Chapter 83: Who Are You? 1
Why are you suddenly bringing up medication?
If it was steroids, it was famous enough that even Seo Juhwan had heard of it a few times. It was known to be used for therapeutic purposes, but it was also famous for being used as doping for muscle enhancement.
"Steroids? Isn't that a drug? Like growth hormone."
"Yeah. They're different things, but either way, they're drugs used for muscle enhancement."
Why was he suddenly asking something like this?
In an instant, Seo Juhwan spoke in surprise.
"Whoa. Do you use drugs, hyung?"
"What?"
"Did you build your body with drugs?"
"No way, you bastard! I'm one hundred percent natural, you punk!"
Baek Gang Ho vehemently denied it and applied a headlock.
"Cough cough. Hyung, I'm dying. Tap tap."
"Ah, sorry. I panicked."
"Cough. Why would you apply a headlock because you panicked? If you panic twice, you'll kill someone..."
"Ugh. I'm really sorry. Anyway, I didn't use drugs, you bastard. I've just been working out for 20 years."
"Got it. But why are you suddenly asking that?"
Baek Gang Ho hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"If anyone around you tries to recommend drugs, tell them not to."
"Suddenly?"
"The fitness industry is like that. There are places that operate cleanly like Ribbon Fitness... but places run like thugs actually recommend drugs from the gym side. The real bastards don't explain properly and sell it saying it's an effective nutritional supplement."
"...Is that really true? Those drugs all have side effects."
"It's true. Surprisingly, a lot of people buy if you recommend it. The effects are visible. So I'm telling you to be careful. Usually people who just start exercising easily fall into it."
"Hmm..."
Seo Juhwan let out a hollow laugh, bewildered.
He had vaguely heard about drugs before, but he never expected there to be companies secretly facilitating them.
He shook his head and answered.
"I'll never do it. If I do that, my thing will shrink."
"What?"
To Baek Gang Ho, whose eyes blinked, he gave a playful smile and said.
"If my muscles grow but this shrinks, what's the point? I need to have both my thing and muscles. You know my goal is to have fashionable muscles, right? I work out to seduce women."
"Haha. You're ridiculous, seriously. You started working out to seduce women?"
Seo Juhwan nodded with a chuckle.
Of course, the main reason was health. Whether you're a writer or an artist, if you do creative work for a long time, something will usually go wrong with your back, neck, wrists, or somewhere else.
But wanting to seduce women was also somewhat sincere.
This time he asked the question.
"Then why did you start working out?"
"Huh? What are you asking, it's obvious."
"Yes?"
"I also started wanting to seduce women. Hehe. Maybe about half of people who do fitness started for that reason? Later I just became addicted to exercise."
"Hehe. But did you achieve your goal?"
"Goal?"
"Did you get a girlfriend, which was your original goal? Your face is a bit scary, but there are women who only look at the body."
"Look at what this guy is saying? Want to do some sparring at a gym nearby?"
"Haha. There's no one as manly and good-looking as you, hyung."
"You're smooth, you bastard. And hey, what do you mean girlfriend?"
"Ah, did you fail?"
"What are you talking about. Didn't I tell you I got married?"
"...What?"
Seo Juhwan tilted his head and blinked his eyes.
What? Did he mishear?
Baek Gang Ho spoke with an incredulous expression.
"You were talking fine with Hyeri earlier."
"Hyeri? Lee Hyeri?"
"Seriously. What do you mean Hyeri to your sister-in-law."
"Wait, what? You two got married?"
Seo Juhwan couldn't close his mouth in shock.
Though it was an apology to Baek Gang Ho, he and Lee Hyeri didn't match at all. A scruffy-bearded muscle monster bandit-faced Baek Gang Ho and the clean-charming Lee Hyeri? No, how much age difference is there between them anyway?
He eventually opened his mouth.
"...Hyung, no matter how much of an adult, if the age difference is over 10 years, it's almost a crime... Ugh!"
"Hyeri is two years older than me, you bastard!"
Baek Gang Ho struck the back of his head and shouted loudly.
That doesn't make sense, a two-year age difference? Even more so, Lee Hyeri is older?
It was more shocking than the fact that they got married.
"If you consider appearance, there's at least a 10-year difference..."
"Do you want to die?"
"I apologize."
He apologized immediately. When he frowned and looked, there was nothing but a gangster.
Anyway, it was the most shocking fact in his experience this year since regression.
*
The two finished their cigarettes and went back inside the shop.
Inside, a drinking party was still in progress.
But the atmosphere felt a bit strange.
Instead of being noisy like before, they were exchanging drinks with serious expressions as if having a discussion.
"We can't use drugs. If you take it wrong, you'll go quickly, right?"
"That's right. I heard there's a guy around me who messed up steroids and his thing became the size of a bean."
"I know someone who experienced side effects from diet pills not sold on the market. At first, they were happy because they lost weight well, but later they gained 20kg instead."
"Ah, I didn't gain weight, but I heard someone had hallucinations. What was it? They said they took appetite suppressants wrong."
Steroids, appetite suppressants—they were relaying stories of bad cases involving drugs as the topic.
As Seo Juhwan sat down bewildered, Lim Soo-hee looked at him and spoke.
"Juhwan, you need to be careful too. There are more than one or two people who regret touching it to build their body."
"Yes? Me?"
When he suddenly became the target, Seo Juhwan panicked.
Just as he was about to respond, Baek Gang Ho sitting next to him scratched his cheek and spoke first.
"Um, I'm sorry, but I already said everything outside. Juhwan won't do anything with drugs."
At that word, the table went quiet for a moment.
"..."
"..."
The people from Ribbon Fitness silently looked at each other.
'What kind of situation is this? Ah, could it be...?'
The suspicion became certainty.
Soon people came with awkward laughs.
"Ugh. Gangho, if you say it first outside, what are we supposed to do?"
"Haha. I apologize."
"Really. How embarrassing. Sorry, Juhwan."
"Anyway, you all don't need to worry. When I tested this guy, he said why would he use drugs when they make his thing shrink."
"G-Gangho hyung?"
Why are you saying that embarrassing thing here!
Before he could even say that, gazes flew from here and there. Somehow toward a specific area.
"Oh my."
Oh my? Lim Soo-hee stared at that spot with one hand covering her mouth. Next to her was Lee Hyeri, laughing awkwardly and a bit embarrassed, but also sneaking glances downward.
'These women...'
Feeling needlessly embarrassed, Seo Juhwan turned his gaze to Lim Soo-hee. Lim Soo-hee, who had been looking at him with half-closed eyes, suddenly averted her gaze.
"Noona, you should tell me what this is about."
"Aha. Well, you see... Hoho... Juhwan, I'm sorry!"
Lim Soo-hee clasped her hands together and begged him.
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