❝ アップダウンは世の常
クズ引いたって動じない❞

xi. Encounter: the wanted heart

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As the new face welcomed herself before Blaze, the jet-black-haired girl traced her eye vision on the purple-headed alluring beauty's face wondering if she has known that person before. Almond eyes with perfect lashes and luscious lips, She is the abbreviation of beauty.

"Was it your way of greeting?" Blaze cracked a small giggle from her lips and the unknown girl seemed amused with the way she responded. She snaked her hands to Blaze and hauled the brunette closer, whispering something in her ears. "I go by the name Jisoo and I have a deal to settle with you," some sort of absurd emotions dripped from her tone.

"What is it about?" Blaze split her lips open and questioned. Jisoo lowered her head and chuckled under her breath, "can we gamble?" words barrelled from her tongue as if bitterness was her taste. Grayson gasped praying inside that the history shouldn't repeat itself. Blaze on the other hand returned no reaction but only a lofty glare.

"It's not honorable to decline such an offer from the prestigious woman," she narrowed her eyes and took a step closer to Jisoo with eyes blooming pride. "So, is it a yes?" Jisoo clicked her tongue with a sneering eye. 

"I guess it is," Blaze shrank her eyes and smiled playfully. A glint of mischief sparkled from her eyes, Jisoo lowly chuckled noticing it. Luring Blaze into darkness is not as tough as the others claimed it to be, this thought ran inside Jisoo's mind. Again, something was clouding Jisoo's judgment and she didn't pay any attention to it. "we can keep it tomorrow," Blaze curved her lips and her cheeks popped up innocently. Jisoo nodded, that time would be convenient for her too anyway, she can't deny that offer.

The cluster of noise started to surface up again as Jisoo took her to leave. With or without her presence, Jisoo always impacts any place. Such power, such authority, such beauty, such cruelty. You can indeed define her as a mad hatter; Poor Alice is manipulated to attend the mad hatter's tea party.

"I swear to gods Blaze, you're gonna get yourself killed. You just accepted another match from an elite, not a day passed after the wager with Chaeyoung! you must be insane to do accept this. Jisoo and Chaeyoung are the polar opposites when it comes to lethality, this is not at all gonna end good," Grayson hysterically yelled.

Nervousness, fear, shock, nothing was visible on Blaze's face. Almost for a second, Grayson thought she was an emotionally numb person. Fear and other emotions that keep you sane are vital, especially when the field you are entering is gambling. In a gamble, it's not always the money and muscle power that drives one to the insane side, mostly it's the fear. Fear of losing might save one from experiencing despair and the same fear intoxicates pride in a mind.

Loss of fear, makes one feel at home while playing gambling. And the toxin will make sure they are never homesick.

"Let's be logical Grayson, a coin never lands on heads forever," she husked. "Moving on, I'm still hungry. Let's go grab some snacks!" Blaze smiled grabbing his hands. It was just a moment of a blink, Blaze acted as if her memory was erased. Grayson couldn't understand her nor her sudden mood swings. 

Ordering her favorite food on the counter, she almost emptied the cafeteria. Grayson shook his head, "I think you are trying to bite off more than you can chew." Blaze uncovered the shiny wrapping on her snickers and took a bite savoring the taste of caramel and salted peanuts. "Never underestimate the appetite of a skinny woman," she muffled chewing the snack bar.

Grayson rolled his eyes, "you're unpredictable." Blaze giggled at his statement and munched on her snacks again, "I'm sure am." Grayson for a response snorted, "you're a very confident person too, Blaze." he was a bit envious over how courageous and a spot-stealing person she was. She had her flaws too, but still, he can't help but envy her a bit. After all, what is a human without committing at least one of the sins?

"how?" He mumbled slow enough for Blaze to hear. "what how?" she questioned a little puzzled and took another bite of her appetizer. "I- I mean, how a- are you confident?" he stammered pulling his shirt's end slightly. Blaze chuckled once again gobbling the snickers down.

"It is because I realize it, Grayson, that no one else can play my role. I understand that winning is not just always defeating your opponent, it is much more than enjoying their foil. I comprehend that looking down on people is not confidence but indeed not looking down on yourself."

Her words were as if they were experienced on a battlefield. She was surely someone filled with mysteries and secrets. "you make it sound easy," Grayson sulked heaving a huge sigh. Her words weren't that relatable to him, being the person who received the last invitation to a party didn't let him acknowledge her words much. "Is it that unaffordable?" he muttered low.

"The quality and quantity of a matter always fix the price," Blaze beamed a smile.

The word confidence, a few people consider it as a cheap word, a few understand its meaning, a few get envious of the ones who achieved it, and only a few analyze the root of it. Confidence doesn't always bloom out of the blue suddenly, it consumes time as the redemption. Different situations push distinct people to triumph and soar confidence.

For some, humiliation might have triggered them, or their competitive minds, or an emotional circumstance. The mentality of a person controls their confidence. For example, it is easier for a logically minded person to attain confidence easily but, for an emotional person, they have to suffer a little. And still, the more time the time it takes for a fruit to ripe, the more tastier the fruit will be.

but too much of elixir is poison too. Confidence should never exceed its limit and reach pride.

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❝ Rising and falling is pretty normal in this world
Even if I draw a bad hand, I won't let it show ❞

+ i wrote this half-asleep, so excuse the errors.