* * *
“Xie Wei-nim, you’ve won.”
Ray Jun announced the victory in a calm voice. At the same time, Feng Tao rubbed his temple with one elbow propped up. His expression wasn’t very pleasant.
And for good reason. In the third round, Kang Siwon had won 10,000 with 10,000.
In the next round, he won 20,000 with 20,000, in the round after that, 40,000 with 40,000, and finally, 80,000 with 80,000.
No matter how wealthy one was, losing 80,000 patacas in an instant was enough to sting. More than anything, the situation where an opponent he thought he could crush quickly was winning continuously couldn’t be pleasant. Especially for someone as arrogant as that Feng Tao.
“Congratulations, Xie Wei-nim.”
Ray Jun pushed the chips toward Kang Siwon. Before long, chips had piled up high in front of Kang Siwon too. That tower made of round, flat plastic seemed like nothing much, but it actually held a weighty value of 160,000 patacas.
Feng Tao had clearly said he could keep the chips if he won them. Someone so full of bravado wouldn’t change his words even out of pride.
So basically, he had earned 160,000 patacas in less than an hour. Money that would take almost a year to earn working in Korea.
A pleasure that couldn’t be felt through ordinary achievement thrillingly heated his entire body. Kang Siwon hid these signs and asked calmly.
“Will you continue?”
“Haha… This is fun. Xiao Wei, is this really your first time playing poker?”
“Yes.”
“Are you kidding me? Even beginner’s luck has its limits.”
Feng Tao let out a hollow laugh and shouted toward Ray Jun.
“Give me the next hand.”
“Yes. Please begin open betting.”
At Ray Jun’s words, Kang Siwon checked his cards.
K♦, Q♠. As if his luck was indeed good today, a King and Queen came up together. However, Kang Siwon decided to start conservatively for now.
“10,000 patacas.”
“Call.”
“Opening the flop.”
Ray Jun flipped the cards.
Q♦, 8♣, 2♥.
Top pair—a decent start. Just as he was thinking he’d take this round too—
“100,000 patacas more.”
The pot suddenly grew large. Feng Tao, who had placed down ten chips with a thud, stared at Kang Siwon steadily as if to see what he’d do. It was a gaze clearly full of provocation.
“Call.”
He gladly accepted the provocation. At this, Ray Jun flipped one card.
“Opening the turn card.”
6♠. Kang Siwon rolled his eyes slightly to observe Feng Tao’s reaction. He was rubbing around his mouth with his hand. It was a shallow gesture trying to hide excited emotions, or rather, trying to appear as if he were doing so.
“I’ll raise 30,000 patacas.”
He could push forward. Having made that judgment, Kang Siwon pushed three chips into the betting zone. As expected, a look of dismay spread across Feng Tao’s face. It was a subtle reaction like a drop of ink falling into a basin, but Kang Siwon didn’t miss it.
“Haha… Looks like you got a pretty good hand, Xiao Wei?”
“Who knows.”
“Going to send me off properly? Were you hiding some amazing skills?”
Was it his own hypersensitivity that made that sound like bullshit? Of course not. It was entirely because the bastard was bullshitting. Though his brow furrowed involuntarily, Kang Siwon forcibly maintained an expressionless face.
“I think I’m finally starting to understand the rules.”
“Good. Call.”
With this, the pot became 140,000 patacas. If he pushed forward with this momentum and won, 300,000 patacas would come into his hands.
The situation was so unrealistic that he felt like his body was floating. What should he do with this money? Daily necessities, eating out, emergency funds. The desires he’d suppressed for so long burst forth. He’d be able to realize the things he needed but had no choice but to suppress, the things he wanted to do but couldn’t. His head grew dizzy from the excessive dopamine.
However, the moment he recognized this, Kang Siwon snapped back to his senses as if cold water had been dumped on him.
Right now, he was dreaming of striking it rich. Just like his father.
His mood plummeted into the mud as if he’d never been excited at all. He was disgusted with himself for falling into the thing he loathed most. He’d stayed so far from gambling, yet the moment an unavoidable situation arose, he was playing cards as if he’d been waiting for it. This reaction felt like proof that he was a person rotten from birth. It seemed innate instinct carved into his genes was unavoidable.
“…”
Kang Siwon took a deep breath in and out. Along with it, both the abnormal excitement and self-loathing gradually subsided.
The sense of reality that finally returned reflected him like a mirror. Shame surged again at the disgraceful behavior he’d just committed, but now wasn’t the time to wallow in such emotions. Kang Siwon made a certain resolution with his now-cooled head.
“Hmm…”
Meanwhile, Feng Tao stared piercingly at the cards in Kang Siwon’s hands. Soon, he smirked and said,
“I’ll bet 10,000 patacas.”
Judging by his expression, the situation seemed to be turning unfavorable for him. Of course, a player with abundant chips like Feng Tao could lay out bait as much as he wanted, so it could also be a fake. Either way, it no longer meant anything to Kang Siwon.
Kang Siwon lowered his eyes and muttered.
“I’ll fold.”
“Fold? …You’re folding here?”
“Yes.”
It would be a lie to say he had no regrets. But that’s precisely why he had to step back even more.
“Things were just getting fun, what are you thinking, Xiao Wei? Is this part of your strategy too?”
“No. I’m just a coward, that’s all.”
“You didn’t seem like one at all though?”
No, he was a coward. A coward who was terrified of turning out like his father. If he was going to become a gambling addict like that, it would be a hundred times better to lose everything he had.
“Congratulations, Feng Tao-nim. You’ve won.”
“Ha, this is anticlimactic.”
Feng Tao, who had carelessly thrown down his cards, gave Ray Jun a look. It was a silent urging to hurry and start the next round.
However, before Ray Jun could pick up the deck, Kang Siwon spoke first.
“Customer, did you enjoy yourself?”
“Of course. You were much better than those morons from earlier, Xiao Wei. You’re not just a pretty face.”
“In that case, how about we stop here?”
Feng Tao furrowed his brow and retorted.
“It hasn’t even been an hour yet? You promised, didn’t you? That you’d keep me company for an hour.”
That’s something you unilaterally forced on me, you son of a bitch. Kang Siwon forcibly swallowed the curse that had risen to his throat. Somehow, maintaining the service industry mask in front of this person was more of an ordeal than managing his expression while playing poker.
“I’m saying this because you seem to have enjoyed yourself sufficiently. At this point, wouldn’t coming to the casino despite your busy schedule have been worthwhile enough?”
“…Hmm.”
Feng Tao stared intently at Kang Siwon. If yesterday’s gaze seemed like he was sizing him up for an estimate, now it was a look containing deeper interest.
“Fine. Today isn’t the only day.”
“I’ll return this.”
Like placing a go stone, Kang Siwon placed one 10,000-denomination chip in front of Feng Tao.
“You should keep it.”
“I apologize, but I cannot accept it.”
“Are you saying you’ll reject my goodwill right now?”
“Regulations prohibit me from receiving money or goods from customers. I ask for your understanding.”
Feng Tao narrowed his brow as if his mood was soured, but he didn’t push further. Instead, he snorted and turned his body.
“How finicky. Then at least re-exchange my chips. You can do that much, can’t you, Xiao Wei?”
“Yes. I’ll help you with the re-exchange.”
For a moment, he felt a gaze. Ray Jun was watching him from across the game table. A strange look flashed in those black eyes, but Kang Siwon didn’t think much of it as he organized Feng Tao’s chips.
Only now did the chips finally feel like simple plastic pieces.
It wasn’t like that when he was absorbed in the game. The chips had felt like his own money, and he’d been swept up in the ecstatic illusion of having struck it rich. Even while knowing it was a mirage-like greed, he pretended not to know.
But now it was different. Once the game ended and the dopamine subsided, that foolish desire faded away with it. Kang Siwon realized he had escaped from that irrational heat.
Kang Siwon had planted his feet back in reality. The reality he’d returned to was still shabby, but at least he hadn’t lost himself. This much was enough.
* * *
After finishing his unusually tiring shift, he left the casino. On his way back to the dormitory, Kang Siwon encountered Ray Jun. They’d both worked the evening shift and were heading in the same direction, so their paths were bound to overlap.
Kang Siwon walked while maintaining a certain distance from Ray Jun. If they were complete strangers it would be one thing, but being in an awkwardly close relationship made it even more uncomfortable. There was also the burden of feeling like he should say something about that situation since they’d just been in the private room together. However, Kang Siwon wasn’t the sociable type who would bring up a topic first. In the end, he just kept his mouth shut and continued walking.
Normally, Ray Jun would have initiated conversation with various things to say, but he was quiet today too. Was he tired from dealing with that troublemaker’s unreasonableness? Kang Siwon speculated inwardly.
Even while riding the dormitory elevator together, neither of them spoke. Only after opening the front door and entering the dormitory did Ray Jun open his mouth.
“Xie Wei, you lost on purpose, didn’t you?”
