"How? Do you agree?" Bryan asked, among the four boys, he was the one who looked the most excited.
"I- I'm confused, but Lucia would, if she found out we were doing this, she would be mad." Chris answered doubtfully. It seemed that only he didn't agree with this kind of ridiculous bet.
"Why? Are you scared? We're already in middle school, so it doesn't matter. This is the best we can do for her anyway!" Leo said with an unserious face that was holding back laughter.
While Pierre? He was silent and was forced to plunge into this strange bet. Like Chris said, if Lucia found out they were doing this, she would definitely go on a rampage and beat them up one by one.
"Pierre, what do you think?" Asked Bryan who needed the opinion of the cool and most calm person in the group.
"For me, it's up to you. After all we do this for her too, if in the end she finds out and gets angry. Yes, let's just give up!"
"That's right, it wasn't once or twice that we were beaten. Our bodies must have gotten used to receiving that deadly blow!" Said Leo, the idiot who happily took the beatings of Lucia the 'Monster'
"I don't want to get hit." Wailed Chris, the only normal person in the group who would complain of being hit.
"Hahaha... what are we really doing?" Leo laughed finally broke seeing the ridiculousness they were doing "If Lucia beat us, how about we put up a fight? We are boys and four too, should be able to easily beat her!" Continued Leo.
"You're stupid, huh? Even though the four of us can't necessarily beat her. You don't remember what happened during the summer vacation two years ago? What happened when we fought Lucia? My face was battered and you? Your nose is bleeding, right?" Bryan said, recalling the bad and painful memories they had at that time.
After remembering that terrible incident, the four of them sighed while thinking the same thing, "Why is that monster girl so strong?" Let alone fighting with her, just looking at her eyes can frighten her opponent. It seems, the rumors that Lucia is a descendant of the Yakuza are true.
"When her mom was pregnant, what did her mom eat? Why was her daughter so strong?" Murmured Bryan with a gaze, while the three of them simply nodded in agreement.
"All right, it's decided, we'll make the bet now. The loser will marry Lucia when she grows up," Bryan said.
"Hopefully I'm not the one who loses. I don't want to marry such a rude and fierce woman!" Leo said.
"All right, here we go!" Bryan started rolling the dice.
They bet by playing the legendary game of snakes and ladders. For 30 tense minutes, filled with prayer and hope. Finally, the deciding round was successfully carried out, the winner was Pierre, while the loser was Chris.
"I don't want to, I don't want to-" Chris whined knowing the harsh reality that would befall him in the future. Why did the most timid and weakest figure like himself have to marry a harsh and rude girl like Lucia?
"Hahaha... I survived, yeah!" Leo cheered with joy because despite the threat that risked his life.
"Hahaha... then, congrats for Chris, you will be Lucia's husband one day. Don't forget to invite us to your wedding, okay?" Bryan mocked, his heart feeling immensely relieved.
"I don't want to! Why should I?" Chris was crying, he really didn't want this. Even though at first he was strongly against this bet because he knew from the start that he would lose.
"Cheer up, Chris!" Pierre patted Chris on the shoulder who looked pitiful, while Chris continued to mourn his fate.
"Hey what are you doing?" The figure they were afraid of finally appeared and appeared at the wrong time.
Lucia stood with her hands on her hips, looking at her four friends who were more worthy of being called her subordinates or followers. The four of them immediately got up, while Bryan was busy hiding the game of snakes and ladders and a piece of betting paper as a sign of their agreement.
"What are you doing? What are you hiding behind your back?" Asked Lucia. She walked over to the four boys who were neatly lined up with terrified faces.
"We were just playing for a while, huh, right?" Bryan said and then he threw it at the three friends of the same fate.
"Yeah, that's right!" The three of them answered compactly by showing a fake smile.
"What are you hiding? I want to see it!"
"No-no, this is just a game of snakes and ladders." Bryan said evasively. He was still hiding the game and the agreement paper behind his back.
"Alright, I want to see! hurry and give it!" This stubborn Lucia would not be satisfied until she got what she wanted.
"B-b-b-but-"
"Hurry and give it to me...!" Lucia immediately took forcibly the game of snakes and ladders and the paper Bryan had hidden.
"We will die!" Their minds in unison as cold sweat poured down their bodies.
"What paper is this?" Lucia read the paper that Bryan had been half dying to hide.
A piece of white paper that says that those who have the undersigned agree to make a bet and the losing party must marry Lucia when she grows up. They also signed the four of them and the name of the losing party, Chris.
"What is this ?" Lucia looked annoyed until the paper in her hand crumbled.
"Th-that-that, we can explain!" Leo said.
"Bet? You guys made me bet? Insolent! You want to die, huh?" Lucia's monster aura leaked out, her face utterly sinister.
The four boys were trembling with fear and slowly walked back and forth to avoid Lucia's tantrum.
"I will kill you all ...!" Shouted Lucia. She had her fist ready that would land on Bryan's face.
"Lu-Lucia, wait a minute! Listen first! We did it for you, we were all worried about you!" Said Bryan, trying to explain.
"Worried about me?"
"Yes! We were worried about you. We heard Depney and her friends make fun of you themselves, they said no man would want to marry you. So, we are doing this so that someday you can show them that you can get married too and live happily,"
Lucia fell silent, her head lowered. She was really very angry and annoyed to hear that. How could they do this stupid thing to her?
"You did all this for me?"
"Yes, that right!"
"You think I'm happy? I hate it! the four of you are as stupid as them! You guys just want to decide things like this without thinking about my feelings! You're all idiot! Stupid! You're all stupid!" Shouted Lucia. She immediately ran away leaving those who stood transfixed.
"Lucia is crying?" That's what they thought, they were friends since the age of five, but never once saw the girl cry.
"She cries ?"
"You see too?"
"Yes, I see!"
"I've never seen her cry all this time!"
"Me too! It turns out that Lucia is really a girl, huh?"