Chapter 10: A New Member
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 10: A New Member
[Official Member]
[Register Kang Mi-ju as an official member.]
[Reward – Gym Level Up]
A new quest and Mi-ju’s voice, still vivid in my ears.
For someone like me, who had no immunity to women, it was far too stimulating.
In the end, I couldn't focus on work all day.
“Whew, I’m beat.”
It had been an exhausting day.
“You worked hard,” the boss said, offering some comfort.
Thanks to finishing up earlier than usual today, I felt much more relaxed.
“Your work efficiency has improved a lot, hasn't it?”
“I guess so.”
“I heard you started working out lately?”
“Did I mention that?”
“Mi-ju over there told me. Said you were exercising.”
“Ah.”
I looked over at Mi-ju, who was tidying up the hall.
Mi-ju was the most energetic employee in the shop. On top of that, if you had to pick the most beautiful girl among the part-timers, she was always the first choice.
She was essentially the mood maker of the store.
At the same time, she was very interested in people, so most of the rumors among the staff were spread through her.
The fact that I was working out must have spread because of her as well.
“Good call. You definitely needed some exercise. But where did you start?”
“Oh, I found a private spot.”
“Really? You know, when it comes to exercise, you need a professional. Like a trainer or someone who knows their stuff. You see this? These muscles!”
The boss flexed his biceps.
He had always been obsessed with fitness and working out.
He was the type of person who perfectly fit the term 'gym rat.'
He seemed happy that we now shared a common interest since I’d started exercising.
“That’s impressive.”
“If you don’t have a trainer, want me to help you out?”
“No, I’m fine. I already have someone teaching me.”
“Really? Tsk, that’s a shame. There are a lot of frauds out there these days, so let me know if anything seems fishy.”
“Understood. Well, I’ll be heading out now.”
“Going straight to the gym again today?”
“I have to. Haha, I have a lot to prepare for now.”
“Did you say you were returning to school?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. Get home safe.”
I gave a quick bow and left through the back door.
“Shall we get running, then?”
If I finished the running quest I hadn't completed yet, I would reach 100 points.
Huff, huff.
I hadn't even reached home yet when—
[Quest completed.]
The quest was over.
I was completely out of breath.
Pant, pant.
Since the quest was done, I thought about stopping halfway, but I ran all the way to the end.
The points were one thing, but this was also for the sake of my own body.
“Phew.”
Wiping away the streaming sweat, I entered the house and checked the message window that had appeared after completing the quest.
[Congratulations. Thanks to your persistence in moving forward, you have collected 100 points.]
[A new recommended list that can be purchased for 100 points has been added to the Shop.]
[Shop Level Up – 100 Points]
[Dumbbell 1kg – 100 Points]
Shop Level Up?
“This wasn't here at first, was it?”
[This item appeared as the Gym Level rose to 2.]
Is it different from the Gym Level?
What are the benefits of leveling up the Shop?
[You can purchase additional items, and the prices of goods will decrease.]
“Is that so?”
[At your current level, we recommend leveling up the Shop.]
A level up, huh.
There was no harm in doing it.
Rather than spending points on a single dumbbell I already had, it would be several times better to raise the level of the Shop itself.
The choice was simple.
There was nothing else worth buying anyway.
[Purchasing Shop Level Up.]
[Shop Level increases from 0 to 1.]
[Additional item added – Gym Wear]
[Shop prices (excluding promotions) are discounted by 5%.]
[One free Text Promotion service is provided.]
Not bad.
A 5% discount is pretty good.
The only disappointing thing was...
“Is Gym Wear the only additional item?”
Leveling up is all well and good.
However.
There were no items that would immediately help with registering Mi-ju as an official member.
[Gym Wear – 50 Points]
[Gym Wear – Group Tee: Increases the sense of belonging to the gym.]
[Additional Effect: Random]
The price was incomparably cheaper than the dumbbells available at Level 0.
“The low price is nice, but...”
It was a bit underwhelming.
I suppose I should think of it as an investment for the future.
Even if I hadn't leveled it up, there wasn't anything else worth buying.
The task at hand was to register Mi-ju as an official member.
To do that, I had to gather points by any means necessary.
Because I didn't know what would happen the next time she visited.
How could I get more points?
Simply working out only gave me 10 points. But when I trained Mi-ju, I earned a whopping 50 points.
There was no need to debate which method yielded more.
‘But it’s not like I can just drag Mi-ju here.’
My eyes landed on the Text Promotion at the top of the Shop.
One free service.
“You know it too, don't you?”
That this is the most effective way.
I spoke toward the system window.
Naturally, there was no response.
“I guess I’m getting used to this. Talking to thin air.”
I let out a short laugh and pressed Text Promotion.
[Sending random Text Promotion.]
[Success rate is 20%.]
[♚♚New GYM☆OPEN♚♚]
[Upon joining$$Locker keys for everyone☜☜100% Gym Wear gift※]
[♜Trainer♜Close Marking￥Invest in your body]
[♜Fatigue Recovery♜Metabolism Boost￥Body Correction@@@ 100% Guaranteed]
A text that anyone would find suspicious was sent to random numbers.
“Please... let this work.”
I waited with bated breath for the next message to appear.
*
9:00 PM.
It was long past quitting time, but the lights at Gudang Trading were still on today.
“Assistant Manager Heo.”
“Yes, Manager.”
Heo Da-young, an assistant manager at Gudang Trading, hurriedly stood up at the manager's call.
What kind of nonsense is he going to spout today?
She hid her grimace as much as possible as she approached him.
“I think you need to tweak the report you submitted earlier.”
“B-but, you said it was fine when I turned it in...”
“That was then. Looking at it now, it’s full of holes. Finish it properly before you leave so I can see it when I come in tomorrow. Got it?”
“...Understood.”
The manager narrowed his eyes and gave a sleazy smile.
“If the work is too hard, let me know. I’m always here to look out for you.”
His hand slid around Heo Da-young’s waist.
“Please don’t do this, Manager.”
“What did I even do? I’m just comforting a subordinate. You’re not thinking something weird, are you?”
It was always like this.
He would commit sexual harassment and then act innocent when confronted.
He acted like he was the only one who didn't know what he was up to, even though everyone else did.
Did he really think people were that stupid?
Rumors had spread throughout the company that the manager was well-connected to the CEO and would soon be promoted to an executive position.
‘Actually, there was a female employee who reported him for sexual harassment before...’
But it ended with just an internal warning.
In reality, it was said that no employee could beat the manager in terms of performance.
That was likely why he acted so recklessly.
“I’m heading out now. You finish up well, Assistant Manager Heo. If it gets too tough, give me a call. I’ll help you out anytime. Got it?”
Making a phone gesture with his hand, the manager smirked and left the office.
Once Heo Da-young saw the door close behind him—
“Sigh, fuck.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a curse.
Since she was the only one working overtime at this hour anyway, there was no one to hear her.
“Should I just quit?”
They say every office worker carries a resignation letter in their heart.
After debating whether to pull that letter out several times, Heo Da-young eventually picked up the report the manager told her to fix.
“People talk trash about small companies, but I have nowhere else to go if I leave here...”
No other place would give her this kind of salary with her level of experience.
“Even if it’s shitty, I have to work. I can’t afford to get kicked out.”
Looks like I’m going home late again today.
All because I met the wrong boss.
“I’m so tired.”
Heo Da-young dragged her heavy body toward home.
“It’s 11:00...”
By the time she got home, it would be midnight.
By the time she showered and everything, it would be well past 1:00 AM.
She had to wake up at 5:00 AM to make it to work by 8:00.
“I’m seriously going crazy.”
Would she be able to avoid overtime tomorrow?
She didn't know.
She really didn't know.
If that damn manager found another nitpicky thing to hold over her, she would be forced to work late again.
If they tell you to jump, you jump.
Getting on the bus, she saw her own reflection in the window.
Dark circles and hollow eyes.
Though covered with makeup, her skin had grown rough from grueling work and frequent overtime.
Even the high-prescription glasses she wore whenever she studied or worked like this added to the look.
She was once told she looked fresh and vibrant, but she was already in her late twenties.
Hardly any of that freshness remained.
“I look like a total corpse.”
Back in college, she felt fine even after staying up for several nights, but now she looked like she could collapse at any moment.
“I’m so tired. Seriously. I wish someone would give me some kind of magic potion for fatigue recovery.”
And while they were at it, she wished they’d kick that manager out too.
It was just as she was thinking that.
Vrrr, vrrr.
Her phone vibrated.
“Who is it at this hour?”
Based on the vibration, it was definitely a text.
She didn't have any friends who would text her past 11:00 PM.
Reflexively, she opened her phone.
[♚♚New GYM☆OPEN♚♚]
[Upon joining$$Locker keys for everyone☜☜100% Gym Wear gift※]
[♜Trainer♜Close Marking￥Invest in your body]
[♜Fatigue Recovery♜Metabolism Boost￥Body Correction@@@ 100% Guaranteed]
A spam text had arrived.
The sender's number was restricted.
It seemed to be a promotional text from some gym.
Her personal information was basically public property at this point, but for a text to come from a place like this...
“People still send texts like this?”
Just as Heo Da-young was about to scoff and close her phone—
“Fatigue recovery...”
The words 'fatigue recovery' kept catching her eye.
She had been incredibly tired lately.
If fatigue were a physical substance, wouldn't she be filled to the brim by now?
“But what does going to a gym have to do with fatigue recovery?”
Does it mean fatigue goes away if you exercise a lot?
But she didn't even have time to work, let alone exercise.
Yet, her curiosity kept growing.
She couldn't shake those words from her mind.
Heo Da-young just stared blankly at the text on her phone.
Like a desired item seen in a shopping mall, the text kept drawing her gaze.
She knew it was strange, and the restricted number bothered her, but...
“Where is it located?”
She was curious.
About those words promising fatigue recovery.
She didn't know who sent this text, but if they had used that phrase specifically to target her, she wanted to give them a compliment.
Would it be so bad to go once, just to see?
A desire to go began to well up inside her.
*
[Promotion successful.]
“It worked? Really?”
I couldn't hide my excitement at the news that the promotion was successful.
I had hit that 20% probability right on the mark.
“I’m lucky.”
I thought I’d have to try a few more times.
To succeed on the first try...
“But who will come?”
The customer list hadn't appeared yet.
The system didn't even tell me who was coming or when.
“Do I just have to wait?”
The situation was different from Mi-ju’s, so it was hard to get a feel for it.
“Surely they won't come right now, right?”
I looked at the clock.
It was already 11:30 PM.
In just thirty minutes, it would be midnight.
Midnight.
There was no way someone would come at this hour.
“I did send it too late.”
I should have sent it in the morning instead.
Right. Let’s wrap things up for today, wash up, and go to bed.
Since it was successful, they’ll probably show up tomorrow.
Just as I was heading to the bathroom—
Knock, knock, knock.
“Excuse me?”
Someone knocked on the door.