251 Ririka: Sister, you're really too much ❤
Momobami Kirari smiled brightly, the whites of her eyes seeming to be entirely dyed black; the color of her beautiful eyes was reduced to just pitch black and deep blue.
She slightly turned her head and parted her lips gently: "How interesting~"
"As expected, Hachiman Hikigaya, you really are the best." "No matter when, I have no problem," Hikigaya said calmly, ignoring her rambling.
Right now, he didn't want to talk feelings with Momobami Kirari.
He only wanted to use their most beloved way — gambling — to completely engulf the other.
"Geez, Hachiman-kun, are you inviting me? You're really impatient~"
Momobami Kirari's fair hand continued moving downward, seemingly unconcerned about the gambling between her and Hikigaya.
Hikigaya's eyebrows twitched sharply, and instinctively he raised his hand to catch that hand moving down. No way, is this really appropriate to act so intimate in front of Momobami Ririka?
Though... that day Hikigaya did do some weird things with Momobami Ririka, but those all happened without his knowledge.
With their identities now fully exposed, if he let himself go in front of the two sisters again, he couldn't quite bring himself to do such things.
"Hachiman-kun, are you shy? You said you had no problem anytime." "..." Hikigaya took a deep breath: "President, isn't this a bit inappropriate to say at a time like this?"
"Is it because Ririka is here? It's okay, Ririka listens to me the most, right~" Kirari looked at her sister with her eyes.
Under her gaze, Ririka looked like a startled fawn, hands covering her lower stomach, trembling as she stood and walked over to her little sister.
"No, what I mean is, when will our gambling start?"
Damn Kirari, not playing by the rules at a time like this?
Originally Hikigaya wanted to speak with her in a smart way, but unexpectedly Kirari pretended to be clueless.
"Such things can happen anytime~ It's just that now I have more important and preferable things to do."
"Just now, Hachiman-kun said the thing I most want to see is the self that blooms and disappears? Actually, that's wrong~"
"Compared to my own blooming, right now I want to see Hachiman-kun burn out completely in front of me——"
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Momobami Ririka covered her face, unable to look directly at what was happening in front of her.
But under her little sister's order, she had to lower her guard and open her eyes wide to witness the details in front of her.
Why, why must I see this with my own eyes? My little sister this time is really too much.
Momobami Ririka was like a small boat, facing the baptism of raging waves.
She let the violent waves knock her down and sink beneath the sea, only to unconsciously float back up again, repeating this cycle.
Until the wind stopped and the rain ceased.
"I'm very satisfied~ Hachiman-kun."
Hikigaya's mouth twitched involuntarily, looking at the scumbag woman who, after making his sister witness the cruelty of war, still made her personally serve him with changing clothes and fixing his hair, he was at a loss for words.
"I'm glad you're satisfied," he said sarcastically.
After everything was cleaned up, Momobami Kirari stood up, her aura even stronger after being refreshed.
Every movement showed the queen's temperament.
Her round, full body was like a ripe peach — just a gentle pinch would release sweet and fresh juice.
"Just now, Hachiman-kun said he wants to gamble with me, right? That's the contract we made at the hospital~"
"Yes."
Hikigaya supported himself against the wall, forcing himself to stay upright, understanding the big moment was finally coming.
He had endured humiliation for an hour, finally waiting for Momobami Kirari to get down to business.
"Tomorrow~" "This gambling requires you and Jabami Yumeko both to participate."
Yumeko?
Hikigaya tensed up, forced a slight smile:
"President, this isn't what we originally agreed on... This is a gamble between you and me, why involve Yumeko?"
"Because a gamble without attachments is boring~ Besides, that child Yumeko is also longing for a gamble like this~"
Hikigaya fell silent.
Kirari had targeted Yumeko from the start.
Once he defeated the student council officers, she would pull Yumeko into the abyss of reckless gambling as well.
He clearly knew in his heart that once Momobami Kirari made a decision, she wouldn't easily change it.
After a moment: "Can you tell me what kind of gamble it is?"
"Hmm… about that, I can't reveal the exact rules to Hikigaya-kun yet~ But I can tell you that this gamble isn't about skill—it's the purest kind of gambling based on luck and resolve~"
"You cannot harm Yumeko." Hikigaya's gaze was extremely serious: "If you, President, cannot agree to this condition, I will not gamble with you."
Hikigaya Hachiman had to admit, at that moment he hesitated.
He had gone through great hardship to get an opportunity to challenge Kirari without harm.
Originally it was supposed to be a one-on-one gamble, but now Yumeko was added.
If the price that was supposed to be paid by him would instead be paid by Yumeko, then does the gamble still have any meaning?
An opportunity to rise all at once was right in front of him, should he give it up for Yumeko's safety?
Time passed only a moment, but for Hikigaya it was a long, deep contemplation.
He didn't want to miss this chance, but he couldn't accept using Yumeko as a price, so he chose a compromise: a bet that wouldn't harm Yumeko, he could accept.
"Heh, Hikigaya-kun, are you threatening me for Jabami Yumeko?"
"It's because you, President, didn't keep your promise." Hikigaya replied calmly.
Momobami Kirari licked the corner of her mouth: "A bet where Yumeko won't be harmed? Fine, I agree, Hikigaya-kun. Tomorrow at 3 pm, student council meeting room, don't be late~"
With that said, Kirari's eyes showed no hesitation as she left the accounting room with Ririka, who had put her mask back on behind her.
The pressure on Hikigaya instantly eased, and he sat in the chair somewhat weakly, sweat soaking his back.
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"Eh, so Momobami-nee finally agreed to Hachiman's request?"
"Looks like it for now, but the specifics of what kind of gamble she will propose are still unknown."
Yumeko's eyes shimmered with crimson ripples, continuously spreading outward from her snake-like pupils.
The declaration Momobami made, as relayed by Hikigaya, completely ignited a madness deep in Yumeko's heart.
Her whole body trembled, continuously exhaling a fragrant mist, her beautiful eyes hazy.
A twisted laughter echoed at the station under the sunset.
"Interesting, interesting, really very interesting, Momobami-nee."
"Using me as a spice to make the gamble more fun? A gamble unrelated to calculation or strategy, only concerning luck and mad resolve... I'm so looking forward to it."
Yumeko suddenly turned and tightly grasped Hikigaya Hachiman's hand: "Thank you, Hachiman, for not refusing Momobami-nee's request. If we missed such a gamble, I would be really sad."
"Well... Yumeko, as long as you're happy." Hikigaya scratched his head.
Yumeko's crazed appearance was really unprecedented.
If it's a gamble about pure madness, Yumeko really is better at it than himself.
"Hey, Hachiman, come with me to the hospital today."
Yumeko reached out and wrapped her arms around Hikigaya's neck.
Her body was like a water snake, and with a twist she straddled his thigh.
Under the glow of the sunset, they pressed close to each other.
Nose to nose, feeling the rhythm of each other's heartbeat.
At such close distance, Hikigaya could easily see the flutter in Yumeko's eyes.
Stammering, he said, "Yu-Yumeko, don't do this. Didn't we agree this morning? We have to keep a safe distance, get down now!"
"I can't hold back!" "This is all your fault, Hachiman~ You made me like this. If someone finds out, well, it can't be helped~"
"Then... just for today." Hikigaya gritted his teeth, eyebrows twitching: "I'll go to the hospital with you first, and come back to the apartment later. If Yor's little brother finds out, at least I can explain it."
Yumeko leaned into the crook of Hikigaya's neck and greedily took a deep breath.
From the scent, she could easily detect Momobami Kirari's presence.
Sure enough, the time Hikigaya disappeared that afternoon was probably because Kirari had taken him to do that kind of thing.
He didn't tell me about this... but if he had hidden it and I found out secretly, that would be even more exciting!!
Yumeko's eyes flickered.
Connecting the dots between the Momobami clan meeting and the disappearance of the vice president, she quickly uncovered the key point.
The Momobami sister who had been appearing these days was probably the other Momobami sister.
In other words, her Hachiman might have already been with the Momobami sisters...
Yumeko suddenly squeezed her legs tightly, instinctively covering her flushed face.
How could such a thing be? At the very least, I need to wait until my sister wakes up and consult her wishes.
Yumeko fell into a cycle of maintaining rationality and bursting into laughter.
She did not notice the shuttle bus slowly entering the station. The bus door slowly opened.
The driver of this bus drove this route every day, and after meeting Hikigaya Hachiman a few times, they had become somewhat familiar.
The man's graying temples and wrinkled face showed a faint smile.
"Young people are really something." He murmured, seeing Hikigaya's current predicament. Then, sitting in his driver's seat, he shouted: "Hey, you two over there! If you don't get on soon, I'm leaving."
The voice of a Showa-era man pulled Yumeko back to reality.
She reached out her soft, heated hand and tightly held Hikigaya's hand.
Together, they boarded the shuttle bus heading toward the future.
252 A small stress-relief game before the big gamble ❤ Hospital. After the event.
Yumeko, sitting on Hikigaya's lap, was like a lively snake, her smooth body tightly entwining Hikigaya Hachiman.
Sticky beads of sweat dripped from the tips of Yumeko's princess-cut hair onto her delicate collarbone, then slid down onto Hikigaya's chest, blending as one.
Hikigaya stroked Yumeko's smooth back: "Yumeko, do we really have to gamble? If you don't want to, I can give up on this gamble."
"Hachiman, are you worried about me~?"
"This kind of grand feast is right before us, it's impossible to hold back~ Actually, ever since I entered Hyakkaou Private Academy, I have been looking forward to gambling with President Momobami~"
"I'm not planning to stop you. Since that's the case, let's throw ourselves into the fight at the closest distance between us."
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The morning passed in a hurry.
Before long, it was time for lunch.
Hikigaya held Yumeko's hand and they went to the school cafeteria.
At that moment, Itsuki Sumeragi Mikado came running toward them, panting and carrying a briefcase.
"Hey, Hikigaya and Jabami, you're going to gamble with the President today, right?!"
"Uh... yeah. But how did you know?" Hikigaya was a bit curious. This gamble wasn't supposed to be public, so how did Itsuki Sumeragi know?
Itsuki Sumeragi shook her phone: "It was a notice from Yomozuki-senpai. She seems to have informed all student council members and former members."
"So you're here for?"
"Props, props!"
Itsuki Sumeragi was unusually excited.
She led them to her private room, entered the password, and opened the briefcase, revealing a densely packed set of gambling tools.
There were dice, playing cards, markers...
Itsuki Sumeragi picked up a die like a treasured possession and explained: "This is a rigged die, it only shows certain numbers. A set of six, and it looks exactly like a normal die."
"These are playing cards coated with infrared paint. As long as you wear special invisible glasses, you can clearly see the card faces."
"Next is my favorite—special scented drops. If you stabilize yourself with these before gambling and then put some on your fingers, you can apply a unique scent to the gambling tools that only you can detect.
It's an ultimate cheating method that won't get caught!"
As she spoke, Itsuki Sumeragi spread her arms wide as if embracing the world and loudly declared: "All of these I can give to Hikigaya and Jabami you two."
Hikigaya became interested and picked up one rigged die, turning it over and observing it: "What benefit do you get by giving us these tools?"
"Benefit? Not much really. Mainly, it's super thrilling to use my props when gambling against that god-like student council president! You know that feeling, Hikigaya?"
"It's like in light novels, when you send a special weapon to the hero who's about to go defeat the demon lord, and the hero uses the gifted weapon to win. That kind of thrill."
"In short, it's about the feeling of participation, participation!"
Itsuki Sumeragi squeezed her legs together: "Also, if you win against the President using the tools I provide, I can take the opportunity to promote my family's toy manufacturing factory—it's kind of like an advertisement."
"I see..." Hikigaya put down the dice and started fiddling with the infrared cards instead.
Itsuki Sumeragi thought he was thinking deeply, so she turned to Yumeko: "Hey, Jabami, what do you think?"
Yumeko folded her hands neatly on her lower abdomen, showing a polite smile:
"Although I truly appreciate Itsuki Sumeragi's kindness, I have no intention of cheating~ Because this long-anticipated gamble with President Momobami doesn't need any unclean things~"
"If I use these tools, it would be desecrating the gamble between me and President Momobami~"
"Eh, how come you say that?" Itsuki Sumeragi laughed awkwardly, rubbing her head and turning her attention back to Hikigaya.
Hikigaya had already put the scented drops down, shaking his head with some regret: "I don't have Yumeko's resolve. If your tools really work, I'd try them."
"But... your tools have too many flaws."
"Not to mention that the gamble was personally designed and proposed by President Momobami, any props used midway are strictly inspected.
And your tools, if observed carefully, reveal problems."
Hikigaya Hachiman picked up the dice again:
"First, this rigged die. Although it looks no different from a normal die, you can still feel a slight difference in weight when holding it. That won't fool the President."
"Then, the infrared coated cards. You can tell from the texture that they're different from normal cards—the drag is too obvious."
"Finally, this special scented drop. But from what I just smelled, there was a vinegar scent... Although very faint, it was still detected.
"So, Itsuki Sumeragi, your tools are basically useless. If even my senses can't be fooled, there's no way they could be used against President Momobami."
Saying this, Hikigaya put the tools back into the case one by one and politely pushed it back. After all, it was the other party's good intention—although the tools were unusable, Hikigaya accepted the sentiment.
"R-Really that bad? Normally, when I gamble, no one ever notices." Itsuki Sumeragi hugged her own arms, her face flushed with embarrassment and speechless.
Actually, she came specifically today to help Hikigaya, and she had a little secret she couldn't say.
Yomozuki Runa had told her that yesterday Hikigaya defeated Momobami Kaede, forcing her to sell her life plan.
This was an opportunity Itsuki Sumeragi couldn't miss—she had a crush on Manyuda Kaede.
After reporting to her family that Manyuda was the son of the former Finance Minister, she boldly gave Itsuki Sumeragi 10 billion yen to buy the life plan.
Now, Manyuda's life was Itsuki Sumeragi's.
"Although it's a bit cruel, that's the truth." Hikigaya said seriously. "But if you really want to feel involved, you can come watch the gambling in person."
President Momobami did not explicitly state that this gamble was private; if only student council-related people came to watch, she probably wouldn't refuse."
"Alright then, since you won't use my tools, I'll go see it in person!"
While promoting her special tools, Itsuki Sumeragi also harbored a desire to become a gambling expert.
She wanted to see how far away she was from the academy's most renowned gambling master.
She clapped her hands and called her personal chef to prepare a lavish lunch for Hikigaya Hachiman and Jabami Yumeko.
"Yo, Itsuki Sumeragi, long time no see." Yumemi Yumemite smiled and waved, affectionately linking arms with Itsuki Sumeragi.
As the time neared three o'clock, most student council members had already gathered in the student council meeting room.
Miharutaki Sakura and Juraku Sachiko were already sitting side by side, naturally united as two who had close contact with Hikigaya within the student council.
"Yumeko-sama~" Ikishima Midari casually tossed a revolver onto the table, crawling quickly toward Yumeko on all fours like a mutated zombie.
Birds fluttered, and fragrances lingered.
Due to Manyuda Kaede's crushing defeat, the large meeting room was strangely devoid of any male presence except Hikigaya Hachiman.
Hikigaya sat at one end of the long table with some frustration, quietly waiting for the main figure to arrive.
Under the table, Juraku Sachiko was somehow stroking her long legs wrapped in black stockings; her red-soled patent leather high heels had fallen to the ground, and her toes secretly rubbed against Hikigaya's pant legs at his calves.
"Hikigaya, nervous? About gambling with the President."
"I wasn't nervous at first, but since she forced Yumeko to join the three-person gamble to make me nervous..." Hikigaya sighed.
It was impossible to say he wasn't nervous since the stakes and rules of the game were still unknown.
He reached out and grabbed Juraku Sachiko's raised leg.
To ease his tension, Hikigaya talked more and asked out of curiosity, "Juraku-senpai, I'm curious. Have you ever gambled with President Momobami?"
"Yes, and I lost." Juraku Sachiko said bluntly. "Right after she won the President's position, she challenged every student council officer just like you.
Without exception, no one could resist her.
Because these gambles were only open to the student council internally, the news didn't leak out."
"I was undefeated in internal student council promotion gambling, but in fact, I lost to Momobami Kirari back then."
"I see..." Hikigaya nodded thoughtfully. "How did losing feel?"
Juraku Sachiko's legs became more active; silently breaking free from Hikigaya's hold, she stretched inward but bumped into another pair of feet.
She looked up in surprise at Miharutaki Sakura.
A smile played on her lips: "Not good. But I knew with my ability, I couldn't beat Momobami Kirari. So, I hope you win."
"And then have her do my foot care."
Hikigaya Hachiman was speechless for a moment; it seemed Juraku's relationship with Momobami Kirari wasn't as good as it appeared.
"..."
Amidst everyone's horseplay,
The meeting room door slowly opened.
Dressed in an earth-yellow rabbit uniform, Yomozuki Runa jumped out first.
Behind her followed Momobami Kirari, and side by side walked Igarashi Sayaka and Momobami Ririka.
Lastly, Momobami Kirari held a leash, and Shimotsukiuri Ouri was crawling obediently on the ground.
The three entered the student council meeting room with a powerful presence.
The previously joyful atmosphere froze suddenly.
Miharutaki Sakura shyly withdrew her foot, but only Juraku Sachiko, relying on her seniority, ignored Kirari's presence.
Her agile little feet moved rhythmically in the frozen air to ease Hikigaya's tension.