Chapter 45 : Chapter 45
Chapter 45
August entered the break room and closed the door.
And leaning her back against the door, she spoke quietly to November, who would be waiting outside.
“To play Round 4 immediately is news to me. Explain what happened.”
From beyond the door, November answered in a low, lowered tone.
“It is a decision made by January.”
“Do you think I asked because I didn't know it was January's decision? I am asking about the circumstances of doing something that wasn't in the schedule.”
“I am also in a position where a gag order has been issued, so I cannot explain much to you.”
“Then explain even a little.”
The directive August had received was simple.
Participating in Round 3 and carrying out an operation against Lee Ju-seong.
That was all.
She thought she only had to play Round 3, but when she was suddenly told to play until Round 4, she couldn't help but wonder.
No one welcomes overtime.
Especially if it is overtime for an unknown reason.
However, November replied heartlessly as if it were none of his business.
“Just because we are fellow Dealers doesn't mean we have to share everything. There are parts you know but I don't, and there are parts I know but you don't.”
“Meaning the only person who knows everything is January?”
“Perhaps?”
“It means if I want an explanation, I should ask in January directly after this game is over.”
“By all means, do so. Oh, for your information, you don't have to try to strip Lee Ju-seong's balance during this game. According to the game rules, it's impossible to strike the balance without killing Lee Ju-seong.”
If it were okay to kill Lee Ju-seong, things would have been a bit easier.
Ah, is that not it?
He is a crazy guy who generates a blade inside his own body just to copy a single ability.
How did he end up with such a malformed sensibility?
One cannot understand him without digging deeper into Lee Ju-seong's personal side.
And if one cannot understand, one cannot conquer.
‘From now on, think only of me, whether awake or asleep.’
Suddenly, the words Lee Ju-seong had said lingered in her head.
At the same time, Lee Ju-seong's face, which she had witnessed when he spoke those words, enlarged to the maximum as he approached right before her nose, came to mind.
August muttered quietly with a voice mixed with irritation.
“It's really becoming exactly as he said. I don't like it.”
She roughly washed only her hands and went out of the break room.
The moment she was about to return to where Lee Ju-seong was, an angry shout rang out loudly near the center of the playground.
“It's all for your sake, so what is that attitude? There are things you can say and things you cannot! Apologize right now!”
In the center of the playground, followers were huffing and puffing while shouting at Lee Ju-seong.
Even though they hadn't even entered the main game yet, the conflict had already reached its peak.
It was obvious without even looking.
Lee Ju-seong, that man must have played with his tongue skillfully.
August pressed her temples with her fingers.
“He's full of energy too. How can he provoke others so unceasingly like that.”
November was still amused, treating it like someone else's business, as if watching a fire across the river.
“How about you, August, take charge of that fellow exclusively on this occasion? If you follow him around closely like a battle buddy, won't some way open up?”
“Don't say such terrifying things. It's because you haven't experienced Lee Ju-seong directly. Once you experience him, your thoughts will change too.”
“Well, at any rate, good luck. Since the game balance won't match if you put in your true effort, don't forget to control your strength appropriately.”
Because November acted despicably throughout, the corners of August's eyes, which had gone up once, did not seem to come down.
August headed toward the center of the playground, unable to erase the feeling that she was the only one losing out.
Lee Ju-seong vs. Followers.
Amidst the one-vs-many confrontation, she approached No Tae-jin, who was hovering alone, and asked about the circumstances.
“How did the fight break out?”
No Tae-jin was at a loss as if it were his own business, and he greatly welcomed the joining of August, who would at least be of help.
“You came at the right time. It's because that side made a slightly strange proposal. When Mr. Ju-seong, who heard the proposal, spoke sarcastically to the people over there, an argument broke out.”
The Lee Ju-seong that August knew was absolutely not a person who would mock an opponent without any meaning.
Returning as much as received?
Not at all.
Returning two or three times what was received was the person August had identified as Lee Ju-seong.
This time too, he must have returned it because the opponent provoked him first.
“What kind of proposal did they make?”
“How should I say this... they made a proposal to collect everyone's pocket money and divide it fairly.”
“I wondered what it was. It's the same as what we did in Set 1 in Round 3.”
As soon as August finished speaking, she felt a sense of incongruity.
She realized there was something strange in her own words after she had said them.
It didn't take long to realize the identity of the incongruity.
“Wait a minute. Pocket money? Not the prize money to be obtained in this game?”
Normally, if someone says let's share, they think of the prize money first; there was no way one could easily comply with the words to add and share even the pocket money.
Because of the perception that the opponent couldn't possibly make such an abnormal proposal, her brain had carried out a correction on its own.
No Tae-jin spoke while watching the scene of conflict with sweaty hands.
“Yes, pocket money, not the prize money. Mr. Ju-seong, who heard the proposal from that side... responded a bit harshly.”
“How did he respond?”
“He replied by asking if they wanted to be revolutionarily massacred. Along with various words comparing the old man over there to the Baekdu bloodline.”
For a moment, August almost truly burst out.
To think he would pick such sly words and provoke the opponent in that situation.
When facing him as an enemy, her insides were burning with rage, but looking at it from the perspective of an ally, it was incredibly pleasant.
He was an interesting man in many ways.
‘As far as I know, that person Kim Ju-han's possession is around 600 million. If they do something like communism, Lee Ju-seong will lose out overwhelmingly. Those people really provoked Lee Ju-seong.’
The cult group still didn't seem to notice who they had touched.
It was like touching the whiskers of a sleeping lion.
Kim Ju-han maintained the position that he was right, without even the realization that he had committed a major mistake.
“Bodhisattva Lee Ju-seong, greed will ruin you. It is truly a pity that you are being stubborn even though I am trying to teach you that it is comfortable if you let go.”
Kim Ju-han's argument was that if one thinks my money is everyone's money and everyone's money is my money, they can care for each other and hope for everyone's survival.
However, it didn't even work a bit on Lee Ju-seong.
“I'm really looking forward to this game. If you truly intend to save all the players, you will absolutely not attack us. If you show sincerity through your actions, I'll think about it again a little bit.”
“Hohoho, do not worry. Even if you are a fallen being, we will never give up. We will surely save you.”
“I will be happily waiting for you to lead by example.”
As if waiting for the timing of the psychological warfare to end, November pulled out a paper that looked like a cue card and proceeded with the game like a TV show MC.
“Since it seems you have understood all the rules, we will proceed with the game. First, I will announce the order of throwing the Yut. Number 1, Lee Ju-seong. Number 2, Park Su-min, Number 3...”
***
I silently listened to the sequence November was calling out with my arms crossed.
By the time I heard the last thirteenth sequence, I could guess the approximate flow of this game.
The biggest feature was that our team's numbers were placed sparsely.
Me - Number 1.
No Tae-jin - Number 7.
August - Number 13.
The first turn, the middle turn, the last turn.
The three people were distributed evenly.
Likewise, it was a formation that possessed both advantages and disadvantages evenly.
As an advantage, it was a sequence that could strike the enemy's rear at any time, and as a disadvantage, the point that we couldn't block the opponent from grouping up comfortably could be cited.
Either way, whatever.
Basically, the point that the advantage and disadvantage easily changed from moment to moment according to the Yut hand did not change.
November said as he took out the Yut from a red cloth bag that looked like a lucky pouch.
“When throwing the Yut, please be sure to throw it higher than your head. And if a battle breaks out because pieces overlap, you win by killing the opponent or pushing them out of the space. Interference from the outfield during battle is strictly prohibited, and if you are caught using a foul act, you will return to the starting point along with a 300 million won fine. By all means, be careful not to get caught while using a foul.”
Be careful not to get caught.
Even if it meant death, he didn't say not to use a foul.
Whether to use a foul or not was up to the player, but it was no different from saying to use it without getting caught.
November held out the Yut to me.
“Mr. Lee Ju-seong, who is the first in order. Please throw the Yut. There is no 'Nak', so you can throw it anywhere comfortably.”
The Yut sticks were quite large.
Each Yut stick was about 40cm, and the thickness was similar to a banana.
Four ‘x’ marks were drawn on the upper part of the curved Yut sticks, and the bottom surface was smooth and flat.
In addition, only on one stick, one ‘x’ mark was drawn on the bottom surface.
It meant it was Yutnori where the hand called Back-do existed.
I gathered and held the Yut sticks with both hands as I spoke.
“Aren't the Yut sticks too long? I could even scratch my back with these.”
When I pretended to scratch my back while treating the Yut sticks like a backscratcher, the atmosphere became chilly.
Only August turned her head and covered her mouth with her hand.
Pfft.
Since at least one person laughed at a word I just tossed out, it was a success.
I placed the Yut sticks to my nose and lightly rubbed some nose oil on them.
“Then, I'll throw.”
All the Yut sticks went up to a position higher than my head and then fell down.
The Yut sticks soon fell down and rolled on the floor freely.
Three Yut sticks were overturned.
It was a Gul.
November waited until the movement of the Yut sticks completely stopped before reciting the judgment.
“Gul. Please move three spaces.”
Whether rubbing nose oil on them as a jinx would act as good luck or bad luck was something to be seen.
It was time to move according to the judgment.
I strode into the first space, and then passed the second space and arrived at the third space to stop.
The next turn was a cult follower belonging to the opposing team.
Messy curly hair from being roughly dried, dark beard, a wrinkled beige sweatshirt from a lack of laundering skills, and black shorts.
He was a youth with clear traces of living day by day just getting by.
The youth politely gathered and held the Yut sticks with both hands, then threw them high.
Three Yut sticks were overturned.
November's judgment followed.
“It is a Gul. Move to the third space.”
From the very beginning, players ended up staying in the same space.
The youth stepped on the path I had passed exactly and moved over to the third space.
Since the rear piece had caught up with the front piece, it was time to carry out the unique rule that exists only in Straight Yutnori.
It was time for a choice.
Either one side surrenders, or they fight without surrendering to each other until death or an out-of-bounds loss is confirmed.
The youth took four small iron beads out of his pocket. And he showed hostility toward me by wedging one between each of his right fingers.
“From now on, I will save you.”
In the scripture of that cult, the word save seemed to be listed with the meaning of attacking.
It seemed that rubbing the nose oil had acted as bad luck rather than good luck.
Of course, as bad luck for the youth on the opponent's side.
I provocatively taunted the youth by flicking my index finger toward him.
“Playing with beads... that's good. Before that, since there will be a contact accident, you should contact your insurance company in advance.”