You Look Like a Man, Member – 2

-Swish, swish, swish.

The rain fell coolly, and the umbrella shielding Garam and me stoutly blocked the heavy downpour.

-Pat, pat, pat.

The sound of rain drumming on the taut umbrella.

That fierce sound helped Garam, who was gritting her teeth and stifling her sobs.

“Ugh…”

A whimper squeezed out between her tightly closed lips.

Her efforts not to appear weak, not to break down, overlapped with my own past self.

Though the meaning has faded, didn’t someone say?

That youth is painful, and adulthood is wavering.

It seems that we, as both youth and adults, are bound to be hurt and shaken by the things of the world.

That’s why I can’t say anything to her.

Because I know that her pain is entirely her own, and my sympathy would only be cheap pity.

All I can do is hold the umbrella over her.

That’s all.

“Ugh, hng…”

Garam quietly wept like that for a while.

“……”

After what felt like ten minutes, her breathing stabilized, and the sobs were no longer audible.

I struck a cool pose, but the ambient temperature has dropped a lot, and it’s cold.

“Aren’t you cold?”

I’m worried about Garam. She’s soaked to the bone, looking like a drowned rat, so she must be very cold.

Her body is already trembling; if I leave her like this, she’ll obviously catch a cold.

“Garam, aren’t you cold?”

There’s no answer, so I ask again, and she finally responds.

“…I’m cold.”

Garam mumbled in a voice as small as a mosquito.

“Well, shall we go to the car? I drove here. If you’re uncomfortable, I’ll take you to the bus stop.”

I give her a choice, worried that she might misunderstand me as making unwanted advances. If she’s really uncomfortable, she’ll take the bus.

-Swish, swish, swish.

The rain intensifies. Now the wind is blowing too, making it hard to block the rain even with an umbrella.

Since the direct attack from above isn’t working, it seems these guys are trying to attack from the side.

Sniffle, Garam wiped her nose and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

Her eyes were red, whether from tears or from rubbing them.

“Then… excuse me… can I get in the car?”

“Of course. Actually, it’s not great to send you off on the bus in this weather. Your clothes are soaked too.”

And so, we headed to the parking lot. Slowly.

Back in the cozy car, the situation was better than before.

The raindrops that had been hitting the umbrella were now hitting the car roof.

The sound was clearer, too.

“Achoo!”

Garam sneezed in the car, so I turned on the heater.

Warm air heated the interior.

“……”

“……”

We continued in silence for a while.

It wasn’t that we had nothing to say, but rather that there were more messages that could be conveyed through silence than through words.

I followed the flow of the rain obscuring the car window with my eyes, and Garam stared blankly ahead with reddened eyes.

“Aren’t you going to ask?”

Breaking the long silence, Garam opened her mouth.

“Ask what?”

“Why I’m like this. Why I’m crying.”

Sniffle, she wiped her nose again.

I turned my gaze to her. She looked at me, as if curious about my answer.

We were laughing and exercising together this morning, so this serious atmosphere felt a little awkward.

“Well, I don’t think there’s any need to ask. It’s Garam’s business. It’s strange to pry when the person involved doesn’t want to talk about it.”

Her eyes widened, as if my answer was unexpected.

She seemed to want to say something, her lips moving, but she couldn’t seem to think of the right words.

After choosing her words for a long time, a voice came from her parted lips.

“Inho, you don’t seem like an adult.”

What, does she think I’m like a kid?

“I am immature, aren’t I?”

“Ah, no! Not in that sense… It’s just like talking to someone of a similar age. It’s a stereotype, but… older adults than me usually say things like, ‘What’s the problem?’ ‘Tell me. I’ll solve it for you.'”

“I probably can’t say that I don’t have those aspects either. Maybe I’m just not interested in others.”

Embarrassed, I scratched the back of my head and turned my gaze to the window.

For some reason, I felt Garam’s gaze fixed on the back of my head.

“I see.”

And then, silence again.

I drummed my fingers on the top of the steering wheel, taking in the parking lot without really seeing it.

“Do you feel better now?”

After some more time passed, I spoke to her.

“Just a little.”

Her voice definitely sounds brighter than before.

When I started the car, a gentle vibration resonated through the body.

“Where shall I take you? Home?”

“No, I don’t want to go home.”

Her firm words startled me for a moment.

“Then… I’ll take you to the center. I think everyone has left work.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

Stepping on the accelerator, the car smoothly exited the parking lot.

The lights in the corridor on the 6th floor of Myungsung Building were still dim.

“I told them to repair it, so it will be fixed soon. Please bear with it a little longer.”

When Ho-cheol returns from vacation.

She smiled gently and thanked me.

Garam turned the lights back on in the darkened center and headed to the shower room.

I sat in the chair at the desk, watching the empty center as I waited for her.

Ah, but it’s a big problem that there are no people.

Well, I’m getting free PT, but Garam’s livelihood depends on this. It’s no use if there are so few people.

I wonder if there’s a way to attract more members…

While I was worrying about the future of a fitness center that wasn’t even my own business, Garam, who had changed her clothes, returned.

The miserable appearance from being rained on was completely gone, and she was back to her usual self, looking fluffy and dry.

-Growl

Sounds came from both my and Garam’s stomachs at the same time.

Come to think of it, I haven’t had dinner either.

“Would you like to eat something?”

“Yes, well… is there chicken breast here too?”

“No, let’s just order something today.”

“Huh?”

Is this woman really the Garam I know? Ordering in?

As I looked up at her with a dumbfounded expression, she puffed out her cheeks and grumbled.

“Do you think I only eat chicken breast for every meal? I don’t do it that strictly unless it’s competition season.”

That’s unexpected. I thought she even ate chicken breast for snacks.

She turned on the delivery app and placed an order at a familiar chicken restaurant.

“We can’t overeat, so one can of beer each. And how about a whole chicken? Half and half?”

“Sounds good. I have no reason to refuse.”

A PT trainer-approved meal is legitimate.

“I’ll pay.”

I don’t feel like being treated by her when she’s struggling with money.

But she didn’t seem to like my words.

She sat across from me and held out her arm.

“Then let’s do this. Arm wrestling.”

“Arm wrestling?”

“Yes, that would be fair. I’ll face Inho with two fingers.”

She said confidently, holding out her index and middle fingers.

“Um… even so, I’m a man. Just grab my wrist.”

“Really? No take-backs?”

“Ah, have you been deceived all your life? I’m still a bit strong, though.”

I also put my arm on the table.

Her hand firmly gripped my wrist.

Hmm… she’s a little strong.

“Okay, shall we start on three?”

“One.”

“Two.”

“Three.”

“Ugh, grrr, grrr, grrr!”

I put all my strength into pushing her over!

“…Inho, don’t joke around.”

Garam’s face hardened, thinking I was teasing her.

Hey, if you react like that, I’ll be embarrassed…

My face turned red, and I felt hot.

“Hey, I’m not kidding!!”

Ugh, grrr, grrr. Even when I tried to push her over while grabbing the table with my other hand, my arm wouldn’t move easily, as if it was caught on something solid.

“Hee… is that all the strength you have?”

Garam’s voice was heard lowly.

-Thud!

And before I knew it, my arm was down.

In the blink of an eye, my arm was over.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Garam narrowed her eyes and licked her lips.