Chapter 4: This Hypnosis... Actually Works?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 4: This Hypnosis... Actually Works?
I stared at the firmly closed shower stall.
Ssssshh!
The sound of rushing water pounded against my eardrums.
My heart was racing.
Thump, thump.
Had a woman ever come over to my place to shower before?
No, never.
This was the first time a woman had even visited, let alone taken a shower.
"Whew, whew."
Calm down.
Get a grip.
Just because she’s showering doesn't mean something is going to happen.
But I couldn't stop my mind from wandering.
Ssssshh.
Every time I heard the water, my heart skipped a beat.
"Whew, whew."
My muscles tensed up from the mere weight of my imagination.
And then...
"Ugh!"
I felt a sudden pressure down below and instinctively shifted into a half-crouch.
"It’s seriously going to explode at this rate."
I told you to calm down.
I was internally belting out the third verse of the national anthem when—
Click.
The door opened.
Steam billowed out from the opening.
The woman stepped out, not yet fully dry.
She had a toned physique, and droplets of water from the shower clung to the elegant curves of her breasts.
With a towel wrapped around her head like a turban, she looked at me.
"Excuse me. Trainer?"
"Yes?"
I replied with a dazed voice, still busy admiring her perfect body.
"Where is the hairdryer? I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find it."
"Oh, right. That. Just a second."
I hurried over to the cabinet above the sink and pulled out the hairdryer.
I tried not to look.
But even while searching for the dryer, my eyes kept drifting.
"Now, where did it go...?"
I pretended I couldn't find the hairdryer—even though it was right there as soon as I opened the drawer—just so I could steal glances at her naked body.
Her breasts, which looked like they would perfectly fill a hand, tempted me in their primal glory.
Her muscles were honed from years of exercise.
And her pubic area was neatly groomed, as if she maintained it regularly.
Wow, this is insane. She must put so much effort into maintenance.
I suppressed the urge to gasp and pulled out the hairdryer.
"Here it is."
"Ah, thank you."
I handed her the dryer while taking in her form.
Any worries about whether this was a hidden camera prank or something else had long since vanished.
If this was a broadcast, I’d rather just enjoy the view and deal with the embarrassment later.
Whirrrrr!
Standing before the mirror in the living room, she began to dry her hair.
She acted as if I wasn't even there.
No, she acted as if my presence was perfectly natural.
Every time she moved her arms to dry her hair, her breasts swayed back and forth.
Ah, is this what they call pendulum motion?
And that's the effect of gravity.
Haha, what a beautiful sight.
Is this what people mean when they say just looking at something makes them smile?
I had a hard time stopping my lips from twitching upward.
My head felt light.
"Um, would you like some help?"
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Why did I say that?
I couldn't even understand myself.
I must have been bewitched by those swaying breasts.
"Pardon? Help with what?"
"Dry—drying your hair."
"And why would the trainer do that for me?"
"Well, you see..."
Gulp.
"It's... it's common sense for a trainer to provide a hair-drying service at a gym."
I’d done it.
I’d really said it.
Even to my own ears, it sounded ridiculous. A hair-drying service being "common sense"?
Who would believe that?
The woman stared at me intently.
Is she going to curse at me?
I braced myself to get slapped.
But then, her eyes crinkled slightly, and she nodded.
"Go ahead then. I’d appreciate it."
"Phew."
It worked.
I didn't know how, but it worked.
My heart felt like it was going to burst.
My face was so flushed it actually hurt.
I wondered if I might actually die of a heart attack at this rate.
With trembling hands, I took the hairdryer.
I ran my fingers through her damp hair and turned the dryer on.
Whirrrr!
Watching her breasts bounce with every movement of my hands...
It made my heart race.
"Are... are you okay?"
"Yes, you're quite good at this."
The woman closed her eyes and savored my touch.
As I dried her hair, I applied pressure to her scalp as if giving her a massage.
"Mmm..."
A low, sweet moan echoed through the living room.
The sound was so sweet that I reflexively held my breath.
I added more strength to the massage.
Rustle, rustle.
Before long, her hair was completely dry.
I felt a pang of regret as I saw the last damp strands disappear.
"Thank you. The service was excellent."
Once her hair was dry, she headed into the dressing room—which was originally my gaming room.
And that was it.
"Haa... haa..."
I let out the breath I’d been holding.
I was afraid that if my breathing got too heavy, she’d think I was a pervert.
Though I crossed that line a long time ago.
I heard the sound of her dressing behind the door.
A short while later...
The door opened.
The woman stepped back into the living room, dressed exactly as she had been when she first arrived.
It was as if I had X-ray vision; her naked silhouette was still vivid in my mind.
"Today was great, Trainer. Though a few things were lacking."
"Yes, ah, goodbye."
Thud.
The door closed.
"Wow, this is absolutely insane."
A gym.
The woman who visited clearly perceived my house as a gym.
She recognized me as a trainer and accepted what I said without much resistance.
When she followed along with what I claimed was "common sense," I almost wanted to cheer out loud.
"Haa, haa."
I smoothed down my chest.
Her scent still lingered.
The distinct fragrance of a woman's shampoo filled my nose.
Smells good.
I glanced down at my pants.
Because I’d been aroused and erect so many times, pre-cum had leaked out and soaked my underwear.
"I'm losing it."
Maybe I should have been more aggressive.
A wave of regret washed over me.
If she comes back next time...
I’d try being a bit bolder then.
At that moment:
[The Gym – Trial Version has ended.]
[Conducting Customer Satisfaction Survey.]
[Customer Name: Yoo Han-ah]
[Evaluation 1: The trainer isn't professional.]
[Evaluation 2: There is a severe lack of equipment.]
[Evaluation 3: I liked the massage service. It felt like my stress was melting away?]
[Return Rate – 12%]
A 12% return rate?
"So there's even stuff like this."
Satisfaction, huh?
Even if a customer goes through the trouble of visiting, they won't come back if their satisfaction is low.
A system where I have to worry about satisfaction levels...
It was basically telling me not to even dream of a return visit.
Tsk.
"How am I supposed to teach her when I don't know anything myself?"
The woman seemed genuinely dedicated to working out.
On the other hand, I was a total gym newbie who had just started today.
There wasn't a single thing I could teach her.
The only reason a high-level woman like her came to my place was probably because it was the Trial Version.
Since my level was still 0.
Which meant...
"I need to develop myself first. That's the gist of it."
And then:
[Basic Quest – A proper meal builds a great body.]
[Basic nutrients are lacking. Consume a sufficient meal with a balanced mix of protein, carbohydrates, and fats.]
[Required Calories – 2,500 kcal]
[Success Reward: 10 Health Points (HP)]
The next quest popped up.
I wasn't exactly confident in my eating capacity, though.
*
It was a series of strange events.
[Gym Level: 0]
A status window appearing out of nowhere.
—Is this the gym?
A beautiful woman showing up and calling me a trainer.
—It’s basic to walk to the shower from the locker room naked.
Her walking around naked without a hint of shame.
—It’s common sense.
Her following my words without question.
"Whew..."
My head throbbed from the sudden influx of insanity.
"What is even happening?"
I wrote down everything that had happened yesterday, point by point.
<The gym has levels.>
<The gym's program intends to grow me into a trainer.>
<There are HP points, which can be used to buy items or promote the gym.>
<For some reason, women who visit think my house is a gym.>
<They listen to and follow whatever I say. Is it because of the Trial Version?>
I also noted down things like satisfaction levels and the quests I was given.
Additionally...
"What are 'Accumulated Points'?"
[Choi Jae-ho]
[Novice Trainer]
[Accumulated Health Points (HP): 10]
Even though I’d spent the points I earned from the quest, the accumulated points didn't disappear.
Is it like experience points?
There was still so much I needed to figure out.
So...
"I guess I have to eat all of this."
I shoved the food I’d bought for the quest into my mouth.
[Quest Completed.]
[You have earned 10 Health Points (HP).]
I managed to cram 2,500 calories into three meals somehow.
Anyway, now that I had points...
"Should I give it a try?"
Text Promotion with a 20% success rate.
I spent 10 HP to purchase the Text Promotion.
[Proceeding with Text Promotion. Success Rate: 20%]
[Sending texts to individuals matching the current Gym Level.]
[Loading...]
[Failed.]
As expected, 20% was too low.
I thought I might get lucky.
Dammit.
*
"Jae-ho, I'll need you to do these too!"
"Yes, sir. Got it."
The owner handed me a stack of grill plates.
The grease-covered plates were dumped into the sink.
I scrubbed them with as much strength as I could muster.
"Huff, huff."
I was scrubbing the grills several times harder than usual.
The reason for all this effort?
[You must be able to build physical strength even in your daily work. A person dedicated to their work can take care of their body.]
[Scrubbing Grills – 177/200]
[Success Reward: 10 Health Points (HP)]
It was because of the quest.
I can see the finish line.
I wiped my sweat as I looked at the now-clean grill.
Doing it this way actually made it feel like a workout.
Work and exercise—killing two birds with one stone.
I felt twice as productive.
Having a visible quest gave me a short-term goal.
The sense of accomplishment was great, too.
"This is actually pretty good."
I scrubbed the grills with a grin on my face.
"Whew, I think I finished a bit early today?"
It was the last grill.
Normally, I’d only be able to finish the last one long after the final customers had left and their table was cleared.
But today, I finished the last grill the moment the final table was cleared.
Squeak, squeak.
I washed away every bit of grease.
I even scraped off all the burnt marinade residue.
"Phew."
All done.
I’d finished about 10 minutes faster than usual.
"What? You're done already?"
"Yes, Boss."
"Wow, Jae-ho, has your dishwashing skill leveled up or something?"
I scratched the back of my head at the owner's comment.
At the same time, I looked at the quest completion window floating before my eyes.
[Quest Completed.]
[You have earned 10 Health Points (HP).]
The rewards were certainly reliable.
"Good work. I'll handle the rest, so go take a break outside."
"No, it's fine. I'll go help the serving team."
"Would you? Thanks, I appreciate it."
I walked out to the floor.
The part-timers in charge of serving were still cleaning up.
I grabbed a spare mop and started cleaning the floor.
I felt more energetic than usual.
Just then, I locked eyes with Miju, who was wiping a table nearby.
"Jae-ho Oppa."
"Oh, hey."
"Oppa, did you start working out?"