Pretending Not to Be Her Boyfriend (Branch Point 03)

The gym was thick with sweltering heat that choked the air. Guys swapping heavy plates onto bars. Others pounding the machines like they were venting pent-up frustration. Amid all these vigorous men, Da-bin stood out the most. She wore a crop top that hugged her curves and dolphin pants that showed off her legs. Her pale skin made her pop against the tanned, dark-skinned crowd.

Today, as promised, I was working out here without acknowledging her—like we were strangers.

After a quick run to break a sweat, Da-bin started getting weight training pointers from Choi Hyun-woo. He glanced my way, stifling a grin. She'd already clued him in on our setup, so he was playing along, ignoring me too.

After ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠holding back a smirk at me, he refocused on her. The exercise she was learning was bodyweight squats. Da-bin lowered herself like sitting on an invisible chair, pushing her hips back slow. Her thighs, parallel to the floor, brimmed with taut elasticity.

Her form looked solid—proof of her daily grind. Was she secretly a natural athlete? Compared to when she started, her thighs had definitely firmed up, more pronounced and bouncy now.

I half-assed my workout, stealing glances at her nonstop. Unlike me, she never looked my way. Was she just locked in on the exercise... or deliberately ignoring me to tease? With Da-bin, it could be both.

Women were natural-born actors anyway, better than men. Maybe this version of her was more instinctively feminine than in any previous loop I'd seen.

Even from afar, she radiated a scent that drove me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wild. Sweating it out only amplified it. Feet shoulder-width, back straight—she trembled from the strain.

"Imtta! A bit more!"

That bastard Choi Hyun-woo egged her on, slapping his hands on her waist. He gripped it with both, adjusting her posture. Training guidance mixed with skinship—impossible to pin down exactly.

Any guy would eat that up. But the one groping Da-bin's body was Hyun-woo. That fact twisted a deeper thrill of taboo into me.

Hyun-woo wasn't some loser, either. He outshone average guys in looks, job, everything. But his cocky personality, the way he'd toed the line teasing Da-bin's looks—it scratched my netorase itch hard.

I watched him guide her with wandering hands, felt the stares from other guys sneaking peeks at her, and savored the weird rush.

Hyun-woo oppa's hands kept brushing my waist. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I tried ignoring it, but my body shivered every time. I'd never reacted this strongly before...

Today, my lower belly kept itching unbearably. Was it because Do-yoon oppa was watching? If I looked his way, I'd lose control of my face—and my body would get even more sensitive. I couldn't risk it.

This was all Do-yoon oppa's fault for pushing netorase so hard...

Since starting at the gym, I'd given him handjobs every night, trash-talking other guys. He got extra fired up about Hyun-woo oppa. Oppa seemed like a total perv reacting like that... but his flustered, horny mess was kinda cute...

By now, he probably wanted me to cross a real line. But... imagining going further was impossible.

Was it okay to just keep getting trained by Hyun-woo oppa like this? I wished Do-yoon oppa would make it clear...

Then I could follow his lead. Especially since my body was getting so sensitive... Someone just burst it already. Even if it was Hyun-woo oppa?

Finished with her workout, Da-bin headed to the showers. I'd been feeding my netorase kink peeking at her, so I followed.

Stripping down, my dick sprang out rock-hard. Watching other guys' stares and Hyun-woo's touches on her had done that. I hadn't even jerked it, but pre-cum pressure was building. Still far from beating premature ejaculation, huh...

As I entered the shower, a grating voice hit me.

"Hey! Lee Do-yoon!"

Choi Hyun-woo. Mortifying.

"Yeah. Hyun-woo?"

"Yep! Heh! You're a real riot, man."

"..."

"I get it. You've been shacked up with Da-bin a while—gotta spice things up."

He pierced right through me. I'd always sensed it, but he was sharper than he let on.

"Cut the bullshit and shower."

"Dude, you barely work out and you've got that body."

"'Cause I'm strong."

"Jealous."

Hyun-woo plopped right next to me, turning on the showerhead. Gym was empty otherwise—plenty of space—but he stuck close. Annoying as hell.

I scanned him head to toe. And... his dick was erect. Bigger than mine for sure. Not quite Han Jae-min or Park Jun-seo level, but damn close to elite.

He caught me checking him out and met my eyes. His gaze dropped to my crotch, confirming my hard-on.

Surprisingly, no reaction. His face even looked serious.

Awkward silence, just water pattering on tile. He broke it first.

"Hey, Do-yoon. You ever do the invite guy thing?"

His serious look vanished, back to cocky grin as he tossed the curveball.

Did he clock my netorase vibe from my boner? Or just shooting the shit? His usual smug face now read unreadable.

I hesitated, unsure how to play it. Then a memory hit—etched like DNA.

Branch Point 05. The drinking party where Park Jun-seo introduced his new girlfriend Ye-na. In the bar bathroom, Hyun-woo had said something similar.

"Call me as invite guy sometime if you're bored, Do-yoon."

I'd written it off as drunk half-joking. But him saying it again now? This guy had layers.

He'd always flung sexual jabs at Da-bin... Were those real lecherous thoughts?

Revulsion hit first. But cold logic: I needed netorase points fast this loop to regress elsewhere. So my move now... positive.

But outright yes? Ego bruise. Not with Jun-seo—Hyun-woo. Back in college, I'd crushed his antics with strength or words. In our bro hierarchy, I topped.

Ego made me dodge the invite bait.

"Don't get cocky..."

"Sorry if I crossed a line, Do-yoon. Just jealous—you're lucky. Da-bin's smoking hot!"

"..."

"If my training her bugs you, tell me. Won't piss you off on purpose."

"Fine."

"Oh yeah, you see that Da-bin pic on SNS? Killer hot. Blew up."

"Saw it."

"Dude. Lol. Oh Han-gu, that otaku fucker—somehow found it and hit me up."

"Han-gu? Still the same creep? Algorithm probably."

"Yeah. Lives for girl pics. Guess what he said?"

"What?"

"Heh. If she needs outfits, hit him up. Cosplay business owner through and through."

"Otaku bastard."

"But Han-gu's a good dude. Decent-looking too—should just smash and move on instead of lurking her pics."

"Hook him up with some girls then."

"Was gonna. But that picky fucker."

"True."

I wrapped up showering with Hyun-woo's dumb chit-chat. His dick stayed stiff till we hit the lockers.

Da-bin's first late shift at the gym front desk since starting. Alone till closing past midnight.

The owner, Kang Ji-ho, asked Hyun-woo to stick around as long as possible—a half-assed courtesy for her first night shift.

Da-bin killed time at the desk, replaying last night's sex with Do-yoon.

Oppa couldn't hold back my handjob yesterday and ended up pinning me... Pretending not to know and peeking must've been that hot...

Was it extra 'cause of Hyun-woo oppa...? Thinking about it now, body's getting sensitive again...

Oppa didn't say much about netorase yesterday... But I couldn't hold back and masturbated after he passed out...

Hiiing... Thinking of oppa makes me wet again... Wanna clock out...

Last customer left. Only Hyun-woo remained in the gym. She knew he'd stayed for her.

Da-bin went inside and called to him mid-workout.

"Hyun-woo oppa. Tired?"

"Nah, love grinding. Feels even better since you came!!"

"Only an hour left—I'll close up. Thanks for watching out."

"Hey, Imtta! Since I'm helping, let me stay till end!"

"You got work tomorrow—you'll be beat."

"Whoa, Imtta worrying about me? Gonna live forever now?"

"Back then, you'd be fired already."

"Heh. True. Still bruised where you punched last time."

"Still?"

"Yeah, check it!"

"..."

"Hey, Imtta. Got a question."

"What?"

"Do-yoon into netorase?"