No one argued.
Because they could not.
I let that settle, then spoke one last ti.
"So decide," I said calmly. "Do you want to keep doing this and hope for small wins, or do you take one risk and aim for sothing bigger?"
This ti, I stayed silent.
And waited.
Because at this point, the outco was no longer in my hands.
It was in their greed.
The silence stretched just long enough to beco heavy, and that was when the leader finally gave in. He looked at the others again, searching for resistance, but all he found was hesitation mixed with greed, and that combination always leaned in one direction in the end.
"...Fine," he said, almost reluctantly. "We try it your way."
I did not react imdiately because reacting too fast would have made it look like I cared more than I should. Instead, I gave a small nod, like this was the natural conclusion I had expected from the start.
"A good decision," I said in an even tone.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pouch, and the faint sound of coins shifting against each other was enough to confirm everything without needing to look. He held onto it for a second, his fingers tightening slightly as if his instincts were trying to stop him at the last mont, but then he stepped forward and placed it in my hand.
The weight settled into my palm, and I had to actively keep my expression unchanged.
One down.
The others followed, though with more visible reluctance. The one with the knife looked like he wanted to argue again, but the mont passed when he saw the leader commit. The one holding the broken chair leg avoided eye contact entirely, as if that would sohow make the decision less real. Still, one by one, they stepped forward and handed over what they had.
By the ti the last pouch reached , I was holding all of it.
Five sets of coins.
Five people who had just convinced themselves this was a good idea.
I adjusted my grip slightly, feeling the combined weight, and for a brief mont my thoughts drifted in a completely unhelpful direction again.
Sydney Sweeney would probably look at this situation and imdiately call it out for what it was.
Then again, she would not be standing here handing over coins either, so maybe that comparison was not doing anyone any favors.
I pushed the thought aside and focused on the present.
"How long will this take?" the leader asked, his voice more controlled now, but there was still tension beneath it.
"Not long," I replied. "The process depends on opportunity, and I do not intend to waste ti."
That sounded vague enough to avoid questions while still feeling like an answer.
"And we just wait?" the chair leg guy asked.
"For now," I said. "Stay in this area. I will co back once everything is done."
He nodded slowly, like he was trying to convince himself that this made sense.
I let the mont settle before giving them one last look, not as a threat, but as reassurance. Confidence mattered more than anything else here, and as long as I did not break that image, they would keep believing in it a little longer.
"Do not overthink it," I added. "You already made the hard part of the decision."
That helped more than it should have. People liked being told that the difficult step was already behind them.
The leader exhaled and gave a short nod. "Alright."
With that, the conversation ended.
I turned away from them without rushing, keeping my steps steady and unremarkable as I walked down the street again. I did not look back because looking back would have suggested doubt, and doubt was the one thing I could not afford to show, even now.
I followed the road until I reached the turn ahead, and only after I moved past it and out of their line of sight did I allow my pace to shift slightly. Even then, I did not break into anything obvious. I simply kept walking, putting more distance between us with each step, letting the space grow naturally instead of forcing it.
The street ahead was quiet, almost empty, and the faint pull of Juli’s insects returned to the front of my mind as my focus settled back into place. The situation behind was already closing itself off, fading into sothing finished, sothing that no longer required my attention.
After a while, I glanced down at the pouches in my hand and adjusted my grip again, making sure they were secure. The weight was real, solid, and earned in the most questionable way possible, but it was still useful, and right now usefulness mattered more than anything else.
"...That went better than expected," I muttered under my breath.
There was no response, only the quiet of the street and the steady rhythm of my own steps.
For a brief mont, my thoughts circled back again, unhelpfully persistent.
Sydney Sweeney would probably ask why I did not just take the coins when I had the chance earlier.
That was a fair question.
I considered it for a second and then shook my head lightly, dismissing the thought as quickly as it ca. The answer did not really matter. What mattered was that this worked, and that I was still moving forward without wasting more ti than necessary.
The pull of the insects grew slightly clearer as I continued, guiding along the path I had been following before all of this started, and I let that take priority again. Whatever was waiting ahead was still there, still unchanged, and far more important than the five people standing sowhere behind , waiting for a return that was never going to co.
I did not feel guilty about that.
Not really.
They made a choice, just like I did, and the outco was simply a result of who understood the situation better.
With that thought settling in, I kept walking, my pace steady and my focus returning fully to what lay ahead, leaving the entire encounter behind as nothing more than a brief and strangely profitable interruption.
Reviews
All reviews (0)