"Dad, you're here!" Lumi mouthed from inside the recording booth, almost immediately. I had only pushed the door open and stepped inside the recording studio moments ago.
Daniella, Clara, and Casper all turned to me, waving a greeting. I felt their eyes linger on me as Lumi bursted out of the glass recording booth. She pounced onto me with a flying hug and clung to my tight shirt like a koala. She nuzzled herself against my chest, her eyelashes twinkling, her nose twitching. I returned from a heavy session at the gym again, and though I took a quick shower and rinse, I still smelled pretty bad.
I did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Don't do that. My shirt is soaked with sweat," I told her.
I tried to pry her off of me, but Lumi refused. She twisted herself, shaking off my hands, and made herself comfortable.
You're growing so big, Dad. Your chest and arms are so hard. It makes me feel safe.
With gentle hands, I pulled her head away nuzzled on my chest and planted a deep kiss on her forehead.
I'm so happy to hear that, dumpling. You're growing big, too. Nice and soft. So much more huggable.
Lumi groaned in annoyance, but still put still herself back in the same position earlier. Since I could not do anything about it, I let her be, wrapping my arms around tighter.
I stepped towards Daniella, Clara, and Casper, the three of them, who stared at me with the faintest look of awe.
Daniella stepped towards me first, comparing our heights together. She angled her hand from the top of her forehead and moved it towards my shoulders.
"Do men still grow in their twenties? I swear we were about the same height," she said.
"Yes, you're built like a bodyguard now. You filled out everywhere," Casper chimed in.
Clara did not say anything, but her eyes filled with admiration. She looked up and down me, which almost made me flush with shame.
They were right. My body did undergo big changes. Though I let Lumi drink the gene optimizing potion, our shared senses worked its magic onto me. Like how the special honey had more on an effect on Lumi's voice, this panacea was much more effective on myself.
Daniellas was tall and slender. Where I was about an inch or two taller than her before, I was now a whole head taller. I had gone up three shirt sizes too, going from a M to an XXL, and even that was growing snug. I had broad shoulders, a wide and defined back, two mountains of a chest, toned, veiny arms, and two trees for legs. You got the idea.
The appearance aspect of the panacea potion worked wonders for me, too. I was not without model-like looks with my bodyguard-like build. A sharp jawline, strong cheekbones, and deep-set eyes. Near perfect facial symmetry corrected my emaciated features from substance abuse and improper tongue posture. Same with my dark circles, acne scars, pale skin. I now had a bright and glowing complexion, like a baby's.
I never realized how much of an impact these features had on my appearance. After all, I was an average-looking guy trying to get my life together. No wonder skincare and grooming made up the majority of celebrity endorsements. Yet I did not pay much attention to my new self, apart from the first or second day staring at the bathroom mirror.
The only time I was pleased about my new handsome features and not too overly bulky muscles was with Lumi. I was proud that Lumi looked more and more like a carbon copy of me. I was even more proud, almost arrogant, that my new muscles brought her great security.
But I did not like the all the attention they gave me, so I directed my gaze towards Lumi.
"It's not that exaggerated, come on. Haven't you seen Lumi lately? She's had more of a glow up than me," I said.
The three of them thought for a moment before their eyes all widened.
Daniella nods were almost a rattle. "She was cute before, but she always looked a little frail. Now she's even cuter. Her features are all brighter. Plus, her cheeks, oh my goodness. You filled out with muscles, but she filled up with flesh. I want to pinch her everywhere! She looks like an angel."
Much to my relief, Clara turned to her gaze towards Lumi, filled with adoration. "Daniella is right. She is adorable! How come I never realized it this past week? I really, really want to squeeze her."
Casper instead had the strongest reaction, which almost made a shiver run up my spine. His eyes gleamed red and his tongue smacked against his lips over and over again. Lumi had poked her head out during the discussion about her. Yet she immediately nestled herself secure in my arms when she saw the dark aura emitting from him.
"I always knew she smelled of money, but I still underestimated her. With these visuals and looks, she doesn't even have to sing to gain wave after wave of fans. Oh, how much sponsors will we get when she debuts? Kekeke..."
Almost by instinct, I tightened my forearms with full intentions to warn him.
"How can you still think of money at this time? She hasn't even started livestreaming yet," I complained.
"Money is a good thing," Casper declared as matter of fact. "Don't try to diverge the topic from yourself. Tell me what your workout routine is and what your diet is. I can make a fortune selling them to some stars. They'll be desperate for it."
Clara and Daniella turned their attention to me, nodding in agreement.
"The company's funds are low this month," Clara added.
"I could lose some weight as well," Daniella said.
Black lines creased my forehead. Why did nobody in this company act serious in making Lumi a star?
"No!" I grumbled.
But seeing all their looks of regrets and pity, I could only turn to Casper with a meaningful look in my eye.
"There wasn't anything special about my diet or workouts. I was only happy that we had some progress on Lumi's dream. I wanted to protect her, as well as her to be healthy as well. I guess it manifested like this," I explained, looking down at the tight sleeves of my shirt.
Everyone around me was smart and astute; I now began to embrace this as fact.
Casper got the underlying meaning of my words almost immediately. I saw his eyes flicker towards Clara's wheelchair, in particular, towards her legs. He clapped his hands, startling her and Daniella.
"Okay, okay. Let's not ogle over his muscles anymore. We have an appointment to eat together, don't we?"
In my arms and chest, Lumi mumbled some words of agreement, which made all four of us laugh.
"I'm so hungry I can't even sing anymore..."
"Hahaha!"
"You're so cute, ice cream!"
Amidst Daniella's squealing, Clara rolled her wheelchair towards the door first, stopping us in our tracks.
"We're singers, darn it! A restaurant isn't befitting of us! Let's go, I'll show you around my favorite karaoke bar instead!"