episode_0001

“Ah… I’m screwed.”

I’m screwed.

There was no better way to describe me right now.

Looking at the empty Hapkido gym in front of me, I couldn’t help but say that.

Me, Joo Seong-hyun.

27 years old.

Hapkido gym instructor and owner.

Number of members.

0 people.

“Shit.”

I never thought it would fail like this.

This Hapkido gym was my dream.

I had such vivid and joyful memories of playing with my friends at the Taekwondo gym when I was in elementary school, and I wanted to create a place like that too.

So I went to the Department of Physical Education. I studied to be a trainer and educator, not an athlete, got my qualifications, and graduated successfully.

And a little later, I enlisted in the Air Force and was honorably discharged.

After that, just as I was about to get a job to start my own gym.

“Our Seong-hyun… from now on, do what you want to do… live happily… smiling… don’t be too… *cough*… constrained…”

“…Yes. I will.”

“Okay…”

My grandfather passed away from an illness.

He took care of me a lot instead of my parents, who were busy with work, when I was a child. My grandfather loved me the most among his grandchildren, and I liked him very much too.

Thanks to that, I couldn’t live up to my size that day and cried all day long.

It was a peaceful passing, and he closed his eyes with a gentle smile at the end.

I was so overwhelmed with emotion at his concern for me until his last moment that I really cried my eyes out.

And a few days later, when I had calmed down a bit, my father handed me a bankbook.

“What’s this?”

“You said you were going to start your own gym. This is money your grandfather left to help you. Use it well.”

“Huh? No, how can I accept this? I have aunts too…”

“Did you think your grandfather didn’t give anything to your dad and aunts? They all got their share, so don’t worry about it and take it.”

“Still…”

“If you don’t want it, I’ll just change my car…”

“Give it to me.”

“This rascal?”

Fortunately, my family and relationships with relatives were very harmonious. And in fact, that’s just what he said, I knew that my dad had added a little more to what my grandfather had left.

‘Thank you, Grandpa. I’ll work hard.’

Thanks to my grandfather, I was able to shorten the time a lot. I immediately started analyzing the commercial district with my dad.

At the same time, I helped a college senior who ran a Taekwondo gym and learned more deeply about the work as an instructor and owner.

Instead of a common Taekwondo gym, I chose Hapkido, which I personally found more interesting.

Like that, for 1 year.

I was able to start a decent Hapkido gym in a neighborhood with a reasonable amount of traffic.

When I first started the gym, I was full of hope and my heart was filled with emotion.

As I did various events while opening, several little kids living in the neighborhood quickly registered.

These neighborhood gyms were often maintained as places to leave children around elementary school age. I gladly accepted the children, aiming for that as well.

And I promised my college juniors who were looking for part-time jobs instructor positions, and I thought I was slowly settling down.

“It went completely to hell.”

It failed in an instant.

Not a single member remained.

If I were to list the factors that led to this one by one, there would be various things, but the biggest reason was the Taekwondo gym not far away.

When I decided to settle here, I knew there was a successful Taekwondo gym nearby.

But that gym was so successful that it was almost saturated, and I thought it was enough to share the pie, so I settled here…

“That gym owner with no business ethics…”

As soon as I opened, the owner of the existing Taekwondo gym hurriedly expanded.

I think he had some thoughts of expanding from before.

But he couldn’t start because he didn’t know what would happen if he expanded rashly, and he seems to have decided after seeing children coming to my Hapkido gym.

And from that moment on, I slowly withered away.

There was no way to beat the Taekwondo gym that had been rooted here for over a decade.

The connections with the parents living around were strong, and from the perspective of the parents or children, they came to my gym because there were no spots in that Taekwondo gym, and if spots opened up, there was no reason to come here.

In the end, the kids who had registered started moving to the Taekwondo gym one by one, and because it was a place that mainly targeted children, adult customers didn’t show much interest.

Now, in my 1st year.

I was left alone to guard the empty Hapkido gym.

Yeah.

That’s how I went bankrupt.

“…….”

Night was approaching.

I sat blankly in the middle of the gym, reminiscing about the past and facing the hopeless reality.

There was nothing more I could do. I still tried to make an effort, selling my feet to promote, and I even tried blog advertising with a desperate heart, but it was useless.

I get calls once in a while, but few people actually visit afterwards.

Even if they do come, they sigh when they see the empty gym and leave again.

I really couldn’t see an answer.

“…It’s a waste of monthly rent. Should I give up now.”

I was exhausted.

Even if the gym fails, it doesn’t mean my life will fail. I have the monthly rent I’ve paid so far and some loans, but that much is covered by the deposit.

I’m sorry to my parents who believed in me… but I think it’s time to let go.

“If it wasn’t for that gym owner… no, it’s because I wasn’t good enough, why blame others.”

It’s bitter and painful, and I’m sorry to my late grandfather, but.

I should think of it as a good experience in my long life.

Anyway, I achieved my dream of starting a gym. It was fun to teach and play with the kids, even if it was only for 2 or 3 months.

“Should I have a drink alone today… and clean up tomorrow.”

I tried to be as positive as possible and got up.

I put on a jacket over my uniform. It might be chilly because it’s spring, but the one-room I’m living in is right in front of me anyway.

I turned off the power of the unnecessarily turned on computer and the lights of the gym.

“…….”

The dark interior of the gym was so cold… and lonely. My heart was filled with bitterness.

As if I couldn’t let go of my attachment, I stared at the empty gym for a while and turned around.

“…It’s cold.”

It was bone-chilling when I came outside. They said it was especially cold this year, but it was no joke even though it was already spring.

I have to stop by the convenience store and go home─I thought and started walking.

“Huu… It’s cold…”

In front of the building next door, a homeless person was squatting and shivering from the cold caught my eye.

I wonder if he was in his 50s or 60s. He was shivering from the cold in such a scruffy state that pity welled up just by looking at him.

For a moment, compassion surged, but I turned my eyes away.

‘I can barely take care of myself… let’s not get involved for no reason.’

Feeling sorry is one thing, but I wasn’t so kind that I would take something out of my pocket because I felt sorry for the homeless person.

I kept trying to look, but I tried to ignore it.

I went into the convenience store and bought alcohol and snacks.

Normally, I would have put a can or two of beer and some snacks in it, but for some reason, I was putting enough in my shopping basket that it would be hard to eat alone.

“That’s 32,000 won.”

Soju, beer, snacks… I wondered what I was doing, having ruined a gym.

But I paid for it anyway.

And I didn’t go straight home… I went back to the gym.

To be exact, to the old homeless man sitting in front of the building next to the gym, shivering from the cold.

“Heoeu… huh?”

As I approached, he frowned as if to ask what was going on, as if he didn’t even think I would help him in the first place.

“If you sleep here, your mouth will turn crooked. Follow me.”

I opened the gym door.

***

-Glug, glug…!

“Kheu…!”

“But is it really okay to sleep here? What if I steal something?”

“Steal it if there’s anything to steal. I’m bankrupt, so there’s nothing to steal.”

“I’m not going to steal anything… You gave me a uniform and alcohol, so I’m grateful. You shouldn’t trust people carelessly.”

“Trust what… hic… Ugh… What are you trusting? I told you there’s nothing to steal.”

I took the homeless grandpa… no, mister, into the gym. I gave him a new uniform to wear because I thought he would be cold, and we both sat in the middle of the gym and had a drinking party.

I didn’t have any special thoughts.

It was just as I said.

Since there’s nothing to steal anyway, I’ll just let the homeless mister sleep comfortably for one night.

It wasn’t that I wanted to do a good deed, it was just a whim. I felt too sorry for him, and in fact, it’s not like I can’t help him this much.

And.

“Looking at this neat thing, you cleaned it hard too… Why did it fail?”

“The Taekwondo gym owner over there with no conscience suddenly expanded. He makes good money, so what’s wrong with sharing just a little bit of the pie with me… Ah, it’s depressing, so just have another drink.”

“Good, good.”

-Pour

As we exchanged drinks and I poured out what was in my heart, I felt a little relieved.

I could talk comfortably because he was a stranger and I wouldn’t see him soon anyway.

I was too embarrassed and ashamed to show my true feelings so frankly to my friends or family.

My friends and family all know that the gym is not doing well. But I felt sorry that they were paying attention to me while looking at me. I was also proud. So I haven’t seen them often lately.

Because of that, the conversation with the homeless mister made me feel a little better.

Besides, his way of speaking was strangely similar to when my late grandfather was healthy, so it was something more… um.

“But you know.”

“Glug… what is it again?”

“Do you have to only take kids? Don’t you want to do it with adults?”

“Well… when I was young… hic… Haa. That was my dream… but actually, I don’t really care anymore.”

“Really?”

“I like kids because they’re cute… but honestly, when they don’t listen, there’s nothing as hard as that. Some of my fantasies have been shattered. But they’re still cute.”

“Then adults are okay too?”

“I’ll bow and accept anyone, whether they’re adults or kids, as long as they come.”

“Hehe… it would be even better if it was a female member? Teaching her and rubbing her like this… right?”

“This mister, really…”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his sly words with a flushed face.

Of course, as a man, I wouldn’t completely not have those thoughts if a pretty woman came as a member, but what kind of sound would I hear if I did something like that in this day and age.

If I accidentally touch her, it’s a given that rumors will spread and I’ll have to close the door right away, and if I get caught for sexual assault, my life will be ruined.

“It would be nice if it was a pretty woman. It’s as likely as winning the lottery that a pretty woman will come to learn Hapkido.”

But I could match that level of banter in a drinking session between men.

“That’s right, that’s right. It’s more fun to teach if it’s a pretty woman. Teaching her something other than Hapkido… By the way, do you have a girlfriend?”

“…….”

“You don’t. Don’t tell me you’ve never had one?”

“……Do you not want to drink anymore?”

“Eing… tsk tsk. What have you been doing living your life without a lover? You’re as big as a bear.”

I felt like I was going to cry at his sincere words of pity.

Do you think I didn’t want to make a cute and pretty girlfriend?

Honestly, it’s partly because I’m not used to women, but there hasn’t been a girl among the women around me that I’ve wanted to date so far.

Really… no, it’s not that there aren’t any pretty and nice girls at all, it’s just… ah, damn it.

“Just drink.”

“Okay. Seong-hyun, have a drink too. I’ll pour it for you.”

“……? Thank you.”

Did I teach him my name?

I don’t know.

After that, I had a long talk with the homeless mister while drinking.

Just pointless chatter, saying whatever came to mind.

As I did, I quickly became tipsy.

I’m not an athlete, but I’ve been refraining from alcohol because I’m a person who exercises, but it’s been a while since I drank soju and beer alternately.

“Ugh…”

-Thump

I ended up lying on the gym floor.

In such a dazed state that I couldn’t even remember what kind of conversation we had anymore.

While my eyes were gradually closing like that.

The last thing I saw in front of me was the face of the homeless mister with a kind smile on his face.

“…Live while enjoying yourself… smiling.”

Just before collapsing on the gym floor.

A word of blessing that I felt like I had heard somewhere lingered in my ear.

***

“…….”

The next day.

When I opened my eyes in the gym, I felt a strange sensation enveloping my whole body.

It was definitely the same gym as usual, but it felt like something of mine had become a part of it.

“Did the mister… leave?”

The gym floor was clean. Did the homeless mister clean everything up before he left? It was as clean as if no one but me had been there yesterday.

I looked around to see if he had taken anything, but all the small exercise equipment and uniforms were still there.

Except for the uniform that I had given the mister to wear yesterday.

But something was strange.

“I don’t have a hangover either…”

I don’t have a hangover and my body condition is good.

And somehow.

“…What is it?”

The office inside seemed to be shining for some reason. I was very concerned about it.

As I blankly entered the office, I could see that the computer I used for member management was the source of this strange feeling.

I turned on the computer as if possessed.

And.

In the member management program that was automatically turned on immediately after booting, a tab and pop-up window that I had never seen before had been created.

“What is this?”

===============================

“Owner Joo Seong-hyun’s fun and happy gym raising! It starts now!”

“To develop your gym, you must first have members, right?”

(!) [ Recommend ‘Female’ one person as a trial member ]

─Reward: ???

===============================

Like.

As if a quest had occurred in a game.