If the girl before her were just being unreasonable, they could've simply kicked her out. But since she proposed a gamble, refusing would only make the Beautification Committee look timid.
Yuyuzan pulled out three cards from the drawer. One bore a circle, the other two had crosses.
"Three cards. If you pick the one with the circle, then I'll consider you qualified to gamble with me."
She held them up, then placed one face-down (a cross) on the table. With her other hand, she laid down the remaining two one circle, one cross. Her hands blurred as she shuffled the three cards' positions, about seven or eight times, before stopping.
"Go ahead."
Naoki wore a wry smile.
Yuyuzan's movements were fast, but not untraceable. For Naoki, it was a child's trick.
Well, of course it wasn't that simple. The moment Yuyuzan showed her the three cards, Naoki understood the trick classic street scam.
She'd studied gambling games recently.
In these tricks, the dealer pretends to place the circle card but actually switches it. If you followed the wrong card from the start, even with sharp eyes, you'd still lose.
If there was cheating, the real card would be second. If not, it would be the third.
Naoki couldn't tell if Yuyuzan cheated just now but given the setup, she was surely testing her.
"I'll take this one."
Naoki picked the second card.
Yuyuzan's eyes twitched slightly.
"Wow, I got lucky! It's the circle!" Naoki chirped, flipping the card.
"Vice Chair Yuyuzan, you moved so fast I couldn't follow. I just guessed."
Since she planned to win over Miharutaki, she couldn't afford to make enemies of her subordinates. Might as well butter them up it'd make things easier down the road.
Yuyuzan's face turned unreadable.
The trick depended on misdirection. Picking randomly could beat it. Was this girl really so naive?
Regardless, since she won and wasn't annoying Yuyuzan agreed to a gamble.
"Before we start, I want to ask what's your real reason for being here? People who can throw around ten million yen don't come just to do cleaning."
Naoki: ...
That was a hard one to answer. Say she wanted to chase after her boss?
She'd probably get kicked out. And if anyone overheard, the rumor would spread like wildfire.
That wouldn't help her pursuit of Miharutaki. Especially since the latter was engaged and very proper.
Still, ignoring the question would be insincere.
Naoki coughed. "I got lucky with some money, that's all. I figured doing chores might help me blend into the academy."
A common excuse, really. Who else but a social climber would hang around the Student Council building?
Yuyuzan said nothing. Who knew if she believed it?
"So what game?"
"Guest's choice? Then I'll pick." She glanced at a nearby deck of hanafuda cards on a committee member's desk. "Let's play hanafuda."
Even if she wasn't a pro, no student at Hyakkaou Academy could afford to say *they didn't know how*.
"Rules?"
"Short on time, so three rounds. First to build a yaku (combo) wins. 'Opening hand yaku' counts for 6 mon, 'Double hand' for 8. Hanami-zake and Tsukimi-zake allowed. Over 7 mon doubles points. If you call KOI-KOI and lose the round, your opponent's score also doubles."
"If neither builds a yaku, it's a draw."
Naoki nodded.
Hanafuda had 12 months, 4 cards each. 48 cards total. You made combos to win points.
In two-player mode, each got 8 hand cards, 8 cards in the field, 24 in the deck. You matched same-month cards, took them into your hand, then flipped a new one. If it matched again, you kept it. If not, it stayed on the field.
When you made a yaku, you could stop and score, or shout KOI-KOI to go for more.
If neither made anything, the round ended. Though usually, someone scored unless they got greedy.
8 cards would never be seen left in the deck.
Yuyuzan had to be skilled to be a vice chair.
High-score combos mattered, but in just 3 rounds, speed trumped depth.
With the match starting, the Beautification Committee gathered around.
Naoki: ...
So many people. Cheating would need finesse.
They drew cards to decide dealer. Naoki got a plum warbler (Feb), Yuyuzan a pampas grass (Aug). Naoki went first.
Hanami-zake and Tsukimi-zake only needed 2 cards for 5 mon, so the cup card from August was vital.
High-point combos like 3 Lights (5 mon) needed more cards.
Yuyuzan clearly aimed for speed. Going for big points risked losing early.
Naoki had no cup card, and the field didn't either. After two plays, her hand had boar, deer, plum banner, and two white cards. Yuyuzan lucked into 3 Lights: Pine-Crane, Cherry Curtain, Paulownia Phoenix.
It helped that her draws kept matching.
Naoki: ... Seriously, that lucky? No cheating?
Yuyuzan called the round.
5 mon to Yuyuzan.
With that win, Yuyuzan relaxed. The girl before her wasn't as dangerous as she'd thought.
Had she misjudged her?
Second round. Naoki's starting hand had boar, deer, and butterfly 6 mon yaku.
But unless they hit the field, she couldn't use them.
She played the boar and deer, but no matching butterfly showed up. After six plays, Yuyuzan again built a 3 Light combo.
Two straight wins. Total: 10 mon. The committee cheered.
"That's our Vice Chair Yuyuzan!"
No one thought Naoki could come back.
Unless she built a 7+ mon yaku to double-score.
But that needed more cards and luck.
Naoki wasn't discouraged. She had 2 EXP points left. Might as well draw a card.
Maybe she'd get a Koi Card and topdeck a full hand yaku. Or just some luck boost.
*Draw card!*
**System: Congratulations, host has drawn the special ability card X-Ray Vision!**
Not bad. Useful in card games.
Still, a Koi Card would've been better.
*Draw again!*
**System: Congratulations, host has drawn special ability card Suggestion. Use it to plant a subconscious suggestion for one round. Stronger wills resist more. Unreasonable commands are more likely to be rejected.**
New card.
It sounded powerful. Theoretically, she could make someone surrender.
But that was too obvious.
Better for making someone play a weak card, like in poker.
Naoki looked at Yuyuzan. Calm even under praise clearly self-controlled.
Would Suggestion work?
Maybe… someone else?
A nearby committee member was watching excitedly. Naoki spotted the hanafuda deck came from her desk.
Third round began. Yuyuzan was about to shuffle.
"Hold on," Naoki interrupted. "I lost two in a row. I have to wonder if you're cheating."
Yuyuzan didn't get angry. She chuckled. "Oh? And what do you propose?"
"Who knows what you're doing while shuffling? Just to be safe, let someone else do it."
She shrugged. "Whatever."
Naoki picked up the cards and checked 48 total. Then stacked them: dealer 4, opponent 4, field 4.
"Classmate, could you shuffle for us?" Naoki smiled at the girl from earlier. "Please?"
*Activate Suggestion Card!*
"Sure!" the girl replied, dazed. She stared at the deck for a long moment, then began.
She shuffled. Dealt.
Naoki looked at her hand and smiled.
Just as she'd planned, she got the Cup card, the August Moon, the Cherry Curtain, and the Butterfly.
She'd stacked them earlier while pretending to check for cheating, and planted the suggestion to deal them to herself.
It was a basic trick easy for anyone.
She didn't ask for a perfect double-hand. That would be too difficult.
Besides, Yuyuzan hadn't suspected the committee girl.
Now that she had the Cup, Yuyuzan couldn't form Tsukimi-zake or Hanami-zake.
And with the Butterfly, Yuyuzan couldn't make Boar-Deer-Butterfly either.
Naoki also held two of the Five Lights: the August Moon and Cherry Curtain.
The rest of the Light combo couldn't be formed now.
Yuyuzan's only fast-scoring options were 3 red or blue banners. Other 1-mon combos needed 5 cards.
Naoki's remaining 4 cards included Plum Banner.
In the field: white Chrysanthemum card.
Naoki played Cup, matched it immediately.
Flipped a Pine Banner. No match field.
Next round: played Cherry Curtain, matched Plum Banner.
Flipped Wisteria Banner, matched Wisteria Cuckoo.
Didn't matter. She had Hanami-zake (5 mon). Just needed one more combo.
"Looks like I'm lucky this round."
Yuyuzan frowned.
"KOI-KOI, Vice Chair. Your turn."
Naturally. To win, Naoki needed 7+ mon.
Next round: no August cards. Yuyuzan had Little Path Wind, 3 animal cards, 2 red banners, 4 white.
Naoki flipped Phoenix card Paulownia. One card from 3 Lights.
Fourth round: Yuyuzan matched another animal card, flipped August card no match.
She now needed one more animal card to score. Even 1 mon would end the game.
She looked at her hand: August Goose and another August.
No August cards had shown yet. Naoki must have one.
Smack!
Naoki played the August Moon, matched the field's August. Yuyuzan's hopes crumbled.
She chuckled bitterly.
"Moon Viewing, Flower Viewing, and 3 Lights. Total: 15 mon. Even without doubling, I win." Naoki beamed. "I must be lucky. Did you go easy on me, Yuyuzan? Thank you."
She gave Yuyuzan full credit in front of the crowd.
After all, she'd been trounced the first two rounds. A comeback like this? Looked suspicious.
Yuyuzan didn't feel great. She'd done her best.
Was the girl just *that* lucky?
Still, the match was over. And no one kicks away a flattering hand.
Yuyuzan stood up, face cold. "You won. I won't stop you. Do as you like."
**System: Congratulations, host has completed the hanafuda duel with Yuyuzan. You correctly used an ability card and won by manipulating an outsider. Gained 2 EXP.**
Naoki gathered the cards and returned them to the committee girl still stunned.
"Thanks for dealing me a great hand."
Since the suggestion worked subconsciously, the girl didn't know why she did it just that she *felt* like giving Naoki good cards.
She'd felt a bit guilty seeing Naoki win, but her smile made her heart skip.
So cute.
Well, it was only for cleaning duty. No big deal if she lost.