”Gambling? I gamble with life.”
When people hear the word gambling they think money, cards, chips, and dice. That’s not what I mean. That type of gambling is a fool’s game that’s made for desperate men who think luck is on their side.
Me though? I gamble with life.
Not in the crazy reckless way. I don’t just throw myself into dangerous situations like a fire. See when I gamble my bets I have to calculate them and be precise. Every single risk is worth the precision. It’s a measurement, every move I make is accountable. I don’t play with money, instead I play with the silence, the knowledge, and with the weight of a name I must carry.
That’s the thing about me. About the name I hold. I don’t deal with the small stakes of this world. Every choice matters. It’s like a wager. Every secret we have it’s a currency.
I learned that at a young age.
I remember the first time that the world didn’t offer fairness for those who weren’t willing to understand the game. Those who understand the game and the rules will be offered fairness. It wasn’t at some poker table either. It was the way my father spoke to me, except he didn’t even say a word. Instead he just smiled at me to let me know that he lost before the game event began.
But now? I play on my own. This is my game. My rules.
Sometimes I wonder if people catch on to this game I play. I wonder if they see it. The ones who think I’m the next legacy of this name I hold. But no. I’m no legacy to this name. Right now in this current moment I’m just known as Korain Jaibatsume.
People mistake me for that. They mistake me for how quiet I can be. How they mistake me hesitating but I’m just patient. Do I say a word? No. I just let them believe it all. A good gambler never reveals his hand until the moment comes.
And when that moment does come? They’ll finally see what it means to bet against the Jaibatsume name.