In the square of District Twelve, the best place that can exist in these poverty-stricken lands, a dead silence hung on Reaping Day, where everyone without exception focused on a seventeen-year-old teenager.
Jacob's eyes had completely changed, filled with a sense of apparent joy when no one made any movement to celebrate for the Capitol. Everyone immediately deduced that he was crazy, but some other people who knew Jacob well enough in this past year knew he was pretending.
To be loved by all, if one intends to participate in the Hunger Games, they must be a character on the cameras and attract enough attention to gain a greater advantage. People within District Twelve who belonged to a tightly knit circle of individuals waiting for the moment to rise against the oppression of the Capitol knew that young Jacob had made a decision.
People who took pride in Katniss looked at Jacob with a strange sensation, and in just a few seconds, he had earned the hatred of an entire district. In a situation where no one would applaud, even those who were betting, it surely meant they knew someone very special to Katniss, and everyone expressed their disagreement through silence.
But when everyone in District Twelve had done this, Jacob, like a deranged psychopath, applauded with a big smile and shouts of celebration. If there was one thing everyone agreed on, it was that what had just happened was wrong. A silence that meant nobody agreed, nobody approved, that all of this was wrong.
If Jacob were to do the opposite now, what would the thoughts be of all those people who had united to show that sentiment? If Katniss became a beloved woman, Jacob would now be the most hated man.
"Ah, damn it, why don't they continue?" Jacob was tired of applauding at this point since everyone was stunned by the situation around them.
If Jacob had learned anything during all this time, it was to be an indifferent person, someone who didn't care what others thought of him. Of course, this would never have happened if he weren't in this place right now and hadn't suffered to get food for an entire year. In the end, everything he considered necessary or bothersome didn't matter in this world; nothing from his past concerns mattered here.
Therefore, if he wanted to play the Hunger Games to have the key to return home, he had to put on a show worthy of attention. Finnick had won the Hunger Games by having good sponsors due to things other participants didn't have, so Jacob wanted to be different from the rest starting now.
"Look, look at her!" Suddenly, amidst the dead silence except for Jacob's enthusiastic applause, a voice resonated from the podium. "I like her!"
That voice of an intoxicated person resonated again: "Very... courageous!"
"More than all of you!" Jacob, who was looking ahead, saw Haymitch making his spectacle while pointing at the camera.
No one knew if this former district winner's statement referred to the audience or if he was so drunk that he was challenging the Capitol. But that was something no one would ever know.
After the cameras had focused on Jacob for a while, they all turned to Haymitch, and that was when Jacob stopped applauding. After Haymitch was taken away, Effie Trinket tried to resume the show.
"What an exciting day!" Exclaimed Effie Trinket while adjusting her wig, which had noticeably twisted to the right. "But there's still more excitement! It's time to choose our male tribute!"
Upon finishing saying this, with the clear intention of taming her hair situation, Effie Trinket walked towards the boys' urn, extended her hand, quickly pulled out a small piece of paper, swiftly returned to the podium, and immediately said, "Peeta Mellark!"
Jacob, who had never had the chance to meet him, fixed his gaze on that boy who walked slowly toward the podium while he pondered with a furrowed brow whether to make that stupid decision. He could very well not volunteer as a tribute and help in the rebellion when the time came, thus fulfilling at least one of the main missions given to him by the orb. But if he didn't, he could die under other circumstances, and that didn't appeal to him.
The shock of the moment was evident on Peeta's face; it was clear he was struggling to contain his emotions. But in his blue eyes, there was only alarm, the terror of dying under horrifying circumstances while his mind was clouded with unexplored destinies.
By the time Peeta had stepped onto the podium, Effie Trinket greeted him with a smiling face and then approached the microphone again: "If there is any male volunteer who meets the qualifications to be a tribute, you can offer yourself as a volunteer at this moment!"
No one spoke at this moment. Jacob looked towards Peeta's siblings and then thought that he might have felt the same sense of betrayal when his brother undermined his judgment with those resentful statements.
"They disgust me!" Jacob muttered with a cold look and a determined mindset.
Katniss, who had thought that there would be no volunteers, turned her gaze towards Peeta. It's normal. Sibling love has its limits for almost everyone on reaping day. What I have done is something radical.
But just when everyone thought the participants had been chosen, a clear and strong voice was heard from the group of boys that seemed to stab the hearts of many who stood by his side.
"I volunteer as tribute! I'm volunteering!"
Whispers quickly spread among the crowd. Some showed surprise, others disbelief. It was not common for someone to volunteer, especially after another tribute had already been selected. Most wondered what drove Jacob to take that bold and risky step. Meanwhile, others who had generated hatred towards Jacob were completely confused.
People began to whisper to each other, trying to understand Jacob's reasons. Some speculated that there might be a special connection between him and Peeta, while others said it was simply a desperate act of altruism to change his own and his district's fate. But there were others who whispered or even thought that it would be good if Jacob died.
"Why the hell are you staring at me?" Jacob, who had emerged from the crowd, looked at a young man who was looking at him with eyes he was very familiar with.
After volunteering, Jacob walked towards the podium, ready to face what awaited him. As he moved forward, he could feel the eyes of thousands of people and the cameras directed towards him.
With steady and determined steps, Jacob prepared to confront the unknown. He knew his path would be difficult and dangerous, but he was willing to fight for what he believed in. Since he had made a choice, there was no turning back, and once he fulfilled the conditions of the orb to return, he would do so and prove his innocence.
Jacob's decisions were influenced by many things, but if there was one thing he wanted no matter what, it was to return to his world as soon as possible. When Jacob stepped onto the podium, he presented himself to the audience with a deep bow and announced his full name.
"Impressive! We have another volunteer tribute! This is something incredible that is rarely seen in District Twelve. Let's all give him a warm round of applause!"