Kakegurui: Ten Consecutive Guaranteed Hits

Volume 1 Chapter 49: Chain of Suspicion

Runa's speculation was correct; Yukimi's deck of cards had indeed been tampered with. Those seemingly random creases on the playing cards held a hidden pattern. Yukimi could identify the corresponding cards based on the number of creases on their backs. She used this method to win against many gamblers who visited her casino.

She agreed to gamble with Kiyohei because she believed that with her special deck of cards, her chances of winning would be even greater. However, when Kiyohei insisted on Runa as the dealer, Runa immediately recognized the cheating method and replaced the deck with a brand new one.

Yukimi wanted to refuse, but Runa was a member of the student council, and she lacked both a good reason and the courage to decline.

However, she consoled herself. She had played this card-drawing game countless times, and her experience gave her an advantage. She had purchased all the books on the library shelves, and during quiet moments in the casino, she would study. Her reading covered various topics, including behavioral psychology and microexpression psychology. Based on her readings, she had developed a keen sense of observation, especially regarding the emotions of gamblers in unfamiliar environments. Their trembling hands, wandering eyes, and fleeting microexpressions could reveal valuable information.

In a card-drawing game like this, Yukimi could naturally focus on her opponent's facial expressions. She could analyze their emotions from these subtle cues, which often gave her the upper hand.

Yukimi also had a special deck of cards, combined with her meticulous observation skills, which allowed her to achieve an 80% winning rate in these games. While this was an impressive success rate, she was always afraid of losing, which is why she rarely bet large sums of money.

However, this time, under Kiyohei's influence, she took the first step and placed her cherished casino on the line.

The early stages of the game were smooth, with each player drawing cards from the deck alternately. As the game progressed, both players had fewer than ten cards in their hands.

However, as the game continued, Yukimi's complexion gradually worsened. During the card-drawing phase, everyone had some doubts, hesitating at times. In these moments of hesitation and contemplation, they might inadvertently reveal microexpressions that Yukimi could observe. But in Kiyohei's case, she appeared entirely confident. She showed no hesitation or doubt when drawing cards from Yukimi's hand, even when drawing the single card.

This made Yukimi extremely uncomfortable. Her usual method of observing microexpressions seemed ineffective against Kiyohei. All she could sense from him was self-assuredness. Kiyohei showed no signs of emotional wavering, not even when drawing the single card.

This left Yukimi feeling uneasy. Her past experiences seemed useless, and she realized that her success might rely more on luck now.

Soon, they reached the end of the game. Kiyohei had three cards left in his hand, while Yukimi had two. This was good news for Yukimi as it meant the single card was in Kiyohei's hand.

Now it was her turn to draw. With a 2 in 3 chance of drawing the corresponding card, she hesitated for a moment before reaching out her hand and hovering it over Kiyohei's left card. She stared intensely into his eyes, trying to discern something, but to her disappointment, she couldn't read him.

Taking a deep breath, she finally drew the leftmost card. Fortunately, it was the matching card!

Now, she had only one card left in her hand, and it was the critical moment: the final choice. If she picked correctly, she would win fifty thousand yen, enough for her entrance fee and to keep the casino running.

At this moment, even though Yukimi was skilled at concealing her emotions, the stakes were too high. She became tense, and her emotions began to waver. Her gaze was fixed on Kiyohei's two cards.

She extended her trembling hand toward the left card. But then, she paused. What if his apparent confidence was just a ruse to make her switch cards? Was he trying to manipulate her choice?

In her usual circumstances, Yukimi wouldn't hesitate like this, but the stakes were exceptionally high. If she failed, she would lose her casino. She became increasingly anxious, caught in a web of suspicion.

Yukimi stared intensely into Kiyohei's eyes, as if trying to see the cards reflected in his retinas. But she realized she couldn't keep thinking like this; it was becoming endless. She shook her head vigorously, reminding herself to trust her initial instincts.

Yes, Kiyohei's smile had been spontaneous. He had been incredibly self-assured throughout the entire game, seemingly convinced of his victory. He had no reason to use a fake smile to deceive her. That smile was actually mocking her for guessing wrong about the card!

With renewed determination, Yukimi decided to draw the right card. She had made up her mind and would no longer hesitate.

She shifted her focus and drew the card from the right side of Kiyohei—this was a card she had seen many times before, the seven of diamonds.

Oh no! She had guessed wrong; this was the single card! Without any time to lament her decision, Yukimi quickly placed her two cards under the table, out of Kiyohei's view, and started rapidly switching them, as if finding comfort in doing so.

(It's okay; there's still a chance…) Yukimi silently prayed.

In moments of bad luck, the final card draw could cycle many times. As long as Kiyohei didn't draw the right card, she still had a chance.

At this point, Yukimi began to regret her decision. From the beginning, she shouldn't have agreed to this gamble. The allure of fifty thousand yen had clouded her judgment, and now she found herself backed into a corner.

However, regret was futile now. The initiative was in Kiyohei's hands, and Yukimi could only hope that his luck would take a turn for the worse.

Finally, it was her turn to draw. From Yukimi's perspective, Kiyohei showed no hesitation each time he drew a card. He seemed certain of his victory, which led her to misunderstand his intentions.

In reality, Kiyohei was in a hurry, not because of this gamble, but because his "guaranteed win" system had yet to activate throughout the game. He had been concerned that using the system to guarantee a win might be considered a card bug, and the system might suspend his account.

Throughout the game, Kiyohei had been anxious. He didn't care about the outcome of this gamble; he just wanted it to end quickly so he could check his system and see what had gone wrong.

It was apparent that Yukimi had misunderstood his intentions due to his rapid card draws.

The fleeting smile Yukimi had seen at the corner of Kiyohei's mouth earlier was not because he was confident. It was because his system had finally come online.

In Kiyohei's eyes, the two cards in Yukimi's hand had different colors. The card that matched the one he held had a faint golden glow, while the card he had previously held, the single card, had a warning red hue.

It turned out that the system would only activate during critical moments, ignoring operations that didn't affect the outcome of the game. Kiyohei speculated that the system might avoid long periods of intense light to protect his eyes. The system was indeed considerate.

He couldn't help but marvel at the system's thoughtfulness.

So, this gamble was guaranteed to be his victory, right? If Yukimi drew all the remaining cards without giving Kiyohei a chance, how would the system ensure his guaranteed win?

Or perhaps... what would happen if he didn't draw the card with the bright yellow light but instead drew the red-tinged card? Kiyohei hadn't deliberately attempted to fail before; maybe he should try drawing the other card to see what happened.

A desire to test this took hold in Kiyohei's mind.

From Yukimi's perspective, Kiyohei's hand reached for the card on her left.

Great! Kiyohei didn't draw the card from my hand!

Yukimi felt a wave of relief, but on the surface, she maintained a nervous and troubled expression, as if her fate depended on Kiyohei drawing this card.

However, Kiyohei did not draw the card immediately this time. His hand paused above the card as he appeared to contemplate which one to choose.