Chapter 2: Prologue – Park-Min-seo

I usually wake up around noon.
Dazed, I get out of bed, open the door, and step into the living room.

The silence doesn’t change much, even if my sister is home.
Both she and I are naturally quiet people at home.

Our schedules are so different that we rarely see each other.
When I’m not streaming, she’s at work, and when she’s back, I’m in the middle of a broadcast.

I head to the bathroom and start a hot shower.
As the warmth circulates my blood, my foggy mind begins to clear.

Wiping the steam off the mirror, I see a plain-looking guy staring back with a sullen expression.

“…Is this good enough?”

No way.
I’ve never once been satisfied with my appearance.

My face could be called average, but that’s only because I’ve put in effort to maintain it.
I visit the dermatologist twice a month, hit the gym four times a week, and stick to a strict diet.
Even the YouTube channels I watch are mostly about men’s grooming.

So, this “decent” face in the mirror is the result of years of hard work.

A decent-looking guy doesn’t get significant points docked in the dating game.
But that’s it—just no deductions.

Personality, wealth, humor, charisma, fashion, and so on.
You need something to stand out to attract a woman.

“Should I get plastic surgery?”

Lately, I’ve been seriously considering it.

But would a slightly altered face really give me charm I don’t already have?
That’s uncertain.
Still, I think it’d be better than now.
At least I’d gain some confidence.

But I don’t have the money for surgery.

Being a streamer is an unstable job.
Even big-name streamers say so, so there’s no way my third-tier wallet is flush with cash.

I basically live month to month.
The only saving grace is that, as a gaming nerd, I barely spend money outside.

“Lucky… right?”

From the moment we’re born, we’re bound by our genetics.
I’m no exception.

If I had a slightly more positive personality, maybe things wouldn’t feel so hard.

…No.
Genetics aren’t the only thing shaping personality.
Experiences from childhood to adolescence often have a big impact.

So, the reason I ended up with this pathetic personality is surely—

– Ring ring ring

An alert chimes from the smartphone tucked in the bathroom corner.
Snapping out of it, I quickly finish washing up.

“Here I go again.”

I’ve been consciously trying not to dwell on negative thoughts, but breaking the habit is tough.
This weak willpower is probably part of my personality too—

The gym is an eight-minute walk from home.
As usual for this time, it’s quiet inside.
After changing into workout clothes, I start light stretching in the warm-up zone.

The gym is the only thing besides gaming that I’m passionate about.
Not that my body is jacked like a pro athlete—just decent for an average guy.

I tried personal training once, but saw no real change, so I quit, wasting money.
My natural frame isn’t great to begin with, so there’s only so much I can do.

Just how far will these genetics torment me—

“Hoo— Hoo—”

As I’m about to spiral into negativity, a massive presence settles beside me.

“Minseo, you’re here— Hoo— You’re a bit late today!”
“…Slept in a bit.”

More like I was moping in the bathroom.

“When did you get here, Hyun?”
“About— Hoo— thirty minutes ago— Hoo.”
“Breathe a bit before talking. It’s hard to understand.”
“Should— I?”

Unlike my lean frame, Hyun is a hulking figure.
More precisely, a BMI 41, super-obese hamster-human.

Soaked in sweat like a drenched rag, Hyun closes his eyes and takes deep breaths.
After a few loud huffs and puffs, his breathing steadies.

“Ugh, Minseo, I’m gonna die of a heart attack at this rate.”
“You’ll probably die of lifestyle diseases from being overweight before that.”

It was a sharp comment, but Hyun just chuckles and nods.

Kang Hyun, or Hyun, is also a streamer.
With years more experience, he has several times my viewership.

Not that he’s a big shot with ten thousand viewers—he’s a second-tier streamer with about a thousand.
Our audiences overlap a bit, so we’ve mentioned each other before, but we got close fast after he moved nearby.
Lately, we even do outdoor broadcasts together, mostly eating streams.

“You’re right. Gotta lose weight to live long. You doing upper body today?”
“Yeah. Looks like you’re done.”
“Yup. Time to hit the treadmill. Or, well, walk.”

Running on a treadmill with that super-obese body is a fast track to wrecked knees.
Since Hyun just started training seriously, he needs to be careful not to get hurt.

“You know diet’s more important, right?”
“Yeah, I ate healthy this morning. Cold noodles with five jumbo dumplings.”
“…That’s healthy?”
“It’s Korean food, isn’t it?”

What’s the correlation between Korean food and health?
Dodging my probing gaze, Hyun steps onto the treadmill.

“Fine, I’ll burn it off with exercise.”
“…I didn’t say anything.”
“I’m definitely losing it by year’s end.”

Two months and thirteen days ago.
January 1st, New Year’s Day.

Hyun set his resolution to “find a bride” and declared a diet.
Of course, it’s a yearly ritual, so his viewers just laughed.
Hyun didn’t seem too serious about losing weight either.

But a donation from a wealthy fan changed everything.

[EasyLife – 30KG by year-end, I’ll give 500. 40KG, I’ll give 1000.]

Hyun immediately announced a serious diet, and naturally, exercise was key.
He turned to me, living nearby, for help.

I’ve been consistent with exercise for years, and since we’re neighbors, he probably thought I’d drag him along.

I’m not nice enough to take on such a hassle.
I was ready to flat-out refuse—

[EasyLife – Help him succeed, Minseo, you get 500. Even if he fails, keep managing him, and I’ll give 300.]

Since Hyun’s one of my few human connections, I resolved to help him.

Now, two months and thirteen days later.
February 13th, Tuesday.

Hyun’s only lost 2KG.

“Hoo— Haa—”

Exercise matters, but diet is king for weight loss.
Yet last night, Hyun ate a whole pizza and cheese oven spaghetti on stream, and this morning, cold noodles with dumplings.

No wonder his weight’s barely budged.

I don’t want to dismiss his effort.
But it’s kind of pathetic.

Is controlling your appetite that hard?
Well, that’s probably why he’s overweight.

Come to think of it, I’ve rarely struggled with food cravings my whole life.
I thought my genetics only brought negatives, but maybe they’ve helped me in ways I didn’t notice.

Feeling oddly cynical, I leave the stretching zone.

I’ll focus on my workout today.

I’ll help with his mission, but success depends on his own will.
Nagging him would just stress us both out.

It’s definitely not because I’ve already secured the 300.
Definitely not.

“Minseo, you’re off today too, right?”
“Yeah, every Tuesday.”
“I’m off too. Wanna go grab some samgyeopsal?”
“…”
“Kidding, kidding.”

I was kidding too.
A joke with a scornful glance.

“Not today, I’ve got plans.”
“What, meeting a girl?”
“…I wish.”
“If I got as slim as you, I’d be picking up girls left and right.”
“Haha.”
“No, really. Before grad school, tons of girls were into me.”

Before Hyun’s glory-days rant begins, the elevator mercifully stops at the first floor.
Since he drives to the gym, we usually part here.

“See you in two days. Stick to your diet. You can eat meat, but go easy on the rice.”
“Got it. Trust me, I’ve got this.”

Hyun slaps his jiggling chest with a totally untrustworthy grin.
Leaving the elevator to the basement, I step outside.

Mid-February.
The weather’s still chilly.

Zipping up my jacket, I head to the nearby subway station.

Aside from twice-monthly dermatologist visits and four weekly gym trips, I rarely leave the house.
Even those are within a ten-minute walk.

So, I almost never venture beyond my routine.
Today’s one of those rare exceptions.

“…Such a hassle.”

…I want to ditch this.