She was no different from a beast

Chapter 39

—–CROW—– 

*Thud!!*

“Wow, how much weight is that?  Those plates… *whistles* Is this what youth is all about?”

“Tell me about it. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Yuna lift heavy. No wonder all the plates were gone.”

Murmurs rippled through Ogok Health Club.

Amidst the hardcore gym rats obsessed with iron and protein, I was the boisterous gym idol!

My body was slender, but with well-defined, beautiful lines and lean muscles.  My legs were long, and my skin was smooth and flawless.

I set down the barbell, loaded with plates, with a resounding thud that shook the floor.  As I stretched, my sweat-drenched body glistening, I looked completely out of place in the sweaty gym.

More importantly…wow. Just wow.

The men, normally proud of their own muscles, forgot their workouts and stared, captivated by the young girl’s deadlift.

It was understandable.

A small, young girl, barely reaching their shoulders…

Just minutes ago, she was in her school uniform. Now she was effortlessly lifting and lowering a barbell that looked to be well over 200kg, like it was a warm-up. Who *wouldn’t* stare?

“Oh, um, do you need these plates?” I asked.

“No! No! Keep going. It’s motivating to see you lift heavy after so long!”

The burly, muscular men chuckled and waved me off as I wiped the sweat dripping from my forehead.  Then, they added four more 20kg plates to the already intimidating barbell – a bizarre sight.

Yong-chul, dragged here semi-against his will after work and already exhausted after just ten minutes, watched from afar, shaking his head in disbelief.

*That’s* a middle schooler? She’s a gorilla.

At school, she seemed like a normal, albeit cheerful and friendly student. But outside, especially at the gym, she turned into a wild animal.

Yong-chul, regretting his decision to take a few days off from the gym, wanted to cry.

I just wanted to get in shape and get a girlfriend! Why did I ask *her* to work out with me?!

I should have just talked about stocks with Mr. Oh Young, like the other older teachers!

Mr. Yoon Oh-young, the social studies teacher, was known for his blatant favoritism towards Yuna.

Other teachers would sneak up and startle her or poke her awake when she was drooling and sleeping in class, but Mr. Yoon…

* “Teacher, Yuna is sleeping.”

* “What? Yuna’s sleeping? So what! Let her sleep! She must be tired. Leave her alone.”

* “???”

It might look like he’d given up on her, but surprisingly, he was often seen chatting and laughing with her, treating her like his own daughter.

The students were puzzled by this irony, but the teachers knew that Mr. Oh-young and Yuna were close because they talked about investments and financial management.

‘I heard he actually made money following her investment advice.’

Now, there were even rumors that he cherished her more than his own children.

…I’m so jealous. Damn it.

“Haa!”

“Oh!  Wow, she lifted that?  *Whistles*”

“Her core strength is incredible.  How can she lift that weight without a spotter?”

‘Insane.’

Find the homeroom teacher whose assigned student is surrounded by burly men, sweating profusely in extremely revealing workout clothes.

…Seriously, someone save me.

Is she even human?

The bar is bending so much; is that even safe?

It must be, or those guys wouldn’t just be standing there, watching in awe. Damn.

Her small, petite frame showcased well-defined, sculpted muscles.

Her erector spinae muscles were visible, running down her back to her waist, along with her latissimus dorsi muscles, stretching from her back to her shoulders, and her clearly defined arm muscles… It was a beautiful sight.

Except for the terrifyingly heavy barbell she was holding… Beautiful, my ass.

‘But I can’t get angry at her.  Seriously.’

This is so frustrating.

I asked her to do this, so if I get mad now, I’ll look petty.

*Thud!*

A heavy thud echoed through the gym.  Ah, she’s finally done.

As she set down the barbell, drenched in sweat, and started removing the plates, the men around her stepped in to help, carrying the plates away.

Before leaving, they clapped and asked her to show them that again next time.

“All rested, Teacher?” I asked.

“…Teacher’s done. I can’t lift another finger.”

You monster!  How much further are you going to push me?! You’re the student, and I’m the teacher! It’s supposed to be the other way around!!

“Heehee, you sound like you still have some energy left! Come on! Let’s finish with ten minutes on the treadmill!”

‘Seriously?’

Yuna, people can talk even when they’re exhausted.

What kind of cruel and unusual punishment is this?

I pleaded with her with my eyes, with my expression, to stop, but she just grinned, sweat pouring down her face, and dragged me to the treadmill, where I was forced to run like a hamster on a wheel.  Finally, I was free to leave.

“Don’t you play any games, Teacher?” I asked.

“Games?  Well…I used to, but not anymore.  I played a bit of Thunder Attack and MapleStory, but I quit after passing the teacher certification exam.”

“Hmm.”

“Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.  You’re so out of shape. I thought you might enjoy games.”

I’d showered, changed back into my uniform, and used all my charm to score a free coffee.  As I sipped it, I offered my perfectly reasonable deduction, but my homeroom teacher just grimaced.

Why are you looking at me like that?

I’m not talking nonsense.  You’re slumped over like a wet mop after just a little bit of exercise, so I asked.

“So, you sleep through class and drool all over your desk because you like games?”

“I *do* like games. You know, Gun Ground is trending these days.”

“…Wait, you’re not staying up all night playing games, are you?”

“Nah~ I go to bed early, even if I want to keep playing~ I only play on weekends.”

If I played games on weekdays, I might not just doze off in class; I might be late!

My teacher, looking like he was about to pass out, stared at me with a mixture of disbelief and exasperation as he chugged his Americano, practically to stay alive… Wow.

‘He reminds me of myself in my past life, drinking coffee to survive late nights at work.’

“You’ve changed a lot since we started, though, haven’t you?  Your belly isn’t sticking out as much, and I saw some muscle definition in your arms.”

“That’s true.  Honestly, I think this is good enough…”

“But you said you wanted a girlfriend.”

It’s a little sad to see him struggling, but it would be a shame to quit now, wouldn’t it?  If he reaches 15% body fat, I’ll introduce him to a nice unnie!

‘They’re about the same age, and…’

“Sigh, it’s autumn already. When I was your age, I used to go to parks and mountains with my parents to look at flowers. The cosmos blooming around this time are so beautiful.”

“?? You like flowers?”

“Who doesn’t like flowers?  Autumn flowers are so pretty. Sunflowers, chrysanthemums… Well, I like cosmos the most.”

‘And they seem to have similar tastes, too.’

Yerin Unnie, who used to run a flower shop, and Yong-chul, who likes flowers… They’d be a perfect match.

How many people these days are interested in flowers?

If I asked my classmates what flowers bloom in autumn, most of them wouldn’t be able to answer.

Speaking of cosmos…

“Is the flower language of cosmos ‘girlhood’? …Teacher, you have a thing for young girls, don’t you~?”

“Pfft!! What?! Don’t say such outrageous things!”

Well, flower language isn’t set in stone, and people tend to interpret it however they want, but there’s always a most common meaning, right?

I giggled, covering my mouth with both hands, and made a playful joke.  My teacher sprayed coffee all over my face in disgust.

Seriously, you don’t have to spit your drink on my face.

If you don’t like it, you can just say so.

*Buzz, buzz.*

“Hey, you have a phone call. It’s your mom…or rather, your parents.”

“Shouldn’t you be worried about my face right now, instead of my phone?”

“Who told you to make that kind of joke? Just answer the phone.”

Geez, you’re so mean.

I wasn’t really bothered, anyway.  I wiped my face with a tissue and answered the phone. As expected, Mom was complaining about me not calling all day.

If anyone heard her, they’d think I was an ungrateful daughter, addicted to the city and forgetting my parents.

I always tell her I’ll call when I get home, but she always calls me around this time.

…Should I tease her a little?

“Huh? Me? Um…I just got out of the shower with my homeroom teacher.”

“???”

“Huh? No, of course, we showered because we were sweaty~ You’re asking if we were together all this time?  Well, yeah, we were supposed to meet today, so of course…  Wait, Teacher?!”

“Hey!! What are you telling her?!”

My teacher snatched my phone, sweating profusely, and started frantically explaining to my mom, even though she wasn’t there.

“Um, Y-Yuna’s mother! It’s a misunderstanding. Yes, well, Yuna asked me to work out with her, so we went to the gym. Yes, I’m not that kind of person.  I’ll make sure she gets home safely, so don’t worry!!”

Wow, this is fun.

I should do this again sometime.

—–CROW—– 

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