Even an Assa Stays an Assa When He Works Out
The mood gradually loosened up thanks to the prank Kim Hayun pulled on me. In that relaxed atmosphere, the four of us settled on when we’d each meet up separately. We were just trading random small talk when I glanced at the time.
“Whoa, it’s already this late?”
I stood up first. I had things to do after this.
“Sorry, girls. Mind if I head out first?”
I looked at the three girls sitting across from me. We've covered everything we needed to, and I already told them about my evening part-time job. It seemed fine to leave, so that’s what I said.
Mo Yuna and Chae Songha both nodded like it was no big deal, or told me it was okay to go. But the last one—Kim Hayun, the biggest prankster of the three—looked up at me with a bright, beaming smile.
“Aw, that’s so mean. You’re just going to leave the three of us here?”
She was clearly half-teasing, but with my limited experience in these situations, I flinched for a second.
…Cancel what I said earlier about her being polite despite her looks.
I thought to myself that people’s personalities really do match their faces after all, and that physiognomy was a real science. I answered awkwardly.
“Saying stuff like that might cause misunderstandings… Anyway, I’ll get going?”
“Yes. Have a good evening!”
“Take care, sunbae.”
That was Kim Hayun and Mo Yuna in order. Finally, Chae Songha gave a small, polite bow.
I gave all three of them a quick nod goodbye, grabbed my stuff, and left the table.
“Hey, Hayun.”
The moment I was gone, Mo Yuna spoke up. There was a very faint trace of displeasure on her face—so slight that anyone who didn’t know her well would have missed it.
“You really shouldn’t talk to sunbae like that. Even if he doesn’t say anything, it clearly makes him uncomfortable.”
Kim Hayun didn’t miss that look. She was about to respond playfully like always, but then she changed her tone and leaned toward Mo Yuna with a hint of aegyo.
“Aww, why are you being so serious? It was just a joke.”
“Even if it’s a joke, there are things you should say and things you shouldn’t.”
“Ugh! Fine, I got it. I won’t do it again. So don’t be mad, okay?”
“You promise you won’t do it next time?”
“Yeah, yeah. Pinky swear!”
Kim Hayun nodded quickly. Guess I can’t act like that in front of Yuna.
Of course, she wasn’t actually promising herself never to tease me again.
That second-year returnee sunbae had a surprisingly good reaction to being messed with.
As people say, he was fun to tease. Even though his tall, lanky appearance suggested otherwise.
Hehe, I’ll just do it when it’s just the two of us later.
While Kim Hayun was having those slightly mischievous thoughts and linking pinkies with Mo Yuna to seal the promise, Chae Songha, who had been quiet the whole time, stood up.
“Then I’ll get going too.”
“Huh? Going? Where?”
Kim Hayun whipped her head around.
Chae Songha shoved both hands into the pockets of her hooded sweatshirt.
“To work out.”
Her tone was completely deadpan, as if asking why anyone would question something so obvious. At the idea of the three of them finally getting together only for her to go off and exercise, both Kim Hayun and even Mo Yuna looked up at her in surprise.
“Songha! You’ve barely been here and you’re already leaving?!”
“Yeah. I’m already late.”
It was Chae Songha’s routine to head straight to the gym after Friday classes. But today, the unexpected group project discussion had thrown off her schedule, and her body was practically itching to move. She wasn’t exaggerating—it was the truth.
“Tch, fine. Go ahead. Yuna, then how about just the two of us hang out?”
“Hmm… Sorry. I actually have a prior engagement today, so I don’t think I can.”
“What?!”
Kim Hayun looked shocked, like she’d been betrayed by a trusted friend. Chae Songha didn’t even glance at her as she walked out of the café.
“Ugh, I’m wiped…”
I finally let out a long sigh once I was a good distance away from the café.
Wow. Inssa really are on another level.
They operate completely differently from an assa like me. How can they talk nonstop for almost an hour without getting tired?
If it were me, I’d run out of things to say after ten minutes.
But they just kept chatting endlessly among themselves. And on top of that, they kept talking to me or playfully poking at me, which honestly caught me off guard.
…Well, to be fair, the only one who actually messed with me was Kim Hayun, who seemed to have the highest social stats.
Anyway, for someone like me who had never talked with girls for more than five minutes, that meeting had demanded conversation skills way beyond my capabilities. I was completely drained. Unlike usual, I walked toward my next destination with a slight stagger.
That next destination was obviously the convenience store near my place where I worked the evening shift.
—Or rather, it was the gym near campus.
The first reason I ended up at the gym was because my part-time job started in the evening and it was still afternoon.
I had originally planned to go back to my studio apartment to rest before heading to work, but on the way there I saw the gym I usually went to and my body moved on pure instinct. That was the second reason.
Like how a sparrow can’t just fly past a mill, my feet—which had gotten hooked on working out during my military service—moved on their own. Even though my body was already tired.
“Hello.”
I bowed my head politely while my mind wandered. The trainer hyung at the front desk grinned.
“Hey. You’re a bit late today, huh?”
“Ah, yeah. Had a group project for school.”
At the words “group project,” the trainer hyung’s eyes shifted to a look of pity. He had been a college student until recently, so he knew exactly how much of a gamble group projects could be.
“Dude, the best way to forget about headache stuff is to use your body. Hit the bench. Bench press.”
He glanced at the empty bench press station as he spoke.
Hmm.
Bench, huh. Today was supposed to be an upper body day anyway. Alright. Let’s crush upper body with bench today.
I made up my mind, grabbed a set of the gym’s shared workout clothes, and headed into the changing room. After changing quickly, I came out and was doing some light stretching to warm up when—
“It’s seventy thousand won for one month, or a hundred and fifty thousand for three months. If you’re interested in personal training, we have packages for twenty sessions or thirty—”
I saw the trainer hyung who had just greeted me earnestly explaining something to someone.
Ah.
Someone new must have come in. It had nothing to do with me, so I headed toward the treadmills. I’d do ten minutes of cardio first to warm up.
“I’ll go with the three-month membership.”
“Three months? Got it.”
Beep. Beep. Beep—!
“By the way, our trainers here are really good at personal training. If you’re working out alone and feel like you’re not making progress, feel free to ask anytime.”
“No, I’m good.”
The firm answer came just as I started walking slowly on the treadmill.
Whoa.
From the voice, it sounded like a girl, but she was really decisive. Most people would at least pretend to think about it when the trainer spoke that gently.
I wondered who could cut it off so cleanly, and out of curiosity I turned my head while still on the treadmill.
I froze without meaning to.
The new person’s outfit looked really familiar. A black hooded training jacket, gray t-shirt, black dolphin shorts. If her hair were short, she’d be the spitting image of Chae Songha from earlier.
…But her hair was short.
……
Could it actually be Chae Songha? From the back, it really looked identical…
Unfortunately, the front desk and the treadmill running area were directly opposite each other. On top of that, the person had their back to me, so I couldn’t see their face and couldn’t be sure.
So I—
“—Whoa.”
—Crash!
I slipped while turning my head and running. Thankfully the speed wasn’t that high, so I didn’t get hurt. But—
“Hey, you okay?!”
The trainer hyung who heard me fall came running over and shouted. Even though I had deliberately sat down on the floor naturally and was pretending to stretch like nothing happened.
I quickly waved my hand and muttered quietly so no one would notice. I was fine, so please go away.
“Sunwoo! I asked if you’re okay!”
…Please. Just go.
If that really is Chae Songha, I’ll die of embarrassment. Please just leave…!
I poured all my sincerity into my eyes, the most desperate I’d probably ever been, but—
“?”
Unfortunately, because the trainer hyung was making such a fuss, the woman who had both hands in her hoodie pockets turned around.
……
……
Sharp eyes. Healthy, slightly tanned bronze skin. It was definitely the Chae Songha I knew.
“…Huh?”
She must have recognized me too. Her eyes widened a little and her mouth parted slightly. I tried to act like nothing was wrong and raised my right hand in greeting.
“Hey, did you break anything? Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?!”
But the trainer hyung kept fussing. Interrupted mid-greeting, I muttered so quietly that Chae Songha couldn’t hear.
“I’mfinee… jusstgo…”
“What? What’d you say? Should I call 119?!”
…I said I’m fine so please just leave! Please!
I was cursing her out in my head and about to say something else when—
“……Pfft.”
Chae Songha, who had been staring at me sitting on the gym floor, let out a small laugh.
And then.
“…Ahem. …Hem. …Hmm!”
She cleared her throat awkwardly, as if trying to pretend she hadn’t laughed on purpose. Then she walked over, bent her knees slightly, and held out her right hand.
“Um… are you okay?”