“Ugh, I’ve never exercised a day in my life…”
Lee Bo-reum whispered to my ear in a timid tone.
The wind tickling my ear made me shake my head a bit.
Seo Jong-chan, the player leading the way, turned around and smiled bright.
“Everyone has a first time, right? No need to think too hard about it.”
“Did you hear that?”
“And all the members coming here have different goals. Some come to aim for professional status, while others come with a light heart to lose weight. Even if our destinations differ, training together will surely spark some motivation!”
“It’s perfect for a hiki-komori like Bo-reum.”
“Exactly! Exercising improves social skills too!”
We crossed over into the free-weight area, a typical space filled with gym equipment.
In the training room where blue mats sprawled out like an endless ocean, about ten men greeted us while sitting in perfect form.
“Welcome to Baekho Gym! Waaah!”
“NoName is so cute!”
“Na-me, be our new manager!”
The enthusiastic reactions of the people filled the live chat with laughter.
– Seo Jong-chan, get lost! Welcome, NoName!
– Korea UFC legend vs 8-year-old genius girl, can’t wait to see this, lol!
– Seo Jong-chan has become a world-class! Let’s see NoName too.
– Wow, check out how slick the gym is.
While Seo Jong-chan was giving us a gym tour with the camera, I plopped down onto the mat, waiting for his return.
A sandbag hanging from the ceiling sway back and forth like a pendulum.
I spent my time nodding my head side to side in rhythm.
“Sorry for the wait! I couldn’t find boxing gloves that fit you, so I think you’ll have to wear open-finger ones, is that alright?”
Honestly, I felt more comfortable with my fingers exposed.
I took the gloves he handed me and slipped them on.
They were a bit loose, but if I tightened the Velcro, it would suffice.
“Have you ever exercised, Na-me?”
“I’ve just been doing flexibility stretching here and there.”
“As our viewers can see… our Na-me is really skinny overall. Just look at those thin wrists! If I squeeze them with two fingers, I’m sure they’ll snap!”
– You little punk! Aren’t you afraid of the wrath of a thousand Na-me fans!!!
– If I can crush a watermelon with my fingers, a kid’s wrist is nothing, lol!
– How on earth did you win in the interschool competition? (Really, no clue)
I chimed in after reading the comments.
“That’s not the same as the competition. Over there, you have barriers that protect your body, and above all, you use your own aura. Just like how you categorize weight classes by body weight, using aura is kind of like a weight class too. If I had to put myself into a category, I’d probably be a heavyweight.”
– Heavyweight Na-me, whoa!
– LOL, heavyweight (19kg)
– But if you think about it, it’s true. You really can’t win against someone using their aura with just bare hands.
– Life ← This seems like a game with a messed-up balance patch.
– I have no clue how to handle Aura Heart; why is it even there then?
– You probably won’t need that third leg for life, but it’s still there, right?
– (Deleted comment)
“Hey, hey, hey Na-me! I’ve always wanted to ask something!”
Seo Jong-chan suddenly waved his hand, covering the chat window.
“Yes, what is it?”
“Back in the competition and also when was it? When you sparred at Korea University, your roundhouse kick was really clean.”
“Oh, that’s… capoeira?”
“So, it was capoeira! But when did you learn capoeira?”
“I self-taught it. With the nature of sparring, the timing to use your legs often comes up.”
Far more credible than something vague like “I learned it in my past life.”
The chit-chat didn’t last long.
“Normally we warm up with push-ups, planks, or squats, but those are too intense for Na-me, so let’s just do some regular warm-ups!”
“I’ll help our room leader! Hee hee.”
Bo-reum, who had been lurking in the corner for a chance to escape, sneaked behind me.
“What do you need help with warm-ups for? I can do that much on my own.”
As long as I wasn’t using my aura, my stamina and strength were lacking, but in terms of athletic ability, I was quite decent.
I rolled my neck and shoulders, then twisted my wrists and ankles.
I locked my hands together, standing tall with my knees straight and bent over towards the floor.
After practicing every day, my palms easily touched the ground.
Youthful bodies are indeed flexible.
“Next, up high!”
“Up high, whoosh!”
Bo-reum yanked my arms up from behind, stretching me.
For a moment, my body hovered in mid-air, flailing around until I finally found my footing on the ground.
“W-what are you doing?”
“They say this helps you grow taller! Na-me, come on, keep counting with the manager! One, two, three, four.”
“Five, six, seven… are you sure?”
I heard the theory that doing pull-ups and similar exercises corrects your spine and stimulates your growth plates, but…
Something about her claims made me very suspicious.
“Aw, so cute! Next, left stretch! Kya, Na-me’s belly button is showing!”
“Don’t pull me that hard! My shirt’s riding up!”
“Now stretch to the right, pull, pull! Ooh, Na-me is growing taller! 113! 114! 115! Breaking through the stratosphere!”
My patience was wearing thin with the stretching antics.
I did a scissors kick and pushed her belly forward, toppling her over.
I hugged Bo-reum’s arms around my waist and secured her shoulder joint with my legs.
Then, by slightly lifting my hips and pressing down…
“Kyyaaa! My arm! It hurts!”
Perfect armbar completed.
“Never mess with my height again.”
*
Seo Jong-chan first demonstrated jujitsu submission techniques, and after that, Na-me followed along for the broadcast.
“Na-me, do you want to demonstrate the Twister?”
“Step 1: Grab the opponent’s back and pull them towards you.”
“Eeeek!”
Thud!
Cozying into Bo-reum’s back, wrapped in soft skin.
The lavender-scented shampoo from Na-me’s hair seemed to envelop me entirely.
Bo-reum wore a blissful smile as she willingly surrendered her body to Na-me’s lead.
“Step 2: Fix the leg that touches the ground.”
“Ugh!”
Na-me’s legs wrapped around her from the outside.
The feeling of my thighs brushing against hers sent tingles down my spine.
“Step 3: Lift your body and put your arm under the opponent’s opposite armpit. Hmm… I wonder if I can reach that far.”
“Huuh!”
Na-me’s arm covered over Bo-reum’s left arm, crossing past her armpit.
“Step 4: Wrap both hands around the neck and pull.”
Fingers slithered up like a snake behind her neck.
Just as Bo-reum was pushed into an area where she shouldn’t be opening her eyes, Na-me halted with a troubled expression.
“I can’t reach that far…”
“The stance is perfect, but… this is a bit tricky.”
The ‘Twister,’ a ground version of the cobra twist, is a brutal technique that separates neck and spine.
But to me, Na-me just looked like a kid hugging her beloved plush toy.
“Ahhh, Na-me! I’m too ticklish! Stop, stop!”
“Why are you so ticklish?”
“It’s just how my body is! What can I do about it?”
After a series of failed techniques, Na-me’s expression began to crumple.
In jujitsu, you generally need a certain equal weight to execute many techniques.
And once again, height became an issue.
With every reminder of her short stature and little limbs, Na-me’s mood drooped further.
“How did you find it from your point of view?”
Still, she asked the question to confirm if any techniques went well.
“It was totally industry reward worthy! Na-me, I absolutely do not regret being dragged here today! Exercising is the best!”
“Is that so?”
Bo-reum’s clueless expression bore a compassionate smile as if she had just achieved enlightenment.
Among fans watching live, there were almost screams of discontent flooding the chat.
– In our industry, this is a reward, lol! You just say it like that, lol!
– Why is the manager the only one getting this good stuff!
– I will curse you for a lifetime! Cat Love is the Best!
– I also want to be choked by Na-meㅠㅠㅠㅠ!
– The chat is chaotic right now, lol!
– NoName’s sincerity hug…!! The effect was amazing!!
– Still, you seem extraordinarily talented? You just followed along without a hitch.
– The results might look weird, though, lol… but as long as it’s soft, everything’s fine, right?
“Everything you taught me today, I’ll practice later in virtual reality and show you.”
– Oh my, does that mean we have a chance…?
– Elf princess legs, come on, lol!
– Supporting the next sandbag!
– What chance? Does this room have nothing but masochists?
– I want to be twistered by Na-me even once before I die…
– If you really get taken down properly, you’ll end up a vegetable!
– A reward at the cost of life, lol!
Na-me wasn’t completely without gains.
The calf slicer that crushes the shin or the kimura lock to twist the arm were possible attempts based on the situation.
But due to physical limitations, there were more failures than successes.
Usually, Na-me showed such perfect form that messing with her was incredibly delightful today.
Fueled by frustration, Na-me tightened her gloves and quietly moved to the training area.
*
Thud!
I punched the heavy black sandbag hanging in the corner. Definitely heavy.
Every time I kept my hands on it, it felt like mana was being sucked out, which felt like a room mana product.
– Knock knock Is anyone in there?
– Na-me, the princess, has arrived!
– Did we make Na-me a bit sulky with our comments? lol!
– I’m so sorry, Na-meㅠㅠ
– No matter what you do, being this cute should be illegal.
I got into a stance to select my target and threw a one-two jab at the appropriate area.
Thump-
Still, the sandbag showed no sign of moving back.
– So cute! lol!
– When I first met this sandbag, I thought it was a toy, but it’s just a rock-solid rock!
– Na-me is a baby… Na-me’s going to throw baby punches…
– Great form! UFC is no joke!
– No way, there’s no need to say that unless it’s all sincere, lol!
This time, I channeled aura into my right fist and struck with a backhand straight.
Boom!
“Whoa.”
– Wow!
– That moved, lol!
– Na-me-chan is amazing!
– Na-me, you can throw a punch?
– But the sandbag is too high for a kidㅠㅠㅠ
– What are you trying to do?
This would be the power an amateur adult might deliver when starting out in combat sports.
If it’s a room mana product, I wouldn’t mind using my aura.
As I filled my legs with glowing golden aura.
I locked eyes with Seo Jong-chan, who stood a way off.
“Just to check, is it alright to run freely here? Like for noise complaints?”
“Should be fine. It’s underground here.”
“Oh right, thanks.”
As Aura Heart emanated a pure golden light surrounding my body.
“Whew…”
With firm resolve, I took a deep breath.
With every step I took, the aura ignited my whole legs.
The mat also happened to be a splendid ocean shade, giving the feeling of walking on water.
Armored in golden aura, I stomped hard and surged forward, and again forward.
Boom boom boom boom!
Incredible acceleration pressed my feet firmly against the friction-strong mat.
Whoosh!
My feet felt hot, even wondering if my skin was burning off.
And then I leaped into the air.
Feeling as light as if I’d come to the moon.
Enjoying this omnipotence, it all flowed through my feet, shins, knees, thighs, waist. And then, looping back from my thighs to my knees, the aura finally sparkled.
I’d spin my body around just like this.
The energy from my run continued to focus down on my feet.
[Kaizen Imperial Palace Martial Arts: New Moon Kick]
This technique originated from the myth that the first Emperor of Kaizen kicked towards the sky, making the full moon shrink into a new moon.
Boom!
With the impact came the sound of an explosion ringing throughout the gym.
‘Nothing beats a sandbag for stress relief…’
Crack!
“Uh?”
Dust from the ceiling began to fall around my feet.
This was definitely indoors, right?
And it didn’t take long for me to quickly realize what the debris was.
[‘Mint Choco Mala Xiang Guo’ donated 10,000 won!]
– The ceiling… is cracked…
[‘Na-me’s Dad is a Farmer’ donated 25,000 won!]
– Even in our industry, this isn’t normally a reward…
