Infinite Rebate: I Get Richer Every Time I Spend

After their passionate time together, Lucas and Maya lay quietly on the bed, wrapped in each other’s arms.

The room was peaceful.

Warm sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft golden glow across the suite. Neither of them spoke for a while, simply enjoying the rare moment of peace after everything that had happened over the past two days.

Just then~

Maya’s phone rang.

She reached over to the nightstand and glanced at the caller ID before answering.

It was one of her classmates.

"The group is heading to the lake for fishing," the caller said excitedly. "Everyone’s already meeting in the lobby. Come join us!"

Maya instinctively looked toward Lucas.

"I don’t think I’ll go..."

Before she could finish, Lucas smiled and gently shook his head.

"You should."

"You barely got any sleep last night because you were worried about me."

"I didn’t sleep much either."

He stretched lazily and let out a yawn.

"I’m going to take a shower and get some rest."

"Once I wake up, I’ll come find you guys."

Maya hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

"...Okay."

She knew Lucas really needed the rest.

After everything he’d gone through in the forest, forcing him to stay awake would only make things worse.

She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss before getting dressed.

"Then don’t oversleep."

Lucas chuckled.

"I’ll try."

...

...

A short while later, the students gathered in the hotel lobby.

Everyone climbed aboard one of Lanai Island’s electric shuttle buses, chatting excitedly as it headed toward the island’s famous lake district.

Maya, Penny, and Kristine sat together near the front of the bus, while the others laughed and joked about who would catch the biggest fish.

About twenty minutes later...

The shuttle came to a smooth stop beside a breathtaking lake.

The crystal-clear water shimmered beneath the morning sun like a giant sapphire embedded in the heart of the island.

Gentle breezes rippled across the surface, creating sparkling waves that reflected the blue sky overhead.

This beautiful artificial lake was known as Spring Breeze Lake.

It had been specially designed as Lanai Island’s recreational fishing area.

Along the shoreline stood several rustic wooden shops where visitors could borrow professional fishing equipment completely free of charge.

The moment everyone stepped off the shuttle, the students rushed toward the rental shop with excited expressions.

Most of them had never fished before.

Everything looked new and interesting.

Meanwhile...

Bryce was in an exceptionally good mood.

Lucas hadn’t come.

Ever since everyone learned that Lucas was the owner of Lanai Island, nearly all the attention had shifted away from Bryce.

For the first time in days...

Lucas wasn’t around.

Bryce immediately felt as though he’d become the center of attention again.

His confidence returned almost instantly.

Straightening his shirt, he smiled proudly and walked to the front of the group.

"Alright, everyone."

"Since most of you haven’t gone fishing before..."

"Let me give you a quick introduction."

Bryce had accompanied his father on several fishing trips growing up.

Although he wasn’t an expert, he knew enough to impress people who had never held a fishing rod before.

He picked up two different rods from the display rack.

"There are generally two main types of fishing rods here."

"The first is a traditional rod."

"It doesn’t use a reel and is usually divided into lake rods and stream rods."

He handed one to a female classmate.

"These are lightweight and easy to use."

"They’re perfect for beginners and for catching smaller fish closer to shore."

Several girls nodded as they examined the rods curiously.

Bryce then picked up another rod fitted with a spinning reel.

"This one is a casting rod."

"It allows you to cast much farther."

"It’s generally more suitable if you’re trying to catch larger fish."

He pointed toward another display.

"And this..."

"...is a lure rod."

"It uses artificial bait to imitate small fish."

"It’s specifically designed for targeting aggressive predator fish."

The students listened attentively.

Every explanation Bryce gave sounded interesting to people who had never experienced fishing before.

One after another, he selected different rods and handed them out while explaining how each one worked.

For the first time since arriving on Lanai Island...

Bryce once again felt like the most knowledgeable person in the group.

Bryce casually rested the fishing rod over his shoulder as his eyes wandered through the crowd.

For a brief moment, his gaze met Maya’s.

His heart instinctively skipped a beat.

But almost immediately...

He looked away.

Ever since everything that happened at the beach two nights ago, Bryce had been unable to face her the way he used to.

For the first time in years...

His confidence had been completely crushed.

Compared to Lucas...

He suddenly felt insignificant.

Lucas owned the entire island.

He had money.

Power.

Confidence.

Even when everyone was in danger, Lucas had been the one who stepped forward.

Bryce couldn’t help comparing himself.

And every comparison ended the same way.

He lost.

He no longer had the courage to continue pursuing Maya.

The thought of embarrassing himself in front of Lucas again made his stomach tighten.

His eyes drifted across the group until they landed on Kristine, who was quietly selecting fishing equipment near the back.

A smug smile slowly crept across Bryce’s face.

She only ran away because she was heartbroken.

Girls like her are easy.

If I apologize...

Say a few nice words...

She’ll definitely forgive me.

After all... she’s always been crazy about me.

Thinking this, Bryce confidently walked over.

"Kristine."

She looked up briefly.

Bryce put on what he believed was his most sincere smile.

"About what happened the other day..."

"I was wrong."

"I’m sorry."

He sighed dramatically before continuing,

"I know I hurt your feelings."

"But I really hope we can still be friends."

"What do you say?"

On the surface...

It sounded like a genuine apology.

But in Bryce’s mind...

This was simply another strategy.

Take one step back.

Gain two steps forward.

As long as Kristine accepted becoming friends again...

He believed everything else would naturally follow.

After all...

She had always chased after him.

Done everything she could to make him happy.

In Bryce’s eyes...

A few sweet words would be enough for her to fall right back into his arms.

Even if Maya was completely out of reach now...

Kristine was also part of the beautiful girls in school.

Bryce had always regretted never actually sleeping with her.

Now...

He planned to fix that.

However...

The response he received was nothing like he expected.

Kristine slowly looked Bryce up and down.

Then...

She suddenly covered her mouth and laughed.

Bryce frowned.

"...What’s so funny?"

Kristine shook her head.

"I’m laughing at myself."

Bryce blinked.

"...Yourself?"

She nodded seriously.

"Yeah."

"I actually liked you."

She sighed.

"My eyesight must’ve been terrible."

"No..."

"I think I temporarily lost my mind."

Bryce’s smile froze.

Kristine looked at him again and clicked her tongue.

"Tsk."

"The more I look at you now..."

"The more embarrassed I feel for my old self."

"I actually cried over you?"

"What a joke."

She rubbed her forehead dramatically.

"I really owe myself an apology."

Bryce’s face turned ugly.

"K-Kristine..."

She raised a hand.

"Don’t."

"I finally figured it out."

"I wasn’t in love."

"I was just... incredibly stupid."

She smiled.

"Thanks for rejecting me."

Bryce looked confused.

"...Why?"

"Because if you hadn’t..."

"I would’ve wasted even more time chasing someone like you."

She looked him over one last time before shaking her head.

"I seriously don’t know what I saw in you."

"Now?"

She shrugged.

"I’d rather date a tree."

At least..."

"It has more value than you."

Bryce’s entire face twitched.

Kristine smiled brightly.

"Oh, and one more thing."

"I already have someone I like."

"And compared to him..."

"You don’t even deserve to carry his shoes."

Without another glance...

She turned around and walked away.

Leaving Bryce standing there with an expression uglier than if someone had slapped him ten times.

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