* * *
The two moved to the dining table.
A long pin light was installed above the dining table. Champagne-colored light spreading in a narrow fan shape illuminated the space. It was an atmosphere reminiscent of a high-class wine bar.
It was somewhat ironic that what they were doing in this sophisticated space was merely gambling. However, it seemed only Kang Siwon felt this way, as Ray Jun was in the middle of shuffling a deck of cards he had requested from the concierge. His hand movements shuffling the cards as if loosening his hands were skillful.
“First, cards are prepared by type, so what game do you want to play?”
“Concentration game.”
“What? That’s too boring!”
As if deflated, Ray Jun stopped his hands and complained. However, Kang Siwon answered firmly.
“It’s a game I’m at least confident in.”
“You’re good at poker too. Don’t do that, let’s just play poker normally, hm?”
“Forget it, just start. You said I get to decide the game, right?”
“This is so different from what I expected.”
Ray Jun seemed somewhat disappointed, but obediently set up the cards on the table.
Concentration Game, also called ‘pair matching’ in Korea, has simple rules.
First, both decks of cards are placed face down. When you flip two cards, if the number and suit match, you can take that pair. Ultimately, the person who finds more pairs wins.
A game of matching pairs through concentration, as the name suggests. Since it’s a structure that determines victory through memory and concentration, it’s less affected by luck compared to other games. With this game, it seemed there was a chance of winning against Ray Jun.
“Shall we try it first? You’ll at least let me go first, right?”
“Do as you please.”
Ray Jun flipped two cards.
♦6, ♠4.
They didn’t match.
“Can’t be helped in the early stage.”
Ray Jun turned the cards back over. Next was Kang Siwon’s turn.
♥10, ♣2.
He secretly hoped luck would follow, but it didn’t go as he wished. Kang Siwon bit his lower lip firmly and concentrated on the game.
♠Q, ♦3, ♠1……
As they alternately flipped cards, information about the cards was stored in Kang Siwon’s mind. Soon Ray Jun flipped another card.
♠4, ♠3.
“……”
Realizing he had missed by just one number, his eyebrows twitched. However, the opportunity had already passed to Kang Siwon.
Without hesitation, Kang Siwon flipped two cards.
♠4, ♠4.
He matched a pair. Since matching a pair continues that person’s turn, Kang Siwon flipped two more cards.
♦3, ♦3.
♣2, ♣2.
He matched two pairs in a row, but failed on the next turn. Since the number of flipped cards was still small, it couldn’t be helped.
“Isn’t this too boring?”
It became Ray Jun’s turn, but he also failed to match a pair. He grumbled as he put down the cards.
“Let’s change to poker even now. Or add some fun rules.”
“What kind of rules?”
“Let’s stake the reward not per game, but per ten pairs.”
“What does that mean?”
“Instead of receiving one reward after the game ends, let’s receive it immediately every time we match ten pairs. For example, you’ve found three pairs now, so if you find seven more pairs, you’ll be able to ask me a question once. If you find twenty pairs, two questions, if you find thirty pairs, three. How about it?”
“I don’t have that many things to ask.”
“That’s harsh. Are you that uninterested in me?”
Ray Jun pouted his lips. Meanwhile, Kang Siwon matched another set. He looked at the cards that looked identically like twins and thought for a moment.
At this rate, he seemed to have the advantage. It was a gamble worth taking.
“Do as you please.”
“Good. Then continue.”
Since Kang Siwon had matched a pair, it was still his turn. Kang Siwon flipped two cards.
♦6, ♣K.
Wrong. When it became Ray Jun’s turn, he flipped cards without hesitation.
♦6, ♦6.
♣K, ♣K.
In an instant, Ray Jun matched two pairs.
“……”
Kang Siwon bit his lips firmly. Making his earlier thought that it was doable seem futile, Ray Jun’s memory was far better than expected. He too seemed to have memorized the positions of all the cards flipped so far. In a situation where their skills were this similar, getting it wrong even once would mean losing.
Ray Jun flipped cards once more. However, this time it was a failure, perhaps because there were no cards that could be matched.
When his turn came, Kang Siwon swallowed dry saliva and flipped cards.
♠1, ♥8.
“Kugh……”
A sigh of regret came out involuntarily. Looking at Kang Siwon as if feeling sorry for him, Ray Jun flipped the cards he had just flipped again.
♠1, ♠1.
“Siwon, you know what?”
“……”
“In concentration games, who remembers better is important, but the key is who makes more mistakes.”
“……That wasn’t a mistake just now. What was I supposed to do when there were no matching pairs among the flipped cards?”
“Then what determines victory and defeat is ultimately luck.”
Ray Jun flipped two more cards.
“And I’m generally on the lucky side.”
♥7, ♥7.
It was a match. As if even he hadn’t expected this, Ray Jun widened his eyes and soon grinned, waving the cards.
At that annoying provocation, Kang Siwon’s insides boiled. Fortunately, Ray Jun’s success ended there, and the turn passed to Kang Siwon.
Now 90 cards remained, meaning forty-five pairs were left. If only he could match all the pairs, he would be able to ask Ray Jun four questions. But conversely, if Ray Jun matched many pairs, he would suffer terrible things as many times as he earned.
He absolutely had to match pairs. Kang Siwon stared down at the cards with wide eyes as if using clairvoyance. And…….
27 pairs versus 25 pairs.
That was the final result of the concentration game.
As a result, Kang Siwon won with 27 pairs, but somehow the taste was bitter. Compared to what he had been confident about, it was a modest achievement, and he had to fulfill two of Ray Jun’s demands. This way, winning wasn’t really winning.
“Hey, but isn’t the reward difference too big? How can asking some questions and ma, masturbating be on the same level……”
“You should have argued about that before starting the game.”
“……”
Ray Jun answered while organizing the cards. Since he was right, Kang Siwon couldn’t even object and kept his mouth shut.
“Want to play one more round with changed conditions? Or we can change the game itself. I want to play mahjong after a long time, how about it?”
“Forget it. I don’t even know how to play mahjong.”
“I can teach you.”
“I’m not interested.”
“Okay. It’s late today anyway. We have to receive what we’ll receive and give what we’ll give, now.”
Said Ray Jun, who had already finished organizing the cards. Two decks of playing cards were neatly placed in front of him. The scenery somehow reminiscent of his Sovereign Casino days made Kang Siwon’s insides churn.
“What should we do? Do you want to ask questions first, or start with masturbation? You can do both at the same time too.”
“……Questions first. But how far can I ask?”
“Anything. But the level of what I want from you will rise accordingly.”
“Well, is there anything more than what we’ve done so far?”
He said it sarcastically, but Ray Jun wore a suspicious smile. Somehow getting goosebumps, Kang Siwon brushed his forearm.
“At this point, I’m more curious. What on earth are you so curious about that you made this deal even while your face turned this red?”
Just as he said, he didn’t know if it was really a question worth resolving while doing such things. Still, Kang Siwon wanted to confirm.
“What I’m curious about is……”
Whether Ray Jun really didn’t harm Zhang Weiren.
His relationship with ‘roommate Ray Jun’ was already irreparably cracked. Nevertheless, Kang Siwon still hadn’t abandoned his lingering feelings for him.
He kept wanting to find out how much the man before his eyes was the same as the Ray Jun he knew, and to what extent he could trust him.
“……Tell me what grudge you have against the Sovereign directors.”
“Too simple. Because those people are interfering with me receiving share transfer from Chairman Li Yong. Do you need more explanation?”
“Is that really all?”
Instead of answering, Ray Jun stared at Kang Siwon. Kang Siwon met that gaze without avoiding it. As if having a staring contest, the two didn’t blink.
A tension so taut it seemed it would break if touched flowed. After a precarious silence lingered for a while, Ray Jun closed and opened his eyes first.
“Okay, I got it. I should be a bit more honest with you.”
“……”
“I feel embarrassed like I’m doing some kind of interview.”
As if to ease the tense atmosphere, Ray Jun smiled slightly. Soon he began to speak.
