Revision as of 20:36, 7 July 2026

Preface

Kakegurui Trip Table of Contents illustration

Note from the translator

In the world of Kakegurui there is no magic or science fiction. Things are however far from mundane. The social norms on some issues are utterly nuts. Anyone familiar with the manga or anime knows this. I thought it's best to mention it here anyway, for the benefit of any unsuspecting readers.

I've preserved the Japanese spoken politeness rules for names in the same way the official manga translation does. Adding the honorific '-san' to a name is casually polite. Using '-sama' instead is more formally polite. Being friends does not automatically mean you call each other by your first names or drop the honorifics.

There are poker games in this novel. The table of contents spoiled that for you already. I've added a poker hand ranking chart on the next page. This allowed me to shorten some explanations, making things not too drawn out for readers who are already familiar with the game.

Please, keep in mind this is a fan translation. I'm not a professional writer and nobody paid me to do this. I hope you enjoy the novel.

Poker hand ranking (worst to best)

K♥ J♠ 10♣ 7♦ 5♥ High Card; Also called 'trash' or 'no hand'. There is no combination. The lone highest ranked card (a king in this case) faces off against the high card of other players if they also have no combination. The Japanese call high card a 'pig'

9♥ 9♠ 7♣ 7♠ J♥ Pairs; Two cards of the same rank is a pair and defeat any high card. Two pairs defeat any single pair.

5♥ 5♠ 5♣ A♦ K♦ Three of a kind; Three cards of the same rank are better than pairs.

Q♥ J♠ 10♠ 9♥ 8♦ Straight; Five cards of consecutive rank. J, Q and K count as 11, 12 and 13 respectively. The ace can serve as both 14 and 1.

A♦ Q♦ 8♦ 6♦ 4♦ Flush; Any five cards of the same suit (diamonds in this case).

6♥ 6♣ 6♦ Q♣ Q♦ Full house; A three-of-a-kind and a pair.

4♥ 4♠ 4♣ 4♦ 7♠ Four of a kind; Four cards of the same rank.

J♠ 10♠ 9♠ 8♠ 7♠ Straight Flush; A straight that is also a flush. The best possible straight flush (A, K, Q, J, 10) is called a royal flush.

Prologue

Hyakkaou Private Academy is a very prestigious, reputable, 122 year old school. Many of the children here are those of influential people in politics and business. My parents aren't wealthy and worked hard to get me here. They always avoided showing that they were struggling and preferred to proudly smile. I enrolled here with high hopes. My goal is to make it big in life and make my parents proud.

"Mittens! Go get me a sandwich from the cafeteria! The usual one. Hurry up!"
I was hit from the side and fell to the classroom floor. The girls who had been my friendly classmates just a few days ago were now kicking me while smiling. As the pain got worse, all I could do was groan.

"Y-yes... I'll go now..."
If I didn't answer immediately, I'd be kicked again. They don't see me as a human being now. I'm like livestock to them.

A class system exists at this school and it's a pretty simple one. There are two types of people; the oppressors and the oppressed. The powerful student council collects, supposedly voluntary, payments from everybody. Then the students are ranked based on how much they paid. If you are unlucky enough to be in the bottom 100, you become a housepet. Instead of using your name, other students will call you Fido if you are boy and Mittens if you are a girl. You essentially lose your human rights, becoming a servant and punching bag.

I stumble to the cafeteria while clutching my stomach. A tag hangs around my neck. I'm required to wear it so that everyone can see I'm a Mittens. Students I pass, glance at me in disgust as if I'm a dirty, stray, city cat. Occasionally, some show pity, but don't help. Being friendly with housepets can isolate you socially even if you are not one of them. You will be seen as a freak for being generous to the downtrodden. That's how the culture is here.

The voluntary payments to the student council are not voluntary at all. Even the most iron-willed would eventually break down and pay up, if they had the money. Being officially marked as sub-human is too much of a burden to bear. It's way easier to pay and be on the side of the oppressors.
The tribute money is not an amount that can easily be earned with part-time jobs. If your parents are rich, you can ask them for it. However, if you are like me and were foolish enough to enroll into this school with modest means, money will be a problem.

This talk about money brings us to another remarkable thing about this school; the gambling. It's openly permitted, endorsed and overseen by the student council. Some only dabble in it during breaks while others specialize in certain games as a club activity. Then there are the ones who run the gambling dens and profit from all the action. Not participating is also an option but doing so means your student council tribute money has to come from elsewhere.

Nobody here cares if you study well or excel at sports. Things like that don't matter to those who one day end up in power. What the elites need is negotiation skills, mind reading and performance under stress. Those are all things learned by gambling.

I lost a bet and with it my human dignity. Just like the others who aren't rich or good at gambling.
My parents didn't know how normal the abnormal is at this school. You would say the best course of action is to transfer out of this place as soon as possible, but I can't bring myself to do that. It would mean admitting defeat and disappointing my parents. Their hard work needs to pay off.

"I need money", I told myself as I squeezed the housepet tag in my fist. "I'll get my hands on a mountain of it, secure my future and run this place. The sleazy rich kinds and dead-eyed slaves will all bow to me one day."

Chapter 1: The Ryouran Island Summer Camp

Chapter 1, part 1

It's actually quite bizarre. A high school class room filled with students gambling at lunchtime. They went from reading their books to betting money on blackjack in a heartbeat. It was very confusing to me at first but now that I'm a second year student, I've gotten used to it. My name is Ryota Suzui and I'm nothing special. Just because you go to school here doesn't mean you are a gambling genius. I was even a housepet for a while.

"What's wrong with you? You look pathetic", a sneering voice said. It was Mary Saotome. She was the one responsible for making me a Fido back then.

"Nothing. I'm the same as always", I replied.

Mary swept away her ribbon tied blond twin tails. That brisk movement was typical of her. Then she flapped the collar of her short-sleeved shirt to let some air in. The bright red vest she wore over her shirt was the school's summer uniform. The outfit was flattering to her, making her look slender.

"So where did she go? You two are always together", Mary asked. "She should have been back in the classroom by now."

Mary is a very skilled gambler and well respected at the school. Until recently she had the whole class wrapped around her finger. She singled me out and I lost a lot of money playing against her. Because of her, I used to wear that cursed housepet tag. None of the classmates dared to challenge her to a game. Not even to a fun, low stakes one.

"You don't have many friends. I never see you talk to random people", Mary said.

"Isn't that just as true for you?", I asked her while smiling bitterly.

"Shut up! Don't talk to me like that unless you are looking for a fight!", she replied with her face turning red.

She is usually cheerful but when she does raise her voice, she make a bit of a childish impression. It's true that no classmates want to be friends with us. Our reputations contribute to that, but there is an additional, strong reason.

The classroom door slid open with a clatter. A girl appeared. She had very long, back hair that swayed lightly with every breeze. Beneath her neatly trimmed bangs were eyes like those of a cat in the dark. Her glossy lips formed a smile. She was dressed in the summer uniform, like Mary. Though, unlike with Mary's shirt collar, hers was pushed open from the inside. Big difference!

"Suzui-san, Mary-san. Look at this!"

The girl approaching so elegantly was the main reason for Mary's and my social predicament. Yumeko Jabami. A gambler who is shaking this school to it's core. She transferred in recently and in a short time managed to become pretty famous by winning games with student council members as opponents.

Those on the student council have a lot of wealth to tap into and tend to be the most daring, intelligent and sly. Everyone accepts them as the rulers. Because the beautiful and mysterious Yumeko managed to defeat some of them, she has now become the center of attention. Her background remains unknown. Even I, who has been watching her meteoric rise from up close, know very little about her. I wonder what lies beneath that endearing smile and up-beat demeanor.

"This sounds like so much fun!", Yumeko said, breathing heavily while showing us a piece of paper. "They were handing these out in the hallway earlier."

"What is it?"

"What do you mean, 'what is it'? Why didn't you two tell me about this event? I definitely want to go!", Yumeko said. She was clearly excited and giddy.

Surprised by Yumeko's enthusiasm, I took a look at the flyer. "Ryouran Island Summer Camp opens!", it was titled.

"Ah, this. It figures you wouldn't know about it since you transferred in this year", Mary said to Yumeko. "There is this island owned by our school called Ryouran. During school holidays, it's open to the students to spend time there."

Ryouran Island. Hyakka Ryouran... It's a reference to Hyakkaou Academy, I see.

Translator's note: This is word play. The school and island name taken together translate as 'a large gathering of people of excellence' in this context.

"Students visit it but somehow no one knows where it is. It's not on any map. I suppose a school like ours can pull off a stunt like that. They say it's probably south from here, but the location doesn't really matter anyhow", Mary continued.

"There is that thing there, right?", Yumeko asked Mary while her breathing became heavy again. "Everyone is going there for that reason, right?"

"And what would that be?", Mary asked with a dramatic sigh and a smile on her rosy lips. The answer was obvious.

"A casino." Yumeko shivered in anticipation when speaking that word. "I didn't know there was a full blown casino at this school!!" "I wonder what kind of games they have!!" "They must have blackjack, roulette, and slots, right?!" "Can we play baccarat?!" "I want to play poker the most!!"

"Relax and talk slower", Mary interrupted.

Mary acted cold to Yumeko. This was no doubt because Yumeko was responsible for Mary's downward spiral earlier. When Yumeko transferred in, she was challenged by Mary to a rigged game. Despite the cheating, Mary lost big and in an attempt to recover, lost even more. It was quite humiliating for someone with such a competitive spirit. However, Mary understood that Yumeko was not being mean to her and so the girls remained on speaking terms. Yumeko was just trying to have fun and Mary being handed the housepet tag turned out to be the consequence of that. Besides, since Mary made me a housepet earlier as well, she had little right to complain.

"They probably have all those games. I hear it's on par with a real casino. Also, the hotel attached to it is run professionally so the service should be good. I don't know for sure since I've never been there, though", Mary continued.

So it's just like Las Vegas! Images of glittering neon lights and bunny girls popped into my head.

"You'll coming too, aren't you, Suzui-san?", Yumeko asked me.

"Oh, am I?", I replied in surprise.

"Don't you want to...?" Yumeko asked while looking at me with begging puppy eyes. I was unable to refuse.

"Alright, since I'm a student here I should check the place out at least once. How much will it cost anyway? It may be too expensive for me", I asked Yumeko in return.

"Don't worry, Suzui-san! The trip and hotel stay are free!", she replied while pointing it out on the flyer.

"What? Surely everyone will go then.", I said.

"Don't be silly. Almost all the students here go abroad during holidays. They are rich enough to not care about travel expenses. This island casino camp does sound fancy, though. I'm sure some people will show up", Mary said.

"So, Suzui-san is definitely going. Mary-san, you will come as well, right?" Yumeko looked like a little girl excited about a family trip. Her innocent appearance made it impossible to imagine her as a gambling shark.

"I'll pass", Mary replied instantly.

"But why? It will surely be a blast if the three of us go", Yumeko insisted.

"See, the casino is run by a group called the Kansankai. They are a student club, but have lots of connections and operate like a branch of the Tourism Industry Association. Despite being small, they are rumored to make huge profits with the casino", Mary said as her eyes narrowed and her voice became sharper.

"Secret island, big profits, free entrance. It smells. Going there is too risky unless you are made of money", Mary continued.

Yumeko put her hands on her chest in a pleading gesture. "You worry too much, Mary-san! Please, let us go together! The flyer says that today is the last day we can sign up!"

"No way! You are a target of the student council. Who knows what they might do to me if I show up with you. Maybe some other groups are interested in you as well and... Hey, stop clinging to me!"

Yumeko tightly embraced Mary and wouldn't let go. This was not the first time this happened. For some reason, Yumeko seemed to really like Mary. She would regularly yell "Mary-san, Mary-san" and cling to her. It looked strange, but what was even stranger is that Mary didn't mind it too much.

After a bit of back and forth, Yumeko suddenly said; "Then let's settle this with a gamble. If you win, Mary-san, I'll obey your orders while we're traveling. If I win, it's the other way around. What do you think? Doesn't that sound fun?"

"No! I'm not going!", Mary shouted, but then something occurred to her. She looked down for a moment while touching her chin, then she looked back up. "...In other words, if I win, you will be absolutely obedient to me while we are on Ryouran Island, during the voyage to there and during the voyage back. You will not be able to defy me in any way."

"That's right! I'll be your personal Mittens! Purr!" Yumeko held her clenched hands in front of her face as if they were paws, mimicking a cat while making a sweet and pleading face.

Mary chuckled mischievously. She seemed to be imagining something ominous. As she has tormented housepets before, there was no telling what treatment Yumeko would receive if she were to lose.

"Y-Yumeko... Maybe we should call this off." I was barely able to finish my sentence as Mary interrupted;
"Fine. I'm in on this gamble", she said while pointing at Yumeko.

"Thank you, Mary-san!", Yumeko said with a sunny smile.

"Now, let's decide what game to play! Since this is a gamble about a resort with a casino, let's play poker!", Yumeko said with enthusiasm. Mary did not bother to argue.

Yumeko pulled a deck of cards from her desk drawer. "It's just a regular deck. Do you want to check it, Mary-san?"

"No need. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't cheat", Mary said after a brief pause.

"Hehe, I'm glad you trust me. Shall we play Five-card Draw with Suzui-san as the dealer?" "Please, be our dealer, Suzui-san!"

I wasn't expecting a request like that, but it wasn't much trouble. All I had to do was deal the cards and stay neutral. Besides, this was the exact game in which Mary defeated me, making me a housepet back then. I knew the rules well enough.

Five-card Draw is the most classic variant of poker. Each player is dealt five cards face down. Then there is a betting phase. After that, the players can chose to discard any of their cards and will be dealt replacements. A second betting phase follows and if more than one player is still in the game after that, there is a showdown. The remaining players show their hands and the winner is determined by the strength of the combination of cards they have. Because the girls here are wagering one predetermined thing in a quick one hand game, there are no betting phases.

I took the deck from Yumeko and shuffled it carefully. Dealing poker is easy, but I could not take my assignment lightly. Bad things may happen to Yumeko based on the outcome of this game. Although I was not the one wagering anything, I'm sure I was the one who looked the most nervous.

Mary showed a relaxed smile, but that was probably to mask the nerves. After all, her opponent was the mysterious Yumeko; the girl who defeated some of the strongest players at this school. The last time these girls played, it was a crushing defeat for Mary. I'm sure she remembers that.

Yumeko was intensely gazing into Mary's eyes. I knew what that meant. Yumeko was truly enjoying herself. The game itself, the atmosphere, the opponent, the trill and the risk. She loved it all. This wasn't some poker face or cheap intimidation trick. This was the real Yumeko.

"Alright, let's begin." I started dealing.

Chapter 1, part 2

The next morning we all gathered and boarded the ship docked at the pier, along with the other students. It wasn't extravagant, but large enough to carry several hundred people. Impressive for a school trip, for sure.

The sound of the waves and the sunlight on my skin were soothing. It would have gotten too hot in my short-sleeve, if not for the gentle breeze. The blues of the ocean and the whites of the reflections made the view from the deck be like an endless moving paining. I was having a great time... so far.

The other students on the deck were equally in a good mood. How could they not be, with such a great view and free drinks from the bar. Although this looked like a vacation, it was technically a school trip. The school uniforms remained mandatory.

Someone was not having fun, though. That particular someone was right next to Yumeko and me.
"Why me... Damn it. I should not have played that game", Mary kept saying, or rather, she was chanting it like a curse.

"Mary-san, please don't be so gloomy. Let's make the best of things and have some fun!", Yumeko said.

"Shut up! Don't talk to me! And don't touch me!", Mary shouted.

---

Mary had lost the poker game. Her hand was three-of-a-kind kings. A very lucky draw, considering it was just a quick one hand game. After her card change, it was clear that Mary was already thinking about how she could exploit Yumeko's obedience during the trip. However, when Yumeko declared she would not change any of her cards, Mary's gleeful expression snapped back to neutral. When it was time for the showdown, I instructed them to reveal their hand.

The moment Yumeko revealed, Mary fell to her knees. It was a full house. Yumeko jumped up and down with joy. Once again, I was baffled by Yumeko's incredible luck. To think I was trying to prevent this game from happening earlier. I guess I just have to watch and see where her luck takes her. It almost feels like Mary was manipulated into going on the trip... and into obedience.

---

"Excuse me, may I be of assistance? I have brought you some water", someone said. Without looking up, I took the cup that was offered and gulped it down. It was very refreshing.

"Thanks for the service. But why are so many of you here? Is something wrong?", Yumeko asked.

So many? I wiped my mouth and looked. There was a group of people and they were bowing to us. Then the girl in the middle raised her head. "Yes, I'm afraid we have something to apologize for", she said.

The group was dressed in fancy black suits that looked like a military uniform of sorts. It was a jacket with shoulder pads and shiny gold colored buttons. The woman's variant had an apron-like jumper skirt instead of trousers. The girl who spoke wore a wine-red ribbon as a tie, while the ribbons of the others were black.

"Wait... You are...", Mary started saying with tension in her voice.

"What an honor that you know me, Mary Saotome-sama. It is a pleasure to finally meet you." She crossed her legs inside her skirt and bowed gracefully. "My name is Kifune Izayoi. I am the manager and owner of the casino on Ryouran Island, the destination of this ship."

I instinctively bowed in return. "The boss of the casino on Ryouran?! So that makes you the boss of the Kansankai... or is it the chairman?", I asked.

Kifune narrowed her already slanted eyelids and softly laughed. "I guess you can call me the boss, Ryota Suzui-sama. As you said, I lead that organization, yes. I'm also a student at Hyakkaou Private Academy, just like all of you. I'm in my third year."

Kifune had long, black hair, but her face remained fully visible because of the hairband she wore. Her expression was gentle but reserved. It was as if she was a sheathed sword; at rest but ready to strike when needed.

"What I want to apologize for is his terrible negligence", Kifune said while pushing one of the boys from her group forward. He was frightened enough to tremble. "He was the one handling the sign ups for the summer camp back at school."

After winning the poker game, Yumeko rushed to the registration desk with three application forms in hand. It seems that this was the guy who took them.

Kifune looked at her subordinate with suddenly widened eyes.
"It so happens that when receiving your forms, he reserved rooms for Saotome-sama and Suzui-sama. For whatever reason he did not reserve a room for you, though", she explained.

"I-I'm so sorry! There were a lot of last-minute applications as we were about to close... ", the boy tried to explain, stumbling over his words.

Kifune raised one eyebrow. "What did you just say...? You're going to blame the customer for your mistake?", she asked him coldly.

"N-no... Not at all! It was my mistake. Please forgive me! I beg you!" The boy was crying now. The situation felt uncanny as his distressed weeping was accompanied by the calming noise of the sea.

"Kneel before her", Kifune commanded with controlled anger. "Bow your head to our guest, all the way to the deck. Or would you rather we toss you into the ocean?"

As the boy looked like he was entering a state of panic, Yumeko intervened. "Please stop. I'm sure we can sort this out somehow."

I was relieved. Humiliating the poor guy even more would solve nothing.

Kifune slowly turned to Yumeko and spoke with a more relaxed demeanor. "No, this is a matter of principle for us. As long as we are welcoming guests, it is our prime responsibility to guarantee the best possible service. We can not be negligent."
Kifune grabbed the boy's hair. "Hurry up and do it", she said to him. Her eyes narrowed again but her gentle smile stayed.

The boy groaned as his head was pushed onto the deck. It hit the wooden planks with a bonk.

"Wait... this is going too far!" I couldn't ignore it any longer, and took a step forward.

Kifune, who was also kneeling, ignored me and spoke to Yumeko instead; "This negligence is also my fault as the one in charge. I offer my deepest apologies."
She stood up, took a step forward and made a pleading gesture to Yumeko. "As a substitute, we can offer you a VIP suite. It will be prepared for you immediately. Please forgive me."

If one of us would be upgraded to a VIP suite, this would actually be great! I looked at Yumeko, expecting her to speak but she remained dead silent and her gentle smile was gone. She was staring into Kifune's eyes intensely.

"There is one other thing", Kifune continued. "Because of this incident, we don't actually have your name. I'm terribly sorry, but may I ask you for it?"

After a brief pause, Kifune got her answer. "Yumeko Jabami."

"Ah, I see", Kifune said with widening eyes. Her tone and demeanor now changed again. Her shoulders trembled slightly and she began to speak in a more mocking, almost provocative way.
"So... you are Yumeko Jabami-sama. Then perhaps, offering you the VIP suite free of charge may be a slightly problematic thing to do. The suite is normally reserved for government officials and the like. It's incomparable with the regular rooms. It would create inequality between you and the other guests in a way that could be seen as uncalled for..."

"Hey, you", Mary interrupted. "Stop it with that attitude."

While I was overwhelmed by the situation, Mary was not. Knowing her character, it was safe to assume she was angered by what just happened. She spoke loudly and didn't bother with politeness, even though she was addressing a third year student. It was a way of talking that usually gets a customer what they want.
"If you are sorry, then just fix it. No need for fancy excuses. Just do your job. Let them know on the island there is one extra coming, and all that."

Kifune immediately turned towards Mary and changed pose. It looked like a habit from combat training kicked in, making her assume a stance with more balance. If physical violence was coming, she was prepared for it.
"Saotome-sama, although it's technically a summer camp, it's essentially a luxury vacation. Free of charge, no less. If you are unable to accept our hospitality, be due to our shortcomings, it is a truly regrettable thing. I guess there is nothing we can do to stop you from returning home now if our services are not up to your standard."

"So we pay for the VIP suite or one of us is kicked out? Is that what this is boiling down to?", Mary said, cutting through the fancy language.

"Oh no! Neither! Not at all!", Kifune replied quickly while smiling again. She seemed oddly pleased with this turn of the conversation.
Kifune stepped towards Yumeko, getting slightly too close for comfort. "I have no intention of charging you anything, Jabami-sama. Instead, I propose we sort this mess out with a gamble."

Mary was clearly not done talking to Kifune, but kept her silence. She stood beside me with a sour face.

"... A gamble, huh?" Yumeko hesitated again before speaking.

"Yes! It's just a simple diversion. Please accept it as one of our services.
If you win the game I'm about to present, Jabami-sama, I will prepare the VIP suite. You will also be assigned personal staff and receive complementary room service. Additionally, a VIP seat in the casino will be at your disposal. It's a great spot with a view of the whole place from above. I would even offer a bunny girl entourage if you were a man.
This is to your liking, is it not, Jabami-sama? Let us play a game." Kifune spoke with narrowed eyes and a wide grin. This was rude politeness at it's peak.

Despite the fair weather and warm summer sun, a shiver ran down my spine. What on earth happened to this girl that made her this way?

"That's nice. So what happens if I lose?", Yumeko said with a calm voice and a blank expression.

"Well, you'll need to sleep somewhere of course, so I'll get a linen room prepared for you", Kifune replied.

A linen room is where hotel staff keeps housekeeping equipment. Bed sheets, detergents, mops and the like. It's technically usable as a sleeping spot if a mattress can be fit in.
I started protesting and Mary backed me up; "Don't accept this, Yumeko. Everyone will look down on you if they know you sleep in a utility closet." It didn't help.

"Let's do it", Yumeko said.

"Wonderful! It's on then." Kifune flicked her fingers and pointed at Yumeko.

Chapter 1, part 3

"The game is simple enough. Look at our bar over there", Kifune said while pointing some distance away. Countless brightly colored bottles were lined up behind it, glittering in the sunlight. Passengers came and went, receiving their drinks from the bartender.

"All our guests can order drinks at the bar and it's all free. Please indulge yourself as well later. Everything is non-alcoholic of course. This is a school event after all. Now, on to the game rules", Kifune continued with a chuckle. "You need to guess what drink a person will order. You can predict anything, but getting it only partially correct does not count. If someone orders a 'Shirley Temple' while you guessed 'ginger ale' it's not good enough, although it is one of the ingredients. That cocktail also contains a syrup and orange juice, along with some other things added for looks."

Yumeko silently listened to Kifune's explanation without showing much emotion. Mary did interrupt although she was not the one playing; "Hold on, Expert-sama. You have a lot more experience with this than we do. Like me, most students would normally prefer the popular soft drinks like cola and iced tea, but in this setting there is no telling for us what exotic stuff they would order."

Kifune chuckled again. "What a typical observation! Down-to-earth students like you are rare at our school, Saotome-sama."

This was exactly the wrong type of thing to say to Mary. Her face turned red and it was like she was about to burst from anger for someone belittling her like that. Kifune yielded, avoiding escalation. "I deeply apologize. You are absolutely right."

Kifune told one of the staff to fetch her the bar menu. What arrived was a leather bound book that had a worn look from all the sunlight exposure.

"Please take a look", Kifune said while opening the book towards Yumeko. The open page had a palm tree drawing on the side, giving it a tropical vibe that helped build up anticipation for Ryouran Island.
"We mix whatever our guests desire. For this game however, we will ignore any orders that are off-menu and move on to guessing the next one. This addresses Saotome-sama's concern and makes the game fairer, wouldn't you agree?"

There were at least a hundred differed drinks. Many of the names were foreign and unfamiliar to me. Reading this under differed circumstances would have been great; another step into the adult world.

"But what if there is a shill in the crowd?", Mary said. "Maybe Suzui and I should pick the people for you both to bet on? Say something Yumeko! It is you who is gambling. Negotiate the rules!"

"No, it's okay. I'll accept the rules as-is", Yumeko said looking at Kifune, still acting cold as ice.

Then, in a snap, she regained her cheerful attitude and smiled warmly as she spoke to Mary. "Thank you, Mary-san. You're kind and helpful as always." Her ability to switch personality like this was perhaps the most frighting thing about her. Her thoughts and feelings were unknowable.

"...Honestly", Mary sighed deeply while crossing her arms and shaking her head.

"Wonderful! It seems we are ready to play. You may pick someone for us to make our predictions on, Jabami-sama", Kifune said while gesturing towards the bar.

"Yes", Yumeko replied, narrowing her eyes and smiling.

Chapter 1, part 4

So how would one approach this game? You'd have to work with broad assumptions about people.
Most would not easily order something they don't know the taste of. There are always the adventurous types but the majority would stick to the familiar.
Fruit based drinks will probably be favored. The palm tree on the menu book and the anticipation of leisure at the resort puts people in a tropical paradise sort of mindset, after all.
Perhaps the guys will more easily go for carbonated drinks while the girls will tend to pick something extra sweetened. Then there is the weather. It's warm and sunny so it's unlikely someone will go for hot coffee.

Kifune's thoughts must have been similar to mine, but what Yumeko was thinking I could not attempt to guess. She always says she doesn't like it when she is guaranteed to lose or guaranteed to win. She lives for the gamble itself rather than the winnings. If anything, she was probably thinking of something that would make the game more exciting, rather than turn it in her favor. Normal people will do all they can to limit risk. Yumeko's nature is to turn up the risk to the max. True excitement comes from games where there's no going back if you lose. As I have observed Yumeko play, I feel like this is her message to the world. With the adjustment to the rules following Mary's comment, this game may very well be a toss-up, so Yumeko has room to work her magic.

Yumeko was looking across the deck for bar customers with her usual gentle smile. By her side was Kifune with her calm, serious and concentrated expression. The skirt of her black uniform was slightly waving in the breeze. Her outfit looked inappropriate for the weather but it didn't seem too hot or uncomfortable for her.
Behind them were Mary and me. Mary still had her arms crossed and was frowning in disapproval. Around us were the staff Kifune arrived with earlier. They were waiting in silence. Although all of us together formed quite a group, people at the bar did not mind us much.
I wondered if Kifune set up a listening device somewhere as a cheat. She seemed not to have any earpiece at least. Her ears were clearly visible thanks to the breeze that played with her hair.

A couple showed up at the bar. They looked at the menu while chatting. Yumeko remained silent.
The bartender handled several bottles and used the silver shaker. The sound of the liquid sloshing in the shaker reached us as we looked at the bartender's fluid and practiced moves. The bright orange contents was poured out in long drink glasses.

"It looks like they both took a 'Cinderella'. I would have guessed that", Kifune said.

Surely, she was lying to unsettle Yumeko. This was the type of game that keeps going until a lucky coincidence occurs. And yet, here was Kifune declaring with confidence she would have guessed right on the first try from a list of over a hundred possible orders.

"How about her? Shall we gamble on her order?", Yumeko said while gesturing.

A girl has just arrived at the bar. There was nothing distinctive about her looks. Nothing that would give away a drink preference, at least. Did Yumeko know her? Probably not. Yumeko didn't have many friends and I'm pretty sure I would have met this girl before if she was one of them.

"Acceptable", Kifune said without hesitation. "Let's declare at the same time. One... two... three..."

"Lemonade." Yumeko's guess was the same as mine. I was nice that our thoughts aligned, but this was not the time to dwell on that. I was listening to Yumeko but missed what Kifune said.

"What was Izayoi-san's guess?", I asked Mary.

"No take-backs, you know", Mary said to Kifune. It seems she did hear Kifune's words but was ignoring me asking for them.

"Of course. I stand by it", Kifune replied.

"Everybody got that?!", Mary said loudly. She was making sure Kifune's staff could hear her as well. "Izayoi-san predicted hot coffee with milk!"

What? When negotiating the rules, nothing was said about the temperature of the drink. It was implied only the drink itself mattered, not if it was hot or iced. There were common hot drinks on the menu, but someone ordering them was unlikely. Given the exotic choices, the vacation atmosphere and the weather, why would someone order something plain and hot they could have gotten anywhere at any time? Mary probably asked Kifune for confirmation because she was as surprised as I was.
The bartender started to prepare the drink while talking with the girl. Kifune maintained her cool composure, which was a bit unnerving, given that she had made such an odd bet.

So it's 'lemonade' against 'café au lait'. Surely, Yumeko had the advantage in this round, but Kifune's bold move must be a strategy for the long run of some sorts.

The girl received her drink. She thanked the bartender while smiling and walked off towards us. There were benches behind us and it looked like she was heading to them. In her hand was a non-transparent, thermal, lidded cup. Kifune stepped forward and approached her.

"I'm awfully sorry, but I'm afraid I need to ask you for your cooperation. Could I perhaps have your drink? You will get a replacement right away, of course. I'm in a gamble with one of the other guests and it would amuse us if we could examine your cup", Kifune said to the girl with a short, polite bow.

The girl was surprised and hesitated, but when seeing the replacement drink that was already fetched for her by one of the staff, she went along with it.

"You saw how we swapped, right?", Kifune said while walking back to us and facing Mary. "What I have in my hand how is the original order. Could you check for us what it is exactly, Saotome-sama? I think everybody is fine with you being the judge."

Mary looked at Kifune in bewilderment. Then she did what was asked and removed the lid. "No way...", she said while her eyes widened. She slowly took a sip from the cup. After swirling it around in her mouth, to be sure of the taste, she swallowed it. The expression of bewilderment was still on her face. She said nothing.

"So, how is it, Saotome-sama?", Kifune asked in a flat tone.

Mary remained motionless, still holding the drink. It was silent recognition. I walked over to her and looked into the cup. Sure enough, it had the white-brown color of coffee with milk.

"I've won the gamble... haven't I?", Kifune said while slowly turning towards Yumeko. She dragged out the last part of the sentence in way that was clearly meant as mockery.

Kifune dropped the refined politeness she was so proudly holding up earlier. Her eyes were filled with contempt, like a noble looking at a commoner. She was smiling with one side of her mouth. It was like one corner of her mouth was pulled up by a fishing hook. The cheek was bulging outward as it had nowhere else to go. Kifune looked downright demonic, smiling in such an ugly, distorted way.

"This ship is headed for Ryouran Island, the pride of our prestigious Hyakkaou Private Academy. Do you have any idea of how important Ryouran is? No, I'm sure you haven't..., Jabami-sama." Kifune looked Yumeko straight in the eyes as she stepped closer to her. It was clearly provocative body language that Kifune permitted herself now, having won the game.

"When our country finally legalizes casinos as part of the tourist lure, Ryouran Island will surely become an example case. In fact, many from the political and business elite have visited it often already for inspections. In other words, it is sacred land and essential for the future of Japan. To set foot there means to set foot in the realm of the upper class... Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" Kifune's eyes were wide open, it looked like the corners could snap. "Fidos and Mittens defiling the place is absolutely unforgivable!"

Kifune's voice was menacing but she spoke quietly. Probably only we could hear her as the sound of the sea swallowed up background noises. Fidos and Mittens. These are the nicknames given to the unfortunate souls that are reduced to housepet status at our school. Slaves, for everyone to treat like livestock. Yumeko, Mary and I were all housepets at some point.

Kifune ran her fingers through Yumeko's silky smooth black hair, pushing it along the ear. She rubbed a lock of it between her fingers. "It's still there, isn't it?", she asked with a hissing voice. She grabbed the lock and yanked it towards her nose, forcing Yumeko's head forward. She sniffed it loudly. "The stench of an animal", she hissed again.

"That's enough!", I shouted without thinking. Kifune snapped back into her professional self. She quickly turned towards me and looked at me directly with a plain expression and a faint smile.

"Oh, I apologize profusely, Suzui-sama. I got carried away. Please rest assured. As promised, the linen room will be prepared. I hope you will enjoy Ryouran Island and the services we provide. Mind yourself at the casino, though. No matter how hard you try, I'm sure you'll only keep losing."
Kifune stepped back a little and gave the same theatrical bow as when she introduced herself. "Our ship will soon arrive at Ryouran. Please enjoy your exciting trip." She turned around and left with her assistants following her.

Then there was silence. None of us three said anything. Kifune had taken control of the situation, lured out a gamble and decisively won. The game looked fair enough, but it was over a bit too quickly. Looking back at it, a lot of what Kifune said were probably lies. The sign up mistake and the room shortage were likely made up in order to target Yumeko.
What was the motive, though? I couldn't see how setting up Yumeko with a utility closet would accomplish anything. It didn't seem that severe of a thing considering Kifune runs the place. There are plenty more serious ways in which Kifune could cause trouble.

Yumeko wasn't injured but she was subjected to violence. Her head was still leaning forward from the pull with her hair covering her face.

"Are you alright?", I asked her while seeking her eyes. What I saw shocked me just as much as what came before. Yumeko was smiling. She was biting on her index finger, seemingly to suppress the laughter welling up inside of her.

"Hehehe, I see how it is...", she said to herself. Her pupils were widened in excitement and looked like two back holes that were somehow smiling along with her mouth. It was the face of a demon. Equally unnatural as Kifune's expression earlier, but totally differed.

"Are you alright?", I asked again.

Yumeko responded this time and did so with a cheerful attitude, no less. "Yes, of course. I lost. What a shame."

"What do you mean, 'what a shame'?! And you stayed silent after being hurt like that as well! She may be the island owner or whatever, but that doesn't make any of this acceptable!", Mary shouted while stomping the deck in frustration.

"I'm sorry, Mary-san, but... oooh!" Yumeko noticed something and did not finish her sentence. Instead, she ran off towards the ship's bow, leaned over the railing, stretched her arm as far out as possible and pointed. "Look! There is the island! It's so green and beautiful!"

Mary and I followed her to the front of the ship, but with a lot less enthusiasm. The island was slowly coming closer. It was densely covered with trees. We would see them up close soon enough.

"I'm looking forward to this so much, Suzui-san. Let's have lots of fun", Yumeko said. She turned around, showing a genuine smile. The wind was slightly stronger now and she had to hold her hair to prevent it from waving in front of her eyes.

It was as if Kifune and her game were completely forgotten. Yumeko showed no bitterness, only childlike excitement for the time she was about to spend with her friends. It was a most lovely and endearing sight, truly worthy of being captured as a photo. I was a little embarrassed witnessing it and averted my eyes.

Chapter 1, part 5

In my somewhat cramped cabin was a large ebony desk with a computer, a phone and stacks of documents on it. My comfy, padded chair creaked in protest as I leaned back in it. I took a loud slurp of coffee from my mug before speaking. "That was a great job. You're quite the actor."

"Thank you, boss. That's too much praise", said the boy from the other side of the desk. He was the one who was made to bow to Yumeko and her group.
"Although, couldn't we have gone with some scheme to boot her from the island entirely?", he continued. No trace of the distress he had shown earlier remained. There was no conflict between us. The drama on the deck was all an act.

"We could have, but the other guests might have noticed. It may damage our reputation if they see someone singled out and removed. Anyway, Jabami turned out not to be such a problem after all. It was so naive of her to agree to that game", I said.

"It sure was", he replied. "Nobody told me there would be a gamble, however. Was there some kind of trick to your drink guessing?"

"What?", I said while raising an eyebrow. "You're implying the manager of this fine establishment is a dirty cheater?"

"No, no! I didn't mean to...", the boy began saying with a frightened voice.

I smiled and gestured him to come closer while putting down my mug. His approach was hesitant with careful steps, as if the cabin had landmines. He sidestepped the desk and came in front of me directly, kneeling. I poked his cheek with my index finger.

"Just kidding. Of course I was cheating. The bartender was in on it", I said. This kind of mischief is something I could often not resist.

The boy was visibly relieved. He stood up and then quickly bowed. "Boss, for the Kansankai and for you, I'll always do my utmost."

"I have high expectations of everyone on staff who is also a Kansankai member. Please continue to excel", I replied.

It was unthinkable that I would let the ship depart without confirming all the passenger names. I was well aware that Yumeko was on board.

"Anyone who defeated student council members needs to be approached with care. I tried to measure up her abilities and was disappointed. She is just a gambling addict. At best a lucky one. The poker tournament will proceed as planned. Start the preparations as soon as the ship arrives. We may be able to repay the loan if we do well this year. This is our chance to shine."

"Yes, boss", the boy said and left the cabin.

I picked up my still steaming mug and stared at my reflection in the coffee. "Ryouran is my future, I won't let anyone take it away from me", I said to myself and took another sip.

Chapter 2: Casino Dominium

Chapter 2, part 1

Ryouran Island was developed around the pier with the majority of it's natural forest left untouched. What immediately caught the eye was a single, steep hill on the far side of it. It was like a tall, green wall in the distance. The island was small and you could probably cycle around it in less than an hour.

We arrived and set foot on the pier. It was just as refreshing as being on the ship but the sounds were differed. There were squawking seagulls everywhere and the waves were breaching onto the coast. On the path forward was a huge gate, decorated with colorful flower-like ornaments. It was as if we were entering a theme park, rather than a resort. The real Las Vegas is not an island, so it made sense they went with a differed aesthetic here. I'm sure they wanted it to be just as as glamorous, though.
Staff were waiting for us at the gate. As we passed underneath it, each of us received a necklace woven from plumeria flowers. You could see the excitement in people growing as the ornament was placed around their necks. A cobblestone path was leading us further into the island. Taking it was the only choice as everything else was covered with a dense forest.

"Mary-san, Suzui-san! What a lovely place this is! You think the hotel is far away?" Yumeko said while rushing ahead with impatience.

"Watch where you're going and take it easy!", I shouted to her. "The linen room is waiting for you there, remember?!"

As I was following the path, I started wondering what our plans were. Mary strolled along next to me, clearly not in a good mood even though she was not the one who lost. It was a sign that she truly saw Yumeko as a friend and was unhappy about the treatment she received.

What should I say to Yumeko? Obviously she didn't win every gamble since she joined the school, but that was not what she wanted anyway. Dragging her opponents out of their comfort zone into a bet they could not afford to lose is what she was going for. With that in mind, the quick and decisive loss to Kifune was probably most unsatisfying. She didn't show any signs of being bothered with it now, but I'm sure she did not really forget.

I gathered my thoughts and picked up the pace. "Hey, can I ask you something?", I said when I caught up to Yumeko.

"Sure, what is it?", Yumeko answered, looking around nervously.

"After the game with Kifune-san, you said 'I see how it is'. What did you mean by that?", I asked.

"Oh, that? I meant the cheat", Yumeko replied.

"So the game actually was rigged", I said with a sigh.

"It sure was! There's nothing I can do about it now, though", Yumeko said cheerfully.

"Wait! What?!", Mary said as she was catching up to us.

"I was the one to chose the girl, so it's unlikely she was co-opted", Yumeko began explaining. "In addition, I kept a close eye on Kifune-san for anything suspicious, but didn't spot it. So... that leaves only one person to execute the trick. The thermal cup the girl received didn't give away it's contents or the temperature of it. She would have thought it was what she ordered, regardless of what was actually in it."

"Ah! I get it now", Mary said. "The cup was taken from the girl and a replacement was handed to her immediately. The replacement contained her actual order while the original could have been anything. I'm sure Kifune instructed the bartender to pour café au lait in a thermal cup for anyone when he heard or saw some signal, while preparing the actual order on the side in the same kind of cup. And then the switch happened for all of us to see!"

"Well, there's a possibility that the girl actually did want milky coffee. We could have asked her then, but we didn't", Yumeko said without showing regret.

"Why didn't you expose the cheat then and there?!", Mary shouted.

"By the time it clicked for me, the girl was already gone. It would have been a bother to go looking for her", Yumeko replied with the same carefree attitude.

"Why do you act like you are okay with this?! This pisses me off so much!", Mary shouted again while waving her arms and looking for some outlet for her frustration.

"Something just occurred to me", I said.

"Yes?", Mary mumbled while adjusting the nylon bag on her shoulder. It held her overnight luggage.

"Kifune Izayoi used to be a housepet. Back on the ship she was humiliating Yumeko, or all of us rather, for having been one too. That makes it a case of self-loathing. She had the miserable experience and overcame it. Now she hates anyone who did the same somehow, while having a lot of pride at the same time", I explained.
"She is not from a wealthy family and got in dept pretty quickly after enrolling. After becoming a Mittens, she somehow joined the Kansankai and rose in ranks, losing the housepet tag along the way. She took control of the organization and made it a lot more profitable by focusing on the casino. It was quite an impressive feat from what I heard." Mary was listening to me in silence while Yumeko ran ahead again.

"This was the year before I enrolled", I continued.
"If Kifune-san is such a shrewd operator, it kinda makes you wonder how she became a housepet in the first place. The newfound Kansankai profits are not free however. Large loans were needed to invest in the casino. So even if things seem stable, there may be not much room for error."

The sun was setting and I only noticed it now. The cobblestone path became darker and dusk was on the way.

"Hey you two, walk faster! I have to play at the casino tonight! Don't make me abandon you!", Yumeko shouted from up ahead. She cupped her hands in front of her mouth to amplify her voice.

"She's hopeless", Mary sighed and puffed out air from her cheeks. I chuckled a little.

Yumeko was standing in front of a large building. It was the resort hotel where we were staying for two nights. The architecture was inspired. A white front wall formed a semi-circle that looked clean and welcoming. It was as if it was guiding guests to the fountain in the middle and the entrance behind it. The fountain was operational and shot water high into the air, cooling the surroundings.

"We're coming!", I shouted back to Yumeko, making the same megaphone gesture.

So here we are. At the hotel with the casino, where hundreds of us are going to gamble during this school camp. Hyakkaou Private Academy is a truly abnormal place and it has many extraordinary students. Kifune is undoubtedly among the most talented.

Chapter 2, part 2

We entered through the revolving door to be greeted by lobby music. A hi-hat set the lively rhythm while a gentle piano melody danced along the beat. There were potted plants everywhere, bathing in the soft orange light of the chandeliers.
Daylight was not gone yet, so the windows to the courtyard helped illuminate the entrance hall. Out footsteps were suddenly louder as we stepped on the marble tiling.

"Wow, I'm so glad we came!", Yumeko said with joy as she held her hands together in a gesture of admiration.

Up ahead was a wide, open door and beyond it was a place with an atmosphere completely unlike that of the entrance hall. It was the casino.

"Ah, just like in Las Vegas, you can't get into your hotel room without going through the casino. They are nudging the guests into having some fun", Yumeko said.

A burly bodyguard, tall enough that I had to tilt my head to look at him, was guarding the entrance. The walls and the carpet beyond that point were black. It looked calm and elegant, making you focus more on what was in the casino, rather than the casino itself. Many table spots were already taken by students and plenty of games were in progress. The sights and sounds were somewhat overwhelming with so much going on. No wonder this kind of atmosphere was so exciting for many, especially those like Yumeko.

"I didn't expect the casino to be right at the entrance. Have you ever been to Las Vegas, Saotome?", I asked Mary.

"Huh? What does that have to do with anything?", she replied, visibly annoyed.

I didn't mean to upset her. Even after knowing her for a while, I still didn't fully understand what kind of things she is bothered by.

"Let's play right away! Roulette? Table games? Or maybe slots --- mumble." Mary interrupted Yumeko by covering her mouth. Yumeko snorted from the unexpected change in air pressure.

"Of course we're going to check in first. The casino isn't going anywhere, so calm down", Mary said with a clam but stern voice, as if she was commanding a child. "The casino will still be open for hours, so there is no need to rush", she continued.

Yumeko was acting spoiled and tried to stay put. We grabbed her hands and dragged her out towards the hotel reception desk.

When checking in, we were given key cards for rooms on the 30th floor. High floor rooms must have great views, I thought. This was not going to be the case for Yumeko, though.
On our way up, we stopped by the linen room assigned to Yumeko. It was not even prepared for occupation, like Kifune promised. Inside were just shelves with bed sheets and not much else. On arrival at the 30th floor, Mary suggested we check my room first so we headed there.

The first thing we noticed is how heavy the door was. It swung open slower than I expected from the push I gave it. What was inside was magnificent. We marveled at it as we entered. Although listed as a standard room, it was as luxurious as a high-end hotel one.
Both the double bed and TV were huge but because the room itself was so spacious they didn't seem out of place. A tasteful chandelier was illuminating the space from it's central hanging spot. It all seemed too much for just one person.

"This is too good for Suzui", Mary said, while looking at the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Yumeko opened the curtains to check the view. "Oh, come look at this!", she said.

The sun was setting, showing us a red carpet that stretched from the horizon to the sandy beach below. The rest of the ocean was darkened and endlessly expanded to both sides.

"It's lovely! And to think this is all part of a school trip", Yumeko said while Mary returned from the bathroom inspection.

"Let's switch. You can have this room, Yumeko", I said.

"Huh?", she replied while turning to me in surprise.

"I can't let a girl stay in a place without a shower. Besides, I owe you, don't I? It wouldn't be proper if I didn't repay you a little from time to time", I said with a smirk as if I was joking.

But actually, I wasn't joking at all.
Back when I was a housepet and Yumeko was a new transfer student, I was forced into deceiving her. A rigged gamble was set up with Yumeko as the target and I was part of the conspiracy. I didn't want to do it, but could not find the strength within me to refuse my classmates' orders. That stunt ended in a way you would least expect. Yumeko saw through the cheating and managed to win the game. After that, she gifted me the money for the student council payment, freeing me from housepet status.
She saved me. I don't know if it's guilt or gratitude, but I don't think I'll ever be able to look Yumeko in the eye.

"What? So you do have a manly side after all?", Mary chimed in with a faint smile.

"Here, take the key card", I said while pulling it out of my pocket and handing it to Yumeko.

Yumeko pushed it away. "No, Suzui-san. I can't accept it."

"Don't be shy, come on", I insisted.

"No way, this room is yours and...", Yumeko protested again but stopped herself, while raising a finger.
"Suzui-san and I can stay in this room together. That solves everything!"

I'm sure I was blushing. Yumeko said that so casually it caught me off guard.

"There is plenty of space here and the bed is a double size. It won't be cramped at all", she continued with the same cheerful voice.

"No, no, no! That's not okay! You shouldn't say things like that so carelessly, girl! When you are alone together he might have uncontrollable urges and ravage you! The guys who appear gentle are the most dangerous like that!", Mary said loudly.

"Eh..., that point is moot. We're not sleeping together", I said while trying to push the key card into Yumeko's hand.

"Mary-san, you shouldn't talk about Suzui-san like that! He would never do such a thing!", Yumeko said while deflecting the card again. "Please keep it, Suzui-san."

"I'm not a senseless beast, I'm not sleeping with you and I'm not letting you sleep in a closet. The linen room is mine!", I said while pushing the key card back at her.

"No it isn't..." We were pushing the card back and forth.

Mary intervened eventually. "Ugh, fine. I get it. Suzui, you are keeping this room. Yumeko, I'm sharing mine with you. I swear, if you snore, I'll kick you out."

"That would be great! Are you sure you're okay with it, Mary-san?", Yumeko asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, it's alright", Mary said. Now that the rooms were sorted, she wanted to address something form earlier.
"I didn't think you were joking but back on the ship when..."

"Yey!!!" Yumeko interrupted and started jumping around with joy. "I get to stay with Mary-san! I'm so excited I may not be able to sleep!"

"Thank you, Saotome", I said

"It's fine. I suspected it would turn out like this. Yumeko, shall we drop off our stuff at my... Hey, stop clinging to me!" Mary was being hugged by Yumeko from the side.

"Suzui, let's meet at the restaurant in half an hour so we can use those dinner tickets we got. I'm getting hungry", Mary said while leaving the room with Yumeko in tow.

The restaurant did not disappoint. The ceiling was full of fancy chandeliers and glittering decorations. Students were eating at the many round tables while chatting and laughing. Dinner was buffet style with lots of choice and very extravagant desserts.
All of us enjoyed it but we didn't linger for too long. There was still more to do this evening.

"Well then, let's go!" We stood up and headed to the casino.

Chapter 2, part 3

I noticed the sign at the entrance. 'Casino Dominium' it read in English. From what I knew, that last word was old fashioned and had something to do with the right to use territory. It was a bit ominous and seemed out of place, but with what I knew about Kifune it made sense.

We went in and looked around. Yumeko may be used to casinos, but Mary and I were a bit out of our depth. We walked with cautious excitement.
It was busy. Probably most of the students on the island were in here. Each of the many large tables had people sitting around them, dressed in the mandatory school uniforms. I looked at one of the tables and saw how the dealer made his moves, handling the cards with fast and fluid motions. This must be blackjack, I thought.

The sounds of the slot machines in the back was drowned out by the lively talk of the students. From time to time, a dealer could be heard making a loud announcement in a way that would hype up the players.
The hyping up was effective. It worked on the crowd and it worked on Yumeko. She was standing next to me, full of anticipation.

A woman with revealing clothing walked past me. I couldn't help but follow her with my eyes. She was dressed in a bunny girl outfit. It seemed inappropriate to have someone walk around like that at what was technically a school event.

"Suzui, keep your gun holstered."

I tensed up as the embarrassment set in. It was just a glance, but Mary didn't miss it. Those keen observational skills of hers are key to her success as a gambler. I don't think I'll be able to relax in this casino.

As we walked further into the casino, Yumeko suddenly pointed to a hall at the side of the walkway. "Look at that! There is a stage area!"

A live performance had just ended. People were cheering while dazzling spotlights danced on a circular platform. The air was humid from the tightly packed crowd.

"How was my performance today? Did you enjoy it?", the girl on stage asked with a strong, but pleasant voice.

The crowd answered with a loud roar.

"Thank you for following me all the way to Ryouran Island! I feel so much love from you all! Today's show is over, but I'll upload it to YourTube so you can watch it again!" She made the peace gesture while putting up an innocent, starry-eyed face. "Please share, like and subscribe!"

The crowd roared again. Even louder this time. You could faintly feel the air displacement.

The girl had pink hair, tied in pigtails and wore a flower brooch instead of the school uniform ribbon. There was no doubt about who she was. Yumemi Yumemite.
She's a student at Hyakkaou like us, but also a rapidly rising idol. Her fan club is large with hundreds of members from this school alone. Her videos are popular and she seems to be bound for a big, national breakthrough. I'm not a rabid fan myself, but I do kind of like her.
Yumemi is also on the student council. She once gambled with Yumeko with strange stakes. If Yumeko would have lost then, she would have been forced to help Yumemi with her career as an idol sidekick.

"The summer camp isn't over yet! Don't have too much fun! Bye-bye!", Yumemi said with the same starry-eyed look. She then spun around, gracefully left the stage and disappeared from view.

The crowd was dispersing.
I wasn't expecting to see Yumemi perform here, but it made sense as I thought about it. She is very dedicated to her career and would take every opportunity to advance it. She wouldn't just come to this place to take it easy, especially not while so many of her fans are here.
As we were heading back to the casino floor, I caught a glimpse of someone, probably her manager, throwing a black cape over her from the side of the stage. As her fame increases, so does the number of stalkers she has, I thought.

"Well, we have toured most of the place, so I think I'll go enjoy myself", Mary said and started to walk away.

"Aren't you sticking with us, Mary-san?" Yumeko asked.

"Let's go solo for a bit. It may be more fun that way. We have tomorrow too, so there is time to team up later", Mary said with a dismissive wave and disappeared into the crowd.

"Shall we split up too, Suzui-san? Will you be alright playing alone?", Yumeko asked.

"Sure. I brought some cash and many of the games here I know well enough", I replied.

"Then let's have a competition to see who can win the most!", Yumeko said with her eyes widening.

I laughed. "Ha! There's no way I'm beating you! But alright, since we are here to gamble anyway, I'll do my best. I promise."

"Yes! That's the spirit, Suzui-san!" Yumeko made two fists at chest height while smiling.

Chapter 2, part 4

I had already decided which game I would play first.

Hyakkaou has all the necessary equipment for playing classic table games. However, since most of the gambling was organized by the students themselves, it was often a bare-bones sort of setup. The reason the students were excited to play those same games here is because of the authentic casino experience.

What you couldn't do back at school is play slots machines. This place had plenty of them, however. It's an essential part of the casino atmosphere, after all.

I made my way to the slots corner and was greeted by rows of boxes with LCD displays. It was like being in a pachinko parlor or an arcade hall.
The screens were flashy and the area around them was brightly decorated. It looked like it would tire your eyes quickly, but if you were winning you probably wouldn't care.

There were many types and they were all differed from the slot machines I've seen before. I was looking at a machine with five vertical axes, while the common Japanese variant only had three. The rules were also more complicated. They were explained around the side of the screen in snippets of technical English and symbol combinations.
Looking over them, I noticed the machine was custom made for Hyakkaou. The school emblem was one of the symbols used, along with the usual fruit ones and the number 7. It served as a quick reminder to how terrifying our school really was.

How much the minimum bet was, varied per machine. I went to the lowest wager version of the five axes machine that I inspected earlier. The stool in front of it was small but had a comfy backrest. I guess I'll try my luck on this one, I thought as I sat down.
There were no other players next to me, so there was no one to impress or be distracted by. I took the coin card out of my walled and inserted it into the machine.

Instead of carrying casino coins, you could load up a card with the currency. As long as there was enough credit on it, it was all you needed at the casino. It was just a plastic card but felt heavy in my hand, as I knew there was 30 thousand Yen worth of coins on it.

Translator's note: Chop off two zeros from any Yen amount to get the order of magnitude of it in US Dollars or Euros. So, Ryota's budget here is like 300 bucks.

I was so excited that a big smile spread across my face. I slapped my cheeks a couple of times.

On this machine, the number of winning lines depends on how much you bet. You always get the horizontal line but with larger wagers, the wave, peak and valley lines unlock.
It's tempting to go for the maximum bet to unlock everything. I'd have to wager 500 Yen per spin for that.

One spin would be the cost of a lunch and ten spins the cost of a video game. Thinking about it like that made me hesitate, but I put those thoughts aside. Why did I even come here if I wasn't going to play? I came here to enjoy myself and should be prepared to lose a little. Also, there was the competition with Yumeko. I promised I would take that seriously.

I pressed the button to check the pay table. It listed the payout for each possible match. It was what you would expect, with matching 7s paying out the most. There was however a special case with the Hyakkaou emblem. Matching three of those activated what was called 'Scatter Mode'. It gave you a number of spins that happened automatically. They were free but paid off as normal if there was a match.

I hope it's true what they say about beginner's luck. Let's give this thing a spin. I pressed the 'Play' button with force. The tune the machine was playing suddenly got louder and the lines started to spin rapidly. Then they stopped. The stop here was automatic, unlike how it was with Japanese slots.

A short tune played and the 'coins remaining' counter went up. I got a Cherry match on a wave. What a good start! A drink was placed in front of me. It was the bunny girl from earlier. She looked me in the eye and winked. I took a sip and pressed 'Play' again. This was getting fun!

Chapter 2, part 5

This world is governed by natural laws. Nature is all there is. All living things will eventually decay and return to the earth, becoming fertilizer for new life. I am the earth and the earth is me. There is no escaping this cycle of rebirth. Everything will transform into something else eventually. Time is fleeting and merciless. It doesn't stop for anyone, not even for a second. Like a river of a majestic mountain, it flows quietly, yet surely.

All things that rise, will fall. That too is a natural law and my coin balance was following it. At it's peak, it was three times the original amount. I should have stopped there. Now it was close to zero. Gambling is truly terrifying. You can never keep winning. "Knowing when to quit is crucial", they say. Perhaps it was a gambler who said that first.

The bunny girl brought me another drink. Her expression hadn't changed, but now I felt like she was looking down on me. That's fine. Minimal consideration is enough for a pathetic loser.

"How is it going, Suzui-san?" Smooth black hair brushed against my cheek as Yumeko poked her head over my shoulder.
"Is something wrong? You don't look like you are dong too well."

"I'm no good, Yumeko. I guess I'm just not cut out for this." I could only manage a forced smile that undoubtedly looked fake.

"Oh... that's a shame. But slots really are just blind luck, aren't they?", she said.

They were. That's why I was playing them. If the winnings are determined mechanically, I figured there was a chance I could beat Yumeko. No bluffing or strategy needed. The plan didn't work, however. The occasional Cherry matches I was getting were no compensation for the long streaks of misses.

I pressed 'Play' again. The machine did it's spin and stopped. No match. "Another one. I had so much misses in a row now", I sighed.

"You still have some spins left, don't give up... Oh, this machine is Hyakkaou branded", Yumeko softly spoke beside my ear.

I checked the pay table once more. Above 'Scatter Mode' was another tier; 'Jackpot'. The slot machines were connected to a network. The wins and losses on all of them were being kept track of. If you hit 'Jackpot', it paid out depending on how much the customers collectively lost since the last time someone hit it. On this machine, the symbol lineup for Jackpot was one 7 in the middle with everything else being the Hyakkaou emblem. Actually hitting it was a pipe dream of course.

Something occurred to me and I stood up. "Why don't you give it a spin, Yumeko? You might have better luck than me."

"No way! It's your game so you should be the one to enjoy it", she protested.

"It's fine, it's fine. I'm almost broke anyway", I said while grabbing her shoulders and nudging her onto the stool. Then I pointed at the 'Play' button. "All you have to do is press this."

"Okay, here I go!" She pressed it and the symbols were spinning again.

What a stark contrast. Such a beautiful girl at such a wretched machine.
I thought that Yumeko might not like slots very much because it lacked human interaction. Probability and strategy were all well and good but not what Yumeko tends to get the most excited about. Predicting the thoughts of the other player, reading their emotions, influencing them with deception and above all, feeling the thrill of uncertainty together with them.
Those were the things Yumeko wanted and she didn't shy away from huge wagers to get them. This is what made her so strong.

The spin ended. It was another miss.

"Come on, do it again", I said. She did.

The one who was having the most fun was probably me. Looking at her playing was endearing. It didn't matter anymore if I went bust. Not all my money was on that coin card. I had some stashed away so I had enough for the bare minimum for the rest of the trip.

The bunny girl was back. I gestured that I didn't need the drink. She probably felt sorry for me and wanted to at least let me enjoy the juice.

Suddenly, there was a piercing noise. A short tune played by trumpets. "Look, Suzui-san! You've won!"

On the screen was a perfect row of identical symbols on the central line. An animation played, showing the 'remaining coins' count shooting up.

I felt the gamblers rush. It was as if my brain trembled with joy.
"Amazing! You're incredible, Yumeko! Congratulations!"

When the coin counter stopped moving, it far exceeded the peak from earlier. Damn, if I hadn't stopped betting the maximum because I was worried about going broke, it would have been even more amazing. I knew there was no use thinking that way, though. This is at least a lot better than not winning at all.

"I'm so happy for you, Suzui-san", Yumeko said cheerfully.

"No, no, Yumeko, you're the one who won. I'll cash in the winnings and pay you back", I replied.
"It probably would have been a bust if I was playing. I'd feel hesitant to spend money that I didn't win myself, anyway."

"What? No! It was your money being wagered so the winnings are yours too! I'm just happy to have helped."
"Besides...", Yumeko said while glancing down. "I won a bit at baccarat earlier."
On the ground was a large bag that looked like it was stuffed to it's limit. No doubt heavy and unwieldy if it was full of coins. "It was quite a struggle to drag it all the way to here."

I was stunned. "...Yumeko, let's go get this exchanged for a coin card like the one I have. Carrying so much is no good."

"Ah, so that's how it works here", she said. "I was already wondering how everyone else was managing it."

I thought she was joking but I wasn't sure. Yumeko can be a bit absent-minded sometimes, regardless of her brilliance.

"So, how are you guys doing?" Mary was walking towards us. She had a smirk on her face and was waiving a coin card. There was no doubt she had won quite bit too.

Chapter 2, part 6

After Yumeko was relieved of the bag and handed her coin card, we sat at the bar for a drink.

The rows of glasses and bottles on the shelves was quite the sight. Back on the ship the choice seemed generous but it was nothing compared to what was on display here. The bar stools were not the most comfortable though. Light piano music was playing in the background.

"It's all very classy, as you'd expect form Hyakkaou", Mary said while picking up a long, thin, chocolate covered cracker.

"So how did you do?", I asked.

"Hehehe... I won't have to worry about lunch money for a while", she said with a wide grin while chewing on the cracker. She was clearly in an excellent mood. "You want a fruit plate? My treat."

"Yay! Thank you, Mary-san!", Yumeko grabbed Mary's free arm.

Mary pushed her away. "No, not you. You've won more than I did."

Yumeko looked dejected. Then something caught her eye. A girl was sitting one seat away form her. She was wearing the long-sleeve school uniform jacket, unlike most here who wore the summer vest or only the shirt.

"Good evening", Yumeko said with a cheerful voice while turning to the girl.

The girl trembled and didn't reply. Then she hunched as if she wanted to hide.

"I saw you earlier. You've been sitting at the bar for a long time. Aren't you going to play any games?", Yumeko asked with an honest smile.

"... I'm fine", the girl finally said with a voice so quiet I could barely hear it from where I was sitting.
She was short. There was no way her feet were touching the ground and it occurred to me she had to climb onto the bar stool earlier. In her hands was a coffee cup.

"Since we're at a casino, we should have some fun! My name Yumeko Jabami. May I ask for yours?"

"... Mitarai", the girl replied with the same timid voice.

Mitarai had a short haircut with long bangs. She was still hunching and looking down. The hair covered most of her face but I saw her eyes were moving around quickly as if she was looking out for danger. She sipped from her coffee cup with slightly trembling hands

"I'm sorry, Mitarai-san. Yumeko must have spooked you a bit, huh? Would you like a fruit plate? It's on me because I.... ooh..."
Mary spoke with a calming, guardian-like voice, but stopped half-way as she noticed something.

I noticed it too now. Mitarai was wearing a housepet tag.
The trip and accommodations were free so it wasn't infeasible for a housepet to be here. It didn't seem likely that one would willingly spend their free time among fellow students, though. They had to endure plenty of bad treatment from them as it was.
Was Mitarai trying to strike it rich at the casino? Did someone order her to come here as a servant?

Yumeko was sitting closest to her and must have seen the tag earlier. "Sorry to trouble you. If we meet again, I look forward to it."

Mitarai didn't reply.

The lights suddenly dimmed. One of the VIP seating balconies overlooking the hall was illuminated by spotlights. Standing on it was a girl dressed in black. People around us whispered. "What's going on?" "Is something wrong?"

The girl in black spoke with a loud, clear and confident voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, all who have come to Ryouran Island, I hope you are enjoying yourselves tonight! I am Kifune Izayoi, the manager of this casino!" She swung her right arm high up, then rested the hand in front of her, waist-high. A bow followed. It was an exaggerated move, but not inelegant.

There was applause. Some of the students from other halls were heading here, making the crowd thicker. "What's this about?" "Is there a show of some kind?"

Kifune waited for more people to gather and then went on with her speech. "We will be holding the Ryouran Island Poker Tournament tomorrow! It's the main event of the summer camp! Many of you expected it, no doubt! I'm proud to announce that you will not be disappointed!"

"A poker tournament? I didn't know about this. Did you, Saotome?", I asked.

"Shhh... Shut up and listen. If you're not careful, you'll get involved in something weird", Mary whispered back.

"Anyone can sign up for the tournament as long as they pay the entry fee! All the money from sign ups will be quadrupled and given to the winner!", Kifune continued.

The whispering in the crowd got louder.

"Yes, you heard that right! The winner takes all and the prize money is much more than the fees collected!
It is our way of showing our gratitude to our guests! If we can make your stay even a little more joyous and thrilling, there would be no greater happiness for us! We will announce what the prize money will be just before the tournament begins! I invite you all to participate!" Kifune was looking around the hall while speaking.

"Also, anyone can place bets on who will win! Wager as much as you want! You don't have to bet right from the start! If you wait until there are less participants left in the race, we will still take your bet! The payout depends on how many players are still competing at the time of betting, of course!"
"To sign up for the tournament, please speak to a staff member tomorrow evening! Well then everyone, the night is still young! I wish you all good luck and hope you enjoy yourselves to the utmost!" Kifune ended the announcement with another bow.

She maintained the bend forward pose for a while but quickly raised her head to look around the hall again. Her gaze turned towards us. She was obviously looking at Yumeko but I felt targeted just the same. A chill ran down my spine when I saw her expression. There was no sense of challenge in Kifune's eyes. It was the look of mockery towards an inferior.

I looked at Yumeko beside me. Somehow I already knew what I would see. She was smiling and it was not in a calm or inviting way. It was the same expression she had back on the ship. A smile of someone who has madness welling up inside of them. I shivered again.

Kifune left the balcony and the lights returned to normal.
Mary grabbed Yumeko by the shoulders. "You're not planning on signing up, are you? That's something only an idiot would do! You'd be like a moth flying into a flame! I can't stop you, but I sure as hell won't join you!"

Yumeko wasn't listening. She was still staring at the balcony where Kifune made her speech.

Mitarai was gone. Only the cup with a little bit of coffee left in it remained.

Chapter 3: The Beach and the Ace

Chapter 3, part 1

I left my room while rubbing my eyelids, still sleepy from staying up late, and headed to the restaurant. The breakfast was extravagant, just like yesterday's dinner. I couldn't help myself and overate. This was luxurious vacationing at it's finest. The freshly made pancakes with whipped cream were to die for. I grew a bit self-conscious while I was stuffing myself with them. Here I was, devouring a large pancake pile on my own and everyone walking by saw me do it.
Yumeko and Mary weren't here yet. The girls were probably taking their time to prepare and may be skipping breakfast entirely. We hadn't agreed to eat it together, at least.

After defeating the whole pancake pile, I strolled to the lobby. This was where we agreed to meet. I plunged myself onto one of the leather sofas in bliss and waited.

The school uniform was not mandatory today until evening.
Students could dress like they wanted, as long as they kept it decent of course. I went with jeans and a light blue shirt. Nothing fancy.

The elevator chimed. Yumeko and Mary stepped out of it.
Yumeko was dressed in a pure white off-the-shoulder dress while Mary wore a t-shirt with a wide neck line and hotpants. Both kept their usual hair styles so they were instantly recognizable.
My heart skipped a beat.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Yumeko said cheerfully while running towards me. Her dress was swaying. It was long and almost covered her ankles.

Mary was strolling behind her in a less flattering way. She was massaging her neck with her palms and looked tired.

"Are you alright, Saotome? You look wasted.", I said.

"I stayed up late to play at the casino. When I did go to bed, Yumeko kept clinging to me", Mary replied.
"I didn't get wink of sleep and it's all because Yumeko lost to Kifune."

"With Mary-san next to me, I was able to sleep soundly and peacefully", Yumeko said. You would think that this was a taunt, but Yumeko said it with an honest look. She did seem full of energy and there was no trace of malice in her voice.

Mary closed her eyes and let out a long, deep sigh.

"Suzui-san, did you bring your swim shorts?", Yumeko asked. She brought this up yesterday as well and told me I was going to need them today.

I knew there was a beach here so I packed them for the trip.
"Yeah, I'm wearing them. Are we going to the beach right now?"

"Yes! It would be such a waste to come a place like this and not go for a swim. Right, Mary-san?", Yumeko said while turning to her.

Mary sighed deeply again. "Why do I have to swim?"

"We just talked about this in the room. You promised that you would do as I say while we're on this trip", Yumeko replied.

It seems Mary had been off the hook for her pledge of obedience to Yumeko. Until now.

Mary groaned. "I know that! I'm even wearing the swimsuit you brought for me. How did you know my size, anyway?"

"Girl's intuition!" Yumeko replied, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes.

So, Yumeko anticipated Mary not bringing a swimsuit and bought one for her herself... It occurred to me that the strange clinging may have been part of a plan to measure Mary's size. Was I overthinking this? With Yumeko you never know.

"Yumeko is right. Since we're here anyway, let's have some fun", I said sheepishly to Mary. It was meant to calm her down, but had the opposite effect.

"Aaaah! I hate you!", Mary screamed and slapped my ass.

Chapter 3, part 2

I left my belongings in a locker, took some of the provided beach supplies and headed towards the water. The sunlight was warming my toes while sand was getting trapped between them. It was a great day.
The beach wasn't that big, but since it was only for the hotel guests, there was plenty of space. I looked for a spot that was not too close to any of the other students and planted the parasol there. I spread the large towel in it's generous shade.

I turned around and saw Yumeko take off her dress. She was rolling it up with both arms raised. When the roll up fished, her long hair dropped down, as if it was a splash of black liquid. She shook it and then trapped a yellow flower between it and her ear. It was a large flower with each petal as long as a finger.
Her skin was without the slightest blemish, forming a stark contrast with her navy-blue swimsuit.
When she noticed my gaze, Yumeko turned her head towards me and smiled in silence.

I was looking at the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Her figure was like you'd find in classic art. I was wondering where she got that flower from, but other things I was wondering about more. I averted my eyes, feeling guilty for staring.

"What's up with that swimsuit?", I asked.

"Huh? What do you mean 'what's up with it'? It's the school-issued one. Here, it reads '2nd Year - Jabami', see?", Yumeko said while pointing at the patch on her chest.

Everybody received school-issued swim clothing, but the rule for wearing it was never enforced. In practice, this meant nobody ever used it. I wanted to tell Yumeko she was setting herself up for ridicule, but decided not to. I'm sure she would know how to rescue herself out of a pinch like that.

Mary still had her clothes on and looked at Yumeko with a mix of disapproval and embarrassment. It occurred to me I hadn't seen Mary's swimsuit yet. With the questionable fashion choice Yumeko made for herself, Mary might be in some trouble with what was picked for her.

"There's no point being shy!", Yumeko said while running up to Mary. She started to lift her shirt in an attempt to undress her.

"Hey, don't look!", Mary shouted at me.

"Sorry", I said while turning around.

Behind me, Mary was having her clothes ripped off by Yumeko.

"You look great, Mary-san! Suzui-san, take a look at how cute she is!", I heard Yumeko say.

"No, don't you dare turning around!", Mary shouted at me again.

"Maybe I can't help myself with those uncontrollable urges you accused me of earlier", I replied.

"You pervert! Go back to the hotel!", Mary kept shouting.

"Mary-san, keep your promise. We're all going for a lovely swim together", Yumeko said with a calm voice.

I slowly turned around. Yumeko was pushing Mary towards the water. I finally saw the swimwear. It was a bikini with a white and pink flower pattern. The many frills gave it an innocent look. Mary was still embarrassed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"See, Suzui-san, she's adorable! Let's take lots of pictures later!", Yumeko snorted.

"Enough already, and stop pushing me!", Mary yelled.

I laughed. "And here I was, thinking you would have the school swimsuit too, Saotome."

"Oh no, I wanted Mary-san to wear something cute!", Yumeko said.

"Suzui! Stop staring!" Mary picked up a lost beach ball and threw it at my head.

The ball hit it's target and bounced away. I chased after it and picked it up. As I turned around to took at the girls, I saw Yumeko holding Mary's hand and leading her into the water. They were up their knees in it. Yumeko waved at me with a beaming smile. Mary seemed to have finally surrendered and forgotten her embarrassment.

Somehow, despite everything, they got along well. Mary would never admit it, but beneath all the superficial bickering there was a bond of trust.
"Alright, here we go!" I hit the ball with the palm of my hand, aiming for them.
I'm so glad I came to this island.

The water looked clean and the breaching waves were sparkling as they moved up the beach. It was a fitting background for such a radiant duo. I saw that several other guys on the beach took notice too.

Chapter 3, part 3

It's impossible not to feel exhilarated at a beach under a cloudless, sunny sky.

We enjoyed ourselves at the coast, splashing water at each other and playing volleyball. Then we ventured a bit deeper into the water with the inflatable tube. Yumeko and Mary got inside the tube while I was pushing it while swimming.

"Too slow! Push harder!", Mary commanded me. She was the captain, it seemed.

"Oh, I'm getting scared! Mary-san, stay close to me, okay?" It turned out Yumeko was not an experienced swimmer. She was clearly uneasy about not having anything supporting her feet. She could have just held on to the tube, but she clung to Mary instead.

Mary took advantage of the situation and ordered me to keep going. Surely, this was payback for the embarrassment from earlier. I obeyed the captain and moved us a little further out into the ocean.

There was a snack stand at the beach. We bought some frankfurters there before returning to the parasol.
I was exhausted from pushing the tube the whole time but Mary thanked me for the hard work.

Yumeko was less grateful. "It was scary! You two were so mean! I told you so many times that we should go back, but you wouldn't listen at all!"

We sat in the shade of the parasol while we ate the sausages. I was eating mine slowly, but the girls were devouring theirs. They had missed breakfast, after all.

Mary was commanding me again. "I'm getting thirsty now. Suzui, go get us something to drink."

"Sure. In fact, since I scared Yumeko, I'll treat both of you as an apology", I replied.

"How generous of you, Suzui, I'll have a cola." "Thank you, Suzui-san, I'd like something fruity."

"Got it. I'm off then. Hold on to my frankfurter, Saotome", I said and went back to the snack stand.

Chapter 3, part 4

Ryota left, leaving me with his frankfurter. Yumeko waited until he was out of earshot before speaking. "Mary-san, I'm glad you came."

"Hmm...", I replied.

For sure, you should have fun while you can. What's the point of it all if you don't? Letting time just pass you by is no good. Now that I think about it, since I met Yumeko, time has been flying by like a hurricane.

What would my school life be like if I hadn't met her? A lot smoother, I bet. I managed to enroll to Hyakkaou with a scholarship and was top dog among my classmates. I was in a position I seized with my own strength. It was not like how my pathetic parents live. They are happy sucking up to the upper class, thankful for the breadcrumbs they receive for their obedience. Then Yumeko arrived and I was back to what I was so desperately trying to get away from.

I wasn't a housepet for long, but my pride was smashed and all my efforts were undone. My blood still boils when I think back to it, but yet I somehow don't hate Yumeko.

It's isn't like she is pushing people into a hurricane. She is more like the hurricane itself. A force of nature that knows no malice or jealousy. Or maybe she is more like an ocean. Calm and inviting on the surface but with unimaginable depth you can sink into with pure desire for risk and thrill at the bottom.

"Hey... How are you doing?" There was a new shadow on the sand.

The first thing I saw when looking up was a bright red flash. It were the guy's swim shorts. Looking up further revealed a toned body. Then a pointy nose. All the way up top was, also pointy, gelled up, dark brown hair. He brushed some of it aside as he looked at us.

Ah yes, of course. Ryota leaves us and we get male attention immediately.

"I'm Ace. Call me Ace", he said.

What a creep.

Chapter 3, part 5

Handsome face Ace was not really my type.

"What can I do for you?", I asked.

"What you can do for me? Well... You can get to know me better! How about we get some drinks together? My treat!", Ace said with gleaming eyes.

"We're with someone. He is getting us drinks right now", I said emphasizing the 'he' to make sure the hint was obvious.

Ace ignored it. "Let's not drag out the introductions. Please, pretty lady, tell me your name. Don't worry, I'm not some criminal. I'm third year Hyakkaou, so a schoolmate of yours. I saw you at the ship. You must be friends with Kifune-san."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Yumeko Jabami. This is Mary Saotome. We're second year classmates."

What was she doing?! I nudged Yumeko with my elbow. Surely she knows better than to act like innocent and easily impressed prey.

"Thank you, black haired maiden. However, it is you I need to speak to, Mary Saotome, with your beautiful blond hair. Please allow me to call you Goldilocks." Ace knelt before me.

I shivered. That language... I didn't mind that I was being hit on, but why did it have to be such a self-absorbed slime ball who did it?

"Eh... No", I said.

"Don't be so cold. I've already made up my mind about you. By the time we board the ship to return, you will be by my side." Ace grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it.

"What are you doing?!" I shook him off with all my might.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Here are the drinks. There was a queue, so it took a while... What's going on here?" Ryota returned with cups in his hands.

Ace was ignoring him. "Hmph, you're being so harsh, my dear. I understand you're confused by this sudden display of affection. I want you to understand, I don't do this with just anyone. I've met my soulmate, so my feelings got ahead of me.
I'll just ask it straight up. Will you go on a date with me?"

A soulmate? So he's not just a self-absorbed slime ball, but a presumptuous one too.

"You are a complete stranger. I have no obligation to entertain you. Please go away", I said. Hopefully that was rude and direct enough to get rid of him.

Ace was undeterred. "That date. Will you allow me to... gamble for it?"

"Ooh, a gamble! Sounds good. Yes, she'll do it", Yumeko chimed in.

Oh no!!

Yumeko turned to me putting a finger on her lips, gesturing to me that I should stay silent. "Remember, you promised, Mary-san." She was singing those words rather than speaking them.

"Even if you lose, it's just a date! We've come here to do stuff we normally wouldn't, after all. Isn't that right, Ace-san?", Yumeko continued.

Ace was delighted. "Black haired maiden, you speak wise words. I understand that Goldilocks has sworn obedience to you?"

Translator's note: Untranslated, Mary's new nickname is Yamabuki-chan. It's comparing her hair color to the bright yellow blossom of the Kerria Japonica plant. Yumeko's nickname is more straightforward, however it is implying that her black hair has a beautiful gloss.

Yumeko nodded.

"Goldilocks, the date can be whatever you want it to be. What we'll be dong and where we'll be eating is up to you. I intend to provide perfect escort no matter what the plan is", Ace continued.

"That sounds wonderful", Yumeko said while looking at me and poking my cheek.

"Argh! Fine, I'll do it", I said while swatting away Yumeko's finger and standing up. "It doesn't matter anyway, because I'll win."

Ace kept up the sweet talk. "Oh, Goldilocks. Even if you speak in anger, your voice is so sweet. Your temperament is beautiful, like that of a vengeful angel descending from the heavens."

"Oh, shut up!" I crossed my arms and squinted. "Yumeko! You better appreciate this!"

"Wait a moment. I'll be right back", Ace said and quickly left.

"Don't get angry, Mary-san! This is so exciting!", Yumeko giggled.

"I'm unsure what's happening, but anyway, here is your cola." Ryota was smiling at me sheepishly while handing me a cup.

I took it and stuffed the frankfurter I was holding for him in his mouth.

Chapter 3, part 6

After giving the girls their drinks, my hands were free and I could finish my sausage.

So, there would be a gamble, Mary was unhappy and Yumeko was smiling. This felt like a familiar situation.

Ace was back in a few minutes. He was holding a box with a colorful print on it. "Goldilocks, I'm so sorry I kept you waiting. This is the game. Let's have a fierce battle."
He showed us the front of the box. It was Twister.

"Oh, that's a classic", Yumeko said.

"Are you kidding me! I'm not playing that with you!", Mary screamed. "This is not a game for strangers. You pervert!"

Ace stayed undeterred. "Aw, don't say that, Goldilocks. I'm sure it will be a fun summer memory no matter how it turns out."

Twister is a balance game. Players have to share a mat with colored circles on it. In turn, a spinner is used for each player to determine to what color circle they need to move what limb. Hands and feet must be touching a circle with the color that was determined by the spinner. No other body parts may be touching the ground. As the game progresses, the bodies of the players become entangled and keeping balance becomes harder. The player who loses their balance first, loses the game.

This is the kind of game Mary would hate the most. It would be a real challenge to get her to play it.
I looked at Yumeko. She was staring intently at Mary with a gentle smile.

Mary noticed her gaze. "W-what are you looking at..."

Yumeko kept staring and took a step closer.

"No, absolutely not...", Mary said while Yumeko crept in another step. "Just because I promised doesn't mean you can make me do anything..."

They were so close now, their chests were touching.

"Argh!" Mary turned away and stomped her feet on the sand. "Fine, fine! But there is a condition! There will be a gamble first on who gets to play against Ace. I absolutely demand it. You'll allow that, Yumeko, or else I'll just break my promise!"

The wooden sticks our frankfurters had been pierced on were laying in the sand next to our towel. They had one dull and one pointed end. Mary grabbed two of them. "Here, break these in half", she said to me.

I hesitated.

"Or must you let a frail maiden like myself do these kind of things?", she said, manipulating me into obedience.

I did as she asked. "Is this good enough?"
I had four sticks in my hand now. Two of them had a dull end and the other two a pointed end. All four of them had a broken-off end on the other side.

Mary took the sticks from me and turned to Ace, showing them to him. "The game is on. However, these sticks determine who you will play Twister with. We will all draw one. Whoever has the same stick end as you, is your opponent."

Ace widened his eyes. "Oh, I see. I defeat someone chosen at random to get a date with you. Well... It's not how I wanted it, but it will have to do, I suppose."

"Mary-san, why all this extra delay? Just play Twister with the guy yourself and --- mumble." Mary quickly slapped Yumeko's mouth shut with her hand. "Be quiet. You got me into this mess, so you should share some of the risk yourself."

As Yumeko was trying to say something with a muffled voice, Mary turned to me. "Suzui, I'm sure you already understood that you are drawing a stick too."

I nodded.

Ace picked up his sweet talk again. "Whoever my opponent is, I'll defeat them! Nothing will stand between me and a date with my beautiful Goldilocks!"

"Arg! Why did it have to be a guy like this to hit on me." Mary muttered some curses and pressed the sticks into my hand. "You stick them into the sand. It's fairer if I don't do it myself. Hurry up!"

"Okay." I rolled the bundle of sticks between my palms. I wanted to do something to help Mary, but no bright ideas popped into my head. It's gong to be pure chance then. Ace didn't seem to care that I was preparing the sticks while also being a friend of Mary's.

I knelt in the hot sand. While I was placing the sticks, I covered them with my free hand while looking away. When I stood up, all four of them were visible, pointing straight up with the broken-off end exposed. I didn't know which stick was which and it was unlikely anyone else did either. "So, who's drawing first", I asked?

"Hmm... I'll let the enemy go first", Mary said while glaring at Ace.

"The enemy, huh? It hurts me if you say it like that. You are such a sweet angel, destined to be mine. I'm certain of it." Ace grabbed one of Mary's hair locks and stroked it. "You will soon smile at me, you know."

Mary shivered and stepped away. "Just back off already!"

It didn't seem to bother Ace too much. He looked calm and collected. It was the calmness of someone observing while planning their next move.

"Okay then, lets do it" Ace bend over and pulled out one of the sticks without hesitating. "Dull end", he said while looking at it.

"Yumeko is next. I'll go after that", Mary said.

Yumeko wasn't objecting anymore. Before drawing, she let her fingertip pass over all of the sticks. "Which one should I choose...?"

Whoever drew a dull end now would have to play Twister with Ace. I knew what result I was hoping for at this point. Since I'd hate any of the girls being coerced into Twister, it left me as the preferred player.

"This is the one!" Yumeko said, while yanking out a stick and holding it high with a dramatic gesture. All of us looked up. It had a pointed end. I felt relieved.

"Right then. My turn", Mary said with tension in her voice.
She bend over, keeping her knees straight, and stared at the two remaining sticks intensely. Her behind was on display for us and I looked away to not stare. Ace was staring shamelessly with wide open eyes, however.

"This one!" Mary raised a stick to the sky in one quick move. It was even more dramatic than how Yumeko did it.

I needed to squint to see the stick in the bright sunlight.

"Pointy end! I did it! Suzui, you are playing Twister with Ace! If you lose, I'll kill you!", Mary shouted with joy.

Clearly pleased with herself, Mary turned towards us and brushed away her blond, twin-tailed hair. It glimmered in the sun.

Standing with his arms crossed, Ace was clearly dejected. "If you, my golden haired angel, really don't want to play Twister with me, I have no choice."

Then Ace turned to me. "Sorry that we skipped the introduction. You are Suzui-san, right?", he said while extending his hand. I shook it.

"This is a serious battle. I won't hold back and neither should you", Ace said. His handshake was strong and his gaze pierced me. There clearly was a lot of fighting spirit behind those eyes. I couldn't let myself be intimidated by it. After all, I was chosen to defend the honor of our fair maiden Goldilocks.

"You're on. Fair match. No mercy", I replied.

Ace's smile was refreshing. "Yeah, that's the spirit!"

Chapter 3, part 7

"Stay focused, Suzui! Don't even think about falling over!", I yelled.

The sunlight was merciless and the positions the guys were in uncomfortable. Both of them were sweating and groaning from the strain.

I used the spinner. "Suzui, left hand to green!"

"What? That's impossible", he squeezed out between breaths.

I kept encouraging. "Just do it like your life depends on it!"

"If I stretch like that, I'll end up between his legs", Ryota groaned.

"Just do it! No mercy, remember?", Ace said with heavy breathing.

It was as if Ryota and Ace were forming one giant spider together. It was an amusing sight, but I had other things on my mind. If Ryota lost, I'd have to date creepy Ace.

"Turn the spinner, Goldilocks! I'll overcome any challenge for you!", Ace managed.

Neither of the guys were looking at me. Ace even couldn't if he wanted to. He had no way of turning his head this way.

I didn't use the spinner. "Ace, right foot to Red!"

"Suzui, your ass is in the way, but that's an obstacle I'll overcome, for love!", Ace exhaled. His muscles were now trembling from the load.

"Mary-san, that's cheating", Yumeko said quietly.

"Shut up. It's strategy. You are an outsider now. Don't interfere", I hissed.
"Suzui, left hand to yellow!", I continued without touching the spinner.

"That..., I can manage somehow...", Ryota groaned.

After two more turns, I set Ace up with a truly impossible move. The game was over.
Ryota stood up and let out a victory roar, beating his chest. Ace was catching his breath, sitting on the mat with his head between his knees. Sweat was dripping from both of them.

After a minute, Ace rose up. He had the look of a knocked-out boxer. "Suzui-san, I admit defeat. Thank you for the man-to-man match."

"I'll leave now, but I'm not giving up on you, my sweet Goldilocks", he said to me. He started to walk away. "I'll definitely make you come around", he added with his back to us.

The sun was starting to set. Ace was now a silhouette in the distance, casting a long shadow in the sand. Suddenly there was a dampened whistling sound. Something was cutting through the air, like a bullet. A playing card landed at my feet. I picked it up. It was the ace of hearts.

"I'm a poker pro! I'm in the tournament this evening. Watch me play, see my bravery!", Ace yelled form afar.
He surely was an odd one.

"Okay, now that we've dealt with this troublemaker, we should head back to the hotel. It feels great to have won. Thanks Suzui! I couldn't have done it without you!"

"My pleasure", Ryota said with his usual sheepish smile. "I wonder where Ace got that card from so suddenly."

I looked at the card, then it occurred to me what Ryota meant. "Eeew!" I dropped it out of my hands.

"Mary-san, we're not done with this game yet", Yumeko said.

"Huh? What do you mean?", I replied while brushing off my hands on the sand.

Yumeko smiled. "Drawing sticks gave us another Twister pairing. I want to try it too! You'll play with me, right?"

"Arg! Why play something so pointless?", I protested.

Yumeko said nothing but the message was clear. My promise to obey her was in effect.

"...Ah, alright, alright! Just once! I'm not betting anything! Suzui, you work the spinner!"

Chapter 3, part 8

A crowd had gathered. The guys were cheering on their champion of choice while the girls were laughing in embarrassment.

There was no wager, but Mary remained her competitive self. "Uhh... I'm not going to lose!", she yelled while planting her foot with force on the new circle.

"Mary-san, don't move so violently." Yumeko was terrible at sports but she was flexible enough to be fair competition here.

"Give it up, Yumeko! You'll never win with those heavy boobs of yours", Mary said while being smothered by them.

Yumeko could now only keep balance by leaning on Mary. "I wonder how long you can endure this with that slender body of yours, Mary-san."

Mary won eventually. The crowd gave a roaring applause.

Chapter 3, part 9

"Midari, wait!"

"Pick up the pace! Both of you! You're like snails!", I yelled back.

The beach I was walking on with my two friends was bathing in the orange light of the setting sun. There were still people here. Some were swimming and some were barbecuing in groups. Here and there were couples, looking at the sunset together.

Seriously... Why can't they keep this place clean?! I came here a day late, planning to go for a swim and enjoy myself. It seems I won't have time for any of that. I changed into my swim wear and was ready to go. Then I saw the state of the beach. I simply couldn't have fun with all this litter everywhere. So here I am, with my trash bag, picking up juice cartons and cans.

"It's so funny to see you picking up trash in such a flashy purple bikini", I heard from behind me.

"Shut up! You're useless. You haven't picked up anything yet!" I didn't turn around to check, but I was sure her bag was still empty.

"That's because you're so fast. There is nothing left for us", my friend replied.

Two guys were crossing my path, on their way to the ocean. They threw their drink cups onto the sand. I picked up the cups and went after them. I caught up just as they were about to go swimming and grabbed one by shoulder.
"Hey, you! Look at me!"

"Huh?" The guys turned around to me in surprise.

"Didn't your mom teach you how to clean up after yourself?!", I yelled.

He was stumbling over his words. "O-oh... Student counselor Ikishima-sama... H-head of the Beautification Committee..."

I dropped my trash bag and threw one of the cups at the guy who was further away. I easily hit my target as he was too stunned to react. Then I turned back towards the one who's shoulder I had grabbed.

"Don't you know plastic is bad for the birds and fish when they eat it? Maybe I should shove some of it down your throat to make you understand that?", I said looking him straight in the eye from up close.

"Ah, I-I'm sorry", he answered with the same stumbling voice.

I was twisting up the other cup in my hands as if I was about to make good on my threat. "Both of you, pick up some of the trash and leave. I'll let you off the hook. This time."

"I-Immediately! Excuse me!" The boys quickly filled their hands with litter and ran off.

"Pfff... Being on the Beautification Committee isn't easy. So may ill-behaved students. It's a real pain in the butt", my friend said. She bend down and picked up a playing card. The ace of hearts. "And here are some frankfurter sticks. Broken, no less. They were playing cards and violently eating sausages, or something", she continued.

"This is endless. You two, get out of here and have some fun. I'll keep collecting for a bit longer", I said.

"We can check up on you later. If we come back in some hours this should be a perfect spot to stargaze", my friend replied.

"Hey, you're probably right. I didn't even think of that", I said while looking up. It was cloudless and we were far from any city.

"Oh by the way, there's going to be a poker tournament tonight. It's the main event of the summer camp. That Kifune chick from the Kansankai really got the hang of swindling money from idiots. A lot of cash is going to change hands", I said.

As I was talking I started picking up trash again.
"I'm not interested. There may be trouble if it gets out hand, though. The council president might show up to inspect the event. Maybe she's interested in the activities of the Kansankai. Those guys have been suspiciously successful lately."

"None of it is really any of my business, anyway. I just run the Beautification Committee", I continued while walking to the next trash pile. Among the cups and cans was a lost beach ball.

"She's adorable, isn't she?"

"Yeah, I think so too."

"What are you two even talking about?!, I yelled."

"Well, you are. Despite everything, you deeply care about animals and nature. It's very touching, you know."

I threw the beach ball at them. "Oh, shut up!"

Chapter 4: The Poker Tournament

Chapter 4, part 1

We showered in our rooms, changed back into school uniform and met at the restaurant. It was once again a lavish buffet.

"It feels like everyone is even more pumped up than yesterday", Mary said while moving a large piece of salmon onto her plate.

"It's tournament night. Everyone will be at the casino, I suppose", I replied, while trying to decide what cheese to pick.

Yumeko was generously sprinkling dressing on her salad. "I'm sure lots will sign up. Kifune-san called it the main event, after all."

The meal was excellent. We ate with lighthearted banter. Just like yesterday, we didn't linger at the restaurant for too long and went to the casino.

A large group had gathered. They were crowding someone who was standing in an open space. As we got closer, we saw that there were two guys dressed in the black Kansankai uniform. One was the center of attention, looking down to his clipboard and writing while people were talking to him. The other was giving directions to the crowd.
"We'll handle your poker tournament sign up. There are only 125 spots, so register quickly if you want to participate."

"So many people were looking forward to this. Those 125 spots will be gone in a blink, I bet", Mary said.

Yumeko rushed forward.

"So, you are going to do it", I said to her as I was catching up.

"Yes of course! This is exactly the sort of thing I came here for! If I miss out, I'd regret it terribly. It's a once-a-year event after all", Yumeko said with a smile. "Will you two also sign up?"

I considered Yumeko's suggestion for a moment. I didn't think I had any chance of winning, but it did seem like a fun experience.

"Suzui, you are wondering what the entry fee is, right?" Mary asked it like the answer was obvious.

"It would be nice to know that, yes. Have you heard what it is, Saotome?", I asked.

Mary looked me in the eye while answering to see my reaction. "It's a million Yen."

I laughed. "Ha, no! I'm passing on this then!" Thanks to Yumeko, I got some money from that slot machine yesterday. I lost some of it later so I wasn't really in a position to pay one million, even if I wanted to.
"I can't believe so many are willing to risk that much so easily", I said.

Mary looked at me, like she would at an endearing and naive child. I smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, Yumeko. I have to decline. There are other games here I still want to try. Besides, didn't they say that they took bets on who the tournament winner would be?"
I pulled my coin card from my pocket. "I still got some money on this thing so I can bet on you!"

"That's a lot of pressure", Yumeko said.

I laughed. It was a surprise to hear Yumeko say that. You'd think she was joking but there was not a hint of sarcasm in her expression. She was always fine taking huge risks herself, so if she was being sincere here, it meant she was concerned about me.

"Just do your best and we'll both make money!" I said, cheering her on.

"Yes! I'll do my best!" She raised both hands in front of her chest and pursed her red lips.

"What about you, Saotome?", I asked, turning to her.

"I'll pass too. It's the main event and this place is run by Kifune. I'm not desperate and I don't trust this for one bit." Mary looked at Yumeko before continuing. "But hey, I'll cheer for those who are actually trying to compete fairly."

Yumeko looked dejected, but only briefly. She widened her eyes as if she suddenly remembered something and brushed up to Mary. She then started whispering into Mary's ear while covering it with cupped hands, for total privacy.

"Yes...? And then? I can do that. Okay... Ugh!! No way... You mean you actually want me to --- mumble", Mary was saying, but was interrupted when Yumeko slapped a hand in front of her mouth.

The two were staring at each other in silence.

Eventually, Mary removed Yumeko's hand and closed her eyes. She sighed deeply like she had done many times already on this trip. "I'm scared of myself for getting used to the outrageous things you say."
With reluctant acceptance, Mary gestured towards the tournament sign up. "Okay, whatever. Hurry up and go."

"Hihi. Thank you, Mary-san! I'll see you both later" Yumeko waved at us as she disappeared in the crowd.

"It didn't look like you promised to sign up for the tournament yourself. You two were talking about something else entirely, right?", I asked Mary.

"Ah, no... I mean, yes... It's none of your business. Well, actually it is, but you don't need to worry about it. Or maybe you should, but not now. You'll find out eventually. Anyway, I need to go. Have fun! See you later!"
After saying goodbye Mary started to walk away quickly.

I felt abandoned but it didn't bother me too much. If those two are pulling off some complicated scheme and don't need my help, I'll gladly get out of their way.

"The tournament will start in one hour. Those who still wish to sign up, must do so quickly! Don't forget to pay the entry fee at the reception desk!", the Kansankai staffer announced, while looking around.

It seemed I had some time to kill. I guess I should check out some of the games I didn't get to play yesterday.

Chapter 4, part 2

"Boss, it looks like Jabami is signing up."

"That's not a surprise. She's a gambling junkie after all. Although, I was hoping she would get scared and stick to the usual games instead", I replied.

I was in the surveillance room. It was dimly lit and had mirrored windows. You had a good view of the whole casino floor beneath you from here. Everything in here looked remarkably unremarkable. There were no decorations of any kind, so even if guests got a peak of the inside, they would soon forget all about it. This is how large casinos handle surveillance, so this is how we handled it here to.

I caught a peek of Yumeko in the crowd at the sign up point. Aside from the holdup there, the rest of the casino was running smoothly.

"So, eh... Are we doing something, boss? Do you want me to adjust the participant count last-second? If I do it now quickly, I can make her sign up be too late", my friend in black continued.

I shook my head. "Neh, don't bother. Let her join. She screwed up when she became a Mittens and she'll screw up now too."

I sat on one of the comfortable couches in the room. The casino was running great. We were heavily in debt, but our investors were generous.

I was in my 3rd year, so this was my last summer as a Hyakkaou student. You could say that everything meaningful I did with my time at the school was hinging on today. From the moment I joined the Kansankai, I stopped existing as a normal girl. Good grades, hobbies, sports, romance... I had no time or energy for any of those. Sometimes I think I'll regret having been so single-minded, but I'm unsure I could have done things any other way. I had to drag myself out of the gutter and realize my dream.

---

With the despair of being a housepet, I found a new strength. I had little to lose so it was easy to take a radical approach.
I could not allow myself to be spat on or become a failure. It was simply unthinkable for me to give up on myself like that. Then, something came along that could bail me out of my misery. Grabbing onto that with all my might came strangely natural.

At the time, the Kansankai was just another student club. Becoming it's leader was not difficult. Things were starting to look good as we were running a couple of gambling dens. This however, was not enough. We made a plan to open a casino. A real one, not just some tables in a basement.

It was strangely easy to secure funding. Just mentioning that we were from Hyakkaou Private Academy was often enough to be taken seriously and attract investors. Some of my club mates had family connections that made this go even smoother.

Then came the next challenge. We needed a location. Something fancy, luxurious and secluded but also easily reachable. A place the high roller students would gladly keep coming to. Ryouran Island was that place. However, getting permission to use it would mean I'd have to deal with student council president Kirari Momobami directly.

Whenever any group at the school came even close to becoming a threat to the student council, they got ruthlessly stepped on. I knew this and became increasingly anxious about what was in store for the Kansankai as our club grew more successful. Strangely, nothing was ever done to us. This was convenient of course, but also suspicious.

I wasn't going to defy the council... yet. The Kansankai was by no means strong enough for such an act and we'd be forced to disband in no time. I'd have to play their game for a while, showing them that we would be beneficial to them rather than a challenge to their power.

I made an appointment though Sayaka Igarashi. She was the president's secretary and her most trusted servant. After some back and forth, a date and time was set.

I opened the heavy door to the student council president's office. Kirari was sitting at her desk with a large window behind her. It was around noon and the bright sunlight was blinding me as I looked at her. I couldn't see her whole face, but I did catch a faint smile on her blue hued lips.

What this an honest smile? Was she taunting me? Was it something else? With people like her you'd never know for sure. If she were easy to read, she wouldn't be sitting in that chair.

Her presence was unnerving. Looking in her direction made my heart pound. It was as if she had an aura that was pulling you in. With the effortless self-confidence that was radiating from her, it seemed impossible that she was the same age as me.

Standing there, I realized something about myself. I wasn't afraid of her. I wasn't attracted to her. It was something else that was stirring me up so much. I wanted to be like her. I was looking at the girl I wanted to become. The power she was projecting on anyone who stood before her is what I wanted for myself.

I tensed up to suppress the trembling and make a conscious effort to keep my face straight. There was business to be done and I couldn't show weakness. A lot was riding on this conversation. I would be pitching my plan to the ruler of Hyakkaou Private Academy and I'd be damned if I didn't do a good job.

There was a portfolio under my arm. Weeks of tireless labour went into it. Everything was sourced and all calculations double-checked. There was no way our plan for the casino did not look extremely compelling.

I made a quick bow and spoke as calmly as I could. "Thank you for taking the time to see me today. I'm Kifune Izayoi and I lead the Kansankai student club. If you will allow me to present my case, you'll see that our club has..."

"So what are the requirements?", Kirari interrupted me. She had her elbows on the armrests and her long slender fingers were crossed.

Right to the point, huh? I couldn't let this throw me off.

"Our intention is to propose opening a casino for this academy. We are confident that it will contribute significantly to the development of Hyakkaou. As for the time line..." I took my eyes off of Kirari as I was talking to open my portfolio.

"That's alright. Keep the papers." Her voice was suddenly coming from a lot closer.

I looked up. Kirari was right in front of me. I could make out my reflection in her deep blue eyes. She had them wide open, looking at me with curiosity and anticipation. This froze me up completely.

"You want Ryouran Island, don't you? Do you need a loan?", Kirari asked, slightly tilting her head sideways.

I forced myself out my stupor. "No... I mean, yes.... The m-money is something we have covered, actually. A-all we ask for is the right to use Ryouran."

"That's fine. If gambling is the essence of this school, what good would it be without a casino? This place was getting boring without one. Your efforts to stir things up are commendable", she said softly.

"You can use the island for free. Sayaka, please...", Kirari said while walking around her huge desk, back to her chair.

"Yes, president", Sayaka replied while pulling out paperwork.

Kirari took a stamp the size of her fist out of a desk drawer and pressed it hard onto the document she was handed.

Bang. The room was silent again but my heart was racing.

Sayaka handed me the stamped form as Kirari hung back into her chair and crossed her legs. The tip of her knee was peaking from below the desk, revealing her ink black stockings.

"This concludes our business, I'm sure. I'd love to chat a bit, though. Would you like some tea?", she asked.

I knew it was just a piece of paper but somehow it felt light in my hand. With how much we worked to get to the point of receiving this, I somehow imagined it should have been heavier.

Sayaka poured the tea and placed a chair for me. I sat down silently and faced Kirari form across the desk.

"What kind of casino will it be? Do you have anything special in mind? Will there be some theme to it? Won't you tell me?", she asked with what looked like genuine excitement.

Ah, so this is how it was. The feasibility studies and technical planning didn't interest her. She was just looking forward to having a new toy.

I spoke frantically. It felt like I was talking to calm myself down, rather than for her benefit. The unease within me was still strong and speaking helped to suppress the urge to run away. I humored her as much as I could, rambling on about the luxuries in stock for our guests.

As the conversation continued, I started looking past her, rather than at her. The light falling through the window was like the path to my future. Kirari was an obstacle on that path. Someday, I'll get rid of this obstacle. I'll rule over everything.

---

"Boss...? Kifune-san...? Are you okay?" My black suited friend was looking into my eyes with a worried expression.

"Huh? Yes! I was just thinking about something. Don't worry about it. Let's get moving. It's almost time", I said while standing up and straightening out my clothing.

Chapter 4, part 3

I was killing time while looking around, waiting for the tournament to start.
There was a display set up in a corner. It was hung up pretty high so that many people could watch it. There was some sports show on it yesterday. Today, it was going to be used for the tournament. The screen was very large. It was as tall as I was, probably. Several smaller screens were at it's sides, so they were likely planning to show the action at differed tables simultaneously.

I wasn't planning to stay here, though. Only Yumeko's games interested me so I could just as well watch them in person at her table.

The screen came on and showed a closeup of Kifune. She used a dramatic voice to hype up the public. "Ladies and gentlemen! Honored guests! Thank you for waiting! All the 125 player spots are taken and we can proceed with the tournament! The main event of the Ryouran Island Summer Camp is about to start!"

The crowd was cheering and whistling.

"The poker variant will be the simple Five-card Draw! However, per played hand, there will be only one betting phase, making the action fast paced! Each table will have five players! The 25 table winners will be grouped for another game of five in the second round! Table winners of the second round get a seat at the final table in the third round! The winner of the final table gets all the price money!
As promised, the prize is four times the sign up fees collected! Our lucky champion will go home with a whopping 500 million Yen!"

The crowd cheered again. Louder this time.

So they were really doing it then. They were prepared to lose money on transportation and the hotel rooms. Now they were also prepared to lose money on the tournament.

The screen changed, showing a list of names. I quickly found Yumeko's near the bottom. Kifune's face was no longer displayed but her voice continued.
"Who among the 125 will seize their destiny and claim the prize?! You can bet on it! Guess it right and we will multiply your wager by the amount of players still in the tournament at the time of betting! Bets can only be placed before a round starts! Place your bet before the first round and receive 125 times your money back! Bet as much as you like!"

I had done exactly this. The 30 thousand Yen I had left to play with were wagered on Yumeko. I won't have to worry about lunch money or the cost of any computer games for a while if she would win. It crossed my mind that the casino was unusually generous with these side bets as well. With this type of set up, the payout is usually a lot less good so that the middleman can expect to turn a profit.

"It smells." That's what Mary said about this place back at school. The more I thought about it, the more I could see her point.

"The first round will start when all players are present. Please hurry if you haven't place your bet yet!", Kifune went on.

I headed to Yumeko's table.

Chapter 4, part 4

One of the casino halls had been rearranged. There were now 25 tables placed in the middle with space around them for the spectators. A barrier draped with a red cloth clearly indicated how close the public was allowed to approach the action in the center. Because the size of the hall was limited and the expected number of spectators large, everything was set up pretty tightly. You could approach the table of your choice fairly closely.

The tables were rounded but had an indentation on one side. This allowed the dealer to stand in a place where everything was within reach. The dealer spot on the outer tables was turned towards the public. Onlookers had a better view of the players' faces this way.

I expected that the tournament would be more of a guys thing. This turned out not to be the case. A quick look gave the impression that there were just as many girls seated. The dealers, all dressed in the black Kansankai uniform, were standing ready at their table.

"Yumeko!", I yelled when saw where she was.

"Hey, Suzui-san!" She waved and smiled. Her long black hair was draped over her chair.

"I'm rooting for you! Give it your best shot!", I yelled again.

"I will!", she replied, raising her fist to shoulder height.

Unexpectedly, my yelling raised a stir in the crowd. "Dude, did you just say 'Yumeko'?!" "Hey guys, Jabami is playing!" "Wait, what? I'm gonna place a bet right now!"

Ah yes, of course. Yumeko is famous when it comes to gambling. Or infamous, depending on who you ask. The other players at her table caught on too. One was holding his head in his hands, cursing his bad luck.

It suddenly became less crowded around me. People were off to sneak in a last second bet before the round started. It occurred to me that Mary wasn't here. Whatever it was she was doing, she had no time to come in here to cheer Yumeko on, leaving me a loner in the crowd.

The tables had the typical casino bright green felt finish. The textile made it easy to pick things up from the surface and the visual contrast it created made it easy to spot all the cards and chips.

On each table was a card shuffle machine. I watched how the dealer at Yumeko's table used it. He dropped in a deck and waited a few seconds as the machine hummed. The deck popped out again. It was like a complicated toaster.

With fluid moves, the dealer took the deck and preformed a riffle shuffle. It's a quick manual way to shuffle cards. The deck is first split in two, then the halves are fanned onto each other so that the corners overlap.

It was for practice, or perhaps the dealer wanted to give the players a demonstration. There might be suspicion of foul play if there was only a manual or only an automatic shuffle. However, with both performed, one after the other, it was safer to assume the card arrangement ended up as random at it could be.
The dealer has several unopened decks on hand so he could swap in a pristine one from time to time. The setup looked fair and professional.

---

Mary and Yumeko played one hand of this same game before coming to the island. A pledge of obedience for the duration of the summer camp was at stake.

Both girls were remarkably lucky. Mary was confident with her three-of-a-kind but was beaten by Yumeko's full house. I was wondering if Yumeko was cheating but it seemed too far fetched. I was the dealer after all, so I should have spotted something if there was foul play.
It seems Yumeko is just naturally fortunate, but I always get the feeling she is up to something sneaky.

---

All players were at their seat and the dealers were waiting for the go sign. The spectators noticed that action was imminent and lowered their voices.

There was Kifune's voice again. She spoke on the intercom.
"Honored guests, the Ryouran Island Summer Camp Poker Tournament starts now! Dealers, please proceed."

A brand new deck was dropped into the card shuffler at every table.

Chapter 4, part 5

I watched the dealer at Yumeko's table perform the riffle shuffle again. He did it almost simultaneously with the dealers on the other tables. For a brief moment, the hall was filled with the oddly pleasant noise of clicking paper.

As the cards were dealt to the players, the girl seated next to Yumeko spoke. "Did I hear that right, you are Yumeko Jabami-san?"

Yumeko turned to her and nodded.

"I'm a big fan! It's an honor to play with you!", the girl continued with her high-pitched, excited voice.

"The honor is mine. Let's have a fun game." Yumeko replied with a smile.

The girl squealed.

"Please, place your ante", the dealer said.

In front of each player was large pile of chips. No hands were played yet so everyone's pile was the same at this point. The denominations of each pile added up to a million, reflecting the million Yen entrance fee.

In order to not let the tournament drag out, an ante system was used. Before the start of each played hand, all players had to add the ante to the pot. Initially it was 20 thousand, but after some played hands, it doubled to 40 thousand. After some hands, it would double again to 80 thousand, and so forth.

It was still possible to play carefully, but not for long. If the round kept going, the ante would eventually force any remaining players to bet big.

The players obeyed and moved one chip towards the center of the table. This was the 'pot', a pile of chips that the player who won the hand would take. In this case, the pot started at 100 thousand.

"You may check your hand", the dealer continued.

Everyone cupped their hands and peaked at their cards. Picking them up in a setting like this was a bad idea. There were eyes all around and you'd never know if anyone from the public was passing information to players. The cards remained face down on the table with only the edge of them briefly exposed when the players looked. The hands and body were used to obstruct the line of sight of any onlookers during the peek.

After peeking, Yumeko removed her hands from the table and sat up straight. A lot of people were looking at her. Some with caution, some with envy or even fear.
She had her usual faint smile, but showed nothing else. She looked like a wax doll or an android. I'm sure she was completely unreadable for anyone.

"Please, discard", the dealer commanded.

In this tournament there was no betting before the discard phase. Each player got rid of any cards they wanted, faced down, as their first move and was dealt replacements. Only then did the mind games start in the betting phase. In each hand played, the players declare their intention in clockwise order. In the first hand, the player after the dealer goes first. In the second hand, the next player clockwise goes first, and so on.
Players can bet and raise to add chips to the pot. When a player says 'call' instead, it means they are matching the money the others put in but do not wish to increase the bet. There is also the option to 'fold'. This means the player forfeits the hand and doesn't have to add any more chips to the pot.

The first player sitting clockwise after the dealer was a guy. He discarded two and so did Yumeko. When taking it at at face value, this was a strong show. Keeping thee cards implies you may have a three-of-kind already.

Everyone received their replacements and the dealer continued with the same stern but neutral voice. "Please, start the betting."

The guy first in line reacted immediately. "Bet! 200 thousand!", he said while staring at Yumeko.

Betting ten times the ante right off the bat is aggressive play. It was quite a bold move and possibly just a bluff. If you have a really good hand, the last thing you'd want to do is scare the other players away. Rather, slowly luring them in to a big pot is what you'd typically want to go for.

"Fold", said the next guy in line, sliding his cards towards the dealer. That was probably a wise move. The tournament rules were punishing passive play, but getting reckless so early on was no good either.

The third player in line was also a guy. "I fold too", he said with a sigh.

This left the initial aggressor, Yumeko and her squealing fan girl in the race for this pot. The aggressor was visibly amused. Things were going his way. His wide grin made that all too obvious. It was exactly the opposite of a poker face.

"I'll raise ya to 300 thousand!", Yumeko said loudly, almost like she was singing a tune. She then eagerly pushed the chips forward.

There were oohs and aahs from the spectators. Yumeko narrowed her eyes and stared at the aggressor intensely. I had seen her like this before but it still shocked me a little. It was both an invitation and a taunt.

"Wow! Jabami-san, you're so awesome!", the fan girl squealed again. "I have to fold, though. Such a shame!"

The guy was not that easily defeated. "Re-raise! 350 thousand total!", he yelled and added another 150 thousand to the 200 thousand stack he had pushed forward earlier.

There was only one betting phase per hand in this tournament, but players were allowed to re-raise each other. Two players remained in this hand and the betting would only stop if one of them would call or fold.

Yumeko matched him and then added one more chip. "Raise. 360 thousand total."

10 thousand was the smallest denomination chip available in this tournament. After adding such a large amount to the pot, it was an odd move to raise the minimum. I understood that this was a mind game. One that was way out of my league. I had no clue if any of them actually had a good hand or not.

The guy yelled again. "Raise to 400 thousand."

"Re-raise. 410 thousand total", Yumeko responded immediately, as if she had already decided to do this beforehand.

The guy must have been thinking that everybody would fold if he would raise so confidently. He would have been right, if not for Yumeko. She was not that easily intimidated.

Step by step, the pot was getting bigger and bigger.
The guy was visibly shaken. He was breathing deeply and sweating. He must have felt like he was playing a terrifying game of tag; Wearing himself out to tag his opponent, only to be tagged back immediately and effortlessly.

He loosened his tie and spoke with a stained voice. "Raise, 570 thousand." Yumeko didn't skip a beat. "Raise, 580 thousand." She was staring at him with cool composure and a natural blinking pattern.

The difference between them was somewhat comical. The other players were watching in bewilderment. The dealer remained professional but briefly showed a faint smile now and then.

The guy took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll do it! I'm going all-in! Show me what you've got, Yumeko Jabami!" He avoided eye contact and looked down onto his cards.

All-in is shorthand for betting all the chips you have. Players are usually forced into this move when their chip count is low. Having someone do it in the first hand played is a rare occurrence. What was this guy thinking? He looked like he was seeking answers. He might find them with the resolution of this hand, which was now imminent.

Yumeko's shoulder trembled briefly. Even though their eyes weren't meeting, she kept looking at the guy.
"Hihi... How thrilling it is to throw in everything on the first hand...", she said, putting her palms on her chest and looking up. She was blushing and pursed her lips slightly. "Let us lose ourselves in the exhilaration! Call!"

The pot was now 2,060,000. It was all of Yumeko's and that guy's chips plus the ante from the other three players. It didn't matter in this case if Yumeko said 'all-in' instead of 'call'. The result would have been the same.

"We'll now move on to the showdown. Please flip over your cards", the dealer said.

Chapter 4, part 6

"Congratulations, Yumeko! What a great win!"

"Thank you, Suzui-san! It was all thanks to your support!"

"Haha, I was only watching!"

After winning the first round, Yumeko stepped over the red barrier and joined me among the spectators. About half the tables had finished the round at this point. The atmosphere was mixed. There was joy and disappointment among the crowd.

---

Yumeko had grabbed the chip lead at her table by knocking out an opponent in the fist hand. She didn't lose it and it carried her to the end of the round.
As expected, showdowns didn't happen all that often after that initial stunt. Poker is mostly a psychological game, after all. If only one player remains during the betting phase, no one has to reveal their cards. Yumeko's table had attracted quite some attention with many people cheering her on. An applause irrupted when the last hand of the round was finished.

---

Now that Yumeko was close to me in this noisy hall, I could talk to her without shouting. "Yumeko, I want to ask you about that first hand. I didn't quite get to see the showdown with the crowd uproar. Did you two actually have good cards or not?"

"Oh, sort of", she replied. "I had three clubs so I went for a flush. I got three-of-a-kind instead. I wouldn't have bet on it so much if that guy was not being such a bully. I was pretty sure everyone would fold after that 200 thousand bet of his. I didn't want tot let it slide."

"But what if he did have a good hand?", I asked.

Yumeko covered her mouth with one hand and giggled. "Well it would have been possible, theoretically. You never know for sure and that's what makes it so much fun. It turned out he had two pairs. I can't say that bluffing was a bad move on his part. It worked on the other players, after all."

"Well, everybody seemed pretty meek at your table from the moment that the guy was eliminated. It was you who became the bully in a way", I said.

Yumeko changed the topic. "By the way, Suzui-san, I'm getting really thirsty."

"Some of the other tables are still going", I said. "We have time to grab something from the bar."

Chapter 4, part 7

Well, she actually did it. Yumeko was one of the 25 who made it to the second round.

The screens in the corner where I was sitting were showing the action on the tables. There was also a list of all the table winners. Yumeko was on it. Each time a new name appeared, the crowd around me reacted. Some were screaming with joy, some were sighing with despair. Those who had bet on someone who was eliminated could still turn things around. Betting on someone now would yield 25 times your money back, if that someone ended up winning the tournament. I'm sure many were doing exactly this.

Suddenly, my hand was grabbed. "Goldilocks! I'm so happy to see you again." Ace was kneeling at my feet.

"Arg! What are you doing! Let go!" I shook him off.

Ace slowly stood up. He was about a head taller than me. I had to admit, he was pretty good looking and his clothes were flattering his physique. The way he acted was still unacceptable, though.

"Did you see my brilliant playing?", he asked.

I wiped my hand off on my skirt. "A little bit. I wasn't really interested so I wasn't playing attention that much. I can see that you won, though", I said while looking at one of the displays.
"So you actually signed up as 'Ace'? Must you use that terribly lame nickname everywhere? Didn't your parents give you a real one?"

"Goldilocks, listen, my actual name isn't Ace, but I am Ace. It's the core of my being. This man standing before you is the Ace of Aces and nothing else", he said.

I sighed. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"That's fine", he replied quickly. "You can take your time to know me better. Take as long as you need."

"It's not happening", I replied coldly.

He shrugged his shoulders with an expression that seemed to say, "What a troublesome little kitten."

"Oh, I see that the black haired maiden won her table too", Ace said, looking at the screens.

"Yeah, I wonder how far she gets", I replied.

Ace kept blabbing about himself and I wanted to tell him to get lost. I didn't. I had an idea and it involved suffering though his monologue.

"Yeah", "Uhuh", "Oh, really", I was intermittently saying to him while standing under the screens.

"Oh", "How awful", "Can't be true", I was muttering while on my way to the bar for my iced tea refill with him in tow.

Kifune's voice was back with an announcement over the intercom. For once, I was happy to hear her because she was about to release me from my ordeal. "Honored guests! The second round of our exciting tournament will begin shortly! Players, please don't dally and take your seat!"

"Goldilocks, our wonderful talk makes me so reluctant to leave you, but I must go! After I win, I'll come back to sweep you off your feet! Even if I face the black haired maiden, I won't hold back. That's my style of play. Please forgive me", Ace said while he started to walk away.

"Eh, that last bit is actually alright", I said, raising my voice so he would hear me from a distance. "She'll get mad if you don't play seriously. She hates that sort of thing."

Ace nodded and then blew a kiss to me before disappearing in the crowd. He is really not my type. I don't understand why he is so stubborn about me.

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.

All the 25 seats were taken and all the dealers were standing ready. The second round was about to begin.

I found a good spot and could see Yumeko. She was sitting neatly with her back straight, chatting with another player.

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."

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.

"Black haired maiden, isn't Goldilocks here to watch you play?", Ace asked.

"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.

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!"

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."

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.

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?"

I was curious and struck up a conversation with them. "So eh, this Ace guy is famous then?"

"Oh yeah, he is well known pro. I played against him once", the guy next to me replied.

"How was it?", I asked.

"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.

I felt like that raised more questions than it answered. "What do you mean, 'he dodged you'?"

"Just watch him and you'll get it", was the unsettling reply.

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.

Kifune used the intercom again to announce the start of the round. The crowd cheered and the dealers started shuffling.

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.
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.

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..."

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.

"Is something wrong? You didn't check your cards yet", Yumeko asked.

"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."

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.

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."

"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.

"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.

Ace gave in reluctantly. "Eh, yeah, excuse me, I'll check now."

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.

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.

Yumeko didn't show any emotion and kept her eyes fixed on Ace.

Chapter 4, part 9

That 96% percent win rate was a lie. I wasn't going to keep track of such things, but it would throw off my opponents if they thought I did. If number crunching helped to improve your skill, everybody would be doing it.

What matters are the psychological ups and downs and in that respect, I'm far ahead. Honestly.

When I play against someone I've just met, I always talk to them. Even if they ignore me, I'll keep talking. The game starts when you first establish contact with someone, not when the cards are dealt. Anyone who doesn't understand that is a loser.

The game between me and Yumeko started when we spoke at the beach. She formed some kind of opinion of me there and it will greatly influence the outcome on this table.

Poker is a game of mutual understanding. That's my belief.
Almost all my energy goes into understanding my opponent, and if possible, into obscuring their understanding of me. The game mechanics themselves are secondary.

Once you figured out the opponents, it's easy to know what games you should get into and how you should bet. You'll know who you can get under your control and how to do it.
Missing out on some immediate profit here and there is fine, as long as it creates a situation for you to profit from later. Those who think about poker one hand at a time simply don't get it.

What I love the most are games where you can bet as much of your own money as you want. I have lots, and splashing it on the table at exactly the right moment can have a devastating effect on my opponents' psyche.

In tournament poker everybody starts with the same amount of chips. This is not ideal for me, but I can handle it. It just means I have to rely more on my skills. Reading minds becomes even more important.

Even people who don't play, know the term 'poker face'. Those who think they can pull off such a thing don't get it. Your expression, breath and pupil movement are only the start of it. The body shows many other subtle signals that are not that easily to control. If you learn to spot them, you can tell if someone is trying to create a false impression of themselves.

I got through the first round with ease. It doesn't look like the second round is going to be much of a challenge either.

The girl first from the dealer was sweating more and readjusted herself in her chair a couple of times. She probably had a good hand. Then I spotted that the muscles at her temples were tense. Ah, not that good then. She had something decent.

"Bet, 100 thousand", she said, moving her chips.

Ah, so that's a mediocre bet with a mediocre hand. I can simply scare her off.

"Raise to 300 thousand." I calmly tossed the chips forward without looking at her. Ignoring her presence was part of the scare tactic. If she thought I wasn't even bothering to size her up, she would surely fold.

The two guys after me folded.
A normal player would try to observe the others as the hands were played. I'd say that is too late. You should have figured out everybody before the game even starts.

Now then, what will Yumeko do? Whether or not I sized her up right will determine who wins this round. I don't pay much attention to school drama, but I heard rumors about her. I shouldn't underestimate her because she is a good gambler, no doubt. However, gamblers need luck while I don't.

"I fold", Yumeko said with a very disappointed look.

Ah yes, eager to get in on the action but her hand was bad. That works for me.

The girl who went first also folded, as expected. I had the lead with 1,180,000 worth of chips. Not bad. I'm up next to start the betting phase.

In the next hand, my cards were trash. I went for a flush when discarding but ended up with nothing. It's unlucky, but I can work with that.

"Please, start the bet...."

"Bet, 500 thousand" I didn't let the dealer finish her sentence and splashed the chips in front of me. This was disrespect. Making the dealer re-stack chips for no good reason is frowned upon. I had no beef with her, but doing this helped create the false impression of me that I wanted the other players to have.

I didn't have to look at them to know they were tense. I have the momentum and those losers wouldn't question it.
The two guys after me folded. I've got them now. They only see me the way I want them to.

"I'll raise, 600 thousand total" Yumeko neatly moved her chips and straightened out the stacks.

Just like in the first round, the starting amount of all players was one million. This made 600 thousand a very big bet. I looked at Yumeko, expecting some kind of poker face attempt. I saw the opposite. She was breathing heavily and blushing like she was turned on.

Chapter 4, part 10

The crowd around me was in awe. "Ooh, a 600 thousand raise!" "Yumeko Jabami is so amazing" "So what hand does she have?" "Wow, she's being reckless again!"

The girl after Yumeko folded in frustration. Ace thought for a moment and then quietly called. It was time for the showdown. Yumeko and Ace revealed their cards.

I could hear gasps all around me when it became clear what the situation was. Both of them had high card, the lowest ranked hand. However, Ace had an ace. Yumeko did not. Because in this case the rank of the highest individual card counts, the pot was for Ace.

Was is absurd to bet so much on a trash hand? Was it even more absurd for Ace to call with one? Did the other players feel cheated by this?
This truly was a psychological battle I didn't understand. It didn't look like childishness or recklessness. It was rather like a calm, calculated act of violence.

Yumeko was as graceful as ever, with her intense gaze and long black hair, she looked like she was ready to engulf the audience in darkness. Ace looked like he was burning from the inside. He won the hand but his bluff was called.

Nobody who was watching had any doubt that one of these two would win the round.

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.
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.

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.

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.

I eliminated one of the guys. The others were steadily losing chips. They were like candles, burning out, slowly but surely.

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.

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.

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.

Finally, Yumeko made a move. "I'm all-in! That's 320 thousand total!"

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.

"Okay, fold", I said.

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.

The dealer returned 70 thousand to Yumeko. "Right, we move on to the showdown."

The guy quickly flipped over his cards. It was a pair of sevens. Yumeko elegantly flipped hers. She had a pair of nines.
Weak hands, huh? It looks like I misread them both.

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.

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.

I guess I'll chat her up some more. "Black haired maiden, what kind of play style is that?"

She looked bewildered when I asked. Was this expression some kind of bluff too?

"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.

"You fascinate me because I don't understand your way of thinking. What is this strange logic that you abide by?", I asked.

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.

Yumeko smiled warmly. "Oh, isn't that obvious? I'm just playing poker in the most enjoyable way."

"Jabami-sama wins" The dealer pushed the pot towards Yumeko. The eliminated guy left the table.

"It was pure luck, but you made your comeback. I guess the fun isn't over yet", I said.

Yumeko kept smiling at me. "Exactly! Let's have as much fun with this match as we can, Ace-san."

I guess I understood it now.

Chapter 4, part 12

My family was poor, so there was no fortune to get me started in life. Poker is what made me what I am today. Everything I had, I earned from playing it. Managing to enroll into Hyakkaou Private Academy was like a dream come true. It was the perfect environment to advance my career. I've never once played with a frivolous attitude. I'm absolutely obsessed with winning so all matches are important.
No matter how weak my opponent is, I never hold back. No matter how disadvantaged I am, I always stay cool. I don't really see poker as a game. It's not an emotional roller-coaster for me anymore, it's a job. All the money I made from it proves I took the right approach.

But now, I'm sharing a table with Yumeko. She is inviting me to have a taste of her life philosophy, which is the exact opposite of mine. It's strangely enticing. I feel like I'm being pulled under her black veil. I've never seen a girl like her.

One-on-one poker is very differed from group play. There is a lot less strategy involved and mind reading becomes more important. You have to play way more aggressively too.
I pride myself with being the most experienced poker player at our school, but even I find one-on-one games tricky.

The cards were dealt and the discard phase happened. Yumeko had the first move. "Hehe... interesting... I've decided. I'm all-in."

With only two players, an all-in is always an invitation to gamble for the entire stack of the player who has the least chips.

Again? Fine, I'll play along. "Call."

There was another cheer from the spectators. Yumeko's stack was tiny compared to mine. If she lost, she would be eliminated. If I lost, it would be a minor setback for me.

"Okay, showdown" At the dealer's signal, we flipped our cards.

"Oh, how lucky, a full house, congratulations!", I said.

Yumeko smiled warmly and pulled in the chips. The doubts I had left about her disappeared. She was indeed having fun. That smile was genuine.

In the next hand, it was my turn to move first. "Hmm, maybe I'm lucky this time. All-in."

"Oh, if you are so aggressive, it makes we want to take on the challenge. Call."

Her pair was stronger than mine. "Dammit."
Wait, did I just curse during a match?

"Oh, Ace. What's wrong with your face? Don't be so irritated. If we aren't enjoying this, why would we bother doing it?"

Those words startled me. I instinctively touched my forehead to confirm my suspicion. She wasn't lying. I really was frowning.

"Don't worry about it. Let's continue. It's your move next." I deliberately spoke with a soft voice, trying to snap back into my calm and composed self.
It worked. We played some more hands and I regained the lead.

"One-on-one is fun, isn't it? It's our little, private arena and a knockout is possible at any moment. I feel like I'm playing with a knife held to my throat", Yumeko said. Her emotions were on full display. She was breathing heavily and spoke with an alluring voice. She told me not talk so much earlier, but now she was doing it herself.

The dealer was no longer instructing us and just kept pace without saying much. We gave her no reason to interrupt our conversation so she was happy to let us chat.

"Hmm... All-in! This is an interesting hand. You will be very surprised, Ace-san!"

I'm sure that from her perspective everything was an interesting hand. I had high card jack. This would be terrible in group play but in-on-one it had a chance of working out.

I should fold... but I was curious. Yumeko was teasing me and I decided I was prepared to pay to see her hand. "Hmm... Call."

I revealed my cards with one quick move.

"Earlier you said I rely on luck." Yumeko flipped over her first card while talking. It was the 4 of hearts.

"Yeah, I'm sorry if I offended you with that", I replied.

"Don't worry. You weren't wrong to say so. I get it that skill is very important with poker. You set out to master it and made it your profession. Compared to you, I'm practically a novice, but I do love the game very much", Yumeko said while flipping another card. It was the 8 of hearts.

She kept talking while revealing slowly. "What do you like about poker, Ace-san?" She flipped another card. The 9 of hearts appeared.

"I don't know. Poker isn't really a game to me", I said.

"Oh... I guess I understand that, but the psychology of it aside, the hand you have to play with is pure luck, is it not? Because of that, there is still tension that builds up..." She flipped her forth card and revealed the 10 of heats.

The suits matched. Was this a flush?

"Do you feel the anticipation, Ace-san? Doesn't it stir you up to be at the mercy of the unknown like this?", she said while reaching for the fifth card.
"So why not leave it all to luck sometimes? Let's go gambling crazy!"

Yumeko tossed her last card at me and giggled. "Ta-daa! It's not a flush!"

What landed on the table was the king of spades. She had high card like me, but her king defeated my jack. I slapped my head while pushing the chips to her.

"You see, Ace-san. I told you I had an interesting hand", Yumeko said with a warm smile.

She now had more chips than me. The dealer informed us we had played enough hands to let the ante double again. It would be 1280 thousand from now on. This was forcing a quick resolution.

"Aw... It's almost over then", Yumeko said with regret.

The dealer dealt the cards. I discarded four. Yumeko discarded five.

"All of them?", I asked.

"I feel lucky! Maybe it's a straight flush!", Yumeko giggled.

"Now that would be a miracle", I said.

The ante had taken all my chips. Because of this, I was all-in automatically and there was no betting.
My pair won. Our stack sizes were now about even.

Yumeko reached into her skirt pocket and took out her makeup mirror. She opened it and turned it to me. "Look at your face, Ace-san. You've been smiling this whole time!"

I chuckled. It was true. I had a grin on my face like a child reading his favorite manga.

"You said poker was not a game for you? It looks like you are having fun as if was", she said. "I bet you'll get really good cards next hand!"

I laughed. "I guess I'm getting carried away a bit, yeah."

"Isn't that great?", she asked.

"Black haired maiden, you got me. The rumors were true. You are truly a gambling maniac. I admit it. I'm having a great time."

"I'm so happy you understand", she said.

New cards were dealt. We discarded. This was going to be the end.

"All-in?" "Yes."

"I'd love to play with you again some time", I said.

"I'd love that too. The tournament rules are holding us back here, aren't they? What about a true no limit match? I bet we will enjoy that even more!", Yumeko said with a blush.

I leaned back into my chair and laughed again. "Now that is a scary thought. Tell me how much money you have first."

We revealed our cards.

Chapter 4, part 13

The battle between Yumeko and Ace had ended.

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.

Ace had an overwhelming advantage, but Yumeko made a comeback, eventually evening the chip stacks.
When it was just her and him, his dominating play style disappeared. Everybody who was watching sensed that.

"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.

I greeted her with a smile. "Of course! That last bit was incredibly exciting! It ended with a coin flip, basically."

Ace was standing behind us "Black haired maiden, thank you for the incredible game. Oh, hi, Suzui-san."

"My pleasure. Thanks to you, I had a fun game." Yumeko placed her hands on her thighs and made a polite bow.

"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.

"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."

Yumeko covered her mouth with one hand and chuckled. "If the invitation still stands, I'll gladly play with you gain."

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."

"Uh, wouldn't I be out of place?", I asked.

"Oh no. I want witnesses to my revenge for today's defeat. Perhaps I can make Goldilocks gamble on a date with me again."

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."

Yumeko briefly held his hand with elegance. "Yes, I'll do my best."

"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.

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.

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."

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.

"We should have time to grab a drink before the next round starts", I said.

"Hmm... no. I want... ice cream!", Yumeko giggled.

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.

@@ Line 1,615: / Line 1,615: @@
 ''"I'm a big fan! It's an honor to play with you!"'', the girl continued with her high-pitched, excited voice.
 <br><br>
-"The honor is mine. Let's have a fun game." Yumeko replied with a smile.
+''"The honor is mine. Let's have a fun game."'' Yumeko replied with a smile.
 <br><br>
 The girl squealed.
 <br><br>
-"Please, place your ante", the dealer said.
+''"Please, place your ante"'', the dealer said.
 <br><br>
 In front of each player was large pile of chips. No hands were played yet so everyone's pile was the same at this point. The denominations of each pile added up to a million, reflecting the million Yen entrance fee.
@@ Line 1,629: / Line 1,629: @@
 The players obeyed and moved one chip towards the center of the table. This was the 'pot', a pile of chips that the player who won the hand would take. In this case, the pot started at 100 thousand.
 <br><br>
-"You may check your hand", the dealer continued.
+''"You may check your hand"'', the dealer continued.
 <br><br>
 Everyone cupped their hands and peaked at their cards. Picking them up in a setting like this was a bad idea. There were eyes all around and you'd never know if anyone from the public was passing information to players. The cards remained face down on the table with only the edge of them briefly exposed when the players looked. The hands and body were used to obstruct the line of sight of any onlookers during the peek.
@@ Line 1,636: / Line 1,636: @@
 She had her usual faint smile, but showed nothing else. She looked like a wax doll or an android. I'm sure she was completely unreadable for anyone.
 <br><br>
-"Please, discard", the dealer commanded.
+''"Please, discard"'', the dealer commanded.
 <br><br>
 In this tournament there was no betting before the discard phase. Each player got rid of any cards they wanted, faced down, as their first move and was dealt replacements. Only then did the mind games start in the betting phase.
@@ Line 1,644: / Line 1,644: @@
 The first player sitting clockwise after the dealer was a guy. He discarded two and so did Yumeko. When taking it at at face value, this was a strong show. Keeping thee cards implies you may have a three-of-kind already.
 <br><br>
-Everyone received their replacements and the dealer continued with the same stern but neutral voice. "Please, start the betting."
+Everyone received their replacements and the dealer continued with the same stern but neutral voice. ''"Please, start the betting."''
 <br><br>
-The guy first in line reacted immediately. "Bet! 200 thousand!", he said while staring at Yumeko.
+The guy first in line reacted immediately. ''"Bet! 200 thousand!"'', he said while staring at Yumeko.
 <br><br>
 Betting ten times the ante right off the bat is aggressive play. It was quite a bold move and possibly just a bluff. If you have a really good hand, the last thing you'd want to do is scare the other players away. Rather, slowly luring them in to a big pot is what you'd typically want to go for.
 <br><br>
-"Fold", said the next guy in line, sliding his cards towards the dealer. That was probably a wise move. The tournament rules were punishing passive play, but getting reckless so early on was no good either.
+''"Fold"'', said the next guy in line, sliding his cards towards the dealer. That was probably a wise move. The tournament rules were punishing passive play, but getting reckless so early on was no good either.
 <br><br>
-The third player in line was also a guy. "I fold too", he said with a sigh.
+The third player in line was also a guy. ''"I fold too"'', he said with a sigh.
 <br><br>
 This left the initial aggressor, Yumeko and her squealing fan girl in the race for this pot. The aggressor was visibly amused. Things were going his way. His wide grin made that all too obvious. It was exactly the opposite of a poker face.
 <br><br>
-"I'll raise ya to 300 thousand!", Yumeko said loudly, almost like she was singing a tune. She then eagerly pushed the chips forward.
+''"I'll raise ya to 300 thousand!"'', Yumeko said loudly, almost like she was singing a tune. She then eagerly pushed the chips forward.
 <br><br>
 There were oohs and aahs from the spectators. Yumeko narrowed her eyes and stared at the aggressor intensely. I had seen her like this before but it still shocked me a little. It was both an invitation and a taunt.
 <br><br>
-"Wow! Jabami-san, you're so awesome!", the fan girl squealed again. "I have to fold, though. Such a shame!"
+''"Wow! Jabami-san, you're so awesome!"'', the fan girl squealed again. ''"I have to fold, though. Such a shame!"''
 <br><br>
-The guy was not that easily defeated. "Re-raise! 350 thousand total!", he yelled and added another 150 thousand to the 200 thousand stack he had pushed forward earlier.
+The guy was not that easily defeated. ''"Re-raise! 350 thousand total!"'', he yelled and added another 150 thousand to the 200 thousand stack he had pushed forward earlier.
 <br><br>
 There was only one betting phase per hand in this tournament, but players were allowed to re-raise each other. Two players remained in this hand and the betting would only stop if one of them would call or fold.
 <br><br>
-Yumeko matched him and then added one more chip. "Raise. 360 thousand total."
+Yumeko matched him and then added one more chip. ''"Raise. 360 thousand total."''
 <br><br>
 thousand was the smallest denomination chip available in this tournament. After adding such a large amount to the pot, it was an odd move to raise the minimum.
 I understood that this was a mind game. One that was way out of my league. I had no clue if any of them actually had a good hand or not.
 <br><br>
-The guy yelled again. "Raise to 400 thousand."
+The guy yelled again. ''"Raise to 400 thousand."''
 <br><br>
-"Re-raise. 410 thousand total", Yumeko responded immediately, as if she had already decided to do this beforehand.
+''"Re-raise. 410 thousand total"'', Yumeko responded immediately, as if she had already decided to do this beforehand.
 <br><br>
 The guy must have been thinking that everybody would fold if he would raise so confidently. He would have been right, if not for Yumeko. She was not that easily intimidated.
@@ Line 1,680: / Line 1,680: @@
 The guy was visibly shaken. He was breathing deeply and sweating. He must have felt like he was playing a terrifying game of tag; Wearing himself out to tag his opponent, only to be tagged back immediately and effortlessly.
 <br><br>
-He loosened his tie and spoke with a stained voice. "Raise, 570 thousand."
+He loosened his tie and spoke with a stained voice. ''"Raise, 570 thousand."''
 Yumeko didn't skip a beat. "Raise, 580 thousand." She was staring at him with cool composure and a natural blinking pattern.
 <br><br>

Kakegurui Trip Fulltext: Difference between revisions