[Self-Improvement Story Part 3] A Monster Appears!! The Day a 40-Year-Old Guy Sets Off

Good evening, everyone!!
Earlier today, I went to a nearby supermarket and they were having a 98-yen sale on vegetables, so they were incredibly cheap, and I stocked up for the first time in a while lol

A 3-pack of carrots, a 3-pack of onions, a 2-pack of green onions, a huge amount of garlic chives, one pack of shiitake mushrooms, and one large bag of enoki mushrooms—all for 588 yen! It felt like such a great deal that I couldn't help but splurge on some beef for the main dish💦 lol

So, today I used carrots, green onions, garlic chives, shiitake mushrooms, beef, and some sweet bean paste, chili bean paste, eggs, and ginger I had lying around to make Yukgaejang soup, which I ate as Gukbap🎵

I usually only eat chicken or pork at home, but when I cook with beef once in a while, I really think it's delicious!!

I've been missing yakiniku lately... I'll definitely go eat some once things settle down♪

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Anyway, today I'm going to continue writing my self-improvement story!

Episode 1

Episode 2

To give a brief summary of what happened so far...

In 2020, COVID-19 raged, and my job, which should have been smooth sailing, suddenly hit a rough patch. I used the time during the state of emergency when I couldn't go out to start doing RTA in a niche
area of Dragon Quest, and after the Golden Week holidays in 2022, GAMI, who had actually achieved 1st place in the world in the gaming world, was

accumulating fatigue in the real world...
I commuted every day on the first train, and worked full throttle for the store opening at 6:30 AM. Due to the impact of COVID, the number of employees dropped from 8 to 2, and I worked the terrifying 'open-to-last' shifts with almost no time off,

and even on my rare days off, I would play Dragon Quest RTA all day to relieve stress, or bring administrative work home to do all day.

Work -> RTA (Admin) -> Work -> RTA (Admin) -> Work

I felt like even my work was an RTA, and I was in work mode even while doing RTA lol

In this state, fatigue substances kept building up in my body, my complexion got worse, anda completely exhausted 40-year-old guy was born. lol

And so, after much deliberation, I made up my mind to quit the workplace where I had spent so many years at the end of March.

One day in March, while I was taking a walk along the coast on my day off, the hat that was essential to me (because I had a complex about my hair 😢) was blown away by the sea breeze, and the hat disappeared into the wind...

It was an event that made me seriously start considering AGA treatment while L'Arc-en-Ciel's 'Kaze ni Kienai de' (Don't Disappear in the Wind) played in my head.

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And with that, the final day of work, March 31st, finally arrived.

By the last day, I had finished all the handovers, the inventory check was completed without any issues, I was able to graduate from the workplace safely, and that day I fell asleep like the dead for the first time in a while...

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April 1st
Before I knew it, it was nearly noon, and I finally woke up!

My life up until then had been 3-4 hours of sleep, going to bed at midnight or 1 AM and waking up at 4 AM, so it had been a really long time since I slept for nearly 10 hours. Conversely, my eyelids felt heavy and my body felt heavier than usual... lol

For the first time in a while, I washed my face slowly in the morning, rubbed my sleepy eyes, and looked at myself in the mirror,

“A-A-A monster?!!!!”

Yes, there was the figure of an ugly monster right there. (It was my own reflection, though... lol)

At that moment, I was shocked and had no choice but to realize that a bolt of despair had struck me.

“Ah... have I aged this much from years of living a life where I didn't take care of myself and just let the days pass by...”

If you continue to live a life where you don't care about your appearance for many years, this is what happens... cry

And so, I was summoned by the King of Aliahan and had to set off on a journey to defeat the monster that had suddenly appeared before me. lol

Please listen to the Dragon Quest III adventure music while you read the rest!!
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With that said, from here on, I will take on various challenges for self-improvement!
Since I had just quit my job, I had both time and money to spare at the time, so I focused on improving myself and began to put in the effort by using my time and money!

[April 2023]

It all started when I set off to an outlet park to get some clothes,

I decided to start AGA treatment and booked a consultation at a clinic,

I went to an Izu hot spring for a cure to heal my body,

I went to an eyebrow salon,

I started hair removal,

I started skincare in earnest,

I began dietary restrictions (autophagy) to slim down my sloppy body,

I also did beauty chiropractic massages (Dr. Uchiyama) without fail every day,

I also tried scalp massages regularly to flush toxins from my lymph nodes,

I started walking every day,

and I started going to a natural bedrock bath to increase my metabolism,

By the end of April, Gami-oji, the hero who was at level 0,
had his parameters increase little by little and reached about level 1, lol

[May 2023]

Even though I was plagued by initial shedding from the AGA oral medication, I began to feel that my hair had become a little stronger,

The autophagy effect also started to kick in, and my weight dropped from my all-time high of 64kg to the 50kg range

The effects of skincare and massage haven't really appeared yet...

I continued the natural bedrock bath, and I clearly felt my metabolism rising as I was sweating more easily than before

However, no changes in my appearance level have occurred yet, and I am suffering.

[June 2023]

Even so, I continue, continue, and continue to do what I must

Keep it up!!!

Believing that consistency is the only way to change, I just kept going! I also made sure never to forget to take my AGA medication.

Then, at the end of June, I participated in a trial lesson at a pressurized training gym...

[July 2023]

I started full-scale pressurized training at the gym
(believing the theory that the growth hormone released by pressure is good for the skin...)

And finally, changes were starting to happen,

At this time, I went to my friend's hair salon, and since my hair had become stronger from the AGA medication, we decided to take the plunge and change my hairstyle...

It was also around this time that I learned about the existence of face powder and became interested in men's makeup.

[August 2023]

When I went on a hot spring trip, my partner complimented me, saying that my vibe had clearly changed and improved since April. This gave me confidence and reaffirmed that my efforts were headed in the right direction!

I actually had an experience where I was surprised myself when I compared my current self to photos from the past and saw how much I had changed! lol

At this time, I started a blog thinking I could share my experiences, but it had zero views. Since Note looked interesting, I started my activities as GAMI, aiming to be a next-gen cool middle-aged guy, on Note starting September 5th!

[September 2023]

The adventure continues even now...

To help defeat the monsters that lurk somewhere in everyone, GAMI, who is diligently aiming to become a next-generation cool middle-aged man, continues to share his journey and the items needed to defeat these monsters on note.

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And with that, I have written my self-improvement story in a trilogy!

Thank you so much for reading this far!!