Editing Kakegurui Trip Fulltext (section)

==Chapter 5, part 10==

As everybody was clapping for Hana, Mary cupped her hands and began whispering into my ear. She explained what Yumeko's instructions to her were and what she had been doing during the previous rounds. 
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I felt like a dunce. Yumeko and Mary had been miles ahead of me. They had figured out what was going on early and acted on it strategically and skillfully. All I had been doing was cheering for Yumeko without suspecting a thing. Yumeko's foresight was brilliant and Mary's keen observational skills were crucial to executing the plan. It was both comforting and unsettling being friends with these two. 
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Sayaka looked at Kifune, probably expecting she would make an end announcement of some sort. It seemed that this was not going to happen, so Sayaka took the microphone from the table herself. She spend a second looking for the activation button on it.
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She found the button and made a quick no-nonsense statement, informing everyone who won and that the tournament was over. After putting the microphone down, she walked over to Kirari to stand by her side.
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Hana was led away by one of the staff and Kifune disappeared into the crowd as well. The final proceedings must have looked a bit clumsy and anticlimactic, but the audience didn't seem to care much. The tournament itself had been spectacular, after all. 
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''"Well, I lost"'', Yumeko said cheerfully as she joined us in the crowd.
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''"You... You certainly put up a great show"'', I said, managing to smile. ''"Saotome told me about... eh... the thing you had her do. I can't believe all of this was happening in the background."''
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Mary crossed her arms and was frowning. ''"Yumeko, I did exactly as you asked. I found the right person and arranged the bet. It was a nearly impossible task, but I managed it. Don't you dare giving me any more orders."''
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Yumeko giggled. ''"I see, but it all worked out didn't it? If I had thought you had failed, the game would not have been nearly as thrilling for me. I would have been lost without you. Thanks so much, Mary-san!"''
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''"Hey, stop clinging to me"'', Mary shouted.
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Yumeko was hugging Mary's arm. ''"Mary-san, tell me, did you have to promise a date to Ace? When are you going?"''
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Mary looked shocked. ''"Yes... I mean, no... It was only if... Hey, how did you know? Wait, you didn't do all this only to make me... Aarg!"''
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''"Yumeko, there's something I don't quite get yet"'', I said. ''"You had the foresight to know the tournament was rigged before signing up. So, why did you sign up, anyway? If president Momobami showing up had nothing to do with you, you wouldn't have known there was any outlook on the cheating to stop. Since you don't like rigged games, you were knowingly signing up for misery."''
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Yumeko looked at me while still hugging Mary's arm.
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''"If I hadn't signed up, I wouldn't have been able to play all those wonderful games. I couldn't just pass up the opportunity for fun so grand as this tournament. Sure, it was a bummer to know there was foul play, but it made the challenge even more enticing somehow. I was... trying to find a way to deal with it myself at the final table, but then the unexpected happened."
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Yumeko let go of Mary's arm and looked at me more seriously. ''"You should chose to do whatever makes you happy and accept there may be setbacks."''
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I smirked. ''"To be honest, I'm only passionate about video games. I just have to choose which ones to play to have the most fun. It's nothing compared to the choices you are making."''
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Yumeko snorted. She stood close to me and put a hand on my neck. I was expecting a warm touch but her fingers felt cold. She looked straight at me from up close. Her eyes widened and I felt like I was staring at an inescapable abyss.<br>
''"The choices are just a means to an end for me. I want to bring out everything my opponent has. Only if brought to the edge of despair, does their true potential awaken. People can do the most miraculous things when pushed to their limit. Playing against people in that state brings me unimaginable pleasure"'', she softly said while rubbing my neck with two fingers. 
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I was afraid of Yumeko, but I was also drawn to her. It was like surfing on the towering waves a hurricane had produced; an exhilarating sort of fear. You could only enjoy the ride if you accepted that you could slip and be pulled under at any moment. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the touch, knowing that the abyss was staring at me.
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