A Basement-Dwelling Loser, the Inquisitor – Chapter 235

It was an incredibly hot day.

I almost wanted to stop myself from contacting Harum yesterday.

However, since I had already promised to go to the gym, I had no choice but to go through with it.

“Hello, Rene!”

“Hello….”

Thanks to the employee from the Health Project who came to pick me up like last time, I could save on taxi fare.

“It’s really hot today.”

“Yeah….”

The gym must surely have the air conditioning on, right?

If not, I’d just ask Harum for help.

“It’s been a while, Rene!”

And upon arriving at the gym of the Health Project, a cool breeze warmly welcomed me, and I almost clapped my hands in joy.

“What time does the broadcast start?”

“Right now it’s 2:40, so I was thinking of starting at 3…”

“Well then, you should change your clothes first. I’ve prepared some in locker number 7, so you can use those. They’re brand new, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Thank you….”

Honestly, I had planned to bring the outfit I wore last time.

But since Harum said they’d gift me workout clothes, I literally just came as I was today.

Thus, I made my way to the changing room.

Number 7.

They said locker number 7, right?

Here it is.

…Come to think of it, what kind of clothes are workout clothes?

Is it just any comfortable outfit you can wear when moving?

Then the outfit I wore last time could be considered workout clothes too.

But if it’s the kind that a professional trainer like Harum gifts, it must be something different for sure.

With those thoughts in mind, I opened the locker…

★

“Wow, it really suits you so well!”

“T-thank you….”

“I told you, Seohye. Something classic like this really suits Rene!”

“Definitely. I thought I wouldn’t do justice to Rene with something like this….”

Harum’s words made Seohye realize her mistake from yesterday.

She thought she couldn’t highlight Rene’s looks with that workout outfit, but as Harum said, that classic style brought out Rene’s unique vibe even stronger.

If Rene was a perfect score of 100, I would want to give her 150 points for how perfect she looked.

Yet Rene herself, hesitatingly raised her hand to speak.

“Um, but this outfit is really, it shows my stomach and everything; is that okay…?”

“…Ah, that’s true.”

Only then did Harum and Seohye realize their mistake.

“I-I’m so sorry, Rene! Yesterday, I was just thinking of outfits that would look good on you…! Please wait a moment. Seohye, how long will it take to get that outfit you mentioned yesterday?”

Considering Rene’s shy personality, she would definitely feel uncomfortable wearing something like this.

However, just as Harum said, they only considered what would look good on Rene without considering that aspect at all.

“I think it’ll take about 15 minutes.”

The fortunate thing was that the workout clothing store popular among the Health Project staff was nearby.

Harum immediately handed Seohye a card, and Seohye dashed towards the elevator.

But it was Rene who stopped her.

“Wait a moment. This is, it really is workout clothes, right…?”

“Yes. Since it’s for personal training, I thought comfortable attire would be best, so I picked a bra top and shorts. Given the recent hot weather…”

This was the workout outfit Rene was currently wearing, chosen with several factors in mind.

But to overlook the most basic aspect is just unacceptable.

Of course, one could argue that it was a sudden arrangement. But Harum didn’t want to make excuses.

The current situation was simply a mistake they had made without thinking about the personality of the recipient of those workout clothes.

‘After promising not to let this happen again last time!’

“I’m really sorry, Rene. I’ll go get a new outfit right away, so please wait just a little.”

Then Rene bowed her head for a moment, and…

“I think it’ll be okay.”

She said this while nodding to herself.

★

“…I think it’ll be okay.”

I still didn’t know what a bra top was, but anyway, it seemed like it was indeed workout clothes.

It certainly felt incredibly comfortable to move around in.

Honestly, I felt a bit embarrassed as it seemed revealing, but it wasn’t like it wasn’t workout clothes, and besides, I received it as a gift.

Considering they picked it out because it suited me well, I felt like there wasn’t really a need to buy new clothes.

Having already worn it once, returning it would be difficult.

“Are you really okay with this? If you’re just saying that to spare us….”

“I’m really fine…. It’s comfortable to move in….”

Of course, if it were in the past, I might have chosen another outfit without hesitation.

Back when I believed I was an oddity, I wished for my appearance to be somewhat concealed to others.

But now, I understand that’s not the case.

And one of the reasons I could think like that is.

‘I don’t know what you’ve been through, Rene. I might be overstepping by saying this. But I want to say it anyway. You are truly amazing, so please have some confidence.’

It must surely be thanks to Harum too.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry.”

In response to Harum’s words, I waved my hand to indicate it wasn’t a big issue and turned my gaze inside the gym.

There was no one else inside the gym.

So, it was just me, Harum, and the staff—three people in total.

…In fact, when Harum mentioned he’d give me personal training, two possibilities flickered in my mind.

First. If this PT is broadcasted together with the Health Project, then surely, just like last time, I could use the gym all by myself, right?

Second. Since Harum is a professional trainer, he would surely measure my physical condition accurately.

And my first expectation turned out to be correct.

Thank goodness.

Of course, my thinking has changed since then, but embarrassment is still embarrassment….

“Now, about the broadcast… I have something in mind; is that okay, Rene?”

“Ah, yes…. That’s fine….”

★

[Rene]

[I’m going to work out with Harum]

[Talk | 8566 viewers watching | 00:01:33]

─Reha

─So, what on earth happened yesterday…?

─Did you just arrive at the gym?

─You said you’d start at 3; it’s 3:10 now, why are you late, my horns hurt ㅠㅠ

“Um um. Hello everyone! This is trainer Harum from the Health Project! It’s been a while since I’ve greeted everyone with a live stream!”

As the broadcast turned on, it was Harum who greeted the viewers, not me.

─Where’s the host?

─Why’s Harum unnie here?

─Aren’t they exercising together?

─Host is absent, that’s why.

In the chat window, they naturally began looking for me.

It was an obvious thing.

No matter how famous Harum is as an online YouTuber, the people visiting this channel are here to see me, the Rebongi, anyway.

But right now, it was Harum’s turn to take the spotlight.

“Today, we’re going to do PT with a special anonymous guest who came to our Health Project channel, and don’t you all want to know who that guest is?”

─Please bring our Rene ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

─You said you’d exercise with the host, so what are you saying…

“Before working out with that guest, let’s go through a brief pre-interview first. Can you hear me?”

Looking at me, Harum asked, and I nodded and opened my mouth.

“Ah, I can hear you well…. Hello….”

And my voice that came from… the microphone connected to my mouth was a different person’s voice.

To be precise, it was a distorted voice unmistakable to anyone.

─???

─What’s with the voice modulation lol

─Voice… changer…

─Kyaaaaaaaaaaa

─Please don’t do that!

“Hello! Today you’ll be receiving PT from me; can I ask for your thoughts?”

“Ah, yes…. I feel honored to be directly guided by the famous online YouTube channel’s trainer, Harum…”

“Puhuh… I see!”

No.

Why are you laughing when you said this in the first place?

“Hmm. You mentioned you had a sport background; why did you stop working out? And are you not exercising at all now?”

“Umm… I think it’s better to say it was training rather than exercising…. And I naturally stopped because I no longer had the need for that training….”

─Ah…

─Don’t do this; just take the red pill and remain our cute beastly Rene

─Who prepared these questions, seriously?

“And you don’t completely stop exercising; you still do some light cardio….”

That’s not a lie.

I go outside every trash collection day to walk.

That should be sufficient to say I’m exercising.

“I believe what I’m saying is something you can definitely handle. Just one last question. What made you think you needed to start exercising again?”

“Ah. Well, the fans have recently mentioned that it seems I’ve gained weight….”

─No, I didn’t say that ㅅㅂ

─Maybe they just want to hear that statement because they think I’ve truly gained weight by now.

─No matter how much I say I haven’t gained weight, they won’t listen ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

─I learned one thing yesterday: at times like this, you should say, ‘Rene, you can gain a bit of weight and still be pretty,’ as the love Guru said on the broadcast…

─That Guru had their head smashed yesterday ㅅㄱ;

“Wait a moment? Rene? So, are you saying that you came here because you heard people say you seemed to have gained weight on the broadcast? Did I understand you correctly?”

─Didn’t you say it was an anonymous guest?

─Oh, it turns out the anonymous guest is our host!

I quietly nodded at Harum’s question.

Thinking about it, I didn’t mention why I started working out after all.

“You crazy people… ah, I’m sorry. I’m just having a hard time understanding right now. No, everyone. Did you really tell Rene she gained weight?”

─No, Harum unnie will get mad!

─No, the Rebongi said she hasn’t gained weight all this time, but some troll keeps messing with the chat, and it’s unfair ㅠㅠㅠ

“Ah, right? Wow, I was really surprised. I thought I gained weight too. Seohye, what do you think?”

“If Rene has gained weight, then I’m a pig. No, all women must be pigs.”

“Exactly.”

“If I haven’t gained weight…?”

“If Rene has gained weight, then I’m a pig, then?”

Seohye, the staff member saying this, seemed quite angry about something.