Sato Yuta steeled himself, pulled out his Student Terminal, and operated it with trembling fingers.
"Fine! One hundred thousand, then! Junior, if your divination turns out to be wrong, I—I'll need some of my points back!"
He tried to make one last appeal to "consumer rights."
"Beep."
The crisp chime announcing the successful transfer rang out.
Lin Mu glanced at the balance notification that had popped up on his terminal—from a pitiful twenty thousand and change to more than one hundred and twenty thousand.
Success!
A barely perceptible glimmer of amusement flashed in his eyes. The little figure in his heart was already dancing with joy.
His first big payday! It had gone even more smoothly than he'd expected! Making money while he sat around... it really was the best!
The pang he'd felt when he'd spent sixty thousand on supplies was now washed away by overwhelming satisfaction.
As expected, the bigger the waves, the more valuable the fish—but he had superpowers! Earning points was as natural and effortless as breathing.
"What would you like to ask about, senior?" Lin Mu quickly reined in his lazy expression and returned to his calm tone, pointing at the Tarot Cards on the table.
Sato Yuta leaned forward urgently, as if grasping at a lifeline. His eyes were full of anxiety and unease. "I want to know, if I agree to form a team with my friends for that Business Simulation Competition, will we succeed?
"Will I mess things up? And... if I turn them down now, will they leave me out? Will it make things awkward for me in class later?
"Can you—you can figure all that out?"
"Draw three cards." Lin Mu pushed the shuffled Tarot Cards toward him. "Don't overthink it. Just follow your intuition. Put them on the table when you're done."
Of course, the moment the other boy shuffled and drew the cards, Psychokinesis had already guided his hand, ensuring he picked the three cards Lin Mu had "arranged"—the ones that perfectly matched his situation and glimpses of his future.
Sato Yuta swallowed nervously, then held his breath, closed his eyes, and drew three cards by feel, placing them in a row on the velvet-covered table.
The Chariot reversed, the Hermit upright, the Six of Pentacles upright.
Lin Mu picked up the first card, the Chariot reversed. His expression turned a little more serious as he began to interpret it.
"First card: the Chariot reversed. It represents impulsiveness, blindly following others, a lack of control, and insufficient ability that can easily lead to mistakes.
"In your situation, the meaning is clear: if you agree to team up with your friends for the competition, you'll not only hold the team back because you're not capable enough, but you'll also mess up some crucial decision due to nerves or poor judgment.
"The end result will be a failed project, with your friends blaming one another and passing the buck.
"And you, as the weakest link in the team and the one most likely to make a mistake, will become the target of everyone's anger, caught in the middle with nowhere to turn.
"This competition will end in defeat for you and your team. One hundred percent."
Sato Yuta's face turned deathly pale in an instant. He nodded repeatedly, his voice trembling.
"Exactly! I've been agonizing over this because I don't think I'm capable enough and I'm afraid I'll hold them back! Th-then what about the second card? If I turn them down..."
"The second card is the Hermit upright." Lin Mu tapped the second card with his fingertip. It showed an old man walking alone through a snowy night, carrying a lantern.
"It symbolizes solitude, introspection, seeking inner wisdom, and deliberately keeping away from distractions.
"This means that if you refuse to join the team now, those 'friends' of yours will definitely be unhappy at first. They'll act cold toward you for a few days and give you the cold shoulder.
"But that doesn't count as being truly 'ostracized,' because—" He looked up at Sato Yuta. "You know very well that you're not that close to them to begin with. Your values and interests may not even align, and you don't interact much in your daily lives.
"After that period of coldness, your relationship will naturally return to the ordinary classmate status you had before the competition.
"And you'll actually have some peace and quiet, avoiding unnecessary trouble."
Sato Yuta visibly relaxed. His shoulders slumped a little, and he hurriedly pointed at the third card. "And the last one..."
"The Six of Pentacles upright represents sharing, balance, having your efforts recognized, and receiving help or praise."
Lin Mu's tone softened, taking on a gently guiding quality. "This suggests that after you turn down this team activity that isn't right for you,
"you'll shift your attention back to your studies and the things you're genuinely good at or interested in. You'll get a good result in an upcoming class assessment or some small assignment.
"Some of your classmates will notice your focus and your achievements. You may even earn their friendly approval, and someone might approach you to chat.
"That'll be much better than forcing yourself to fit into a group that might end up embarrassing you."
He paused, then casually added a detail that seemed like an afterthought but was actually a far more striking "prediction."
"One more thing to keep in mind.
"Judging by the combination of the cards, even if you force yourself to go, your friends will get into a fight on the day of the competition over the division of labor or some matter of self-interest. It'll turn into a serious falling-out.
"If you go, you won't be any help. You may even be asked to take on extra responsibilities or share their losses. It won't be worth it."
"Ah!" Sato Yuta gasped and clapped a hand over his mouth.
Deep down, he'd already harbored this kind of worry. Those friends weren't exactly reliable. What if they started arguing during the competition...? He couldn't believe the "reading" had picked up on that too!
In an instant, all his doubts vanished, replaced by wholehearted joy and trust.
He sprang to his feet and bowed deeply to Lin Mu, speaking incoherently. "That was so accurate! It was exactly what I thought!
"You're incredible! Thank you! Thank you so much!
"I definitely won't join the team. Otherwise, I really would've been in for a terrible time! You... you really are the Divination Immortal!"
He thanked Lin Mu again and again. All the clouds of worry had disappeared from his face, and he practically skipped out of the tent, looking as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
Several students watching from outside the tent had seen the whole thing.
They'd only stopped out of curiosity. They'd seen Sato Yuta go in looking miserable, but he came back out with a completely different expression.
They'd also vaguely heard words like "so accurate" and "incredible," and their initial doubts began to waver.
"It seems... maybe he really does know his stuff?"
"That guy looked like he was about to cry when he went in, but now he's grinning from ear to ear..."
"One hundred thousand points... But if it can really solve your problems, maybe it's worth it?"
"Should we... give it a try?"
Their curiosity and desire for "accurate answers" overcame their hesitation about the high price.
Before long, several students gathered around, all talking at once.
"Hey, is it really accurate?"
"I want to ask about my studies..."
"Can you do readings about relationships?"
"How much do you charge?"
Lin Mu stayed leaned back on his little stool, only swapping out his lollipop for a new grape-flavored one.
As he watched the crowd gather around, the corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly in contentment. Good. His reputation was starting to spread.
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