Life is Easier If You're Handsome novel Chapter 72

"Hey, how’s your gym doing these days?"

"It’s doing okay, just enough to keep things going."

"Huh? Why? Isn’t it doing exceptionally well?"

Geumjin, the gym master, was puzzled by Baek Sangha’s response.

After all, Kim Donghu, the child actor at the peak of his fame, trained at Baek Sangha’s gym.

Shouldn't the place be packed to the point of bursting?

Then, suddenly, Geumjin remembered what kind of person Baek Sangha was.

"Wait, hyung, don’t tell me... you didn’t tell anyone? That Kim Donghu is training at your gym?!"

"Hey, quiet down, the kids might hear."

"Are you insane? Why didn’t you tell anyone?!"

In an era where gyms were popping up all over, advertising was the best marketing strategy.

Even if you just casually dropped a flyer, hinting that Kim Donghu was training there,

it would undoubtedly cause a massive influx of new members.

But why wasn’t he doing that?

And it wasn’t like it was something he could hide forever.

Once one or two members joined, word would naturally spread that Kim Donghu trained there.

Come to think of it, it was a wonder that no rumors had spread yet.

"Keep it down, will you?"

"...But why? Seriously, why?"

"The kids are here to train. They shouldn’t be disturbed by things like that."

"Hyung, you know sticking to principles doesn’t pay the bills, right? And you still do this?"

Baek Sangha simply shut his mouth in response to Geumjin’s words.

He knew there was no bridging this difference in perspective.

'Man, he’s so stubborn.'

Geumjin found it frustrating.

Honestly, it had been like this from the start.

Ever since Baek Sangha had taken on the burden of leading and enforcing strict discipline.

"You’re just like yourself, hyung."

Baek Sangha moved according to his principles,

and there was no room for compromise in that.

So, deciding to put things to rest once and for all,

Baek Sangha spoke up again.

"Donghu is my student, my best student. I’ve been training him since he was a kid."

From the days when Kim Donghu was just a snot-nosed elementary school kid to now,

it had been almost nine years.

"He’s like a nephew to me. How could I use a kid like that? He’s here to train, not to show off his face."

"I know, I know... but hyung, you get what I’m saying, right? Yet you’re still like this?"

"Only people who come to my gym to train are welcome. This isn’t a place for people to come just to gawk at a celebrity."

"...Unbelievable."

Geumjin stared at the word printed across the chest of Baek Sangha’s shirt.

武道 (Martial Arts)

Was there anyone who embodied the word “martial arts” more than Baek Sangha?

He was truly a martial artist to his core.

To run a gym, you needed a bit of a business mindset,

but Baek Sangha didn’t have an ounce of that.

That was why people saw him as inflexible,

but also why he was so respected by his juniors.

'He really never changes.'

Anyway, that was that.

"Are you sure about this, though? Donghu doesn’t have much sparring experience, does he?"

"True, aside from sparring with me, he hasn’t done much with others his age."

The conversation quickly shifted to the real issue at hand.

They had planned the sparring match because Donghu and Sansoo were roughly the same weight and skill level,

but now that Geumjin saw them side by side, he couldn’t help but feel a bit worried.

"Now that I think about it, I’m getting a bit concerned. I’m not trying to brag, but our Sansoo hits pretty hard."

As soon as he said that, Baek Sangha started to keep a straight face as much as possible.

"Uh, right, yeah... sure."

Sorry, I’ve actually been keeping something to myself.

I lost to Kim Donghu in a sparring match.

He couldn’t bring himself to admit that yet.

But just as he was thinking that maybe it was time to come clean...

"Coach! Let’s start the sparring with that punk—no, with Kim Donghu! Right now!"

"Hey, what kind of tone is that?"

"That’s not important, let’s just start sparring with Kim Donghu, now!"

"You brat, watch your mouth."

Kim Sansoo’s rough tone continued.

Geumjin was shocked and tried to stop him, but it was already too late for Baek Sangha.

'Did he just try to call Donghu a punk?'

Even if he was a brat, he was my brat, not your brat.

Has this kid lost his mind?

'Should I show my junior some tough love for the first time in a while?'

As that thought crossed his mind,

Baek Sangha made eye contact with Kim Donghu, who was standing behind Kim Sansoo.

Nod.

Donghu simply nodded as soon as their eyes met.

His expression made it clear that there was something going on.

Seeing this, Baek Sangha’s face relaxed.

"Alright, he seems really eager, so let’s let him spar."

"Huh? Hyung, why are you agreeing too? Shouldn’t he warm up first?"

"They probably warmed up enough. It’d be weird not to start when he’s this excited."

"Uh... should I really set this up then?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

Geumjin scratched his head and moved to set up for the match.

Kim Sansoo followed closely behind him.

As soon as they were out of sight, Baek Sangha...

Swish.

He pointed at Kim Sansoo and then made a throat-slitting gesture with his thumb.

There couldn’t have been a clearer signal.

Donghu saw it and smiled deeply.

The preparations were completed in no time.

With their hands wrapped, gloves on, and headgear secured,

they listened to the explanation of the rules and pledged to fight fairly.

'I just want to get this over with and start fighting!'

Thud, thud!

Kim Sansoo knocked his gloves together, showing off his strength.

'A punk two years younger than me? What did he say, I’m scared? He said that to me?'

In your teens, even a one-year age difference felt like a massive gap.

For Kim Donghu to act so casually, disregarding that, was something Kim Sansoo couldn’t forgive.

'I’ll crush you like a dog, you little shit.'

He’d show him what it felt like to get beaten like a wet dog in the rain.

Huff, huff.

His harsh breathing filled the gym.

Ding!

Swish.

Smack!

Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

Huff... huff...

Glance.

Tap, tap, tap.