"Has everyone here played UNO before? It's a really fun game, and today's activity is this!" declared Fujiwara Chika, pulling a box of cards from seemingly nowhere.
She was clearly well-prepared, which explained why she had shown up in the student council room during lunch break—she was here to recruit players.
Since it was just UNO, Kanade nodded slightly, relieved. He had been worried she might introduce another disaster of a game developed by her gaming club, like the one that had left the entire council in agony the last time.
"I'm fine with it. Let's call it post-lunch exercise," Kanade replied. With most of his work done, he didn't mind spending the time playing.
"Same here," Kaguya chimed in, nodding. If the President was participating, of course, she had to join in as well.
"Uh…" Iino Miko hesitated.
On one hand, she felt that playing games in the sacred student council room without a special occasion, like a welcome party, seemed improper—almost like misbehaving. On the other hand, the cozy atmosphere of "playing games with friends" was undeniably tempting. She found herself torn.
Her indecision didn't last long, though, as Fujiwara's boundless enthusiasm broke through her defenses.
"Come on, Miko-chan, join us! It's super fun and really easy to learn!" Fujiwara said, sidling up to Iino and hugging her closely.
"Uh… Alright, if my senpais insist," Iino relented, flustered by the physical affection. Though she was happy to be hugged by a respected senior, she couldn't help but feel it was a bit excessive. After all, she'd always thought of Fujiwara-senpai as an elegant and composed person—only to discover, after spending time with her, that her true personality was nothing like her refined image.
I guess you can only truly understand someone's nature after getting to know them up close… Iino thought. But then her mind drifted. What about Kanade-senpai, though?
Her thoughts became muddled. The events of the recent "date" lingered in her mind, as well as her observations of Kanade over the past few weeks. He wasn't at all like the rumors suggested. Far from being a reckless flirt, he seemed like a genuinely dependable senior. In fact, she hadn't seen him get particularly close to any girl, much less exhibit improper behavior. It was as if her previous impressions of him had been entirely mistaken.
"Miko-chan, are you okay?" Fujiwara asked, noticing her vacant expression.
"Huh? Oh, nothing!" Iino snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "Actually, I've never played this kind of game before. Could you explain the rules first?"
"Me neither," Kaguya added.
"What?! You've never heard of UNO? It's so famous!" Fujiwara exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief. She turned to Kanade. "What about you, President? Don't tell me you've never played either. Are you all living under a rock or something?"
"Don't you think that's a bit extreme? Not everyone likes card games, you know," Kanade retorted. "For your information, I have played UNO before. Don't underestimate me."
Though he had only played online with strangers, it still counted!
In contrast, the two girls beside him looked pitifully out of place—friendless not only in real life but also in the world of online gaming. It was enough to tug at anyone's heartstrings.
But to Fujiwara, they were all the same.
"Let me guess, President. When you say 'friends,' you mean people you met while gaming online. Total strangers you played with for a while and decided to call friends, right?"
"..."
"Bet you don't even know their real names after all these years."
Kanade: "..."
Wait. Is there a hidden camera in my house?
How did this airhead suddenly get so perceptive?! And besides, what did it matter if they were online friends? Friends were friends. As long as they could have fun together, wasn't that what mattered most?
"You owe an apology to the best gaming buddies in the world!" Kanade thought bitterly.
"Enough talk—are we playing or not? If not, I'm heading back to class," he said, glaring at Fujiwara.
"Lalalala~" Fujiwara stuck out her tongue and made a face at him.
"Alright then, since some of you are new to this, I'll explain the rules first!" she said, settling down to begin her lecture.
"UNO has three main types of cards: number cards in four colors (red, yellow, blue, and green), function cards in the same four colors, and wild cards that can represent any color. The goal is simple: each player is dealt a set number of cards, and the first person to play all their cards wins."
"At the start, someone plays any numbered card of their choice. The next player must follow with a card of the same color or the same number, and play continues in a cycle. These basic cards—number cards in specific colors—are the most common type."
"Next are the function cards. These have special effects and can only be played if they match the color of the previous card. For example:
Skip cards make the next player lose their turn.Reverse cards change the direction of play.Draw Two cards force the next player to draw two cards and skip their turn.
"Finally, we have the wild cards. There are two kinds: one that lets you change the active color, and the Wild Draw Four card, which lets you change the color and forces the next player to draw four cards. That one's the ultimate trump card!"
"Basic rules to remember:
If you're down to one card and forget to shout 'UNO,' you'll be penalized—another card drawn, and you lose your turn.If you can't match the previous card's color or number, you must draw a card from the deck. If it matches, you can play it immediately or keep it. Wild cards can also be saved for later.Wild and function cards can't be used as your final card; only number cards can be played last.
"Now for some advanced rules:
If someone plays a Wild Draw Four, the next player can challenge its legitimacy. If the person who played it had no other valid cards in their hand, the penalty stands, and the challenger must draw six cards. If the card was used improperly, the player who used it must draw four cards instead.Draw penalties stack. For example, if multiple Draw Two cards are played consecutively, the total penalty is applied to the next player who cannot counter with another Draw card."
"..."
Fujiwara paused abruptly mid-explanation.
Fujiwara had initially planned to explain all the basic and expanded rules in one go. After all, she herself was a seasoned expert and had every detail memorized. However, for the rest of the group—complete beginners—an information overload might leave them dazed and potentially disheartened.
And if they quit before she could thoroughly crush them, how would her dream of annihilating these adorable newbies come true?
No way! I won't let my sweet little rookies escape!
Clearing her throat, Fujiwara added in an unusually considerate tone, "Actually, there are more rules for UNO, but to keep things simple for you beginners, let's stick to what I've explained so far. We can skip the rest for now."
"Let's just start playing! If there's anything you don't understand, you'll pick it up as we go!" she said, unable to hide her eagerness.
The group exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.
"Alright, let's give it a try."
"No objections here."
"But let's make one thing clear—no cheating!" Kanade reminded sternly.
Given Fujiwara's notorious track record and the mischievous glint in her eyes, he couldn't help but be on guard.
"Relax, relax! I promise not to cheat!" she said, puffing out her chest. After all, these rookies were no match for her; she didn't need to cheat to dominate them!
Once the turn order was decided based on the numbers drawn, everyone took their seats. Fujiwara went first, followed by Iino, with Kanade bringing up the rear.
The game began simply enough. Each player drew seven cards, and the first few rounds were uneventful, with everyone playing basic cards. It wasn't until the third rotation that someone finally had to draw from the deck for lack of a match.
After several more rotations, Fujiwara's moment of triumph arrived—she was down to just one card.
"UNO!" she exclaimed, slapping down a wild card and declaring a color change.
Her intention to sneakily secure victory was written all over her face.
Initially, she had planned to keep quiet about being down to one card, hoping no one would notice so she wouldn't have to draw a penalty card. But a certain someone kept staring at her, thwarting her plan to cheat.
It's you, isn't it, you dumb President?!
Fujiwara cast a smug glance at Kanade.
Her gloating didn't last long. While her single card stood in stark contrast to Kanade's overflowing hand—he had so many cards that it exceeded the original seven he started with—the tables quickly turned during Kanade's turn.
He played a Wild Draw Four (+4) card.
Fujiwara's confidence wavered. Seriously? Is he that desperate to stop me from winning the first game? Even now, he's still struggling?!
"Challenge!" Fujiwara cried. "There's no way you don't have a red card in that mess of yours!"
But Kanade calmly spread his hand to show her. Sure enough, there wasn't a single red card in the pile.
"Challenge failed. Time to draw, Fujiwara-san," Kanade said with a polite gesture.
Fuming, Fujiwara begrudgingly drew the four penalty cards. Her carefully planned victory was ruined by a single +4, and the frustration of losing after such meticulous preparation was unbearable.
Damn it! As a top-tier gamer, I can't let this slide! I'll get back at you, you dumb President!
Unfortunately, revenge depended on luck, and today luck seemed evenly distributed among the players. Whenever someone appeared close to victory, they were soon dragged back into the fray due to penalties or bad draws.
After several more rounds, Fujiwara's eyes lit up as she played a reverse card, flipping the turn order. Kanade was now her direct target.
Heh heh, you're going to pay for what you did!
She grinned wickedly, holding a +2 card in her hand and eagerly anticipating her turn. When Iino played her card, Fujiwara wasted no time.
"Draw 2! Take that, President!" she declared smugly, pointing at Kanade with exaggerated flair.
Kanade glanced at her with mild amusement and calmly played a +2 card of a different color.
"Draw 2. Next player."
Kanade's composure and ability to deflect left Fujiwara fuming, but the game was the game. Turning her frustration into guilt, he silently apologized to Kaguya, who now bore the brunt of the chain.
Kaguya tilted her head slightly before playing her own +2 card. "Oh, I happen to have one as well," she said with a faint smile.
She'd had it in her hand since the start but hesitated to use it against Kanade. Now, though, it felt justified.
The chain passed to Iino, whose face fell.
"This is all I've got," Iino said with a sigh, placing a Wild Draw Four card on the table.
It was her only non-number card, originally meant as a last resort, but now it was perfectly timed.
Fujiwara's grin vanished.
She had no defense against the stacked penalties. Her single +2 card, meant as an attack, had ricocheted back at her with devastating consequences. Now facing a total penalty of +8, she could only accept her fate.
Is this what they mean by being hoisted by your own petard?
Fujiwara's expression turned sour, but she complied with the rules—that much pride she still had.
With a pitiful whimper, she drew eight cards, instantly surpassing the total number of cards held by the other three combined. She had become the game's undisputed "landlord," clutching an enormous hand of cards.
Before she could mount a comeback, however, Iino played her final card.
"Wait, I forgot to say 'UNO,' didn't I?" Iino said sheepishly.
Her initial joy at winning quickly gave way to embarrassment as she realized her mistake, even exposing the color of her last card.
"No, it still counts," Kanade reassured her. "The rule is, if you forget to say 'UNO' and someone catches you, you draw an extra card. But since none of us noticed, you win."
This quirk of the rules worked in Iino's favor. Kanade had been keeping a close eye on Fujiwara earlier, ensuring she didn't cheat, but he hadn't been paying attention to Iino.
"Too bad. I was so close to finishing," Kaguya lamented. She only had two cards left but graciously accepted her loss. "Congratulations, Iino-san."
Kaguya's composed reaction stood in stark contrast to Fujiwara's dramatic one.
"Waaaah, amazing, Miko-chan! Winning your first game ever—what a prodigy! Let me hug you!" Fujiwara cried, abandoning her enormous hand of nine cards as she threw herself at Iino.
Kanade, who had been watching her closely, noted with amusement how Fujiwara had gone from overconfident to utterly defeated. Serves you right, Fujiwara.
As if Fujiwara's clinginess had rubbed off on her, Iino suddenly turned to Kanade with an expectant look.
"So, what's the reward for winning? Shouldn't the President grant me a wish or something?" she asked innocently.
Kanade: "...?"
Wait. When did I agree to that? Are you even thinking clearly, Iino-san?!