To Live Again, For the First Time!

"Mm," Noah thought about it for a bit, even giving Grace a glance for confirmation.

He had confidence in himself with the help of Emilin and Grace, who was also improving at an alarming rate with some effort, but in order to get a favorable bet, he should play it off, no?

Grace saw that glance from Noah, whose gaze signaled at Lou and somewhat knew what he wanted to do.

There was some kind of chemistry there that allowed them to understand each other's intentions with just a few nods and glances.

Grace rolled her eyes but complied, nonetheless.

"Classmate Louis," Grace said in a meek tone, but she made sure to use some of her little tricks to draw attention to herself so that her voice would not go unnoticed

It would be awkward if it were ignored amidst the other sounds. 

"?"

Lou was not quite used to people calling him Louis anymore unless his parents were super upset and used his full name as a frontal blow.

He didn't have any particular thoughts of his own name, but he had just gotten used to Lou.

"I- I don't think it's quite fair," Grace said in a soft voice paired with a justice-filled intent.

Or so it seemed.

Either way, it made the young girl look particularly innocent and made one lower their guard.

Noah hid a smile and tightened his itchy hands that wanted to just send her off to the Oscars to let her collect all the golden little men that they owed her.

Lou, on the other hand, didn't quite know what was going on as he wasn't even quite sure of Grace's identity at the moment.

After all, Noah did seem to hang out with quite a few groups of people and the school was large enough that Lou wouldn't know everyone.

On the other hand, Grace also looked completely different from her usual appearance and had a different aura around her, which made her even harder to identify.

It's not as if the school didn't allow for visitors that would like to see and experience how it would be like to study at this high school.

Enough money would do the job.

Though of course, it would be a little strange to do so during exam times.

But for Grace, well she didn't say anything since Lou didn't ask and so she easily played it off.

You could say that this situation was akin to someone with top-notch acting skills wearing a facemask in front of someone who hadn't seen her more than a handful of times with the last time being a few months ago.

What else could you expect?

Lou was bound to be played like a fiddle.

Grace didn't get really closed to others either as she was always honing her skills, thus only a few handfuls of people even knew her real personality.

"How do you say?" Lou asked with his perpetual sunny smile, which made him look both friendly and easy to trick.

"Well… well…" Grace looked like she had lost her confidence in standing up for justice due to her shy nature.

But suddenly, energy seemingly surged from her due to the power of the greater good as her voice became a little more determined and less shaky.

"Classmate Noah is clearly not as smart as classmate Louis… there are so many ranks between the two of you. If you coerce him into betting with you, they won't he be losing out?" Grace spoke with a great sense of justice and zero shame at the words that even she herself didn't believe.

Not even forgetting to throw in a compliment to get into Lou's good books and lower his defenses as a bonus.

As for Lou, though he was alleged to be coercing a classmate, he didn't take it to heart at all.

In fact, he laughed with great joy.

"Haha, you're right! That does make it seem like I'm bullying him, huh. Then classmate, what do you think I should do in this situation?" Lou asked with great curiosity about what she would come up with.

It was strange, he didn't usually particularly like it when people stuck their nose in other's businesses, but somehow, he felt like Grace was supposed to be involved.

Like it was only natural.

But at that time Grace seemed to have deflated like a balloon.

It seemed as if she had been asked a mind-boggling question that could stump the masses.

"Um… I don't know... Classmate Louis, do you have to do the bet with classmate Noah?"

Grace threw in some bait that would blur her traces so that it wouldn't be so obvious that she wanted the bet to go on, and badly.

But she only had the guts to do so because Lou seemed genuinely interested.

From what Grace could perceive, he wouldn't be dissuaded with a word or two.

And that was indeed the case.

"Hm, that's troublesome. What should I do if I really want to go through with the bet though?" Lou said it in a playful tone.

Grace acted as if she were really troubled by the question and gave Noah a sorry gaze that Lou understood as "I wasn't able to be of any help… I'm sorry."

Noah, on the other hand, stifled his laughter silently.

"It's okay, a bet to spice up our dull lives seems quite interesting," Noah coughed into his fist as if he was relenting to Lou's request after watching the whole scene play through.

And thus, the stage was set.

"Then since we are betting and the odds are quite unfair as this classmate has kindly pointed out, should I use a handicap? Like, if you score within 5 ranks of me, it counts as your win?" Lou suggested.

If it were anyone else, it may have seemed like mocking words with ill intent, but really, anyone looking at this man's face would think otherwise.

He really didn't have such thoughts as he seemed rather simple-minded.

"Brother, could you give me some face?" Noah complained.

"If you put it that way, it hurts my ego, you know? You don't have to put such restrictions or even if I win the bet, I'll feel like I've lost more than what I've gained," Noah added.

He was clearly talking about the hits on his reputation if he won the bet in such a manner, but of course, that was just some acting on his part.

Since Grace had already shown her hand, shouldn't he at least put in some effort?

As for why he rejected the offer, he was really aiming for something else.

"Well, since you really want to make this fairer for me, then why don't you just let me make a suggestion?" Noah asked.

Lou nodded, it was just a suggestion anyway, it wasn't as if he had to accept it if it was too much.

"Why don't we increase the bets?" Noah suggested something that made Lou's eyes widen a little in surprise.

For a second, he felt that maybe there was something going on that he couldn't quite see.

But he shrugged it off.

"Like real men, eh?" He laughed.

Though they had not said what they were going to bet beforehand, they both knew that whatever it was, it was going to be kicked up a notch now.

"Sure, why not," Lou said with a smirk that seemed mock mischievous.

It was incomparable to the actually scheming ones though.

Noah showed a glint in his eyes at a thought that popped into his mind.

"Then how about the highest-level bets?" Noah suggested something that the two of them clearly both understood.

"Are you sure? After you lose, will you be willing to accept the defeat?" Lou seemed surprised once again.

As for the highest-level bets, there was just one. If you made such a bet- the loser had to adhere to the winner for whatever one favor they asked for no matter what it was, putting all their pride on the line.

The worst part is that you wouldn't know what it was before that person made the favor known which left many on edge.

There was no time limit either.

It could be 30 years into the future where one of them asked for the favor and they would just have to accept it.

It could be a favor 'like lick my feet' or one like, 'give me all the money, credit cards with the money included on you right now'.

Crazy like that.

But of course, there was a whole lot of trust involved in making such bets.

Noah smiled sincerely.

"Of course. I trust you," Noah said.

It was insinuated in his words that he believed that he himself would lose, but he would still play for the fun.

"Alright then, since you've already agreed, then what do I have to lose?" Lou said all smiles and rainbows.

In his mind, he was just thinking, this is going to be fun.

At this time, someone else chimed in.

Of course, it was Grace.

"You should write it down so that no one can get out of the bet later on! Humph," she gave Noah an open glare.

To outside viewers, it seemed like Grace was saying that Noah might cower out after he actually lost.

And to Lou, it looked like Grace, the cute ginger cat, was upset that Noah had not taken her goodwill to heart, continuing on with the bet even though it was "near impossible for him to win".

Now this adorable cat wanted to retaliate!

Noah stifled yet another laughter to an extent where Lou, who was right next to him couldn't hear.

And that was for the best really.

Lou felt this girl was really looking out for him this time…

If only he knew…

Oh, poor soul.

He had no clue that while he was lost in his own thoughts, Noah and Grace shared a glance and a cunning smile along with a fist bump behind the man's back for a grand play well preformed.