But if I were the only one refusing, they’d definitely pester me nonstop, so I said it on purpose.
“Then I guess it’ll be me against you.”
“Well, you never know, Hyung-nim.”
See? He’s already fired up. Guys with muscles like that always get super competitive. Neither of them would want to admit they’re tired first, so they’d probably keep going until one of them dropped.
Told you—brains always beat brawn.
I picked a nice shady spot under a tree and plopped down, munching on the snacks Elizabeth had packed as I watched them play.
Since it was clearly both their first times, they spent more time chasing the shuttlecock than actually hitting it. But at some point, the rallies started flowing, and before I knew it, they were putting on a proper match.
Their skill levels are about the same—this isn’t bad at all!
Leon loving sports wasn’t a surprise, but Kalz was improving way faster than I expected. I already knew he was strong, but I honestly thought his coordination would be garbage. Guess I was wrong.
But then…
“Ah, so close! Thought that was going over.”
“Close? That was pure skill.”
“You won’t get so lucky next time.”
“Bring it on.”
…Why the hell are they taking badminton so seriously? Wasn’t this supposed to be just for fun? Wasn’t the whole point to wear Leon out so he’d head home? Why are they sweating like they’re in the finals of some national tournament?
“Whew, it’s hot. Gimme a sec.”
“……”
Leon lifted his shirt to wipe his face, exposing his sharply defined abs. Kalz stared at him, saying nothing. I couldn’t see his expression through the mask, but I knew exactly what was going through his head.
That guy—he’s jealous. Not of the abs. Of the shirt.
No doubt the inside of that mask was drenched by now. Just imagining the sweat clinging to his beard made me feel half sorry for him… and half amused.
Leon, now freshly wiped and cooled off, casually tossed out a line that was anything but casual.
“But don’t you think something’s missing, Hyung-nim?”
“Missing?”
“Games are more fun when there’s something on the line, right?”
“So you want to decide a winner? Didn’t take you for the competitive type.”
“Aw, don’t say it like that. Makes it sound like I’m picking a fight. I was just thinking… maybe the winner gets a little prize or something.”
“A prize, huh. I can see right through you, but fine. What do you want?”
“If I win, how about giving me free access to the castle?”
Wait. This conversation’s veering into dangerous territory. It’d be fine if Kalz shut it down—but knowing him, I had a bad feeling.
“Fine. Let’s do that.”
Damn it. I knew this would happen!
“Seriously? Then I guess it’s time to get serious.”
“What, like you weren’t already? Nice bluff.”
“There’s a big difference between playing for fun and going all in.”
“Then I’ll name my prize too. If I win…”
Kalz pointed his racket at Leon with conviction.
“You are never to set foot in this castle again.”
“Whoa, harsh! I thought we bonded a little, sweating it out together like this.”
“What a joke. You’re the one who started it with that kind of condition. What did you expect?”
“Hmm… guess there’s only one thing to do—win fair and square.”
“…Um, sorry to ruin your dramatic showdown, but Master—could I have a quick word?”
Leaving Leon behind as he insisted he wasn’t trying to act cool, I pulled Kalz aside and out of the court.
I lowered my voice and snapped, “Are you out of your mind? What were you thinking, making that kind of bet without even talking to me first?!”
“It’s my castle. Why would I need to consult anyone about inviting a guest?”
“Seriously? You don’t know? Because you said yes to Leon, the poor staff had to spend their day off hiding in their rooms, and I—along with Butler Squawk—had to bust our asses preparing everything for today! You just had to nod your head. The setup and cleanup? All on us!”
“…The butler does as I command.”
Please. If Butler Squawk had been here, he’d be holding his head in both wings just like me.
Judging by their skills, it wasn’t like Kalz was doomed to lose. But it definitely wasn’t a guaranteed win, either.
If Leon ended up coming and going freely, the amount of chaos—and stress—he’d bring with him was painfully obvious. There was no way I could let something that dangerous ride on a fifty-fifty gamble.
“Look, it’s not too late. Just say it was a joke and cancel the bet. Go back to playing all cute and friendly.”
“No.”
“No?! What do you mean no?!”
“If I’m the one who backs down now, that’s the same as forfeiting. I’m not doing that.”
His golden eyes gleamed stubbornly through the mask. God, I wanted to jab him right between them.
“Compared to your secret getting out, isn’t that a small price to pay? Are you seriously okay with the whole world gossiping about you?”
“I’ll just win.”
“Oh, sure. You just picked up a racket today, but yeah—total confidence.”
“Be honest. Do you think I’m going to lose?”
“…Not necessarily, but I don’t think you’ll definitely win either. That’s the problem.”
“That’s good enough. Whatever happens, I’ll take responsibility. You just sit back and cheer.”
“‘Take responsibility’? How, exactly?”
“If I’m not picky about how I win, I’ve got options.”
With that cryptic line, Kalz strode back to the court before I could stop him. Not picky about how, huh? What the hell is he planning?
Ugh. As uneasy as I was, trying to stop him now would be pointless. He said he’d take responsibility. Fine. I’d just do my part and cheer.
“Hyung-nim, are you done chatting with Bell?”
“Yeah. Let’s start. That idle guy over there can be the referee.”
“Sure, sure. Let’s keep this quick. One set. First to 21 wins. Ready—go!”
And with Leon’s serve, the dangerous deathmatch officially began.
“Leon, one point!”
“Hyung-nim, one point! …What? What do you want me to call you? Should I just use your name?”
“Leon, two points! Hey, chill! You don’t have to go that hard.”
“Hyung-nim, two points! Nice one, Hyung-nim! What? I am cheering, just like you asked!”
Okay, maybe it looked a little biased. But my calls were fair, so whatever.
The match was neck and neck—score for score, point for point. I was sweating more watching them than they were running around the court.
“Hyung-nim, nine points! You’ve got this!”
Just as Kalz tied the score again, Leon picked up the shuttlecock and gave a light, breezy smile.
“Mm, now I’m finally getting into it.”
…That’s not the kind of thing someone says after losing a point. That guy really does have a thing for acting cool.
Or so I thought—until it happened.
“Smash?!”
Kalz had lightly returned the shuttle, but Leon pounced and slammed it straight down onto the court. My jaw dropped. No one had even taught him how to do that. How the hell did he pull it off?
Even Kalz looked rattled—it was obvious from the tension I could feel all the way off court.
“Hey, what the hell? Is this really your first time playing? You sure you weren’t lying?”
“Of course not. I just assumed it was like tennis—but turns out, it’s not.”
You figured that out just now and already pulled off a smash?! What is he, the protagonist of a sports manga?
While I stood there stunned, a familiar mechanical whirring echoed from somewhere nearby.
Grrrr…
Oh, no you don’t. Where does he get off growling like that right now?
Pale-faced, I shouted at the top of my lungs, “Hyung-nim! You need to pick up the shuttlecock!”
Kalz seemed to snap out of it at the sound of my voice. He cleared his throat and played it off with a stiff cough.
“Ahem. So, you were hiding your true skills all along.”
“You’ve got it all wrong. I really just loosened up now, that’s all.”
“Your outside may look harmless, but you’ve got a pitch-black heart underneath, huh.”
“Hahaha, it’s just that I’ve been seeing you more often lately, and I wanted us to grow closer. Couldn’t you take it as a compliment?”
“As if.”
Kalz tried to refocus and return to the game with composure, but the shock of that sneak attack—and the mounting pressure—was clearly throwing him off. His movements grew sluggish.
Leon, on the other hand, was in his element, like a fish in water. The back-and-forth rally quickly tilted in his favor. Before long, the score gap had stretched to six points.
“Leon, 17 points…”
So this is how it ends, huh?
Watching Kalz’s form crumble along with his chances, I shook my head. The match wasn’t going our way, and if things kept up like this, there was no hope of a comeback.
Now what?
Even if Kalz lost, it wouldn’t exactly be my fault. But if Leon won? Ugh. That would open the floodgates to all kinds of chaos.
While I agonized silently, I spotted something—the way Kalz’s grip on the racket subtly shifted.
In that moment, my mind was made up.
That grip… He was ready to smash the shuttlecock straight into Leon’s face if that’s what it took to win.
So that’s what he meant by not being picky about the method? You brute-headed muscle lion…
“…Welp. Guess there’s no helping it.”
I shut the book I hadn’t turned a single page in since this whole thing started and stood up.
Then I raised my hand and shouted loudly,
“Time!”
Both of them froze mid-motion and turned to look at me.
With a forced smile, I announced, “We’re making a player substitution.”
Ugh. I really hate sweating.
