Humble Bragging 소설 & 이야기

"You might be right. I'm competent and overly cute after all.." "Is this a bragging session..?" I drop my shoulder in defeat. “I'm an amazing person. You think so too, don't you? But in one area, you're beating me. We're the same age, and gender doesn't matter for this. So, I'm going to go ahead and say it: It makes me sick to know that you, the person who's beating me—Low-Sero, the one person I respected—is ruining his life. It's unforgivable! It's disgusting! If the person beating me is worthless, doesn't that make me worthless, too?”

Jada was perplexed. "You're so powerful that you could claim yourself to be the strongest, yet you're still being so humble?" Frank chuckled. "Claiming to be the strongest is no issue, but why hoard accolades? When I was younger, I never understood why the best warriors in fiction were so humble, but I've come to understand that strength and reputation are two different things. "No matter how strong you are, your reputation will be bad if it's bad. Or what, are you going to regulate what people say?"

Carina was frightened, and blinked at him. His breathing became heavy. "Still not saying? Are you really waiting for me to strip you clean? " "I never thought that you wouldn't be outstanding. I'm not laughing at whether you're excellent or not. I'm just laughing at how you brag about yourself." "Self-praise?" "Yeah, you said it, there's nothing wrong with your Mendez family's genes." "Am I wrong?" "That's right, but who would be so conceited as to boast about it? If someone else praises you, that means you have some good virtue."

Oh, and let’s not forget that he was cocky, arrogant, full of himself, arrogant and--- Did I mention an arrogant SOB? But despite his flaws, he also had the kind of confident charm that seemed to just work for him. Sure, coming from anyone else, they would sound like an entitled, full-of-themselves brat. But when Zane said all those things he said, they somehow sounded innocent-like. As if he was just stating a fact, not boasting about or hotly putting all his amazing glory on display. Humble he was not! Hell, I doubted he knew the word and even if he looked it up, he’d have a hard time understanding it. But despite all that, I’d come to realize that he was actually rather likable.

“Tsk tsk tsk, what did I say just now? It’s better to stay humble. It’s not good to be too overconfident. You thought you had me wrapped around your finger, but you never realized that to me, you’re just an ant that I could crush at any time,” David shook his hand and continued to mock. “Yes, yes, yes. You’re right! I should have been humble and not overconfident. I was enlightened this time. If you let me go, I will listen to you and will never make the same mistake again,” Archimedes quickly agreed.

It's embarrassing to be treated like this, but I don't want to deny that it makes me so happy. "I have a lot of wealth. That means I'm very rich. So... my treasure can't possibly run out." What kind of words had he just said? Is she bragging about being a wealthy person? "You're very confident in your words, Enrick. Is it true that your wealth will never run out? Sorry, I do not mean to belittle you. It's just that all this still doesn't make sense to me." Mr. Enrick raised one eyebrow as if he wanted to say if I really underestimated him. I might slap myself in the mouth after this.

The trick is perfect—dangle pride in front of competitive athletes and watch the explosion. “Excuse me?” Suta’s voice booms over the noise, already the loudest of the bunch. “What makes you so confident, huh? You won once because Javis sneezed mid-shot last season and Aaron was too much of a coward to beat you in front of the rookies. Fluke. Total fluke. I’d wipe the floor with your smug ass.” Liam’s lips twitch like he’s fighting a smile. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, bro.”

But any admiration I might have felt vanished as his expression darkened with annoyance. "Watch where you're going, clumsy," he snapped, his voice cutting through the air like a whip. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as I stumbled for words. "I-I'm so sorry," I stammered, my heart pounding in my chest. His lips twisted into a sneer, and a rush of anger rose within me. Who did he think he was, speaking to me like that? "Sorry doesn't undo the fact that you nearly knocked me over," he retorted, his tone dripping with condescension.

I pause, letting the meaning of my words hit them full force. "Now, you will bow. Not before the Hammond fortune. Not before the title. But before the girl you called 'the Whale.' You will acknowledge, before all, your infamy. And you will swear, on what remains of your honor, to never allow this to happen again. To anyone." The silence is so deep you could hear a pin drop. No one moves. Capitulation is one thing; public self-flagellation is another. Fear meets a last bastion of vain pride.

Before I could answer, he added proudly, “I cooked it. I am amazing, aren’t I?” “You praise yourself too much,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “I thought alphas were supposed to be humble.” “Who lied to you?” Arnold laughed softly. “We should be humble when it matters. But people also need to remember who is stronger.” There was no arrogance in his voice. That was the unsettling part. He believed every word naturally, like it was simply how the world worked. I frowned down at the soup, saying nothing. Because deep down… I understood what he meant.