Chapter 102: Julie’s Game 2
"So we’ll do a simple question-and-answer game!" Julie said as she pulled out a small rectangular box, and placed it on the table.
Her eyes sparkled with delight as she looked at the box with ’Hero Mystery Question Box’ written boldly on the top.
’Finally! I get to use this ridiculous game. My money didn’t go to waste!’ She thought, a wide smile donning her face.
"Wow, she actually didn’t come up with a stupid game," Selena said, her mouth slightly parted, flabbergasted by Julie’s words.
"What?!" Julie’s expression sank as embarrassment washed over her.
"I’m surprised too. I was expecting something much dumber." Nicholas added.
Julie sank back into her chair, quiet, like she’d been thrown into a tomb, "Tsk," she scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest in clear annoyance as she heard both Nicholas’ and Selena’s assessment.
"What do you two even take me for?" she muttered, clear annoyance on her face.
Selena glanced at Nicholas. "I’ll get you a new SD card for your camera."
Julie’s eyes lit up in an instant. She cleared her throat, completely forgetting she was angry a few seconds ago.
"Supervisor Selena will have to keep her promise. I kept my evidence," Julie said with an evil grin as she played a voice recording of Selena saying she’d give her the SD card.
Selena’s expression fell. ’She baited me into making that promise...’
Nicholas gave her a soft pat on the shoulder.
"You trusted the camera girl a bit too much."
Light couldn’t hold back a light chuckle, and Thinker could only scoff at her trick.
"Well, she never said she’d go back on her promise."
Julie waved her finger in a "no" sign.
"Supervisor Selena is infamous for breaking her promises to me! So, naturally, I always keep evidence," she said with a satisfied smile.
"Supervisor, seems you’ve just been outsmarted." Thinker said with a calm smile.
’Well, she’s not wrong. I always used promises to stop her from joining missions because they were too dangerous. Lately she’s been following Nicholas everywhere, but... I don’t really have to worry with him around.’Selena thought, feeling slightly embarrassed with Julie’s reveal.
"It’s simple. This box has ten questions inside. I draw one, then everyone at the table has to answer before we move to the next one." She glanced at the wine bottle with a grin. "And if you can’t answer—or don’t want to—you drink a glass of wine."
"That doesn’t sound bad... So you only drink if you can’t answer the question?" Light asked, excitement flashing in his eyes.
"Exactly!"
"I’ll pass, I don’t drink often" Selena said.
"C’mon Selena! It’s just wine... It’s not so alcoholic, you’ll only get a bit tipsy" Julie urged.
"You don’t have to force her to play your game" Thinker said from the side and Julie shot him a sharp glare.
Selena let out a sigh, "I can avoid it if I answer the questions right?"
Julie nodded frantically.
"Alright then"
"Awesome! What about you Phantom, don’t tell me you’re not playing as well?"
Nicholas shrugged casually.
"Great! Now our very first question tonight will be..."
*Drum rolls*
She dug her hand into the box, running it around before bringing out a single slip of paper.
"What’s your biggest regret since you started your work. I’ll go first..." Julie said.
"My biggest regret... is that my parents never got to see me become a famous streamer." she said her bright smile slowly turning into a nervous laughter scratching her head as she saw the looks on their faces.
The table turned quiet for a moment, "I’m sorry to hear that" Thinker said first surprising everyone.
Julie turned to look at him, "It’s nothing, they died some years ago in a car crash" Julie said emotions welling up in her voice, but she quickly followed up with a nervous laughter, "Well that was an unexpected first question. Its your turn next Selena!" Julie turned to look at Selena but she could see the frozen expression on her face.
She looked to be in her thoughts, her expression looking quite sad, but she quickly snapped out of her daze, "Then I guess I’ll be the first to take a drink!" She said with a chuckle as she poured herself a glass of wine.
She took a gulp of the wine, the rich raspberry taste exploded along her tongue. Selena dropped the glass with a surprised look, "Are you sure that’s alcohol? It tastes real good!" She said rather surprised with the taste of the wine.
"Phantom you’re next" She said turning to Nicholas.
"My greatest regret..." Nicholas paused for a moment, in this life, he didn’t have much regrets or even any at all... But he did have a regret that lingered in his chest even after he transmigrated to this new world for a while he’d forgotten, but the question made him remember.
’I wonder how Miss Kirby and the kids are doing’ Nicholas thought, and without another word he took the wine and poured a glass before drinking it.
"Hey! I can’t be the only one? Y’all better start saying something" Julie complained.
"With how good the wine is, I might just keep drinking" Selena said with a grin.
"You guys can’t be serious! Thinker its your turn"
"There was a time I figured out the answer before everyone else... but I waited because I wanted to be sure. By the time I spoke up, people had already gotten hurt."
Nobody said anything for a moment.
The table was quiet again, but differently this time.
Light cleared his throat.
He picked up the wine and poured himself a glass without any prompting. "This really is good wine," he said after drinking.
"Right?!" Selena leaned forward. "I said that!"
"Second question," Julie said, digging back into the box.
She unfolded the slip of paper and her expression shifted slightly, "...Whoever made this box needs therapy," she muttered.
"Read it," Thinker said.
"Fine."
"What is something you’ve never told anyone?"
The table settled.
Julie looked at the paper for a moment longer than necessary.
"I’ll go first again since I picked." She set the paper down. "I still watch my old videos sometimes... the ones nobody watched. I still think they’re good." She said it with her usual energy but something underneath it was quieter. "Nobody else thinks so. But I do."
Thinker looked at her. "They probably were good."
Julie blinked.
"I’ve watched three of them," he said simply. "For research purposes."
"Research purposes," Julie repeated.
"I was assessing your filming angles before the Denvi Town broadcast. Your camera work is actually pretty good."
Julie stared at him with her mouth slightly open.
"You’re welcome," Thinker said, adjusting his glasses.
"That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me."
"Don’t get used to it."
Selena was smiling into her glass. "Selena?" Julie prompted.
"Hm." Selena swirled the wine. The raspberry was really exceptional. "Something I’ve never told anyone." She thought about it genuinely, which was more than she’d intended to do.
"I once rewrote the same report fourteen times because I thought it wasn’t good enough."
"What report?" Light asked.
"Doesn’t matter." She replied.
"Phantom," Julie said, pointing at him.
Nicholas considered the question. Something he’d never told anyone. It was an unusual hobby he had back in his previous life. He couldn’t tell them he transmigrated from another world, but if there was anything close to that, it was this secret that he’d never told anyone, not even his sister’s knew. And neither did anyone in his past life.
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