[107] Yumeko Jabami Wants to Get Acquainted

Chapter 107: Yumeko Jabami Wants to Get Acquainted

"I refuse."

"...Huh!?"

Itsuki Sumeragi was utterly thrown off balance.

I made such a big decision and was willing to pay such a high price, only to be rejected instantly.

—Are you some kind of lolicon!?

Itsuki felt like shouting this directly into Shunsuke's ear.

When it came to Runasenpai, who looks like a child, you were more than eager to agree to her terms, and after the fact, she was so exhausted she was bedridden for three days and hasn't come to school since.

To this day, she avoids you whenever she sees you.

But when it's me? Instant rejection!?

Itsuki felt as if her charm as a woman was being outright denied.

—No, no, no, it must be because this guy is just a perverted lolicon.

Shunsuke, seeing Itsukis mix of rage, disbelief, and confusion, couldn't help but feel puzzled himself.

"Itsuki-chan, surely you don't think that one day of your 'usage rights' is worth three billion yen, do you?"

"Then how many days do you want!?"

"Emmm," Shunsuke leaned his chin on one hand thoughtfully. "If Momobami-senpai were to put a price on your life, it'd probably be around ten billion yen. In that case, let's say… the next ten years of your life."

"Fujii-senpai, are you joking?"

Unlike the crazy Yumeko Jabami, Itsuki was still a rational person.

Although, in the original series, she did gamble her life against Kaede Manyuda, that was due to a multitude of factors.

At that time, having been kicked out of the student council, her life was already bleak, and risking it all for a shot at something better seemed reasonable.

But under the current circumstances?

Itsuki felt she'd have to be insane to gamble away the best ten years of her life.

For Kaede Manyu?

Sure, she had a bit of a crush on him, but it wasn't that deep!

Offering up even one day of her 'usage rights' was already more than enough!

"Itsuki-chan, you're really hard to please, huh? Fine, then. How about this—until the end of the semester, you have to follow my instructions. That's my bottom line."

"That's way too far off!" Itsuki instinctively slipped into a commentator role.

"So, what's your answer?"

Itsuki gritted her teeth. "But the stakes have to be equal. If I win, you must follow my orders for the rest of this semester."

Shunsuke glanced at Manyu with a faint smirk. "I accept."

"Then I'll act as the witness," Kirari suddenly interjected. "Itsuki, what method will you use? Make it something we can start immediately."

"Huuh..." Itsuki exhaled deeply.

Although this was a backdoor arrangement, Itsuki's basic qualities as a competitor shone through. Now that things were set, she quickly regained her composure.

"Since you're a strong senior, I'll go with what I'm best at—a card game."

—Stay calm, stay calm, Itsuki. You need to focus.

—If I think it through, I was just intimidated by this maniac's audacity. Proposing such an unreasonable bet from the start was purely to throw me off balance and create fear, preventing me from playing at my full strength.

—This tactic proves he isn't confident in beating me outright! Otherwise, he wouldn't resort to these psychological games!

Having calmed herself and shed the panic induced by Shunsuke's pressure, the storm passed, and Itsuki felt ready to take control once again.

With that thought, Itsuki smiled and picked up her school bag resting against her chair.

She pulled out two unopened decks of playing cards. "The game is called Concentration, but since Fujii-senpai seems to be quite the expert, we'll make it more challenging by playing Double Concentration."

"Two decks, minus the jokers, making a total of 104 cards. Only cards with the same suit and number can be paired, and the player with the most pairs at the end wins. How about it?"

Compared to regular Concentration, Double Concentration was exponentially more difficult, testing not only the players' memory but also their luck.

"The rules seem fair. I agree."

"That's wonderful," Itsuki clapped her hands enthusiastically before pausing, as if remembering something. She "kindly" added, "Oh, by the way, Fujii-senpai, when it comes to card games, I've never lost. Not even once."

With a bright smile, Itsuki started to apply psychological pressure on Shunsuke.

Coupled with the student council's implicit acknowledgment of her unbeaten record, an uninformed observer might genuinely be intimidated.

They might believe Itsuki's earlier behavior was all an act and that they had already fallen into her trap, impacting their confidence and performance.

However, to Shunsuke, who was well aware of these mind games, it was all rather dull.

And the game was Concentration, after all.

Even if he refrained from outright cheating, his memory alone would render any attempts to counter him futile.

At the end of the day, she was just a small fry.

Shunsuke couldn't even muster the interest to toy with her emotions, unlike Yumeko Jabami's dramatic style of losing first and then turning the tables to crush her opponent.

He didn't have the time or patience for that.

Once both parties had agreed, Itsuki handed the two decks of cards to Kirari, the witness.

Kirari removed the jokers and shuffled the cards with a dazzling display of skill before laying them all face down on the conference table.

Meanwhile, the cameras began recording diligently, ensuring the game's integrity.

The epic showdown between the extraordinary transfer student and another member of the student council immediately set the school abuzz.

"Oh my, it seems something interesting is happening."

Yumeko Jabami, who had just finished her first gamble since transferring schools and was about to leave in high spirits, turned her attention to the large screen.

"Saotome-san, could you explain what's going on?"

Saotome Mary, who had lost a gamble and was unable to repay her debts, had no right to remain silent.

Even though she felt utterly defeated, she forced herself to maintain composure and explained, "That's a gamble involving a member of the student council. The student council members are the strongest players in this school."

She pointed to the male participant on the screen. "That guy is Shunsuke Fujii. He was a student from another school, but in a dice gamble, he managed to beat Yomozuki Runa-senpai, a student council member, six times in a row, winning a total of 6.4 billion yen. Because of that, the president personally brought him into the student council. Now, it seems like he's challenging the student council again."

"I see, subarashii," Yumeko said, her face lighting up with excitement as she listened to Mary's detailed explanation. "How wonderful, Fujii-kun! To bet your fingers and your life in such a situation—he and I might just get along."

"???"

Saotome Mary, who had been listening to Yumeko's muttering, stared at her in complete confusion.

"Let's go, Saotome-san. I'll need your help to lead me to the student council."

"Uh, may I ask what you're planning to do..." Mary, who owed Yumeko 8.8 million yen and faced becoming livestock if the debt was pursued, asked meekly.

"Of course, I'm going to meet Fujii-kun," Yumeko Jabami said with a cheerful smile.

—Okay, that seems reasonable.

"And then, I'll invite Fujii-kun to engage in an exhilarating gamble. I have a feeling it's going to be absolutely thrilling."

Saotome Mary was completely dumbfounded.

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