"Hehe~ Shiratori-sensei, please take care of me!" Yotsuba smugly rubbed her nose.
The radiant smile on her face seemed to declare her victory! It was as if she had already decided what to do after becoming Hakuto's boss.
"Mm... Please take care of me too," Hakuto replied perfunctorily. "Yotsuba, you go first."
"Huh? Are you sure?" Yotsuba was a bit surprised. She already felt like she had gotten a great deal, and now she even got to go first?
"It's fine, Yotsuba. Just play freely."
"No... No way!!" Nino was itching to rush over and flip the board! But Ichika held her back tightly.
"Ichika, let me go!"
"Nino, a bet is a bet..." Ichika shook her head. Though she also wanted to stop Yotsuba, there was nothing she could do—losing was losing.
But this scene was just too tragic!
A girl could only watch as the person she loved was taken by someone else, completely powerless to stop it...
"I can't do anything..."
"Nino, don't be so pessimistic. What if Yotsuba doesn't even last seventy moves?"
"That would just mean it's Miku's turn next! Not mine!"
Nino felt like jumping off a building! A true love story shouldn't have this! This was pure heartbreak!
"What if... Miku loses too?" Ichika scratched her chin, sounding far from confident.
To be honest, she almost laughed at herself for saying that. If Yotsuba lost, that was understandable—everyone knew she was an airhead.
But there was no reason for Miku to lose...
"Ichika!" Nino clung to Ichika's arm. "I never thought my love life would be decided by a game of rock-paper-scissors!"
She never expected that rock-paper-scissors would make her a loser in love!
But there was nothing she could do. Luck was a mysterious thing. She always thought she had decent luck, yet she was the first to get eliminated in rock-paper-scissors.
Even if Yotsuba and Miku both lost, she still had to go through Ichika first.
"Ichika... You don't have feelings for Shiratori, right...?"
"..."
Ichika turned her head away, not answering. After all, if Miku really lost, she would definitely step up.
Sorry, forgive me, Nino. This is the last time... I am truly a fool.
Ichika didn't have any bad intentions; she just figured she was the best candidate to intervene. If she won, then everyone would be happy—no one would get hurt!
Just as Nino was about to question Ichika further, Yotsuba's disbelieving voice rang out.
"Whoa! How did I lose?!"
??
Yotsuba stared blankly at the board, watching as her pieces were taken down one by one by Hakuto. She was completely dumbfounded!
"Shiratori-sensei... Did I really lose?"
"What, do you think I lost instead?"
"No, no... But what if I already lasted seventy moves?"
Miku, who had been observing the match, raised her hand. "Only a little over fifty moves..."
As soon as Miku said this, Yotsuba's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed to the ground!
It wasn't just Yotsuba who was shocked—everyone else was too!
Especially Miku, who had been watching the game closely. From her perspective, Hakuto had completely dominated Yotsuba, like an adult bullying a child.
Of course, Yotsuba's overconfidence also played a role, but Miku was certain—Hakuto's shogi skills were no joke!
"Yotsuba? Yotsuba?" Itsuki, who had been quietly watching, called out hesitantly.
She lightly patted Yotsuba's face. Although she had imagined this outcome, actually seeing it happen still felt surreal.
In Itsuki's eyes, Hakuto was something beyond reason.
Winning in just over fifty moves! Itsuki understood exactly what that meant.
To put it in Ichika's words, it was like Miku completely crushing Nino in cooking.
A complete and overwhelming victory.
But unlike the others, Miku had a different reaction—her face was lit up with excitement.
After losing rock-paper-scissors, she hadn't whined like Nino. Instead, she had sat quietly, watching the match unfold.
Praying for Yotsuba's defeat.
And it worked! Yotsuba really lost!
From what Miku had seen, Hakuto was strong. But she had no choice—she had to win!
Unlike Yotsuba, she wouldn't be careless. She just needed to last seventy moves!
Miku swore—she would bet everything on these seventy moves!
Meanwhile, Nino was still staring blankly at Yotsuba, who lay on the ground. Her mind was completely empty.
"She really... lost?" Nino mumbled.
Even though she had been imagining this scenario with Ichika just moments ago...
It had only been a fantasy. She had never actually thought Yotsuba would lose!
Her body reacted before her brain did—she almost laughed out loud.
But in the next second, her smile froze.
Because the next one to take the battlefield was—
The emotionless, black-socked beauty! Miku!!
There wasn't even time to mourn Yotsuba's defeat! Not even a moment to catch their breath!
Because Miku had already dragged Yotsuba away and taken her seat across from Hakuto.
"Wait!" Nino instinctively wanted to stop Miku, but once again, Ichika blocked her path.
"Ichika! You seriously can't stop me this time! This is going to be a disaster!!"
If Yotsuba was just a simpleton playing for fun, not caring much about the bet—
Miku was different.
Nino would bet her life on this—Miku definitely had feelings for Hakuto!
If she won... The consequences would be unimaginable! This would truly turn into the tragic story of an H-manga heroine!
"Nino, calm down. A bet is a bet..."
"A bet, my ass! He's about to be stolen right in front of me! Who cares about a stupid bet?!"
"...What if Miku loses too?"
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