Editing Kakegurui Trip Fulltext (section)

==Chapter 4, part 13==

The battle between Yumeko and Ace had ended.
<br><br>
Their one-on-one was all the people around me were talking about. Some of the questions they were raising would never be answered. If a hand was folded, the cards remained a mystery.
<br><br>
Ace had an overwhelming advantage, but Yumeko made a comeback, eventually evening the chip stacks.<br>
When it was just her and him, his dominating play style disappeared. Everybody who was watching sensed that.
<br><br>
''"Suzui-san, were you watching?"'' Yumeko squeezed herself through the crowd and appeared beside me. She looked refreshed, like she just had been out for a stroll. Not exhausted like she had fought a formidable opponent.
<br><br>
I greeted her with a smile. ''"Of course! That last bit was incredibly exciting! It ended with a coin flip, basically."''
<br><br>
Ace was standing behind us ''"Black haired maiden, thank you for the incredible game. Oh, hi, Suzui-san."''
<br><br>
''"My pleasure. Thanks to you, I had a fun game."'' Yumeko placed her hands on her thighs and made a polite bow. 
<br><br>
''"It was great fun, and that's why I lost. You made me drop my resolve. I never had this happen before"'', Ace said with a smile more genuine than the one on the beach. You'd never think this was a guy who was just eliminated from the tournament. He looked relaxed and content. 
<br><br>
''"I always stick to my play style, but with you I didn't. That's why it became the best game I ever had. I used to enjoy poker when I was beginner. You took me right back to that."''
Ace ran his fingers through his hair and sighed ''"I never thought I'd meet someone like you. Your strength lies in dragging people into your madness. Ehh... I mean that in a good way, of course."''
<br><br>
Yumeko covered her mouth with one hand and chuckled. ''"If the invitation still stands, I'll gladly play with you gain."''
<br><br>
Aced bowed. ''"Oh, it definitely stands. I'll invite you to somewhere where we can play with drinks and sandwiches in hand. Please bring Goldilocks and Suzui with you."''
<br><br>
''"Uh, wouldn't I be out of place?"'', I asked.
<br><br>
''"Oh no. I want witnesses to my revenge for today's defeat. Perhaps I can make Goldilocks gamble on a date with me again."''
<br><br>
Ace extended his hand. ''"Black haired maiden, it looks like the momentum is yours and you will be the one to win the tournament. I wish you luck."''
<br><br>
Yumeko briefly held his hand with elegance. ''"Yes, I'll do my best."''
<br><br>
''"Well, the loser needs to leave, right? There is non-tournament poker going on here as well and I want in on the action. Until next we meet, gambling maniac maiden and Suzui-san!"'' Ace waved and started to walk away.
<br><br>
Ace was a terrifying guy in many ways. He was clearly someone you wouldn't want to hold a grudge against you. Although he lost time and money here, it was clear that Yumeko didn't have worry about him being a sore loser. This was her unique touch, an ability she could only posses because of her sincere dedication to the thrills of the unknown.
<br><br>
After waving back, Yumeko turned to me. ''"Ace really is an interesting guy. I'm happy I get to gamble with so many people today. I wonder who's in the final."''
<br><br>
From what I picked up from the crowd earlier, none of them could be as famous as Ace. They couldn't be bad players either, obviously.
<br><br>
''"We should have time to grab a drink before the next round starts"'', I said.
<br><br>
''"Hmm... no. I want... ice cream!"'', Yumeko giggled. 
<br><br>
This could be arranged. The bar menu had a page with ice cream choices, I noticed earlier. ''"Sure! Indulge yourself!"'', I said, smiling at her.
<br><br>