Chapter 24 : Same apartment

Health Boy, as his nickname clearly indicates, was a person who, unusually for a game streamer, loved working out.

Even today, he was lifting weights at the gym in his apartment building, but unlike his muscles that were performing the movements accurately, his insides were trembling chaotically.

Like any young man, the cause was a woman, but not a woman he knew in real life.

He was debating whether he should ask Ruffian to take back the 15 million won mission even now.

‘Losing 15 million won out of the blue is too unexpected of an expense. No, she’ll probably fail the mission. 1.5 million isn’t a small amount either, but it’s something I can handle.’

In truth, losing 15 million wouldn’t ruin his life.

But he wasn’t rich enough to casually donate 15 million won either.

Of course, Health Boy, who owned a house, a 24-pyeong newly built apartment in a good location in Seoul, even under his own name, could be considered exceptionally wealthy among his peers.

It was incredibly lucky considering the harsh times when most young people can’t even dream of owning a home.

Even for him, whose monthly income was in the tens of millions, such an apartment was not easy to come by.

Thanks to riding the cryptocurrency boom well, his assets had multiplied several times, allowing him to buy the apartment without even taking out a loan.

Therefore, that house was undoubtedly and purely Health Boy’s property.

Even for Health Boy, who was doing so well, so successful, and had no worries about the future, 15 million won was too much money to just let go of.

‘It’s not money I can’t afford to spend, but f*ck, it’s not money to spend on a faceless streamer.’

Yes. That’s the problem. It’s not money to spend on a faceless streamer.

How could he possibly coolly throw away that kind of money when he’s not a billionaire?

‘Why did you do that, you crazy bastard.’

As Health Boy was berating himself, a figure that strangely caught his eye came into his line of sight.

“Haa, haa…”

A woman panting in a somewhat lewd way.

Health Boy usually avoids looking in that direction to maintain gym etiquette, but this time was an exception.

‘How can I not look when a silver-haired big-breasted woman is moaning, dammit.’

She was half-collapsed, holding onto the handles of the treadmill.

Her unnaturally large, unbalanced breasts on her thin, slender body forcefully stole his attention.

A tall, slender woman next to her was shaking her head at the silver-haired girl’s unexpectedly low stamina and scolding her.

“Unnie, you’re really in bad shape. How can you not even handle fast walking?”

Surprisingly, the smaller one was the older sister, and the taller one was the younger sister.

It seemed completely the opposite from their appearance.

“Ughh! Ahh!”

Unable to speak, the girl made a whiny sound, and her voice was very familiar.

‘Why is it familiar?’

Health Boy searched his memory and recalled the owner of the voice.

‘Ruffian?’

You can often see slim women in Korea.

But you rarely see slim and busty women.

And a slim, busty, and silver-haired woman, at least Health Boy had never seen one since he was born.

Except for Ruffian’s broadcast on the monitor.

That person was too exceptional.

A being that shouldn’t exist but does.

That was the Switch streamer Ruffian.

“I’m going to work on my lower body, so rest on the yoga mat for a bit.”

Ruffian’s companion, the healthy-looking woman, dragged the half-exhausted Ruffian to the mat and left to do her own workout.

This was an apartment gym that only residents of the same building could access.

It was currently the most off-peak time, lunchtime.

There were only three people in this space.

Ruffian, her companion, and Health Boy.

‘Is this for real?’

He had heard that Ruffian moved, and he had watched the broadcast where she explained the circumstances.

But for that apartment to be here, and for it to be the same building, and to miraculously meet at the gym at this time, what else could it be but fate?

‘This is f*cking fate.’

Health Boy, as if possessed, went and stood in front of Ruffian.

Her bowed face was still hard to see.

However, her silver hair tied up in a ponytail was so beautiful that it diminished the sense of reality, with its dreamy and exotic feel.

Her breasts, which seemed slightly smaller than on the broadcast, were probably due to the tight sports bra, and she was wearing a crop top over it.

Below, she wore leggings, which are popular among young women who exercise.

The sight was like a sports apparel photoshoot with a foreign model.

A living photoshoot, indeed.

“Ruffian?”

With 99% certainty, but with a 1% thought of ‘what if it’s not her,’ Health Boy spoke.

And slowly, Ruffian lifted her head.

The moment he confirmed her face, Health Boy’s breath stopped.

‘F*ck! Sexy!’

The highest compliment a man in his 20s could give came out naturally.

Health Boy had to try hard to keep that exclamation in his mind and not let it burst out of his mouth.

“Who are you?”

Unlike Health Boy, who was enjoying the joy and excitement, Ruffian looked scared.

Only then did Health Boy realize the difference in their physiques.

In height alone, there was a difference of a head.

Health Boy, with his 7 years of weightlifting experience and a crazy body that could deadlift 550, and Ruffian, with her thin limbs that looked like they could break with a touch and a waist that could be grasped with one hand.

The gap was bigger than the difference between an adult and a child.

Anyone could see that they were two people who didn’t match at all.

Or maybe they matched too much.

Of course, only within the famous title of ‘Beauty and the Beast.’

“Uh, well.”

Health Boy instinctively crouched down.

They say that animals don’t feel hostility or fear when you meet their eye level.

Ruffian was a human, not a beast, but Health Boy, whose mind was half gone, didn’t think that far.

Actually, in many ways, she is like a beast.

Her way of talking, for example.

“Are, are you a streamer?”

“Ah! I’m Health Boy, who broadcasts League of Legends on Switch.”

Just the fact that Ruffian remembered he was a streamer made Health Boy’s lips curl up into a smile.

“We have quite a deep connection, don’t we?”

Health Boy said with a bright smile.

The reason Ruffian’s broadcast first gained traction was because she was caught on Health Boy’s broadcast and picked a fight with him.

But Ruffian couldn’t smile at all.

“I, I, I, I, I’m, s, s, s, sorry about that. I, I, I, I’m really sorry. A, a, at that time, then I’ll be going.”

With her legs still trembling from the aftereffects of fast walking, Ruffian tried to get up and hurriedly escape to where her companion was.

‘She thinks I’m a guy hitting on her! Well, with that face. She must be used to guys hitting on her! No, she must be sick of it!’

Health Boy was flustered by Ruffian’s attitude.

If she leaves in disgust, Ruffian might give up on this gym and go somewhere else.

With that thought, Health Boy impulsively revealed a fact he had never intended to reveal.

“Ruffian, I’m SilentMeditation. I used a secondary nickname because I’m a broadcaster. I’m that much of a fan.”

Health Boy’s confession made Ruffian turn back around. There was still a bit of doubt on her face.

“Oh, chairman?”

“Yes, I’m SilentMeditation, the one who put up that mission.”

“Oh? Oh? Oh? Oh? Really?”

Ruffian’s expression softened a little from the look of disgust. There still seemed to be a slight hint of caution and suspicion.

“Yes, look at this.”

Health Boy showed her the screen of his phone logged into the Switch app with the SilentMeditation ID.

“I apologize for banning you back then. It was unavoidable for the smooth progress of the broadcast. It was obvious that it would attract too much attention. After that, I was curious and went to watch your broadcast, and it was so much fun that I kept watching and became a fan. You’re really charming.”

Ruffian only recently started showing her cam, and even then, she hasn’t shown anything above her neck.

SilentMeditation is a viewer who watched Ruffian before she turned on her cam, a sponsor who even sponsored her to buy a cam, and even before that, a big shot who put up a 5 million won mission.

In other words, he imprinted the image that he wasn’t a guy hitting on her because of her face or chest. It seemed to have worked, as the look of caution almost completely disappeared from Ruffian’s face and voice.

“You said you run a small business, so that business was broadcasting.”

“Yes. Ruffian, your broadcast is really fun, and seeing it grow bigger than mine these days makes me think that fun broadcasts do get popular. It makes me proud of my judgment, you know? But it’s a bit sad that Ruffian, who was once my little secret, has become a public pick! Haha.”

Wearing the perfect mask of sweetness, Health Boy tried to continue the conversation using the common ground of being streamers.

“Controversy, explanation, controversy, explanation, it’s just a bubble from repeating that. I think it’ll shrink back down soon.”

‘There’s no way.’

There’s no way she’ll shrink back down with those tits and that voice. Especially if she reveals her face, she could easily surpass 10,000 average viewers.

Health Boy didn’t say this extremely crude but objective assessment out loud. He just thought it and moved on.

“Even if the bubble bursts, it’ll be much bigger than before. I think you’ll do much better than my broadcast. Haha.”

“O-of…”

Not knowing how to react, Ruffian was met with Health Boy’s aggressive approach.

He wanted to form a solid connection on this occasion.

“Can I leech off a collab with you? Let’s consider it an apology for ‘that incident’.”

“Well, you’re a quiet, healing, skilled broadcaster, Health Boy, and I’m a bomb of issues and attention, so I don’t think a collab between us is a good idea.”

“I’m worried because my viewership seems to be gradually declining these days. After 3 years of broadcasting, everyone who would watch has probably watched, so now I need to think about attracting people who don’t usually watch. So I think a collab with Ruffian would be really great.”

“I, if you put it that way.”

“Then, to plan the collab, can I have your contact information?”

Ruffian, with trembling hands, typed her phone number into Health Boy’s phone.

‘Still, the fact that she gives her number so easily might mean that her first impression of me isn’t that bad?’

Health Boy flexed his big, hard muscles for no reason.

Ruffian usually has a cool and bold personality.

Wouldn’t she prefer these awesome muscles over scrawny, effeminate guys? Today, Health Boy was especially proud of the muscles he had built up over 7 years.

“Then I’ll contact you sometime today.”

“Yes, yes.”

A man should know when to close the deal.

It would be rude to keep her all day when she has a companion.

Health Boy headed to the shower room in a good mood.