I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 19

“Give me money, pay off my debts, and take care of the compensation. Isn’t this totally angelic?”

“Angel or not, please, just go back to the original Liu…”

“…What the hell? Am I making you mad? What do you think of me?”

“Do you want to hear it?”

“No. If I do, I might actually kill you, so I’d better drop it.”

“…………”

“Look at this guy going quiet right away… Anyway, that was really close. I think that was the longest minute of my life.”

“Huh? Liu, didn’t you know?”

“Know what? What?”

“What do you mean, what? The Academy has some sense, you know.”

“…What?”

*

To get to the point, the escape was a failure.

Naturally, it was due to the time limit.

“…We went over the minute?”

“Of course. After the Crown Princess threw her royal punch, it took much more than a minute for the students to get out, right?”

“Hah…”

Liu, feeling defeated by the result of the failure, let out a sigh. She walked leisurely toward the exit with me while frequently glancing up at the sky, as if regretting something.

But why is she so sentimental all of a sudden? That strange sound earlier, too; I can feel a slight difference between Liu from the game and the Liu in front of me.

…Is this a good change?

Considering Liu Yan’s character event, such hasty changes are likely to be harmful…

‘I don’t know. Just forget it.’

Really, how much can Liu change? She’s just being sentimental right now; once she gets back to her routine, she’ll revert to that peculiar personality of hers.

Besides, I’m terrible at building relationships. Since my parents passed away in middle school, I’ve been living only with my younger sister, Jisoo, and I’ve passed high school through self-study, so I don’t really know.

Unlike Jisoo, who made many friends, I’ve had a series of self-study jobs and don’t have even a single common friend.

‘So please, just go back to the way you were.’

You’re genuinely scary, you know?

She suddenly says she’s going to pay off debts, give money, and I have no idea what she’s plotting.

“…But why wasn’t it processed as a failure?”

“I told you earlier, right? The Academy isn’t oblivious enough to declare immediate failure just because it hit midnight during that situation.”

Of course! If someone dramatically succeeds with just one minute left and then turns around and says it’s actually a time over, that would be devilish.

This isn’t a midterm or final exam, just a personality assessment, so the Academy let it slide.

In the game, it was known that the Romance Academy wasn’t particularly strict unless it was exam-related.

“Ugh, that feels a little empty.”

“Well, should I have not told you?”

“True. Not hearing it would have been better… Oh, wait.”

While Liu was walking with her hands in her pockets, she suddenly looked to the side.

…Why is she staring like that?

“Hey, Fortuneteller.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t you dare approach that bitch.”

“…Bitch?”

Who does Liu refer to as a bitch?

There’s Rain, and the secretary-type girl who assists Liu, and even the Crown Princess in her thoughts, not to mention Liu even calls the Academy’s Principal a bitch.

Isn’t that a lot of bitches?

“That Psychic girl.”

“Do you mean Rain? Why her…?”

“Skip the long talk. Just don’t approach her, okay?”

“Well, we’ll see each other in the Special Class, so how can I not approach her?”

“Then just don’t look at her or talk to her. She’s absolutely vicious.”

…What’s up with him? Is he suddenly becoming self-reflective?

No matter how I objectively view it, Liu, who is the most suspicious person, is calling Rain vicious, and it feels strange.

Is this what they mean by “the eye sees what it wants to see”?

“Hey, you’re not thinking something weird, are you?”

“No, absolutely not.”

“Stop lying, you bastard. You only think weird stuff when you’re not smiling.”

“…How do you know that, Liu?”

“Just… forget it, you bastard.”

How am I supposed to forget… With that look in your eyes, I can’t help but not forget.

If I don’t willingly erase it, it feels like you’ll delete it physically, so I just nodded obediently.

As we engaged in this trivial conversation, we quickly arrived at the exit.

“Is it an escape beyond this point?”

“Probably.”

I’m finally achieving something I couldn’t in the game. It feels good.

Just before stepping into the Romance Academy visible beyond the crumbling wall…

“…………”

“What are you looking at?”

…Now that I think about it, how did I end up in a conversation with Liu like this?

Certainly, just a week ago, when I was receiving my fee from Liu, this atmosphere was absolutely not the same.

A feeling that tickles in my chest.

“……….”

“Hey, Fortuneteller, what’s wrong with you?!”

I was thinking about Liu’s change earlier.

Thinking of the future, the original Liu would be better… but talking to the current Liu feels much more comfortable.

To be honest, this could all just be acting. The Liu I saw in the game would smile on the outside but never let go of her deep suspicions inside.

Even if it’s all an act, if I’m feeling good right now…

Isn’t that good enough?

…I don’t know. Friendships are really complicated. Jisoo was something else.

“……….”

“Hey! Namgoong Min! Smile or something! Why do you have that face?!”

I see Liu Yan. A petite girl with long black hair and a doll-like face, adorned with various accessories.

In the game, she constantly tormented the female protagonist alongside Rain, only to become an ally after a character event.

In other words… until that character event, she was a character I couldn’t get close to no matter what antics I tried.

“I’m leaving first! I’m really leaving! You bastard, the promise to pay off the debts is canceled! Hey!”

That’s how I understood Liu, acting based on what I saw in the game.

But Liu Yan, as I see her now, seems different from the one in the game.

I wanted to know what her true self is.

“You Fortuneteller! What the hell are you thinking about?!”

“Liu.”

“Um, yeah?”

“Maybe I… don’t really know you.”

“…What?”

It’s a foolish choice, but it’s all I know to do. Just say it directly.

I’m not good at beating around the bush, after all.

“I thought I knew Liu Yan to a certain extent. That’s why I could talk to you during the entrance exam, and after that, I could visit you.”

“…………”

Liu Yan listened to my words while crossing her arms.

What is she thinking?

“I defined Liu Yan as this and that, and I thought that wasn’t wholly wrong… But it doesn’t completely match.”

“…Hah, why are you saying this now? You know we haven’t even known each other for ten days, right?”

“Of course I know. But… I still want to know.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Who Liu Yan is. What her true form is.”

“That’s a funny thing to say.”

Liu, amused by my somewhat honest words, looked at me with a smirk.

If it were the Liu in the game, she’d naturally be suspicious upon hearing that.

Yet the real her is a bit different.

“So, did you ask what my true self is?”

“…Yeah.”

“Hey, honestly, just admit it. You don’t have a single friend, right? Are you really going to ask that outright?”

“Yeah.”

“…Well, acknowledging that suits you, huh… Anyway.”

Liu scratches her head a bit, then makes a disdainful face.

“You and I are pretty similar, you bastard.”

“What?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know. Do you think I’m going to tell you that? You need to observe and find out for yourself, you bastard.”

“Th… That’s a bit…”

“What do you mean, ‘that’s a bit’? You need to watch and get to know to convince yourself, don’t you? Honestly, if I say ‘this is what I do,’ will you believe that right away?”

“………”

Why does it feel like Liu’s words were also directed at herself?

“Hey, Fortuneteller.”

“Ah, yes.”

“You’ll be my lackey from today.”

“…Huh?”

“I said be my lackey. You want to know what kind of person I am, right? Then you need to watch from nearby.”

…Is it really going to be like that?

But it sounds like it might actually make sense?

As I was lost in thought, Liu poked me with her elbow.

“This is hilarious. There are a truckload of bastards lining up to become the lackey of a <Rich Tycoon>. A bastard who can’t even afford to wear different clothes, what are you worried about?”

“I-I need some… time…”

“Time? You said it well. I’ll give you exactly one week to decide, understood?”

“Yes…”

“Response.”

“Yes!”

“Good.”

Satisfied with my firm answer, Liu, who had been grinning, stepped ahead toward the exit.

I also started to follow her, quietly organizing my thoughts.

‘There’s a lot to remember today.’

Somewhere out there, the <Saint> who’s targeting me.

The maze escape, which hopefully left a good impression.

I got to talk separately with Lucas, Rain, and Sasaki.

And the dealings with the Crown Princess.

By the end of the week, I’ll need to decide whether or not to be Liu’s lackey.

“Now it’s only the morning of the first day…”

Why is there so much to do?

At least, I’m relieved that there are no classes today, so there’s time to organize everything once I get back to the base.

Just like cleaning was a lie, there won’t be any classes after noon today, and the students who struggled in the maze will get a whole day to rest, so it should be fine to head back.

“……She’s gone.”

When I looked ahead, Liu had already disappeared somewhere.

She must have moved quite energetically too; the absence of other students around suggests they’ve all gone back.

As much as I want to go back to the base and rest,

‘There’s still work to do.’

On the day of the entrance exam, the promise I made with Charles Teddy Bear, the instructor.

I have to go meet his daughter.

*

“…Did you call me, Liu?”

“Uh, right.”

Inside the Romance Academy, Liu’s office.

In the office, which was still a little messy from when Namgoong Min intruded last week, a female student was kneeling.

However, Liu was paying no attention to her, crossing her legs while fluttering paperwork.

“Where’s that Fortuneteller’s background check I ordered?”

“Yes. First, I followed Namgoong Min. Based on the results, I’ve summarized it in the report regarding the points that his base is outside the Academy, that he initiated the current popular Treasure Hunt commotion, and that he appears to have little money since he wears the same clothes every day…”

“Stop right there.”

“…Huh?”

In that moment, realizing that it was a taboo, the kneeling female student questioned Liu.

Liu Yan is telling her to stop the investigation?

Though she had handled various trivial matters for several years under Liu, such a case had only been seen once.

That was only when the subject of the investigation was already dead.

“Is Namgoong Min… dead?”

“What the hell are you talking about? Ah, it makes sense he’d say something absurd since he’s a bastard? Anyway, what kind of nonsense is this?”

“I-I’m sorry!”

“Seriously, what a dumb girl who only spouts nonsense. So forget what I said about approaching Namgoong Min. Just stay away from that Fortuneteller.”

What kind of nonsense is this now?

Last time, she ordered a thorough investigation, and now she’s suddenly sending a command to avoid him entirely.

Liu, throwing all the effort the female student prepared to approach Namgoong Min into the trash with one sentence, frowned.

“Don’t even talk to him or make eye contact. Got it?”

“Y-Yes!”

“And I said doubting anything means double the debt, right? I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Yes!”

…What a bitch.

With her head and knees bowed, the female student’s eyes were blazing.

Right now, she has no choice but to obey that devilish girl, but she knows there will be an opportunity.

As she wait patiently, seeking revenge, Liu gave her instructions.

“So the investigation on Namgoong Min is done, and instead, you’ll check this.”

“…This is?”

“That Fortuneteller caused the Treasure Hunt commotion, right? It’d be a shame not to make some profit when the stage is set for us.”

Liu tossed a photo toward the female student.

Although she may not know, Liu had already deemed that photo a spot where a strange golden aura, which lit a flame like the riches, was located.

“There’s only a photo and no location, so find out where it is. If you do, I’ll clear double your debt.”

“…Yes.”

So it’s basically asking her to work for free.

Liu Yan only distrusts those who could pose a threat to her and treats the rest as idiots or useful pawns.

Among her ‘pawns’, the kneeling female student, with the thickest leash around her neck, picked up the photo.

Inside a cave filled with puddles, a bizarre sarcophagus with intricate patterns carved into it.

The female student is enduring yet again, biding her time for that day, when she can strike at Liu.