"Dad, you're here!"
Lumi shouted from inside the recording booth almost immediately.
I had only pushed the door open and stepped inside the recording studio moments ago.
Daniella, Clara, and Casper all turned to me, waving a greeting.
But today, I felt their eyes linger on me.
Lumi bursted out of the glass recording booth. She pounced onto me with a flying hug and clung to my tight shirt like a koala. She nuzzled herself against my chest, her eyelashes twinkling, her nose twitching.
I had returned from a heavy session at the gym again, and though I took a quick shower and rinse, I still smelled pretty bad. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Don't do that. My shirt is soaked with sweat," I told her.
I tried to pry her off of me, but Lumi refused. She twisted herself, shaking off my hands, and made herself comfortable.
You're growing so big, Dad. Your chest and arms are so hard. It makes me feel safe.
With gentle hands, I pulled her head away nuzzled on my chest and planted a deep kiss on her forehead.
I'm so happy to hear that, dumpling. You're growing big, too. Nice and soft. So much more huggable.
Lumi groaned in annoyance, but still put still herself back in the same position earlier. Since I could not do anything about it, I let her be, wrapping my arms around tighter.
I stepped towards Daniella, Clara, and Casper, the three of them, who stared at me with the faintest look of awe.
I followed their gaze, which landed me to my forearms that wrapped around Lumi. I realized this was why they were staring.
Daniella stepped towards me first and began to compare our heights. She first angled her hand from the top of her forehead before moving it towards my shoulders.
"Do men still grow in their twenties? I swear we were about the same height," she said.
"Yes, you're built like a bodyguard now. You filled out everywhere," Casper chimed in.
He looked a bit miffed, admiring, and intimidated. But knowing him, it wasn't any of those. He was dramatic like that.
Clara did not say anything, but she stared with admiration. She looked up and down me everywhere, which almost made me flush with shame.
They were right. My body did undergo big changes.
Though I let Lumi drink the gene optimizing potion, our shared senses worked its magic.
The special honey had more on an effect on Lumi's voice. However, this panacea was much more effective on myself.
Daniellas was tall and slender. Where I was about an inch or two taller than her before, I was now a whole head taller.
I had gone up three shirt sizes too, going from a M to an XXL, and even that was growing snug.
I now sported broad shoulders, a wide and defined back, two mountains of a chest, toned, veiny arms, and two trees for legs. You got the idea.
The appearance aspect of the panacea potion worked wonders for me, too.
I was not without model-like looks with my bodyguard-like build. A sharp jawline, strong cheekbones, and deep-set eyes. The Near perfect facial symmetry corrected my emaciated features from substance abuse and improper tongue posture. Same with my dark circles, acne scars, pale skin.
I now had a smooth, glowing complexion that could compete with the youthful and lively Lumi.
I never realized how much of an impact these features had on my appearance. After all, I was an average-looking guy trying to get my life together.
No wonder skincare and grooming made up the majority of celebrity endorsements.
I hadn't paid much attention to my new self, apart from the first or second day staring at the bathroom mirror, so putting everything together was a big surprise.
This was the only time I was pleased about my new handsome features and muscles.
I was proud that Lumi looked more and more like a carbon copy of me. I was even more proud, almost arrogant, that my new muscles was bringing her great security.
But the attention was overwhelming. I quickly directed my gaze towards Lumi.
"It's not that exaggerated, come on. Haven't you seen Lumi lately? She's had more of a glow up than me," I said.
The three of them stared for a moment before their eyes all widened.
Daniella nods were almost a rattle.
"She was cute before, but she always looked a little frail. Now she's even cuter. Her features are all brighter. Plus, her cheeks, oh my goodness. You filled out with muscles, but she filled up with flesh. I want to pinch her everywhere! She looks like an angel."
Clara's gaze towards Lumi was filled with adoration.
"Daniella is right. She is adorable! How come I never realized it this past week? I really, really want to squeeze her."
Casper had the strongest reaction, which almost made a shiver run up my spine. His eyes gleamed red and his tongue smacked against his lips over and over again.
Lumi had poked her head out during the discussion about her. Yet she immediately nestled herself secure in my arms when she saw the dark aura emitting from him.
"I always knew she smelled of money, but I still underestimated her. With these visuals and looks, she won't even need to sing to gain fans. Oh, how much sponsors will we get when she debuts? Kekeke..."
By instinct, my forearms tightened and my veins popped, with full intentions of warning.
"How can you still think of money at this time? She hasn't even started live-streaming yet," I complained.
"Money is a good thing," Casper declared as matter of fact. "But don't try to diverge the topic from yourself. Tell me what your workout routine is and what your diet is. I can make a fortune selling them to some stars. They'll be desperate.
Clara and Daniella turned their attention to me, nodding in agreement.
"The company's funds are low this month," Clara added.
"I could lose some weight as well," Daniella said.
Black lines creased my forehead. Why was nobody in this company serious about making Lumi a star?
"No!" I grumbled.
But seeing all their looks of regrets and pity, I could only turn to Casper, hoping he understood the gleam in my eye.
"There wasn't anything special about my diet or workouts. I was only happy that we had some progress on Lumi's dream. I wanted to protect her, as well as her to be healthy as well. I guess it manifested like this," I explained, looking down at the tight sleeves of my shirt.
Everyone around me was smart and astute; I now began to embrace this as fact.
Casper got the underlying meaning of my words almost immediately. He clapped his hands, startling her and Daniella.
I saw his eyes flicker towards Clara's wheelchair, in particular, towards her legs.
"Okay, okay. Let's not drool over his muscles anymore. We have an appointment to eat together, don't we?"
In my arms and chest, Lumi mumbled some words of agreement, which made all four of us laugh.
"I'm so hungry I can't even sing anymore..."
"Hahaha!"
"You're so cute, ice cream!"
Amidst Daniella's squealing, Clara had rolled her wheelchair towards the door. She stopped us in our tracks as we prepared to head out.
"We're singers, darn it! A restaurant isn't befitting of us! Let's go, I'll show you around my favorite karaoke bar instead!"