Kakegurui: Ten Consecutive Guaranteed Hits

Volume 1 Chapter 33: Other People's Children

Seeing that Kiyohei did not intend to lecture her, Mary felt relieved and quickly nodded.

"Don't worry, I'm a good kid. If it weren't for that arrogant girl, Kokoro, I wouldn't have resorted to cheating!" Mary raised her hand to clarify, "I've never cheated in any exams before, you know!"

"Of course, you're such a good kid..." Kiyohei replied half-heartedly.

Mary glared at Kiyohei in dissatisfaction, but her mood suddenly turned low as she continued, "Speaking of good kids, how did Tsuzura become like this? Back in elementary school, she was so popular, like an elegant swan standing in the center of the stage. Now she's like a timid Cinderella, being bullied and manipulated by Kokoro..."

"Looks like you have some grievances towards her," Kiyohei casually asked, "Did something happen between you two? I thought you were sticking up for her and that you were friends."

"We're not friends at all! I just got angry seeing her being treated like a fool!" Mary brought up Tsuzura's name with a mixture of emotions, becoming angrier as she thought about it. She lost her appetite and put down her chopsticks.

"It's really frustrating. She used to be the center of attention in elementary school, but now she's like a Cinderella, humiliated by Kokoro. She even allows herself to be bullied and mistreated..."

Kiyohei pretended not to care and asked, "Mary, did something happen between you and Tsuzura? I thought you were friends."

"We never were friends. I just can't stand seeing her acting so foolish!" Mary expressed her displeasure towards Tsuzura. As she thought more about it, her emotions escalated, and she looked at her unfinished food with discontent.

"What's the matter? You seem to have a lot of grievances towards her."

Mary glared at Kiyohei and then, seemingly remembering something, her mood suddenly turned gloomy. "Speaking of grievances, what about you? Why are you so wary of her? She's more attractive than me in terms of appearance. Aren't boys like you usually fond of rescuing delicate and vulnerable cinderella-like girls? This would be the perfect opportunity for you to show off."

"Even if I have the intention to rescue her, I have to consider if she will try to take advantage of me."

Kiyohei took a sip of orange juice and smiled, shaking his head. "Let me tell you a story that happened at this school."

Kiyohei then recounted the story of Kurokiya, the rich second-generation student who fell victim to the "livestock" scam, which he had heard from Kurokiya himself.

Listening to the story, Mary felt indignant. "How could a girl act like that? The boy was trying to help her with good intentions, and she bit him back! Unbelievable!"

Indeed, even Mary, as a fellow girl, disapproved of Tsuzura's behavior.

"Anyway, girls labeled as 'livestock' are either truly naïve or cunning manipulators. I don't know which type Tsuzura is, but either way, I should keep my distance from her," Mary remarked.

"You seem to have some concerns about being labeled 'livestock'," Kiyohei teased.

Mary couldn't contain her laughter, wiping away tears of mirth. She sympathetically looked at Kiyohei. "I understand how you feel now. No wonder... hearing you talk like this, I feel like staying away from girls wearing the 'livestock' label too."

"Hey... you're a girl; you don't have to worry about being scammed."

"That's true..."

After laughing it off, Mary fell into a short silence before saying, "Kiyohei, you can rest assured about this. Tsuzura is the type who likes to get close to others. Due to her friendly and approachable nature, as well as being a wealthy heiress, she was shining brightly and well-liked when we were in elementary school. But in high school, these traits became her downfall..."

Kiyohei sighed, and thought, ‘I see, so she’s a girl with a 'People pleasing personality...'

The 'pleasing personality' is a type that would sacrifice their own needs for others. They tend to apologize habitually, conform to others, lack personal principles, find it difficult to say no, fear causing trouble to others, silently endure hardships, and harbor inner feelings of inferiority and fear of negative judgments from others.

"In a regular school, a cute and gentle girl like her would be showered with affection from many people. But in this school, her personality might be seen as submissive and people may take advantage of her," Kiyohei said with a sigh. "It's quite troublesome."

"I agree," Mary nodded, feeling discontented about her friend's choice.

"It's not hard to guess the reason why she chose to attend this school despite being bullied for three years. It probably comes down to her parents' high expectations. They might believe she can learn a lot here and she doesn't want to cause them any trouble, so she keeps her being bullied a secret."

Kiyohei rested his hands on his chin and looked at Mary with a playful gaze. "What about you? You used to speak highly of Hanadeko, so why won't you agree to be her friend now? If you became her friend, she could surely break free from her current life, couldn't she?"

Suddenly, Kiyohei shifted the topic to himself, leaving Mary momentarily speechless. To ease the awkwardness, she quickly grabbed a drink from the table and took a sip, finally managing to relieve the tension.

"That was my drink..." Kiyohei sighed, pretending not to mind.

The first time he saw Mary, he thought she must be a refined young lady from an educated family, but he didn't expect her personality to be so... carefree?

Mary looked away guiltily. "Do you really want to know?"

"If you're willing to tell me."

Seemingly giving up the resistance, Mary sighed. "You probably noticed it too. My family's financial situation is just average. When I was a child, I attended a regular public school where most kids came from similar economic backgrounds. However, Hanadeko Kagomori, the rich kid, somehow ended up in the same school. She had no airs about her, was kind to everyone, and generous with her gifts and toys. Naturally, everyone liked her, and she always had a group of people around her."

Mary clicked her tongue, seemingly nostalgic about those times. It seemed like she wanted to confide in someone about her past, so she opened up to Kiyohei. "Back then, I actually disliked her a lot. It was because she was wealthy that she received so much adoration. I didn't want to be like those people who tried to please her just to be in her good books. So, I deliberately kept my distance from her, avoiding contact. But she would always greet me whenever we crossed paths, and her warmth made it difficult for me to handle. It's like she was that child from someone else's family that everyone keeps talking about, and I couldn't even muster jealousy in her presence."