Chapter 137: Lightweight Drinker Ash Sinclair

At this point, Ash chuckled and tipped his head back for a swig of beer. “You were like a rock standing in front of me, Rian, but also like a sun shining down on me, guiding me forward. The moment I realized that, I truly felt you deserved all your success.

“You’re more patient than I am, more attentive to every detail, and always smarter. Any smarts I have came from endless studying, though I don’t even know when it happened, but it was like a switch flipped and my grades skyrocketed.”

Ash grinned sheepishly, but Rian knew that every bit of his improvement had a solid reason behind it. He had spent countless nights burning the midnight oil; his hard work was bound to pay off.

“But I’m pretty slow at learning other things,” Ash continued. “I had a bad temper when I tried tutoring, and I’d easily end up cursing at people when I worked as a gaming companion. I didn’t want to swallow my pride for part-time jobs. Back then, I really felt like a spoiled brat.

“I actually despised myself for it. Later, I found out about professional gamers. The more I learned, the more I loved it. I felt the atmosphere of the pro scene, and I loved the idea of standing on a podium, soaking in the cheers of the fans.

“That was when I started gaming like my life depended on it. It gradually became my passion, but sometimes I felt like you didn’t want me to play. I couldn’t just give it up, though, so I started playing in secret.”

After finishing his piece, Ash downed another glass. Rian freely grabbed her own beer, tipping her head back to take a drink. “If you like it, then go for it, but no path is easy.”

Ash nodded heavily. “I know, Rian. I’ll stick with it to the end. It’s been with me through my entire youth.”

Rian smiled. “Just tell me if you ever need anything.”

Ash shook his head. “No need for your help this time, Rian. I want to brave this esports circle on my own.”

His eyes were filled with the unbridled passion of youth. Seeing him like this, Rian finally realized that Ash had truly grown up.

The two sat across from each other, drinking beer and eating skewers in complete relaxation. They chatted casually about past memories, letting their minds wander. The siblings drank to their hearts’ content.

“Have you figured out where you’re going for tryouts?” Rian asked. “Or I could just fund a club for you, and all you’d have to do is focus on competing.”

Ash nodded. “A lot of clubs have sent out invitations. I plan to try them all and compare. I’m not famous right now anyway. Once I’ve made a name for myself, I’ll come back and work for you.”

Rian didn’t reject the idea. As long as he was doing what he liked, that was enough. She would always have his back.

Actually, when Ash heard her offer to build a club for him, he had almost agreed. But as a rookie with no teammates and no experience, he wouldn’t be able to make a dime in the early stages. Once he achieved some results, he would be the one making money for her.

More skewers began to arrive. Ash alternated between bites of meat and gulps of beer, looking incredibly carefree.

“Rian, where do you think I should apply for college?” he asked, his tone turning a bit muffled. “I need a place that allows freshmen to take a leave of absence.”

He had estimated his score to be at least around six hundred and seventy or eighty, which gave him plenty of universities to choose from. However, he wasn’t sure which ones would allow a freshman to suspend their studies without a serious underlying issue.

“Which ones can your scores get you into?” Rian asked.

“Give or take, I can practically take my pick of top universities.”

“Then pick one you like. I’ll handle the leave of absence for you when the time comes. Just focus on your tryouts.”

This was actually quite easy to resolve—throwing money at it would do the trick. Many universities required massive amounts of funding for their scientific experiments. Although the government provided grants, the sheer number of students meant that individual allocations were meager, putting immense pressure on the university presidents. Solving this would be simple.

Ash’s eyes grew red. He did have a dream school in mind, but he had already checked and was told that a leave of absence could only be granted for medical or family reasons.

“Thanks, Rian.”

Rian looked at him and teased, “Looks like our tough guy is about to turn on the waterworks.”

Ash’s composure immediately broke at her words. Laughing, he clinked his bottle against hers and downed the rest of his beer. “It’s so good to have you, Rian.”

“Ash, if you run into problems, don’t keep them bottled up,” Rian said. “I am your ultimate safety net. Whatever you want to do, go ahead and do it with confidence. I’m right behind you.”

Rian felt that with everything she currently possessed, there was no reason for Ash to suffer any grievances. She wanted his esports journey to be about fair competition, not capitalist manipulation.

“But there is one more thing,” she added. “If you end up constantly playing like trash, don’t go telling people you’re my brother.”

Ash had been feeling quite moved, but her last sentence almost made him spit out his drink. “I know, Rian.”

If he really did play like trash all the time, it would mean he had made the wrong choice, and he would abandon this path. But he didn’t believe for a second that he’d be bad at it. In his future competitions, he was going to be the champion!

By the end of their drinking session, Ash was passed out drunk on the table. Rian cast him a look of pure disdain, shaking her head endlessly. “Such a lightweight.”

She glanced at the mere five empty beer bottles next to him, and her look of disdain deepened. And he called himself a tough guy? What kind of tough guy had such a terrible alcohol tolerance? Rian ruffled his hair, her tone dripping with mock disgust. “Ash, you’re more or less a total failure as a tough guy.”

As if hearing her, Ash lifted his head, his face flushed with intoxication. “Rian, I can still drink! I can still drink! Fill ‘er up!”

He was being so loud that he immediately drew the attention of the surrounding diners. As people turned their heads to look, Rian grimaced, grabbed his jacket from beside him, and shoved it over his entire face.

Under the bewildered gazes of the onlookers, she smiled and said, “He’s had a bit too much to drink.”

But Ash, suffocating under the fabric, started thrashing his arms and legs wildly. To the bystanders, it looked exactly as if Rian were committing murder. She quickly moved to restrain him, pinning down his flailing hands and locking his kicking legs in place.

Great. Now her actions only made the surrounding crowd even more convinced of her murderous intent.

Feeling the stares bearing down on her, Rian gritted her teeth. “He’s my brother. He’s just drunk.”

With that, she tugged the jacket down a bit, revealing Ash’s face, which had turned beet red from the lack of air. Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, he slapped her hands away. He then shot up to his feet and planted one foot squarely onto a nearby stool. Holding a beer bottle up to his mouth like a microphone, he looked around at the crowd and bellowed, “Everyone…! Mmph—!”

Her face dark with fury, Rian yanked Ash back down, putting a swift end to what would have undoubtedly become prime internet meme material. She didn’t care if he was uncomfortable anymore, because she was certainly uncomfortable right now.

A sudden rebellious streak seemed to overtake Ash as he yanked hard against Rian’s grip. Fortunately, he didn’t start kicking wildly again, otherwise she really would have just knocked him unconscious.

As Ash gradually began to completely let loose, Rian stood beside him, struck speechless with exasperation. His antics were drawing a massive amount of attention, and some people even pulled out their phones to secretly record videos—after all, a spectacle like this was a rare sight.

Seeing this, Rian’s expression darkened entirely. She pulled out her phone and called Ethan to come pick them up. She truly regretted letting Ash come to Kyoro, and she regretted bringing him out to drink even more.

After she hung up the phone, Ash was still making a complete fool of himself. At this very moment, she genuinely felt that bringing him out to drink was a massive mistake. Pinning Ash down was easy enough, but in the dead of summer, it was just too damn hot!