How Does Brother Namgung Know About Eleven-Pack Abs…?
“Brother Namgung, what on earth is this place…?”
Inside the establishment called the Fitness Hall, throngs of people gripped iron bars of varying lengths, sweating freely as they threw themselves into their exercises with fierce determination.
“As I told you earlier, the Fitness Hall is a paid training ground for external martial arts. No sect without a certain measure of power could ever equip a facility like this. They exploit that fact by selling monthly memberships.”
A thoroughly practical way of doing business.
“But when people speak of external arts, don’t they usually mean bodies hardening like iron armor, or growing as heavy as a thousand catties?”
Brother Namgung shook his head as though the question itself were exasperating.
“That level is a dream even most masters never reach. Whether a great sect or a minor one, the foundation of external arts is simply strengthening the muscles and bones.”
“Haa…”
“First we ought to test your strength. Here—try lifting this dumbbell with one hand.”
Brother Namgung held out a black-painted weight he called a dumbbell.
“Twelve catties.”
“Heh… Brother Namgung, something this light I can handle with—ugh…!”
The dumbbell he had offered so casually proved far heavier than expected…!
“Hmm, that won’t do. Ten catties.”
This time the dumbbell was a little smaller.
“Hrr…ngh…!”
Still heavy…!
“…Eight catties.”
“Urgh…!”
Lighter than the first, yet still a struggle.
“…Mmm… five catties.”
This dumbbell was painted pink.
“Ah… this much I can…”
The pink one, at least, he could manage to raise.
“…This weight should be suitable…”
Brother Namgung folded his arms and sank into thought.
…Gaeul had a fairly good idea what he was thinking.
Having such weak arms was rather shameful for a man, yet all he needed to do was train from now on. He felt not the slightest embarrassment. Absolutely none. Truly.
Unlike the relatively smooth internal energy training, external arts practice proved truly grueling.
“Today I’ll have you experience the full set of training methods once each. First, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and fold your arms as though….”
“Ghhk….”
It was hard.
One of the exercises Brother Namgung particularly emphasized—the deep squat—had felt fine at first, but endless repetitions left Gaeul’s thighs burning and his breath ragged.
“Haa, haa, haa……. Hyaat?!”
Collapsed and panting on the yoga mat, he felt a light caress along the sweat-slicked backs of his thighs.
Because Brother Namgung had insisted that external training required special attire, Gaeul had been forced into something between lantern trousers and bloomers. The brush of fingers over bare, fully exposed skin sent a tingling jolt racing up his spine.
“Tsk tsk… You’re terribly out of shape. Even if Autumn’s body is suited to learning the Femboy Divine Art, you’ll suffer quite a bit at this rate.”
He had meant to protest the stroking of bare skin, yet the nickname “Autumn” bothered him more.
“Autumn? What do you mean by—ooh?!”
Brother Namgung’s hands grew bolder, now kneading the inner thighs as well.
Strange. Even if the thighs were somewhat sensitive, the sensation was as electric as if far more intimate places had been touched; shivers raced along his spine.
“Your name contains the character for autumn, does it not? Think of it as a pet name.”
“But… why are you massaging my legs…?”
No matter how he looked at it, thighs should not be this sensitive. Biting back strange sounds as best he could, he questioned Brother Namgung.
“Ah, this is simply a massage using my own internal energy to aid your external training. Naturally, since we just worked the thighs, I am massaging the trained area.”
Brother Namgung’s manner was utterly nonchalant, and since he claimed it helped training, stopping the pleasant torment felt awkward.
Anyway, if it helps the training, I can endure this much…!
“If that’s the case… then♡ please finish quickly…!”
“Right, let’s begin the next exercise. You saw it when we came in—the posture called the plank…”
“…Y-yes…”
He had managed to stifle the torturous massage by clamping both hands over his mouth…
“First, stand up.”
His mind—his upper body, at least—had won the battle, but his lower half had surrendered. Rising now would make the front of those bloomers jut out in a most embarrassing fashion; he needed time for things to settle.
“B-Brother Namgung… the thing is… could we rest just a little longer before continuing…?”
Fortunately he was still face-down and did not have to meet Brother Namgung’s eyes. The man was helping him so earnestly—what on earth was he doing?
“Come, I’ll help you up…”
Ruined.
“No, it’s just, that is…”
Brother Namgung wore a mischievous grin.
“Autumn can’t seem to control his yang energy. Perfectly natural—nothing to worry about.”
“………”
Mortifying. Utterly humiliating. He felt pathetic.
“Now then. Back to external training. This is the most important exercise for building eleven-pack abs…”
“Brother Namgung, I’m truly grateful for the massages, but at least do them back at the lodging…”
“Understood.”
The look in Brother Namgung’s eyes that seemed to say “I understand everything” was unsettling, yet Gaeul decided not to dwell on the matter.
A short while later.
“I have a small errand. I’ll be off. Train as you like until I return.”
After teaching various postures, Brother Namgung suddenly announced business and left. Free to train on his own, Gaeul’s gaze fell on the bench and barbell he had been eyeing earlier.
Bench press, was it…?
When they first entered the Fitness Hall, a heavily muscled man had been crowing about lifting two hundred catties.
“Hmm. Hmm…”
Two hundred catties. Gaeul’s own weight was roughly ninety. He had no idea about others, but that man must have weighed at least a hundred and fifty.
“So he lifted something thirty percent heavier than his own body…”
Competitive spirit stirred unbidden.
I’m about ninety catties myself, so I should at least manage a hundred… right?
He had already watched Brother Namgung demonstrate the bench and barbell while receiving instruction.
“Four twenty-catty plates on each side for eighty, plus two five-catty plates for ninety… Hah… done!”
Grunting as he loaded the long bar, Gaeul lay proudly on the bench and summoned every ounce of strength he had ever possessed to lift the barbell…
“G-ghhhnn…”
It would not rise. Not an inch.
“T-too heavy…?”
Judging so, he reduced the plates until the total was seventy catties on each side.
“This time for sure…! Hrrraah…!”
Vowing revenge on the cursed bar, he heaved it up, lowered it to his chest, and tried to press again…
It won’t go up…!
Far too heavy. Strength fled his arms; the unlifted bar pressed mercilessly against his throat.
Isn’t this dangerous…?
Not “isn’t it”—if this continued, the massive bar would crush his neck and snap it.
“S-save…”
I’m going to die, for real…!
Just as he thought his short, regret-filled life would end with a broken neck under the barbell…
A hand of salvation arrived.
“Oh dear! Young lady! Are you all right?”
The crushing pressure on his throat and the weight on his arms vanished. Someone had lifted the bar clear and set it back on the rack.
“Cough, cough… I’m fine. Thank you.”
Had he not been fine he would already be dead; thanks to this person he lived. Scrambling off the bench, he offered a formal fist-and-palm salute of gratitude to his savior.
“Great hero, you saved my life. How can I ever repay—”
Perhaps from rising too abruptly, his vision filled with black-and-white static and his body swayed.
“………?”
How many seconds passed? He had not fallen, yet found himself cradled in his benefactor’s arms.
“………Hah! Great hero! To support me as well—my deepest thanks!”
“N-no, not at all. I should thank the young lady for the… valuable experience…”
Coming to his senses and stepping free of the embrace, Gaeul saw that his savior’s face was flushed for reasons he could not fathom.
“I am Namgung Chu. I will certainly repay this debt.”
“There’s no need. I am Geungwang.”
An unusual name…
At any rate, Hero Geun waved the offer away, yet debts of gratitude and enmity were meant to be settled clearly in this world. After several rounds of polite refusal and insistence, Gaeul extracted one promise.
“If you insist… I train here at the first hour of the Dog. Come then, if you like.”
“You wish me to help with your training?”
At Gaeul’s wide-eyed question, Hero Geun averted his gaze.
“H-haha… Not exactly… Simply having you nearby makes the training more effective. Something like that.”
“……?”
They parted after setting the appointment. As Gaeul hurried back toward the inn, a sudden realization struck him.
“…Young lady…?”