The Heroines Want to Confess

"Play with me~ Sakurai-kun~"

In the student council room, Sakurai Saki sat on the sofa, expressionless, having just finished reviewing the club applications.

Fujiwara Chika was shaking his shoulder wildly.

"You know, Fujiwara-san, your record against me is 186 losses, four draws, and not a single win."

"Do you know what that means?"

"Even if you were flipping a coin, the odds of getting the same side this many times in a row would be impossible."

"But you did it."

Sakurai clapped his hands slowly, as if offering applause.

"You're incredible, Fujiwara-san."

Fujiwara's face twisted in panic.

"Wha—have I really lost that many times?" she exclaimed, shocked.

"Yes, not a single win," Shinomiya Kaguya confirmed coldly.

Disheartened, Fujiwara placed the deck of cards she had been holding down on the table.

"I was going to bet tomorrow's lunch with Sakurai-kun… What a shame."

"Come on! A little gambling makes life more fun."

Sakurai suddenly changed his mind—or rather, his real objective had always been Fujiwara Chika's bento.

High school lunches weren't cheap, especially for someone like Sakurai, who had to work after school. Spending so much time on part-time jobs meant he had no energy to prepare meals.

He lived alone—no siblings, no parents in Tokyo. His family only sent him living expenses once a month, and he barely saw them except during the holidays.

"Let's play a card game! Old Maid! A true classic!"

Fujiwara's confidence was overflowing.

She'd even practiced for hours last night.

She had secretly marked the back of each card—there was no way she could lose this time!

"Fujiwara, do you know about Waterloo?"

"Apollo?"

"No, Napoleon!" Sakurai explained. "A series of victories blinds the winner with arrogance, and then, just as they're about to reach the summit, fate delivers a crushing blow."

"But I've been losing the whole time!?" Fujiwara pondered his words.

"No, I'm saying the probability of me losing this time is quite high."

Sakurai glanced at Shinomiya Kaguya, noticing that she hadn't exposed his clear attempt to bait Fujiwara.

"After a one-in-a-million loss, Fujiwara-san, your luck will peak. I think this time you should go all in!"

Seeing Sakurai's "fangs" finally revealed, Fujiwara, lost in her own excitement over her impending victory, failed to notice the trap.

What an idiot, Shinomiya thought to herself.

"Then I'm definitely winning this time!"

"Yes, you're definitely winning!" Sakurai nodded encouragingly.

Hook, line, and sinker.

"Let's bet three lunches!" Fujiwara raised her hand energetically.

"Sure." Sakurai wasn't greedy.

"Without further ado, let's sign a 'Life-or-Death Contract'!" Fujiwara suddenly declared, pulling a sheet of paper from her bag.

On it were the bold words: "Life-or-Death Contract."

Wait… [Death]?

And her name was already written on it.

"This seems a little excessive for something so trivial, doesn't it?" Sakurai raised an eyebrow.

"Hm… Maybe you're right." Fujiwara pondered for a few seconds, then put the contract away.

Fujiwara-sempai, you know…

Without realizing it, I just saved your life.

Three free lunches will be my reward.

"Lalala~ I'm finally going to beat Sakurai this time!" Fujiwara hummed happily as she dealt the cards, completely unaware she had just avoided literal death.

As Sakurai glanced at Fujiwara sneakily observing his hand, he pretended not to notice.

Fujiwara 'The Cheat' Chika.

She always cheated in games. The only question was how she would do it this time.

"Pair of twos."

Sakurai drew a card from her and tossed out his own pair of twos.

In Old Maid, with only two players, the key was to avoid the Joker.

A few minutes later, the door creaked open.

Since the student council president, Shirogane Miyuki, was out sick today, there was only one other person who might enter the room—the student council accountant, Ishigami Yuu.

A gloomy otaku-type guy, at least by first impression.

When Sakurai had first met him, he thought it was odd—this prestigious school had a full-on anime nerd? Truly, the world was full of surprises.

But that was just a stereotype.

Liking anime didn't make Ishigami a bad person.

In fact, Ishigami was surprisingly reliable—at least when it came to things he cared about.

"Morning, Ishigami-kun," Sakurai greeted without looking up.

Fujiwara was cheating—her eyes gave it away instantly.

Sakurai stared into her eyes for a few seconds, and Fujiwara, as easy to read as ever, quickly averted her gaze.

"You're not cheating again, are you, Fujiwara-san?" Sakurai asked casually, drawing a five.

"W-What? Of course not! Sakurai-kun, you're such a joker~" Fujiwara straightened her back, her ample chest becoming more obvious.

At the door, Ishigami Yuu, with half his bangs covering his left eye and a perpetually gloomy aura, walked in, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Good morning, Sakurai-sempai."

"Hm? Oh, Fujiwara-sempai's here too?" Ishigami sat down beside Sakurai, pulling out his laptop to work on the club recruitment budget.

Glancing at the game, Ishigami, sharp as always, smirked.

"Ah… Why are there strange markings on the backs of these cards?"

"No way… Fujiwara-sempai, are you cheating at Old Maid? Again?"

Fujiwara, flustered, blew a whistle-like sigh, her eyes darting everywhere.

"N-No, of course not! That's how the cards came when I bought them!"

"Pathetic! Absolutely pathetic! You lose to Sakurai-sempai every time, so now you're cheating? He told me you've been cheating since elementary school! Who would believe you now?" Ishigami scratched at his clothes like he had ants on him.

"And to shamelessly claim you aren't… Wow, this person has no shame at all~" he muttered under his breath.

"Ease up a little," Sakurai interjected.

What was there to worry about? Fujiwara never won anyway.

Perhaps this was the leisure of a consistent victor.

"Let's continue," Sakurai said, holding out his cards with his index finger covering the patterns.

Fujiwara's panic deepened.

"Sakurai-kun, I can't draw a card if you cover them like that."

"Why?"

"Um… Because…" Fujiwara's brain scrambled for an excuse.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Fujiwara, you have Alzheimer's, right? In this situation, covering the cards would be unfair to you." Sakurai smiled generously.

"Right!" Fujiwara nodded quickly.

Then she happily drew a card from his hand.

"Fujiwara-san, Alzheimer's is the medical term for senile dementia," Kaguya couldn't help but point out.

"..." Fujiwara puffed up her cheeks in frustration, glaring at Sakurai.

"Hmm?"

Sakurai stared her down.

"Ugh…" Tears welled up in Fujiwara's eyes as she extended her remaining two cards toward him.

Sakurai drew one, forming a pair, and tossed it aside.

Now he was down to two cards.

"Your turn," Sakurai said, holding out his remaining cards, one slightly raised.

"The left card is the one you want. The right card is the Joker," he said, lifting the left card slightly higher.

"You just need to draw the left one."

"..." Fujiwara's gaze darted between his fingers, trying to catch a glimpse of the symbols.

"If you think I'm lying, draw the right one."

She hesitated.

Left? Or right?

She reached for the left… but Sakurai smiled.

A trap! So the correct choice was… the right!

Swipe!

She drew the right card.

The Joker.

"Why didn't you believe me?"

Sakurai smiled as he plucked the final card from her hand.

"Three lunches, Fujiwara-san. Don't forget!"

"Ah…" Kaguya sighed.

This was why Fujiwara could never win.

She was completely under his thumb.

"Boohoo~" Fujiwara pouted, packing up the cards.

"Another round!"

Sakurai, without hesitation, refused—

"Sorry, I decline!"