It’s All Up to Me!
Ak Hong-hyang knew exactly how much Bukjin had suffered over the past few days while searching for those badges. He had begrudged himself even the time to eat or sleep, often skipping meals entirely. He had survived mostly on the fruits and vegetables she had gathered for him. In fact, over the last ten days, Bukjin had grown noticeably thinner.
Because of this, Ak Hong-hyang couldn't bring herself to ask for something he had obtained through such grueling effort. She was a girl who understood propriety and a student who knew the value of self-restraint. With a faint, genuine smile on her face, she shared in his joy, happy that his hard work was finally paying off.
However, a single doubt lingered in her mind. Bukjin had auctioned off all ten badges—was he really not going to save any for himself? 'Does he have no intention of advancing to the main tournament?' she wondered.
The genius, Im Jin, maintained an expression of icy composure. Aside from her initial shock when Bukjin first produced the ten badges, she remained unresponsive, no matter how fierce the bidding became or how chaotic the crowd grew. It was as if her "Corporate CEO" persona had taken over again; she was as cold and immovable as a snow-capped mountain.
Standing to one side, Oh Sobang and Mok Simwol looked pale. They had actually tried to participate in the auction, but their bids were far too low to be competitive, and other students had snatched up the opportunities in an instant.
In Oh Sobang’s case, he was well aware of how badly he had wronged Bukjin. He knew there was zero chance of reconciliation. While he felt despair and regret, he had reached a state of grim resignation, accepting that his relationship with Bukjin was beyond repair.
Mok Simwol, however, felt differently. She felt as if ten thousand armored ants were gnawing at her entire body. A tidal wave of regret surged through her, constricting her heart with agonizing force.
'I regret it! I regret it so much!'
If only she hadn't been so cold when she declared their breakup... If only she hadn't abandoned him... If things were as they used to be, Bukjin would still be doting on her. He would have given her anything she asked for. Perhaps, with just a single word, he would have gifted her all ten of those Star Badges.
'What do I do now?'
The Bukjin she knew was not the type of person to sell every single badge he owned. He must have kept some for himself. If he had, he would surely advance to the finals and claim a Genius Token. After all, obtaining that token was the best way for him to resolve the predicament his family faced in Unmong City. Therefore, he had to have one or two badges hidden away.
'If I plead with him now... if I give him hope that we can start over, wouldn't he share a badge with me? Surely he wouldn't be heartless enough to refuse me... All of this bitterness came from love, so if I sacrifice a bit of my pride and take a humble approach, can't I turn this around? I am, after all, his first love...'
Mok Simwol glanced at Im Jin, who was standing beside Bukjin. She had been observing them for the past few days, and seeing how Bukjin went out of his way to avoid that arrogant princess, it didn't seem like there was anything special between them. A slow, desperate resolve began to form in Mok Simwol’s heart as she continued to analyze the situation.
"Aaaah! Heavens! How could you let me miss such a golden opportunity? Give me just one more chance! I won't miss it again!" one student, drowning in regret, wailed toward the sky.
Every student who had failed to secure a badge felt the same way. But right then, something entirely unexpected happened.
"Hey, you there, the regretful student. You don't actually need to ask the Heavens for a chance. It's much more effective to ask a person. We just successfully concluded our first badge auction. I was so moved by your passion and support that I almost felt like crying. So, to repay your enthusiasm, I've done some deep thinking. And... I've decided! I’m bringing out ten more badges for a second round of bidding! This is truly your last chance, one that will never come again. I’m putting up ten more badges from my personal collection!"
Shouting to the crowd, Bukjin pulled another ten badges from his robes. Mok Simwol stared blankly at the scene. Sim Bi, Yi Do, and Do Manseong all stood with their mouths agape. Ak Hong-hyang’s eyes went wide with shock, and even Im Jin looked profoundly flustered.
Every student present stared at Bukjin in a daze.
'He has ten more?'
'Does that mean Im Bukjin had twenty badges all along?'
'My god!'
'This has to be a dream!'
'How did that piece of trash pull off such a miracle?'
'Finding twenty badges by himself!'
It was a monstrous achievement. Bukjin alone possessed more badges than the other ninety-nine students combined. For a feat accomplished alone, without any teammates, it was a score that bordered on cheating.
Before the students could even regain their senses, Bukjin had already started the auction. Those who thought they had lost their chance became even more frenzied than during the first round. The passion of the participants was nothing short of madness.
And so, the second auction began. About an hour later, all ten of the new badges had been sold. Bukjin raked in a total of 480 gold taels from this second round—an even bigger haul than the first. Now, a total of twenty students each held a Star Badge.
The expressions of Yi Do and Do Manseong shifted. Both of them had managed to secure one badge each during the previous nine days. Now that twenty other students also had badges, their own chances of advancing to the finals had plummeted proportionally.
Sim Bi frowned, his face dark. He seemed to be rapidly calculating something, analyzing the current state of the board. And in the next moment, the students began to grow even more rowdy. No, it felt as if the entire world was going insane.
Because Bukjin had pulled out another ten badges.
A bright, blooming smile was plastered across the handsome face of Unmong City’s most notorious scoundrel. Bukjin shouted with an enthusiastic voice.
"Ah! Your passion has moved me once again! So, I’ve decided to release ten more badges. Everyone! It truly breaks my heart to part with these. This is a chance that will absolutely never come again! Do not let this opportunity slip through your fingers..."
'You crazy bastard!' every student cursed inwardly. It felt like they were watching a recording on loop. Even Im Jin’s "Corporate CEO" persona finally shattered. The cold, indifferent mask she had been wearing vanished, replaced by a look of sheer shock and disbelief.
She had estimated that Bukjin might have twenty badges at most. That was the absolute limit of her imagination. But now, he had produced ten more. She began to wonder if the Star Badges were just rolling around the wilderness like common pebbles, waiting for anyone to just reach out and grab them.
"Wait! How can you possibly have so many? Im Bukjin! Are they fakes?!" Do Manseong screamed, unable to contain himself.
It was the question on everyone's mind. No matter how they looked at it, the situation was simply too impossible. 'Is his secret talent actually forgery? Did he spend the last nine days making fake badges?' Doubt began to take root in the hearts of many.
Bukjin gave a friendly laugh and handed one of the badges to Im Jin.
"Young Lady Im, take a look. Is this badge a fake?"
Snapping out of her daze, Im Jin composed herself and slowly examined the badge Bukjin had handed her. She even used her Mystic Energy to inspect it. After a moment, a look of calm returned to her face. She nodded and gave her answer.
"This badge is real."
That single sentence caused a massive upheaval. The students felt as if a meteor had struck them. Once again, the crowd erupted. Im Jin’s word carried immense weight. If she said it was real, it was real.
'Does that mean that good-for-nothing really found thirty badges?'
'How on earth did he do it?'
The question flashed through the minds of countless students, but they didn't dwell on the details for long. Bukjin didn't give them time to think before restarting the auction. This time, even Do Manseong and Yi Do joined in.
"50 taels!"
"65 taels!"
"100 taels! I'll give you 100 taels!"
The students shouted like madmen. Then, Do Manseong bellowed at the top of his lungs.
"200 taels! I'll pay 200 taels!"
The students fell silent instantly. 200 taels was the highest price offered since the auction began. Hearing Do Manseong’s bid, Bukjin replied with a polite but awkward expression.
"I'm sorry. I'm not selling."
"What?" Do Manseong barked in anger. "What do you mean by that!"
Bukjin replied, "Are you too stupid to understand plain speech? It means exactly what I said. I'm not selling."
"I bid 200 taels! 200 taels!" Do Manseong screamed, his voice cracking with spite. "My price was the highest!"
Bukjin shrugged. "Even if you offered 1,000 taels, I wouldn't sell to you. What, you got a problem with that?"
Do Manseong’s face turned a sickly shade of blue. "You... you... Is there no rule to your auction?!"
Bukjin grinned. "Exactly. I'm glad you finally noticed. There are no rules. It's all up to me! If you have a problem with it, try and take it from me."
"You bastard..."
Do Manseong was speechless. He realized that Bukjin was intentionally tormenting him. But there was nothing he could do. Even if he tried to take it by force, he couldn't beat Bukjin. And even if he tried to buy it with money, Bukjin refused to sell. He was being completely toyed with, and he was utterly powerless to stop it.