Chapter 111: The Bet (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 111: The Bet (3)
Ji Nuri volunteered for the role of Club President.
The room fell silent the moment she made her declaration.
— “…I didn’t expect Nuri to be gunning for the presidency.”
Lee Sol’s Mini-Me narrowed its eyes and pressed a hand to its forehead. It was already accepting the reality of the situation and calculating its next move.
Shin A-young, on the other hand, took a different approach. She tried to change the situation itself.
“…Nuri, are you sure you’ll be okay as President? Won’t it be too much work?” A-young asked, her expression laced with concern.
Her fluttering eyelashes betrayed her inner plea for Nuri to reconsider. Had her opponent been a guy, the look would have worked like a charm; even with another girl, that level of sheer desperation would have at least given them pause.
“It’ll be fine!”
Unfortunately, her opponent was Ji Nuri.
“I’ve been watching the President teach Seung-ho. I was listening closely the whole time.”
Ji Nuri nodded firmly. Her Mini-Me stood with its hands on its hips, looking smug.
— “All for this very moment…!”
So that’s why she’d been showing so much interest lately.
I suppose she’s had her eye on the President’s seat for a while. Come to think of it, if she hadn’t been interested, Ji Nuri’s personality would have led her to do something else entirely.
Ji Nuri twirled her index finger in the air.
“I know exactly what needs to be done, so it won’t be a problem at all.”
“…I see.”
A-young’s voice trembled slightly. She clearly hadn't expected this, but she wasn’t ready to give up just yet.
“But there’s going to be a lot of tedious paperwork…?”
“Hey, I told you it’s fine.”
Uncharacteristically, Ji Nuri seemed prepared to handle even that.
— “They say with great power comes great responsibility, right?”
The quote was a bit off, but I got the gist of what she was trying to say. I wasn’t sure what had brought this on, but Ji Nuri was dead serious.
“……But.”
Nuri, sensing something off about the way A-young kept trailing off, narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“You’re not worried just because I’m the one becoming President, are you?”
“Oh, stop it—”
A-young waved her hand with a breezy smile.
“Why would I feel that way?”
She shook her head vigorously, denying it completely.
“Hmm….”
Nuri still looked unconvinced. A-young met her gaze with a bright, beaming smile.
— “……She’s only ever sharp at times like this.”
A-young’s Mini-Me broke into a cold sweat. It looked like Nuri had hit the nail right on the head.
“Ahem. Anyway, Sol is in second place, so it’s her turn to pick, right?”
A-young cleared her throat and quickly changed the subject, ensuring Nuri couldn’t press the issue.
“Sol, what do you want to be?”
“…….”
At A-young’s question, Lee Sol crossed her arms and sank into thought. The remaining positions were Vice President or regular Club Member.
“……I’ll be a member.”
That was Sol’s choice.
— “If it goes like this……”
Sol’s Mini-Me muttered in a low voice, then turned its gaze toward Shin A-young.
— “……You used your head, didn’t you?”
A-young’s Mini-Me let out a low groan.
— “Now I have no choice but to be the Vice President.”
There were two options left, but only one possible choice for Shin A-young.
Since she was worried about the jinx, she would rather take the Vice President position herself than let me have it. Sol knew exactly how to play her.
“…….”
I swallowed hard as I watched the exchange. This calculated maneuvering amidst the strange atmosphere… the psychological warfare between women was truly terrifying. If I had a Mini-Me, it would probably be drenched in a cold sweat right now.
“Then I’ll be the Vice President.”
A-young raised her hand slightly. She acted as if she were choosing what she had wanted all along, masking her true feelings.
— “Maybe it’s better this way.”
A-young’s Mini-Me looked at Sol. She had decided that this was better than the alternative.
“…….”
I remained silent. Come to think of it, there was never a chance for me to become the President anyway. Ji Nuri was the wildcard that changed everything. The game had been rigged from the start.
‘But who could have known?’
It was impossible to predict. Who usually wants to be the Club President, anyway?
And so, next year’s Counseling Club President and Vice President were decided. For the most part, everyone seemed satisfied.
— “Man, that was epic. Taking first place by snatching everything Seung-ho saved up…!”
Nuri was, needless to say, drunk on her own achievement.
— “Hmm… I’d say I held my ground well enough.”
Sol was reasonably content with the outcome.
“…….”
There was only one person left looking grumpy.
— “……Am I going to end up doing all the work later?”
A-young’s Mini-Me’s eyes trembled. She was already worried that she’d end up cleaning up after Nuri’s unfinished business.
‘…Nuri isn’t that bad, though.’
It would be fine. At least, better than it looked on the surface. Nuri might be dense, but she wasn’t incompetent. She was actually quite responsible and diligent.
Even if my assessment of Nuri turned out to be wrong…
“If you have a hard time, I’ll help you out, so don’t worry too much,” I told A-young casually, hoping to ease her mind.
“…….”
A-young tapped her chin and then nodded, her expression softening significantly.
“Okay.”
Seeing the corners of her eyes relax, I added one more thing.
“Just try not to make too many mistakes.”
“…Okay.”
A-young nodded again, though a beat late. If I hadn’t said anything, she definitely would have slacked off.
“……Hmm.”
Just then, I locked eyes with Ji Nuri. She was looking at me with a strange, unreadable expression.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
Nuri shook her head, dismissing it.
— “……He’s not as disappointed as I thought. I figured he’d want to be the Vice President.”
Her Mini-Me crossed its tiny arms and legs, looking surprised.
……What am I supposed to do with her? No, before that, her premise was wrong to begin with. Even if I did like Nuri, I wouldn’t have wanted to be the Vice President. I only look at jinxes for fun; I don’t actually let them dictate my life.
Vrrr— Vrrrr—
At that moment, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
[When are you coming home? Feed me.]
[(Emoticon of someone holding up an empty bowl)]
It was a text from Lee Seung-ah. Come to think of it, my parents were coming home late today. It was Friday night, and they were working hard.
‘It is past dinner time.’
The mood was winding down anyway, so maybe I should head home. Or—
“What do you guys want to do for dinner? Should we head out now, or grab a bite before we split up?” I asked the three of them.
“Hmm….”
After a brief moment of thought, Sol spoke up.
“…It’ll be too late if I eat after I get home, so I’ll eat before I go.”
Her eyes darted around.
— “…I don’t want to eat home-cooked food.”
Her Mini-Me covered its mouth with both hands. That was her true motive.
“What about you guys?”
“I’ll eat before I go, too.”
“Me too. If I go home now and ask for food, I’ll get a lecture.”
Once one person agreed, the rest followed suit. Since we were settling dinner before heading home, the next topic was decided naturally.
“Then……”
Tap, tap, tap.
I quickly sent a text to Seung-ah telling her to figure out her own dinner, then looked up. She’d probably just order something.
“What do you want to eat? There are plenty of places around here.”
The street was lined with restaurants; we could walk into any of them.
“Hmm… I’m fine with whatever you want, Seung-ho,” A-young said, looking around.
“I’m fine with anything, too.”
“…….”
Nuri and Sol agreed. It’s actually harder to choose when everyone says they’re fine with anything.
“…Well, since it’s A-young’s welcome party, how about Malatang?”
“Oh, right, right! We had Malatang back then too, didn’t we?”
Nuri looked nostalgic, as if reminiscing about old memories. It had only been a few months, but thinking back, time really did fly.
“So, Malatang? Can you handle spicy food?” I asked A-young.
After all, the official reason for this outing was a welcome party for the new member—even if that new member was now set to become the Vice President next year.
“I’m fine. I’m good with spicy food,” A-young said with a confident smirk.
“If it’s around here……”
Nuri took the lead and opened a map app.
“Oh, the place we went to last time is the closest.”
“Should we go there?”
“Yeah, let’s.”
Nuri nodded. For some reason, she seemed the most excited.
— “It’s gonna be so good.”
Her Mini-Me gulped. It seemed the Malatang at that shop had perfectly suited her palate.
She took a few excited steps ahead of us, then—
— “Gah!?”
Nuri’s Mini-Me practically jumped out of its skin. It was the reaction she had whenever she was startled.
“……?”
I tilted my head. What was it? There didn't seem to be anything surprising nearby.
I soon found out why. Her Mini-Me’s next words explained everything.
— “What? Why is Sis here…!?”
Following the Mini-Me’s gaze, I spotted someone who looked remarkably like Nuri. She had the same dark brown hair, but unlike Nuri, it was long, and she wore glasses.
“Hey, guys, should we go that way instead?”
Nuri tried to steer us in a different direction, her voice stiff. She clearly wanted to avoid her sister at all costs.
A-young looked confused.
“Huh? The Malatang place is this way.”
“Oh, uh… no, isn’t it faster to go this way?”
She tried to make an excuse. I considered playing along to help her out…….
But unfortunately, it seemed it was already too late.
“Hey, Ji Nuri.”
A playful voice called out her name from behind. Nuri flinched, her shoulders tensing up. She turned her head back slowly, like a rusty robot.
“What are you doing here? Out with your friends?”
A pair of eyes, identical to Nuri’s but with a sharp edge she didn't possess, scanned the group.
=========
(!Signpost!)
(Illustration below!)
=========
Nuri’s older sister, Ji Hyori.