Chapter 101: Arts Festival (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Arts Festival (5)
“…Beat the Counselor?”
Ha Seo-rim muttered the name of the game. After reading the instruction sheet on the desk, she tilted her head to the side.
“…But why a game?”
She seemed curious about what games had to do with the Counseling Club.
“What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of counseling?”
Ji Nuri stepped in to answer for me.
“……Communication skills?” Ha Seo-rim offered after a brief moment of thought.
“Wrong! Counseling is about psychology! And psychology is about psychological warfare!”
And that, apparently, was why the Counseling Club was hosting a game. Ji Nuri pointed her index finger toward the ceiling, shouting with an air of absolute confidence.
I wasn't sure about the logic, but that was her story.
“Ah, okay.”
Ha Seo-rim didn't seem particularly interested in debating the logic and just accepted it.
“If you can beat our club’s best player at this game, you can take home a prize.” Ji Nuri laughed and patted my shoulder.
Thump, thump—
She was hitting me surprisingly hard.
“And the prize for winning is a 10,000 won gift card?”
“Yep. The entry fee is 1,000 won per round.”
Ji Nuri shook the entry fee box. I could hear the rustle of bills moving inside. She listened to the sound with a look of pure satisfaction.
“But…” Ha Seo-rim’s lips twitched as if she were choosing her words carefully. “…Is it really okay to do something like this at a school festival?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“No, it’s just…”
When Ji Nuri asked back with a look of pure innocence, Ha Seo-rim found herself at a loss for words.
— “…This is just straight-up gambling.”
Her Mini-Me was the only one muttering with a serious expression.
“It’s fine,” I added nonchalantly.
There was no need to worry about that. I’d already gotten proper permission from the teacher. That had actually been the hardest part to negotiate.
“They gave us the okay because we put a limit on the number of attempts and the number of gift cards. Each person can only try three times. And the gift cards are only for the first five winners.”
“Ah… so it’s like a gacha game?”
“Exactly.”
I agreed with Ha Seo-rim’s assessment. We were putting more weight on the game itself than the money.
…Though, of course, it was a game with a bit of a trick involved.
“So, do you guys want to give it a try?” Ji Nuri encouraged the Band Club juniors.
“…I’m good,” Ha Seo-rim said, shaking her head.
— “…There’s definitely a trick to it somewhere. It’s a waste of money.”
Ha Seo-rim figured it would be more profitable to spend that money on the cup popcorn they were selling in the club room.
“…Hmm.”
She was sharp. It was as if she knew exactly what kind of scheme was hidden in this "gacha" game. She realized it wouldn't be an easy win.
However, there are always people who play even when they know the odds—simply for the fun of it.
“I’ll do it…!”
Ha Seo-rim’s friend from the Band Club stepped forward. I checked her name tag: Ahn Bo-ram. I recalled the name after seeing the tag.
“Here you go.”
Ahn Bo-ram handed me a 1,000 won bill. Seeing this, Ha Seo-rim looked at her with doubt.
“You’re actually doing it?”
“Why not? It looks fun.”
“…….”
Ha Seo-rim looked at her friend as if she were watching someone fall for a scam. Soon, she looked away and stepped back, signaling her friend to do as she pleased.
…….
“Haaa—I can’t believe I lost.”
Ahn Bo-ram let out a disappointed sigh. With that, she had used up all three of her chances. The male Band Club student, Jin Hyun-woo, had also been cleaned out.
— “…I knew it. There was a trick.”
The Mini-Me’s eyes narrowed. Ha Seo-rim fixed her gaze on Lee Sol. Rather than the game itself, she had been looking around to find the trick. And eventually, she found it.
“…….”
Ha Seo-rim watched Ahn Bo-ram smack her lips in regret before slowly taking a seat.
Slide—
She pushed forward a 1,000 won bill.
“You’re playing too?” I asked as I took the money.
“…Just one round.”
I nodded and shuffled the deck to deal the cards.
“…….”
Ha Seo-rim pressed the cards against her chest to check the numbers, then immediately placed them face down on the desk. It was a swift movement.
— “Wait, huh?”
Lee Sol, who hadn't been able to see the numbers, raised her voice in a fluster.
Indeed, it was a trick that was easy to counter once you noticed it. I put in my entry coin and asked Ha Seo-rim, “How many?”
“I’ll raise it to three.”
“Fine. I’ll call.”
I fell into thought as I laid down my hand. I once watched a documentary about something like this—the psychology of games and the reasons for addiction. It had a title like that.
It said: First, in the beginning, let them taste victory repeatedly. Make them feel the fun.
“One, two, three.”
“!”
When the cards were revealed, Ha Seo-rim’s expression brightened. The sum of her numbers was higher.
— “See? Without the trick, my skills come through. If I keep this up, I’ll win easily.”
The corners of Ha Seo-rim’s Mini-Me’s mouth curled up. First, fill them with the confidence that they can win.
“…….”
I watched her as I shuffled the cards.
Snap— Snap—
The game continued after that. Sometimes I won, and sometimes Ha Seo-rim won.
“All-in.”
I waited for the right moment and then made an aggressive move, pushing all my coins in.
“I’ll fold.”
Ha Seo-rim didn't get stubborn and backed off immediately. Her numbers weren't high enough to justify the risk. I revealed my hand. Ha Seo-rim’s numbers were actually higher than mine; it had been a bluff.
I greedily snatched up her entry fee. Ha Seo-rim’s eyebrows twitched. It wasn't a big reaction, but it was enough to show she was annoyed.
“…….”
The game continued. The coins were split 11 to 9. It was almost back to the starting point, but Ha Seo-rim had about two more coins. She was slowly pulling ahead.
“All-in.”
I bet my coins again.
“I’ll call.”
This time, Ha Seo-rim followed.
“One, two, three.”
The hands were revealed.
“Ugh…!”
At that moment, Ha Seo-rim’s face stiffened. I had won by a razor-thin margin—the total was only different by two. Since I won an all-in game, the lead was instantly reversed.
“I guess I win.”
This game ultimately ended in my victory. If you lose at the very moment you think you’re about to win… when it feels like victory is just within reach… if you let victory slip away then…
“…….”
Snap—
Another 1,000 won bill came out of Ha Seo-rim’s wallet.
“…Just one more round.”
Ah, I feel like I can win if I just play one more time. That’s how people end up wanting to play the next round for no reason.
“Sure.”
I quickly shuffled the cards.
…….
“That’s the end of that.”
“…….”
The second round also ended in my victory.
“…One more round.”
Now, Ha Seo-rim was acting out of pure spite.
“This is the last one.”
“Yes, I know.”
I distributed the coins and shuffled the cards. I wanted to finish it quickly, so I bet aggressively. Ha Seo-rim had 2 coins left. I had 18.
“…….”
In that situation, Ha Seo-rim’s expression remained stoic. She rested her chin on her hand, tapping her index finger as if searching for a winning move even in this predicament. On the outside, at least.
— “……Two.”
She counted the remaining coins in a gloomy voice. A bit of moisture was welling up under her eyes. Surprisingly, Ha Seo-rim was very competitive. Whether she was frustrated or not, her fingertips were white from how hard she was gripping her cards.
Maybe it was because money was on the line.
‘Did I go too far?’
I wondered if I was being too serious against a junior, especially since I’d already cleaned out three of them.
— “…I have to bet, but…”
Ha Seo-rim’s Mini-Me fell into deep thought. Should she bet just one and keep a life? Or bet everything and take a chance? She had to choose between the two.
“I’ll bet both.”
In the end, Ha Seo-rim made her choice. The number in her hand was an 8. It was a fairly high number, so it seemed like a reasonable move.
But it was the wrong choice. The number in front of her forehead was a 2. My total was 4 points higher.
“Fold.”
I gave up on this round and laid down my cards. The one entry coin that had been bet went over to her.
“Phew…….”
Ha Seo-rim let out a breath involuntarily.
— “…Ack!”
Then, realizing I was watching, she quickly fixed her expression. As if nothing had happened, she looked down at her cards with a serious face.
“…….”
The game continued. Naturally winning and losing, I drew out her coins. And in the final round, where a large number of coins were at stake…
I laid down my hand.
“…I lost.”
By a difference of 2. Her hand had the higher number. In other words, it was Ha Seo-rim’s victory.
“…!”
Ha Seo-rim’s eyes widened. She looked like she couldn't believe she had won.
— “I-I won…!”
The Mini-Me jumped up from her seat and started hopping around. Seeing her that happy, I felt like I’d done a good job losing.
“Kyaa! Seo-rim!”
Ahn Bo-ram clung to Ha Seo-rim, jumping up and down. She looked as happy as if it were her own victory. With a 10,000 won gift card, I wondered if she’d treat them to a cafe. Thinking about it that way, it wasn't entirely unrelated to counseling.
“…….”
Ha Seo-rim gave a short nod and a faint smile.
“Here’s your prize.”
“…Ahem. Yes.”
When I held out the gift card, Ha Seo-rim tried to keep her composure and accepted it with both hands.
— “One precious gift card is gone…!”
Ji Nuri’s Mini-Me screamed.
“Seung-ho…”
Lee Sol approached with a gloomy expression and whispered softly. “…Sorry, I got caught.”
“Huh? You got caught?” Ji Nuri whispered along.
I shook my head. “It’s okay. I figured we’d get caught eventually.”
“…Still.”
She felt bad, thinking they wouldn't have lost if she’d done better. That wasn't necessarily true.
“You have to lose once in a while so more customers come.”
That’s just how games are. People would rather play against someone they feel they can beat than someone who seems impossible to defeat.
I stood up from my seat.
“Let’s start cleaning up and go grab some food.”
As we kept working, it had already become nearly 11 o'clock. Moving around so much had made me hungry fast.
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