32. Hikigaya Personally Fastens the Chains
The dealer stiffly placed her hands on the pot.
"Then... I'm opening it."
The unease in Hikigaya Hachiman's heart reached its peak at that moment.
Where exactly did he go wrong? If the live footage from outside the room wasn't tampered with, then every detail of the gamble had been under his observation. Even Momobami Kirari couldn't possibly cheat right under his nose.
Hikigaya Hachiman held his breath, eyes fixed on the pot being slowly uncovered by the dealer.
"It's not there—it's really not there!"
Hikigaya Hachiman's heart skipped a beat as he stared at the outcome of the sword in the pot. For a moment, his gaze was blank with disbelief.
The result of the gamble completely overturned all of his previous deductions.
The sword's blade was pointing upwards, lodged into the hole marked "9." According to the rules, Jabami Yumeko now had to pay 310 million yen.
Hikigaya lost composure and took a large step forward, grabbing the hand the dealer had always used to shake the pot. His sharp eyes locked onto the magnet embedded in the dealer's flesh.
His deduction had been correct: in the previous round, the dealer definitely used the magnet to guide the sword blade into one of the holes numbered 14 or higher.
Yet the result defied his reasoning.
In pain, the dealer yanked her hand away and shot Hikigaya a venomous glare as she loudly declared the outcome of the gamble:
"Ten dead, nine alive…"
Nishinotouin Yuriko looked toward the pot in the dealer's hand with confusion in her eyes.
"It didn't land on twenty-four? I had the dealer cheat exactly as I instructed, and yet the sword ended up on ten and nine…"
"Was it really luck, or…"
Instinctively, she turned her gaze to Momobami Kirari.
"Lady Yuriko, the result was life. You placed 5 coins! A total of 195 chips wagered. Lady Jabami, minus 115 chips! Lady Yuriko wins 310 million yen! The match is decided!"
"…"
This shocking reversal left not only Nishinotouin Yuriko stunned, but even Jabami Yumeko's usually crazed eyes were clouded with a strange emotion.
Momobami Kirari stood with one hand on her hip, her seductive and enigmatic aura combining in this moment.
"My, I didn't think I'd actually win either. Yuriko, your luck is impressive. I'm beginning to see you in a new light."
"R—really…"
Nishinotouin Yuriko was just about to respond to the President, when she realized Kirari wasn't actually looking at her directly.
Those beautiful eyes, lightly dusted with blue shadow, were gazing at her sideways. The chill and scrutiny revealed in that unintentional glance sent shivers down Yuriko's spine.
This was not praise or approval… At this point, Nishinotouin Yuriko fully understood: the reason she'd won this gamble must have been due to some unknown method the President had used to remotely control the match.
What could it have been?!
Alongside her fear, Yuriko felt an inexplicable anger.
Her specialty gamble, her pride, had actually been manipulated from afar. It was as if her dignity had been dragged across the floor.
'Was it the dealer? No, the dealer wouldn't dare betray me.'
'Was it the sword blades? I personally oversaw their creation—there's no way they were switched out.'
'What in the world is the President...?'
Momobami Kirari walked over to Jabami Yumeko and whispered softly in her ear:
"In comparison… it's more of a pity for you."
"You tried so hard, yet still lost to such a lucky strike."
"Jabami Yumeko~"
Momobami Kirari reached out, caressing Yumeko's soft cheek. Her index finger lingered on her moist, pink lips, even seeming to have the intention to slip inside.
"Was it really luck?"
At this moment, Hikigaya Hachiman had already picked up the pot the dealer used and brought it close to his face for inspection.
After a while, he slowly spoke:
"To think that President Momobami would use 'badgering', such an ancient cheating technique... truly eye-opening."
Hikigaya Hachiman let out a sigh and casually tossed the pot aside.
The uneasiness that had plagued his heart had finally dissipated. After closely examining the pot used by the dealer, he finally understood what he had overlooked.
His wariness of Momobami Kirari had reached an unprecedented height.
When ordinary people think of cheating, what usually comes to mind?
The dealer? The gambling tools? The spectators around the table? Or perhaps all three working together?
Very few would think of the casino itself as a massive cheating apparatus.
Momobami Kirari—this woman was truly unfathomable.
'She's treated this casino… no, even this entire school, as her own Eden! Every single gamble lies within her grasp.'
After listening to Hikigaya Hachiman's words, Momobami Kirari smiled charmingly. She reached out and gently tucked a hairpin on the side of her head, replying flirtatiously,
"Who knows~?"
Meanwhile, Jabami Yumeko also instantly came to a realization thanks to Hikigaya's words.
Her face flushed, and her gaze turned hazy, as if a mist of desire was about to pour forth.
"So it was badgering… I must admit, I was simply outmatched. I accept defeat, President."
With an awareness befitting a loser, Jabami Yumeko adjusted her posture—kneeling on the wooden floor, her round, youthful hips resting on her calves, her upper body leaning forward ever so slightly, tracing out a graceful curve.
Under the gazes of the other girls, she actually took Momobami Kirari's extended index finger and placed a portion of it into her mouth.
Her soft lashes blinked gently, and her eyes were as innocent as a kitten unacquainted with the world.
This act of retreating to advance caused Momobami Kirari's body to tense up slightly. But as a student council president who had weathered many storms, she calmly allowed Yumeko to suck on her finger for a while before subtly pulling it out.
She then held the finger up in front of her own eyes, gazing at the glistening silver thread of saliva that clung to it, her expression appearing somewhat entranced.
She extended her other hand, and a girl in a bunny hoodie came hopping over, handing a brand-new dog tag into Momobami Kirari's hand.
Kirari cradled the tag as if it were a diluted treasure, and finally, with some reluctance, passed it into Hikigaya Hachiman's hand.
"Hikigaya-kun, would you like to savor the taste of power?"
Hikigaya Hachiman felt that the dog tag in his hand was almost too hot to hold.
"You will personally place the 'Housepet' tag on Jabami Yumeko. And under my authority, Nishinotouin Yuriko can have 10 million yen of her debt forgiven~"
"Yuriko, do you have any objections?"
"Eh… N-no objections."
At this moment, Nishinotouin Yuriko still had a confused expression. As the president of the Traditional Culture Research Club, she had actually never heard of "badgering." As for the President's request, she accepted without resistance. In truth, she didn't dare keep the money and had already decided to hand it over to the President as soon as she received it.
"To my knowledge, Jabami-san probably can't repay the 310 million yen. So, she shall begin living as a Housepet ahead of schedule."
"Or… will you be repaying Jabami-san's debt yourself, Hikigaya-kun?"
Hikigaya fell silent and instinctively turned his eyes to Jabami Yumeko, silently seeking her opinion.
Though he never actually intended to repay Jabami's debt for her, he knew that going through the motions was still necessary. He also understood perfectly—Jabami wouldn't care about his decision. In fact, if he did repay her debt, she'd likely scold him for it.
The charge would be: "You've stolen the joy of bearing the risk of gambling losses."
And what responded to Hikigaya Hachiman—
Was a cat-like mewl that was equal parts sweet, gentle, and adorable:
"Nya~?"
"…"
Jabami Yumeko, your cuteness is honestly despicable.
Hikigaya Hachiman took a deep breath and solemnly raised the dog tag high, placing it around Jabami Yumeko's neck.