Chapter 55
"It feels like it's been a long time since we've been on the same team. "
"Did you want to rely on me that much? "
"If you watch arm wrestling, you'll all be thinking the same thing."
Kang Si-yoon winked while wearing a red vest.
If it were my usual self, I would have just laughed lightly and accepted it appropriately.
I, who was soaked in an abnormal state, let out a short laugh that felt not only light but also ridiculous.
"Well, it seems like they are all at a trivial level, so it makes sense that they would depend on me like that."
"Hey, this guy's ego is getting bigger and bigger."
I too wanted to somehow control this bloated ego, but it had already long since escaped my grasp.
First of all, it is highly likely that the conversation just now was not captured because it was obscured by surrounding noise.
'Please, let's just go straight to the game, so I don't have to say these lines and create a weird situation.'
It takes some time because the process of dividing into a blue team and a red team is done by drawing lots.
When my rational thinking was starting to waver in anxiety,.
"Karis nim~!"
The most dangerous man in the world ran towards me, waving a red vest.
I fell into despair when I saw Yoo Minha's face, which was so bright.
The current Karis von Walden, who is full of pride, is very vulnerable to the propping up of those around.
In that sense, Yoo Min-ha, who is addicted to comics and a follower of Karis, is joining the same team.
It's five minutes before the dog show.
"I really missed you so much! No, I honestly thought I would be with Karis-nim in the second team match. I lived with the belief that if you wish earnestly in your heart, it will always come true, but the machine sent me to 2020? Anyway, the stage was awesome, and the arm wrestling earlier was really great! I realized that the athleticism you showed while playing basketball hasn't gone anywhere! "
"You won't find anyone anywhere with both skill and physical strength like me. It's no wonder it's amazing."
"Of course! Every time I see you, Karis nim, my heart races! "
"This time, let's work together and take down those fools in one fell swoop. Got it?"
"All right!"
If it were the same as before, I would have cut off Yoo Minha's rapid-fire gun at an appropriate time.
Karis von Walden nodded with great satisfaction and began to seriously encourage Yoo Min-ha.
"If both players are ready, please come to the center! The game will begin soon! "
All trainees wore gloves to protect their hands.
The red team members at the front of the line immediately began to arrange their positions.
"Shouldn't the person with the strongest strength go first?"
"Then······."
Everyone turned their eyes toward me.
"Of course, Karis first?"
"You're the arm wrestling king."
"If you hold out from the front, I think we'll win right away?"
"Good!"
Well, it's true that the first runner is important.
However, Karis von Walden, who was also very strategic, immediately rejected the offer.
"Stupid ones. No matter how important the leader is, the best one should be last. If the runners in front lose their balance and fall, and if the one at the back holds on, we won't lose right away. Also, only by being at the back can you read the overall flow of the game and make appropriate judgments. Therefore."
The Crown Prince's confident voice was low.
"It is right for me, the most capable commander here, to stand at the rear."
"Well, now that I hear it, it seems like holding on is definitely the most important thing."
"Then, should the strongest friend after Karis go first?"
I sighed inwardly.
Fortunately, when the topic of strategy came up, there was no display of arrogance or contempt for others.
If a full-scale tug-of-war ensues, I never know when harsh words might come out of my mouth again.
And when the long-awaited first round began,.
"Keep lowering your posture!"
"The moment you lose strength in your arms, know that you are dead! Pull!"
As expected, Karis von Walden was the one who pulled the strings and shouted at his teammates more passionately than anyone else.
Although I was clearly playing the game with my conscious body, the words coming out of my head were so different.
The uncontrollable outburst of power and the Crown Prince's arrogant ego continually invaded my reason.
"Ugh!"
"Pull! Pull! Tune in!"
"One, two! One, two!"
Perhaps influenced by my appearance, the red team trainees pulled the rope with all their might.
We really are doing our best, even shouting commands.
I tied the rope around my waist and held on as firmly as a reef.
I used my large height to observe the other trainees in front of me and assess the situation.
'The line is slowly coming this way.'
Good pace.
If this state continues, the blue team will naturally lose strength.
I also took a step back to match the speed of my teammates.
"This is it! We must never give victory to the insignificant ones!"
As the abnormal status continued, more harsh comments came out naturally.
Still, since both sides were burning with competitive spirit, I don't think it would seem too strange.
After a long struggle like that,.
'Hmm?'
Some suspicious movement was captured by my sharp eyesight.
"Pull, pull! If you lose, the red bean shaved ice will fly away!"
Yoo Minha, who is in the fifth spot, was seen struggling.
And right in front of him was Baek Si-hwa, who was boasting a pale appearance.
The two people were so close together that, at first glance, it seemed as if they were pulling the rope naturally.
But the position looks down from the highest point among the team members.
Even the smallest details were apparent to Karis von Walden, whose vision had been tempered by countless battles.
'Baek Si-hwa's right foot is too extreme towards Yoo Min-ha.'
Feet are important in all exercises.
Because it is a stepping stone that supports strength.
This applies even more to tug-of-war. You must always be careful because if they touch your feet, your balance can collapse in an instant.
So, teammates unconsciously avoid kicking each other's feet.
At this moment, Baek Si-hwa's feet were strangely close to Yu Min-ha's feet.
It's not a problem right now, but······.
'If we pull the rope hard and win, everyone could fall backwards in an instant. If that happens, Baek Si-hwa's foot could step on Yoo Min-ha.'
If he steps on the instep, that's okay. What if he steps wrong and steps on the ankle?
We're not filming any other programs.
But to become an idol.
In order to achieve our dream of debuting, we are participating in
There is no greater disaster than when an idol trainee, whose body is their asset, gets injured unexpectedly and cannot practice properly.
Of course, it could be over-the-top, but it can't hurt to be careful.
'If we pull too hard, everyone will surely fall backwards, so adjust the strength appropriately to lead to victory.'
I hope that this judgment is also conveyed to the body of Karis von Walden.
Fortunately, even though he was suffering from an abnormal condition, his rational side still remained, and his arm muscles naturally relaxed.
"One, two, three-everyone lie down at once! It's time to put an end to this ridiculous battle!"
"Oh!"
"Everyone, lie down at Karis' command!"
I opened my eyes wide and put all my strength into my ankles.
I warmed up every muscle in my body while keeping my eyes on Yoo Minha.
"One, two, three!"
The red team gritted their teeth and laid back.
Then, the blue team that had been holding on somehow began to be slowly dragged along, and soon, Chae Eun-gyu, who had been holding on at the front, sprained his ankle.
As strength drained, the line came over to us very easily.
'Okay.'
Since the blue team didn't all shoot at once, the red team members didn't lose their center of gravity.
Yoo Minha, who I had been watching closely, also escaped safely from under the rope without getting his feet stepped on.
"The team that wins the first round is red!"
As soon as the whistle blew, cries erupted from all over.
"Wow, I'm dying."
"It's too strong for a human being!"
"My arms are gonna fall off...."
"Do we have to do this one more round? We're definitely going to lose?"
While the blue team was exhausted, the red team surrounded me and celebrated our victory.
"It definitely felt different when Karis was behind me!"
"I really thought I would never be dragged away."
"Let me touch your arm!"
Karis von Walden's ego was caught up in these reactions and was forced to indulge in the usual conceited self-praise.
But strangely enough, I didn't move at all and just opened my eyes slightly.
As if my rational thinking was thinking the same thing.
'Baek Si-hwa.'
Baek Si-hwa, who sat down on the floor, did not join the ranks of Karis worshippers.
He's just dripping sweat and has a look of confusion in his eyes.
The Crown Prince of the Empire is not just good on the battlefield.
Because it was a role that involved meeting a lot of people, I naturally developed insight that could see through human nature.
I was dragged into the game and fought political battles with the fox-like, seasoned nobles.
The crown prince was currently staring at Baek Si-hwa.
'I have a strange feeling. The way you were doing the tug-of-war earlier. The look in your eyes right now. It's as if······. You give off a feeling of regret for not being able to do something.'
Fragments of doubt were quickly spinning in my brain.
Things he said openly to Yoo Min-ha.
An attitude of checking.
And now, even unknown actions and expressions.
A rather absurd and dangerous conclusion is reached.
'Another goal has been created.'
I must keep an eye on Baek Si-hwa until the end of this sports day to make sure he doesn't do anything foolish.
The second tug-of-war ended blandly.
The blue team, whose stamina was greatly depleted, couldn't even fight and gave us the victory.
"Mango! Mango! Bingsu! Bingsu!"
"Patbingsu! Patbingsu!"
The red team trainees got used to chanting the slogan, and after receiving the mango patbingsu, they kept repeating the same words.
And there was someone who looked happier than anyone else.
"Karis hyung-nim! It's so delicious!"
"Oh, you were on this team too."
"Siyoon hyung and I stayed very still in the middle! Quietly! Without causing any trouble!"
Heo Yu-bin laughed with red bean paste all over his mouth.
Likewise, Yoo Min-ha also mumbled while eating the ice cream.
"The food I eat after working out is the most delicious! It's even happier because it's a victory that everyone worked together to achieve, and the rewards are so sweet! I realized once again that the mindset of never giving up is the truth!"
"... Okay, eat a lot."
Now, even Karis von Walden seemed tired of Yoo Min-ha's talkative nature, so he didn't respond much.
When I finished eating the mango patbingsu, a system notification popped up.
[Achievement Complete!
[8 skill points will be awarded as a reward.]
The achievement was achieved by winning the tug-of-war.
I checked my skill points and sighed for the first time.
'Now if I just win the last game, I can put this annoying crown prince to sleep again.'
But little did I know that the final match would be a total mess in so many ways.
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