Editing Kakegurui Trip Fulltext (section)

==Chapter 4, part 8==

The tournament hall had been rearranged again. There were only five tables now and there was more room for the spectators. Though, it felt about just as crowded as before because more people came in to watch.
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All the 25 seats were taken and all the dealers were standing ready. The second round was about to begin.
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I found a good spot and could see Yumeko. She was sitting neatly with her back straight, chatting with another player.
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It was Ace. Because of his height and brown hair, it was hard to not notice him. As I was thinking back to our nightmare match at the beach, he saw me. ''"Hey, Suzui-san, thanks again for that fierce battle earlier."''
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I bowed instinctively. I knew he was in the tournament and I had seen him before in the hall, but it didn't occur to me he might end up sharing a table with Yumeko.
''"I'm a poker pro"'', I remember him saying as he left us at the beach.
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''"Black haired maiden, isn't Goldilocks here to watch you play?"'', Ace asked.
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''"Oh, Mary-san isn't very interested in this tournament. It's a shame, really. I would have loved it if she played too"'', Yumeko replied.
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Ace seemed disappointed. ''"Hmm, I can't show my skill to her but that means that nothing is holding me back either. Let's have a good match, black haired maiden!"''
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Yumeko smiled. ''"Yes, lets have a fun game. I'm unsure about Twister, but I'm happy I get to play poker with you, Ace-san."''
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Yumeko and Ace made a relaxed impression. The other players at their table did not. They were staring at the chatting duo with wide eyes and made no attempt to join in on the banter.
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I overheard students next to me talking. ''"Hey, look here... Jabami and Ace are grouped." "Seriously? They're both favorites." "I made a bet on Jabami, but with Ace, who knows?"''
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I was curious and struck up a conversation with them. ''"So eh, this Ace guy is famous then?"''
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''"Oh yeah, he is well known pro. I played against him once"'', the guy next to me replied.
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''"How was it?"'', I asked.
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''"How shall I put it... It was like I wasn't allowed to compete. I mean, the game was fair and I could read his thoughts a bit. Though, when it mattered the most, he just dodged me"'', the guy continued.
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I felt like that raised more questions than it answered. ''"What do you mean, 'he dodged you'?"''
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''"Just watch him and you'll get it"'', was the unsettling reply. 
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I knew Ace was an eccentric guy, but I didn't quite see how his quirks would make him so strong at poker. There was not much use speculating about it now, though. I had no choice but to take the advice and watch him play. 
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Kifune used the intercom again to announce the start of the round. The crowd cheered and the dealers started shuffling.
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Clockwise from the dealer sat a girl, then Ace, then two other guys and finally Yumeko. The chatting had stopped and both Yumeko and Ace were calmly watching the dealer prepare. They had a confident look, unlike the others at their table.<br>
The crowd was quiet and the atmosphere in the hall was tense. A drop of sweat fell from my cheek. Somehow it was as if much more was at stake now than in the previous round.
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The players received their cards and peeked at them, except for Ace. He left his on the table undisturbed and looked at Yumeko. ''"Black haired maiden..."''
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She looked at him and so did the rest of the table. Ace behaved like none of the other players existed. He was acting as if it was just him and her, in private.
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''"Is something wrong? You didn't check your cards yet"'', Yumeko asked.
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''"I win at poker 96% of the time"'', he said, tapping his cards. ''"Do you know why I hardly ever lose? Because in poker you win by dominating your opponents. You fight with your determination, your ability to read people and your bluffing. Sure, there is luck involved, but skill overcomes luck."''
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He brushed his hair away with one hand. His fingers looked strangely pristine for a muscled guy. It was unlikely he ever had a part time job doing something like dish washing or order picking.
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The dealer interrupted his monologue. ''"Ace-sama, please check your hand. If you don't, we'll be moving to the discard phase as-is."''
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''"Haven't you heard of me, dealer? If you do this job, you should have caught a mention of me at least once or twice"'', Ace said to her, raising an eyebrow.
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''"Ace-sama..."'', the dealer began with a voice noticeably sharper. It seemed his charm didn't work on her. It occurred to me she was the second girl I saw being annoyed by his style. I smirked.
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Ace gave in reluctantly. ''"Eh, yeah, excuse me, I'll check now."''
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Somehow, this little stunt with the dealer made Ace seem even more of a formidable opponent. He acted like he was at home. The atmosphere was so tense that even those who had nothing at stake here felt the pressure. But there was Ace, making small talk and boasting with such confidence.
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Was he deliberately acting like this? He didn't seem much differed from how he was at the beach, but it did feel like he had more of a sharp edge here. I could certainly understand how other players could feel intimidated by him.
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Yumeko didn't show any emotion and kept her eyes fixed on Ace.
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