Chapter 53 Part 3: Cost.

The Trickster’s words echoed in my ears, as if they were being absorbed.

The air had already settled heavily, and even the sound of breathing was loud.

I stood still in the kitchen.

My shadow was faintly cast on the cold floor tiles.

Every time I inhaled, my chest tightened strangely.

Protecting your guardian.

The words the Trickster spat out made my head complicated.

If he had declared that he would take my aunt, I would have at least been able to vent my anger.

But the tone he used now was like a soft thread that strangely bound me.

It was as if he was saying that if I cooperated for now, both my aunt and I would be safe.

But I had no way of knowing if my aunt was really safe.

That uncertainty made me even more anxious.

My hands were shaking, and the dishcloth I was holding fell to the floor.

The sound of my heart beating fast was clearly audible even to myself.

The Trickster was smiling calmly, whether I reacted or not.

“Do you have any questions?”

When he asked that, my lips were parched.

“Where is she? Where… did you take my aunt?”

My voice trembled slightly.

The Trickster slowly tilted his head and answered indifferently.

“She’s still nearby. You don’t have to worry too much.”

It seemed like there was a mix of truth and lies in those words.

No one could know, but at least that’s how it sounded to me.

“Is she… really safe?”

I asked again without realizing it.

But the Trickster just smiled again, and the answer was simple.

“She’s safe for now.”

For now.

Those short words pierced me sharply.

This was an obvious threat.

Even so, the Trickster maintained a gentle expression.

It was as if he knew how to grasp a person without any fuss.

I pulled up a nearby chair and sat down, trying to find a calm breath.

The Trickster also sat in a kitchen chair, making us look like traders facing each other at a negotiating table.

“What do you want?”

In the end, I brought up the main point first.

Because I wanted to know what he was after from me.

The Trickster swept his hair back with his fingers.

His pink hair shimmered under the bluish kitchen light.

“What I want… is very simple.”

He tilted his head back and laughed lightly.

That smile looked strangely cold.

“The finals that are coming up soon.”

At that one word, my head became even more complicated.

Finals.

He was clearly talking about the finals of the sports competition.

“There, you just need to create the result I want.”

The sound of me swallowing my breath was loud even in my own ears.

In the end, this must be about match-fixing.

But how, to what extent, and in exchange for what, was still unclear.

“What kind of… result…”

Even with detailed questions, the end of my voice trembled.

The Trickster did not rush to answer.

In that silence, my anxiety deepened.

Meanwhile, the wind outside shook the windows.

The small light in the kitchen flickered, giving off a faint light.

He rested his chin on the back of his hand and seemed lost in thought.

It was as if he was waiting for me to beg.

“Well, it won’t be anything particularly difficult.”

Even so, those words were not at all welcome.

“If you need to win, you win. If you need to lose, you lose.”

Simple words.

But the countless possibilities hidden behind that one sentence made my head spin.

Match-fixing.

Or he could twist the game by injuring a particular student, or conversely, by giving up himself.

“Instead, there will be something you have to do.”

The Trickster pulled his chair closer.

From just a hand’s breadth away, I could almost hear his excited breathing.

“And, if the result I want falls perfectly into place, I’ll return your guardian safely.”

Suddenly, I got goosebumps down my spine.

Even so, there was no detailed explanation of how I should change the outcome of the finals.

When I asked about it, the Trickster snapped his fingers.

The sound was small, but it felt like it echoed strangely in the space.

“That… I’ll let you know after we make more ‘plans’, so for now, just express your willingness to cooperate.”

The ambiguity continued.

Even so, I couldn’t think of any other way to guarantee my aunt’s safety.

My heart was pounding, and the impulse to subdue the Trickster here flashed through my mind.

However, I couldn’t act on that impulse, not knowing where my aunt was.

For a while, we spent time without speaking.

And then, I asked in a suppressed voice.

“If… I refuse, what happens?”

The Trickster raised his eyebrows slightly.

Even that reaction felt like a cruel joke.

“Then we won’t release the guardian we have.”

Such simple words.

With that answer, everything was settled.

It was clearly a threat, a malicious offer.

But I had no other choice.

If I made a mistake, I didn’t know what would happen to my aunt.

I forced myself to stop my mind from going blank.

It wasn’t a problem that would disappear if I turned away.

“I… need to make a decision.”

The words that came out of my lips sounded hollow even to myself.

The Trickster nodded as if he had been waiting.

“That’s right. Well, think about it slowly. You don’t have to answer right now.”

Those words were a lie.

The Trickster seemed almost certain of my answer.

Normally, I would have gritted my teeth and endured, but with my aunt involved, there was nothing I could do.

No matter what, she was my guardian.

Since she made me like this, she had to take responsibility for me until the end.

In the end, I got up from my seat.

My legs, trembling with anxiety, were dizzy and I couldn’t put any strength into them.

But I couldn’t just sit there.

I felt like I would go crazy if I didn’t move.

“Give me some time.”

After a long time, that was all I could manage to say.

The Trickster nodded.

“Alright. But don’t drag it out for too long.”

He lightly got up and left the kitchen.

As if he were a family member casually coming and going from my house.

I was furious at his audacity, but there was nothing I could do.

A part of my chest felt empty, and I couldn’t breathe.

After he had completely left, I stood for a long time, leaning on the kitchen table.

Evening had already fallen, and the faint light of the streetlights outside the window began to turn on.

I could hear the sound of the wind washing away quietly, but my head became even more confused.

It was clear that I had to do what the Trickster wanted for my aunt.

Am I really… going to have to manipulate the results in the finals?

The guilt inside me was already starting to crush my heart.

In the empty kitchen, only my pathetic, lonely words scattered hollowly.

That night, I couldn’t sleep properly.

Even if I managed to close my eyes, nightmares of my aunt disappearing continued in my dreams.

When I woke up, the Trickster’s vile smile was vivid again in front of my eyes.

Drinking water several times, I stayed up all night with my eyes open.

I finally dozed off for a moment at dawn and woke up again around noon.

As I opened the hallway window, breathing in the cold morning air.

Even for a moment, I was overwhelmed by the desire to escape this situation.

But I couldn’t run away leaving my aunt behind.

As I straightened my stiff body, I suddenly remembered the words the Trickster had left yesterday.

The results of the match as I want them.

It sounded really simple, but in return, I might continue to be swayed by his hands.

Even after saving my aunt, or even if I couldn’t save her, the Trickster might make additional demands.

In all those concerns, even if I tried to find another way.

For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to confide in the vice-principal or my friends and ask for help.

If I told them everything, there was a possibility that my past as an experimental subject would be revealed.

I knew it was a path to isolating myself, but I couldn’t help it now.

That afternoon, I felt someone’s presence again.

At the sound of footsteps coming from the living room, I reacted immediately.

Could it be that the Trickster has come again?

Fear and anger mixed, and my heart beat fast.

“Yeji.”

The moment that voice rang out, I felt a chill run down my spine.

As expected, he didn’t give me a single break.

I ran to the front door and saw the Trickster standing there, adjusting his suit.

“Have you… made up your mind?”

It was a decisive question.

My mind went blank, but I already knew the answer myself.

And as if to welcome him, two figures who looked like his subordinates stood behind the door.

Presumably, they were there to confirm my ‘decision’ with their own eyes.

“My aunt… is she okay?”

As soon as I said that, the Trickster smiled softly.

“Of course. We haven’t touched her yet.”

The choice was now clear.

I couldn’t delay it.

Gazing around the room, I came back to reality.

The living room that looked unnecessarily large, the unorganized cushions on the sofa.

All of these were traces of living with my aunt.

My throat was choked, but I finally spoke.

“…The result you want, I’ll make it.”

As soon as those words fell, the Trickster’s eyes looked strangely pleased.

“Good. Then we’ll be comrades from now on.”

At that moment, I fell into a sense of helplessness.

I could only feel like a hostage, not a comrade, but there was no point in saying it.

I have to save my aunt and get through this situation.

To do that, I have no choice but to do what he wants.

I lowered my gaze.

I heard the Trickster laughing contentedly and exchanging a word with the subordinates standing next to him.

Soon, he turned his body towards the door.

“I’ll tell you more specific details gradually. Be prepared.”

The sound of him leaving the house sounded like a cheer of victory to me.

But it meant the Trickster’s victory, and my defeat.

Now I have to somehow manipulate the finals.

If my aunt comes back in return, will I be able to endure it?

Standing in the middle of the living room, I couldn’t move for a long time.

I realized deeply that everything was now irreversible.

Before the finals, I have to get ready to go back to the academy.

And there, I will have to move as the Trickster demands.

The fact that I couldn’t tell anyone about this situation further tightened my breath.

So, the moment I accepted the Trickster’s offer, it felt like everything went dark.

Besides the goal of saving my aunt, I felt like I had almost nothing left.

But, I have to grit my teeth and move forward.

I couldn’t think of anything else.

I stared at the front door, recalling the faint presence of the Trickster that remained.

And I repeated to myself over and over again.

Even if I regret this decision, I have no choice now.

Whatever happens next, I have to take it as my share.

So, with the promise of manipulating the results, everything was settled for now.

Probably, I will continue to ignore that fact in the future.