Naoki's first thought was simple: she was screwed.
What happens if you crash into the Student Council President? Technically, there wasn't a rule saying that doing so would get you demoted to livestock status.
But making someone in power angry? That never ends well. If they wanted to make your life miserable, they could do it with a snap of their fingers.
And from Naoki's perspective, the Student Council President was someone she'd eventually have to charm anyway. Leaving a reckless first impression like this was the worst.
No one stays calm after being slammed into, right? At least, Naoki didn't.
Should she use a Charm Card and try to make her momentarily brain-dead?
At this point, it was her only option. She hoped her cuteness might soften the blow.
**Charm Card activated!**
"I'm really sorry, I didn't do it on purpose," Naoki said, eyes fixed on the red uniform now soaked with water. She doubted her apology was convincing.
But when she saw the President's expression, her heart sank.
How to describe it...
Most people looked shocked when knocked over. That's normal. But this girl's face was unreadable, with an almost amused smile. It was impossible to guess what she was thinking.
Was she angry or not?
Wait
She doesn't show her emotions, does she?
Naoki suddenly realized something.
For top-tier gamblers, it's vital to never let anyone read your face. No joy, no disappointment, no anger. They hide everything.
And when you live like that every day, it becomes second nature.
Even when mad, she wouldn't show it. Only someone who really knew her could guess what she felt.
Naoki looked at the girl in the white mask standing beside her the Vice President, mysterious and silent.
But Naoki knew her secret. She'd been spoiled.
The Vice President was actually the President's twin sister, Ririka Momobami.
Ririka wasn't mean at all in fact, she had social anxiety. That's why she wore a mask and used a voice modulator, taking on the persona of a cold, mysterious figure.
"Um, Vice President, may I ask... is the President angry?"
No one understood Kirari Momobami better than her sister.
They'd been inseparable since childhood. Ririka often served as her stand-in. They could swap places without anyone noticing. Even their gambling styles matched. So she had a pretty good read on her sister's moods.
Ririka looked at the adorable girl in front of her. For some strange reason, she couldn't muster any anger toward this reckless girl. Especially since the girl hadn't even hit *her*.
A synthesized voice came from the mask. "She's angry."
Naoki: ...
Seriously?! Kirari was really mad? Over a simple bump and a splash of water?
No choice, then.
Naoki pulled a die from her pocket.
"President, let's settle this with a gamble. If this die doesn't land on six, I'll accept any punishment. If it *does*, please forgive me. Deal?"
The hallway went quiet. Naoki was sweating.
At last, Kirari took the die and tossed it to Ririka.
Ririka gave it a quick inspection. "It's clean."
"You're very confident," Kirari said, still smiling. But Naoki couldn't read her true feelings at all.
"Of course. Luck is a zero-sum game. I used up all my bad luck crashing into you. Right now, my luck is unbeatable."
Kirari chuckled. "If you lose, you'll become my personal livestock. Is that fine?"
Naoki paused, hiding her excitement.
Did the Charm Card *work*?
Becoming personal livestock to someone like her wasn't exactly a bad outcome. In fact, being their pet meant a higher status than a regular student. No one would dare mess with her.
No taxes, just serve your master and live a comfy life.
Even Ririka was surprised. Her sister had never shown any interest in keeping personal pets. She'd crushed people in gambles, sure but never kept anyone for herself.
Naoki reached into her pocket with a hesitant face, but in truth, she was turning on her phone's recorder.
"I believe in my luck. If I roll a six, you'll forgive me. Anything else, and I'm yours. Is that the deal?"
Kirari gave a soft "mm."
"Ririka, go ahead and roll it."
At this point, it didn't matter whether she won or lost.
If she won, great. If she lost, even better,no more fees for life.
The only danger was if Kirari backed out once the charm wore off. That's why Naoki recorded it not to blackmail her, but for insurance.
She wondered how Sayaka Igarashi would react to this recording. If she heard her beloved President planning to keep *Naoki*, the girl she hated most, as a pet...
Sayaka would definitely lose it. That recording would be the perfect wedge between her and Kirari.
And why stir up trouble between them?
Because Sayaka was always at Kirari's side. Winning over both was impossible.
If there's a love triangle, someone has to go.
Kirari would never push Sayaka away, so the only solution was to get Sayaka to leave on her own.
Kirari had always been treated like royalty. She didn't reach out to others. She expected people to come to her.
If Sayaka withdrew, Kirari wouldn't chase her.
All these thoughts raced through Naoki's mind in seconds. She turned to Ririka, holding the die.
She didn't use the Lucky Carp Card.
Rolling and tossing dice were different, but both could be controlled with enough skill. In theory, if you apply just the right force from the bottom center, the die will land on its starting face.
Of course, that's *theory*. In practice, it's nearly impossible.
But in this school, filled with gambling monsters, Naoki believed someone could do it.
Just like Miharu and Aoi had shown dice control before.
What would Ririka do, as the Vice President and Kirari's biological twin?
Would she favor Naoki? Or play it fair?
She hadn't said a word the entire time. Now, she flicked the die gently into the air.
It spun a little but didn't flip. It landed
Six.
Naoki was stunned.
Even if Ririka seemed like a nice person, she was still a stranger. And her sister was on the opposing side.
Yet she used a stabilization technique to let Naoki win.
Was the Charm Card that powerful?
Kirari had similar thoughts. Ririka never asked for anything growing up. She served as Kirari's shadow, quietly supporting her.
Kirari hadn't told her to rig the roll.
She expected her sister to roll fairly, like a neutral judge.
But this... this was insane.
Had her sister gone mad?
Unless she'd missed something, it was the first time her sister disobeyed her for a girl she just met.
**System: Kirari Momobami finds you interesting. Favorability +2.**
...
Ririka didn't understand herself either. Maybe she *had* gone a little crazy, like her sister.
But when the moment came, she couldn't let Naoki become Kirari's pet.
Was it pity?
She didn't know. But she didn't regret it.
"I won!" Naoki cheered, grabbing the fallen bucket and bowing. "Thank you, Vice President!"
Behind her mask, Ririka remained silent, but Naoki could tell she was pleased.
**System: Ririka Momobami has been charmed. Favorability +5.**
Just then, footsteps echoed from upstairs.
Other Council members must've heard the noise.
Naoki looked at their soaked uniforms. This scene couldn't be witnessed by others. It'd cause a scandal.
Especially if rumors spread. She still had other targets to seduce!
"I'll be going now." She grabbed her bucket and ran.
By the time Sayaka Igarashi came down, only Ririka remained.
The Vice President usually stood quietly behind the President, even during meetings. Her presence was less notable than the committee chairs.
But everyone in the Council knew their bond ran deep.
This time, Kirari had even left school with her.
"Vice President, where is the President? The meeting's about to begin," Sayaka asked respectfully.
"She's changing clothes."
Those vague words made Sayaka nervous. Why change now?
She remembered the loud thud earlier. Could something have happened to the President?
Sayaka couldn't stay calm where Kirari was concerned. Her face tensed. "Did something happen?"
Sayaka was essentially Kirari's secretary. No one knew her better, except maybe Ririka. And Ririka wouldn't lie to her.
"Her clothes got wet."
Sayaka panicked more. The Vice President never gave full answers. Why would her clothes be wet?
And then, like lightning, a thought struck her Naoki. That reckless girl she saw earlier with a bucket.
That girl!!!
Sayaka rushed to the dressing room door. But once there, she hesitated.
Then, a voice as elegant as always came from within.
"Is that you, Sayaka?"
Relieved, Sayaka answered, "Yes, it's me."
Kirari could always recognize her by the sound of her steps.
"Come help me with my hair."
Sayaka stepped in. Kirari had changed into a fresh uniform, though her hair was a bit messy.
"President..."
Sayaka expertly began combing and braiding her hair.
"What happened just now?"
"Nothing much. I just got bumped into."
Ugh. It had to be that Naoki Utsugi girl! Next time, she'd get her expelled!
"Such a careless girl, and she even soaked your clothes." Sayaka's voice softened, but her irritation slipped through.
"Ah, she's interesting," Kirari murmured.
Sayaka froze. Her teeth clenched as she tried to stay composed.
What?
Kirari wasn't even angry she was *intrigued*?
That was so out of character.
A dark emotion welled up in Sayaka like a tidal wave.
That girl was just a clumsy nuisance! What was interesting about her?
Did Kirari enjoy unpredictability?
Sayaka found herself wondering if she should trip in front of the President too.
She shook the thought away. No. She would never be that disrespectful.
...
At that moment, Naoki was borrowing spare clothes from Ina and changing in her washroom.
Suddenly, a system alert popped up.
**System: Due to bumping into Kirari Momobami, Sayaka Igarashi's favorability -5.**
Naoki sighed.
Whatever. It was already negative seven. Not much to save there.
Sayaka adored Kirari. To the point of dying for her. So anything related to Kirari could affect her favorability.
In short, Sayaka was the hardest girl to win over.
Thankfully, the system didn't demand monogamy. Just favorability points.
Still, something else stood out from the previous scene.
The system's alerts were always on time.
It said Ririka had been charmed, gaining five points. Clearly, the Charm Card worked wonders on her.
But for Kirari...
Nothing. No effect.
Even though she joked about keeping Naoki as a pet, there was no favorability increase.
The real gain came after Ririka rolled the die.
That was interesting. Because Kirari saw that Ririka liked her, she started liking her too?
Classic case of "love me, love my dog."
Which meant: Ririka was the key to Kirari.
Future attempts should go through Ririka. Otherwise, Sayaka would block everything.
But if she came in as Ririka's girlfriend? Kirari couldn't refuse visits.
Even if Naoki was a handful, Kirari wouldn't throw her out.
Perfect. That was her new route.
And since Ririka had helped her win the die roll, she now had a perfect excuse to get closer.