I Became a Fortune Teller in the Game My Little Sister Made – Chapter 190

Life is truly transient.

“Goddamn stocks…”

Somehow, I found myself understanding my parents’ expectation of that cultist tonight.

In the bank account that Eun-ha and Rain managed to return to me, there was only a mere 100 million instead of the reassuring 100 billion.

Sure, losing the money wasn’t really their fault, but…

“I could really use a drink right now.”

After losing most of the money I gathered over the past year, I craved a drink I had never touched in my life. Is that why my father drank often?

As I contemplated the bitter taste of life, I let out a sigh.

“Well, I guess I was trying to take the easy way out.”

Isn’t this disaster just a result of trying to repay that astronomical debt of 2,700 trillion as quickly as possible?

Lucas and Kim Sung-il suggesting stocks was due to my stubbornness too.

In reality, when the debt is 2,700 trillion, whether you pay it back quickly or slowly doesn’t really matter, does it? But here I was, trying to repay 2,700 trillion with just 100 billion. What a foolish plan!

“How many times that is? 27,000 times?”

So it’s like trying to pay off 270 million with just 10,000 won.

…Yeah, I really was trying to take the easy way.

“Tsk.”

Thinking like this just made my stomach churn even more, but in the end, lost money was lost money. It doesn’t come back.

So, rather than holding onto that loss, accepting failure and finding another way would be much more productive.

Lying on the bed at my base, I began to organize all the knowledge I had.

“I’ll never be able to repay it just by trying. I had my share of piled-up debt over the past year… Using my knowledge from the game is the best way.”

But “Romance Academy” wasn’t a game about managing a female-targeted visual novel. Was there even information worth 2,700 trillion?

…If there was, I would have used it a long time ago.

“Life.”

As I wrung out all the knowledge I had and thought of several plans, the clock hanging on the wall caught my eye.

04:00 AM.

“Ah.”

It’s about time to head out.

*

“…You went out? At this hour?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Where to?”

“Towards the Daehan Empire airport.”

“Airport, huh…”

Why on earth was I going to the airport at 4 AM?

Riu, who had received an urgent report while sleeping, eagerly followed her aide, shaking off her sleepiness.

“This guy isn’t trying to trick me, is he?”

The aide currently monitoring Namgoong Min had three of Riu’s weaknesses and two family members, plus five others watching over this guy.

Naturally, there was no way to mess around, and since the protective artifact was already activated, there was no worry of a surprise attack.

Thanks to the recent reduction of suspicion, Riu managed to move a bit more easily and rushed out into the early morning Academy.

Skrrrt!

“If we go at this speed, we’ll reach the airport in 15 minutes.”

“Report in that time. Give me all the details.”

If I were driving my usual supercar or limousine, I’d be there in no time, but I’m afraid Namgoong Min would catch on.

For that reason, Riu and her aide opted to run directly. Since both of them had occupations, they could run faster than any ordinary car.

Namgoong Min was the weakest among those with occupations, so if I shadowed him and kept my presence hidden, he wouldn’t notice at all.

“At around 4:01 AM, Namgoong Min left his base and started walking. He was dressed casually, unlike his usual suit and white gloves.”

“Did that fortuneteller leave after entering the base?”

“I tried to intrude and succeeded, but I couldn’t find out why Namgoong Min left this early.”

“That’s fine. What’s the fortuneteller’s current location?”

“It took me three minutes after spotting him to report to Riu, so there shouldn’t be too much distance… Riu, over there.”

“Oh, I see him too.”

Unlike Riu and her aide, who were sprinting at full speed, Namgoong Min was leisurely strolling, making it easy to catch up.

According to the aide’s report, Namgoong Min was wearing comfortable athletic wear, not his usual formal attire.

As I clearly gazed at this rare sight, I instructed my aide to pull out the camera and record it.

“Namgoong Min…”

With the various artifacts I brought, there was no way Riu would be discovered while tailing him.

Nevertheless, her actions were still cautious. If, by any chance, she thought she might be caught by Namgoong Min, her body naturally moved stealthily.

And meanwhile, Riu’s mind was racing.

“Why is he heading to the airport? Secretly departing? No, if that were the case, he would’ve worn a suit and white gloves, since it’s Namgoong Min’s artifact. So what is it? An appointment? At this hour? If it’s a secret meeting, this time isn’t too odd, but arriving at the airport like that is too conspicuous. Just a bit early? Is it a woman? No way, I handled all the women approaching Namgoong Min. No other women had an appointment with him. If he’s dressed comfortably… could it be?”

“Hey, what can you do at the airport now?”

“Yes? …The only thing would be boarding an airplane…?”

“Not that! Is there possibly a logistics job or something?”

“Oh, that, that exists. There’s a part-time job moving materials to the Romance Academy every day.”

“What’s the time?”

“4:30 AM.”

“That’s it, damn it.”

A part-time job? Loading and unloading materials?

No matter how skilled you are, pulling an early morning job like that would strain your whole body, making you tired and exhausted.

Especially for a logistics job that puts a lot of strain on your back…

“…How much do they pay?”

“For working from 4:30 AM to 7 AM, I think it was around 300,000 won.”

“Only that pittance…!!”

As Riu was about to scold Namgoong Min, who doesn’t take care of himself, she suddenly halted her anger.

300,000 won. For someone like Riu, a rich tycoon, that amount would be something you wouldn’t even bend down to pick up off the ground.

But for Namgoong Min?

After losing most of his wealth through stocks?

“…Damn.”

In the end, perhaps this was his own doing.

As that fact hit her, Riu stopped tailing Namgoong Min. The aide, who had followed her, stayed quiet, even as Riu suddenly came to a halt.

Riu simply stood there.

Just watching Namgoong Min recede into the distance.

“That’s not what I intended…”

But it was true, she simply didn’t want him to leave.

She hated the thought of him leaving her behind to return to his original world.

Knowing it was selfish and dirty, she tried to bind him with money, even causing him to lose everything he had.

After that, she hoped he would give up gracefully. Or at least borrow money from her again.

But.

Riu Yan, you know Namgoong Min well.

“Right, he’s the kind of person who would try to repay even when he knows he can’t.”

Someone who, despite losing everything due to stocks—or more accurately, through Riu’s schemes—would still head out for an early morning part-time job and try his best.

That’s why Riu Yan opened her heart to him.

That’s why she fell in love with him.

“…”

And because I love you that much—because you are the only one who can receive Riu Yan’s love.

I can’t let you go.

Even if it means being hated by you.

I can… never let you go.

“…Cancel today’s logistics work.”

“…Yes!”

At the Daehan Empire airport, materials distribution for the Romance Academy isn’t something you can call off at a whim.

It’s a lifeline not only for the Academy but also for the people living in this floating city and numerous stores.

But for a tycoon like her, the story is different.

There’s no need for that, and it’s highly inefficient, but she could simply throw money at it and use magic or various skills to deliver the materials without needing to do the work.

With a single word, Riu wiped out Namgoong Min’s early morning job and vast sum of money, staring at him with cold eyes.

Until he heard that today’s part-time job had been canceled and returned to his base.

Without turning her gaze even for a moment, she only looked at Namgoong Min.

*

Namgoong Min’s efforts didn’t stop there.

He tried to find part-time jobs in nearby stores or convenience stores, actively seeking out the fees for the fortuneteller, or even trying to sell artifacts he couldn’t figure out the source of.

While Riu kept an eye on Namgoong Min’s every move, Rain, Kim Eun-ha, and the Saint were working on their plan to eliminate the Principal.

“Just give up already, please.”

On the way back to their base after class ended.

Normally, other girls would cling to him like glue, but today they were absent for the plan.

Naturally, he should have been happy to be heading home with just Namgoong Min.

“This isn’t… No, this looks good?”

…It’s been one week since he lost all his wealth through stocks.

Despite every attempt failing, Namgoong Min was still peeking at the job listings.

“Riu, how about this one? The pay’s decent and it finishes quickly!”

“…Anyone could tell it’s a job for a courier for a drug ring or something, so don’t even think about it.”

“Ew.”

“…You’ve been looking at such listings for a few days now.”

“Well, debt is debt. Don’t worry, Riu. I’ll repay everything for sure.”

Don’t repay it.

That’s a chain you’ve put on yourself, a bond that connects you and me.

Please, don’t break that.

“…Well, I’ll be counting on you.”

Just give up. It’s time to give up, right?

If not, just put it on hold like you’ve always done. Do what you usually do without your nose in my business.

Stop desperately trying to repay the debt.

“Then how about this? A short-term job that pays 10 million…!”

“….”

You always knew how I felt.

Is it deliberate to act oblivious at a time like this?

I gazed at Namgoong Min, who was searching the listings.

His gaze, his touch, his warmth.

I wanted to turn all of that towards me and embrace him.

His thoughts, his emotions, his heart, his love, his whispers, his breath, his instincts, his reason, his sincerity, his smile, his heart, his life, all of him.

To covet all of that was the love of Riu Yan.

No matter how much I thought about it, Riu didn’t need a life without Namgoong Min.

So.

Gathering my courage, I opened my mouth.

“With this 10 million, if we add up this other part-time job──”

“Do you really have to repay the debt?”

“──Yes?”

“…Do you really have to repay it?”

Namgoong Min must know too. That really, there’s no need to pay back any debt, whether it’s 27 trillion or 2,700 trillion.

Riu doesn’t expect repayment from Namgoong Min. She only wants to give him what he needs.

Yet his insistence to repay the debt.

What significance does that hold other than satisfaction for Namgoong Min?

On the nearly deserted route home from school, Riu mustered all her courage.

“Just don’t repay it.”

“Riu.”

“Don’t repay it, borrow more instead. You can borrow as much as you’d like. I have plenty of money. Until graduation from the Academy, even after that, just borrow from me for life…”

“…….”

“So… stay by my side. No thoughts of repaying the debt and leaving…”

As I spoke while holding a dagger in one hand.

That too was her form of courage.