After what happened last night, Naoki was totally drained the next day. Dark circles under her eyes, no energy.
Naturally, rumors were flying.
Everyone in class had seen Sayaka Igarashi come looking for Naoki yesterday.
So now, seeing her look like this, they all assumed she'd had a wild, sleepless night. Their stares were full of suspicion.
To be fair, it had been a wild night. A thrilling, nerve-wracking battle.
This time, it was Hanatemari and Mary who looked worried.
Watching them hesitate, clearly dying to ask but holding back, made Naoki want to laugh.
She didn't mind the gossip. In Hyakkaou Academy, rumors spread faster than wildfire.
Trying to deny them was pointless.
And why should she?
Yawning, Naoki slumped over her desk and dozed off. Lectures? Whatever. It's not like her future depended on grades.
After class, Hanatemari walked over with concern.
"Naoki, you look awful. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just didn't sleep much last night."
Mary couldn't take it anymore. Naoki looked way too relaxed for someone who supposedly just spent the night with a student council officer.
She blurted, "Oi, Naoki. Did you really spend the night with the secretary?"
"Yup."
Naoki stretched lazily. "That's why I'm so tired."
Mary and Hanatemari gaped.
"We spent the whole night inspecting the school. I didn't even get home until 1 a.m. Of course I'm exhausted."
"What?!"
Mary froze.
"That's what spending the night means?"
"Of course. What, you thought they'd really want a romantic evening with us? We're outsiders to them."
Hearing that, Mary looked relieved.
"In that case, I don't mind if they call me too."
The three of them headed to the second library prep room. As they chatted, Mary started brainstorming new gambling ideas.
"Losing to Aoi Mibuomi was partly my fault the game design was flawed. As the house, participating myself was too risky. I want to create a low-risk money-making system."
"By the way, has Aoi contacted you recently?" Naoki asked.
Mary shook her head. "Not since the pairing gamble. He invited me to join the Zensaki Society before, but maybe after seeing me lose two rounds, he gave up."
"That's probably for the best. I never felt comfortable around him."
Naoki grinned. "Because he took a million yen off you?"
"Maybe. But there's something else too."
With only friends around, Mary didn't hold back. "He told me about the Zensaki Society's goals, and honestly, it felt off."
"Getting strong gamblers to collect livestock money and use it to take down the student council. He's the treasurer, and yet he's planning to overthrow them? Sounds sketchy."
Naoki smirked. "So it's weird for a student council officer to start a rebellion, huh?"
"Exactly. If it were a livestock student, sure, I'd get it. But from him, it feels more like a power grab than some noble cause."
"You're not wrong. Still, as long as you keep winning, it doesn't matter whose side you're on."
Mary had ambition, but also her own principles.
After a while, Naoki checked the time. She waved goodbye and headed off to the student council building ready for her next mission.
...
Just like Naoki, Sayaka Igarashi was also running on fumes today.
Pulling all-nighters was nothing new for her, but last night had been something else entirely.
Especially that card it followed her home.
Her lack of focus didn't go unnoticed.
"Take a break, Sayaka. You're not working efficiently like this," said Kirari Momobami, her superior.
"President!"
Sayaka startled, realizing she'd been staring at the same page for minutes.
To think she'd made the president worry shameful.
She couldn't stop thinking about that Devil's Casino. Was it really over?
Would it come back?
"Did something happen last night?"
Kirari sipped her tea gracefully.
Sayaka froze. The mention of last night sent a chill down her spine. She couldn't tell Kirari about the Devil's Casino.
"Nothing at all."
Kirari had known Sayaka long enough to recognize a lie. And that was a lie.
Sayaka had always looked at her with admiration, always stood loyally by her side.
Kirari had believed that no matter what happened even if Ririka turned against her Sayaka would remain by her side.
Hearing the rumors from class, Kirari's blue eyes flashed dangerously.
She knew Sayaka had gone to fulfill her promise with Naoki. Sayaka had even told her they'd just done a campus patrol together.
But... was that all it took to make Sayaka act this distracted?
Kirari drew a line across the paper with her pen.
"During last night's inspection, did anything unusual happen?"
"No."
Sayaka shook her head quickly.
"And Naoki didn't cause trouble?"
Sayaka recalled how Naoki pulled out that last-minute King, faced down the ghost trio, and helped win the impossible match. She couldn't help smiling.
"No. Actually, she helped me a lot."
Rip.
The pen tore through the paper. Kirari calmly capped it and smiled.
"Really? I thought you didn't like her."
Sayaka had never hidden her dislike even during the pairing gamble, it had been obvious.
Kirari had always noticed. She knew Sayaka's heart.
Maybe it was Ririka that made her pay so much attention to Naoki.
But now Naoki Utsugi. What spell had she cast?
She'd enchanted Ririka... and now Sayaka too?
Kirari didn't like the feeling of losing the attention of those closest to her.
At first, she thought of giving Naoki a chance. But now? There was no need to be tolerant.
"Sayaka. Invite Naoki Utsugi to come see me."
"Eh?!" Sayaka blinked. "President, are you...?"
"She has some talent. What do you think about her joining the student council?"
Kirari walked to the window, looking out over the bustling school grounds.
It was too sudden. Why invite Naoki?
Her victories weren't all that impressive. She'd beaten Aipuxin and Mary Saotome the former a classmate with mild fame, the latter a new transfer student.
Even the money she won during the pairing gamble came from using bonuses.
Hardly worth the president's personal interest.
Though, Sayaka had to admit, based on last night's performance... Naoki might actually deserve it.
But this invitation felt off. Like a trap.
Sayaka looked at Kirari, bathed in the afternoon sun, her smile as cold as ever.
Every time Kirari found someone interesting, she'd pull them into a gamble.
But this... this wasn't curiosity.
This was something else.
Sayaka had never seen that look before.
And it worried her.
She had to warn Naoki.
...
Naoki had just arrived at the student council building, planning to seduce a random council girl, when a flustered Sayaka grabbed her.
Naoki almost bolted out of habit, but caught herself. After last night, they were comrades.
"Senpai? Something wrong?"
Sayaka hesitated. "The president wants to see you. She said she's considering you for the student council."
"Wait, seriously?"
Naoki wasn't sure whether to believe it.
Joining would make it easier to chase girls. But with Kirari's current favorability sitting at a mere four points, it didn't add up.
"I don't know," Sayaka said quietly. "But the president's mood... doesn't feel right. If she challenges you to a gamble, please turn her down."
Naoki raised a brow. Not because of the gamble but because Sayaka was warning her.
After last night's team-up, Sayaka was actually looking out for her.
Was she handing her insider info? Did Kirari know?
Then it clicked. Kirari's true reason for calling her.
"Senpai, what happened before she asked you to invite me?"
"Nothing big. We were working. She asked a few questions, brought up your name, and then decided to invite you."
Sayaka seemed genuinely confused.
"All council members are appointed by her, right? Do they have to gamble to earn the spot?"
Sayaka shook her head. "If she's curious, she might challenge them. But sometimes she just appoints them outright."
So gambling wasn't mandatory.
Naoki didn't buy that her current favorability was enough to earn a free pass.
She hadn't done anything impressive lately either.
"Guess I'll just go see her. Better to find out."
If Kirari really wanted to target her, there was no escape anyway.
...
In the reception room, facing Kirari Momobami, Naoki couldn't help feeling tense.
She was dying to know what the president really wanted.
No way this was a romantic invitation. If it were, Sayaka wouldn't be the messenger.
"Sayaka should've told you already. How do you feel about joining the student council?"
This Kirari wasn't wearing any masks. She was speaking as the true president, a queen addressing a subject.
"Do I just say yes and I'm in?"
Kirari smiled. "Anything worth having must be gambled for. So the position is yours if you win. But if you lose, you become livestock. Still interested?"
Naoki took a breath. "Who's my opponent?"
"Who do you think?"
Naoki nearly groaned. Seriously? Kirari herself?
If the only way into the council was to beat her, wouldn't she be the only member?
I'm fighting Kirari Momobami? Shouldn't I be taking her position if I win?
It was a setup. Kirari had no intention of welcoming her. She just wanted her crushed.
Naoki glanced at Sayaka, silently blaming her. Look what you got me into.
Sayaka was panicking. After last night, she saw Naoki as a partner she didn't want her hurt.
But once the president got interested, she never backed down.
She didn't catch Naoki's silent plea, but returned a worried, apologetic look.
The two exchanged glances like co-conspirators, which of course didn't escape Kirari's notice.
*System:* You just flirted with your secretary in front of the president. Kirari Momobami's favorability decreased by 2 points.
What the hell?!
As if her favorability wasn't low enough already.
Terrified, Naoki immediately looked away from Sayaka.
Getting one of them to like her always seemed to lower the other's affection.
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