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Draken wondered if he had made the biggest mistake of his life.
He didn't think straight, he didn't think far. It was his fault for always caving in to Mikey's request even when his request could endanger the other's life.
Probably. Definitely.
Draken should be the voice of reason, along with Mitsuya.
What was he thinking?
Maybe he thought, everyone could handle it.
Maybe he thought, it wouldn't be so bad.
Maybe he thought, there were worse games to play.
But they had been way too deep in this, they couldn't seek any way out.
Mikey wouldn't give up though, of course he wouldn't.
This was the invincible Mikey, they were talking about.
Mikey who always won. Mikey who never lost.
It was his third time of slamming the table, hand balled into fist as he demanded, "Again!"
They should just stop it.
They should just end it.
It wasn't like the result would be any different. It wasn't like something could change.
Draken should be able to foresee this.
And maybe, he could prevent it.
Until it was too late.
"You were the fool for trusting me."
Draken tried to picture anyone, literally anyone but Mitsuya saying those words to him. Because, it was just impossible to hear him uttering that sentence, right? It wasn't like something that Mitsuya would say.
Draken was confident to say, that he knew the man like the back of his hand. But right now, it felt like his own hand tried to talk back to him, betraying him.
Mitsuya had transformed into someone Draken could no longer recognize.
"Taka, you can't—" He started, but his words died on the tip of his tongue when Mitsuya merely responded with laughter.
Usually his laugh brought Draken a great comfort, but this time, he could hear nothing but the sinister in it.
The cruelty pierced through his ears.
"I can, actually," Mitsuya smirked triumphantly. "Didn't someone tell you, that you can't trust anybody? That you shouldn't have so much faith?"
This was the reliable Mitsuya, they were talking about.
Mitsuya who was always kind, Mitsuya who was always thoughtful, Mitsuya who was always considerate.
Mitsuya who knew how to restrain himself, Mitsuya who knew how to control himself, Mitsuya who knew how to hold himself back.
Draken would never hesitate to put his faith, to have his trust in him.
You can't trust anybody, Mitsuya reminded him.
How could he know that, if Mitsuya had always been someone whom he could rely on?
"You know why, Ken? Because, you will lose. And I won't let myself fall with you, when I can win."
It was strange to watch someone you thought you knew, turned into something that you could barely recognize.
Like he was a stranger.
Like he was not the man he knew, his whole life.
Mitsuya smacked his lips. "You, of all people, should know that."
Should he?
Draken had been warned that this could bring the worst of someone, that it would reveal something you hadn't known about someone.
Draken thought, it was just bullshit.
But now, watching the scene unfold before his eyes, he wondered if he should take those words seriously.
He always had his own bias when it came to Mitsuya, maybe he was blinded, this time too.
Draken knew, he didn't have much minutes left.
The chance of turning everything around nearly rounded to zero, but he gotta try.
He had too.
If there was anything he could do to salvage the situation, he should try to do it.
It was critical, with almost no way out, but he had to try to find it.
For everyone.
"But, Takashi," Draken called, hoping the hurt and plead were apparent in his voice. His last trump card, or so to speak. He didn't care if he was being unfair, he didn't care if this counted as cheating. This was the only way. "Takashi, I believe in you—"
Mitsuya shook his head, as his fingers rapped on the table. Draken could almost replicate the horror displayed on the rest of the occupants in the room, when Mitsuya's expression didn't change.
If there was no hope for him.
Then, there was no hope for them too.
"Oh, Ken," the playful, almost pitiful tone didn't make anything better. "I just played you like a fiddle."
This time, Mitsuya finally had his turn.
Draken just didn't expect Mitsuya to suddenly shift his attention to Mikey, who looked at him like he hadn't known Mitsuya for years, the similar look that Draken was sure he had in himself.
The disbelief, the shock, the betrayal—they were clear as day on his face too.
This was Mitsuya they were talking about.
The kind, peace-loving Mitsuya who always gave in to others, who wasn't so obsessed of winning like Mikey was.
This was Mitsuya they were talking about.
The one who wouldn't hesitate to step back and let the others shine, if it meant he could make them happy by doing so.
This was Mitsuya, and this Mitsuya was nothing like they were talking about.
"Mitsuya, don't you fucking dare—" The threat slipped from Mikey's gritted teeth.
It seemed like he had restrained himself from saying it at the very first moment Mitsuya showed him his true color.
Draken wished he could prevent it.
Draken wished he could stop it.
But it was too late.
He and everyone watched the smirk grow even wider in the undeniable victory, as Mitsuya exposed everything in his other hand.
"Royal Flush."
To say that Mikey was mad, was an understatement.
The way he yelled angrily, "What the fuck, you won again?!" as he threw his cards at him, Draken was glad he was in Takemichi's care because he absolutely didn't want to deal with it.
"Mikey-kun, no! Pull yourself together!"
Mitsuya didn't even pay attention to them, when he flashed an apologetic smile to Draken.
"Sorry, I can't help myself," he bit his lips bashfully. "I guess, I'm a little bit selfish and always want to win when it comes to Poker."
Man, was it weird that Draken was terrified and turned on at the same time?