at the sight.