Chapter Text
-Yumeko's pov-
We placed our cards down as Runa announced them, the values flashing before us. Our jack of clubs and six of spades against their jack of spades and six of hearts. It was a tie, both pairs having three of a kind, with the exact same kicker value. I heard Kira huff under her breath, shifting in her seat. The room was relatively quiet as a tie was fairly unexpected. I kept my gaze towards Mary and her partner, watching them closely. Who knows what they could be planning behind our backs?
"Ugh, a tie, just when I thought we could begin the process of shredding you, bit by bit" Mary joked, snorting at her own statement.
I faintly tilted my head and gave her a small smile, showing no fear or discomfort by her usual sassy gambling behavior. Suddenly, I felt a pair of familiar cold-stone eyes on me; Riri was glaring at me, with her usual blank, serious expression. I wonder what she was planning outside of student council; she seemed to be an important pawn of her father based on what I've observed. Though, I don't know what kind of 'pawn' she could be. Runa took the cards on the table and shuffled them once again, repeating the same process. I turned to Kira, seeking to strike a short conversation, maybe to find out some strategies to use for this game.
"What's with that smile of yours, you always have it plastered on your face when you're gambling" Kira commented, her tone flat and bored. The corner of my lips fell to a neutral position to her comment.
"Hmm... well, gambling is fun, and you should know better than anyone that keeping your composure under a gambling match can ensure a higher chance of success; not letting them know your next move by being calm, and almost friendly" I explained, the smile returning on my face.
"Sometimes I wonder what your thoughts consist of, looking at your rather... special thinking patterns. Always two steps ahead of the bottom-feeders" Kira replied, her voice as flat as Gabriel's personality.
"Are you saying you want another trauma bonding moment?" I ironically asked, the smile on my face growing bigger. Kira scoffed before rolling her eyes at me.
"Whatever you say, Jabami. We have something more 'important' to focus on right now" Kira asserted, turning her gaze towards the other students.
"Or... you just want to make sure we win so that you won't become my house pet" I teased, my tone low and playful. She glared at me through her side vision, her eyes piercing through my skin. I guess Kira hated it when people didn't treat her as the mighty president she is; especially after her sister got chosen over her, yikes.
"Last time I checked, it was a draw" Kira countered, once again turning her gaze back to the others.
"I won over you in housewars, and I managed to get on student council when you thought it wouldn't happen" I persisted, teasing her further.
"Do you ever shut up?" Kira hissed under her breath, inhaling air through her nose afterwards.
"Hey break's over! Buckle up, buttercups, for a new round is about to begin" Runa chirped, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm.
I finally let Kira be and fixed my gaze upon Runa, who gracefully held the deck of cards. She quickly gave them one last shuffle before carefully dealing the cards face-down on the big, round, wooden table. Kira picked up the cards before I could, and analyzed them closely, thinking of the best counter so far. She slightly turned the cards to me, giving me a glimpse of the values. It was a jack of clubs and a nine of diamonds; interesting. My eyes wandered to Mary and Riri, they–or Mary– seemed unsure, a faint line appearing on her forehead. There was no point in observing Riri as she was nearly unreadable behind that mask, especially since she barely displayed any emotion either way. I moved a white chip to match the ante, putting the game back in motion. The flop was dealt on the hard surface of the table; the cards were slightly bent from regular use. Three values contrasted against the white base of the playing cards, a four of clubs, a seven of hearts, and a four of diamonds. The highest we had up until now was high-card, we would need to resort to bluffing if we don't get any better hand throughout this round.
"Raise" Mary preached, shoving a small stack of red chips towards the betting ring.
"What do we do, Miss president?" I murmured, knowing Kira would still hear me. Her gaze was fixed on her sister, not bothering to even turn to look at me.
"We continue playing, no backing down" Kira coldly replied, shoving an equal amount of chips to match the other duo's bet.
Runa then proceeded with dealing the turn. It revealed the value of a seven of diamonds; no luck yet. I moved my right hand up to my necklace and unclipped the coin from it, gently releasing it from its place. I played with the delicate golden-edged chip between my fingers, letting it zigzag through them. The river was dealt as both pairs stayed quiet, not bothering to check. The card was laid face-down on the wooden table with the others. This wasn't common in poker, since all cards are usually dealt face-up the second they leave the deck. Runa then flipped it over, revealing the card's value, a jack of diamonds. We had a pair, technically two pairs because of the other cards on the table. It was a good enough hand to go through the game with. I nudged Kira's shoulder using my own and finally earned her gaze.
"What? I clearly see our hand" Kira uttered, looking into my brown eyes.
"Why don't we raise the bet then? I noticed Mary acting puzzled earlier" I suggested, looking towards our remaining chips. She gave me a small nod before picking out a reasonable amount of chips.
"I raise by forty thousand" Kira announced, shoving the specified amount in the betting ring.
Mary coldly glared at us before matching our bet. Strange, I thought they would've folded by now. Knowing Mary, she would've cheated if she got a bad hand, but she has changed since then, so I doubt that. Honestly, we can't talk. We have two pairs, and they could have them too, given the community cards. Even if they win now and take a big part of our money, it wouldn't mean we completely lost as we'd still have enough to continue playing and possibly turn things around.
"Showdown" Runa announced, interested in the outcome. Kira placed down the cards in sync with Mary, glaring at her in the same go. They had a four of spades and a five of hearts, shit.
"Full house" Mary smirked, taking her duo's winnings and putting them together with the rest of their chips.
"I thought you said they would lose," Kira grumbled, visibly annoyed with my previous statements. I turned to her slowly, sucking the inside of my cheek.
"I never claimed they'd lose; I just observed the discomfort lying on her face" I defended.
My gaze found Kira's green eyes–a pretty, unique color with a small brown spot in the center of each. She scoffed at me, leaning back in her seat. The cards were collected, and once again shuffled for a new round. We got dealt a ten of diamonds and a four of clubs. I don't think it would be considered a 'decent' hand, but it was worth to at least look at the flop before folding. Mary and Riri seemed indifferent, just calm and nonchalant, nothing I could use for any predictions. Runa revealed the flop: a six of diamonds, an eight of diamonds, and a five of diamonds. I quickly turned to Kira.
"Aim for flush?" I probed, eyeing the cards that were lying on the table. She clicked with her tongue, looking towards where I previously looked.
"Fine; but don't bet too much" Kira coldly answered, snatching the cards from my hand. I'm sure she was seething from us losing so much money last round. Runa followed her intuition that no one was going to bet anything and dealt the turn; a two of hearts. Nothing special with this card, commonly known as a low-value card.
"Raise," Mary called confidently. She placed what looked like multiple different-colored chips into the betting ring, smirking.
"You really love draining people's pockets" Kira commented, her nose wrinkling slightly in annoyance.
I gently put a hand on her wrist, my intent to calm her. Her cutting responses and reactions could affect the game and the other duo's perception, giving them an advantage. Her muscles relaxed as she took a breath, afterwards, she hastily withdrew her wrist, releasing herself from my touch. Seems like Kira wasn't a big fan of physical contact. I pushed an equal amount of chips to the betting area, Kira watching me. If we lost this round too it would increase our chances of gambling against each other, causing one of us to become the other's house pet. The thought of becoming Kira's house pet wasn't actually that bad as it would feel as if we are 'more' partners, just like with Ryan at the house pet hunt. Kira isn't as horrible and mighty as people think she is, her emotions work just like any other human here. I also have a deal with her, which means she can't lay a finger on me if she wants her wish for me to help her take down her father and get her full control over Saint Dominic's to come true. Her becoming my house pet on the other hand would be something else. I felt my lips twisting into a slow, calculated smirk at that thought. Kira would have to experience the same consequences she puts students through at least once in her lifetime. I was jolted from my trance by the faint click of a card being placed down on a hard surface. The sound was quiet, but in the pervasive silence, it resonated with an unnatural loudness, reverberating throughout the headquarters. The turn revealed the value: a four of diamonds. That's it, we had a flush.
"Raise," Kira stated forcefully, her strong voice filling the overly quiet room. She pushed a few of the more 'high valued' chips to the ring of bets.
"Look who's talking" Mary muttered with a sneer, pushing the same amount into the familiar area. I couldn't help but chuckle when Kira rolled her eyes as a reply to Mary's statement. Kira wanted to say something, but I painfully nudged her with my elbow, causing her to immediately shut her mouth.
"Enough playing, it's time for showdown, cats" Runa announced, putting her lollipop back in her mouth. Kira threw our cards down on the hard surface, making a faint noise.
"A flush" I smirked, eagerness flashing in my eyes. Mary slammed her duo's cards revealing an ace of clubs and a seven of diamonds. My eyes widened at the reveal.
"A straight flush, losers" She gloated, laughing at our loss. Kira huffed in disbelief, expressing a 'tch' through it. There were shocked expressions from the other students; gasps echoing through the room. Suki could be heard being his usual overdramatic self, almost pulling his camera out to document what just happened.
"Impressive" I complimented, congratulating their unexpected win. Kira was fuming with frustration now, I could read it all on her body and expression. Mary and Riri had luck on their side up until now, but would it last for another round? They had an almost equal amount of chips to us now, meaning we could settle this fast if we go 'all in' in the next round. Runa quickly shuffled the deck of cards, dealing the usual two 'starter' cards.
-Mary's pov-
A six of spades and a seven of spades. It had a lot of potential, a flush, a straight, a pair or even two pairs. The game had lasted so long overall, with all the rounds played. I guessed it was around three in the morning, but all the excitement and adrenaline kept us all awake and running. Riri, my partner, didn't do much besides helping me make decisions. To be honest, she acted more like an adviser than a partner. It was comforting that it was her and no one else, though, she was the best partner I could ask for from the whole student council. I glanced at her, giving her a small smile.
"All in!" Yumeko suddenly shouted, catching my attention. Was she mad? All in before the flop was dealt? Yumeko never fails to surprise me.
"What are you doing Yumeko?!" I heard Kira whisper-shout, visibly caught by surprise by her sudden action too.
Yumeko just smiled and mouthed something I couldn't understand from where I sat. The most rational thing to do in this scenario was to fold, but it hit me that if we go all in on this round we could finally finish this heck of a long game. It would be a risk, since we are betting everything while not knowing the value of any of the community cards. Luck had been on our side for most of the game, so I thought we should trust it once more.
"Go big or go home; All in" I declared, my voice ringing with resolve.
The announcement was met with silence as the council members couldn't believe where the game had ended up. Not going to lie, this round got me all fired up and almost crazy about the big card reveals. This could either win us big, or make us battle each other to be at the complete rock-bottom for a whole week. The satisfaction it would bring me to see Kira as a house pet, enduring the pain she has caused her own house pets, including how she's treated people normally. I felt Riri's cold hand on mine, she was shaking her head in confusion. She must've known it was a stupid and impulsive decision to go all in, but she was forgetting that this could also be an easy and fast win for us.
"Trust me, Riri, okay?" I looked at her with a genuine expression. She looked at me for quite a while before letting out a sigh and giving me a faint nod.
All the chips were now sitting in the betting ring, waiting for the winning duo to take them. Runa had to take a few moments to mentally prepare herself for her job as the dealer. She would be the one to reveal the big cards that were going to decide our future. I put my elbows on the hard surface of the table, resting my chin on my thumbs. The tension got worse for each second passing, the air was getting thicker and thicker.
"Since both duos went all in, I will be revealing the cards one by one as you don't have the ability to raise anyway" Runa explained, her voice loud and steady.
She placed the first card: a nine of spades. Maybe a flush would be possible? She put down the second card: an eight of hearts. A pair, that's good. The third card was placed: a three of spades. A flush would be better than a pair. The turn was revealed: a queen of clubs. Shit, useless card. Runa paused in her tracks, waiting with the last card, the card that decides everything. I swear she was doing this on purpose, torturing us like she did earlier some hours ago. My eyes drifted to Kira and Yumeko, they both seemed like they were dying for the last card to be revealed. The only difference was that Yumeko was having a blast, me and Kira were not. I took a few deep breaths trying to make the wait less painful. I swear, I would fucking rip all of Runa's onesies and pyjamas soon.
"Okay, sorry toots, I was teasing you. I will reveal the river now so buckle up, buttercups" Runa declared with a grin, her voice holding a hint of mock seriousness. She placed down the last card, revealing something known as the river. It was an eight of diamonds. We had a three of a kind at best; that was more than good enough to win with all these cards in play. I looked at Riri with a confident smile, showing her that we did have a chance to win this.
"Now then, for the big showdown" Runa intoned, her voice drawing out the suspense. I let the cards slowly fall down face-up on the table, causing them to slide towards the center of the table. Yumeko smirked before placing down her cards as well, revealing them.
"Three of a kind" Yumeko and I shouted in unison, holding eye-contact. Was it a tie again? Kira let out a flat laugh behind Yumeko, her lips coming together into a smug grin. I raised a brow at her, waiting for her to explain herself.
"We have higher kicker, Mary, an ace of clubs" Kira tauntingly spoke, her voice low but mighty. I was too stunned to speak, the impact didn't hit me before a minute after. They had an eight of clubs and an ace of clubs on hand.
"They won..." I muttered, still caught in the moment. I can't believe they actually won, after all those losses tonight... Yumeko knew what she was doing all along didn't she? I slowly turned to Riri, noticing her slightly furrowed brows. She knew what would happen to us now.
"Sometimes second place feels even worse than last place sometimes, doesn't it?" Kira asked, persistent.
I couldn't argue with her as she was right about it being worse sometimes. The fact that you're so close to number one, but still not there yet takes a bigger toll on you than being in dead last. Now that wouldn't compare with going against Riri in a gamble with a risk of becoming a house pet. I really don't want to battle Riri, if I happen to win it would have big consequences for her, especially if her father finds out. At the same time, if she wins over me I'm going to get treated as shit and humiliated by the other students, making me a big laugh. Those weeks where I had to be a real house pet were absolute hell, I literally got eighty-sixed and all. I let out a sigh and fixed my gaze to Riri again.
"Let's get it over with" I stated, my voice devoid of its usual energy.
We were moved to a smaller table found in the headquarters, an old wooden one. She sat across from me, it felt weird that the whole council would be watching us play each other. Her expression was empty, refusing to show any signs of emotions. I'm sure she wasn't comfortable with showing anything more than blank expressions and glares in front of other people she didn't have any shit with. Yumeko and Kira seemed happy about their victory. Kira probably enjoyed it twice as much just because it's her sister and me, type of people she THIRSTED to be better than, and win over. I wonder what game we'll be playing now. Blackjack? Poker? Skirmish? There are a lot of options for two people. I assumed that we were going to play with cards since gambling is mostly associated with cards, and what game would be the best to settle things after a traditional game of poker? A game that uses cards.
"Enough with the sulking of your losses, you have another game to worry about" Kira simpered, a sweet smile not quite reaching her calculating eyes. I glared at her coldly, expressing my icy contempt.
"I figured since this tradition is centered around poker, why not make the second game about poker too?" Kira continued, explaining her thoughts. Another game of poker, huh? Should've expected it.
"It wouldn't be fun playing the same old 'Texas version,' so we're switching to five-card draw. To keep things quick-since our last game ran long and we all have school responsibilities-we'll play just one round. That's my final decision to ensure everything runs smoothly in this school" Kira declared, her calm and controlling side taking over.
I chewed on my lower lip at the news, taking it all in. I wasn't used to playing the five-card draw version that much, so I didn't have any win-guarenteed game plans nor any strategies. The game was kind of old-school after all since people use to play it a lot more when they didn't have much money. I wonder how Riri will do in the game, I only wish her the best, but I can't just let her win, my reputation is also on the line here. Ugh, why do things never go my way, I thought me and Riri would take the throne and make Kira and Yumeko bow for us; not literally of course. I've just been feeling so weird around Riri lately, I don't know what I'm supposed to think or do about it. I mean, I almost kissed her earlier, on her mask! Like Mary, what's going on? I sighed and turned to Runa, who I assumed was the dealer for this game as well. She's got nothing better to do anyway.
"This is five-card draw. You'll get five cards, and you can draw new ones up to five times if you choose, but only once per round. For example, if you swap two cards, those two new cards are final; you can't swap them again. The player with the strongest hand takes the pot" Runa explained, her lips curling into a childish smile. My eyes met Riri's, and just in that short moment I could see that Riri was hesitant about this as if she didn't want to be here. I gave her a small reassuring smile, intending her to stay and just finish the rightful game with me, not thinking of the possible outcomes. There is always going to be one loser and one winner anyway.
"Let the game begin" Kira enthusiastically preached, taking a seat in her usual chair. Runa shuffled the deck of cards one last time, making sure they were well shuffled, giving us genuine chances. She dealt five cards each to Riri and I, placing them face-down on the old wooden surface.
-Riri's pov-
I carefully picked up my cards, analyzing them. I got the values: a three, a four, a five, a six and a seven, all of the same suit; spades. This was extraordinary, the chances of getting a straight flush on hand was less than a half percent. This meant I'm most likely safe, but what about Mary? I became slightly anxious at the thought. It was a feeling I rarely experienced, and it felt uncomfortable. I hated it, I wanted to push it away, but it wouldn't even fade a little, it just got worse for every second passing. I looked at Mary, who seemed puzzled. She was probably thinking of what cards to discard and switch out.
"So, What will y'all do?" Runa queried, crossing her arms. I noticed Mary taking a deep breath before putting two cards down.
"I'll draw two" Mary declared, the words precise and clear. Runa placed the deck of cards in the middle of the table, gesturing for her to draw her cards. As she took two new cards, her face seemed to have lit up, replacing her earlier puzzled look. Could she maybe have cards on par with me? Or maybe even better? Deep down I was hoping for her to win, even though I knew the consequences with my father if he would find out I became a house pet.
"Time for the showdown you've all been waiting for; the house pet and their owner will be revealed" Runa sang, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. I glanced at Kira, observing how she was watching the game, a smirk playing on her face.
"Ooh! This is exciting" Suki screeched, both of his hands laying on top of his mouth. Typical Suki, energetic as always.
"Well?" Runa prompted, her voice laced with playful impatience, eager to push the game towards its dramatic conclusion.
I let Mary put down her cards before me, revealing her hand. She had a nine of diamonds, a nine of spades, a ten of diamonds, a ten of spades, and a ten of hearts. She had a full house; that meant she lost to me. My heart wrenched in that moment, and I tried to understand why I felt like this. In a moment I hesitated to place the cards down, my hands were holding onto the cards tightly, the hard edges almost cutting into my skin. I looked Mary into her eyes, letting out a sigh. I hoped no one noticed me faintly losing my composure, as it was very unexpected. I finally placed down my cards, breaking it to Mary. She seemed to understand her loss immediately as the excitement left her eyes faster than the blink of an eye. She was visibly devastated as this meant she would get humiliated all over again, and experience being a house pet, serving others when the owner is absent. She looked up at me, giving me a small smile.
"Congrats Riri" Mary weakly congratulated before fixing her gaze down on the table, chewing her lower lip.
"Looks like we have a winner, and most importantly... a loser!" Runa beamed, staring back and forth between Mary and I.
"Oh, shut up" Mary reacted, visibly annoyed. Kira seemed to notice and went towards her.
"Mary Davis, congrats on becoming a house pet, again" Kira drawled, her voice dripping with a familiar, cutting satisfaction. Mary eyed her, taking a few deep breaths to keep herself from imploding.
"Fuck off, Kira. Karma will hit you twice as hard someday soon" Mary spat, turning her gaze away from Kira, not giving her any more attention.
"Honestly, I expected this outcome, Riri is literally Kira's sister, so it wouldn't be weird if they were both pro in gambling and card games" Chad commented, rising up from his seat to exit the headquarters.
I glared at him, my eyes following him until he was out of sight. I noticed Yumeko trying to cheer Mary up, telling her she did well and that she could still turn things around in other games. Most of the student council members were exiting the headquarters as they were tired from all the gambling, not to mention that it was soon around five in the morning. Instead of walking right out the door, Kira walked up beside me, seemingly having something to say.
"Impressive you haven't dissapointed father yet, imagine if you were the one in Mary's place right now" Kira stated, a cold, challenging glint in her eyes as she leaned in close. I looked at her with a blank expression not letting her get anything out of me. She seemed to notice me refusing to react nor speak to her as she went out the door, leaving me and Mary here all alone. Mary was sitting down in her seat, leaning her head to her palm, thinking about something. I went closer to her, almost standing right over her.
"I'm sorry" I softly spoke, looking into Mary's beautiful brown eyes. She fixed her gaze on me, returning the soft stare.
"You have nothing to be sorry about, Riri, it was a game of luck, and I just got unlucky. No big deal" Mary managed, a faint, forced smile gracing her lips. I let out a sigh and instead looked at her with genuine worry. She seemed to notice as she gulped, avoiding eye contact with me.
"Will you still give me a kiss?" I suddenly blurted out, an effort to make Mary feel better. Her eyes widened faintly at my question, taken aback.
"You're not bluffing, are you?" Mary murmured, a flicker of something new–perhaps curiosity, perhaps longing–replacing the earlier defeat in her gaze. I took of my mask, holding it firmly in my hand as my lower face was exposed.
"It was an order remember?" I calmly stated, feeling the corner of my lips rise upwards into a smirk. Mary looked at me with a blank unreadable expression, it was quite difficult to figure out what Mary was thinking now.
"You're seriously so silly today" Mary remarked before standing up from her seat, standing dangerously close to me.
I noticed her trying to hide a smirk before she leaned forward, pressing her soft lips on mine. The feeling of the kiss felt just right, as if it was all I've ever wanted. I felt my lips nipping at Mary's, asking for more. She replied by stepping even closer and holding me tightly, while pressing another gentle kiss on my sensitive lips. Her lips tasted just like cherries, the sweet-sour kind. I held her cheek in my hand, supporting her as she had to stand on her toes to once again reach my height. I slowly pulled away as we were running out of oxygen. I looked into her eyes and gave her a small genuine smile, causing her to get affected and flash a faint smile.