Chapter 586: Yumeko's Yearning, Kirari's Terror
Right now, Sayaka was sprinting toward the main gates of the academy at a speed she had never reached before in her entire life. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her pristine uniform slightly disheveled by the frantic dash. The surrounding students parted like the sea, staring in absolute shock as the normally composed secretary of the Student Council abandoned all dignity to run like a madwoman.
At the towering, wrought-iron gates of the school, Ren and Ichihara Yuko stood waiting. Ren offered a faint, relaxed smile. "Yuko, what has caught your attention?"
Still clinging affectionately to Ren's arm, Yuko stood on her tiptoes to peer over the sprawling, opulent campus. A look of genuine surprise crossed her elegant features. "Even if we ignore the immense backing of the Momobami Clan and only look at Hyakkaou Private Academy itself, Kirari truly deserves her seat in the Kengan Association. The sheer luxury of this place is staggering."
Ren let his gaze drift over the manicured grounds, his tone carrying a dry amusement. "Kirari... I have a feeling something highly entertaining is about to unfold today."
Yuko tilted her head, a hint of confusion in her dark eyes. "Entertaining? Is she planning to duel with that Jabami Yumeko girl she took such an interest in? That would certainly be a spectacle. To be perfectly honest, I am quite curious about how the students live here."
"Trust me, you would not want to see the reality of it..."
"Eh? What do you mean by that? Ah! Wait, is that Sayaka?"
Ren turned his head, spotting the frantic secretary closing the distance between them at a dead sprint. Even he felt a flicker of mild surprise. Was she always this athletic? It seemed Kirari had managed to stir up a massive problem.
Sayaka finally skidded to a halt in front of them, her chest heaving violently as she struggled to draw enough air to form a single word.
Ren looked down at her, his voice gentle and completely unhurried. "Sayaka, I never knew you had such an energetic side..."
Before she could force a response through her burning lungs, Ren smiled knowingly. "That foolish Kirari has gotten herself into trouble again, hasn't she?"
Sayaka nodded frantically, her eyes pleading.
Ren chuckled softly. "Let us go take a look. That little idiot is most likely sitting at a table across from the Jabami Yumeko she mentioned..."
Sayaka let out a long, shuddering breath of relief. With Ren here, Kirari might not stop her reckless game, but she would undoubtedly become far more grounded. His mere presence was more effective than any drug.
Yuko offered a graceful smile. "What exactly did Kirari put on the line?"
She assumed it was a casual wager of premium coffee or perhaps a few hundred million yen.
Sayaka's expression twisted into pure dread. "Their bet is... absolutely everything. The loser will be permanently expelled, never allowed to step foot inside this academy again."
Yuko's pupils constricted slightly. Only now did the true depths of Kirari's madness become clear to her. Had the girl reined in her chaotic nature because of love? If so, this current gamble was far too massive a relapse.
Ren simply smiled, entirely unfazed. "Oh? Betting everything? Kirari certainly knows how to entertain herself... They are playing with Tarot cards, are they not?"
"Lord Ren! How could you possibly know that?"
"Because I understand how her mind works. The game she chose is called Fate..."
Sayaka gazed up at him with sheer adoration. This man truly was absolute perfection.
Nearby, a passing girl with a distinctly eccentric, wild aura paused to observe the scene. She watched the exchange with a deeply puzzled expression. After a long moment, she raised a single brow. "That lapdog Igarashi is actually acting submissive to someone other than the President? And a man, no less? Hahaha!"
She ultimately waved it off and kept walking, having no interest in playing spectator. She had her own urges to satisfy. Lately, the craving to play another round of Death Roulette had been gnawing at her mind.
Meanwhile, high up in the Student Council room, Yomotsuki Runa loudly crunched on a lollipop, her oversized animal hoodie swallowing her small frame. "Eh? Igarashi has been gone for ages. Just what kind of VIP guest did she run off to fetch?"
Jabami Yumeko clapped her hands together, a sweet, dangerously thrilled smile blooming on her face. "Oh, could it be someone incredibly formidable? Just the thought of it makes my heart race."
Runa giggled, swinging her legs. "Right! I am looking forward to it too! Hey, President, who do you think it is?"
Kirari rested her chin on her hand, tilting her head with an air of absolute aristocratic boredom. "I have no idea. After all, I may have built this aquarium, but that does not mean I am obligated to memorize the face of every single fish swimming inside it."
Runa nodded enthusiastically. "Mm-hmm! That makes perfect sense. As expected of the President! You truly have an overwhelming presence!"
Hearing this, Yumeko opened her mouth to chime in, but Kirari beat her to it, a faint, cryptic smile touching her lips. "Me? An overwhelming presence?"
The sudden shift in her tone made the room fall silent.
Kirari looked directly at the gambling maniac. "Yumeko, do you possess something you absolutely cannot afford to lose? A stake so precious that you would never dare place it on the table?"
The question hung heavy in the air, catching the few onlookers completely off guard.
Yumeko tapped her chin in thought, her eyes gleaming with manic innocence. "No! I would gladly offer up everything I have for the sake of the gamble!"
Kirari let out a soft laugh, slowly shaking her head. Yumeko blinked, taken aback by the genuine warmth in the gesture.
"I used to be exactly like you," Kirari murmured softly, her icy facade melting into something dangerously tender. "I dared to throw absolutely everything into the jaws of wisdom and fate, embracing every conceivable risk just to savor the feast of the gamble."
Yumeko leaned forward, her cheeks flushing with excitement. "Ah, that sounds truly enviable. And now? You must have reached an even more magnificent height!"
"No, it is quite the opposite." Kirari shook her head, her gaze drifting away. "I have regressed. I now possess something I absolutely cannot afford to lose. A stake that, no matter what ultimate reward is offered, I would never use for a grand gamble."
Runa paused mid-crunch, staring at the President in genuine shock. She had never heard Kirari speak like this.
Before Yumeko could press the issue, Kirari leaned back against the armrest, staring up at the ornate ceiling. "Yumeko, you are an excellent gambler, but that is only because you have yet to encounter a treasure you are terrified of losing."
Yumeko tilted her head, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders. "Oh, when you put it that way, I suppose I really have not. Tell me, what does it feel like?"
"What does it feel like..." Kirari repeated, her voice dropping to a hypnotic whisper. "It is the driving force behind every breath you take. It is the singular existence into which you pour every drop of your emotion, leaving nothing but madness for the rest of the world. It is the most precious treasure buried deep within your heart, surpassing life, surpassing joy itself. It is absolute peace. It is an endless hope and an agonizing longing."
Yumeko gasped, her hands flying to her flushed cheeks. "Oh! Such a thing actually exists! I want to experience it so badly. President, you are truly magnificent to have claimed such a treasure!"
"Am I not? I also consider myself a very lucky woman, one who deserves to be envied."
Yumeko covered her mouth, a dark, sweet chuckle escaping her lips. A burning curiosity ignited in her chest. What exactly was this ultimate stake Kirari hoarded so jealously? She had never possessed anything of the sort, and now, a ravenous hunger clawed at her insides. The sheer ecstasy Kirari described made her blood boil. She wanted it. She wanted to drag it onto the table and win it for herself!
Sensing the predatory shift in the air, Kirari smiled coldly. "Do not bother getting your hopes up. I will absolutely never use him as a bet. That way, no one will ever have the chance to win him from me."
"Oh, how incredibly cunning of you."
"Making others envy me is a perfectly valid choice. It is a wonderful sensation, the feeling of enjoying an elevated risk while holding the ultimate prize. How utterly delightful."
"You..."
"Ah, it seems Sayaka has returned with our guests," Kirari interrupted, her sharp ears catching the distant sounds. "Well then, let us head downstairs, Yumeko."
"Gladly!"
The two women descended the grand staircase, arriving at the lower floor where a circle of Tarot cards lay carefully arranged on the velvet table. Both wore expressions of absolute composure, ready to let fate decide their existence.
The rhythmic sound of footsteps drew closer, echoing down the opulent hallway. Runa's playful grin widened until she was practically giggling with anticipation. Every eye in the room, save for the two gamblers focused on the table, turned toward the heavy mahogany doors.
Click...
The doors swung inward. Sayaka stepped through first, her posture rigid and exceptionally composed this time. But then, the guests stepped into the light. A man of unmatched refinement and a woman of stunning elegance entered the room, drawing quiet gasps from the surrounding girls. Whispers of their striking beauty rippled through the crowd.
Kirari maintained her aristocratic smile, turning her head slightly. "Now, let us see what kind of guests..."
Her voice died in her throat.
"Hmm?! No... Impossible!"
The entire room froze. Everyone stared in absolute shock, witnessing a sight they had never thought possible.
Kirari's composed, untouchable facade shattered into a million pieces. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks, and her beautiful eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated terror. Her entire body swayed as if struck by a physical blow. A cold sweat broke out across her pale skin, her lips parting slightly as she stared at the doorway, completely paralyzed by dread.
In that heavy, suffocating silence, even the manic Jabami Yumeko felt a jolt of surprise.
For the very first time in her life, the absolute ruler of Hyakkaou Academy looked truly terrified.
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