Chapter 41: A Squat Too Far: Fitness, Fluster, and Friendship

– “Alright, stretch your arms forward! Make sure your knees don’t go past your toes!” The woman on YouTube was demonstrating a squat.

“Ma-make sure my toes don’t go past…”

I mimicked her words and posture, awkwardly getting into position.

–  “Next, inhale, hold it! And squat!”

“Huff…!”

I went down, then exhaled as I came up.

I did this about eight times. That seemed like the right amount. Three sets like this.

Thanks to running with Song Chae-hyun and doing squats often, my leg strength had improved from before.

Back then, my legs would tremble every time I stood up from a chair.

Now, they shook a little less.

“Whew…”

I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

Wearing the leggings and shirt Song Chae-hyun had bought me, sweat was absorbed well, keeping me cool.

It had been a few sessions since I started working out with Song Chae-hyun, and I could genuinely feel my stamina improving.

…

I still can’t do push-ups. Well, technically, I don’t.

For some reason, squats were more appealing than push-ups.

They say men are fixated on their upper bodies, while women are fixated on their lower bodies. Turns out it’s true.

Even I started to get focused on my lower body.

As for the upper body… I didn’t really care. It felt fine as it was.

Of course, having abs like Song Chae-hyun would be amazing… but more than that, I really wanted her kind of butt.

It’s not that I’m looking at it with impure intentions. Since becoming a woman, I genuinely look at it with admiration.

Like this YouTube woman… and Song Chae-hyun, too.

Then, when I look in the mirror, I feel a bit discouraged.

I find myself wishing I could look like that.

If my butt became as full and my thighs as toned as Song Chae-hyun’s…

Maybe my viewers would be more captivated by me.

Like before, without straying.

Wow.

Crazy.

Wow…

No, was I really this obsessed?

I feel like I’m going to go insane. Wow…

Really, wow.

Just thinking about it made me feel happy.

I get called ‘provocative’ a lot, but what I really want to be called is ‘sexy.’

I think ‘sexy’ and ‘provocative’ are completely different.

‘Provocative’ has a bit of a cheap feel to it.

But… has it really grown?

I tried different poses in the bathroom.

You know, the poses that pop up on Instagram if you search #WorkoutComplete or #FitGirls.

Standing with my back turned, sticking my butt out, slightly turning my head.

Click.

…

It looks too provocative.

It’s not sexy; it’s provocative. Maybe because I’m only wearing leggings, it feels even more intense.

Let’s take one more.

After putting on the pants that Song Chae-hyun bought me over the leggings, this time I took a simple standing photo.

Click.

“Everyone.”

– Hmm? Why, what’s up?

“H-How does it look?”

I stood up and asked.

It was nice to be able to move freely without being restricted by a headset mic.

– ??
– What’s she asking about?
– Haha, is this one of those weird guessing games?

“No, no…”

I twirled my hair as I asked.

“Did… didn’t it get… bigger?”

– ??
– What got bigger?

“… No…”

Do I really need to spell it out?

Can’t they get the hint from the context?

“My… my butt…”

It’s only been a few weeks, so I wasn’t expecting dramatic results, but maybe there’d be some noticeable change.

– Show your butt, then.
– How can we judge when you’re not showing anything?
– Haha, wearing a tennis skirt? Asking how her butt looks? What am I supposed to say?
– At least turn around.

“I… I don’t want to do that…”

– ??
– Hahaha, what’s with her?
– This is hilarious.

It was true, but… the idea made me uncomfortable.

I had wanted them to notice something different without me doing that.

– “FitnessExpert8Years has donated 1000 won.”
– Not being biased, but her thighs do seem to look a bit toned.

“R-really?”

– Loyalist in the chat, haha.
– Is this guy a simp?
– How can he tell, haha.

But somehow, it did feel real.

Maybe it’s that placebo effect or whatever.

It wasn’t just him; a few others seemed to agree.

I asked him directly.

“Do… do you think it’s better than Ji-eun’s?”

– But Ji-eun doesn’t even turn on her camera. Seeing how you keep comparing yourself to her, she must be really pretty, haha.
– Wow, this guy’s a genius. The king of deduction, haha.
– Just by her voice, you can tell she’s probably gorgeous, though.
– I even followed her with my secondary account after seeing this.

…

“Why are they suddenly talking about Ji-eun again? Ugh, clueless idiots.”

I blocked them all with a three-day suspension.

…

Guess it’s too early to have them wrapped around my finger. I need to make them all mine soon.

Just then, a donation came in.

– “Sydney0821 donated 1,000 won: By the way, how tall are you? From the way you look standing, you seem to have a great body proportion, but you look a bit short.”

Height?

I doubt I’m that short. Maybe it’s just that I used to be taller than I am now, so it feels that way. But I’d say I’m at least above average.

“I don’t know… around 163?”

– Huh?
– 163? Haha.

“W-What? I haven’t measured, but it should be around that height.”

I responded, a little flustered. I didn’t expect them to react like that.

– “Director donated 1,000 won: There’s no way you’re 163. You’re definitely in the 150s, probably around 155.”

“What nonsense…No way…”

That made me serious.

Men are sensitive about their height.

The more I thought about it, the more absurd it felt.

It’s not that I’m short; it’s just that the people around me are too tall.

“I’m definitely over 160, no question.”

I can’t be shorter than that. My pride won’t allow it.

– “Lolicon donated 1,000 won: I’m guessing you’re around 150—perfect for being cute and tiny.”

“W-What…”

My heart skipped a beat.

– [Lolicon was banned by ‘Ji-eunJi-eunJi-eunJi-yu’].

…

“Good job, sis.”

– dlgusdl123: “?”

Oh, so Song Chae-hyun was here too.

Wait, does that mean she heard everything I was talking about? About whether my butt got bigger and if it’s better than Ji-eun’s?

Thinking about it, my face started to heat up. I should have remembered to check the manager list when discussing stuff like this.

But then I noticed a message from Song Chae-hyun in the chat.

– dlgusdl123: “What’s ‘perfect for being cute and tiny’? I banned them for that.”

“Ah…”

Seems she doesn’t know much internet slang, probably since she’s not online often.

– Ji-eunJi-eunJi-eunJi-yu: “Hmm… ^^;”

– Haha, our manager’s so innocent.
– One of them seems to know, though, haha.
– She banned them because she gets it.
– Isn’t this the person who delivers insults so perfectly? Sweet but feisty… ultimate charm combo.

– dlgusdl123: “What does ‘perfect for being cute and tiny’ mean, Ji-eun?”

– Gasp.
– Gasp, haha.

– Ji-eunJi-eunJi-eunJi-yu: “How about I-hyun explains it to you?”

“Me?”

“Why me…?”

“…Ji-eun must be stirring things up.”

Ji-eun… She can be pretty mischievous at times. Well, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’m an adult, and so is Song Chae-hyun. I should just explain it.

“…It’s… well, it means…”

– Wow, you’re actually saying it, haha!
– She’s so… bold, haha.

But despite trying to be confident, my voice faltered as I continued.

“It… it means, like… thrusting it in…”

As soon as I said it, my face turned red.

– Hahaha! She actually said it, hahaha!
– She seems nice, but she’s brutal with her words.

“Ugh…”

Embarrassed, I covered my burning face with both hands.

– dlgusdl123: “Where did you learn words like that, Moon I-hyun?”
– dlgusdl123: “Are you going to keep learning weird words?”

“Huh?”

Why was I suddenly being scolded?

“It’s the internet’s fault. The internet.”

…

In the group voice chat, I was practically kneeling and listening to Song Chae-hyun’s lecture.

“When you learn words like that, you keep saying strange things in games, and saying strange things leads to learning even more of them. It’s a vicious cycle.”

“I’m sorry…”

– “I’m not saying you shouldn’t go online. I know it’s part of your job. But—”

Why was I getting scolded again? It was some troublesome viewer who made me say it.

– “Alright, alright, let’s not just scold her.”

Once Song Chae-hyun finished, Ji-eun suddenly clapped.

…Nice one, Ji-eun…

– “I’m actually more curious about something else.”

“About what?”

– “Your height, I-hyun.”

– “Oh, I’m curious too.”

Is it really that interesting? It feels so trivial.

“Hmm… I’d say I’m no shorter than 163. Even if I’m small, at least 160.”

…

– “So… what do you think?” Ji-eun asked.

It felt like she was holding back a laugh, and Song Chae-hyun hesitated.

– “Well… I’m not sure. To me, anyone shorter than me kind of looks the same.”

– “Ugh…”

– “Right, that’s how people naturally are.”

They laughed and shared a little moment of understanding.

I wanted to join in, but I rarely met anyone shorter than me.

…

Even middle schoolers, whether boys or girls, tend to be taller than me.

Am I really not even 160?

– “Don’t you have a measuring tape at home? You can measure yourself even alone.”

“Oh… no, I don’t.”

I rarely leave the house, so of course I wouldn’t have something like that.

– “Then, why don’t you come to my place now?”

Suddenly, Song Chae-hyun suggested with a snap.

“What?”

“What?”

– “We could measure you. Plus, we could have dinner together. How about it? I’m a great cook, you know?”

– “And I have a measuring tape at home.”

“For real? But wouldn’t it be a bother…?”

I really missed a good home-cooked meal.

– “Don’t worry about it. As you know, Chae-rin really likes you, and my siblings love having people around.”

“Well… in that case…”

“Sure?”

With her siblings around, it should be fine…

– “It’s alright. Have fun.”

Ji-eun spoke, and then an idea popped into my head.

“Oh, Ji-eun unnie, why don’t you join us? What do you think, Chae-hyun unnie?”

– “Hmm… I don’t think I can. I’ve got some work to do today.”

– “Huh? Who said you’re allowed?”

– “Haha… I’m just kidding. It’s a shame, though.”

What are they even talking about?

Anyway, it’s too bad. I’d hoped we could all meet up again. We’d been saying we’d meet for ages, but it kept falling through.

Well, nothing I can do. I’ll just enjoy the food and catch up with Ji-eun next time.

I was about to start getting ready when I suddenly thought of something.

“Oh, would you like to check out my selfie?”

– “A selfie?”

– “What kind of selfie?”

I hesitated for a moment, then said, “Um… just take a look.”

Feeling shy, I sent it straight to the group chat without looking.

I was a little embarrassed, but it was among women, after all… and I was even wearing pants over the leggings.

“So, how is it? Doesn’t it look a bit fuller?”

“Uh, hello?”

But there was still no response.

What’s going on?

When I checked the photo, I realized, to my horror, that I’d sent the wrong one. Instead of the picture with pants, it was a photo of just me in leggings, striking a pose.

W-Wrong one…!

“Delete…!”

My heart raced as I quickly hit the delete button.

– Message deleted.

Unlike before, this time the message was successfully erased.

“Phew…”

I wiped the cold sweat from my brow.

“You… you didn’t see it, right?”

“…Hello?”

– “Oh? Um… yeah…”

– “Yes, yes…”