Episode 10 - Spam Mail
#Chapter 10 - Spam Mail
The one-on-one workout with Trainer Seo Ri-na ended well.
There had been a minor incident, but it was a workout where each of us got something out of it in our own way.
After the outfit incident, both of us quietly focused only on the workout, as if trying not to make it awkward.
After finishing the last set and even putting away the equipment, I checked my phone.
Below the message I had sent before the workout, Yu-ra's reply had arrived.
[NanoChat]
Han Yu-ra: (Emoticon of an angry tiger grabbing an animal friend by the collar)
Han Yu-ra: Why are you going to a rented gym when there's a perfectly good gym!
Han Yu-ra: Isn't it just the two of you there?
"..."
I felt a strange pressure from that last sentence.
'This.'
'I'd better answer carefully.'
I raised my fingers, hesitated for a moment, then sent a reply.
Me: There are other members there, but if I test my ability, I might stand out like yesterday
Me: And since I thought I'd be using various equipment for a long time, the trainer booked a place she can borrow through employee benefits
Me: Oh! And I figured out how to adjust the connection strength!
Me: You're doing well at the workshop too, right?
Even after one minute, then three minutes, the read receipt didn't appear.
Like earlier, she seemed busy because of the workshop. Since she'd be constantly around company people, she probably felt self-conscious about just staring at her phone.
I put my phone back in my pocket.
===
Since I hadn't done separate cardio, I just washed up briefly and left the rented gym.
The time was a little past 9 p.m.
The sun had completely set, but the downtown area on a Friday night had more people than during the day, and each shop had its bright sign lit, wafting delicious food smells and tempting passersby in its own way.
"Good work today, Trainer."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you."
"I'm glad I could be of some help at the end."
"Uh..."
Ri-na stopped speaking for a moment.
Her ears turned just slightly red, as if the joy of updating her max weight earlier and the outfit incident right after had come back to her at the same time.
'Looks like the aftereffects are bigger than I thought.'
I decided not to poke at it further.
"I haven't had dinner yet, so I'm going to grab something simple. I'll be going then. See you next time."
I took out my phone and turned away while searching for nearby restaurants.
Then.
"Wait a moment."
When I stopped walking, Ri-na caught her breath for a second and spoke.
"Dinner is on me. I received your help today, and I'd like to work out together again next time."
"It wasn't enough to warrant that."
"To me, it wasn't that small."
She was firm.
"...Are you booking the next session with food?"
She thought for a moment.
"Yes."
"Oh-ho, then I should eat something expensive today, shouldn't I?"
"Uh."
This time she was genuinely a little flustered.
"Yes... please eat whatever you want."
"Heh heh. I'm joking."
A place I frequented nearby caught my eye.
"How about pork belly?"
"...I also knew it was a joke and pretended to be flustered."
"Is that so...?"
'She's kind of like an easy-to-read little sister.'
I pointed to a pork belly restaurant I had been to a few times.
"Shall we go there?"
"Sounds good."
===
-Sizzle.
The pork belly was cooking on the grill.
"So trainers eat pork belly too?"
"It's protein."
"...That's a very convenient interpretation."
Trainer Seo Ri-na flipped the meat without any fuss.
"Do you drink?"
Since I'm not much of a drinker, I usually asked first at drinking gatherings.
"...I already ordered a bottle."
"...When?"
Apparently she had slipped in the order when the pork belly arrived and the staff member was leaving.
A little later, the beer arrived too.
-Clink.
"Good work today."
"You worked hard today, too."
As we ate the meat, the conversation naturally continued about today's workout.
"Could you work out with me again next time?"
"I'd be glad to. I have some things I want to tes— ...try out too. Contact me."
Ri-na stared at me.
"...Were you about to say 'test' just now?"
"Force of habit."
A brief silence passed.
"...But we don't have each other's contact info."
"...Right."
'This person... she set up the next workout appointment first and only now realized we don't have contact info.'
We exchanged numbers, and a new contact was added to my phone.
[Trainer Seo Ri-na]
Seeing that, Trainer Seo Ri-na spoke.
"You can drop the 'Trainer.' You can just call me Ri-na."
"All of a sudden? How old are you?"
"Twenty-seven."
"You're four years younger than me."
"Then I'll call you oppa."
"...Just like that?"
"Because you're four years older."
"...Your criteria are very clear."
I laughed and was about to give her my number.
"I'll call you once so you can save my number too."
"Oh, wait."
-Buzz.
Before Ri-na could stop me, the phone screen lit up.
[Member Jung Se-ryu]
"..."
Ri-na's movements stopped completely.
"...Just in case you were running late."
"..."
"I looked at the member registration information and saved it in advance."
"Is that so...? You're thorough. So that's how you knew my age too."
"That's right."
She took a sip of beer with an unbothered face.
I deleted "Trainer" from the name saved in my contacts.
[Seo Ri-na]
"You're quick, Ri-na."
-Twitch.
Her chopsticks paused very slightly.
"...Why?"
"Nothing."
She had told me to call her that, yet her ears were slightly red again.
Once the form of address changed, the conversation became a little more comfortable.
"By the way, Ri-na, you're mixed, right?"
"Yes. My mother is Russian. I grew up mostly in Korea."
"I thought so. Your eyes and hair color definitely have that feel, but your Korean is completely natural."
"...Do I speak like a foreigner?"
"No. Though you do sound a bit like a soldier, more than a foreigner."
"..."
When she didn't answer right away, I wondered for a second if it had been a sensitive question—
"I was a soldier."
"...Really?"
"Yes."
Ri-na flipped the meat without any fuss.
"I served as a non-commissioned officer in a special forces unit."
"..."
The puzzle pieces clicked into place in my head.
Your back.
Straighten it.
Do it again.
"...So that's why."
"Why do you ask?"
"Nothing."
'So that feeling of being trained wasn't my imagination.'
===
We shared a bottle of beer with the pork belly and left the restaurant.
But then.
"You're a lightweight, aren't you?"
"...No."
Her face was quite red.
'Guess the drinking capacity of the Russian bear types wasn't passed down.'
"Where do you live?"
"It's close."
"I'll walk you home."
"It's fine."
Even as she said that, Ri-na's steps were a little slower than usual.
After a few steps, she eventually grabbed my arm.
"...The ground is uneven."
I looked down and it was perfectly flat.
"...So it is."
For the honor of a former special forces NCO, I decided to pretend not to notice.
===
Her home really was close.
While we walked, Ri-na kept holding my arm. At first she seemed to be steadying herself, but at some point her shoulder was lightly touching me. Her silver-white hair tickled near my neck.
"...Oppa."
It was the first time I'd heard her call me that, so my reaction was a little delayed.
"Yes?"
"Please definitely work out with me again next time."
"I already said I would earlier. Let's work out together next time too."
Only then did Ri-na nod, seemingly satisfied.
'Even drunk, all she thinks about is working out.'
Before long, we arrived in front of her officetel.
"This is far enough, right?"
"Yes."
Ri-na turned and started walking toward the stairs.
"Oh."
She stumbled backward, as if she had misstepped.
"Careful!"
I hurriedly caught her back and arm.
-Thud.
I barely managed to stop her from falling.
'I've never seen anyone who's more of a lightweight than me.'
"...Thank you for catching me."
"Heh heh."
I felt a mischievous impulse for no reason.
"Maybe because you have so much muscle, the weight is heavier than I—"
-Smack!
"...!?"
A proper impact landed on my back.
Former special forces and current trainer.
The smash combining both careers hurt far more than I expected.
'...I'd better be careful. That really hurts.'
"I'm sorry."
I straightened up immediately.
"Actually, you were light as a feather."
"..."
Ri-na stared at me with her eyes slightly wider than usual.
"Really."
"...Forget it."
Ri-na walked to the building entrance, and while entering the passcode, she glanced back for a moment.
"...Thank you for today."
"I enjoyed the meal too."
"Not that."
She paused for a moment.
"...The workout."
The corners of her mouth lifted just slightly.
Then, after hesitating for a long while, Ri-na added in a small voice.
"...Se-ryu oppa."
"..."
After saying it, she seemed even more embarrassed herself, and her ears turned bright red.
"Get home safely."
"You get home safely too, Ri-na."
Before my answer was even finished, Ri-na went inside almost as if fleeing.
===
It was nearly 11 o'clock.
Even by the time I arrived at my studio apartment, there was still no contact from Yu-ra.
'She must have a full schedule on the first day of the workshop.'
Given that the read receipt hadn't appeared since earlier, she seemed to be in the middle of either a drinking gathering or some group activity.
[NanoChat]
Me: Yu-ra. I had dinner and got home.
Me: (Emoticon of a sparrow lying in bed)
Me: Looks like you're having fun at the workshop lol
'She'll contact me later.'
I set down my bag and, before washing up, turned on my laptop out of habit.
-Ding.
Just then, a new email arrived.
"...?"
It wasn't a work email.
It was my personal email, and the sender was an address I'd never seen before.
[Subject: If you've experienced major changes in your body, be sure to check this.]
"..."
'What the.'
The subject alone was suspicious, but I was more curious about the contents.
I opened the email.
---
[Advance Health Warning Sign Check Guide]
If you have recently experienced sudden changes in your physical abilities or senses without any particular cause, please check the items below.
- If your stamina or physical abilities have changed significantly from usual
- If your senses or how your body feels have changed from before
- If there have been changes in your usual daily rhythm, such as sleep, appetite, or body temperature
- If your fatigue or recovery speed has changed from before
- If your body feels excessively light or heavy for no reason
- If you have felt changes in concentration or reaction speed compared to usual
- If your response to pain or discomfort has changed from before
- If there have been moments when your own body suddenly felt unfamiliar
- If hospital tests show no particular abnormalities but you continue to feel something is off
- If you have recently experienced any other physical changes that are hard to explain
One or two items alone do not indicate any specific illness.
However, if changes that began suddenly recently apply to multiple items, we recommend the simple verification procedure below.
[Start Free Health Consultation and Self-Diagnosis]
※ No separate membership registration or payment is required.
※ The information you enter will not be used for any purpose other than consultation.
---
"..."
I stared at the screen and then read it again from the beginning.
Strength, senses, how the body feels, reaction speed.
The wording itself was vague.
At this level, anyone could feel like a few of the items applied to them.
'Is this just the Barnum effect?'
I moved the mouse cursor over the link but didn't click, checking the address displayed at the bottom of the browser first.
It looked like a domain address I'd never seen before, and it wasn't the National Health Insurance Service, a hospital, or an insurance company.
It did have 'https' attached.
'That doesn't mean it's safe.'
These days, phishing sites all use certificates too.
If anything, it was too suspicious.
A personal email that suddenly flew in with a provocative subject, symptoms that fit my situation exactly, and finally an external link at the end.
"..."
'No way.'
In that instant, the security training I'd received ad nauseam at work came to mind.
The mock phishing drills that arrived every quarter used every possible subject, from package delivery to bonuses to incident response.
An email from an unknown source.
Content that stirs anxiety.
And an external link attached at the end.
'This is exactly that.'
Above all, if it really had been sent by a medical institution, there should have been an explanation of why I received such an email.
No name, no sending organization, and at the end a self-diagnosis link.
It was exactly the form of mass-distributed advertising or phishing mail.
It did bother me that this kind of email arrived today of all days.
'Which makes it even more suspicious.'
Opening the email was one thing, but if I clicked that link too, it would be the perfect path to getting my name on a security incident report.
"I'm not falling for it."
I clicked the menu in the top right corner of the email.
[Report as spam]
My finger paused for a moment.
"..."
Still, just in case, I didn't delete the email itself.
'Tomorrow I'll take a look at the header or something.'
There was no reason to click the link right now.
I sent the email to the spam folder and closed the laptop.
"...These days even ad mail comes personalized."
I brushed it off like it was nothing.
But strangely enough.
Even after closing the laptop, the email subject alone lingered in my head for a while.
'If you've experienced major changes in your body.'