“Hey, it’s a girl you don’t know,” Fred said, sounding just like a lovesick teenage boy, hard to imagine given his usual rough, boisterous demeanor.

It made Winnie feel a little nauseous.

“So who exactly is she? What does she look like? You’re not saying anything, giving me zero information, how am I supposed to help you?!” Winnie’s ominous feeling grew larger by the second.

“Well… she’s really pretty. Blue hair, icy blue. Her eyes too. Let me think… almost the same shade as your hair. Remember that fan club card I dropped on the ground that day?” Fred mustered up all his courage to bring it up.

“Actually…actually, Brother Winnie, I’ll tell you a secret, one I absolutely can’t let anyone else know!” Fred solemnly.

“What secret?”

“Truth is… I never actually had a friend who asked me to hold onto their fan club badge. That friend…” Fred took a deep breath, as if speaking these words drained every ounce of strength he had. “…was me!”

“…….” Winnie fell silent. After a long pause, he finally couldn’t help but say, “That’s what you wanted to say?”

“Huh? Yeah! Don’t you think that’s shocking??” Fred was baffled by Winnie’s calm reaction.

Winnie fell silent again.

Damn it, are you the real king of silence or what? Even I, the one famous for being taciturn, have been struck speechless by you.

“Brother Fred, that so-called secret of yours, everyone in the club already knows. Can you at least tell me something I don’t know?” Winnie said, speechlessly.

“Huh?! Everyone already knows? Ah, I thought… I thought nobody actually knew, haha. I mean, my image in the club has always been the tough guy type, right?” Fred said, somewhat embarrassed.

Winnie opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again. He had no idea what to say anymore.

“But what does this have to do with what kind of girl I like, right?” Fred asked, almost seeking reassurance, or perhaps just trying to comfort himself.

“Yeah, no connection.”

“Who says a tough guy, especially a card game tough guy, can’t like that kind of girl, right?”

“Yeah, no one says that.”

“And anyway, personal preferences are personal. There’s no right or wrong. No one can judge, right? That’s how it is, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, no right or wrong.”

“The type I like is tsundere, sharp-tongued, always saying the opposite of what she means, flat-chested cute girls! What about it!” Fred grumbled indignantly.

“You’re the one saying the opposite!” Winnie finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Huh?” Fred was utterly confused by Winnie’s sudden outburst. “Brother Winnie, what’s wrong with you?”

“…. Nothing.” Winnie pursed his lips, knowing he couldn’t expose himself and choosing to endure the insult without reply.

“So, Brother Winnie, like I said, the girl I like is exactly this type. Can you help me think of a way… to win her over…”

“Dead end. No hope. Go home and sleep.” Before Fred could finish, Winnie delivered a swift, brutal combo.

And didn’t he realize it himself? What did Winnie know about picking up girls? Did he have any experience? Has he ever flirted with anyone?

If a real expert heard him talking like this, he’d be exposed immediately. And then it’d be even more embarrassing.

And what the hell was Fred doing?!

Asking him to teach himself how to seduce himself?!

Are you even awake?!

“Huh?!” Fred was shocked, naturally unwilling to give up. “Why?! Brother Winnie, am I really that hopeless?”

“Yeah, hopeless. Zero hope. Don’t entertain illusions. It’s impossible.” Winnie crossed his arms, stating it with absolute certainty.

“Why?! Do you know this girl?” Not getting an explanation, Fred refused to accept it.

“Of course not. I don’t know her at all.” Winnie answered without hesitation.

“Then why do you say I have no hope?!” Fred was completely lost, unable to make sense of it.

“Let me ask you, Brother Fred, do you know her?” Winnie asked.

“Of course I do! Her name is Winiya. Hey, it sounds kinda close to your name, Brother Winnie?”

“And does she know you?” Winnie didn’t engage, or speak seriously.

“Uh… no. I was down in the audience, she was on stage.” Fred scratched his head.

“On stage? What were you doing?” Winnie continued.

“Uh… we were watching a beauty pageant. She was one of the contestants. Ah, you don’t know, she was so radiant when she won the crown!”

“Oh. Then it’s even more hopeless.” Winnie analyzed it with the air of an experienced mentor.

“Huh?! Why is that?!” Fred was stunned. Normally he never paid attention in class, eager to do anything except listen. But right now, he was listening more intently than any model student.

“Think about it. You two don’t even know each other. She doesn’t know who you are. How can you possibly pursue her?”

“We can get to know each other!” Fred said.

“How? Do you even know which class she’s in?” Winnie raised an eyebrow.

“Uh… no. I’ve never dared to approach her.” Fred looked embarrassed.

“See?” Winnie instantly adopted the mood of a seasoned love expert lecturing Fred. “Why are you afraid to approach her? If you don’t even have the courage to find her, how can it begin? How can you pursue her?”

“I’m obviously afraid…”

“Afraid of rejection? Afraid of being disliked? Honestly, Brother Fred, with that mindset, you can’t win over any girl. You’ve already lost before the race even starts.” Winnie clicked his tongue.

“First, you said she won the beauty pageant, right? A woman like that definitely has no shortage of guys chasing her. Forget about whether you’re good enough, just on courage alone, you’re already eliminated. Brother Fred, she doesn’t even know you exist. Don’t you get it?!”

“A real man either charges forward without hesitation, or doesn’t start at all. Being stuck in this state, hesitant, indecisive, having ideas but not acting on them, is the most self-torturing. It’s also disrespectful to others. Honestly, with this timid, failure-avoidant mindset, it’s better not to approach her at all. Just let it die in the womb.” Winnie shook his head.

“……I see, Brother Winnie. You’re… absolutely right!” Winnie thought Fred would back down. But after being scolded, Fred fell silent for a moment, then suddenly enlightened. “You mean… I should muster up the courage to confess?!”

“I never said that?!” Winnie thought Fred was giving up. He’d even said those things hoping Fred would quit. But now Fred was actually getting motivated? He quickly backtracked. “What I meant was, cough! You should get to know her first. Understand what kind of person she is, right? Then we can tailor our approach.”

“Oh! Right, right! Brother Winnie, you’re absolutely right. That makes sense. That’s exactly how it should be!” Fred nodded repeatedly.

“See? How can you pursue someone without knowing anything about her? How can you cater to her preferences? Honestly, there are some girls in this world… you just can’t pursue them.”

“For example, she’s not your type. For example, she’s not interested in you. Or maybe you two just don’t have fate. Or, let’s say… this girl is… special.”

“Huh? Special? What do you mean?” Fred didn’t understand Winnie’s hints.

“Ah, special means special. It means you can’t win her over with ordinary methods.” Winnie continued hinting.

“So then? Brother Winnie, based on your experience… is Winiya this kind of girl? If so, what method should I use to win her over?”

“Ah, Brother Fred, don’t be like this. Don’t rush in so urgently. That kind of attitude immediately raises a girl’s guard, you know?” Winnie sobbed slightly.

“Oh! I see. So what should I do, Brother Winnie?”

“Well… I don’t know either. I’m just telling you, some girls are very special. They’re simply not someone a guy can pursue.” Winnie carefully chose his words.

“Huh?! Not someone a guy can pursue? What does that mean, Brother Winnie?!” Fred’s brain is short-circuited. It felt like he’d just touched a whole new world.

“Exactly what it sounds like.” Winnie snapped. “What else could it mean?”

“She couldn’t possibly… not like guys?”

“Eh, Brother Fred, you got it right, but no prize.” Winnie had been waiting for Fred to reach this conclusion. He went with the flow. “That’s exactly what I mean. Some girls… just don’t like guys. How can you pursue that? It’s completely impossible.”

Like a certain silver-haired nut ball who wears disposable gloves whenever touching a guy, then throws them away immediately.

“What can you even do with a girl who clearly doesn’t want to engage? What options do you have?!”

“But… if she doesn’t like guys, she can’t possibly like girls instead, right?” Fred couldn’t help but say.

“Eh, congratulations. That’s correct. Can’t rule it out.” Winnie explained with the air of a sage.

“Then… could Winiya possibly be that kind of girl?!” Fred still refused to give up.

“Who knows, Brother Fred. Honestly, who knows.” Winnie shook his head.

“Brother Winnie, how could you tell? Any clues?”

“Ah, clues? You have to sense that yourself. So see, people always talk about ‘techniques’ for picking up girls. Honestly, I don’t think such things exist.” Winnie waved his hand, looking profoundly mysterious.

“No techniques. Practice makes perfect. It’s a feeling. An experience. An intuition.”

“Uh…” Fred felt like he didn’t understand, but it sounded impressive.

Perfect. Exactly the reaction he wanted. Winnie had to speak in these vague, incomprehensible ways, saying things that sounded meaningful yet meant nothing, impressive yet empty. Only like this could he hide the fact that he was just as clueless about love as anyone, while still making Fred believe in him and stop thinking about this nonsense.

His own brother asking him to teach himself how to seduce himself, what kind of messed-up situation was this?!

Winnie was deeply exasperated inside.

“So, Brother Winnie, based on your experience… Do you think Winiya isn’t straight??” Fred looked utterly disbelieving.

“I never said that. After all, I haven’t seen it with my own eyes. But I think… we can’t rule it out.” Winnie kept his words vague. After all, even a one percent chance was still a chance.

“Oh. Is that so?”

“So you see, Brother Fred, people are complex and multifaceted. All kinds of possibilities exist.” Winnie said.

“I get it, Brother Winnie. You’re saying I should observe more, truly understand what kind of person she is, right?” Fred wore a ‘I’ve reached enlightenment’ expression.

“Ah, right! You’re correct. Yes, exactly. Good. You’ve got great insight. You’re teachable!” Winnie boasted, though he had no idea what he was even saying.

Good. Go on. Go observe. After all, Winiya doesn’t even exist. No matter how much you ‘observe,’ it’s pointless. How can you understand someone who doesn’t exist? Where would you even start?

Let Fred struggle by himself. No choice. Who else could help? After all, he’d fallen for someone he absolutely shouldn’t have.

This was all he could do. Wait a while, once Fred’s three-minute enthusiasm fades, this whole thing will blow over.

That’s what Winnie thought.

“Alright, that’s about all I wanted to say. Honestly, no matter how much someone tells you, it won’t help much. The most important thing is your own practice, comprehension, and realization. I’ve taught you everything I can. How far you go from here depends entirely on your own fate.” Winnie stood with hands behind his back, like a master imparting wisdom.

“Ah, got it! I understand. Thanks, Brother Winnie! If I succeed, you’ll definitely be rewarded!” Fred quickly said.

You really think you’ll succeed?! What fantasy world are you living in?!

Winnie almost wanted to jump up and smack Fred on the head to bring him to his senses.

‘Brother, are you seriously that desperate? What exactly are you even trying to do?!’

After getting rid of Fred, Winnie found Shikondell, who had been waiting for him up ahead.

“Shikondell, sorry to keep you waiting.”

“No problem, Winnie. What was Fred talking to you about?” Shikondell asked. “If it’s not inconvenient, can you tell me?”

“Fred has fallen for a girl and came asking me for advice.” Winnie simplified the story. Even though Shikondell knew Winiya existed, Winnie still didn’t want to talk about it.

After all… how do you even explain something like this?!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep