Chapter 9: Official Member
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 9: Official Member
"Phew, that felt amazing."
Miju spoke as she stepped out after her shower.
"I-is that so? If, uh, if you're finished, do you want to cover yourself with this?"
"Why? I couldn't exactly shower with my clothes on. I just finished washing up."
Miju spoke nonchalantly, her body fresh and supple from the shower, making no effort to hide herself.
"W-well, that’s true... but since you're done now."
I held out a long towel.
I tried my absolute best not to look at her naked body. I kept forcing my wandering eyes to look elsewhere.
"You're acting strange today, Oppa."
"Ha, haha. Am I?"
Miju wrapped the white towel around her body.
"I'll go change first."
"Sure."
Miju stepped into the changing room.
A moment later, she emerged back into the living room, fully dressed.
"That was so refreshing! Hehe."
"Was it?"
"Oppa, I really think you have a talent for this. You should seriously consider becoming a professional trainer later."
"You think so? Come by again when you have the chance."
At my words, Miju smacked her lips as if she were in a difficult spot.
"What's wrong?"
"About the personal training... isn't it expensive? I'm working part-time to save up for my tuition, so if it's too pricey, it might be hard for me to keep coming..."
She lowered her voice even though there was no one else around to hear us. It was actually quite cute.
"Ah, don't worry about that."
My eyes drifted toward the system window floating in the air.
As long as I had this, I didn't necessarily need to charge her money. At least, not yet.
"Since you're my very first member, Miju, I'm not going to charge you. It's a first-member special."
"Really?"
Miju’s face brightened instantly.
"Really, really, really?"
"Yeah. Once you're successful later, I'll charge you then."
"Thank you!"
[Satisfaction has increased.]
[Final Satisfaction: 88/100]
[Return Rate: 88%]
Miju’s PT session had come to an end.
*
"Phew, that was actually really productive."
A smile played on Miju’s lips as she returned home.
She hummed a tune while stripping off her clothes to change into something more comfortable.
"Hmm-hmm~."
Her body felt light and refreshed. Since she had worked out quite intensely, she expected her muscles to feel tight or at least have some soreness, but there was none of that.
"It was a bit unusual, though."
The atmosphere was very different from other gyms or PT sessions. Even though she hadn't frequented many gyms, she had heard things. She had never heard of anyone doing massages after a workout.
"I guess it's because it's a private PT session?"
Jae-ho had said it was a gym that only took one client at a time. Because of that, they must have maximized the special services unique to that gym.
'It didn't seem like he had much equipment yet, though.'
She thought back to the gym Jae-ho was running. It was cramped and had very few machines. Jae-ho had brushed it off by saying he was still in the middle of preparing various things, but it was clearly still a work in progress.
As she changed, Miju caught her reflection in the mirror. The beige sports bra and panties she wore gave the strange illusion of her being naked.
"Does my body look more toned than before I went?"
She pinched her belly fat. It felt like there was slightly less to grab than before. Her body felt just a tiny bit... smoother?
She wondered if it was even possible to change this much after just one workout.
"It's probably just my imagination."
No matter how effective it was, there was no way visible results would show after a single session.
Just then, the things Jae-ho had said throughout the PT session echoed in her mind.
—The belly fat is the main concern, right? And you want some body correction too.
—To get a better physique, you need to hold the pose a bit longer.
—Massages help a lot with body correction.
As Jae-ho’s voice—pointing out her concerns and teaching her step-by-step like a true professional—rang in her head, she felt a bit dazed.
Especially the massage for body correction. It definitely hadn't felt like the touch of an amateur.
'Was he actually a professional trainer?'
Seeing as her body felt different, it seemed likely he was an expert.
She admired her changed physique in various poses, her mind drifting back to Jae-ho’s massage.
"Maybe I should go back one more time?"
He did say it was free.
Miju muttered in a small voice while looking at her reflection.
*
After sending Miju home, I tidied up the sit-up board and the yoga mat.
I wiped away the sweat Miju had left behind and tossed the gym wear she had worn into the laundry basket.
'This is the gym wear Miju used, right?'
A slightly perverted desire began to well up, but I overcame it with sheer willpower. I conquered the wicked urge and successfully deposited the clothes into the basket.
"Phew, that was seriously tough."
I let out a sigh of relief after putting all the equipment and clothes away. I finished up by placing the sneakers I had lent Miju back into the shoe rack.
It was then.
[Prospective Member: Kang Mi-ju]
[First PT session successfully completed.]
[Additional rewards granted due to the member's high satisfaction.]
[Gym Level has increased.]
[Gym Level: 1 -> Level 2]
'Additional rewards?'
I read the text on the new message.
[20 Health Points [HP] granted.]
[30 additional bonus points granted.]
[Kang Mi-ju’s evaluation of the gym has increased.]
I received 50 points all at once. That was a lot.
Normally, completing a workout quest gave 10 points. Successfully finishing a training session gave 50. Of course, that was thanks to the bonus, but it was still a significant amount.
However, a single 1kg dumbbell cost 100 points. Including the 50 I just earned, I now had a total of 70 points. It still wasn't much.
"I'm grateful for the points, but this isn't nearly enough."
The rewards were quite stingy compared to the cost of items in the shop. The only thing I could buy freely was the text promotion for 10 points. I still needed to save up more.
In my current situation, there were only two ways to earn points:
Either earn them through workout quests, or satisfy the customers who visited and receive points that way.
[A new quest has been issued.]
[The way you clean can help grow your body.]
[Repetitive mopping provides a full-body workout through muscle contraction and relaxation.]
[Complete cleaning of the living room, changing room, and bathroom.]
[Success Reward: 10 Health Points [HP]]
[Living Room – 1/1]
[Changing Room – 0/1]
[Bathroom – 0/1]
A new quest popped up immediately.
"Alright. Let's get some more points."
I grabbed a rag and opened the door to the changing room.
As soon as I opened it, an overwhelming fragrance hit my nose.
"Whoa, wait."
Thud.
I closed the door instinctively.
It smelled like Miju. Was it her shampoo? Or perfume? Or maybe fabric softener?
The sweet scent was mixed with the faint smell of sweat and skin, creating a mysterious aroma that was hard to put into words. It was what people usually called pheromones.
My face flushed.
"Whoa, what was that just now?"
The intoxicating scent made my head spin.
I opened the door again. My senses sharpened as if fireworks were going off in my brain. Feeling suddenly embarrassed, I rushed to open the window. I felt like a creep doing this when Miju was already gone.
My nose quickly grew accustomed to the scent. I felt a contradictory sense of disappointment and relief as I began to mop.
*
After finishing a productive day of exercise, I headed to my job at the meat house.
"Store Owner, I'm here."
"Jae-ho, you're early again today?"
"Haha, I have to get ready in advance."
It was a habit of mine to always show up a bit earlier than everyone else. It wasn't because I was particularly diligent.
It was just that...
"Hello."
"Hello, Boss."
"Isn't it so hot today?"
If I didn't arrive early, I would have to greet every single one of the female part-timers who were swarming in right now. I hated that, so I came early to avoid it.
"I woke up so late this morning..."
"The weather was so hot on the way here..."
"Did you hear? A new Mobel movie is coming out soon..."
Today, as usual, I would be able to avoid their chatter by helping with the food prep in the kitchen. It was my favorite task after washing dishes.
'I'm a bit exhausted today.'
And for good reason. After finishing Miju’s training in the afternoon, I had mopped the floors for the quest and even did another workout. Last time, the system had recovered my muscle fatigue since it was my first workout, but now...
[Fatigue Recovery Potion - Beginner: 20P]
It was selling recovery potions for points. The whole point of this was to earn points, so why would I spend double the reward points just to buy a potion? That would be insane.
So, I came to work with a body that was aching with muscle soreness. On top of that, I had run all the way to the shop.
[Distance Run: 3.4km/5km]
Another quest, obviously. Since I still hadn't run enough, I jogged in place while prepping the ingredients.
"Huff, huff."
The counter was rising slowly but steadily.
While I was jogging in place and chopping vegetables...
"Jae-ho Oppa! I knew you'd be here."
Miju poked her head into the kitchen.
"O-oh? Miju?"
"What are you doing? Chopping vegetables and working out at the same time?"
"Uh, yeah. I guess I am."
"Oppa, you're really serious about working out. Have you always been squeezing in exercises in the kitchen like this?"
"I-it's only been a few days."
"That's amazing."
I couldn't meet her eyes. Not just because I was awkward around women, but because...
'The sensation is still so vivid.'
The texture of her skin when I touched her during the massage, the scent I smelled while cleaning, and her naked body when she stepped out of the shower... it was all so clear in my mind, as if I could reach out and touch it.
It hadn't even been three hours since she left my house. It was only natural that the memories were vivid.
"Honestly, I was a bit surprised. I didn't know you were that dedicated to fitness."
Miju finished with a giggle. Then, after glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she leaned in and whispered into my ear.
"I can come by again, right?"
"U-uh?"
"I want to officially register as a member next time."
[The first member has expressed an intent to return.]
[A linked quest is now in progress - Official Member]