I pulled out my phone and checked the date.
Yeah.
If I remembered correctly, the payment notices wouldn't start arriving for another month or so.
My parents had left a little money behind. And some relatives had given me a bit after the funeral.
But it wasn't enough.
Not nearly enough.
Which meant I needed to start making money.
Fast.
I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.
"What are the fastest ways to earn money?" I muttered.
My brain immediately started throwing out ridiculous ideas.
"Rob a bank… win the lottery… prostitution…"
"Prostitution… nah."
I leaned back on the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
"Gambling…"
Now that was something I could actually try.
More specifically, sports betting.
Like most guys, I had followed a few sports leagues pretty closely. Back then I used to check scores almost every day. If my memory was right, I could remember the results of at least a few games from this season.
But there was one problem.
If this really was a different world… the results might not be the same.
Still, I picked up my phone.
"Let's see what games are happening today."
After a bit of scrolling, I found one.
Match 23.
**Purple Soxx vs Dodgers United.**
My eyes narrowed as the memory surfaced.
The Purple Soxx had lost their last two games, while the Dodgers had been on a winning streak.
Everyone expected the Dodgers to win.
But they didn't.
The Soxx beat them.
Three to one.
I sat up a little straighter.
Should I bet on it… or wait and see if the result was the same as I remembered?
If it was different, then that meant my memories of future results were useless.
But if it matched…
I could make serious money.
"What the hell," I muttered.
"I can risk a hundred dollars or so."
I opened a betting site on my phone and checked the odds.
Purple Soxx — **5 to 1**.
I did the math quickly.
A hundred dollars would turn into five hundred.
Not bad.
I went to place the bet.
Then paused.
"…Minimum bet: $1000."
I stared at the screen.
"Seriously?"
I leaned back again, thinking.
It was a lot of money… but I still had some savings left from what my parents had left behind and the money relatives had given me.
If the result was the same…
I'd turn that thousand into **five thousand dollars**.
I exhaled slowly.
"Ah, screw it."
Before I could overthink it, I entered the amount.
**$1000 on Purple Soxx to win.**
Then I pressed confirm.
The moment I placed the bet, I wanted to cancel it.
Immediately.
My finger hovered over the screen, desperately looking for a cancel option.
There wasn't one.
"…Shit."
For the next three hours I stressed more than I ever had watching a game. I paced around the living room, checked the score every few minutes, and muttered prayers under my breath.
I hadn't even been this nervous when my team, the Kings, were playing in the Super Plate.
Every update made my heart jump.
Then the final score appeared.
**Purple Soxx — 3**
**Dodgers United — 1**
For a second I just stared at the screen.
Then it hit me.
"I won."
I shot up from the sofa.
"I fucking won!"
Five thousand dollars.
I had never won anything like this before.
"This is awesome," I laughed.
With this and the money I already had, I didn't have to worry about the next couple of months anymore.
But another thought quickly followed.
If the result was exactly the same as I remembered… Did that mean the future was still the same?
Or had nothing changed yet because I hadn't interfered with anything important?
I rubbed my chin, thinking.
Either way, there was one obvious move.
I needed to remember as many game results as possible.
If my memories were reliable, I could make a lot of money through betting.
"Alright," I said, opening the app again. "Let's withdraw."
When I checked the payout details, my excitement dropped a little.
There was a **30% tax on winnings**.
So out of the $5,000 I had won, plus the $1,000 I originally bet, I would only receive **$4,200**.
"…Well, it's still good money."
Three thousand dollars in three hours wasn't exactly bad.
I leaned back and started scrolling through upcoming matches.
"Now… what's the next game I remember?"
After a minute I found one.
**Kings vs Seahawks.**
My eyes lit up.
That match was in two days.
And I clearly remembered how it ended.
The Kings lost.
Badly.
A small grin formed on my face.
"Well… looks like I'll be betting on the Seahawks."
I could probably put **$2,000** on it.
But this time I'd wait until the day of the match to place the bet.
No point rushing.
"I should treat myself," I thought.
So I ordered a macaroni burger meal.
Before the food arrived, I cleaned myself up a bit.
I washed my face, changed into something comfortable, and ran a hand through my hair while looking at the mirror.
Even after everything that had happened today, it still felt strange seeing my younger face staring back at me.
I shook my head and left the bathroom just as the doorbell rang.
A little while later I sat on the couch with the food spread out on the table in front of me.
Well… that was delicious.
Fast food for dinner.
The true teenage dream.
I chuckled to myself as I finished the last bite.
After cleaning up, I checked the time. I had school tomorrow, which meant waking up early. I'd have to make my own breakfast too.
Might as well sleep early.
But before going to bed, I decided to check my class schedule and notebooks. If I was going to pretend everything was normal, I didn't want to look completely clueless tomorrow.
I flipped through my bag and looked over the schedule.
Honestly, though, I doubted anyone would notice anything strange.
It was still the beginning of the school year. Most people didn't really know each other yet.
Even Jane and I weren't that close at this point.
There were only a few people in this class I was actually familiar with.
Still, there was no harm in being prepared.
Nobody ever regretted preparing ahead.