What's the Wager?

After the bell rang, Renir was amidst the flowing crowd that wanted to go home.

Even though there are tons of people surrounding passing by the gate, it was so easy to spot where Imee was.

'She's like a queen here. How did I not know her before?' even Renir was confused by this fact. Was he that ignorant to his surroundings before? He thought.

Imee leaned back on one of the pillars that the gate was attached to. As Renir got closer, did he only had the moment to appreciate Imee's attire in that day, her school uniform.

The light cotton that easily swayed by even the lightest touch of the wind covered her upper body. If only she doesn't have an umbrella above her, the silhouette of her lean torso could've seen through cotton. Not only is that but even under the shade there the mysterious attractiveness on her upper arm that was slightly covered by the short sleeve.

Renir was in concentration at that moment. However, the crowd didn't let him observe any further as he reached the gate.

"Imee" Renir waved as Imee's eyes landed on him.

Those eyes then darted from place to place as if embarrassed before giving off a cold attitude like before.

"Follow me." Imee lifted her head high and lead Renir which he followed soon after with a troubled face.

Students whispered and looked at them as if they were rare animals at a zoo.

"Where are we going?" Renir asked as soon as he caught up.

"Umm," Imee glanced at him before saying, "I think you shouldn't be spending the night by yourself without a roof to sleep under so we'll go with my initial offer for you to stay at my... apartment."

"Oh" Renir looked around and was thankful that nobody heard that.

Seemed like Imee was not ignorant of the fact that she was famous, but just didn't care about it.

"I guess, I have no choice then..." Renir quietly laughed. He wanted to ask if she was sure about it but kept it in his throat. He couldn't deny he was so ecstatic at the moment to have the second chance so kept himself from ruining it again.

"Well, considering that you already experienced the consequences, you don't have a choice... got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Renir straightened up.

"Hmm, good, good." Imee hummed.

After walking for a minute or so, Imee turned serious and asked Renir what she was curious about.

"Why did you say that you can defeat that guy even though I just said that he's a black belter in two separate martial arts?"

Renir thought about it but didn't have an immediate answer.

Imee frowned, seeing that Renir was unable to answer.

"You-"

"No, no, I just don't know how to word it but it wasn't a spur at the moment." Renir waved his hands in denial.

"Hmm, think about it then. If you have any other plan then that would be great." Imee crossed her arms under her chest.

"....." Renir looked at the space as he pondered for a few moment, he then answered, "I'm not confident I will win, in fact. I am confident I will lose."

Imee didn't expect the answer, "Then why did you say that?" she was slightly surprised.

"I guess, I don't want to back down without a fight..." Renir smiled, "What's the worst thing that could happen? Before, I was always humiliated and beaten up. At least now, I'm going to get beat up after I fight my all."

"...." Imee just stared at him, "Aren't you scared?"

"I'm tougher than you think after all the beating I got..." Renir puffed his chest out.

Imee covered her mouth as she quietly laughed, "That's not something you should be proud of, hehe."

Renir glanced at her and face turned reddish, "And so... umm... sorry." he murmured with his voice weak.

"Hmm, for what?" Imee put a finger on her lips which were completely seductive while she was unconscious of it.

"Eh..." Renir turned away, scratching his hair, "I'm sorry for leaving you after all you've done to me the other day, and also, earlier. That guy must've got the wrong idea and got jealous of me."

"Ohh, that's fine." Imee smiled at him as she leaned forward to peeked at his reddish face, "I was the one who ran away first, anyway."

Renir turned his head and made eye contact that made him more embarrassed.

"And don't worry about earlier, that guy always messes with me," saying it made her recalled all the times Harvie hit on her. She was about to admire his conviction if not only she sees him always hanging and being close to other girls while doing it. Unfortunately for Harvie, his conviction was the only trait Imee find appealing to him yet he destroyed it every time.

"Oh, then it's the right decision to fight him..." Renir whispered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing..."

"Hmmm" Imee stared at him, "But, if that was your reason for challenging him, then that doesn't justify why you shouted, 'I can defeat you!'" she even acted it perfectly with passion as she said.

"Want to be an actress?"

"Nah~"

"I don't know, maybe that was the spur on the moment?"

"Why are you so unsure of it? But you're lucky that the one you're going to fight is not him. Good thing, that guy has a brain and uses it from time to time."

'No, actually, at that moment, I feel like he wasn't that strong. I'm not exactly sure how strong black belters are in martial arts, in two separate ones on top of that, but I know that it's not all about the strength but the technique. But even then, I feel like I can overcome him. Not even the Water Sentinel, but just the Giganslik itself is much, much stronger than that guy....' Renir had this in his head but then he shook his head, wanting to laugh at himself, 'What am I saying? First of all, that was surely a dream and second, I was so weak compared to myself in that dream.'

After in deep thoughts, Renir paused for a second after he murmured, "That guy..." and asked, "I don't know his name yet."

"Eh?" Imee reacted. She couldn't believe that Renir picked a fight with someone who he didn't even know. But since it's not his fault in the first place, she let it slide.

"Listen, you know the nutcases that I told you?"

Renir nodded…

A few moments later, Imee finished briefly explaining to Renir who Harvie was.

"He's that amazing?" Renir was secretly admiring that there is someone in his age that could become like that. A black belter 2nd Dan in both Taekwando and Karate was very impressive in itself. Although not as much as the martial arts but in academics, Harvie was just below Renir and in social life, he was brimming!

'I don't care about the martial arts and academics, but I do envy his charisma. If I have that, I wouldn't have this problem in the first place.' Renir inwardly sighed.

Imee glanced and noticed Renir's dismayed expression.

"He's not that amazing, you're many times better than him," she whispered.

Obviously, Renir heard that but chose to act as if he did not while thinking, 'Can I please hug you now?' while inwardly crying out of joy.

While he virtually cries, he realized that Imee disappeared by his side when he looked again "Huh?" Panicked, Renir hastily looked around and as he turned, he saw that Imee just stopped on her tracks since she was behind him.

"Hehe, I forgot to tell you that we are here now." Imee pointed out with a slightly apologetic smile.

Renir gazed at what she pointed, he lifted his head and saw a five-story luxury building, painted in gray with shiny wooden color on each balcony from the second floor and above. Black window panes were added in front on each balcony that made it more luxurious to look at.

It stood aesthetically amidst the neighborhood and surrounding it was a four-cornered black wall and large double-gate in front equipped with CCTV on each pillar it was attached to.

The field in front was like a garden on the left side and a large parking space on the right side but the entrance was like a hotel with a counter and staff behind it at all times inside.

"Woah..." Renir reacted as he walked to Imee.

'She's rich! So that's how she could afford the hospital bills...' he thought.

"Ah, don't be so impressed. We don't own the whole building, I am just currently renting one of its room." Imee clarified it with a smile when he noticed Renir's surprise.

"Haha..." Renir forced a laughed, "No, I didn't even think about that. Your standard is too high. Still, I'm impressed, princess."

Hearing that, Imee didn't know what to react but just pouted and entered without a comment.

'Is she angry?' Renir regretted that he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Imee led Renir who acted like a child at an amusement park. Imee was then greeted by the staff behind the counter and the both of them entered the elevator. The inside was as luxurious, if not more, as it is outside.

When the two got into the elevator, it was silent except the calming jazz in the elevator.

'Ah~ it looked like I ignored him but I just don't know what to say...' Imee inwardly panicked but did not show it on her face.

Renir on her side was glancing at her but when she glanced back, they accidentally made eye contact.

Embarrassed, the two quickly turned around from each other.

'This is getting awkward... I should say something!' Imee thought and then a question she was curious about earlier but forgot to ask popped in her head.

She slowly regained her composure and asked, "Umm, I was curious about this earlier, but since you challenged that guy, do you have a wager in mind?"

At the same time, the elevator stopped on the fifth floor and the door opened which Imee stepped out while Renir became quiet.

Imee looked back and tilted her head. She leaned forward to hold the door open for Renir, "Renir?" she called. When she looked at Renir's expression, she was confused. He suddenly looked troubled.

"...."After a moment, Renir silently walked out passed Imee.

Imee released the door and turned around to see Renir's face solemnly looking at her.

'Wager? Why did I challenge the Alpha without thinking about that? The reason we fight is because of Imee. But of course, Imee isn't an object we can put as a wager. Meaning...' Renir looked at Imee who was confused as she put finger on her lips and call Renir's name again, 'the wager will be for the loser to not get near Imee again...'

After realizing something, he called, "Imee,"

"Yes?" Imee tilted her head again while her brows slightly furrowed.

"I need to study and exercise."