Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Getting Paid to Work Out
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Lui-eseu Health Club aimed for luxury.
Its location, facilities, interior design, trainers, and systems were all geared toward being the best.
The gym occupied four floors.
First floor: Swimming pool.
Second floor: Screen golf.
Third floor: Pilates.
Fourth floor: The workout area, equipped with weight machines and treadmills.
With such a high-end concept, it was a favorite among the residents of the nearby newly-built apartments.
The monthly membership fee was 2 million won.
It was a killer price, but the clients were more than happy to pay it.
A higher price point meant they wouldn't have to deal with any riff-raff.
It was a facility beloved by the residents of the three adjacent luxury apartment complexes.
Ding-dong.
"Welcome."
The female trainer at the fourth-floor lobby greeted the opening door with a bright smile, which then froze on her face.
"I'm here to inquire about a new membership. Is a consultation possible?"
Her first thought was, 'How can a person possibly look like that?'
Her next thought was, 'That incredibly handsome man is going to join our gym?'
Imagining what would happen next, the female trainer's breath hitched.
"O-Of course. A consultation is definitely possible. I'll guide you this way."
As she was guiding the handsome man, the female trainer could feel the air in the room change.
Men, women.
The young, the middle-aged.
Members, trainers.
Without exception, everyone had stopped their workouts, their gazes stolen by the scene unfolding before them.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The woman introduced herself as a trainer named Park Seung-ae.
She looked to be in her late twenties, but I didn't bother asking.
Her voice trembled as she went on and on, explaining the gym's facilities and its good points, so I cut her short.
Look, you should start with the most important thing.
"How much is the membership fee?"
"Ah, we're 2 million won a month, but for long-term payments..."
"Excuse me? 2 million won?"
No, damn it.
That's crossing a line.
No wonder it was so flashy, but still, 2 million won is just not right.
I knew it would be pricey since it's in Gangnam with a great location and facilities.
But 2 million won a month is insane.
That's my pay for three hours of work.
"Ah, I'm sorry. This isn't what I had in mind for the price, so I'll be going."
Time to make a clean break.
I should head straight to my second-choice gym.
"Wait a moment! That's just the base price. Of course, we offer special benefits to new members!"
"How much of a benefit could it be? And it's not like I'm going to work out for just a month or two. I'm not that well-off."
It wasn't that I couldn't afford it, but why should I? It's better to save that money and find a new rental apartment even one day sooner.
"Just a moment! The director is on his way, so could you please wait a little? We really offer unprecedented benefits to handsome gentlemen like you!"
Hmm, if they could bring the price down to the level of a regular gym, that would be fortunate.
This place does have the best location and facilities.
A moment later, a well-built man in his mid-to-late thirties appeared.
He had the solid build of a bodybuilder.
The director's jaw dropped the moment he saw me.
He reacted with the typical over-the-top response of someone seeing my face for the first time.
"Welcome. I'm the director, Hwang Seok-jin."
"Ah, yes. Nice to meet you."
"Did our Ms. Kim say something? If she made any mistakes, I'll give her a good scolding, so please speak freely."
Don't laugh so heartily...
How can I speak freely when you say you'll scold her because of me?
"She just said... that a member like me could get significant benefits..."
"For you, sir, we'll make it 100,000 won."
"Oh, that's reasonable enough to sign up."
"I mean we'll give *you* 100,000 won."
"...Excuse me?"
What kind of fresh nonsense is this?
"You'll pay me 100,000 won a month?"
"We will pay you 100,000 won for every hour you work out. However, payment will be made at the end of each month."
"I don't think I understand. Why on earth would you do that?"
"Because having someone like you consistently come and use our facilities has a direct effect on increasing our revenue."
Ah, so that's what it is.
A human totem.
The same thing I'm doing at the cafe.
"You didn't know? Famous gyms regularly, or permanently, hire attractive men and women to work out. If someone like you comes to exercise voluntarily, my goodness, it goes without saying how grateful we are."
"..."
"If it were up to me, I'd offer you more, but I'd need to get approval from our investors for that."
The director rubbed his palms together.
"Our gym basically pays a modeling fee of 100,000 won per hour. I'll talk to the investors later and try to get you a raise."
What kind of lives have good-looking people been living?
Every day is full of new surprises, seriously.
Restaurants give you full-course meals on the house.
People let you cut in line at the bank.
And at the gym, you get paid to work out.
"Um, but I won't be working out alone. I'll be with my girlfriend."
"Ah, well, that changes things a bit..."
"I'm not asking for a modeling fee for my girlfriend, just that her monthly fee could be taken care of..."
"I'm sorry to ask, but is she pretty?"
"In my eyes, she's the most beautiful woman in the world."
"Again, I apologize, but could I possibly see a photo?"
I was confident when it came to photos.
I showed him a selfie Jung Hye-na had sent from work a few days ago.
I also showed him a full-body picture of us in suits, taken last Friday night.
The director looked on in admiration, as if he were about to drool.
"I expected your girlfriend to be beautiful since you're so handsome, and I was right. At this level, we can certainly offer her the same conditions."
"That's a relief. I really liked the facilities here, but 2 million won was too much of a burden."
"In exchange... I'm sorry, but there's just one thing I'd like you to promise me..."
"Of course, I'll keep it a secret from the other members."
Someone would surely feel deprived if they knew another person was getting paid to work out.
Keeping it a secret was a given.
"Ah, that's part of it, but I'd also appreciate it if you could keep the fact that you two are a couple an absolute secret."
"What?"
"If possible, it would be great if you could act like family, like siblings."
"You want us to pretend to be siblings?"
At first, I thought it was absurd, but then I quickly understood the reason.
If they were paying to have totems, it wouldn't be as fun for others to look at them if they knew the totems were already taken.
I thought about it for a moment, decided it wasn't a big deal, and nodded.
"It's just for an hour or two of working out a day. That much is fine. Understood."
"Just as I'd expect from your appearance, you're very cool about it."
It's not like we were going to have sex in a public place where everyone could see.
It's a shame we can't be affectionate, but the main goal is to preserve Jung Hye-na's stamina through consistent exercise.
At the gym, we can just focus on working out.
"So, when would you like to start...?"
"Could I start with a light workout now? To be honest, I've never really worked out before."
"Understood. I'll help you with the registration."
I completed the new member registration.
Writing down my bank account number on a gym application form was a novel experience.
The gym also sold workout clothes.
There was a wide variety of types and designs.
So this is why it's so expensive. It's obvious they're targeting the wealthy.
"Please choose two sets. These are also provided free of charge, of course."
"Ah, thank you."
"Your sister can choose hers when she comes with you later."
He's thorough.
Already getting into character.
I went to the locker room, changed into my workout clothes, and came out.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ When the handsome man came out after changing, a silent gasp rippled through the middle-aged female members.
An inhumanly handsome face.
A lean, slender model's physique with no excess fat.
He was delicate, lacking an explosive, wild masculinity.
But he overflowed with the devilish charm of a vulnerable prince, one that stimulated a desire to protect.
"Is he a celebrity?"
"He must be, right?"
"I've never seen him before. Did someone like that live in our apartment complex?"
"He might not be from our complex."
"My god... when I saw Choi Seong-min at the movie premiere, I was mesmerized by how handsome he was, but this man makes him look plain in comparison."
"Is he really that good-looking?"
"Yes, he's that good-looking."
"Good heavens."
It wasn't just the middle-aged women.
The younger female members also stopped their workouts, watching in a daze as the handsome man received guidance from a trainer.
"He just registered, right?"
"Looks like it. Does that mean he'll be coming regularly now?"
"I wonder if he'll always come at this time?"
"Hey, hey, this won't do. Let's split up for a while instead of sticking together. We need to figure out this guy's schedule first."
"Okay."
The director first demonstrated the pec-deck fly (a chest exercise machine), and then the handsome man sat down.
The female members who had casually moved closer could overhear their conversation.
"How is it? Can you feel the stimulation?"
"I don't think I feel anything."
"Wow, you said you haven't worked out, but your muscles seem quite developed. Let's increase the weight a little."
The handsome man pushed the machine without much effort.
His breathing didn't even become heavy.
The director, watching in admiration, gradually increased the weight.
But the handsome man handled it all too easily.
"Wow, your arms aren't that thick, but it turns out you have completely dense muscles. Are you sure you haven't trained separately?"
"No. I've often been told I have a lot of natural strength."
"Then let's increase the weight a bit more..."
With each increase of the weight stack, the number of female members loitering nearby grew.
They all pretended to be doing other things—lifting dumbbells, getting water, or mixing protein shakes—while hovering around the handsome man.
'Wow, his strength is incredible.'
>'I wonder how incredible he is in bed...?'