If she lost this round, it'd mean exposure. No way she could afford that.
Naoki activated the special ability card she'd drawn earlier: "Mind Reading."
Her next opponent was a tall girl with shifty eyes. The moment they locked eyes, the girl smirked.
"If you lose again, little junior, which piece are you planning to take off top or bottom?"
Naoki ignored the taunt and raised her hand to begin the second round.
Suddenly, a thought popped into her head:
*"Heh, she lost with Rock last round, so she definitely won't pick it again. It'll be either Scissors or Paper. I'll go with Scissors no way I'll lose."*
Naoki: ...
This mind-reading ability was seriously amazing.
To be fair, most people would indeed switch tactics after losing once. Rock-paper-scissors was fast-paced; there wasn't much time to think. The opponent's reasoning wasn't unreasonable.
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
Naoki threw out Rock again.
The tall girl's grin froze as her hand formed Scissors. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"You used Rock again?!"
She couldn't believe it. This junior had the guts to stick with Rock after losing?
Naoki smiled politely.
"Tch. Lucky fluke," the girl scoffed, peeling off her jacket with an exaggerated shrug. "Hey, you're up next."
"Time for our cute little junior to strip down another layer."
"Yeah, yeah, I got this."
The last girl stared at Naoki thoughtfully before stepping forward.
*"She probably likes unpredictable moves. She won with Rock just now. She'll assume I think she won't use Rock again, so she might throw it a third time. If I play Paper, I'll win."*
Naoki: ...
These girls were... surprisingly tactical.
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
Naoki chose Scissors.
The girl's confident expression collapsed as soon as she saw it.
"What? Why Scissors?!"
The second girl glared at her. "Why the hell did you throw Paper?! She already used Rock twice no way she'd go for it again."
"She used Rock twice in a row, so a third time would've been unlikely!"
"Yeah? And you know that for sure? You're just stuck in conventional thinking that's why you always lose."
"Like *you* didn't lose last round too."
As the two started arguing, Naoki chuckled softly, slipped her jacket back on, and quietly left.
...
The next morning, Naoki arrived at school just before class and instantly noticed the stares.
Something was wrong.
Even Tsuzura looked hesitant and worried.
When she reached her desk, she saw it had been vandalized with insults written in colored chalk. Her lips curled into a smile.
"Naoki..." Tsuzura approached cautiously. "Someone did this. It's so mean. Should we report it to the Student Council?"
Before she could answer, someone nearby spoke up:
"You haven't heard? Naoki lost a million yen to Midari Ikishima. Can't pay it back. With just ten days left until the end of the month, she's about to become livestock. No wonder people are treating her like this."
"Right? I also heard she got dragged into the Beautification Committee yesterday. She's clearly not a model student makes sense she's being targeted."
"Yeah. And those punished girls? They're seriously pissed at her. Naoki better watch her back."
Tsuzura snapped, "That's not true! Naoki did nothing wrong *they* were harassing her!"
But no one else backed her up. The whole class either kept their heads down or smirked.
Hierarchy ruled this school. Even average students would feel superior to someone worse off.
At least in normal schools, people pretended to be sympathetic. But here, not even fake pity existed.
**System:** Tsuzura believes you're innocent. Sympathy greatly increased. Affection +5.
Well, being pitiful *did* have its perks.
Naoki glanced toward Aipuxin.
Unlike the others, Aipuxin wasn't smiling. She just watched with cold detachment.
When their eyes met, she straightened, chin high, wearing a smug grin.
*She wants me to beg her,* Naoki thought.
And she was right. Aipuxin planned to pay Naoki's debt *if* Naoki came groveling.
That way, she could use it to keep Naoki close.
But Naoki soon looked away, as if Aipuxin were no more than another student.
Aipuxin's expression darkened.
Fine. Don't beg. Let's see how you survive.
She wasn't about to offer help for free.
...
Things were unfolding even better than Naoki had hoped.
Her massive debt and pending livestock status had spread through class. The girls who'd been punished now openly disliked her.
Word of the bullying, the graffiti, and the unfair challenge from yesterday would all eventually reach Miharutaki Sakura's ears.
Time for the next step.
If someone was suffering because of your punishment decision, any decent person would feel guilty or sympathetic.
Naoki didn't believe Miharutaki was heartless. Everything she'd seen suggested otherwise.
...
"Naoki, what are you doing?" Tsuzura whispered as Naoki lurked near the Student Council building.
"Tracking Miharutaki-senpai's schedule," she replied matter-of-factly. Naoki didn't hide her actions from Tsuzura, who was too kind to be suspicious.
"Oh, I get it! You're going to report those girls to her, right? They were awful! You haven't even become livestock yet they can't treat you like that!"
Staking out the office like this wasn't efficient.
If only she could buy information...
But she had no connections in the Student Council.
No money? Then she'd rely on persistence.
Loitering near the third-years' classrooms would definitely raise suspicion. She needed a more natural method.
It had taken two days, but Naoki had finally found a solution.
Every afternoon at 3 p.m. was free time. Most Student Council members stopped by the office then. Miharutaki was diligent, so she always passed by the main building around that time.
She just needed to stake out the entrance.
But the Council had tons of members. She'd need a moment alone to make a real impression.
Yes, the plan now was simple: appeal to Miharutaki's empathy by *playing the victim.*
She wasn't going to come looking for Naoki just because of rumors.
She needed an *accidental encounter.*
After two days of observation, Naoki found a better opportunity: take over cleaning duties for the Student Council building.
The academy offered low-ranking students and livestock a chance to do menial jobs cleaning, organizing books, maintaining buildings in exchange for money.
Pay ranged from 20,000 to 50,000 yen a week. Not bad by outside standards.
But in this school, only the poor or livestock took such jobs. Doing them meant admitting defeat.
Still, if you were already livestock, money was your only escape.
...
"You want a part-time job?" said the girl at the front desk, barely looking at Naoki. She clicked around on her mouse.
"Let me see what's left next week. Cleaning toilets, shelving books... Third building janitorial work. Shelving pays less just 20k. Interested?"
Naoki frowned. "What about the Student Council building?"
The receptionist turned, amused. "That's a premium assignment. Great for networking. You think you can just waltz into it? Slots vanish the second they're posted."
*Seriously? Even *that* job's in demand?*
Naoki sighed. "Then who has it next week?"
The receptionist sensed drama and gleefully gave up the name. "A livestock student. He's booked the whole month."
...
"You want to switch shifts with me? Why should I?" sneered the bespectacled boy.
Naoki held up 200,000 yen. "You took the job for money, right? Here's a month's worth upfront."
His face flushed red. "Trying to buy me off, huh?"
Being livestock, he was extra sensitive to humiliation.
"You think I'll cave for just 200k?!"
Naoki: ...
She didn't have that much more to spare.
"Fine. Let's settle this the Hyakkaou way gamble with me."
He blinked. It had been ages since anyone offered a real bet. Livestock didn't get that privilege.
The receptionist perked up. "If you're serious, I'll deal and witness."
Still hesitant, the boy watched Naoki spread her hands.
"Even livestock should hone their gambling skills. That's the only way up. Or are you afraid to gamble at all?"
Her taunt didn't anger him. Instead, he nodded calmly. "Fine. Let's gamble."
The receptionist grinned. "Great. I'll pick the game. Let's keep it simple use poker."
"If Kayama loses, he gives up the Student Council cleaning job. If Naoki loses, she pays him 200k. Deal?"
Both agreed.
She grabbed a deck. "Let's play Bullfight. Twenty chips. Game ends when someone runs out."
They both nodded.
In Bullfight, each player gets five cards. If any three add to a multiple of 10, you have a "Bull." The value of the other two (added together, last digit taken) determines your Bull level.
J/Q/K count as 10, A as 1. If all five cards total in this way, it's a "Bull Bull" the best. No triplet equaling a multiple of 10 means "No Bull," the worst.
First round dealt.
Naoki had 7, 9, 5, J, 4. Bull 5. Not great, not terrible.
She glanced at Kayama. His expression didn't change, but his eyes seemed confident. Likely a Bull hand just unsure of level.
"Betting: five chips."
Naoki opened with five. Kayama instantly matched.
She had a bad feeling.
"Reveal."
"Naoki: Bull 5."
"Kayama: 4, 6, K, 9, 9 Bull 8."
"Kayama wins."
His mood soared. Probably his first win in forever.
Naoki still believed luck was balanced. Surely she wasn't unluckier than a livestock.
Second round.
This time: 7, 8, 5, 10, K. *Bull Bull.*
Naoki lit up.
She planned to bluff get him to raise but then saw Kayama's smirk.
"I've seen that look before. You've got a great hand. I'm betting the minimum one chip. Raise all you want."
Livestock were often failed gamblers. Skill-wise, maybe not, but their experience was deep.
Naoki: ...
Her poker face still needed work. She wasn't good at hiding strong or weak hands.
Originally, she'd wanted to win fairly. But if she wanted this job, she might have to cheat.
This was the only way to access the Council *and all her future targets.*