Chapter 40: The Ever-Expanding Gym
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 40: The Ever-Expanding Gym
"Whoa."
It was a proper locker room.
It wasn't just spacious; more than anything...
"It has everything you'd expect."
Starting with twenty lockers, each one was fully equipped with hangers. There must have been a diffuser somewhere, as the room smelled wonderful.
"There’s no door connected to the shower room, though."
That meant one would have to walk out into the living room to wash up, just like before.
"There’s enough space for ten people to use it at once."
This was more than enough. After checking the locker room, I stepped back out into the living room.
"The living room got huge."
The other areas remained the same—the gaming room, the bedroom, the kitchen. Everything was identical, but the living room had expanded significantly. It felt like it had grown by about 350 square feet.
"This is incredible."
The gym leveled up, and the living room expanded along with it. It was a sight that made my jaw drop involuntarily.
[The gym expands every time internal facilities are purchased.]
[Please continue to grow the gym.]
I let out a long sigh.
"I didn't expect to end up with a place this big."
[The next available facility for purchase is the Shower Room.]
The system displayed a sample photo. A shower room. Not the one I was currently using in the bathroom, but a real, professional shower room. The stalls were enclosed by translucent glass doors, designed so that the silhouettes of those inside would be visible.
[Required Purchase Points: 8,500 HP (15% discount applied)]
[Starting from the Shower Room, you may convert SP into HP to cover any shortages.]
[1 SP -> 1.5 HP]
I guess I’ll have to work hard from now on.
*
After the weekend ended, I headed back to school. Usan University was bustling with students heading to their lecture halls. Naturally, I was one of them. Since I still had some time before my lecture started, I was walking at a leisurely pace when...
"Excuse me."
A woman called out to me. She was a student with her hair neatly tied back.
"Are you talking to me?"
"Yes. Um, by any chance... are you..."
The female student hesitated, picking her words carefully. Was she shy? She finally managed to force the words out.
"Do... do you have a girlfriend?"
"Excuse me?"
"If you don't, um, I was wondering if I could get your number."
This was... she was hitting on me, right? I never thought I’d get hit on at school, of all places.
"Ah, well..."
I was about to decline, but then I looked at her again. Her face was bright red as she stood before me. Her emotions—a mix of shyness, anticipation, and nervousness—were plain to see. This was a challenge that took courage. She must have needed a lot of it to come up to me and say this.
"Sure."
I gave her my number.
"Eek! Thank you! I'll contact you later!"
Overjoyed like a child receiving a gift from Santa, the woman hopped up and down before bowing deeply. I glanced around. The feeling that people's eyes were fixed on me wasn't just my imagination.
'Is this the effect of the A-rank trait?'
[Attractive Aura: Grade (B)]
[Sturdy and Solid Body: Grade (A)]
The synergy between the Attractive Aura I’d obtained previously and my broadened shoulders was drawing more attention from women than before. And that was with only two traits. If I added more... it might become a bit overwhelming. I wasn't used to being the center of attention. Having all these eyes on me so suddenly was a bit much.
Still, it wasn't a bad feeling.
"Nice."
To think I’d ever know a life like this. While I was soaking in the moment...
"Oppa!"
"Senior!"
Miju and Ye-seul greeted me. Today was the day we had a class together. We were even in the same group for a project. I had planned to go alone, but Miju insisted we had to go to school together, so we agreed to meet at the main gate.
"You both dressed up today. Is there a special occasion?"
"Dressed up? I look the same as usual."
"She's right."
Despite their words, I could tell they’d put more effort into their outfits than usual. Miju was wearing an A-line two-piece with an impressive scarf neckline. The flowing blouse emphasized her large breasts particularly well. It was a style that suited her perfectly.
On the other hand, Ye-seul was wearing a crop top that showed off her navel, paired with tight jeans. They were skinny jeans with a distressed tear near the left thigh. Both were beauties, but perhaps because of the styling, they gave off completely different vibes.
"It suits you both well."
At my words, Ye-seul looked away and twirled her hair, while Miju lunged at me, pestering me to explain exactly what I liked about her outfit. I spent the entire walk to the lecture hall explaining to Miju why her clothes looked good.
"Senior, also, the profile pictures we took the other day were posted right away."
"Already? Is the retouching finished?"
"Yes. The person in charge said that because you took such good photos, there wasn't much to fix."
"Really?"
"Want to see?"
Ye-seul turned on her phone.
"Oh? Ye-seul, did you change your profile picture? I want to see too!"
Miju stuck close to Ye-seul to look at the screen.
"Whoa!"
Miju marveled at the photo, staring intensely. Unfortunately, I was at an angle where I couldn't see.
"Let me have a look too."
As if she had been waiting for me to ask, Ye-seul held out the phone screen.
"How is it?"
"Oh."
An exclamation escaped my lips involuntarily. It was the first photo where she wasn't wearing a mask. Ye-seul was smiling at the camera, bathed in the sunlight streaming through a window. That bright smile as she tucked her hair behind her ear had a resonance that made anyone looking at it feel good.
"It turned out incredibly beautiful."
"Right? Ye-seul looks so pretty in this, doesn't she?"
Miju joined in the excitement. Even though I was the one who took it, it really did turn out well.
"The editing was done well."
"It's because the photographer did a great job."
"It's because the model was good."
"The reaction is great, too. My followers increased by 100,000 in just one day after I changed the profile picture."
"In one day?"
"Yes."
Miju, standing beside her, chimed in.
"But are you okay with it? You didn't like revealing your face before."
"I think I'll be fine. Taking the photos gave me confidence, and I have a lot of fun memories from the shoot. And... you never know what might happen if I build up some fame now. Who knows what the future holds?" Ye-seul said with a smile.
"If you're happy, I'm all for it," Miju said, beaming.
As we were chatting amongst ourselves...
"Oh? Look who it is."
At the sound of a familiar voice, I turned my head to see someone who made me feel unpleasant just by looking at him. It was Ju Yeon-seok.
"All familiar faces. What are you all doing here?"
Ye-seul furrowed her brow and hid Miju behind her back. Miju was trembling.
"I thought I told you not to show your face in front of Miju again?"
Ye-seul’s voice was thick with anger.
"Haha, sorry, but I have the freedom to attend school too. Besides, I haven't done anything to Miju, so why the attitude?"
I stepped between the girls and Ju Yeon-seok.
"That's enough."
"Oh, it's Miju's boyfriend. Are you two still going strong?"
Ju Yeon-seok spoke with a sneer. This guy and I were just fundamentally incompatible.
"As far as I know, you're in the humanities department, so you shouldn't have any classes in the science and engineering buildings."
"The way you say that makes it sound like I'm stalking her."
"Aren't you?"
"The boyfriend is quite fierce. Why don't you do something about that glare? It's not like we're trying to start a fight."
Ju Yeon-seok continued, his lips curling into a shameless smirk. Where did this confidence come from? Surely he wasn't just relying on the hulking guy standing behind him.
"I'm the Student Council President, so I'm here to meet with the professors. I didn't follow Miju here."
I couldn't believe him. His eyes didn't look like they were telling the truth. I had no proof, but my intuition was screaming a warning.
"Going after a girl who already has a boyfriend isn't my style."
"Don't act like you know us if we run into each other again."
"Let's just go our separate ways. No need to get worked up over a chance encounter."
"We will. You don't even have to say it."
Having said his piece, Ju Yeon-seok brushed past us. He was a man who was unpleasant to even talk to. Once he was far enough away...
"Are you okay?" I asked Miju, who was still shivering.
"I'm fine. It's nothing now."
She forced a smile, but her face didn't look at ease.
"But what was that about a boyfriend?"
Ye-seul asked me with a very wary look in her eyes. What was this? Did she hate Ju Yeon-seok that much?
"Huh?"
"That guy just said it. That you're Miju's boyfriend."
"Ah, it's nothing. I just pretended to be her boyfriend because that guy kept pestering her."
"Ah, I see."
Ye-seul nodded.
"I thought for a second that you two were actually dating," she said with a laugh.
"Hahaha, no way. Miju and I dating? That's impossible."
I laughed it off to move past the situation. However, Miju's expression darkened upon hearing that. She looked even more troubled than before.
"Miju, are you okay?"
"Ah, yes. I'm fine."
She didn't look fine at all, but... she’d be okay. Ye-seul would take care of her.
"If anything happens, let me know. I'll come running immediately."
"You're very kind, Oppa."
"Hmm?"
"Nothing. Thank you."
For some reason, the way she looked at me seemed sad.
"Ah, Senior."
"Yeah?"
"Can I go work out after class today? I need to take some photos to post on Starstagram tomorrow, so I want to work up a sweat before that."
"You've been keeping up with your workouts at home, right?"
"Of course. You said your place isn't somewhere I can go every day. So I've been working hard at home," Ye-seul replied with a smile.
"That's good to hear."
"Miju, what about you?"
"I'll pass. I'm not feeling well today. Let's go in quickly. Class is about to start."
Miju hurried to open the lecture hall door. Her condition seemed to have plummeted ever since we ran into Ju Yeon-seok.
"I'll look after Miju. Anyway, Senior, see you at the gym later."
With that, Ye-seul followed Miju into the classroom. Working out with Ye-seul, huh? Why did it remind me of that time at the movie theater?
*
"Senior, what's wrong?"
"Ye-Ye-seul..."
"Did you forget? Cardio should be done on the bed."
I couldn't hide my bewilderment as I watched Ye-seul push me toward the bed. And beside her was Heo Da-young, the office worker I’d had my first relationship with while running the gym. Both of them were completely naked.
Ye-seul’s prominent hips and pale pink breasts were on full display. Heo Da-young’s body, unlike Ye-seul’s, radiated a mature beauty.
"You shouldn't leave your Noona alone for this long."
Heo Da-young pulled my hand toward her chest.
How... how did it end up like this?