Finally getting back to the gym. There's this one guy there, though. Always parading around in bright, tight clothes. Perfect styled hair. Everyone staring at his massive ass that he's clearly been working most on. Can't help being a little envious and wishing I could pull off dressing like him.
First of all - welcome back to the gym! You may have noticed a few changes, but the same crowds are always somewhere to be found. The guy youâre referencing is actually a long-time patron of the establishment, though recently had a few adjustments here and there. Perhaps the two of you should get acquainted since youâve often been working-out near each other.
You looked over at the man beside you - today in his signature bright and tight spandex. Utterly oblivious to you - focusing on whatever supplement he was using to maintain his physique - you wondered how after sweating so much he still managed to maintain his perfect appearance.
It wasnât any particular day, nor had you felt like you had done an impressive workout, but staring at the guy gave you the ideal prompt to finish your workout early, hit the showers and change back into your large grey hoodie. However, when you walked your way over to the exit and scan your pass, a strange bright yellow flash appeared on the scanners: âWINNER SELECTEDâ
Looking around, both confused and slightly embarrassed, the handsome attendant who was seemingly always behind the counter explained that there was a randomised draw for members. He handed you a new pass with the instructions to activate it tomorrow with the brand representative directly⊠whoever that was. Begrudgingly, you took the flyer and new card, then signed whatever piece of paper was required and got out of there as quick as possible.
Upon arriving at the gym, and scanning your new pass, the same bright yellow as before, this time almost blinding, flashed on the monitor: âWELCOMEâ
Shaking your head, adjusting back to the light, you saw the very same guy walk over towards you with a cylindrical bag in hand and a smile on his face. âI know you, donât I? Weâre often here at the same times am I right?â He stated, almost not waiting for your answer before handing you the bag and continuing - âWell, Iâm glad it means Iâll be getting to see your transformation with the help of The Sponsor. Thanks for signing everything last night, means we can get you started straight away! One image for the before -â He pointed the iPad towards you as a similar bright yellow flash appeared and took a picture.
Still confused with what was going on, at a fast sprint he walked towards the changing rooms, instructing you to follow. Pointing towards a changing room, the ambassador continued -
âYouâll find all of your new gear in here, as well as the same shakes Iâve been using. As you know, since you agreed to the terms and conditions, within the gym you have to wear whatever gear the sponsorship sends you - at least for the first three months. After that, youâre free to do whatever, but we hope that with the increased social media posts and recognition youâll continue the program. Any questions?â - once again, not leaving you time to answer - âGood. You get yourself in there and Iâll be changing into my gear as well. See you in 5.â
Fuck, you thought to yourself, there really was no stopping this guy. Inside, the kit was incredibly limited - a pair of bright yellow tights, a white branded teeshirt, trainers and - to your horror - a black jockstrap. âOh no, what have I gotten myself into? Maybe it wasnât too late to declineâŠâ
BANG BANG BANG - the erratic taps of the hyperactive ambassador. âNeed any help, bud? No? Iâll see you out beside the desk in 10.â
You sighed and got changed. Feeling awkward as you left the changing room, you felt the unfamiliar hug of the new tights against parts of your body you didnât usually show off. Catching your reflection in the mirror gave you a slightly better sense of self. âMaybe the workouts have been paying off,â you thought.
âYeah, sorry bud, that hoodie and cap have to stay behindâ you heard him shout from the front desk. You sighed, handing it over to the attendant, while the ambassador was working on an iPad. You handed your phone over as he âinstalledâ a new training program, submitted whatever biometric data the gym had on you and then logged in to rebrand your social media accounts. All the while he was taking images, got you to pose and sent you over to the in-house barber.
Sitting down in the chair, you felt like everything was all going far too fast, but somehow the chaos was easier to go along with than fight against.
You arrived home after the most intense workout of your life. It was so late that attendants had gone home, meaning that your hoodie, cap and everything else had been âconfiscatedâ by the strict instructions of the agreement and had to venture back home in the same gear. You felt the back of your head, realising that it must feel the same as the immaculate hair of the guy you used to envy, and wondered just what else had been signed away.
Checking your phone, you saw hundreds of notifications from new followers and fans. Real or bots, you had no idea, but at least 10x more than the humble number you had before. Scrolling past message upon message, a yellow notification box appeared on your screen: âTIME FOR A CHECK-IN!â
Your whole screen went bright, your mind went blank, and did whatever instructions the mysterious new app told you to do.
The first three months went by without you even recognising. Of course, as the contract was up, you happily agreed to upgrade your contract with The Sponsorship - especially as it meant that you now got to work without the constant supervision of the Ambassador.
The familiar chime started ringing in your ears, louder than whatever pounding music was being fed by the gymâs workout system. You looked at your phoneâs bright yellow screen and pulled out the dedicated influencer-grade camera they gave you to use
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