It is Easiest to be Obsessed by Everyone

The gym manager took Jung Hye-na aside for a private session.

I pretended not to care and continued with my warm-up.

Yesterday, a middle-aged woman in her forties asked me, “Is she your sister?”

“Yes.”

“You two are so close! It’s rare to see siblings coming to the gym together.”

“Our mom asked me to turn her from a pig into a person.”

“What? She’s already gorgeous! What are you talking about?”

“To Mom and me, she’s still a pig. A talking pig.”

Pigs, by the way, are incredibly clean, pretty, and adorable animals. 

Their body fat percentage is only 13-15%, comparable to famine levels for humans. 

While farm pigs can exceed 20%, adult women typically range from 20-30%. Something worth knowing.

“How can siblings both be so good-looking? Your parents must feel amazing just looking at you two. By the way, does your sister have a boyfriend?”

“With that face? No way.”

“With that face — oh, maybe you’re right. Sometimes men can’t approach someone that beautiful.”

Yesterday, Im Mi-hee had been eager to set me up with her daughter. 

Today, though…

“What about this guy? He’s 27, passed the Level 5 Civil Service Exam, and works in the Ministry of Economy and Finance. His future is bright.”

“He’s good-looking.”

“Hearing that from you feels sarcastic. My Jae-min isn’t lacking in looks, but standing next to you, he might look like a fat squid.”

This should’ve made me jealous, but it was just amusing. 

Was this the joy of teasing someone subtly?

“He’s my nephew. His parents even bought him a new 40-pyeong apartment in Gangnam. He has a Bentley and a Grandeur for commuting.”

“Wow, he really has everything.”

“Ask your sister if she’s interested. Let me know if she is, and I’ll introduce them. I’d ask her myself, but since it’s only our second meeting, I feel a little cautious.”

Second meeting? Wasn’t yesterday their first meeting? She had no problem suggesting her daughter to him then.

The gym was busier than expected for an early morning.

I hadn’t realized so many diligent women lived in Gangnam.

The male-to-female ratio seemed to be around 2:8. 

Most of the few men weren’t even working out; they were sneaking glances at Jung Hye-na.

I felt conflicted — partly annoyed, but also a bit smug and proud.

***

The male members all had the same thought:

Blood doesn’t lie.

The sister of someone ridiculously handsome was bound to be stunning.

Even though Lee Chang-woo and Jung Hye-na didn’t look particularly alike, their combined beauty felt like the result of evolutionary convergence — like cavalry and cannons evolving into modern tanks and self-propelled guns. 

Beauty at its peak transcends features, converging into universal perfection.

Jung Hye-na was diligently doing squats under the manager’s guidance, drawing the attention of every man pretending to exercise. They couldn’t stop sneaking glances at her but eventually felt guilty and shifted their gaze toward Lee Chang-woo.

Lee Chang-woo, pulling a long pull bar, briefly looked over at his sister mid-squat. 

His expression darkened slightly.

“She’s doing bodyweight squats? That’s not going to build any strength…” he muttered.

Although Jung Hye-na was doing just fine, Lee Chang-woo couldn’t help but mutter his disapproval.

‘She’s doing well enough — so why?’

The male members who overheard his muttering were momentarily flustered but quickly understood when they saw the weights Lee Chang-woo was pulling with ease.

‘Wow, he’s way stronger than he looks.’

Some of the men had seen Lee Chang-woo at the gym the evening before. His striking appearance had left them in awe, and the idea of working out alongside ‘that guy’ starting tomorrow had filled them with despair.

They’d already braced themselves for the inevitable: the female members, despite their hard-earned muscles, would focus entirely on the genetically blessed face of Lee Chang-woo.

But now, the men’s attitudes shifted.’

Admiration and hope took root in their minds.

“If I befriend him now, maybe I can get closer to his stunning sister later…”

One of the male members, a professional with decent muscles, gathered the courage to speak first.

“You’re a lot stronger than you look!”

“Am I?” Lee Chang-woo replied.

“Yes, you’ve got some natural strength. But your form is a little off — it could lead to an injury.”

“Ah, the trainer taught me yesterday, but I’m still not used to moving my body this way.”

“It’s important to get your form right from the start. Let me show you.”

Thus, a new trend emerged at the gym: targeting Lee Chang-woo as the gateway to Jung Hye-na.

***

After about an hour of working out, Jung Hye-na and I showered and left the gym. I could feel the lingering, regretful gazes of the male members behind me.

The women’s reactions were no different, but I had no energy to care about that right now.

Walking beside him, Jung Hye-na, with damp hair, crossed her arms and grumbled.

“What kind of nonsense is this so early in the morning?”

“Isn’t it because Mom wants you to stop being a pig and become human?”’

“Excuse me, among my friends, I’m the prettiest and the slimmest.”

“And among my friends, I’m the most handsome.”

“Of course. You don’t have any friends.”

“…”

“Facts shut you right up, huh?”

Our sibling banter continued as we left the building. 

Since we were heading in different directions, we parted ways in front of the entrance.

“Good job. Make sure to give Mom a respectful report.”

Jung Hye-na mock-saluted like a soldier.

Her acting was no joke. With just her expression, she could easily pass as a quarrelsome roommate — or, in this case, an actual little sister.

As we parted, I headed to a café and had a mischievous thought. 

I sent Hy-ena a text message, not our usual chat but an actual SMS, which made the app’s history blank and unfamiliar.

[Me] Don’t mess up your legs.

[Me] Screw up lunch, and you’re dead.

[Me] Report what you ate.

The reply came almost instantly.

[Hy-ena] Ugh, seriously.

[Hy-ena] Why are you so obsessed with what I eat?

[Hy-ena] Mind your own business.

The empty messaging app was suddenly filled with sibling-like exchanges.

For some reason, it felt oddly endearing. I switched to our usual chat app this time.

[Me] Good job today.

Her reply came back with excessive enthusiasm.

[Hy-ena] ♡♡♡♡

She instantly flipped from sibling mode to full-on affectionate mode. 

Cute.

[Me] Let’s keep it like this at the gym from now on.

[Hy-ena] Sure, sure …!

[Hy-ena] It was actually kind of fun. Felt like filming a mini-drama or something …!

[Me] That lady following me around at the gym is hilarious.

[Me] She said her nephew is a 27-year-old Level 5 civil servant at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and she wants to introduce him to you.

[Hy-ena] I only need you, oppa… ♡

***

Today was just like yesterday.

The café was packed with customers, every table was full from opening to closing, and the order turnover rate was high. 

The owner never stopped smiling the entire day.

“It’s Friday night. Should we grab a drink together tonight?”

“What about the café?”

“Once you’re off, sales drop off a cliff anyway. There’s no point in me sticking around.”

The owner was 37, four years older than my previous life and 15 years older than my current body.

“I’d love to have a drink with you, but I’ve got to head home and game some.”

“You’re really into gaming, huh?”

“Yes. It’s seriously fun.”

Wrestling with Jung Hye-na in nothing but pixels. 

For any normal guy, it’s impossible not to find that entertaining.

“Too bad. I wanted to have a drink with you, Chang-woo.”

“Hold on, let me check my raid schedule. My raid leader works a lot of overtime, so I need to confirm.”

“Go ahead, check it out.”

I messaged Jung Hye-na to ask.

[Me] When are you getting off work today?

[Hye-na] ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

[Hye-na] Probably not until after 2 a.m …!

[Hye-na] But I’m definitely off Saturday and Sunday!

Relief washed over me.

Not because I could squeeze in time to drink with the owner but because Jung Hye-na confirmed she had Saturday and Sunday free.

I immediately decided to book the indoor pool suite I had been eyeing.

“There’s no raid today. It looks like I’m free to drink.”

“Really? Alright, I’ll treat you to something big.”

“This isn’t a team outing, is it?”

“No, just the two of us. Well, my girlfriend might join us.”

“Yeon-joo nuna? She’s basically part of you, so sure.”

***

In the morning, Choi Ji-soo stopped by the café, followed by Hwang Ah-young in the afternoon. 

Both bought takeout drinks and cakes since there weren’t any open seats.

“It’s surreal seeing you work so diligently,” Choi Ji-soo had said.

“It’s so hard to get a spot here that I’m considering hiring someone to line up for me every day,” Hwang Ah-young had joked.

Taking Jung Hye-na’s advice to ease up on them seemed to have worked — they both behaved themselves.

It was a stark contrast to the old Lee Chang-woo, who would relentlessly pressure them without giving them any breathing room.

***

At 6 p.m., the owner began preparing to leave with me. 

The café’s closing shift would handle the final hours until 11 p.m.

“Wanna hit a club?”

“A club? Seriously?”

“I’ve never been to one. I’m curious what it’d be like going with someone like you.”

“Uh… clubs don’t even open until 11 p.m.”

“Oh, right.”

“Hard to know unless I try, right? Fine, let’s grab some food. What do you feel like eating?”

“How about sashimi?”

“Perfect. I know a great place. Let’s go there.”

“Alright.”

The place the owner brought me to was clearly a high-end sushi restaurant. 

It had an open kitchen setup like a bar, and the owner sat comfortably at the counter, clearly familiar with the staff.

“Hey, boss! When did you start hanging out with celebrity friends? Wow, I’ve never seen anyone this handsome.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Seriously, isn’t he good-looking? This is my guy here, our café manager. He’s the reason I’ve been smiling these days.”

“Business must be booming.”

“Booming doesn’t even cover it. Since this guy joined, sales have shot up tenfold.”

“Tenfold? Really?”

The owner and the head chef seemed close.

“Bring out the best you’ve got. We’re spending at least a million won tonight.”

“Well, in that case, I’ll raid the fridge. Just a moment.”

The owner poured me a drink from an expensive-looking bottle of a brand I didn’t recognize.

“Honestly, I’ve been smiling every day because of you.”

“I’ve been smiling because of you, too, hyung.”

“Today we made just over 800. The exact amount will come out in the end-of-month report, but it won’t be far off.”

“Wow, so you cleared ten million won today.”

“Exactly. That’s why I’m treating you.”

Before long, a platter of sashimi arrived, beautifully presented. 

Just looking at it, it was clear it would taste incredible.

I took a picture of the food and sent it to Jung Hye-na.

“Who are you sending that to?”

“My sister. I’ve been putting her through stealth fat-burning training lately. This should motivate her.”

“You’re wicked.”

“That’s love.”

Without realizing it, I had slipped into his ‘doting brother’ persona. 

Not that it mattered — there was no chance the owner would ever meet Jung Hye-na.

“By the way, is Ji-hyun bothering you at all?”

“Not really.”

“Every time I see her, she’s following you around trying to strike up a conversation.”

“There are people worse than her, so it doesn’t bother me much.”

Try getting ambushed and kissed by a random girl in the middle of Gangnam on a date — Gong Ji-hyun was just a harmless fan by comparison.

“Do you think you can come out tomorrow?”

“Is that why you asked me here?”

“No, not really.”

“This weekend’s raid is already set, so I don’t think I can make it. I’ll let you know when I’m free from weekend raids.”

“Got it. I guess I’m being a bother.”

“No way. You can bother me all you want, hyung.”

——

TL’s Note: Hello everyone! The regular releases are back. I had to step away due to IRL circumstances. Here’s a mass release to compensate for the lack of updates. Apologies.

Happy reading!