CHAPTER 87: CHAPTER 10.15 : YURA & DEVY (3)

The chilling, frost-like aura emanating from Devy once again permeated the private room, instantly creating an atmosphere of suffocating tension. Every single person present instinctively held their breath, as though the very air had become too heavy to inhale, as if the mere act of breathing would cause the silent pressure to erupt into a battle at any given moment.

The faintest noises—such as the clinking of spoons against porcelain and the gentle hum of the air conditioner—disappeared entirely, replaced by a silence so oppressive it weighed on the skin.

Devy was already standing rather close, directly facing Al. Her pair of calm, abyss-like eyes—so dark and deep they resembled an endless ocean at midnight—fixed upon the young man.

That gaze alone unconsciously forced Al to shift half a step backward. Not entirely out of fear, but more out of a natural instinct to preserve a proper distance between a man and a woman. At the same time, it was also a precautionary distance—a stance of vigilance—just in case this confrontation truly escalated into combat.

Yet, contrary to everyone’s expectations, Devy did not raise her hand to attack, nor did she summon any offensive spell.

Instead—she reached into her small, elegant white handbag. Her movements were deliberate, unhurried, perfectly controlled, and carried out in such a way that everyone present instinctively restrained themselves, afraid to misinterpret the gesture as something hostile.

A soft exhalation of relief echoed when she finally pulled something out. And then—

WOOSHHHH!!!

Between her slender fingers gleamed a thin, polished card. Its surface reflected the light in a dazzling manner, and at the corner of the card was the delicate engraving of an international bank’s logo, instantly recognizable and prestigious.

With precise grace, Devy placed the card on the table, sliding it directly in front of Al. The sound of the card scraping against the wooden surface was strangely loud and sharp—far more ear-catching than even the crackling of fire. The noise resonated in the tense silence like a gunshot.

"I will forgive you, for that rejection." Yura’s cold voice cut through the air, brief yet commanding. Her tone was icy, but it was unmistakably not the kind of statement she would usually make. Folding both arms across her chest, her chin tilted slightly upward in arrogance, she continued with crisp clarity: "So, take it. That card contains one hundred million rupiah. Consider it an advance payment for your new status as my boyfriend."

Every single pair of eyes in the room widened in unison. Not only because Yura had just casually handed Al a card worth such an absurdly large amount of money, but also because she, of all people, was not exploding with rage at Al’s earlier rejection.

Normally, rejection was the one thing Yura Atenri could never tolerate, yet here she was offering forgiveness. Had she changed after living abroad? Or was there something so peculiar about Al that made her willing to bend her pride? But then again, weren’t there countless other men out there more than willing to chase after her?

"Payment...?" Zaza muttered, his voice catching in his throat.

Karen instantly covered her mouth with both hands, nearly choking from shock. "Eh?! W–Wait, what do you mean by this, Yura?!"

"Are you... trying to purchase Al?" asked Armin, equally confused, his eyebrows lifting high.

Yura leaned slightly forward, her eyes narrowing on Al with a piercing intensity. One hand supported her chin, while her index finger tapped rhythmically against her cheek. Yet that dangerous expression was accompanied by a subtle, thin smile—a smile that was far from safe.

Al stared at both Yura and Devy, his gaze flicking toward the card for quite a long moment. Then, with a casual motion, he picked up the card between two fingers, only to set it right back down on the table. He did not pocket it, nor did he push it away in aggression. Instead, he returned it with a light flick of his hand, as though it were nothing more than a flimsy pamphlet one might hand out on the streets.

"Oi, miss... Sorry. But I already said no. Don’t try to buy me." Al responded bluntly, arms crossing tightly over his chest, his eyes narrowing in defiance.

"Why? Is it still not enough?" Yura asked flatly. Her left hand made a small, weighing motion in the air, as though calculating invisible sums.

"That’s not the point. I don’t need a single cent, and I simply do not want to be your boyfriend—whether it’s pretending or something serious." Al’s reply was firm.

"I already told you. I am forgiving your insolence for daring to reject me. And you should stop repeating those words of rejection. Because you have no right to reject me here." Yura’s voice was sharp, resolute, delivered with the cold finality of a business deal that could not be contested or renegotiated.

"You should be grateful. Miss Yura has offered you something that even the most popular, most sought-after guys could never obtain." Devy added icily, her words reinforcing Yura’s authority.

"Ha? Grateful? I’d be far more grateful if you didn’t drag me into this troublesome mess in the first place." Al retorted, turning his face to the side, crossing his arms even tighter.

Yura finally took a step back, Devy accompanying her. Her gaze swept slowly across everyone present, one by one, before she turned and walked toward the private room’s door. She seemed entirely unfazed by Al’s rejection, as though his resistance had no weight at all.

"I’m going to the restroom for a moment. Nobody is allowed to leave until I return." She announced coldly as she walked away, Devy following half a step behind her like a loyal shadow.

The others instinctively nodded in silence.

Meanwhile, Al muttered irritably under his breath, loud enough for her to hear.

"Oi. Are you ignoring me? I’m not playing along with this ridiculous game of yours. And besides, why me? Isn’t there a whole world of men out there more worthy?" Al’s voice carried an edge of frustration.

Yura halted mid-step. She turned back sharply, her eyes narrowing like blades. Her chin dipped slightly, her gaze predatory—like a beast just before it pounced.

"Someone like you is far more suited for this role."

"What do you mean?" Al asked, brows knitting together, his finger pointing at himself in disbelief.

"You’re someone with no prospects, no future. You’re an orphan, a scholarship student whose grades are merely average. You were lucky enough to score high during the tryouts, but people whispered that you cheated, and honestly—I find those rumors more believable. And you... are a slacker."

DUG!

It was as if lightning struck Al’s chest in relentless succession. Every single word pierced him, each sentence landing like an irritating yet undeniable blow.

Even Rina, who knew him well, subtly nodded—acknowledging that Yura’s words weren’t entirely false.

"Ugh... How do you even know all that about me?" Al muttered, turning his confused gaze toward Yura, then casting a side glance at Rina, the only person here who should’ve known such details.

Rina quickly waved her hands and shook her head.

"I didn’t tell her anything," she insisted sincerely.

"It wasn’t Rina who told me. And besides, do you really think I’m just some cruel, heartless girl? I care about my friends, including who they associate with. So, the moment I discovered Rina was hanging around you, I made sure to investigate everything about you." Yura’s eyes swept across her circle of friends as she spoke, emphasizing her words.

Rina and the others couldn’t help but feel a tinge of warmth at Yura’s declaration. Even though her tone was strict—borderline domineering—they understood the meaning behind it. They had long since become accustomed to Yura’s severe yet strangely caring ways.

"And I thought maybe you were someone special. But no... you’re too decent to be called trash, yet too ordinary to be called special. You’re just... normal." Yura concluded.

Another cutting judgment from Yura. Sharp enough to constrict Al’s chest. Yet strangely, hearing the word normal brought him a subtle, hidden sense of relief. For someone like him—who had always been labeled as abnormal, strange, or inferior—being called normal felt like a blessing in disguise.

"But your so-called normality exists on the negative end of the spectrum. You’re too lazy. Therefore, simply being under my command should already be considered an upgrade to your status." Yura added mercilessly.

"I mean, I think Al is kind of cute, though. Isn’t that a positive trait?" Karen interjected without thinking.

At her words, Zaza, Armin, and Johan simultaneously turned to scrutinize Al more carefully. Indeed, upon closer inspection, there were traces of cuteness in his facial features. They had simply been overshadowed by his overly plain appearance.

But Yura’s perspective was vastly different.

Her eyes snapped toward Karen with a cold glare. That one glance alone was enough to make Karen lower her head in immediate fear.

"Cute? He’s too decent to be ugly, yet too irritating to be called cute. Honestly, even a toilet bidet looks more adorable than him." Yura’s brutal words fell like daggers.

Another devastating blow from Yura’s merciless tongue. Al’s expression twisted in displeasure. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

And with that, Yura turned on her heel. Without giving anyone the chance to speak further, she and Devy exited the room. The clicking of her heels against the wooden floor echoed like the tolling of a bell, pressing against everyone’s hearts. Devy followed dutifully, her aura calm yet deliberately placing herself as a barrier between Yura and the others.

The door shut firmly behind them.

The remaining group could only exchange troubled glances. The silence left behind was far heavier than before.

"Oi. What exactly do you mean by that, miss?" Al muttered, raising his voice, but the figure he addressed had already vanished.

Slowly, he turned his gaze toward Rina.

Rina immediately averted her eyes, looking anywhere else, visibly flustered.

"What’s wrong with your friend?" Al asked with a bitter expression.

"Ahaha... ha... Don’t... don’t think too much about it, Al." Rina tried to brush it off. But then she contradicted herself. "Actually... maybe you should think about it."

"Hah? What do you mean by that?" Al asked, confused.

"I mean..." Rina trailed off, glancing at Johan as though asking him to take over the explanation.

Johan nodded slightly and spoke.

"Yura is... extremely stubborn. If she doesn’t want something, she’ll reject it until the day she dies. But if she wants something, then she absolutely must have it."

"She was spoiled since she was little, always getting whatever she wanted. Back then, even we rejected being her friends because of how cruel and domineering she was. Our parents even quarreled because of it. But she never stopped approaching us, never stopped pestering us. In the end, we somehow became friends. And honestly... it’s been working out surprisingly well. She’s much better now than she was in the past." Armin added.

"Yeah. If this was the old Yura, she wouldn’t have offered you money. You’d probably already be chained up." Karen chimed in with a half-joking tone.

Al froze at their explanation.

"Is there really a person who can live like that?" he muttered in disbelief.

"You should be asking instead—’Is there anyone who can live with her?’!" Zaza snapped with irritation.

"I mean, the evidence is right in front of me. You guys are proof enough. Why should I even ask? But still, why drag me into this?" Al countered.

"Hmmm... this is just my theory, but... as you’ve heard, she’s desperate right now. And she’s already decided you’re the one. My guess? She’s looking for the safest choice." Armin said seriously.

"Safest?" Al repeated.

"Someone she can discard after she’s done using him." Armin whispered under his breath.

Al’s face soured instantly.

"What the hell?! What do you think I am, some kind of tool?"

"Isn’t that actually a good deal for you? You get money, and you get to go out with the most beautiful girl in our entire year. Why are you hesitating?" Zaza said with utter confusion.

"But I’m not interested." Al replied casually, meeting Zaza’s gaze.

"Come on, Al. Don’t be a hypocrite. Stop lying to yourself and take the opportunity." Johan urged lightly, trying to push Al into accepting Yura’s ’offer.’ Secretly, he also wanted Al away from Rina.

Rina and Karen nodded in agreement with Johan’s words.

"Hypocrite? No, I—" Al started to respond but was cut off.

"Al." Rina’s voice was gentle yet firm as she looked straight at him. "Please, at least help Yura resolve her problem. There’s nothing for you to lose. You’re just living, eating, and sleeping anyway. Use this as a chance to develop yourself."

The others nodded along.

"You guys just finished explaining how cruel she is—even to you—and now you want to drag me into her life?" Al retorted sarcastically.

"Calm down, Al. She’s actually nice," Rina coaxed persuasively.

"Haaaaahhh, ’nice’? Don’t feed me that stale line!" Al groaned.

"Al..." Rina and the others protested simultaneously, their eyes full of pleading.

Al looked at all of them, seeing their pitiful expressions. He could only exhale deeply.

"Fine. I’ll think about it." He muttered helplessly.

"Good!" Karen exclaimed happily.

The entire group burst into relieved laughter—everyone except Al, who was still troubled by the dilemma.

Al lowered his head, staring blankly at the table.

I have a bad feeling about this... he thought grimly.

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