By Zephyria 
“Where is the gym?”
“It’s right around here.”
“Really?”
Having cut his hair as planned, it was now time to work out. Just as Yoon Tae-hee said, the gym was a stone’s throw away from the hair salon. Unlike Yoon Tae-hee, who had a monthly membership, Jae-gyeom decided to try out the gym by purchasing a one-day pass.
The gym was located on the second floor of the building.
As soon as he stepped through the entrance, he was greeted by loud music and a vast array of exercise equipment. Since it was a weekday afternoon, it was relatively quiet. Jae-gyeom looked around the interior of the gym, glancing from left to right.
“Jae-gyeom, over here.”
Yoon Tae-hee explained how to use the gym to Jae-gyeom. First, he told him they had to go to the men’s locker room to change into workout clothes.
“But I don’t have any workout clothes. What do I do?”
“I brought some for you.”
“Ohh.”
Jae-gyeom followed Yoon Tae-hee toward the locker room. However, on the way, he noticed workout clothes laid out by size. It seemed that any gym member could wear them for free. Jae-gyeom stopped and pointed at the clothes.
“Hey, there are workout clothes here. They even give out socks and towels.”
Yoon Tae-hee paused and looked back at Jae-gyeom.
“Let’s wear these. Why bother taking laundry back home?”
Jae-gyeom said as he gathered the workout clothes. Yoon Tae-hee seemed to twitch an eyebrow for a moment before speaking in a troubled tone.
“I don’t want to wear those.”
“Why?”
“I don’t like wearing clothes other people have worn.”
It turned out the reason was that it didn’t align with his standards of hygiene. Jae-gyeom was flabbergasted by Yoon Tae-hee’s pickiness.
“Hey. You need to… live a bit more flexibly.”
Yoon Tae-hee didn’t say much and pretended to check his watch.
Entering the locker room, Jae-gyeom headed toward an empty locker alongside Yoon Tae-hee. As he took off his clothes and prepared to change into the workout gear he’d brought, he suddenly became conscious of the fact that he had to expose his body in front of Yoon Tae-hee. He stole a glance sideways, only to see Yoon Tae-hee casually stripping off his top. Jae-gyeom secretly peeked at Yoon Tae-hee’s body. Although he had lost some weight compared to before, he still had a great physique.
While he looked moderately slender in clothes, Yoon Tae-hee’s bare body felt more voluminous and had a firm, three-dimensional presence than expected.
Muscles that felt steadily built up while maintaining a refined line, broad shoulders and a wide back with delicate curves, smooth skin…
It was a body that felt uniquely complete, as if it had been crafted with great care.
Staring at Yoon Tae-hee’s back, Jae-gyeom suddenly felt an impulse to leave a vivid bite mark on that clean skin. It was a confusing desire—a mix of sadism and a will to conquer, wanting to bite down hard.
Jae-gyeom suddenly felt that he was being strange.
“Your hard work at the gym really paid off.”
“Why?”
Why? Because your body is so pretty.
Swallowing his inner thoughts, Jae-gyeom hurried to change his clothes.
Yoon Tae-hee patiently taught him how to use the machines. He focused on light exercises that wouldn’t strain the body, aimed at strengthening physical functions. It was a tailored lesson, considering that Jae-gyeom’s body hadn’t fully recovered yet and that he was a complete novice when it came to weight training, despite his excellent basic physical abilities.
The workout lasted about an hour and a half.
Since Jae-gyeom was only trying it out lightly, he hadn’t sweated much and remained fresh, but Yoon Tae-hee, the experienced one, was drenched in sweat after a high-intensity workout. It was visible how his black sleeveless shirt was soaked through.
“Shall we call it a day?”
“Sounds good.”
After finishing the last set and stepping off the machine, Jae-gyeom drank some water and caught his breath. Yoon Tae-hee asked while wiping away sweat.
“How was it, exercising for the first time?”
“It was doable.”
“You’ll probably have muscle soreness when you wake up tomorrow.”
“Really?”
The two chatted about this and that as they walked toward the locker room. Then, at some point, Jae-gyeom stopped in his tracks.
“Hey, hey. Look at that guy.”
Yoon Tae-hee looked in the direction Jae-gyeom was pointing.
A man was sitting on a machine, absorbed in his workout, and his shoulders and arms were literally hulking. He had a body on the level of a bodybuilder. Jae-gyeom couldn’t take his eyes off him. It was his first time seeing someone with a body like that in person. Even a professional wrestler or a strongman probably wouldn’t compare to that man.
Jae-gyeom whispered in admiration.
“Wow, how much do you have to work out to get like that?”
“….”
Yoon Tae-hee, who had been staring at the man, asked in a low whisper.
“Is that your type?”
“What?”
“Do you like bodies like that?”
“….”
Seriously, this guy’s train of thought always veers off in the strangest directions.
“Who said I like him? I just said it’s amazing.”
“Do you wish I had muscles like that too?”
“What are you talking about? I said it’s not like that.”
The two bickered as they headed to the locker room.
Now that the workout was over, all that remained was to shower and go home. The locker room was completely empty. Yoon Tae-hee took his toiletries and a towel out of the locker and began to take off his top and bottom in sequence. Jae-gyeom hesitated, scratching his cheek.
Then, Yoon Tae-hee asked nonchalantly.
“Aren’t you stripping?”
“….”
Actually, there was one thing he had overlooked.
To shower, one naturally has to be completely naked. That meant they would have to see each other’s naked bodies. In the past, he would have stripped without hesitation, thinking, ‘What’s the big deal about showing your body to another guy?’, but the situation was different now.
Not only had they never properly seen each other naked, but perhaps due to the influence of the R-rated columns he’d read in succession, Jae-gyeom was feeling an inexplicable tension. If, by some chance, his member were to get erect while showering together… his dignity would be completely ruined.
And Yoon Tae-hee must also find it embarrassing to show his member in front of me… Thinking this, Jae-gyeom made up his mind. He felt it would be better for one person to tactfully excuse themselves.
After hesitating for a moment, Jae-gyeom spoke, trying to sound natural.
“I—I’ll just wash up at home. I barely even sweated anyway… You go ahead and shower. I saw some chairs outside earlier, so I’ll just sit there and wait.”
At those words, Yoon Tae-hee gazed at Jae-gyeom.
“….”
After a moment of silence, Yoon Tae-hee…
“Okay,”
…nodded indifferently, and then took off his drawers, finally becoming completely stark naked. Jae-gyeom was the one who ended up flustered. As soon as he saw Yoon Tae-hee’s buttocks, Jae-gyeom hurriedly averted his gaze.
“T-then, I’ll be outside. See you when you’re done.”
“Yeah.”
Yoon Tae-hee gave Jae-gyeom one last look and then turned his back to enter the shower area. Hurriedly escaping the locker room, Jae-gyeom sat down on a chair in the gym lobby.
Wait, is he really that unfazed about showing his member in front of me?
Yoon Tae-hee seemed not to care at all, and Jae-gyeom felt awkward and somehow defeated, as if he were the only one bothered by it. Jae-gyeom scratched his head and sighed.
“What am I even doing…”
On the way home from the gym, raindrops began to fall one by one. At the time, he thought it would stop soon. However, after arriving home, showering, and eating dinner, he looked outside to find that the thin drizzle had turned into a downpour.
Looking out the window, Jae-gyeom muttered.
“I guess I can’t go for a walk today.”
“I guess so.”
Since it was raining and they couldn’t go for a walk, there wasn’t much to do. So, instead of a walk, they gathered in the living room with the family to eat snacks and watch a movie. The atmosphere became briefly awkward when a kissing scene appeared, but as usual with the movies Jeong-ju carefully selected, it was entertaining.
“I’m sleepy. I should head to bed.”
After the movie ended, Jeong-ju said with a yawn.
“Goodnight.”
“Sleep well.”
“Night.”
“Sweet dreams.”
After wishing the family goodnight, Jae-gyeom entered his room. He planned to study a bit before falling asleep.
Jae-gyeom lay face down on the bed and opened his workbook.
By the time he finished reviewing what he had learned today and skimmed through the workbook, it was already past midnight. Outside, the rain continued to fall steadily. Jae-gyeom stretched and yawned.
“Hwaaaaam…”
Feeling sleepy, Jae-gyeom tidied up his workbook and lay down. However, even after getting into bed, he tossed and turned for a while, unable to fall asleep. After some time had passed, as he listened to the sound of the heavy rain hitting the window, his eyes began to close slowly.
Come to think of it, it rained like this that day too…
His eyes fluttering, Jae-gyeom recalled the events of that day in his sleep.
It was a certain day spent in Geoyeo-do.