Now, After All This?

1.

The morning of Round 5, the day our fate would be decided, dawned on the final day of the Swiss Stage.

“O-Oh, today we absolutely have to win….”

Since it was such an important day, we gathered over an early lunch and started our meeting. To begin with, Round 5 was scheduled to start much earlier than usual.

Until Round 4, only one match per round had been broadcast. But since Round 5 would determine who advanced to the Round of 32, they were broadcasting far more matches.

[We know that. The question is how we’re going to win.]

“If… someone hadn’t charged in there yesterday… we would’ve secured our spot in the Round of 32 no matter what, even if we no-showed today’s match….”

[I said I was sorry! You alligator-snapping-turtle of a bitch!]

At my grumbling, Heukrangi shouted angrily.

“If saying sorry fixed everything… then why do we have police and laws… Sheesh….”...