~ New Deal With Dad

Finally the evening set in and Senator Everett would be home any moment now.

Lake hadn't seen his father in over a week, and this particular visit felt more daunting than ever, because he would have to confront his strict father and plead with him to look away from their deal and give him a second chance.

Lake had done everything possible to ensure that his father would be in a good mood by the time he tried to ask him for this favor.

He knew how much his father valued a well-orchestrated environment.

The Senator's favorite news channel was already playing in the background, and Lake had personally instructed Horiike, their long-time housekeeper, to prepare his father's favorite meal.

Everything was perfectly in place, but despite these efforts, a knot of dread tightened in his stomach when he heard the familiar sound of his father's car pulling into the driveway.

"Fuck," he muttered in anxiety.

Lake hurriedly wheeled himself out of the main living room, and went into the side room where he could hide and observe without being seen.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. This is a bad idea, isn't it?" his doubts began to rise.

He peered through the narrow gap in the door, heart pounding in his chest. From there, he could see his father enter the house.

Senator Everett was a tall, broad-shouldered man in his late fifties.

His graying hair was neatly combed back, and he wore an expensive black tailored suit and shiny obsidian shoes. On his face were the years of political maneuvering and experience evident, and his sharp eyes missed nothing.

The Senator had always been stern, but tonight, his features seemed even more severe—at least, that's how Lake perceived it.

Maybe it was just the anxiety, or maybe Lake was just noticing it more today. Either way, his father's stern expression was enough to make his hands tremble slightly as he continued to peer from his hiding spot.

His mother, who had returned a while earlier, greeted Senator Everett with a warm hug above the shoulders and a lovely kiss that caused Lake to squirm.

Some bodyguards appeared behind his father, giving his bags and cases to the staff, who hurriedly took them away. Nancy stood by the door as well, and a big smile appeared on Senator Everett's face at the sight of his daughter.

They hugged happily and Nancy exchanged a few quiet words with their father before he nodded and allowed himself to be escorted to his room to freshen up.

'She must have told him that she would want to talk to him later.'

Lake stayed hidden, swallowing hard as his anxiety continued to grow with each passing second. He knew that in just a few minutes, his father would be seated in the living room, and the conversation he dreaded would begin.

His father's stern face replayed in his mind. He looked particularly upset today, didn't he? Well, of course he was upset, his son just suffered a major injury.

Lake cursed for the umpteenth time and facepalmed, he was suddenly feeling like a child waiting for a scolding.

He summoned the system and the interface instantly floated before him. The rewards for convincing his father gazed back at him, and Lake began to nod his head, trying to motivate himself, knowing that this was his chance—seemingly his only chance.

Soon, it began. Senator Everett was in the living room with Nancy. From where Lake was, he couldn't hear much of their conversation, but the soft murmur of their voices heightened his anxiety.

In that moment of intense anticipation, Lake found himself praying. He wasn't particularly religious, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

At least no one was raising their voice so that seemed good.

From his hiding position, Lake couldn't get a great view of his father's facial expressions because his back was facing him, he could see his sister's however, and for the most part, her expressions couldn't really tell him anything about how the conversation was going.

Then it was over. Seemed a little short, which worried Lake. Did he just shut her off immediately?

Nancy's footsteps approached, and Lake quickly deactivated the system, sitting up straight as she entered the side room.

"How did it go?" he whispered to her.

She gave him a pat on the shoulder, and smiled ambiguously. "Just don't be a moron and you'll be fine," she said, then worked out of the next door of the adjourning room without any further explanation.

"Don't be a moron? Nancy? Nancy?!" he called her in a hushed voice. "Nancy, what did he say?"

But his sister was already long gone.

"Shit!"

"Lake?" his father's voice seemed to echo inside the depths of his beating heart, causing him to freeze instantly, eyes widened with fear.

'Shit, shit, shit,' his mind raced.

"I know you're there," Senator Everett said. "You can come out now."

'Nancy, you rat!' Lake thought bitterly.

He took a calming breath, then slowly pushed the door open. The whine of the hinges sang in the tense silence, and he slowly maneuvered his way into the living room and faced his father.

Harold Everett looked at his son for a moment. His stern gaze had disappeared, although he wasn't certain because he had almost forgotten how to show emotion.

He had always been a man of principle, a man who believed in discipline and hard choices. But seeing Lake like this—seeing the boy who had inherited his stubbornness, his fire—confined to that wheelchair, it was as if those principles were suddenly less clear, less rigid.

The sight tugged at him. It broke his heart in many ways.

"Dad," Lake tried to speak.

"Don't say anything," Harold stopped him with his authoritative voice, though now it sounded almost uncertain.

"I was in a meeting today," he began, his voice low. "And one of my cohorts, same party as me, he got a call from his son. I could hear over the phone as the boy whined and complained to his father, my equal in the profession. He tried to play it cool of course, but his son kept whining, and so my associate just let him take what it was he wanted."

Harold licked his lips slowly. "Do you know what it was that the boy wanted?"

"No?" Lake said, unsure of where this was going.

"His father's jet. That was it. He called his father, who was in an important meeting, just so he could borrow his jet and travel to Monrient Bay or whatever. And my associate, he was so ashamed, so ashamed. But the truth is... all of my friends in the profession, their sons are like this as well."

"Spoiled, frivolous, trivial, whiny, and very one dimensional. They're never going to reap the consequences of it because they have money that could serve them for an eternity. They have no dreams, no passion for anything except vanities."

Harold's expression tightened as he spoke, the conflict evident in his eyes.

"And then there's my son, who I hear has gotten into a dangerous accident and tore his ACL. I hurry back home as I fast as I can, expecting to see you crying, telling me how right I was. Expecting to see you give up."

His gaze intensified on his son's face. "But you don't. You want to keep trying, you want to keep chasing this dream of yours, even with a major setback such as this."

Lake's eyes fell under his father's scrutiny.

"This isn't just a phase for you, is it Lake?" Harold asked with a softer voice. "This is your passion?"

"It is, Dad," Lake said, lifting his gaze to his dad.

Harold was quiet for a while, nodding his head as he resonated with the situation. "Then you have to continue chasing it."

Lake's eyes suddenly lit up with disbelief and hope. "D— Dad? Are you serious?"

"Yes I am. It was wrong of me to try to stop you in the first place. I understand that now."

Lake stared at his father as though he'd seen a ghost. He couldn't believe it. "What about our deal? You d— you don't back down from deals."

Harold chuckled, confusing Lake the more. "My condition was that once you failed, you would be taken straight to Medical University. Tell me, son. Have you failed yet?"

Realization appeared on Lake's face and shook his head left to right. "No, Dad. I haven't."

"Good," Harold nodded. "So once you're done with your surgery, and you prove to me and the doctor that you can get back on the court, then you will be allowed to."

Lake couldn't stop smiling, his face was brimming with excitement and joy. He almost couldn't believe how easy it was, the words that were coming out of his father's lips.

Was this a dream?

"Thanks, Dad."

Senator Everett found himself smiling as well. "I'll tell you what, son. To make up for all the times I wasn't there, I'll make you a new deal. If you get to the State Cup Final, I promise to be there in the crowd that day no matter what it is that needs my attention in the office."

With a look of shock and happiness in his face, Lake shook his father's hand and sealed the pact. "You've got a deal, Dad," he said.

Ding!

The system appeared.

[Quest Completed Successfully]

[Rewards Granted]

[XP increase = +25 XP]

[Stamina = +3]

[New Item = Vitality Tonic — A special drink that stimulates rejuvenation and heals wounds and illnesses]

[Commendations, Lake. Your path to glory has begun!]