"I get Big Sis's result, because Sister Ummi is a formidable opponent…" Claudia said while she was chewing the food in her mouth. "But… You, Laysa? What is your excuse here? Did you just waste Sheva's ti in the last couple of months?" Her tone was full of mockery and judgnt, and Laysa, even a thick-skinned girl she was, felt her cheeks burn in anger and embarrassnt.
"Ia, mind your tone! Just because you win one ga doesn't give you the right to say anything you want!" Anna frowned, not liking how her little sister attacked Laysa.
"…Tch! You are so lucky that you are Big Sis's friend." The little girl clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Sheva just sighed silently, not wanting to take part in this shenanigan. He knew that once the girls debated like this, there was no end to it, and if he jumped into this shit, he would be the target of those predators in front of him.
It was the night after the first round was over, and they decided to have dinner in a ran stall near the hotel. Oh, it wasn't the ordinary cheap ran stall that people imagined. This was Indonesia, not Japan. Every single dish coming from the other countries, no matter how cheap the original version was, would be elevated to a new level in terms of price.
Sheva was so reluctant to go there in the first place. However, Bagas's encouragent finally got him, especially when what his best friend said made sense.
'You know, it is okay to be stingy, but don't let your poor ntality prevent you from trying. It is not often we hang out together like this, so just try it and don't think too much about the money! I an, I bet your bank account is overloading right now, what with all the prizes you received from winning the tournants back then, right?'
So, yeah, in the end, Sheva just tagged along, and while he himself didn't really enjoy the ran, at least he gained the experience that he had never felt when he lacked money in the past, which was a plus point for him.
"You know, Ia, you are a bit too harsh to Laysa here." Sarah smiled while also enjoying her ran.
"Yes, you tell her, Sarah!" Laysa cried, glad that soone took her side here.
"Even though Dita Karenza, her opponent, didn't look so strong, in truth, she should be at the sa level as Ummi Fisabillillah, Anna's opponent, in this tournant." The girl said, giving the information that the girls seed not know about.
"I an, just a few years ago, she got the bronze dal in the Asia U18 championship, and that was before we got any strong player to coach her. That achievent alone was enough to show how talented she was. It was just a pity that she stopped playing for a while, wanting to continue her study first, or her rating would be higher than what it shows right now."
Everyone was so stunned, not expecting that the harmless-looking woman whom Laysa just faced earlier would be a hidden mini-boss like this.
"That is a lesson to you guys." Bagas chid in with an amused snort, gaining their attention. "Don't underestimate anyone who ca before you. Their rating is low, not because they are weak, but because they lack the resources that you have right now. I an, can you even imagine a few years ago that you could get so many rich investors to sponsor your career?"
Indeed, this was the point that no one had ever thought of. Anna and Laysa were probably old enough to see how hard the older players fight for a chance to play in a good tournant, while Claudia herself seed to get it easy to play abroad whenever she wanted.
Not hating Claudia here, because the girl really deserved the chance, and she also managed to capitalize most of it, but she didn't really know the struggles of the older generation. That was why it was easy for her to look down on the lower-rated players, thinking that they didn't have the ability to climb higher.
"Anyway, enough of depressing stuff!" Sheva finally spoke, feeling a headache from the hostile air around him. "Here, the pairing for tomorrow's first ga is out already. Just check it out!"
Right after he said that, everyone took out their phone imdiately, going to the website to see their opponent tomorrow morning. Yeah, morning, because right after the first round, to shorten the schedule as much as possible, every day would be a double-header day, making it only five days in total of the tournant.
"Hey, I get the Mongolian player!" Anna frowned slightly. "Her rating is just 1934, but… I don't think it will be easy." She smiled wryly, not daring to underestimate her opponent anymore.
"As for , I get a WIM from Malaysia, Siti Zulaikha," Laysa said. "I know her! She is a solid veteran player from our neighboring country. I t her last year in Johor, and I swear, I beat her in a rapid ga. Tomorrow morning should be… Easy, right?" She said the last part with an unsure tone.
"Eh, don't overthink too much about it." Sheva waved his hand nonchalantly. "I know you are still thinking about what Bagas said earlier, but that was just a reminder for you not to underestimate your opponent, not to make you lose confidence like this. Just don't be too reckless, but also don't be too timid, okay? You both are still strong players, I can assure you that."
Hearing what Sheva said, the two girls finally let out a relieved sigh. Indeed, even though they didn't say anything about it, they couldn't help but overthink after hearing Bagas and Sarah's story, starting to think that any low-rated players outside are hidden bosses or sothing like that.
Seeing them regaining confidence like this, Sheva also let out a small smile. However, his attention turned to the little girl far on the edge of the seat, as she was frowning at her phone. Curious, Sheva also checked who her next opponent was, and he was definitely taken aback at her opponent tomorrow.
"Ia, you are going to face Sister dina?!"
-Author's note-
Hey, everyone! Thank you for supporting my story! I have written a new one with the hope of getting a contract for that story as well, the title is 'The Rise of the Iron Wall!'. It is a football story, so if you like, please give your support by adding it to your collection and giving your power stone to that story! Thanks!
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