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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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While I was out buying beer, the chicken arrived.
Ga-ram was already unpacking it when I got back.
The tantalizing aroma filled the air, my senses heightened after the intense workout.
“Perfect timing, boss.”
She said as I returned.
I sat down at the perfectly set table and handed her a beer.
“Thanks for the food.”
She replied with another polite phrase and picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks.
For a moment, I doubted if this was the same Ga-ram, considering she was about to eat fried food, but then I saw which piece she had chosen, and I knew it was her.
Nom, nom, nom~
She devoured the fried chicken breast with gusto.
I didn’t understand why she would choose the breast when there were so many other, tastier options available.
“Aren’t you going to have a wing or a leg?”
I wondered if she was still sticking to her strict diet.
She paused mid-chew, the crispy skin crackling between her teeth.
“Oh, I’ll have a wing. You can have all the legs. You paid, after all.”
Ga-ram was definitely an angel.
“No take-backs?”
“None whatsoever.”
Reassured, I reached for a marinated drumstick.
The glistening skin glistened under the fluorescent lights.
I took a large bite, the juices exploding in my mouth.
Ah, that’s the stuff.
“Ga-ram, by the way…”
“Yes?”
I had been too distracted by the chicken to mention it earlier, but something had been bothering me.
“Why are you calling me ‘boss’’ again? I thought we agreed you would call me ‘member.’”
“We’re not working out right now. I only call you ‘member’ during our sessions.”
She had her own set of rules, apparently.
“Want a beer?”
She asked, holding up her can and striking a pose like a model in a soju commercial.
It was hard to believe this was the same woman who had been crying just a short while ago.
Well, it was better that she was in good spirits.
I didn’t want to dwell on her earlier distress.
Tsss~
The sound of carbonation escaping followed by the ‘click’ of the can opening.
“Cheers?”
Her cheerful demeanor was so endearing that I couldn’t help but smile.
“Cheers.”
Clink!
The cans clinked together in the quiet gym.
She took a small sip, while I, parched from my workout, practically chugged mine.
Gulp, gulp!
The sharp, fizzy sensation stung my throat.
“Whoa…”
She watched me with wide eyes.
She had apparently never seen anyone drink beer like that.
Embarrassed, I put down my can and looked away.
We ate in comfortable silence for a while.
My stomach, which had shrunk considerably thanks to Ga-ram’s strict diet, felt full after just half a chicken.
“I’m… in debt.”
Ga-ram finally said, picking at a piece of pickled radish.
She was finally ready to talk about what had been bothering her.
I hadn’t asked, but I listened.
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To summarize, it was inherited debt.
This fitness center—it had previously been called “Ga-ram Gym”—was her father’s legacy.
A legacy that came with a hefty price tag.
Her father’s sudden death had thrust her into the harsh realities of adulthood.
She was legally an adult, but she had never had a real job before.
She was basically a grown-up child.
It was like moving out for the first time and realizing how much you don’t know about managing a household and navigating the complexities of adult life.
She had made some mistakes, and the debt had piled up.
The gym wasn’t doing well either.
“What should I do?”
She asked, finishing her beer.
“Hmm…”
Even in my original body, I hadn’t been that much older than her.
But I had seen my share of hardship.
I felt like I could offer her some useful advice.
I wished I had another beer.
This conversation was going to be a long one.
I crossed my legs, trying to appear more confident than I felt.
“First of all, you have a great opportunity right now.”
“Huh?”
“Your gym’s operating costs have gone down significantly. You don’t have to pay rent for a while.”
“Oh, yes, I’m very grateful for that…”
She started to bow, but I stopped her.
“No, no, that’s not what I meant. Let’s analyze your current situation.”
I cleared my throat and continued.
“So, you have debt. Bank loans?”
“Yes.”
“No loan sharks or anything like that?”
“No, just the bank.”
“That’s good. It would have been much more complicated if you had borrowed money from… less reputable sources.”
“You have monthly payments, but you don’t want to close the gym, right?”
“No, I want to keep the gym running no matter what.”
She looked at me pleadingly, as if she thought I was going to suggest she shut it down.
“You can’t give up on the gym. It’s your only source of income. How could you possibly close it?”
“Yes… of course.”
Her expression softened slightly.
“The interest is one thing, but you need to pay off the principal to truly escape this debt. So, what do we need to do?”
“Uh… make the gym profitable?”
“Exactly. But that’s not going to happen overnight, is it? Not in its current state.”
“No…”
“Your long-term goal should be to make the gym successful. But that’s not going to generate income immediately. So, you need a side hustle. Reviving the gym is a long-term project.”
“I see. Should I get a part-time job?”
“No, that’s not going to solve your problems. You won’t have time to run the gym if you’re working another job.”
Her shoulders slumped.
“This is hard. I would have paid it off already if it were easy.”
“So, what you need is a side hustle that you can do at the gym.”
“Is there such a thing?”
I paused and looked at her, taking in her appearance.
Her faded hair, her worn-out tracksuit.
She had zero sex appeal.
To be blunt, even the female streamers on OceaniaTV were more attractive and charismatic.
But I saw potential.
“Ga-ram, can you close the gym on Sundays?”
“Yes, I mean… no one comes anyway…”
“Let’s go somewhere.”
“Where?”
“First… the hair salon.”
I needed a haircut anyway.
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