First Mission 02
"Yay! Oppa, are you awake? Hehe"
An instant reply.
Her response speed makes me suspect she was holding her phone, ready to reply immediately. It reminds me of Shin, who would answer before I even finished asking a question.
If there were a god of texting, it would probably be her.
"Yeah. Just woke up and had breakfast. Toast."
"Wow! That must have been delicious!"
Fortunately, the rapid-fire texts have decreased since our chat yesterday. She seems to be adjusting to my slower response rate. She's a considerate girl.
"Are you busy with work?"
"Nope, it's pretty chill. Just finished organizing some triangle kimbap that came in, so I'm taking a break."
Suyeon followed this with an emoticon of a peach-haired character drooling while slumped over a desk. Ah, so young people these days like using emoticons. Maybe I should show off my skills too?
"You must be bored~ Want oppa to entertain you? "
"Really really? But what's with those brackets at the end?"
"Yeah. It's a smiling face! _;"
"OMG...!"
"I know this one too. ┏(-_-メ)┓ Hyungnim!!"
"...I'm disappointed in you, oppa. You're so old-fashioned."
Huh, is that not right?
Her reaction was quite strong. I'm sure these worked well when I used to chat back in the day. My painstaking effort to find and create these special character emoticons only backfired.
I paused the KakaoTalk conversation. Continuing would only make things worse.
"Hmm, I don't think I can score any points through KakaoTalk..."
[I agree, Master.]
"There's an old man inside me."
[Perhaps you could try a different approach?]
"A different approach..."
This is a dilemma.
My exterior is Lee Dohoon, but my mind is still Lee Jungwoo. No matter how youthfully I try to act, Jungwoo's habits seep into my speech and behavior.
Perhaps I felt comfortable with the 40-year-old female boss simply because she was around my actual age.
But I can't just date 40-year-olds with this body.
That would be like using a butcher's knife to kill a chicken, or delivering Chinese food in a Ferrari. What a waste of this transformed body...
Wait, body?
Didn't Suyeon say she likes guys with good physiques?
With this sudden realization, I quickly took off my shirt I was wearing. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, I saw an impressive physique.
Broad shoulders, defined six-pack abs. Thick chest and bulging arm muscles... a flawless body in every way.
How much effort must Dohoon have put into building such a body?
'Watch. Did this guy have a specific workout routine? A body like this doesn't maintain itself.'
[Dohoon consistently worked out even during his military service. In summer, he enjoyed cycling and snorkeling; and in winter, ice climbing and snowboarding. He's currently in a volleyball club at university, playing the left hitter position.]
'Wow! He's a complete all-around athlete!'
[Since he aspires to be a physical education teacher, he's learned various sports. It's the result of natural talent and hard work.]
'Hmm. But I don't know how to do any of those sports?'
[Don't worry. Dohoon's athletic abilities remain intact within you, Master.]
'Really? So I can play volleyball even though I've never done it before? I don't even know the proper spiking form!'
[Yes. Your body remembers.]
This is new information. I didn't just inherit Dohoon's body but his athletic abilities as well.
Having avoided sports my entire life, I used to just stand around like a sack of barley during soccer games in the military. Even then, I stopped going to the training field once I had enough seniority.
Physical education was the only subject in school where I couldn't get an outstanding grade. I always scored 100% on theory, but practical skills were impossible for me.
And now suddenly I'm an all-around sportsman! Hahaha!
I feel strength surging through me.
'Wait, won't these muscles disappear if I don't exercise?'
[Since you're still in your 20s, muscle loss won't be significant, but maintaining this level of muscle mass and definition will be difficult without exercise.]
'No way! I really like this body!'
[Then you'll need to exercise regularly. I recommend weightlifting in your current situation.]
'Weightlifting... Alright. I might as well sign up today. Going to the gym before my part-time job would be perfect.'
I immediately changed into sweatpants and headed out.
***
"Membership fees are 80,000 won per month or 200,000 won for three months. If you present your student ID, you'll get a 10% discount on that price. Locker rental is 10,000 won, which you can use throughout your membership period."
When I found a nearby gym, the staff at the reception desk kindly explained the pricing. After hearing the amount, I suddenly became curious about Dohoon's financial situation. Come to think of it, I don't even know how much money he has.
'Watch. Can I check the bank balance?'
[There's a banking app on the smartphone. I'll tell you the password.]
Checking the account, I found just over 2 million won. That's less than a quarter of the monthly salary I used to receive as Jungwoo.
'Is this all? No securities or real estate?'
[The current studio apartment has a 6 million won deposit with 200,000 won monthly rent, but it's under his father Lee Chanmyung's name. His father deposits 300,000 won on the 1st of each month for rent and utilities, but Dohoon covers any shortfall during winter due to increased heating costs. There are no other assets, movable or immovable, as far as I can determine.]
'Wow. I knew college students were broke, but not this broke.'
[Dohoon is actually better off than many. His housing costs are subsidized by his family. Many students face more challenging financial situations.]
'Still, he has to survive a semester with the money he earns in a couple of months of vacation, right? Sigh. The gym membership seems too expensive then...'
"Have you decided?"
"Can I see the facilities first?"
"Of course! This way, please. You can use these guest slippers over there."
Following the staff member into the gym, I saw people sweating profusely as they worked out. Since it was morning, most were college students on break and what appeared to be housewives.
"Mina, please show this person around."
The desk staff called over a female trainer who was checking someone's form, then returned to their post.
"Hello. Are you a new member?"
The trainer turned toward me as she spoke.
Whoa! Who is this woman?
The female trainer, called Mina, had a body that was, in a word, dynamite.
Breasts that jiggled enough to slightly sag the tank top, a slender, well-defined waist. Legs that stretched out from wide hips, full of elasticity.
She was truly the embodiment of healthy beauty!
A walking sexy bomb!
The protein thief of this district!
I was so nervous by her incredible beauty that I stammered.
"I-I haven't registered yet. I was just looking around."
"I see. Nice to meet you anyway. I'm Song Mina, a trainer here. Are you a college student?"
"Yes."
"But it looks like you have worked out before. Your body is quite well-built..."
Mina quickly scanned my body.
She's truly a professional. She can tell even through my sweatpants. Craving her attention, I showed off a little.
"Yes. I like to exercise, so I've done a lot of different things, and I did some weight training in the military."
"Really? No wonder you look so fit. Have you thought about getting certified and becoming a trainer yourself?"
As she said this, Mina subtly touched my forearm. I unconsciously flexed.
"I'm still learning..."
"What's your max for the big three lifts?"
"Pardon?"
"Oh! Bench press, deadlift, and squat. They're called the big three exercises."
How would I know? I recalled the gym scene from the military back in the late 90s.
"The equipment in the military was pretty basic, so I'm not sure. We used concrete weights attached to metal bars."
I couldn't say I didn't know because it wasn't my body.
"I see. Would you like to try the barbell?"
A bench press station had just opened up. Eager to impress Mina, I confidently lay down on the bench.
"Sure, why not."
"Hmm... to be safe, I'll start with 30kg on each side."
Mina brought round plates from the rack and started attaching them to both ends of the steel bar. Every time she moved the heavy plates with both hands, her large breasts bounced up and down.
'Wow, she's amazing.'
[Master, please wipe your drool.]
'gulp'
"I'll spot you just in case."
"Okay."
Mina moved to the head of the bench and gripped the inside of the barbell. As she leaned down, her enormous chest hung and swayed right in front of my eyes.
'Oh damn. This is too stimulating...'
But if I got an erection here, I'd be labelled a pervert.
With superhuman self-control, I pushed away inappropriate thoughts and slowly lifted the barbell. The heavy metal that I wondered if I could lift rose more easily than expected.
"Let's try 10 reps for now, okay?"
"Sure."
I repeated the motion of pulling the barbell toward my chest and pushing it up. Suddenly, Mina placed her palm on my chest.
"Focus on using strength from here. Lift upward, keeping parallel with your shoulder line. Yes, that form is good. You feel the tension, tight?"
'Oh please, don't come so close. I might feel tension somewhere else.'
The slight scent of sweat mixed with Mina's skin fragrance tickled my nose. I could feel blood rushing to my lower body. Stay calm. Getting aroused here would be disastrous.
After barely completing 10 reps and racking the barbell, Mina said:
"You have plenty of strength, but your form needs some refinement, probably because you learned on your own. With two or three months of training, you could join our PT trainer class. What do you think?"
This required no deliberation.
Mina's presence alone made this gym worth every penny.
"I'll sign up right away."