Chapter 62 Your Seat Is Ready

The bell rang.

Jin put the chair in the middle of the ring and sat down.

The audience laughed.

Dae-seong walked toward him with his baton resting on one shoulder.

“Do you need a program?”

“I'm saving your seat.”

The baton came down.

Jin kicked the chair backward and came off it sideways. Padding struck the seat with a flat crack. Before he could reach the ribbon, Dae-seong turned and put his free palm against Jin's shoulder.

The shove sent him stumbling halfway to the ropes.

His shoulder burned. Dae-seong hadn't needed a running start or a glowing weapon. One planted foot and the angle of his palm had been enough.

Jin blinked the watering out of his eyes.

The B-rank lowered the baton and beckoned.

“You can come forward. I don't get points for pushing you.”

“You should. Very educational.”

Jin edged along the rope instead of taking the invitation. Dae-seong came with him, watching his hips rather than the chair.

“Thirty-five seconds!” the announcer called.

Jin got his feet beneath him.

Dae-seong was already between him and the blue mark.

He'd watched the routes. He'd also understood the start.

Jin rushed his left side.

The baton swept low, making him check his step. Dae-seong's other hand dipped toward the ribbon on Jin's right hip.

Jin slapped the wrist away and ducked under the returning baton.

It still caught his back.

Air burst out of him. He landed on one knee, caught the abandoned chair by its back and dragged it between them.

Dae-seong stopped his next strike against the plastic.

“You can keep that.”

“Generous.”

Jin shoved the chair forward.

Dae-seong stepped around it. Exactly as he'd stepped around Jin.

The difference was the chair kept going.

Its legs skidded into the B-rank's path. He lifted one foot over the seat, calmly clearing it, and reached for Jin again.

Jin went low, shoulder brushing the raised knee.

He didn't try to move it. He couldn't.

He used the space under the reaching arm and came up behind him.

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The blue mark was two ordinary steps away.

Dae-seong pivoted.

Jin reached the mark first.

He chose the right-hand route.

His feet drove through the recorded strides. The baton cut across behind his shoulders. At the upright, he set his arriving heel and turned the rush through his hips.

The rope bowed beneath his left hand.

He caught the chair's back as it finished sliding toward the corner and pulled it upright.

Twelve seconds before he could use the skill again.

Dae-seong came in smiling.

“Good exit.”

Jin set the chair facing the crowd.

“Your ticket's ready.”

The baton hit its seat again.

This time Jin had both hands on the back. The force jarred up his arms. He let the front legs settle and shoved the whole chair along the mat instead of trying to stop the blow.

Dae-seong followed it, keeping Jin pinned behind the plastic.

His ribbon stayed just beyond the chair's right edge.

Jin shifted left.

The B-rank shifted with him.

Shifted right.

Again, the ribbon moved away.

“Twenty!”

Jin had no room to swing the chair. Dae-seong's forearm pressed down across its back, forcing the upper edge toward his chest.

Jin's trainers squeaked.

He gave ground until his shoulder touched the padded upright.

Dae-seong's eyes flicked toward his right hip.

Jin let go of the chair with that hand.

The B-rank grabbed for the ribbon.

Jin caught his wrist and ducked.

Dae-seong stopped short of the release loop. His baton lifted out of the way as Jin pulled the chair sideways beneath his reaching arm.

The chair's back slid against the outside of his hip.

His ribbon tail fell across the open gap between seat and backrest.

Jin caught it through the gap.

He pulled.

Nothing.

He'd caught the doubled part above the release knot.

Dae-seong laughed and turned his hip away.

The twist tore the cloth out of Jin's fingers.

“Ten!”

Jin staggered, chair in one hand, no ribbon in the other.

Dae-seong came after him.

The skill had recovered. The start mark was across the ring.

He couldn't get there.

Jin threw the chair.

Low. Empty. Legs first.

Dae-seong stepped over it again, the way he had the first time.

Jin followed underneath his reaching arm again.

This time Dae-seong turned early to close the gap.

Jin stopped.

The chair didn't.

Its back struck the B-rank's planted calf. He shifted his foot to stay clear of the plastic; his near hip came forward with the step.

Jin caught the very end of the ribbon.

A hard, short tug.

The loop opened.

Red cloth came free in his hand.

The bell rang before he could remember to breathe.

For half a second he heard nothing but his own lungs.

Then the hall erupted.

Dae-seong looked at his empty hip, at the chair and finally at Jin.

He started laughing.

Jin held the ribbon up.

“Please remain seated until the performance has ended.”

The B-rank picked up the chair and sat down in the middle of the ring.

He took out his ticket.

“Terrible view.”

Jin bowed until his sore back objected.

Yu-ra was waiting at the steps. She took the ribbon from his fingers and looped it loosely around his wrist.

“Worth every won,” she said.

Behind them, Dae-seong held up the ticket to the filming volunteer.

“Put this in the auction.”

Jin turned.

The B-rank grinned at him.

“Let's find out what the second seat costs.”