Editing Kakegurui Trip Fulltext (section)

==Chapter 4, part 11==

Oh, black haired maiden, what were you thinking? I frequently see people who make big bluffs as if betting on weak hands is somehow a requirement for being a top player. It's usually so transparent that I find it endearing.<br>
Yumeko did the same, but she wasn't trying to hide it. Seeing her do it moved me in a strange way. I felt an uncanny mix of shame, desire and suspicion.
<br><br>
My trash hand bet was purely tactical. It was part of my plan. I can't figure out Yumeko's plan, however. Does she even have one? Her expression was genuine. That I'm sure of. There is no way that blush and heavy breathing were faked. I don't understand her.
<br><br>
The other three players are the usual easy prey. I'll try to finish them off quickly. I have no desire to torment people for longer than needed. Yumeko however is... interesting.
<br><br>
I eliminated one of the guys. The others were steadily losing chips. They were like candles, burning out, slowly but surely.
<br><br>
I was wondering where Yumeko's daring spirit went. She was just folding, over and over. If she kept this up, the ante would eat up all her chips.
<br><br>
The girl first from the dealer was eliminated. It was now just me, one other guy and Yumeko. A large majority of the chips were mine now. This made things even easier. I could afford it to make some bad judgments a couple of times while the others could not.
<br><br>
I bet 250 thousand. It was exactly the amount the other guy had left. He called. His reaction time gave him away. It was faster than last time when it turned out he had a flush. Less hesitation means a better hand. He'll be winning this one. Good for him. It would only prolong his suffering, though. I'll be taking back those chips soon enough. I imagine that he feels like he is being slowly suffocated.
<br><br>
Finally, Yumeko made a move. ''"I'm all-in! That's 320 thousand total!"''
<br><br>
Well, if she waited so long for this, she couldn't possibly be betting on a trash hand again. After so many folds she was bound to have something good eventually. My experience told me I should get out of this one. 
<br><br>
''"Okay, fold"'', I said. 
<br><br>
Folding would be senseless for the other guy. It would leave him with a guaranteed zero chip count. I was out of this hand and the guy had not enough to cover Yumeko's raise. Because of this, the game proceeded as if each of us had bet 250 thousand, the exact stack size of the guy.
<br><br>
The dealer returned 70 thousand to Yumeko. ''"Right, we move on to the showdown."''
<br><br>
The guy quickly flipped over his cards. It was a pair of sevens. Yumeko elegantly flipped hers. She had a pair of nines.<br>
Weak hands, huh? It looks like I misread them both.
<br><br>
The quick reaction time of the guy didn't come form confidence. It was simply that he gave up on thinking. He just went along with the first bet offered to be released from his misery. At least, I understand him in hindsight.
<br><br>
What Yumeko was doing however, was baffling. Why did she keep folding for so long to finally go all-in with only a weak pair? Surely, she must have had a better hand than this at some point. It wasn't that she was upsetting me, it was that I was upset because I didn't understand her.
<br><br>
I guess I'll chat her up some more. ''"Black haired maiden, what kind of play style is that?"''
<br><br>
She looked bewildered when I asked. Was this expression some kind of bluff too?
<br><br>
''"Ace-san, we're in the middle of a round. We shouldn't talk too much. You'll get scolded again"'', she said with a troubled smile.
<br><br>
''"You fascinate me because I don't understand your way of thinking. What is this strange logic that you abide by?"'', I asked. 
<br><br>
Wait, what was I doing...? It must have sounded ridiculous. I was asking my opponent to teach me their best tricks, while in combat with them. 
<br><br>
Yumeko smiled warmly. ''"Oh, isn't that obvious? I'm just playing poker in the most enjoyable way."''
<br><br>
''"Jabami-sama wins"'' The dealer pushed the pot towards Yumeko. The eliminated guy left the table.
<br><br>
''"It was pure luck, but you made your comeback. I guess the fun isn't over yet"'', I said.
<br><br>
Yumeko kept smiling at me. ''"Exactly! Let's have as much fun with this match as we can, Ace-san."''
<br><br>
I guess I understood it now.
<br><br>