More Important Than the Tournament

“Hwaaam…”

Early morning.

I drag myself out of bed, feeling a fatigue that seems to crush my entire body.

Today’s match is the round of 16.

The match in the round of 32 naturally ended with our team’s victory.

I secured 2 wins through consecutive matches, and Ellie secured the remaining 1 win.

Anyway, my senses feel slightly dull.

It feels like my hands and feet are moving separately.

It was because I couldn’t sleep last night, having jumped into a debate on the Deron Gallery until dawn.

Ellie is probably in the same state as me.

I checked Ellie’s ID and IP changing frequently throughout the Deron Gallery session, so my guess is accurate.

“Hayeon-ah…”

“Eueung…”

“Are you okay? Can you play the match?”

“No problem.”

No problem.

I nodded at Sohee’s words and rubbed my eyes.

Even if my senses are slightly dulled, the opponents are just students who are good at games, aren’t they?

I will never lose to kids whose blood hasn’t even dried yet.

“You look very tired. How about sleeping a little?”

I check the time at Sohee’s words.

About 1 hour and 30 minutes are left until the match starts.

It’s a slightly ambiguous time to fall asleep.

It would be more helpful for recovering my condition to endure and endure, finish the match, and sleep all day.

I shook my head and said.

“It’s okay.”

“Hmm…”

As expected, Sohee is the only one who thinks of me.

I smiled faintly, approached the bed, and hugged Sohee’s waist.

The softness and warmth I feel at the same time naturally bring sleepiness.

But I can’t fall asleep.

I quickly got out of Sohee’s arms and headed to the bathroom.

Standing in front of the sink, stepping on the footstool.

The pretty girl in the large mirror was giving a faint smile with a tired face.

“Hmm…”

As expected, she’s so pretty no matter when I look at her.

I raised the corners of my mouth and gave a pretty smile.

“Hee…”

Is there anyone more perfect than me in the world?

Pretty, young, cute, and good at games.

Plus, I’m smart too.

It’s a flaw that I’m a bit short, but I’m still a high school student.

The growth period hasn’t ended, so there’s still a chance I’ll grow taller.

If someone could read my thoughts, they might think I’m too narcissistic, but this is unavoidable.

Isn’t that right? No one can deny the facts listed above.

I nodded, smiling contentedly.

After brushing my teeth and washing my face in the bathroom, I could see Sohee lazily sprawled out.

Long, stretched legs. A chest that boldly shows off its presence.

Half-closed eyes and slightly curved lips.

Sohee’s gaze was directed out the window.

Judging by the fact that one hand is near her ear, she seems to be talking to someone.

Or is she listening to music?

“Sohee-ya?”

“Ah, yeah.”

Sohee quickly lowers her hand at my call.

What she was holding in her hand was a large smartphone.

“I’m all washed up.”

“Really?”

Sohee nodded at my words and got up from her seat, heading to the bathroom.

I looked at Sohee’s back as she disappeared into the bathroom, then turned my gaze.

The spot where Sohee was sitting just a moment ago comes into view.

No, more precisely, the smartphone that Sohee was holding.

The screen of the smartphone she left behind as she entered the bathroom.

The screen hasn’t turned off yet, so it’s not locked.

Now is my chance.

I quickly ran and climbed onto the sofa where Sohee was sitting.

The lukewarm warmth felt under my butt.

It seems the sofa absorbed her warmth because Sohee was sitting there.

Being like this, it felt like I was being hugged by Sohee.

But now is not the time to appreciate such things.

I reached out and grabbed Sohee’s smartphone.

The screen faintly dimming.

I quickly touch the screen, turning it back on.

“Sohee-ya…?”

I carefully call out to Sohee, hiding the smartphone behind my back.

There was no answer.

I swallow hard and look down at the smartphone.

I’m not interested in KakaoTalk, messages, or call history.

I’m only curious about one thing.

What kind of photos are saved in Sohee’s gallery?

I’ve always been curious about that.

Sohee is far from an ordinary high school girl.

When going somewhere to play or buying something to eat, an ordinary high school girl would have taken a lot of pictures.

But Sohee has never taken a single picture while with me.

She’ll get angry if I get caught, right?

But what can I do if I’m curious?

I stretched out my trembling fingers and entered the smartphone’s gallery.

The moment countless photos unfolded.

“Heok…”

What is it?

Did I see something wrong?

There were over a thousand photos saved on the smartphone, but all of them were completely black.

Just perfect darkness, that’s all.

Completely black images, not even a hint of a shape, filled the smartphone screen.

Looking at the information of the saved photo, the size is 10kb.

It just means it’s a simple black image file.

I tilted my head.

What purpose does Sohee have for saving these photos?

It was that moment. Beyond my slightly dulled senses, I heard the sound of the bathroom doorknob turning.

It means Sohee has started coming out of the bathroom.

I turned off the screen of the smartphone I was holding and quickly put it back in its original place.

And closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.

“Hayeon-ah?”

I don’t react to Sohee’s call.

How much time has passed like that?

I hear the sound of Sohee’s footsteps coming out of the bathroom.

Footsteps approaching me step by step.

Sohee stopped right in front of me and stared down at me for a long time.

I could tell what Sohee was doing through the gaze I couldn’t see.

How long has it been like that?

Sseuek- Something touched my ear with a sound.

Something long and slender, yet warm.

A finger. What touched my ear was Sohee’s finger.

My body almost flinched momentarily.

“Are you sleeping?”

A voice flowed out with a small laugh.

Sohee smiled like that and started carefully caressing my ear.

The movement of her finger, starting from the earlobe, going up along the auricle, and carefully digging into the inside of the ear.

My whole body tenses up.

Does the touch caressing my ear tickle? No, this is a subtly different sensation.

Something slowly rising from deep inside my body.

The subtly ticklish sensation made my toes curl.

It’s hard to bear. If I keep letting her touch my ear like this, something big might happen.

I opened my eyes, pretending to wake up groggily.

“So, Sohee-ya…”

“Did you wake up?”

But Sohee’s hand didn’t stop.

Rather, she caresses my ear more boldly than before.

Sseueuek- Sseueuek-

A loud sound coming from right next to my ear.

I pulled my neck back and covered my ear.

I haven’t even done anything, but my body is starting to heat up.

It’s hot. I felt a little hot even though I had slightly opened the window leading to the terrace.

“Sorry… Did it make you feel bad?”

Sohee asks, looking down at me.

There was a certain conviction in her gently curved eyes.

There’s no way I could ever feel bad.

It was a gaze that seemed to think so.

“Ah, no…”

Was she satisfied with that answer?

Sohee straightened her bent waist and shoved the smartphone on the table into her pocket.

“Shall we go eat then?”

I nodded and got up from my seat.

The moment my feet touched the ground, my vision swayed.

I almost fell, just a little.

Was it because I was tired? My body isn’t listening to me properly.

“Hmm…”

I feel Sohee’s gaze from above.

I shook my head and confidently moved forward.

As the team leader, I can’t show a weak side.

After leaving the room, I headed straight to the next room.

Two knocks while standing on tiptoes.

Kongkong.

How long has it been like that?

The door opened slightly and a white head popped out.

“Hayeon is it…?”

“Yeah. It’s me.”

As expected, Ellie’s face was covered in deep fatigue.

It’s because she burned the night away at the Deron Gallery, just like me.

“J-just wait a moment… I have to wake up Seongshin-seonbae…”

Ellie said that and went inside the room, bringing out Seongshin-seonbae who was asleep.

On the way to the buffet to eat breakfast like that.

Ellie kept staggering and rubbing her body against the wall.

I sighed as I watched her.

What is she going to do if she spends the night at the gallery when her body is already weak?

I have no choice.

I approached Ellie and supported her body.

I’m the only one who can support Ellie right now.

Ellie starts dozing off even while walking.

As soon as Ellie arrived at the buffet, she buried her head on the table and started sleeping.

Even after finishing the meal and moving to the stadium, Ellie couldn’t easily open her eyes.

Still, it seems she’s aware that the match is important, as she tried not to doze off with her eyes wide open, but it was only for a brief moment.

Ellie, sitting in her chair, curled up and fell asleep as before.

“Hmm…”

I was lost in thought as I watched her.

The next strongest player after me is in that state.

I could force her to wake up and shove her into the capsule, but if I did that, Ellie wouldn’t be able to show her true skills.

I have no choice.

This match will have to be finished with just me, Sohee, and Seongshin-seonbae.

“This time, let’s have Seonbae go out first.”

“M-me?”

“Yes.”

“Eue…”

Seongshin-seonbae makes a face that lacks confidence at my words.

But in the end, she got up from her seat and headed to the capsule.

The first match started like that.

Seongshin-seonbae did her best, but the opponent’s skills were superior.

2 minutes into the match, Seongshin-seonbae was defeated.

“Sorry…”

“It’s okay.”

The next player to compete is Sohee.

Sohee, who naturally got up from her seat, headed to the capsule with a trustworthy smile.

Sohee should be able to win easily.

My mind feels much more at ease.

I wasn’t aiming for the championship of the tournament, but wouldn’t it be better to have a high score if possible?

The second match started like that.

Sohee will win without difficulty.

I thought so until the moment the match started.

But.

50 seconds into the match.

Sohee dropped the katana in her hand and collapsed.

The opponent’s remaining health is 85%

The opponent who defeated Sohee stretched out his sword towards the sky.

A performance to commemorate the victory.

And a provocation towards us.

Total score.

2 to 0

In that situation, the opposing team’s proposal for consecutive matches came in.

[Consecutive Match Proposal]

The opposing team has proposed consecutive matches.

I examine the opponent’s expression, who isn’t wearing a helmet, through the screen.

A confident and cocky smile.

An arrogant gaze that is certain of victory.

I’ll gladly accept it.

I wasn’t in perfect condition, but it was possible to beat up such a cocky bastard.

I accepted the consecutive match proposal.