The Support Ate it All

Before long, we arrived near a walking trail.

There were small tables and chairs set up so students could rest there.

Once we sat facing each other, Song Cheon-gi spoke first.

"Looks like I interrupted you on your way somewhere."

"We were heading to the training center. It's nothing urgent."

"Still, I apologize for suddenly showing up and taking your time. This won't take long."

"Understood."

True to his word about saving time, Song Cheon-gi got straight to the point.

"I heard you made a bet with my sister."

"Oh Se-hoon."

I had more or less guessed as much.

The only ones who could have let that slip were either Song Cheon-hye or Oh Se-hoon.

Considering the slightly strained relationship between the Song siblings, the odds of Song Cheon-hye telling him directly were close to zero.

If she had, he would have sought me out long ago.

Most likely, the night I was hauled into the disciplinary office, they'd had a three-way conversation.

Song Cheon-gi continued.

"I heard you wagered a wish ticket. Something about one 'large' still being left?"

"That was true until recently."

"…Until recently?"

At my unexpected answer, a faint twitch broke through Song Cheon-gi's otherwise impassive expression.

I went on calmly.

"We had another bet. I now have one more 'medium' wish ticket."

A big stake means a big win.

That's the price you pay for daring to challenge Lucky Charm herself.

Song Cheon-gi stayed silent for a long while, as if struggling to keep the irritation rising in his chest under control.

If my guess was right and he had confronted his sister that night, he must have lectured her for quite some time.

And now, in no time at all, she'd lost yet another wish ticket. No wonder he was furious.

He took a long breath before speaking again.

"Hoo… It doesn't matter. Before I came, I looked into you. Seems you've been networking and making deals with various clubs."

"You read me right."

"I'd like to propose a deal as well. Whether it's a medium or large wish ticket, I'll pay a price that matches it."

Before answering Song Cheon-gi's proposal, I decided to settle a question that had suddenly come to mind.

"There's something I'd like to ask first."

"What is it?"

"Is this matter really that important to you?"

It didn't seem like the siblings were particularly close, and I couldn't see why he would go so far as to come to me in person and pay a price just to erase a wish ticket.

Song Cheon-gi replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Of course it's important. The honor of the Song family is at stake. Who knows what might happen if my sister casually agrees to do something for someone else?"

In other words, he wanted to cut off any possibility of conflict at the root.

It was a fairly reasonable explanation.

Still, something about it felt like a lie. This was likely because of little habits I'd noticed from Song Cheon-hye. Like fiddling with her clothes, glancing away, that sort of thing.

But I didn't feel the need to press the matter further, so I let it go.

Song Cheon-gi pressed me again.

"Now tell me what you want. How much do you think a wish ticket is worth?"

"I wouldn't dare to put a price on it."

"…Didn't you just ask me why it was important?"

"That was only because I wanted to hear your perspective, senior."

From the start, I hadn't intended to trade it so easily.

A faint twitch crossed Song Cheon-gi's brow.

"There's not much a first-year can be asked to do."

"There's no rule saying I have to use it this year."

Since no time limit had been set, I could use it in my third year or even after graduation.

The longer it stayed unused, the more valuable it would become.

"So you're saying you don't want anything?"

"At least not something material like an item. There are plenty of other ways to get those."

"Then what?"

I smiled faintly.

"If a bet took it from me, then a bet should win it back. A wish ticket should be erased by another wish ticket. That's only fair, isn't it?"

"…You're challenging me to a bet? How arrogant."

As if his mood had soured, sparks of electricity crackled faintly around Song Cheon-gi.

It looked like he might strike me with lightning at any moment.

Naturally, I didn't even blink.

If he flipped the negotiation table, he'd be the only one to lose.

I could use the wish ticket to make him do something that would "tarnish the honor of the Song family" at any moment.

And even if he threw a lightning bolt at me, I was loaded with defensive traits like distortion and elemental resistance.

He had no way of knowing the latter, but it seemed he understood well enough that losing his temper would only put him at a disadvantage.

The crackling current subsided as he spoke.

"I'll hear you out."

I thought for a moment.

The most straightforward option is a duel…

But it's still a bit early for that.

If we dueled under the fixed zone's standard slot rules, my odds would probably be higher.

Still, Song Cheon-gi was one of the top fighters among third-years.

There was still a small chance I could lose, and even if I won, the fight would be fiercely heated.

And that kind of battle wasn't my style—

—especially not when wagering something as big as a wish ticket.

So I decided to put off the duel until I was fully prepared, and instead, I casually brought up another idea.

"Since the tournament's next week, how about a bet related to that?"

"You mean testing our judgment?"

"That's right."

"Go on."

Song Cheon-gi seemed at least mildly interested.

I continued.

"Senior Dang Gyu-young has improved a lot since the start of the second semester, hasn't she?"

"I've heard the rumors. And?"

"She's entering the tournament. Aren't you curious how far she will go?"

Whether Dang Gyu-young would make it to the main rounds, and if she did, how far she'd advance.

Song Cheon-gi asked in return,

"What's the stake?"

"Let's go with a medium wish ticket."

If Song Cheon-gi won, my wish ticket would be erased.

If I won, it would be duplicated.

That would be worth even more, since I could make a request directly to the student council president.

Still, he didn't seem too concerned about that part.

After a moment's thought, he gave his prediction for Dang Gyu-young's results.

"There's a hard limit to how much someone can improve in a short time. Her growth is certain, so she might make the main rounds, but no further than that."

"You think the main rounds are her limit?"

"At best, the round of sixteen."

His tone was firm.

Well, considering how many strong contenders this school had, making it into the top sixteen was already generous.

Then I gave my own prediction.

"I think she'll go further than that. Like the quarterfinals, or maybe even semifinals."

"I know you're close with Dang Gyu-young, but your faith in her seems excessive."

"As you said, I believe she'll do well."

And I also trusted my own stagnant water eye that had been honed over countless experiences.

Song Cheon-gi gave a small acknowledging nod.

"Then let's say the bet is settled. What are you planning to do with the other large wish ticket?"

"There's no need to decide in a rush. We still have plenty of time."

"…Alright."

Having reached a certain agreement, Song Cheon-gi tidied up his seat and stood.

But just before leaving, he spoke over his shoulder.

"There's one thing you've overlooked. It's that I can participate in the tournament."

".….."

"It wasn't in my original plans, but this time, I'll make a special effort for the honor of my family."

With Song Cheon-gi's skills, he could very well aim for the championship.

If he ran into Dang Gyu-young along the way, he could easily knock her out, which would raise his chances of winning the bet.

I smiled faintly and replied,

"Of course I'm aware."

"…I can't tell if that's bluffing or the truth. But I suppose it doesn't matter. I'll be looking forward to it."

Song Cheon-gi looked at me with an unreadable expression, then turned and walked away.

***

Seo Ye-in and Hong Yeon-hwa were probably waiting at the training center, but before heading there, I called Dang Gyu-young out for a moment.

Then I explained the bet I'd just made.

Of course, I kept the fact that a wish ticket was on the line a secret.

"……."

As she listened, Dang Gyu-young's eyes narrowed little by little, and she slowly reached a hand toward my face.

Then she asked while cupping my cheeks,

"Young monarch, do you think it's okay to just use a person in a bet? I feel insulted, like I'm being treated as a racehorse."

"I'd rather call it something like a gladiator in the Colosseum."

"Same difference. Your sin is grave. You'll be punished with the Stretch-the-Cheeks sentence."

"Mmm srryy~"

She tugged and squished my cheeks over and over until she was satisfied, then finally let go.

"You're lucky your cheeks are soft and squishy. So, Song Cheon-gi's joining too?"

"That's what I hear."

"Ugh, if I face him now, I'll probably lose."

She'd only recently switched to a new class, and she had just two undead minions under her control.

Worse still, one of them had been hastily summoned from a C-rank dungeon.

If she had more undead under her command and had built up new skills and traits, that would be one thing. But for now, she seemed far from ready to take on the student council president.

I replied casually,

"No need to worry about that just yet. You might not even run into him."

"No matter how well I avoid him, I'll probably see him by the quarterfinals."

"Then you'll just have to face him."

It wasn't as if Dang Gyu-young was destined to lose.

And even if, by chance, she lost to Song Cheon-gi or another championship-level opponent in the round of 32 or 16, a medium wish ticket wouldn't be too much of a loss.

It's more of a strategic move, really.

The fact that Song Cheon-gi was even entering the tournament meant I'd already achieved more than half my goal.

As I was thinking this, Dang Gyu-young studied me closely.

"……"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You had the face of a scheming mastermind just now."

"And what kind of face is that supposed to be?"

"A face full of dark schemes and conspiracies."

She kept her eyes narrowed, staring at me.

I brought the conversation back on track.

"Anyway, if you can just make it to the quarterfinals, we win. Further than that is even better."

"Alright. I'll try to climb as high as I can."

It seemed she had originally planned to enter with the lighthearted mindset of just testing her skills, but I figured she'd put in more effort if it was to help me.

Still, she didn't seem fully motivated yet, so I lowered my voice and hinted,

"If you make it to the semifinals or higher, there's a special prize."

"What is it?"

She grew intrigued and asked again.

I stepped closer and whispered in her ear,

"A continuation."

"…….!"

Her eyebrows lifted slightly.

Then with a smooth motion, she drew her shadow bat and rested it on her shoulder.

"They're all dead now. Song Cheon-gi? You're done."

***

TN: Let's gooo Dang Gyu-young!