Episode 9 - Physical Enhancement (3)
#Chapter 9 — Physical Enhancement (3)
—BOOOOM.
When Ri-na's fist struck the concrete behind me, cracks spread across it like a spiderweb.
'This is a training room, but wasn't she putting way too much into that punch?'
"Se-ryu, focus!"
Back when Ri-na first taught me to work out, she'd told me not to even lift anything heavy...
...Apparently this was because I'd made Yu-ra a meat wrap first yesterday.
- Underground training room, one day -
*
Friday morning dawned.
I got off the intercity bus thinking that it would be nice if a week only consisted of Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
[NanoChat]
Han Yu-ra: Se-ryu! I'm waiting for the shuttle bus
Han Yu-ra: (chick standing in line emoji)
Han Yu-ra: Are you almost here? I think the shuttle bus will come soon
Me: I just got off and I'm on my way!
Me: (sparrow running while waving emoji)
'There she is.'
I spotted Yu-ra standing at the shuttle bus stop.
Wearing slim-fit jeans and a gray crew-neck T-shirt with the morning sunlight behind her, she looked like a model.
"Good morning, Yu-ra."
"Hello, Se-ryu."
We greeted each other naturally, like any other coworkers.
Around us, people from the same company were lined up, exchanging light nods or chatting with familiar faces, and Yu-ra and I also boarded the shuttle bus while trading casual talk about the project.
Considering I was the one who had massaged Yu-ra to sleep last night, and she was the one who had fallen asleep during it.
'This is an incredibly wholesome commute.'
===
We arrived at the office like that, and the morning meeting began.
Maybe because it was Friday, everyone seemed eager to wrap up the remaining agenda items quickly, and the work discussion ended sooner than usual.
"That covers the work items, then."
Yu-ra moved to the next slide.
"As you all know, the planner team workshop is scheduled. I won't be at the office this afternoon either."
This workshop was a one-night, two-day schedule from Friday to Saturday, held at Daebudo Pension Valley.
They planned to work as usual until lunch, then split into groups around those who had cars and head out.
"I'll have my laptop with me, so if anyone needs to reach me, contact me anytime."
"Got it."
"Have a good trip."
"Take me with you!!"
...No one answered the request from Seong-hyeon of the FE team.
With the workshop announcement finished, the morning meeting came to an end.
The morning passed without anything special.
I looked at some code, did a few reviews, answered incoming inquiries, and before I knew it, lunchtime was approaching.
Then.
[NanoChat]
Han Yu-ra: Se-ryu~~
Han Yu-ra: (tiger knocking emoji)
Han Yu-ra: Are you going to the gym again today? With the trainer you mentioned yesterday?
Me: Yes, that's right!
Me: I want to work out with her and see whether my strength goes up in other exercises too
Me: And also look for ways to use my ability without it being noticeable lol
Read.
But the reply didn't come right away.
Typing.
Gone.
Typing again.
'What is she writing?'
Han Yu-ra: Hmm
Han Yu-ra: So you two are working out together
Me: Right! I'm planning to try squats and also give a muscle-up a shot
Han Yu-ra: I seee
Han Yu-ra: (displeased tiger emoji)
'Looks like it's bothering her again.'
I'd seen a similar reaction last night too.
I glanced toward Yu-ra's desk for no reason, but she was just looking at her monitor as if nothing was wrong.
Me: Why...?
Han Yu-ra: What?
Me: Never mind
Not poking a hornet's nest for no reason was an excellent survival skill I'd acquired over seven years of office life.
A moment later.
Han Yu-ra: What time? You'll probably have a pretty fun workout while I'm gone
Me: Around 7:30 lol
Me: From what I heard earlier, the workshop sounds more fun!
Han Yu-ra: (glaring tiger emoji)
Han Yu-ra: Is that so? Then I guess I'll go have fun at the workshop too-
'...?'
A little later, the mood shifted slightly.
Han Yu-ra: Still, don't overdo it just because you're testing, and be careful with your ability. Make sure to contact me when you're done!
Me: Yes lol I'll do it safely and contact you right away when I'm done!
Me: (saluting sparrow emoji)
Han Yu-ra: Yeah~~
Han Yu-ra: (tiger nodding with arms crossed emoji)
With that, I finished up the rest of my morning work.
When I came back from lunch, the planners were starting to pack up one by one.
"We'll be off!"
"See you Monday."
"Come back alive."
"What do you think we're going off to do?"
The atmosphere was already halfway to a trip.
Yu-ra also packed a small bag and stood up from her seat, and our eyes happened to meet.
"Have a good trip, Yu-ra."
"Yes. Take care, Se-ryu."
With coworkers around, her tone was no different from usual.
I waved my hand slightly so the others wouldn't see.
Once the planners filed out, the office went quiet in an instant.
Apparently the planner team accounted for a bigger share of the usual office noise than I'd thought.
'Now this is Friday.'
After that, I handled the afternoon work without incident.
===
7 p.m.
After organizing next week's tasks to some degree and jotting down the items to test at the gym, I left work.
It was past seven, but there was still a little daylight outside.
Today's goal was to confirm whether physical enhancement applied the same way to exercises other than the bench press, and this time I also had an expert to watch from the side.
'As long as I don't start by loading 200kg, it should be fine.'
"Excuse me."
Someone called me from behind.
When I turned my head, I saw silver-white hair that was recognizable at a glance.
In a white windbreaker and short leggings, with a black duffel bag slung over one shoulder, she was unmistakably dressed for a workout.
It was Trainer Seo Ri-na.
"Hello, Trainer."
"Hello."
Trainer Seo Ri-na checked the time on her phone once.
"You're a little early."
"I came straight from work."
"Have you eaten?"
"No. Not yet. I'm planning to eat after the workout. I had some bread as a snack, so I'm not that hungry."
"Good."
But Trainer Seo Ri-na didn't seem to have any intention of going into the gym. If anything, it looked like she'd been waiting for me in front of the building.
"But why are you outside?"
"We won't be working out here today. I reserved a separate partner facility that our center's trainers can use for personal workouts, class research, or filming."
"Ah— so it's like a trainer perk? Is it free?"
"Something like that. Staff can use it during unreserved hours, up to two hours at a time."
"Oh. Two hours is plenty."
"I think so too. And since we'll be alternating routines, we'll be occupying equipment for a long time..."
Trainer Seo Ri-na briefly averted her eyes, then looked back at me.
"I decided it would be better for the two of us to do this somewhere with no people."
"..."
"..."
Her eyes wavered for a moment.
She'd apparently replayed her own words in her head.
"...I mean the workout."
"I didn't say anything."
"...I know."
Her ears were faintly red.
'That's not the reaction of someone who knows.'
"Sounds good. I can work out without worrying about other people too. Is it far?"
"About a five-minute walk. The facilities aren't bad."
"...You really prepared everything."
"If I'm going to check something, I should do it properly."
Her tone was calm, but a trainer who until yesterday had only exchanged nods with me had gone so far as to book a separate workout space just to watch me exercise.
'She's way more serious than I thought.'
Trainer Seo Ri-na started walking first.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
As I followed a few steps behind, Trainer Seo Ri-na spoke without looking back.
"Today, I'll decide the weight."
"...Why am I already nervous?"
"Don't be too nervous. ...I won't work you to death."
"...That makes me more nervous."
Trainer Seo Ri-na smiled very faintly.
"In Baki, you have to do at least that much to get stronger."
"...Please keep it to real-life exercise."
"Understood."
The dragon pattern on the back of Trainer Seo Ri-na's white windbreaker as she walked ahead looked oddly like back muscles.
'Should I turn back?'
It didn't seem too late yet.
===
After walking about five minutes, we arrived at the rented gym.
"Oh... This is way better than I expected?"
It wasn't large, but it had almost all the equipment needed for working out.
A Smith machine, free-weight equipment, heavy dumbbells, and weight plates were neatly arranged, and three walls were covered with full-length mirrors.
There were also showers and a locker room inside.
"Oh... This is pretty nice too."
Then I saw a sign and stopped for a moment.
"But the locker room is shared by men and women?"
"Yes. Since one team rents the whole place, it isn't separated. Instead, you can lock it from the inside."
"Ah, then that's fine."
It seemed to be because one team rented the whole space.
Without much thought, I went into the locker room, and before changing clothes, I sent Yu-ra a message.
[NanoChat]
Me: Yu-ra!
Me: Your schedule's probably over now, so you're getting ready for the barbecue party, right?
Me: I just got here to work out.
Me: But the trainer booked a rented gym.
(gym photo)
Me: Looks like I'll be able to work out without worrying about other people watching.
Maybe because she was preparing for the party, Yu-ra didn't reply right away.
When I changed into workout clothes and came out, Trainer Seo Ri-na had already taken off her windbreaker and was stretching in front of the mirror.
"Finished changing?"
Trainer Seo Ri-na said, spotting me through the mirror.
"Let's start with stretching right away."
"Yes."
In a thin white tank top and short leggings, her solidly trained shoulders and arms were fully exposed.
'She really does dress comfortably for personal workouts.'
I took a spot beside her and started slowly loosening up.
I was working through my neck and shoulders, then my lower back and hips in order.
"Straighten your back, please. A little more."
"...Yes."
'Same as three years ago.'
A small laugh escaped me.
"Why are you laughing?"
"You said the exact same thing when I first signed up. You don't remember, do you?"
"I remember you used to round your back a lot during deadlifts."
"...So that was me."
"Yes."
I was being remembered in a not-especially-pleasant way.
After warming up to some degree, we started the workout.
Today, instead of suddenly jumping the weight like yesterday, I decided to keep my usual routine and only change the intensity of my ability little by little.
Chest and triceps, shoulders, back.
Connect.
At first, very weakly.
—Swish.
'Oh.'
The barbell didn't leap up like yesterday, but it was definitely lighter than usual.
This time I made the connection a little stronger.
—Swish.
The felt difference immediately grew.
'I can control the intensity too.'
After changing the intensity a few times, it was clear. The connection wasn't simply on or off; like adjusting a volume dial, I could control even the amount of force.
I suddenly looked down at my arm.
'The line?'
With a weak connection, the white line was barely visible, and when I raised the intensity, it faintly appeared, then blurred again as soon as I lowered it.
"...!"
'This could be useful too.'
If I wanted to hide my ability, not using it at all wasn't the only option.
"Excuse me."
"Yes?"
Trainer Seo Ri-na was watching me from the side.
"Why are you smiling?"
"...Because the workout is going well."
"Don't smile while lifting weights."
"Because you think I'll cause another accident?"
"Yes."
"I naturally have a smiley fac—"
"Let's focus during the workout."
Trainer Seo Ri-na was quick to cut off whatever needed cutting off.
We went through a few more sets like that.
I tried enhancing several different areas, but the result was the same. I could freely control the intensity of my ability, and when I used it weakly, the white line barely showed.
'This is good enough.'
Now it was Trainer Seo Ri-na's turn.
"I'll try it too. It looked like you were using several muscles at once, so I'll try being conscious of that as well."
"...You noticed all that?"
"Yes. Whether the same method works, I'll find out by trying."
Her expression still looked languid, but in her slightly widened eyes, her anticipation was plain to see.
Trainer Seo Ri-na lay down on the bench and gripped the bar.
—Swish.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Her form was clean.
I asked Trainer Seo Ri-na after she racked the bar and stood up.
"How was it?"
"...There's a slightly more stable feeling, but that's about it."
"..."
The anticipation disappeared faster than I expected.
Still, just in case, we tried a few more things, but the results were similar.
A little more stable and easier to focus.
That was exactly it.
—Thunk.
After setting down the last dumbbell, Trainer Seo Ri-na was quiet for a while.
Her face was the same languid one as always.
'Why does she look so down?'
"Were you expecting a lot?"
"...A little."
She paused briefly, then corrected herself.
"I was expecting a lot."
She was honest.
"I feel sorry for no reason..."
"You have nothing to apologize for."
"Still, I made it seem like I had something, didn't I?"
"...You actually do, don't you?"
"..."
That was true.
Looking at her dejected expression, something I'd confirmed earlier suddenly came to mind.
I'd confirmed that with a very weak connection, I could add a little strength while keeping the white line almost invisible,
and I'd already confirmed on the shuttle bus that I could move another person's body.
Forcing movement like that had made my head feel like it would split, but wouldn't it be different if I just slightly matched the timing in the direction she was already exerting force?
'Worth a try.'
"Trainer. Would you like to try once more? I'm not sure, but I'll assist a little from the side."
Trainer Seo Ri-na looked at me.
"A spot?"
"More like I'll watch the timing of when you exert force."
Ri-na's eyes, slightly wider than usual, stared straight at me.
"Is this related to what you did yesterday?"
'She really is quick on the uptake.'
I smiled ambiguously and answered.
"I won't know until I test it either."
"...All right."
Without asking further, Trainer Seo Ri-na headed straight for the bench.
"You've done a lot of flat bench, so how about incline barbell this time?"
Trainer Seo Ri-na thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Good. I still have energy left, so let's switch exercises."
"Should we add just 5kg to each side?"
It was exactly 10kg heavier than the highest weight Trainer Seo Ri-na normally succeeded with.
It wasn't enough to call it an unreasonable challenge, but it was a weight she hadn't yet broken through.
I took my position at the head of the bench.
"If it gets dangerous, I'll grab it right away."
"Please do."
Trainer Seo Ri-na unracked the bar.
—Swish.
The bar came down slowly.
I focused so I wouldn't miss the movement.
Chest and triceps, shoulders, back.
And the point where the bar became heaviest.
'Now.'
Very weakly.
Connect.
Rather than forcibly drawing out strength, I overlapped just a tiny bit in the direction Trainer Seo Ri-na was already exerting force.
The white line was barely noticeable.
'Good.'
Trainer Seo Ri-na started pushing the bar.
—Huff.
The bar, about halfway up, stalled for a moment.
She'd said this was where she normally got stuck.
I raised the connection just a little more, timed to the moment force entered her chest and triceps.
At the same time.
—Swish.
"...!"
The stalled bar moved again and went all the way up.
Only after confirming her arms were fully extended did I take the bar and rack it for her.
—Clank.
A brief silence followed.
Trainer Seo Ri-na blinked a few times while still lying down.
"...It worked?"
She sprang upright.
She sat up much faster than usual.
"I lifted it. I've never once succeeded at this weight... You definitely saw it, right?"
"Yes. I definitely saw it."
Her eyes, which had been blank until just now, were visibly wider.
Trainer Seo Ri-na looked back and forth between the barbell and her own hands, then smiled brightly.
"Can I try again? I want to try once more while the feeling is still there."
"Hold on. You said you wouldn't work me to death."
"...You won't die."
"That standard is a little scary."
It was hard to believe this was the same person who'd been dejected just moments ago.
Trainer Seo Ri-na pointed at her chest and arms in turn.
"Just now, at the exact moment I was about to exert force, something kicked in alongside it. It was only a slight boost, but I definitely lifted more than my previous maximum."
Then she stared straight at me.
"...Incredible."
'She really loves this.'
I had helped her because she seemed dejected, but judging from her reaction, I felt as though I had set something off.
And sure enough.
Trainer Seo Ri-na looked at the barbell again.
"One more."
"..."
"I'll do exactly one more. This time, I'll remember the feeling from before and try it myself."
"I feel like I heard that just a moment ago."
"It's different."
"What is?"
"This time I succeeded."
"..."
Trainer Seo Ri-na suddenly spoke with an even more serious face.
"We have to hurry. There's no time to hesitate!!"
"..."
For a moment, the image of some familiar old man seemed to overlap Trainer Seo Ri-na's face.
'This person.'
She was far more serious about training than I'd thought.
And manga, too.
Then, just as Trainer Seo Ri-na was about to lie back down on the bench, she suddenly stopped moving.
"Excuse me, why do you keep looking elsewhere while I've been working out?"
"...I'm just trying to focus."
'Ah.'
There was something I'd been trying hard not to think about for a while now.
The thin white tank top had been soaking up sweat over several sets and was gradually clinging to her body, and once I'd noticed it, my eyes kept unconsciously fleeing to the mirror or the floor.
Trainer Seo Ri-na stared at me, then followed the direction I'd been avoiding and looked down at her own clothes.
"...Ah."
Her movement stopped.
She went red from her neck to her ears in an instant.
"...I'm sorry. Since it's a personal workout, I wore this without thinking."
"It's not something you need to apologize for, Trainer. You dressed comfortably."
"...I don't dress like this during regular sessions."
"You don't have to explain..."
"..."
If anything, saying that seemed to make it more awkward.
'This conversation.'
'Who is it helping?'
Trainer Seo Ri-na tugged at the hem of her tank top for no reason.
'That... that just draws more attention to it.'
Someone who'd been completely unbothered until just now had become conscious of it, and now she was the one worrying about her posture.
"...Are you uncomfortable?"
"No. I just need to not pay attention to it."
"...It seems like you already are paying attention."
"..."
Busted.
"Trainer. Should we just keep working out?"
"...Yes."
"Please focus on this set."
"...On what?"
Trainer Seo Ri-na's eyes widened slightly more than usual.
She stared at me for a moment, then turned her gaze straight ahead.
"...Please focus on the barbell."
"Yes."
Her ears turned red again.
Holding back a laugh, I fixed my eyes on the barbell this time, for real.