Ryu Hajin widened his eyes slightly as he read the pale lips of the butterfly girl. There were no other fighters around him since he was staying in the corner--or rather, being told to stay put in the corner--so he was sure the girl was looking at him.
Well...looking was normal; he was used to being looked at. But what did she say?
Win?
She told him to...win?
"Hey, get ready for the battle royale," one of the staff told him in passing, but Hajin grabbed the staff's hand. "What the fuck are you doing?"
"Does someone bet on me?" he asked.
The staff yanked his hand away and clicked his tongue in response. "Weirdly, yes. Only one, but it's quite a high amount. You're in luck, punk--but only if you win."
All participants had a fixed fee depending on their class--of course, the newbie Hajin got the smallest rate. But if they won a round or became the champion, they would receive a percentage cut of the money the client won that night.
"Oh, and that person bet on the champion," the staff added with a sneer. "So unless you beat everyone tonight, you won't be getting any."
Only betting on the champion wasn't fun, since there were a few rounds per game. Sometimes, people would bet on several rounds on several different people; whether to have fun or to make sure they didn't lose everything. Unless they knew for sure someone would win, people seldom put all of their eggs in one basket.
And Helios's Colosseum was known because they didn't do any match-fixing--because what was the point of preparing an illegal stage if they still have to do that?
"That person only bet on you too, how weird..." the staff muttered while shaking his head and walking away. "Forget about that and just get ready."
Hajin, however, did not budge and kept on looking at the green butterfly, until the girl left the railing to return to her seat. A premium one, it seemed. He narrowed his eyes when she wobbled slightly as if one of her legs did not work properly.
Win.
He curled his lips. He initially only planned to do enough if no one bet on him--just winning a few rounds so the other fighters wouldn't be so guarded on him, but enough to make people interested in betting the next time. After all, what was the use of winning if he couldn't get the money? But...
"This changes everything."
* * *
The start of the game was signaled by the host's last call for the bet since no bet could be made after the game had started. Seul-ah looked at the tablet to read the game's composition and watched Ryu Hajin climb the big ring in the middle that the host had prepared.
The game itself was simple; there were seven fighting rings. The middle ring, the biggest one, was reserved for the final. The other six rings were for the preliminary rounds, meaning six fights would be held simultaneously. The closer a ring was to the center, the higher the rank of the fighters fighting there. The lighting was best over there, as well as the camera works--meaning those who fought on rings six and seven wouldn't have much exposure.
The winner of rings 6 and 7 would move to rings 4 and 5, facing the winners of those respective rings, and later, the winners would move to rings 2 and 3. Finally, the winner of rings 2 and 3 would enter the final ring; the center of it all.
Those fighting in rings 2 to 5 had already been decided based on the ranks made of their previous result and ratings. The hosts even gave those participants stars and stats, just like on video games. Seul-ah saw there was some kind of forum for this game, where the participants were given avatars just like those mobile games the boys in her high school played. Even if someone looked at the forum, they would think it was a website for a normal fighting game.
Seul-ah cracked a subtle smile. Honestly, it did sound fun. There was no point in doing game fixing for something already done illegally, so twists came out often in this game.
And to raise the atmosphere, they did the most brutal game as the opening; a battle royale to decide the participants of rings 6 and 7. Except for the top eight, the rest of the participants would have to fight it out until the last four remaining.
Of course, including Ryu Hajin.
That night, the ring was rather crowded. Fourteen people to fight for the last four. Whether they would cooperate with each other to take down the other ten, or just showed superiority right away, it was interesting to spectate, especially when there was a newbie. Be it lynching or testing, people liked to trample on something new and foreign.
Ah...it wasn't very different. Fighting, whether it was done in the ring, in a company, or within a family...everything was the same. Kicking someone so they couldn't climb up, and pulling someone down while they were on the ground so they would crumble together. Doing tricks, cunning things, fragile cooperation before destroying each other...
Seul-ah thought she would feel disturbed while watching the display of violence, but...
It wasn't very different with her life, she thought.
Thanks to that, she could enjoy the game better. Initially, she thought it was only a game of brutality, where people threw their fists and thrust their knees, eager to hurt their opponent. Especially with the battle royale, it was like looking at a gang fight. But she realized that quite a bit of strategy was needed for this. They wouldn't only fight once, so they needed to preserve their energy. But preserving energy might make them lose in the preliminary round instead.
"It's frustrating, isn't it?" Seul-ah rubbed the rim of her wine glass. "What would you do, Jin?"
She was curious if this Jin was already as good as the Ryu Hajin she knew in the future of the past. A lone wolf who trampled upon anyone on his way without a care. Someone who could bash someone to death without a flinch in his cold, unforgiving eyes.
Why, though...Seul-ah narrowed her eyes. Why didn't she feel scared of the man? Was it because of that pitiful gaze?
Curiously, Jin did not stand out much. If anything, Seul-ah couldn't see him sometimes. Some people very clearly targeted him, but the man moved toward where others were fighting and hid in the chaos. Seul-ah wondered if it was his strategy. Perhaps the man was preserving his energy, or perhaps he didn't want others to perceive himself as a threat so soon.
Oh...analyzing the fight like that made it more fun. Seul-ah started to understand why people loved watching games. She used to only study for her future place in the company, so she was lacking in the kind of stuff someone her age would enjoy.
Not that someone her age--or any age, really--should enjoy gambling on people beating each other and pining for revenge.
At any rate, Jin still ended up as the last four standing. Brutally, however, those four had to immediately head to the rings and start the next rounds--without even a chance to rest.
It was as if telling them to get better if they wanted to receive better treatment.
Truly--Seul-ah chuckled--games were just an imitation of life. Her smile, however, froze for a second when she caught Hajin looking up to stare at her; only for two seconds, but Seul-ah could see the smirk on his lips clearly as if telling her to enjoy the show.
"Hmm..."
Seul-ah propped her chin, hiding her little smile on her palm. She didn't mean to enjoy this when her heart and mind were still in turmoil, but...
"Let's enjoy this for a bit," she muttered softly.
And what a show it was. Jin fought well, but took care to not overwhelm his opponent enough. He always seemed to barely win, but Seul-ah could see that the man didn't even look tired. There was no injury despite it was supposed to be a close fight, and he was less sweaty than the other fighters. As someone who had been pretending a lot, Seul-ah could see that the panting motion and the exhausted face were fake.
It was almost similar to how the second son acted when he pretended to be busy doing something.
Oh, how cunning.
After each round, he would pretend to be wiping his face hard, as if he was drenched in sweat, and breathing heavily. But while covering his face, his eyes would glance sharply at Seul-ah, curling cheekily.
"Huh? I didn't know he had this kind of playful side?" Seul-ah tilted her head, confused.
Not as confused as the other clients, however.
People were bewildered when he ended up back on the central stage. This time, with only one opponent. A dramatic fight between someone with the most bets and someone with only one person betting. Seul-ah, without realizing it, felt a sight thrill coursing her body.
Ah...this was why people gambled. Even though she knew who would win already, her heart was still pounding loudly.
Yeah. She didn't know Hajin's exact capability at this point in life, but...the Ryu Hajin she knew, while working for HS Group, won one versus fifteen other guards in the team. A team that was filled with ex-military and former athletes. Even if that Ryu Hajin was three years more experienced than the Ryu Hajin in that arena, the core skill was still there.
[What an upset!] The host raised the champion's hand, ignoring the blood flowing to his own. It was clear that even the host was excited at the unexpected result. [And! Congratulations to Miss 808 as the sole winner of our game tonight!]
It was a fighting game, but the true players were the people betting on the result, not the fighter. [Jin] might be the champion, but the sole winner was the girl in a green butterfly mask, who had won thirty-four times the amount she bet at the start.
The true champion of the night.