What Binds Us Both Together

The girl that lies behind the thread

Hello... I apologize for not updating for quite a while. Was rather busy last week and didn't have any free time.

Here's the chapter anyway:

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" I refuse! I will not risk endangering the safety of my customers by letting a cursed human stay in my apartment!"

" B-But, Miss Landlord..."

" Without any evidence to prove that you're safe then I'm afraid I'm not going to risk it!"

It has seemed that I've finally reached the end of what's left of my luck. I've tried to convince three apartment owners to let me rent a room, but all of them have been refusing to have me in despite my logical reasonings.

" I- I'm begging you, madam. I'm not as threatening as you deemed me as. I'm not one of those cursed people that ignored their responsibility!"

I bowed my head in front of the landlord desperately in an attempt to harbor her sympathy. I even try to look as sincere as possible, just so she would at least give me a second look.

The landlord sighs before she gives me a response, " I'm sorry, young man. Trust me, I know you're a good person at heart, but you gotta understand that letting you in would be a huge gamble for me and my business... You need to at least show me one piece of evidence to prove that you're in contact with your partner."

This is hopeless. Not only can I not have a place to spend the night in, but I also can't afford to lie my way through everything and hope for the best. There will always be these people who want to see concrete evidence than just plain words.

" Please, madam. Just for tonight... I promise to pay you to double." I continue to bow my head and be desperate.

The annoyed landlord scratches her hair as she's at a complete loss on what to do or say to me. After a short while, she takes a deep sigh again before she reaches out to something below her table.

She presents a deck of cards on the table. " Listen, young man. I'm giving you one shot to prove to me that you're not trouble. I know you're a good kid, so I'm giving you a chance."

She takes out ten cards inside the box. Without showing me what's inside each of the cards, she lines all the ten cards on the table.

" Cards? What do I have to do?"

" It's a simple game of luck: Nine of these cards are the King, while the remaining one card is the Joker. It's just a simple game that I guarantee you wouldn't lose to. Unless, of course, you are cursed..." She burns these words deep through my flesh.

A simple game nobody can lose... I see, she's trying to test how good my luck is. If I'm guessing her intention correctly, she's going to make me draw a card that isn't the Joker. There are nine King cards though, so it's safe to guarantee that it's a difficult game to lose.

Unless... You're a cursed human with unearthly misfortunes...

" A 9/10 probability of winning, huh... I see." I say as I rub my chin.

" Oh, you get the gist of the game already? Okay, I guess I don't have to explain it to you then." She nods her head and points her hand at the cards on the table. " Feel free to draw a card." She smiles.

I don't know why, but I can't describe how I'm feeling at this moment. It's like my body is completely paralyzed, unable to move or utter a word.

This is fear, huh? Yeah, I get it. Despite how it's difficult to lose in this game, my body already knows too well how this game will end. I don't need to draw a card to figure out a result.