27. Min Juri
The place Min Juri and Ryumin headed to was a nearby park.
"Sit here."
As soon as they sat on the bench, Min Juri abruptly held out the envelope.
"Take it."
"Isn't this the money I gave?"
"We can't accept such a large sum, so take it back."
To Min Juri and her father, 10 million won was a large amount.
Of course, it was pocket change to Ryumin who had hundreds of millions.
'10 million won is an amount that would be burdensome. Well, I offered it knowing they wouldn't accept it.'
He had already expected they would refuse the envelope.
'No matter how poor, they have a personality that can't live with debt.'
Personality, preferences, favorite foods, family circumstances, etc.
Ryumin prided himself on knowing quite a bit about Min Juri.
He had gotten close enough to know that much.
That's why Ryumin was confident he could make Min Juri his ally.
"Hurry and take it. My arm is getting tired."
Min Juri shook the envelope she was holding.
But Ryumin had no intention of taking it.
'If I take the envelope, my relationship with Min Juri ends here. I need to use the lottery as a pretext to continue the relationship.'
He just shook his head with a firm expression.
"I won't take it."
"What?"
"As I told the owner earlier, I gave this money out of apology. It's my minimum conscience."
"But the amount is too large..."
"Whatever the amount, I'd like the owner to accept it. If not, I'll keep feeling sorry."
Though he said this, Ryumin didn't particularly feel sorry towards the owner.
Anyway, when the next round comes, there will be many dropouts and the economy will be shaken.
'In the end, the lottery market will naturally collapse within a few months.'
He just hastened that time by monopolizing the prize money.
If you think about it, isn't it not wrong to use future information?
Of course, he wasn't completely without feelings of apology.
'In any case, it's true they suffered harm due to my influence.'
That's why he intended to give 10 million won as compensation.
Even if Min Juri kept refusing.
"It's my conscience, so take it back."
"But this is too much! It's burdensome."
'That's why I'm giving it.'
He laughed inwardly, but maintained an expressionless face outwardly.
To receive Min Juri's help, he had no choice but to make her indebted like this.
"Tell the owner. It's not a large sum to me, so don't feel burdened."
As he firmly refused, a sigh escaped Min Juri's lips.
"Were you always like this? Why are you so stubborn... Haa."
"If we're done talking, I'll go?"
As Ryumin was about to stand up, Min Juri panicked.
"W-wait! Then 10 million is too burdensome, so I'll take 1 million. Okay?"
"Why are you deciding? You should ask the owner."
"Dad wouldn't want to accept such a large sum either."
"Dad?"
Ryumin acted surprised as if he didn't know at all.
"The convenience store owner is your dad?"
"Yeah."
"Wow... I use this place often, it's amazing."
"I'm amazed too. To think the 1st place lottery winner is a classmate..."
'Friend...'
Though they hadn't talked, they were friends in the sense of being in the same class.
It was hard to see it as a true friendship though.
"But did you really not know I was in your class? I recognized you as soon as you entered the convenience store."
"Sorry. I really am bad at remembering faces. And this is our first time talking like this, right?"
"That's... true."
The two had been in the same class all year, but it's true they had no chance to talk.
It's not easy for opposite genders to become close, and they were both introverted so it was hard to approach each other.
Of course, the Ryumin then and now are different.
To the point of seeming like completely different people.
Min Juri, talking to him for the first time, wouldn't notice the change.
"Then you learned my name for the first time today too?"
"Sorry, but yes."
"..."
Min Juri opened her lips as if shocked.
It seems she didn't think he really wouldn't even know her name.
'Sorry for pretending not to know, but it can't be helped. This way she'll become interested in me.'
Sure enough, Min Juri's eyes changed.
It wasn't a look of disappointment and giving up at the fact he didn't know her name.
Rather, as if her pride was ignited, strength entered her eyes.
"As I said earlier, my name is Min Juri. I'm in your class and my face looks like this... Can you remember?"
"Yeah."
"Don't answer halfheartedly, look carefully. Remember properly."
Min Juri, who had stuck her head out as if telling him to look closely, pulled it back with an embarrassed face.
"Huu... I'm suddenly feeling the cringe. What am I doing. To be introducing myself to a classmate right before graduation... It feels somewhat sad."
"It's fine to know even now. It's not like we can't contact each other after graduating."
Min Juri's eyes changed slightly at those words, but Ryumin didn't notice.
"In that sense, can you give me your number?"
"N-number?"
For some reason, Min Juri makes a surprised expression.
A question mark appeared on Ryumin's face.
"Why? It's not strange to ask a classmate for their number."
"Th-that's true. I'll enter it. Give me your phone."
As Ryumin handed over his phone, Min Juri entered her number.
When he immediately called, Min Juri's phone vibrated.
"It's my number. Save it."
"O-okay."
"Since we met like this by chance, let's keep in touch often."
"S-sure."
"Then I'll go first today. I have something urgent to do."
"W-wait. The envelope..."
Ryumin waved his hand saying it's fine, then left.
Min Juri could only stare blankly at his retreating figure.
* * *
'In the end, I couldn't return the envelope.'
Min Juri, who was blankly watching Ryumin's back disappear in the distance, placed a hand on her chest.
Thump thump thump-
Her heart was pounding as if it had malfunctioned.
'To suddenly ask for my number...'
Her heart was racing uncontrollably.
Of course, she knows he asked as a friend.
'The problem is I don't see him as just a friend...'
Though she hadn't told anyone, Min Juri liked Ryumin.
When she first saw him, she wasn't particularly interested.
She just thought he was a quiet kid, not standing out in any special way.
Then she happened to see it.
Ryumin being bullied by Hwang Yongmin's group in an alley.
'I couldn't step up then and only called the police... He probably still doesn't know I was the one who reported.'
He wouldn't know.
She only watched from behind as the police came and sorted things out, not stepping forward.
After that, Min Juri secretly followed Ryumin.
'What was I thinking back then...'
Was it out of pity?
Or was it a sense of responsibility as the reporter to watch over him to the end?
'Thinking about it now, it's both.'
Min Juri followed Ryumin to see if he got home safely.
She planned to report again if the delinquents appeared.
But after dusting off his pants, Ryumin headed to a small meat restaurant in a secluded alley.
Seeing him working part-time there nonchalantly, Min Juri thought.
'He's strong. There's more to him than meets the eye.'
Though he looked small and weak on the outside, his inner self was stronger than anyone.
That was who Ryumin was and how he lived.
'That's when it started. When I began to be interested in Ryumin.'
During breaks, she would watch what Ryumin was doing, and on the way home she would secretly follow him.
In the process, she unintentionally learned he had a younger brother and saw new sides of him.
'He seems to have a good relationship with his brother.'
Seeing Ryumin take care of his brother, she became more interested.
She developed feelings for him.
While just following him like that, delinquents appeared again and she reported a few more times, but couldn't step up.
'...Because I lacked courage.'
She just watched from behind and helped.
If she had courage, she would have approached and talked to him long ago.
'It's too late to approach now. Because I've already come to like him too much...'
The interest that started by chance soon developed into feelings of liking.
Seeing Ryumin live steadfastly like a tree that doesn't fall made her feel respect and her heart race.
But lacking courage, she gave up on approaching him.
'Still, I wanted to talk to him before graduating...'
Maybe because it was in front of someone she liked, things didn't go as she planned.
She was busy helping her dad with the convenience store work, so there was no chance.
'But to think we'd meet here.'
She never imagined meeting the man she had a crush on at the convenience store.
She didn't expect him to ask for her number first either.
'It was unexpected. I didn't think he'd be so proactive calling me a friend...'
As expected, her eyes weren't wrong.
Just because he looks small and weak doesn't mean his personality is timid too.
There was another unexpected point.
'To think he didn't even know my name...'
Even if they're opposite genders and had no chance to talk, not knowing a classmate's name?
Isn't that too little interest even for having no interest?
It was undeniably somewhat hurtful to her pride.
'He says he's bad at remembering faces? Then I'll make sure he remembers clearly.'
Under the pretext of being friends, she'll make him remember her face.
So he doesn't forget her face.
She'll keep in touch and make sure to engrave herself in his mind.
So he doesn't forget her name.
'I need to muster courage and work hard now. This is a chance given by heaven.'
Before she missed chances due to lack of courage, but not this time.
She can't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to get close to the person she likes.
'I'm curious about many things. How he spent the vacation, if delinquents still bully him, how he won 1st place in the lottery, if killing goblins was difficult, how much he raised his level...'
It was regrettable they couldn't talk much, but there were plenty of opportunities.
Ryumin's number was clearly saved in her phone.
'I can't pretend not to know after receiving 10 million won.'
Though she wanted to return it, she decided to think of it as a debt since he wouldn't take it back.
'That way I can keep contacting him using the 10 million won as a pretext.'
A pleased smile spread across Min Juri's face.
* * *
[Min Juri: Did you eat? I have something to talk about, can we meet around 1? I'll buy lunch!]
[Ryumin: Sure, let's meet. I'll treat you.]
[Min Juri: No no, I should treat if anyone's treating. Haha]
[Ryumin: I have a lot of money lol]
[Min Juri: That doesn't mean I can shamelessly get treated. What do you like?]
[Ryumin: What about you?]
[Min Juri: I eat anything well, so choose what you like.]
Ryumin, who was texting with Min Juri, raised the corner of his mouth.
'As expected, she's trying to treat me first thinking she's in debt.'
It was a good sign.
By naturally building a relationship with Min Juri like this, he should be able to make her an ally.
'I didn't pay attention before, but not this time. I'll save Min Juri and take her along no matter what.'
All the way until reaching Round 20.
'It's about time to go.'
Ryumin, who checked the time, changed into outdoor clothes.
Seeing this, his brother asks.
"Where are you going, brother?"
"To meet a friend."
"It's not a girl, is it?"
"Why do you think it's not?"
Ryumin smiled at his brother's dumbfounded expression.
"I'll eat out, so have lunch by yourself. You have the card I gave you, right?"
"Y-yeah."
"Then I'm going."
As Ryumin left, Ryuwon standing at the entrance muttered quietly.
"Could it be a crush...?"