Editing Kakegurui Trip Fulltext (section)

==Chapter 2, part 5==

This world is governed by natural laws. Nature is all there is. All living things will eventually decay and return to the earth, becoming fertilizer for new life. I am the earth and the earth is me. There is no escaping this cycle of rebirth. Everything will transform into something else eventually. Time is fleeting and merciless. It doesn't stop for anyone, not even for a second. Like a river of a majestic mountain, it flows quietly, yet surely.
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All things that rise, will fall. That too is a natural law and my coin balance was following it. At it's peak, it was three times the original amount. I should have stopped there. Now it was close to zero. Gambling is truly terrifying. You can never keep winning. ''"Knowing when to quit is crucial"'', they say. Perhaps it was a gambler who said that first.
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The bunny girl brought me another drink. Her expression hadn't changed, but now I felt like she was looking down on me. That's fine. Minimal consideration is enough for a pathetic loser. 
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''"How is it going, Suzui-san?"'' Smooth black hair brushed against my cheek as Yumeko poked her head over my shoulder.<br> 
''"Is something wrong? You don't look like you are dong too well."''
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''"I'm no good, Yumeko. I guess I'm just not cut out for this."'' I could only manage a forced smile that undoubtedly looked fake.
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''"Oh... that's a shame. But slots really are just blind luck, aren't they?"'', she said.
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They were. That's why I was playing them. If the winnings are determined mechanically, I figured there was a chance I could beat Yumeko. No bluffing or strategy needed. The plan didn't work, however. The occasional Cherry matches I was getting were no compensation for the long streaks of misses.
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I pressed 'Play' again. The machine did it's spin and stopped. No match. ''"Another one. I had so much misses in a row now"'', I sighed. 
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''"You still have some spins left, don't give up... Oh, this machine is Hyakkaou branded"'', Yumeko softly spoke beside my ear.
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I checked the pay table once more. Above 'Scatter Mode' was another tier; 'Jackpot'.
The slot machines were connected to a network. The wins and losses on all of them were being kept track of. If you hit 'Jackpot', it paid out depending on how much the customers collectively lost since the last time someone hit it.
On this machine, the symbol lineup for Jackpot was one 7 in the middle with everything else being the Hyakkaou emblem. Actually hitting it was a pipe dream of course.
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Something occurred to me and I stood up. "Why don't you give it a spin, Yumeko? You might have better luck than me."
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"No way! It's your game so you should be the one to enjoy it", she protested. 
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''"It's fine, it's fine. I'm almost broke anyway"'', I said while grabbing her shoulders and nudging her onto the stool. Then I pointed at the 'Play' button. ''"All you have to do is press this."''
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''"Okay, here I go!"'' She pressed it and the symbols were spinning again. 
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What a stark contrast. Such a beautiful girl at such a wretched machine.<br>
I thought that Yumeko might not like slots very much because it lacked human interaction. Probability and strategy were all well and good but not what Yumeko tends to get the most excited about. Predicting the thoughts of the other player, reading their emotions, influencing them with deception and above all, feeling the thrill of uncertainty together with them.<br>
Those were the things Yumeko wanted and she didn't shy away from huge wagers to get them. This is what made her so strong. 
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The spin ended. It was another miss.
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''"Come on, do it again"'', I said. She did. 
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The one who was having the most fun was probably me. Looking at her playing was endearing. It didn't matter anymore if I went bust. Not all my money was on that coin card. I had some stashed away so I had enough for the bare minimum for the rest of the trip.
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The bunny girl was back. I gestured that I didn't need the drink. She probably felt sorry for me and wanted to at least let me enjoy the juice.
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Suddenly, there was a piercing noise. A short tune played by trumpets. ''"Look, Suzui-san! You've won!"''
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On the screen was a perfect row of identical symbols on the central line. An animation played, showing the 'remaining coins' count shooting up.
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I felt the gamblers rush. It was as if my brain trembled with joy.<br>
''"Amazing! You're incredible, Yumeko! Congratulations!"'' 
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When the coin counter stopped moving, it far exceeded the peak from earlier. Damn, if I hadn't stopped betting the maximum because I was worried about going broke, it would have been even more amazing. I knew there was no use thinking that way, though. This is at least a lot better than not winning at all.
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''"I'm so happy for you, Suzui-san"'', Yumeko said cheerfully. 
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''"No, no, Yumeko, you're the one who won. I'll cash in the winnings and pay you back"'', I replied.<br>
''"It probably would have been a bust if I was playing. I'd feel hesitant to spend money that I didn't win myself, anyway."''
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''"What? No! It was your money being wagered so the winnings are yours too! I'm just happy to have helped."''<br> 
''"Besides..."'', Yumeko said while glancing down. ''"I won a bit at baccarat earlier."''<br>
On the ground was a large bag that looked like it was stuffed to it's limit. No doubt heavy and unwieldy if it was full of coins. ''"It was quite a struggle to drag it all the way to here."''
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I was stunned. ''"...Yumeko, let's go get this exchanged for a coin card like the one I have. Carrying so much is no good."''
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''"Ah, so that's how it works here"'', she said. ''"I was already wondering how everyone else was managing it."''
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I thought she was joking but I wasn't sure. Yumeko can be a bit absent-minded sometimes, regardless of her brilliance. 
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''"So, how are you guys doing?"'' Mary was walking towards us. She had a smirk on her face and was waiving a coin card. There was no doubt she had won quite bit too.
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