Draw a card!
With her last experience point, Naoki pulled another card from the system.
System: Congratulations, host has drawn the special ability card: Ghost Hand.
Ghost Hand? Not bad. It's a powerful card that grants the ability to cheat flawlessly.
In a game like Bull Bull, the best cards to cheat with were the tens: 10, J, Q, and K.
Say you've got three cards that total ten—a valid "bull"—but your remaining two are a 7 and an 8. Their combined last digit is five, giving you Bull Five. Not awful, but not great.
But swap one of them with a ten-point card and suddenly, you've got Bull Eight.
Thanks to the opponent only betting one chip last round, Naoki only gained a single chip even with her great hand. Now she had 16 chips, while her opponent held 24.
Naoki sighed, gathered her five cards face-down, tossed them into the discard pile, and at the same time activated her Ghost Hand. In one seamless motion, she plucked a 10-point card from the top of the pile and palmed it, slipping it into her sleeve.
Smooth and invisible. With Ghost Hand, the glasses-wearing boy didn't suspect a thing.
Why not steal a K, though? Simple. He'd already drawn a K in a prior round. If he drew two more and Naoki had a fourth, it would expose her. But a 10 hadn't shown up at all yet—less risk.
The braided girl dealer announced the start of round three.
Naoki's new hand: 2, 8, Q—
With just those three, she already had a bull.
Fourth card: K.
Not bad.
Fifth card: A.
Naoki's face fell. In Bull Bull, Aces were the weakest. She had a bull, yes—but Bull One, the lowest.
Of course, her sour expression didn't go unnoticed by her opponent.
He checked his own hand: 3, 6, K, 5, 5. Bull Nine.
He bit his lip to hold back a smile. This round was his.
Naoki, meanwhile, simply smiled and shoved all her chips to the center.
"All in!"
She had 16 chips. It was a bold move for a Bull One, but if the boy chickened out, she'd win by default.
The boy's pupils constricted. That kind of confidence usually meant a strong hand.
Or maybe... she was bluffing?
He remembered how he'd been duped before by an opponent with poor cards. He was sure she looked disappointed when she drew.
Was it a double-bluff?
But his hand was solid. No way he was backing down.
"Call!"
He pushed in 16 chips.
The braided girl nodded. "Reveal."
The boy spread his cards dramatically. "3, 6, K, 5, 5. Bull Nine."
Naoki lowered her eyes, then stood.
She brought her left hand down, casually palming her cards, and slapped her right hand on the table, startling them both.
"You think Bull Nine guarantees victory?"
She grinned.
"You—!" the boy snapped, suddenly unnerved.
With their attention fixed on her theatrics, Naoki activated Ghost Hand once more. Her left hand swiftly swapped the Ace for the 10 tucked in her sleeve.
Ghost Hand allowed inhuman dexterity. While the last switch had been quick, this full-card swap needed more time—dangerous in plain view.
But a little distraction was all it took.
Naoki flipped her cards.
Bull One became Bull Bull.
The boy stared at the table in disbelief.
"No way... that's impossible..."
He mumbled, crushed. Losing all 16 chips broke his confidence completely.
The dealer gave a wry smile. "That was intense. Quite a game."
With only 8 chips left and his spirit broken, the boy couldn't compete. With Ghost Hand, Naoki outmaneuvered him every round and claimed total victory.
System: Congratulations, host has defeated housepet Kayama in a game of Bull Bull, using a clever ability to swap low-value cards undetected. Victory achieved. +2 experience points!
"Congratulations. Cleaning the student council building is all yours now."
Winning the gamble was only one step. The real work was just beginning.
Despite losing, Kayama was still in awe. He mumbled, "How could someone so good be stuck cleaning buildings like me?"
"Who knows," said the braided girl, smiling like she was watching something fun unfold.
...
Naoki finally had a way into the student council building. But the timing mattered.
Monday. That was when student council meetings happened.
Everyone would be there—perfect.
After a few days cleaning the building, Naoki made herself known to the staff.
Then Monday arrived.
Right after lunch, someone called her over.
"Hey, you! Go clean the main conference room. Meeting at three."
"On it!" Naoki picked up her bucket and mop, heart pounding as she approached the door she'd never been allowed to enter.
Because this was where the student council met, it was always locked—only officers had the key. Her only chance to enter was right before meetings, when tasked to clean.
It was 1:00 p.m. The meeting started at 3. She had time.
The air inside was heavy and silent. The décor was sleek and minimal, dominated by deep purples and blacks.
A long rectangular table ran down the center, flanked by elegant chairs. All of them were sharp and expensive-looking.
Except one.
A grand, cushioned armchair sat at the end of the room, facing the door and distanced from the others.
No doubt about it: the president's throne.
Honestly, it didn't look like a meeting chair. It looked like something from a royal court.
Even the seating plan screamed hierarchy.
Naoki scanned the space quickly, then got to work. Tables wiped, chairs aligned, floor mopped.
When she reached the president's seat, she paused.
It looked expensive. Probably couldn't just wipe it down with a wet cloth, right?
It seemed clean anyway. Maybe no need to touch it—
Suddenly, a faint scent hit her nose.
She bent closer. The fragrance was stronger.
Clearly, the person who sat here always did. The scent lingered.
People's choice of perfume often reflected their personality. Someone who preferred light floral scents likely wouldn't be a fan of heavy makeup. Bold perfumes suggested someone confident, attention-seeking.
Might as well gather intel while she was here.
Naoki leaned in to memorize the scent.
It wasn't overpowering, but it was distinct—and oddly dizzying if she inhaled too long.
As she concentrated on committing it to memory—
Footsteps.
Clacking heels, growing louder.
Panic.
Naoki rolled off the armchair and onto the floor. No way she could be seen sniffing the president's seat. That'd get her kicked out, or worse—she'd lose her hard-won job.
Not today.
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If you spot any wrongly translated names in the earlier chapters, feel free to drop a comment and let me know! I'll fix them ASAP!