Chapter 5: Oppa, Did You Start Working Out?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 5: Oppa, Did You Start Working Out?
“D-Did I start working out?”
“Yeah. It looks like you did. You seem… healthier than usual.”
“Healthier…?”
“Yeah. How should I put it? There’s more strength in your eyes, and your posture is a bit… Anyway, you just look different.”
Miju looked at me intently, her eyes searching mine.
“You started working out, didn’t you?”
“I-I guess so?”
I had started, technically.
For a variety of complicated reasons.
“Are you going to a gym?”
“A gym? Yeah, I guess I am.”
Even if my house had suddenly become the gym.
It was still a gym, regardless.
So, technically, I was going to one.
“When did you start?”
“Yesterday?”
The equipment I’d bought to start exercising had arrived yesterday.
So, yesterday was the correct answer.
“Yesterday? Your vibe changed this much in just one day? Are you getting professional coaching or something?”
“Coaching?”
“Yeah! I don’t think it’s possible to change this much otherwise.”
The system was teaching me how to exercise, suggesting what to eat, and telling me exactly what to do and for how long.
“I suppose I am being coached.”
It wasn’t by a professional trainer, though.
In fact, the system was probably better than any professional.
“It must be a really good place.”
“O-Oh? I guess?”
It was a gym that had only just opened.
Ding!
[A potential customer is showing interest.]
[The success rate will increase if you proceed with a Text Promotion for this customer.]
[Success Rate: 50%]
[If the promotion is successful, the Gym Level will increase.]
[Would you like to proceed with the Text Promotion?]
What?
The success rate for the text promotion was 50%?
It had jumped by a whopping 30%.
The level didn’t go up when the trial guest came.
That meant, as I suspected, the level would only increase if I brought in my own customers.
Fine. I got it.
The problem was that I’d already exhausted my daily conversation quota for women with just those few lines.
Had I ever talked to a girl for this long before?
And what exactly did she see that made her say I’d changed?
I had no idea.
I’d just been playing along with what Miju said, but I hadn’t felt any significant change myself.
If I had to pick one thing…
Maybe doing the dishes felt a little easier?
But to pull Miju in as a customer…
I need to say more.
I pondered for a moment while pushing the mop.
“Miju, what are you talking to Jae-ho about?”
Jong-nam stepped out of the kitchen after finishing up and asked.
“We were talking about working out. Jae-ho Oppa said he started exercising yesterday.”
“Working out?”
Jong-nam scanned me from head to toe.
“Are you sure you’re working out?”
He then gripped my shoulder tightly.
“Doesn’t look like it. Aren’t you still as skinny as ever?”
“Senior Jong-nam, don’t say that. He really has changed, you know?”
“Really? Tsk.”
Jong-nam sucked air through his teeth.
That look in his eyes—it was discomfort.
He was marking his territory.
It was so blatant that even someone as oblivious as me could tell that Jong-nam, who spent his time flirting with all the female part-timers, had his sights set on Miju.
And since Miju was talking to me, he was picking a fight.
He loses his mind whenever a woman is involved.
Just like right now.
The guy is seriously thirsty.
“Is that so?”
“Hey, Jae-ho. Did you really start working out? You’re not just saying that to get attention, are you?”
After speaking, Jong-nam gave me a pointed look.
He was telling me to wrap it up and get lost.
Normally, I would have bowed my head and moved on, but unfortunately for him…
“I started yesterday. I bought some equipment for my place and started going to a gym, too.”
I needed Miju today, too.
“See? I told you! I have a good eye for people. I’ve always been told I’m very observant!”
Miju shrugged her shoulders proudly.
“I-Is that so?”
Jong-nam’s face contorted as he looked at me.
He tried to maintain his composure in front of Miju, but he couldn’t hide it completely.
“I didn’t know. Who would’ve thought our Jae-ho would start working out? You’re probably going to quit soon anyway, right? If you have any equipment left over, let me know. I’ll buy it off you at a used price.”
Another jab.
“I think I’ll stick with it for a while this time. I want to have some persistence and change myself for the better.”
I fired back properly.
It felt good to see him unable to even get angry because Miju was right there.
“Oh? Ahem, I see. Miju, I have something to tell you…”
“Sorry, Hyung. I’m not finished talking to Miju yet.”
“Really? Hmmm, fine.”
Jong-nam glared at me with an unpleasant expression before walking over to the other female part-timers.
“Phew.”
The tension in my body suddenly vanished.
My limbs were trembling.
I thought I was going to have a heart attack.
If I’d known standing up for myself was this easy, I should’ve done it sooner.
“A-Are you okay?”
“Huh?”
“About Senior Jong-nam. I feel like I got in the way.”
“Oh, it’s fine.”
Miju gave a small laugh and lowered her voice.
“Actually, I don’t really like that senior much either. He’s way too into women. It’s really burdensome.”
Miju’s whispering voice felt close.
“Really?”
“Yeah. Anyway, which gym are you going to?”
Miju asked.
Is this okay?
Seeing Miju so bright and cheerful made me feel a momentary pang of guilt.
But that 50% success rate kept catching my eye.
The message that the 20% promotion I’d sent earlier had failed kept echoing in my head.
“Well, you see…”
I hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath.
I can’t let a 50% chance slip away.
Even if it was only 10 points, I couldn’t afford to waste them repeatedly.
If the probability was higher, I could save more points, couldn’t I?
As long as I don’t do anything stupid, it’ll be fine.
That was it.
In the end, she would just be listening to what I had to say inside that place.
As long as I didn’t do anything weird, it would be okay.
It might sound like self-hypnosis, but I had no choice.
Yeah. Let’s do it.
Having made up my mind, I slowly opened my mouth.
“The thing is… I got a text from that place.”
“Oh, really?”
[Would you like to send the text?]
Send it.
[Sending text to Kang Mi-ju.]
[To send the Text Promotion directly, you must show it to her on the Trainer’s phone.]
My phone vibrated, and a promotional text arrived.
[♚♚New Gym☆OPEN♚♚]
[Upon joining $$Locker keys for everyone☜☜100% Gym Wear giveaway※]
[♜Trainer♜Close-up Mark￥Invest in your body]
[♜Diet♜Success Opportunity￥Body Correction@@@ 100% Possible]
Holy crap!
I’m supposed to show her this text?
Don’t tell me the woman who came for the trial version earlier received this text too?
No wonder the success rate was 20%.
It was a miracle the success rate wasn’t 1%.
Damn it.
I’ve already decided to do this.
Fine, let’s go all the way.
I’ve already spent the points.
If you’ve drawn your sword, you might as well cut some tofu.
“It’s here.”
I held out my smartphone.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
I must be crazy.
I could already see Miju getting angry and telling me to stop messing around.
Ding!
The alarm of fate rang.
I was even prepared to get slapped.
But it was quiet.
“Huh?”
I cautiously opened one eye.
A small message window was floating in front of my open eyes.
[Success.]
[The Gym’s level has increased.]
[Gym Level: 0 -> Level: 1]
I looked at Miju past the message.
She was looking at the promotional text with an interested gaze.
“The promotional copy is pretty good, isn’t it? Successful dieting and body correction. Is that why you look like you’ve changed a bit, Oppa?”
Was it just my imagination, or did Miju’s eyes seem strangely out of focus?
“Is that place good?”
“U-Uh, yeah?”
“If you’re okay with it, I’d like to go too.”
“You want to come?”
“Yeah. If they give you a locker and gym wear, it doesn’t seem like a bad deal.”
Miju’s voice was firm.
She seemed full of desire to go right away.
Was this the effect of the status window?
“Ah, well…”
“Is it a bit much? I guess it might be awkward to go to the same gym as someone you work with.”
“N-No, it’s not that!”
I waved my hands dismissively.
“It’s not that. I was just worried you might find it burdensome.”
“What are you talking about? I’m the one who said I wanted to go. From what I can see, the trainer there seems really skilled.”
“Phew, alright. Let’s go together tomorrow.”
“Great. I’m looking forward to it.”
Miju’s smile was beautiful.
It actually worked.
I locked eyes with Jong-nam, who was glaring at me from a corner with jealous eyes.
I’m a marked man now.
I didn’t look away.
I was prepared.
It wasn’t that I liked Miju enough to pick a fight with Jong-nam first, but if he was going to start something, I intended to finish it.
Jong-nam’s eyebrows twitched.
*
“W-What should I do?”
I’d invited her.
And not just some stranger, but someone I knew.
To my house, which had turned into a gym.
I’d invited her, but I had almost no equipment.
All I had for exercise was a barbell, some dumbbells, and an AB slider.
I didn’t even have a mat.
No treadmill, which is common everywhere.
It made sense.
My house wasn’t a proper gym yet.
Since I’d invited an acquaintance, I had to succeed no matter what.
‘Return visit.’
That phrase was stuck in my head.
The warning that if satisfaction was low, they might not come back.
To ensure success…
I need to buy equipment first.