Editing Kakegurui Trip Fulltext (section)

==Chapter 5, part 9==

After I parted ways with Yumeko and Ryota at the tournament sign up, I headed to the hall with the screens. There was work to be done.
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I was regretting that I couldn't enjoy myself at the casino some more and I was not really looking forward to watching the tournament. It couldn't be helped. I was under orders from Yumeko. I had sworn to obey her during this trip, but more importantly, what I was about to do seemed to involve getting revenge on Kifune. It was so frustrating that I couldn't do anything about the treatment we got from her on the ship. However, with the ridiculous plan Yumeko came up with, I could bite back.
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''"Mary-san, this is an order. Watch as much of the tournament tables as you can. Among all the players, there will be one who will be consistently and suspiciously lucky. Find out who that person is. You have until the end of the second round to do so"'', Yumeko had whispered to me.
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It was all good up to that point, but Yumeko kept whispering. ''"Right at the last minute, just before the betting on the final round is about to close, make sure at least a 100 million Yen bet is placed on that suspicious player. It doesn't have to you who is betting and it doesn't have to be your money. I'll reimburse you and anyone else you convinced to bet if it doesn't pay off. Please, Mary-san, make it happen."''
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Getting instructions like that from someone who was acting air-headed and starry-eyed was frighting. This was however Yumeko. Around her, the outrageously abnormal was a daily occurrence. I trusted her when she said she would refund any losses. All of this was going to be a challenge, but there would be no risk.<br> 
Yumeko probably didn't want to draw attention to herself by moving her own money. She knew that Kifune was watching her, so she needed someone else to bet.
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I decided to not let Ryota in on the secret. I was happy to let the guy enjoy himself, watching Yumeko's games. If I needed him, I could tell him about the scheme later. In the mean time, it was probably safer if he didn't know.
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I got some iced tea from the bar and managed to find a seat where I could see all the screens. I took a sip as I watched the dealers perform the first shuffle of the first round. Being friends with Yumeko had proven to be quite the roller coaster. How much stupid stuff had I been involved in now, only because she nudged me into it? I've lost count.
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My observations during the first round were inconclusive. I had seen some things from some people that could be considered strange, but there was nothing really suspicious. With 25 tables it was impossible to keep track of everyone.<br>
It annoyed me that I had gotten nowhere. I didn't want to disappoint Yumeko, but above all, I didn't want to fail. Sloppy work was unacceptable. I had one more round to spot the cheater.
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Ace had shown up between rounds. I ended up humoring him as much as I could stand. I needed someone to place the bet on the cheater and Ace was a great candidate for that.
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There were only 5 tables in the second round. This made my job a lot easier and I had a suspect pretty soon. It was Mitarai, that housepet girl we met at the bar earlier. At first glance, she was remarkably unremarkable. She had a timid demeanor and seemed to be playing carefully with fair skill.
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I happened to be looking at her table when there was a showdown with her involved. Mitarai was the last to call. She won with a full house, but the pot was low. I couldn't make sense of that. With such a fantastic hand, re-raising at least a little bit would absolutely be the right thing to do.
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I kept watching her and saw something similar happen again. Mitarai was holding back. It was as if she didn't want to win too quickly. I was willing to believe that her mind games were very effective, but the odd thing was that she seemed to have a differed goal than everybody else. She was acting like she wanted her opponents to bleed dry slowly, without ever looking like she was particularly lucky herself.
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The fact she kept getting away with not pushing her advantage when fortune smiled on her, told me her skills were way beyond my comprehension... or that she was cheating.
The second round at Mitarai's tabled wrapped up. She won.
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I was anxious and a bit reluctant. What I was about to do brought no risk to myself, but a lot of money would be involved and Yumeko's trust in me would be on the line. More importantly, I was going to try to convince Ace of something. He and Yumeko shared a table with only the two of them remaining. It was a drawn out battle and I noticed that Ace's attitude had changed a lot.
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There was no way I could come up with a 100 million Yen myself. I was far from broke, but my casino winnings from yesterday paled in comparison to the amount Yumeko had requested to be bet. I was still not entirely sure if Yumeko's order was a sign of trust, or another one of her elaborate gags. Anyway, a promise is a promise and if my actions helped to ruin Kifune, I was all for it.
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Yumeko had won her table. Ace was out of the tournament. It was time for me to make the move. I took a last gulp of iced tea and headed towards the tournament hall to intercept Ace.
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''"Goldilocks! So you are here after all! The black haired maiden is truly formidable. I got carried away and lost. Her charm pales in comparison to yours, of course"'', Ace said with a bright smile.
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I kept my face neutral. ''"Ace, listen, there is something I need to tell you."''
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Ace kept smiling. ''"Go ahead, my golden haired angel. No matter what insults come from your lips, they will sound as soothing as a siren's song to me!"''
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I shook my head. ''"Forget about all of that for a second. We need to talk business. It's a... delicate matter. Let's go outside, it's way too crowded in here."''
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We went to the fountain outside the casino entrance. There was nobody there and the splashing water made it hard to hear anything from afar. I explained the situation to him.
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''"So yeah"'', I conduced. ''"Yumeko's hunch was spot on and all I need now is someone to bet at least a 100 million Yen on Mitarai. You keep the winnings if the bet pays out. You get compensated by Yumeko if it doesn't. Do you... perhaps have the money available to make this deal?"''
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Ace was holding his chin and had a frown on his forehead. He was in deep thought.
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I took out my coin card. ''"There's 5 million Yen on this thing, my winnings from yesterday. It's all I have, pretty much. I'll give it to you to throw into the bet as well. It's chump change compared to what I'm asking you to wager, but it's all I can do to prove how serious I am about this."
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Ace changed pose. He crossed his arms and was smiling again. ''"Don't worry, Goldilocks. I believe everything you said. Knowing the black haired maiden, it all makes sense. She doesn't really care about the money. She just wants the casino management to feel the thrill of being exposed to huge risk, together with her."''
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His grin widened. ''"It's only a good gamble if everybody is absolutely terrified. That's what she is thinking."''
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Ace threw his head back and laughed. ''"Simply amazing. What a wonderful scheme. However... It's none of my business. I can make my own money. I don't need any risk-free handouts like this. Perhaps I need some more incentive to cooperate"'', he said with a wink. 
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I was expecting this. ''"If Mitarai does not win, you'll get refunded and... I'll go a date with you to the amusement park"'', I said as calmly as I could.
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Ace suddenly looked serious. ''"Goldilocks, we have a deal. I need to hurry"'', he said while snatching the coin card from my hand. He quickly went back into the building.
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My job was done. I could loiter a bit and then watch the final round with Ryota. I stopped by the bar and ordered a fruit plate. As I was eating it, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
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''"The bet has been placed. I made it 200 million Yen, total"'', Ace quickly whispered into my ear. He then smiled and loudly talked about the amusement park and how our date there would go.
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