If one could describe (Name) in one word, it would be insane. She was currently gambling with ¥10,000,000 in a single match against Kageyama. No ordinary person would willingly bet that much money in a single game; it was absurd. There was a slim chance that she would win because Kageyama had gained her one hundred and sixteen chips from earlier, and yet, (Name) was willing to throw away her money just to play another match.

  Kageyama laughed, his voice shaking as he stood to his feet. "I won't follow you into something so freaking stupid. There's no way I would be willing to do that; just make sure you pay me back," he said.

  (Name) poked out her bottom lip, playfully pouting. "Aw, you don't want to play anymore? That's too bad, and here I thought we were having so much fun together, Kageyama-san," she cooed, propping her elbows on the table. Her enchanting eyes eyed Kageyama as her lips curled into a taunting smile. "Ooooh, don't tell me you've lost your nerve?" she teased.

  Kageyama flinched at her words, a sudden rage washing over him. How dare this stupid commoner make a damned fool out of him; no one would make a fool out of the king. His hands curled into a fist as he quickly sat back in his seat, narrowing his eyes. "If you're gonna put it like that, then I'll accept your challenge," he grunted, signaling that the match would soon begin.

  This declaration caused a commotion among the spectators, debating who would win the pot after this game. The cards were deposited into the voting box, Kageyama fixating his gaze on (Name), watching as she examined herself in her pocket-sized mirror.

  The gambling girl giggled, looking up at Kageyama with a pleasing look. "Gamblings are so much fun when there are big risks involved. Anything would just be boring and a waste of my time, wouldn't you agree?" she asked.

  "Uh, I guess," he grumbled, drawing from the box, and (Name) followed suit.

  They sat silently, reviewing their cards before Kageyama spoke up. "It can't take you that long; we only have three cards to choose from," Kageyama stated, crossing his legs.

  (Name) lifter her head, smiling. "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

  "What the hell are you talking about?"

  "Oh, don't play innocent with me, Kageyama-san; everyone in this class is working for you, aren't they?" (Name) taunted, laying her cards on the table. She cradled her chin, tilting her head to the side. "How many people are working for you? At first, I would have assumed everyone in the class would be working with you, but the voting says otherwise. So, I'm guessing ten people? Maybe twenty to make doubly sure you would win?"

  Kageyama clenched his teeth, narrowing his eyes. "How dare you accuse me of cheating!? What kind of proof do you even have!?" he barked.

  "Please, you weren't the best at hiding it, Kageyama-san. In both rounds, when you won ¥500,000, you played the same card. You carelessly chose a card to play whenever we bet ¥20,000-a rather small sum when playing this insane game; it only be natural that I would suspect you're cheating," she giggled, curling a strand of hair around her index finger. (Name) leaned across the table, stroking Kageyama's chin with the pad of her thumb. "Unless you're prepared to spill some blood, you won't ever fool anyone with shitty tactics like those," she happily declared.

  Kageyama jerked his head away, scowling, "Are you done with all the shit-talking? If you're trying to get me to end this game in a stalemate, you are sadly mistaken-"

  "Oh, heavens, no! I wouldn't dream of it!" (Name) quickly interrupted, her lips quirking into an insane smile. "I wouldn't do anything so tasteless, especially since the game will get far more interesting from here."

  The older second-year, annoyed with (Name)'s monologue, clicked his tongue. "Are you done with your stupid little speech now, or are you just stalling for time because you're afraid of losing?" Kageyama snarled.

  "Well, you can't say I didn't warn you."

  "This round of rock, paper, scissors is for ¥10,000,000 and will decide the winner; it's time for our showdown," Kageyama declared, deciding to choose paper. He counted down before yelling, "Rock! Paper-"

  "Scissors!" The gambling girl declared cheerfully, despair washing over Kageyama's face. Even Hinata was shocked at the outcome. (Name) was beaming brightly, unable to contain her peals of laughter.

  The students around them clamored, mumbling to each other. (Name) has dethroned the king of the cherry blossom class on the first day of school; it was hard to believe. Kageyama didn't want to think that he just lost.

  His breathing was uneven, eyes blown wide while his hand trembled. "There's... there's no way. It can't be. You-you couldn't have pulled scissors," he gasped.

  "Oh, but it can be! You can see it plain as day with your eyes! Now then, let's hash out the winnings! Taking out the money I lost," (Name) hummed, standing to her feet, and circled behind Kageyama; her arms draped over his shoulder, "that would be a total of ¥8,800,000. Do be so kind as to pay up."

  Kageyama choked; this couldn't happen to him. All he wanted was to put the new girl in her place, to make her in debt to him, and come out ¥2,400,000 richer, but he wound up losing ¥8,800,000 instead?

  Just who the hell was this girl!?

  "Oh, that reminds me. You're the one who said you wouldn't play me if I didn't have that kind of cash on hand because I could have been talking out of my ass, right? I think I would like to do the same," she cooed, fingers tracing the outline of Kageyama's jaw, feeling him tremble underneath her touch while he thickly swallowed. (Name) rolled her head to the side, humming, "You can pay me back, right?"

  "N-No-"

  "Come again?" (Name) mocked, yanking Kageyama's tie.

  The raven-haired male swallowed his pride, saying, "I don't have it right now... could I ask that you give me a few days?"

  (Name) pouted, poking out her lips as she released Kageyama's tie, patting his head. "Oh, I guess I can make an exception this one time. Just for today, I'll consider it paid in exchange for the despair you suffered. Now, I hope you all have a nice day, and from tomorrow onward, you accept me as an equal."

  Hinata chased after (Name), grabbing her wrists. "(Surname)-san, I need to know. Why did you play scissors? It was like you knew Kageyama-san was going to play paper."

  "Oh! That's easy; I knew that Kageyama-san was controlling the votes. I just needed to figure out which card was included the most," (Name) explained, walking alongside Hinata, brushing her fingers against his.

  "But how did you learn all that in a single game?"

  (Name) smiled, slinging her case over her shoulder. "That was the tricky part, but I managed. Let's assume that Kageyama-san had twenty people working for him; if he didn't get everyone to vote for the same card, the trick wouldn't work. There was no regular pattern to what cards were voted for, but remembering a particular order of cards would have been much more difficult," she stated, "following me so far, Hinata-san?"

  "Uh, yes?"

  She continued to explain. "I realized they must have been deciding what to vote for on the spot; I just needed to figure out how they were deciding. Kageyama-san couldn't use any signal with his hands, or else I would have caught on. I thought it was a sound, but I heard nothing. That was when I concluded that someone was giving the signal in his place; the rest became clear after that," (Name) added, stopping in front of Hinata. "At first, I thought it was natural that everyone was staring at me because I was new, but that was my mistake. They were staring at me but at the person behind me, and that was you, Hinata-san."

  The ginger nervously laughed, "So, you did figure it all out."

  (Name) bobbed her head, twirling around. "Yes! Next, I had to guess the sign based on your actions."

  Hinata quirked an eyebrow upwards, "My actions? But I was behind you-do you have eyes in the back of your head!? Holy shit, that would be so weird!"

  (Name) couldn't help but laugh, clutching her sides. "Oh, Hinata, you're too much, but I don't have eyes in the back of my head. Remember when I pulled out my mirror? I pretended to check my makeup to throw you and Kageyama-san off."

  "O-Oh, I see! Okay, here's another question!" Hinata exclaimed, "How did you pull scissors in your last hand? There could have been only two or three of those in the box, so how did you pull it off?"

  "Well, that was a complete coincidence! I just got reaaaaaaally lucky that time!"

  Hinata sputtered, unable to comprehend what (Name) said. "I-you-no way, there's no way, (Surname)-san, that you used ¥1,200,000 to see through Kageyama-san's trick, and despite that, you bet ¥10,000,000 and hoped you'd win based on what-chance!?" he exclaimed, flailing his arms.

  (Name) nodded her head, "Yes, basically."

"So, in that game, you could have kept quiet and would have had a fifty percent chance of winning; that was no merit in telling Kageyama-san that you figured out his trick," the ginger pointed out.

  "You're right; I didn't need to tell him, but I wanted to," she cooed.

  Hinata scratched his head. "Even with the risk of him switching up his tactics, you still told him because you enjoy taking risks, don't you?"

  (Name) rolled her head to the side, playing with her golden ring. "Well, simply taking a risk on its own is boring to me, but having too much of an advantage sucks the fun out of the game, you know? Gambling, to me, is fun; it fills me with indescribable pleasure. It makes me boil over," she shivered, wrapping her arms around her torso, smiling.

  Hinata laughed softly, averting his eyes downwards. "I wish I could be like you, (Surname)-san; I've never once felt that way when gambling. All I've felt is pain," he mumbled. "I'm considering dropping out; I owe Kageyama-san money-¥5,000,000. I keep trying to earn money, but I keep earning more debt. I don't want to bring my parents into this; it's my burden, not theirs." He looked up at (Name), took her hands, and tenderly squeezed them. "(Surname)-san, please forgive me for lying to you. You were kind to me today, and I betrayed your trust."

  (Name) clicked her tongue, leaning forward, and kissed his forehead softly. "Oh, don't fret, Hinata-san. You were forced, but it made the game more interesting," she giggled, bringing her hands to his cheeks and pinching them. Pulling her hands away from his cheeks, (Name) took Hinata's hand and handed him money. "I wanted to give you this for making today's gamble so much fun!"

  "I-I can't take this! I participated in the scheme; you could have been a house pet if you lost-"

  (Name) shushed Hinata, pressing her finger against his lips. "I hate situations where it's guaranteed that I'll win and those where it's guaranteed that I'll lose. It's not gambling if the outcome is already predetermined. Thanks to your assistance, I was able to play an exciting game! Thank you very much!"

  Hinata could see her smile clearly as she stood in the sun; there was no resentment or pity. (Name) just wanted to thank him from the bottom of her heart because she enjoyed the game today. That was all.

  (Surname) (Name) is not normal; she's a gambling enthusiast-a compulsive gambler.

━━━━━ 「𖨠」━━━━━

  Upon arriving at school, Hinata felt arms wrap around his torso from behind, breasts pressed against his back, and he heard a titter behind him. "Good morning, Hinata-san," (Name) hummed, tightening her grip.

  The poor boy was red in the face, his heart beating as he stuttered. "Go-Good morning, (Surname)-san!"

  She whined, moving towards Hinata's side. "Now, that won't do. I consider you a friend, so there's no need for you to address me as (Surname)-san; just (Name) will suffice," she said with a smile.

  Hinata couldn't resist, mostly when (Name) was pouting cutely: it was damn near impossible for him to tell a girl no. "Oh, I meant to thank you for the ¥5,000,000 you gave me yesterday; I was able to repurchase my humanity. I'm short on cash, but I promise I'll repay you."

  "Nonsense! It was a gift for making the game fun; there's no need to pay me back, Hinata-can I call you Hina instead? It just sounds so cute," the (height) girl asked. When the ginger nodded his head, she squealed with delight and pulled Hinata inside the class.

  Kageyama was staring at his desk, his breathing ragged as he stared at the dirty writing across his desk; a doll that resembled him smashed to bits with a house tag hung around the neck. The students around him laughed and jeered; one girl slipped the house pet tag over Kageyama's throat and gave it a harsh jerk, hearing him choke.

  "Go on, and kneel for us, your Majesty!" one girl howled, the class erupting with laughter. "Ahaha, (Surname)-san! Get your dog! He's your new prize for winning the gamble yesterday!"

  (Name) was confused when Kageyama was dragged toward her. She quirked her eyebrow up and released his chain, helping the taller male to his feet. "What was that about?"

  "Shut up."

  "Eh? What was that, Kageyama-san-"

  He narrowed his eyes, swiping everything off his desk. "I said, shut the hell up! I'm like this because I lost to you-a nobody!" Kageyama sneered before rushing out of the class, mumbling about escaping this mess.

  "How odd," the gambling addict mumbled, taking her seat along with Hinata. According to their homeroom teacher, the classes were short-a unique schedule. The student council had told the faculty members; the students were released from class twenty minutes early.

  Lunch approached quickly, and (Name) sat with Hinata, offering him portions of her meal, but he declined.

  "Hina, what happened today before class? Why was Kageyama given a tag that looked like yours?" she questioned, taking a bite out of her tempura.

  He scratched the back of his head, sighing. "What you saw back there was one of this school's traditions; gambling is the most important thing here. Naturally, if you're good at gambling, you become popular. If you're bad at gambling, you're persecuted," he explained, resting his elbows on the table. Hinata paused, pinching his nose as he exhaled. "The stupid thing is that it was never this way two years; it got worse when the current president took charge."

  "Oh? So, do we still hold elections to choose our student council president? If we can do that, why haven't they been elected out," was (Name)'s question.

  "Because everyone's afraid of him; he wasn't elected to his position; the president gambled for it. After he took over, the house pet system and the payments came into play; called them reforms." Hinata poked a hole into his juice pouch, taking a long gulp. When (Name) became quiet, the ginger wanted to kick himself; he would scare her away if he kept talking like this.

  (Name)'s body quivered, her cheeks burning hot as her breathing was uneven; she bit down her knuckles and rubbed her thighs. "The more you tell me about this wonderful academy, the more excited I become, Hina. I'm glad I transferred here; this academy is not normal."

  Springing to her feet, the energetic girl smiled, grasping Hinata's hands, and rapidly asked, "Are grades decided via gambling? What other penalties do Mittens and Fidos suffer? How do I collect my winnings? What is the limit to gambling; could I gamble my life away if I run out of money?"

  Apparently, (Name) was obsessed with gambling; Hinata watched her, seeing the happy glint in her eyes. Gambling seemed to be her entire life.

  "Well, I don't have all the answers to those questions, but I'll give you some advice." Hinata led the girl to the railing, pointing across the room to a young boy with greenish-grey hair engaged in a fast-paced game. "Stay away from anyone on the council board; they have some mad skills. If I didn't suck, I totally would challenge one of them and take their spots."

  (Name) whined playfully, sticking her tongue. "But they're having so much fun, and I wanna gamble some more!"

  "You're crazy to gamble against him; I don't know his name, but his family is loaded. Your funds would run out faster than his," Hinata retorted, leading her away, and sat her back down, continuing with his lunch. "The student council comprises the strongest gamblers; if you thought Kageyama was tough, gambling them is suicide. They're stronger, especially the president."

  (Name) snickered, taking a bite out of her onigiri. "Well, my mind is made up. I want to play at least one before our third year."

  "(Surname)-saaaaaaaaan!" came through the sound of an energetic, male voice. (Name) and Hinata looked up, the ginger going pale in the face while (Name offered a polite wave to the friendly boy. He sat beside (Name), bashfully smiling, "I know this is super sudden, but could you gamble with me, please? I heard you're super good, especially since you beat Kageyama-san, and he had almost everyone's help. You're the talk of the school."

  "Oh, you're a doll! I would love to gamble with you, but you never gave me a name," she tittered.

  "That's right! Oh, I never did give you my name!" The young man tapped on his forehead, sticking his tongue. "I'm so forgetful. My name is Yamaguchi Tadashi; it's nice to meet you."

  (Name) stood time her feet, clapping her hands. "Well, Yamaguchi-san, I accept your offer. What game will we be playing?"

  Yamaguchi pulled out a deck of cards from his bag. "We're going to play Double Memory; the rules are similar to Memory, except you must match the numbers and the suits."

The gambling girl hummed, "It makes the game more difficult. You must match the suits and numbers so there's only one pairing possible. This is so interesting! I'm so glad I said yes!" She spun in a circle before taking Hinata's hands, a glint of pure excitement in her eyes. "I want you to cheer me on, okay, Hina?"

  "Y-Yeah!"

  The other students around them caught wind of what was happening, soon circling Hinata, Yamaguchi, and (Name). They cleared off the table, and Yamaguchi took the opposite side of the table, taking another pack of cards.

  "When you played Kageyama-san, you gambled ¥1,000,000, right?" he asked, breaking the seal off the cards. When (Name) nodded his head, Yamaguchi smiled. "Let's double the stakes! We'll raise it to ¥20,000,000 instead. Does that sound okay?"

  She pouted, twiddling her thumbs. "I apologize, but I no longer have that type of money."

  "What happened to the money you had yesterday!?" Hinata exclaimed.

  "I maybe may have spent it, but I will neither confirm nor deny it."

  Yamaguchi laughed, wiping the tears that formed in the corner of his eyes. "You're so funny, (Surname)-san. Tell you what: I'll let you borrow the ¥20,000,000 interest-free," he offered, spreading the cards across the tables. "This is the best offer you can get; you could go from ¥0 to ¥20,000,000 quick!" The cards were spread across the table, the two participants growing excited as Yamaguchi offered (Name) the first move since she was older than him.

  "Let the game of Double Memory begin now!"