Simple Happiness

Once his workout was finished, Seong-min opened the Status Window and allocated his stats.

His level sat at 1416, and his Martial Power had climbed to 415. Physicality was already up to 300, and with Appearance at 190 his height had reached 180.6 cm. Vigor stood at 180 as well.

Considering he had only been at 330 when he faced Kang Jung-gil, another fifteen points would put nearly a hundred between them. He still couldn't say ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for certain how much stronger he had become since then, but there was no question he had grown in proportion to the numbers.

He was just about to leave when the gym stirred.

"An Awakener?"

"There's an Awakener here?"

A murmur ran through the members. Seong-min drifted over to the cluster of people and found a man who looked to be in his mid-twenties, radiating confidence. The man settled onto the bench press as if he owned it, gripped a barbell loaded thick with plates, and set his form.

"Is he really an Awakener?"

"He said he was, didn't he?"

With the members watching—

Saaaah…

Blue haze rose from the man's body like heat shimmer.

"I-it was true!"

"He's a real Awakener!"

To everyone's shock, the man was the genuine article.

"Haaap!"

With a sharp shout he pressed the bar straight up.

"Whoa…"

"That's insane!"

"How much is that?"

"Two-fifty a side—five hundred kilos total, they said."

"Five hundred?!"

It wasn't a five-hundred total across the big three. He was bench-pressing five hundred kilos alone, and the whole gym reeled. The raw strength on display was monstrous.

But that wasn't even the real point.

"Hooo…! Hooo…!"

The man lowered the five-hundred-kilo bar to his chest and drove it back up again and again, barely seeming to strain. Not one or two reps—ten full repetitions—before he racked the bar on its rests. Then he sat up. He held out a hand, and someone waiting nearby passed him a water bottle. He twisted the cap off and drank deep.

Rising from the bench, he surveyed the stunned members staring at him.

"Judging by your faces, you're all shocked I just benched five hundred instead of hitting a five-hundred total on the big three."

No one managed an answer. A five-hundred total was already impressive. This Awakener had just put five hundred on the bench alone—which meant a thousand-kilo total across the big three wouldn't have been out of reach.

"Protective measures got lifted and the gym's suddenly packed, so I'm guessing a lot of you saw that Kang Jung-gil guy and started getting hopeful…"

He looked over the watching members and curled the corner of his mouth.

"You'd be better off not thinking that way. He's a special case. Before people like us Awakeners showed up, not a single person like him ever appeared. It's not going to happen again."

"H-how would you know that?"

"Y-yeah."

"So you think another one like him could show up? You really believe that's possible?"

"Well…"

The middle-aged man who'd spoken up had nothing left to say. He knew as well as anyone how close to impossible it was.

"Anyway, with freaks like that popping up, things have gotten a little weird from an Awakener's point of view… but I'm just being nice and telling you not to cling to empty hope. People like us aren't the same as ordinary humans."

With a sneer, the man walked straight out of the gym.

"What the hell was that guy's problem?"

"Just because he's an Awakener he thinks he owns the place?"

"So damn arrogant~!"

The moment he was gone, the members' complaints boiled over. Seong-min watched quietly from behind and thought their irritation was more than fair. He glanced toward the trainer, whose face had gone tight with discomfort.

He's going to have a headache over this.

Of course he would, with someone like that showing up at the gym. Seong-min headed for the locker room. There was no reason for him to get involved.

He stripped out of his workout clothes, gathered his bath kit, and stepped into the shower for a clean rinse under cold water. Once he was thoroughly washed, he toweled off, dried his hair with the blow-dryer, changed into the street clothes he'd brought, slung his bag over his shoulder, and left the gym.

Will he show up again tomorrow?

He'd find out when he got there.

Outside, Seong-min stopped by a supermarket and bought pork belly, drinks, and beer.

A-reum noona and Min-hyeok should be heading out around now.

He finished paying, loaded everything into the car, and drove straight to the one-room apartment where Yoo Ji-ah lived.

"Welcome…"

Ji-ah greeted him with a bright smile the moment he arrived.

"The other two aren't here yet, right?"

"Mm-hm."

Her eyes fell on the bags hanging ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from both of Seong-min's hands.

"What did you buy so much of?"

"Pork belly and a few other things."

"You got beer too?"

"Yeah. We can just call a designated driver."

"Then I'd better get ready~"

She pulled the drinks, beer, pork belly, lettuce, and perilla leaves out of the bags one by one.

"Mind if I use the bathroom?"

"Go ahead."

Seong-min went in, lifted the toilet lid, and took care of business with a sigh of relief. He washed his hands at the sink and came back out to find her at the counter, rinsing lettuce and perilla leaves as she prepped.

"You picked good lettuce. The perilla leaves look fresh too."

"I chose the best ones."

"I can tell~"

"Want a hand?"

"No, go watch TV."

Seong-min clicked on the remote, flipped through the channels, and settled on a variety show.

I'm glad she's doing so much better.

Ji-ah seemed to be weathering the pain better than he'd expected. She was working at a convenience store now—morning shift, off at seven in the evening, weekdays only, so she had weekends free. Looking at the time, she couldn't have been home from work for long.

"Did business pick up after the protective measures were lifted?"

"Yeah, a lot more people came in than yesterday. How was work for you?"

"Same here. It was nice seeing the team again after so long."

Once the lettuce was washed and arranged on a plate, Ji-ah filled the electric kettle and switched it on.

"Want coffee?"

"Sure."

The doorbell rang.

"Oh—that must be them. I'll get it."

Seong-min walked to the entrance and opened the door.

"Hyung~! I knew you'd get here first!"

"Come in. You too, A-reum noona."

A-reum stepped inside after Seong-min.

"Eonni and Min-hyeok are here, so I'd better make two more cups."

"You were making coffee?"

"Yeah. A-reum eonni and you want cocoa, right?"

"Heh heh… of course."

Ji-ah took the jar of cocoa powder down from the shelf over the sink, twisted off the lid, and scooped a generous amount into a mug.

"Hyung, you were watching a variety show?"

"Just had it on. Noona, today was your first day back at work in a while, right?"

"…Yes…"

"How was it?"

"…It was good… I like… working…"

"The protective measures are lifted, but still be careful. If anything happens, call me right away."

"…Okay…"

A-reum answered with a shy little smile.

"Noona always gets so bashful in front of hyung… heh heh heh…!"

"That's because eonni likes Seong-min that much… right, eonni?"

A-reum's cheeks flushed even deeper. Watching her like that drew a smile from Ji-ah as well.

"Oh~ Ji-ah noona, your cocoa skills have improved."

"I've always been good at it."

"Come on… no way. It was pretty bland at ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠first~~"

"Was not. Eonni, I've always made good cocoa, right?"

A-reum nodded.

"See~! A-reum eonni says I make it well~"

"That's just our noona being nice to you… I've got a sensitive palate—I can tell the difference and the flavor right away…"

"Look at that, a cocoa sommelier has arrived."

"Maybe I should go for it, then? What do you think, hyung?"

"Don't even start… just stick to what you're good at."

"Figured you'd say that. Heh heh…!"

In the warm, easy atmosphere they sipped their drinks and traded light conversation.

"It's been a while since A-reum eonni started delivering lunchboxes again—the grandmothers and the elderly folks must be happy, right?"

"…Yes… they were happy…"

"You could really tell. I would've been the same if I were one of them."

Ji-ah had joined Seong-min and Min-hyeok once for a neighborhood outreach event at A-reum's workplace. Seong-min and Min-hyeok had helped deliver lunchboxes, and Ji-ah had worked alongside A-reum packing them.

"…I want to… keep working… from now on…"

"Don't worry, noona. The protective measures are lifted, so you'll be able to work. I went in with hyung today too."

"…Yeah… Min-hyeok… went to work… and did well…"

"Exactly~ so don't worry. The National Safety Group already took down all those vicious Awakeners everyone was scared of~"

"…Yeah…"

A-reum had seen it herself—the bad Awakeners being hauled away.

"And you've got me, and you've got Seong-min hyung too~~! There's nothing to worry about at all!"

"I don't know about you, Min-hyeok… but Seong-min is really dependable."

"Ji-ah noona, that's so mean~~!"

"I'm not the only one who thinks so. A-reum eonni agrees with me, right?"

A-reum nodded.

"Hah! Am I really that unreliable, noona?!"

Watching Min-hyeok put on a look of pure shock, Seong-min let out a quiet snort of laughter.

After finishing their drinks, they set the table in earnest and got ready to grill the pork belly.

Sizzle…

The raw pork belly cooking on the electric grill looked so good it made their mouths water.

"Ah, that looks delicious. Right, noona?"

"…Yeah…"

A-reum couldn't tear her eyes away from the pork belly, kimchi, and garlic browning beautifully on the grill.

"You two just wait a little. It'll be ready soon~"

When it was cooked just right, Ji-ah cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Once everything was done, she prepared a leaf of lettuce and wrapped the first ssam.

"Oh~ is that for me?!"

Min-hyeok's eyes lit up with expectation—but Ji-ah turned toward A-reum instead.

"This one's for eonni."

"Tch…"

"Open wide, eonni. I'll put it in for you."

A-reum parted her lips, and Ji-ah carefully fed her the wrap.

Munch, munch…

She chewed in small, delicate bites, and the pure happiness on her face made Ji-ah's eyes curve into a smile of her own.

Watching them, Seong-min reached for a leaf of lettuce to wrap one of his own.

"Hyung, you gonna wrap one for me?"

"……"

"Or not, whatever…"

"Heh heh…"

Looking between Seong-min's face and Min-hyeok, Yoo Ji-ah let out a soft little laugh.