Chapter 84: I See You as a Man-3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 84: I See You as a Man-3
Garam was unwrapping the packaging on the desk, the chicken having apparently arrived while I was out buying beer.
The mouthwatering scent teased my nose. After such a grueling workout schedule, the smell of greasy food was irresistible.
"You're just in time," Garam said, returning after draining the liquid from the pickled radish.
I sat down at the perfectly set table and handed her a beer can.
"Thanks for the food."
She thanked me again and picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks.
When she first suggested fried food, I briefly wondered if she was really the Garam I knew, but seeing the part she picked up now, it was definitely her.
Nom, nom, nom.
She made adorable little munching sounds as she ate the fried chicken breast. There were so many other delicious parts, yet I couldn't understand why she went for that first.
"Aren't you going to eat the wings or the legs?"
Surely she wasn't doing that because of her diet, was she?
At my question, Garam—who was busy crunching on the fried skin—moved the chicken away from her mouth and spoke.
"Oh, I'll have one wing. You eat all the legs, President In-ho. You're the one who paid, after all."
Garam was definitely an angel.
"No taking it back, okay?"
"I have no intention of taking it back."
Having confirmed it, I picked up a seasoned chicken leg. As I took a large bite of the glistening, saucy leg, the juices burst and danced in my mouth.
Ah. This was the taste.
"Garam, by the way."
"Yes?"
I couldn't speak immediately because I was preoccupied with the chicken leg, but I brought up something that felt off.
"Why are you calling me 'President'? Weren't we supposed to stick with 'Member'?"
"Oh, we're not working out right now. I only call you 'Member' when we're training."
I see. It seemed she had her own set of rules.
"Shall we have a beer?"
Lifting her beer can, she struck a refreshing pose like a celebrity in a soju commercial. It made me wonder if she was the same person who had been crying so sorrowfully just a moment ago... Well, being bright was better. There was no need to bring it up.
Pshhh—
The sound of carbonation escaping was followed by the click of the tab opening.
"Cheers?"
She asked cutely, pressing the can against her cheek. Her freshness was so endearing that I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Sure, cheers."
Clink.
In the quiet center, the cans collided. She sipped her beer, while I tilted my head back and gulped mine down to quench my thirst.
Gulp, gulp.
The stinging carbonation of the beer stimulated my throat.
"Whoa..."
She watched me with an exclamation of awe, as if she had never seen someone down a beer like that before. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I set the can down and looked away.
For a while, we focused on eating. Perhaps my stomach had shrunk from dieting, because I felt full after eating only about half.
"I have some debt."
Garam, who had been hesitating as she popped a radish into her mouth, finally spoke.
Ah, I guess she was finally ready to talk about her personal life. Not that I had ever asked her to.
*
To summarize, it was debt passed down from her parents.
This fitness center—apparently formerly called Garam Gym—was a legacy her father had left her. The problem was that the debt came with the legacy.
With her father's sudden passing, she was thrust headfirst into the harsh realities of the world. She was an adult by age, but could someone who had never experienced proper social life really be called an adult? It was more accurate to see her as a child in a grown-up's body.
You know how it is. When you first live alone, there are far more things to take care of than you'd expect, and so many areas you're completely ignorant of. Consequently, there were debts accumulated from failing to take the right actions at the right time, and the center's management had gradually declined.
"What should I do?" Garam asked calmly, draining the last of her beer.
"Hmm..."
Even in my original age, I wasn't that old, but I was at least older than her. Plus, with my personality, I had seen more of the ugly side of life than most. In a way, I felt I could give her some decent advice.
It was a bit of a shame there was no more beer. We had a lot more to talk about.
I struggled to cross my thick legs and spoke. "First of all, a perfect opportunity has come your way, Garam."
"What?"
"The maintenance costs for the center have dropped significantly, haven't they? Since you won't be paying rent for the time being."
"Oh, I'm truly grateful for that..."
As she tried to bow politely, I waved my hand.
"No, no, I'm not saying this to get a thank you. Let's just analyze your current situation."
I cleared my throat and got to the point.
"Ahem. You have debt, right? Bank debt?"
"Yes."
"Nothing from secondary or tertiary lenders?"
"No. It's all with one place."
"That's a relief, then. It would have been a headache if you'd borrowed from loan sharks."
"The money has to go out every month, but you don't want to give up the center, do you?"
"No, I want to keep the center no matter what."
She looked at me pleadingly, perhaps fearing I would tell her to close the place down.
"For starters, you absolutely can't abandon the center. This is the only place where money can come from. How could you give it up?"
"Ah... I suppose so."
Her face brightened slightly.
"Interest is one thing, but ultimately, you have to finish paying off the principal to escape this cycle. So, what needs to happen?"
"Uh... the center needs to succeed?"
"Exactly. But that'll be difficult, won't it? In its current state?"
"Yes..."
"In the long term, the center succeeding is the right goal. But it can't bring in money right away. That's why we need a side income. Reviving the center comes a bit later."
"I guess so. Should I find a part-time job in my spare time?"
"No, you can't break this cycle with that kind of money. Besides, if you're working a part-time job, you won't be able to run the center anyway."
At my critique, her shoulders slumped.
"Ugh... it's hard. I guess if it were easy, I would've paid it off long ago."
"That's why the choice you have now is to find a side income you can do right here at the center."
"Is there such a thing?"
At her question, I paused and looked at her intently.
Her hair color was almost completely faded, and she was wearing baggy sweats. She currently possessed zero feminine charm. To be blunt, the female streamers on OceaniaTV were much prettier and more attractive.
However, I saw potential.
"Garam, you can close the center on Sundays, right?"
"Yes. I mean... there aren't many people anyway..."
"Let's go somewhere."
"Where?"
Hmm...
"First, to a hair salon."
I figured I should get my hair cut while I was at it.