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Assistant: Title: My Iscariot
        Author: wiseturtlebear wiseturtlebear 
        Chapter: 1/5 
        Summary: Everyone wants Yumeko Jabami. That's clear to anyone who meets her. She's definitely out of her mind and a gambling addict, yet she's utterly charming. But no matter who she meets, none seem to compare to the one who got away:Kira Timurov.She's decided to move continents to finally chase down the girl she's been enthralled with since her childhood. After all, she's still bitter that their families almost arranged a marriage for them but never went through with it.She intends to right that wrong. Her journey starts in the heart of Saint Dominic's Prep: the Kakegurui club.
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  TLDR: the obligatory childhood frenemies, university au.
        Contents: Chapter 1
    

    


  

  
  
    
    Saint Dominic’s Prep. A university filled with miscreants, addicts and the children of the aristocracy. It wasn’t an Ivy League college – that would be far too mundane. Although it was situated in North America, it was whispered in the same hallowed tones as Oxford or Cambridge. Prestige oozed out of the walls in this oak-lined, stone castle they dressed up as an academic institute. And like any university worth its salt, St Dom’s had its own share of secrets hidden away. On a breezy, midwinter afternoon, a car made its way across the university campus grounds. It moved at a slow, deliberate place. Not unlike an intruder moving about a home they had no business being in. Visitors were rare this time of year as the cold was too cruel for curiosity. There were eyes everywhere at Saint Dominic’s. It was best to plan accordingly. A lone woman stepped out onto the gravel road, luggage in hand. The valet fluttered around her as he unpacked her belongings, but she did not glance at him. Her eyes were glued to the university before her eyes. “Did you take me to a university or a museum, Viktor?” Yumeko’s voice was like a knife wrapped in silk; sweet and musical with a dangerously sharp edge to it. To her credit, she wasn’t far off. Saint Dominic’s was like a mausoleum for old money and older sins — wide sweeping lawns, wrought-iron gates, freshly-mowed lawns beneath willow trees, gargoyles perched on the chapel roofs like quiet judges. The buildings loomed tall, all white stone and pristine windows, like they had never known dirt, only legacy. The driver, Viktor, did not answer her. He never did. It was hard to do so without a tongue. Yumeko smiled at him as she waved, saying, “Give Timurov-sama my regards. The gifts were lovely.” He grunted in response before peeling off into the distance. Yumeko turned her attention to the gothic beast looming above her with bated breath and a grin. “This should be fun.”  It didn’t take long for Yumeko to settle herself in her dorm room. Dorm 217 was wonderfully empty when she first arrived; it was clear that she had a roommate but they were clearly still gallivanting somewhere. This gave Yumeko plenty of time to redecorate. She set up her monitor and gadgets onto the desk provided by the university; mahogany, of course, and oiled to perfection. All of her personal touches were littered on her side of the dorm; mechanical keyboards stacked and on display, boxing gloves and headphones hanging from a hook, and an assortment of little things strewn about. She had made herself right at home before sprawling out on her bed. Toying with her lucky chip, she held it up to the light and murmured, “ I’m finally here. Mum. Dad. I hope you’re watching. ” The reflective back of the chip twinkled in the sunlight. It almost felt like approval. Yumeko didn’t have time to dwell on her feelings. The door slammed open with a force that rattled the windows, and a small figure stormed into the room like a grenade with legs. She hadn’t noticed Yumeko at first since she was busy stomping with righteous fury. Then their eyes met and the woman screamed bl@@dy murder. She was adorable. Small, wild-eyed, hackles raised like an angry kitten. She felt like a teddy-bear sewn together with pure indignation. Her words were less cute. “Jesus, what the f@ck?” Yumeko didn’t falter for a moment. She grinned and rose to her feet, saying, “You must be Mary. I’m Yumeko. Jabami Yumeko. I’ll be your new roommate.” She extended a hand out to her roommate. Just as she expected, Mary simply stared at her hand and gave her a once-over. The little sneer on her face was endearing. “Just my luck.” Mary grumbled, “You’ve made yourself at home.” Yumeko glanced at her side of the dorm, “Of course. I look forward to living with you.” To Yumeko’s delight, Mary slapped her hand away. It was nice to deal with someone who had a bit of a backbone. Americans were so wonderfully rude. “Look, don’t try to buddy up with me, OK? I’m not looking for a friend,” Mary said, a bite to her tone. “What a shame.” Yumeko murmured. Her smile never left her face as she watched Mary move around the room. Mary’s set-up was clean and minimalistic; almost as if she was scared to show anything too personal out in the open. Yumeko wondered what exactly made her so afraid… or who. Regardless, it was time for Yumeko to get the ball rolling. She sat down on the edge of her bed and crossed one leg over the other. She didn’t miss the glance Mary took to the expanse of skin on display. She did, however, have the decency not to comment on it. She asked, “Are you legacy?” Mary shot her an incredulous look. There was a hint of something more in her expression. It was as if she was looking at Yumeko in a new light – or maybe just not like the dirt under her shoe anymore. She asked, “How do you even know what a legacy is? Aren’t you a freshie?” “I’m fresh to the campus, not fresh from the womb.” Yumeko said with a small giggle. After a moment, Mary admitted, “I’m not legacy.” Ah, legacies. The soft, immature offspring of much more impressive people. Saint Dominic’s was known for chewing them up and spitting out something sharper. It was said that those who survived the cut-throat culture of this institute were forged in the crucible of mental warfare, and were prepared for anything the world threw at them. Soft-bellied heirs were moulded by the pride of their wins and the consequences of their losses. Parents could provide their legacies with a crash course on how to survive. The fresh meat learned the hard way. Usually after being taken advantage of one too many times. Yumeko shrugged, “I like it better that way. Legacies are… delicate things. Better not to add another burden, right?” Scoffing, Mary said, “That’s stupid. People worship legacies around here. God, I’d scalp someone if it meant I could steal their legacy status.” “You don’t need a status change.” Yumeko assured her, “You seem plenty self-assured to me.” “You don’t get it. St Dom’s isn’t a normal place. All that hippy, kumbaya sh@t doesn’t work around here. Here the students would slip you poison if it meant securing an internship or making a new connection. No amount of self-help b@llsh@t will protect you from the piranhas around here.” Yumeko was practically vibrating with excitement. The danger of it all was so… “That sounds  fun .” This was the kind of thing Yumeko lived for. The danger, the risks, the rewards — she only felt truly alive when she took a gamble. Mary stared at her for a long while. Eventually she began massaging her temples and muttered, “Great. My roommate is nuts. Just my luck.” She flopped down onto her desk chair opposite Yumeko, looking positively miserable. Yumeko didn’t take the bait; it wasn’t her first time being accused of insanity. If anything she took it as a compliment. “So,” Yumeko tested the waters once more, “what do you do for fun around here?” “Don’t you have a syllabus to catch up on?” Mary asked, raising an eyebrow at her. Yumeko flashed her most winning smile, “Humour me.” A long pause followed. The kind that made you hesitate to breathe, afraid to disturb the air. Yumeko felt like she had cast her fishing line into dangerous waters and had finally felt that tugging; all she needed to do was reel it in. “You like to gamble?” Mary asked, voice cautious. Hook, line and sinker. Feigning innocence, Yumeko sat back on her hands and drawled, “I dabble.” Mary looked at her like she was a poor, wounded animal about to wander into her web. Little did she know that the guillotine was dangling right above her at this very moment. She smiled at Yumeko, saying, “This will be fun. It’s been a while since we’ve had fresh meat.” And there it was. Exactly what Yumeko needed: her ticket into heaven. 
  
  
The hallways of Saint Dominic’s always felt like they were holding their breath. As Mary led her down the hidden passageways of the institute, Yumeko admired the marble floors and the cracking stone walls they passed by. It felt like the university was a living being, watching, waiting. And when Yumeko stepped into the the clubroom, she realised she was stepping into the very heart of this place. The Kakegurui Clubroom smelled of old money, older secrets, and smoke. Crystal chandeliers swung overhead, casting fractured light across velvet-draped tables and mahogany chairs. You were never allowed to sit too comfortably in this place. The roar of gamblers and the sound of jazz music perfumed the air. Oil portraits and decades old photographs hung from the paneled walls — all former members, gamblers, legends, criminals. These were the elite of Saint Dominic’s past and present. This was exactly where Yumeko belonged. “Welcome to the Kakegurui club. Home of degenerates, addicts and the insane.” Mary said, her voice tinged with affection. Yumeko knew better than to play an ace before she absolutely had to. She would keep her knowledge about this university and the Kakegurui club to herself for now. “Kakegurui?” Yumeko rolled the word around her tongue before translating, “Gambling craze?” Mary gave her a calculating look, asking, “What, are you Japanese or something?” Yumeko winked. “Bingo.” They stepped into the clubroom. There were a few curious eyes watching them so far, but the majority was too wrapped up in their games. Yumeko never felt so at ease among her peers – her true peers. “Anyway, you wanted to know what I do for fun. Here it is.” Mary said, adding with a puffed out chest, “Gambled myself all the way to the student council.” “What do you mean?” Yumeko asked with a raised eyebrow. “God, you really know nothing about this place.” Mary murmured, “Saint Dominic’s is filled to the brim with gamblers. Gambling is the currency here and if you don’t play, you don’t exist. Some people prefer it this way. Others don’t.” She gestured to the large monitor mounted at the far end of the clubroom. It was filled with a live feed of scores, a leaderboard of gamblers. The top ten players were cordoned off from the others and sat in a bracket named ‘Student Council’. How quaint. Mary continued to explain, “You sign up and get added to the leaderboard. Scores are live so you can see each and every life destroyed in real time. If you get lucky enough, you’ll climb the leaderboard and make student council.” Yumeko asked, “What about those people down the bottom?” A malicious smirk grew on Mary’s face. “They’re what we call house pets,” she replied. “The lowest of the low. Basically slaves. You f@ck up enough times and you’ll find yourself drowning with the rest of the house pets. We use them for everything: laundry, cleaning, entertainment. They exist to suffer and serve.” “And the house pets go along with this?” Yumeko asked, head tilted. Mary let out a bark of laughter, “They have no choice. Once they sign up, it’s a binding contract. If you try and break the rules… well, let’s just say it’s not a good idea.” Yumeko could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She felt like she was currently swimming in shark-infested waters. It was no wonder why her parents were so enamoured with this place. “Sounds thrilling.” “Only if you win. I’d rather die than be a house pet,” Mary said as venom dripped from her mouth. Yumeko grinned from ear to ear, saying, “Oh no. I think it all sounds wonderful. A position on the student council if you win… versus the fall into slavery if you lose. The risks and rewards are incredible here. I love it.” A pause followed them. Mary stared at her for a long time as Yumeko had just told her about all her weird fetishes in great detail. “…Oh, OK. So you’re just a straight up freak.” Yumeko didn’t even respond to this insult; she was already signing up. It was a mostly digital process of accept the contracting, providing her identification details and then pumping funds into her account. It probably shouldn’t be so easy to sign your life away in a horribly predatory contract like this but oh well. “So can I play with anyone?” Yumeko asked. Mary shrugged, saying, “Yes, if you want. As long as they agree.” Yumeko felt like a fox in a hen house. These poor people had no idea what force of nature was about to hit them. She looked around the room like appraising a banquet. Eventually, her eyes settled on the largest table in the room. It was a round tablet covered in purple velvet and surrounded by ten chairs. Some of those empty, others filled with people. The student council. Yumeko could see a few of them from here; a powerfully built woman, a girl in a onesie, a ditzy boy, etc. But none of them held Yumeko’s attention for even a moment. She couldn’t look away from the eye of the storm herself: Kira Timurov. How many years had it been since she last laid eyes on her in the flesh? Since they were children with scraped knees and loose teeth? No matter how much time had passed, however, Yumeko still felt the same way that she always did when she looked at Kira. Like she was dancing through a field of landmines. She was beautiful. Hair perfectly-curled, nails freshly manicured and clothes in pristine condition. Piercing blue eyes scanned the room with terrifying scrutiny; nothing ever hid from those eyes. She wore her usual blue lipstick to match her eyes. How pretty would Kira look with that lipstick smudged? Yumeko hadn’t forgotten to play the helpless, ignorant damsel. Mary was a part of the student council, after all. She gestured towards Kira and asked, “Even her?” Mary’s eyes followed her gaze. The moment she realised where Yumeko was looking, she grabbed Yumeko by the shoulders, saying, “F@ck no! Freshie, do not approach that table. That’s the student council. They’re more than just legacy, they’re untouchable. They will f@ck you over if you play against them.” “Plenty of risk,” Yumeko licked at her bottom lip, “but they also have the most money to gamble with, right?” Mary buried her face into her hands. “Batsh@t insane. God. You know what? Go for it. Challenge the entire council for all I care. Let’s see how happy you are as a house pet.” Yumeko wasted no time in squealing before running off into the deep end. 
   later. 
 Game after game. One loss to every nine wins – Yumeko was absolutely sweeping through her opponents. It didn’t matter what game they played; blackjack, poker, even bingo wasn’t safe from her insatiable hunger. She couldn’t attribute all of this to superior skills, though she had so many of those. There was also a good deal of luck on her side tonight. It was as if fate knew that she needed to make her mark tonight and sponsored her debut. It felt good to bask in the glow of it all, as if luck was a velvet shawl draped on her shoulders for all to see. A crowd was beginning to follow her from game to game, admiring her meteoric rise like moths to a flame. This was probably the best entertainment they had for a while: a piece of fresh meat that started from zero and began quickly climbing the ranks. The leaderboard parted like the red sea for Yumeko as her name began to climb higher and higher. All in all, it had been a successful night. But the main event hadn’t started yet. The real target had yet to be lured in. “Well, well.” A silky voice rang out from within the crowd, “What do we have here?” It was as if all the air and sound in the room had been sucked out. People scrambled out of the way for a single woman. The click of her heels echoed throughout the room as she sauntered towards Yumeko. There she was. The main event. Yumeko was preening under the weight of Kira’s gaze. It felt suffocating the best way. Kira walked with a sway in her hips towards Yumeko’s table. She gave her a polite, strained smile as she said, “It’s not often that St Dom’s gets some fresh meat.” Oh, the things Yumeko would do to be treated like a piece of meat by Kira. She rose to her feet and placed her hands behind her back, the picture of innocence. Her voice dripped with honey as she said, “Kira-san! You look… radiant.” She had grown up into a beautiful woman. Undeniably so. Yumeko felt like she was watching an art piece come to life with every move Kira made. Kira returned Yumeko’s salacious gaze with a disdainful once-over. “Yumeko Jabami,” Kira drawled, “You look the same. Still as twitchy as ever.” Grinning, Yumeko asked, “Care to play? Your choice of game, of course.” There was a long stretch of silence as everyone held their breath. Yumeko wondered when the last time Kira had been challenged was, let alone a challenge so brazen and public. She maintained the picture of innocence as Kira glowered at her. Kira barked out, “Mary.” In a flurry, Mary ran over towards the other woman and stood at her side. The fear radiated off of her body in waves. Yumeko had never seen her roommate so demure. “I hear you sponsored her membership,” Kira said through gritted teeth, “is that true?” Sweat beaded along Mary’s forehead as she said, “I just… I just thought it would be fun. A freshie to liven up the betting pool.” Kira let out a long inhale through her nose. Her gaze never left Yumeko’s. The irritation cascaded off of Kira's body in lovely waves. The longer they looked at each other, the more Yumeko felt that familiar tugging at her stomach; it was as if Kira’s presence had its own gravitational pull and it beckoned Yumeko in every time. Addressing Mary, Kira said, “That might’ve worked… if Yumeko was actually a freshie.” Mary’s eyes nearly popped out of her skull. She shot Yumeko a questioning look to which Yumeko just smiled and shrugged. “She’s not legacy,” Mary countered. Kira scoffed, “On the contrary, she’s a pedigree. She’s a f@ck@ng  Jabami . That name means nothing to you plebs but she’s a legacy regardless. Are you trying to screw over the whole club?” The crowd began to murmur and shuffle at this little scene. Mary looked frozen in place as her eyes darted between the two other women. Yumeko guessed the cat was out of the bag. Stepping forward and grinning, Yumeko drawled, “Lighten up, Kira. Always so grumpy. Mary just wanted to have a bit of fun. Does being the student council president mean you’re the fun police too?” She pouted at Kira just to rub salt into the wound. The condensation was enough to make Kira’s facade of civility crack for a moment; she watched Kira’s eyes darken and her jaw clenched tight for a long while. Had anyone spoken so brazenly to Kira like this? Probably not. “We have wildly different ideas of fun,” Kira replied. “Don’t tell me you’re scared to play me,” Yumeko said, placing a hand on her chest, “you’ll break my heart.” Kira shot her a scathing look and said, “I’m not scared of anything. Your funds are just embarrassingly low.” “Money’s no issue. But if you prefer… we can play with other incentives.” The invitation was like a blade wrapped in silk; as pretty as Yumeko’s words were, danger lurked within. Yumeko’s cheeks were flushed and she could feel a dull throbbing between her legs as she waited for Kira’s response. It had been so long since she had gone toe-to-toe with a giant like her. What did Kira look like when she won? And how delicious did she look when she  lost ? Yumeko wanted to see it all. “Stop the monologue. Just say it,” Kira snapped. Yumeko held up her hands in surrender, saying, “Blackjack. Winner gets a favour from the loser.” Kira raised an eyebrow. “A favour?” “It could be anything you want it to be. Money, labour, s@x — there is no expiration date on it either,” Yumeko explained with a wink. Suddenly, the idea of being Kira’s house pet flooded Yumeko’s mind. She refrained from acting on her salacious thoughts; she could revisit them later tonight with her hand under her skirt. Kira took a long time to finally answer her. It was as if she was examining Yumeko’s words from every angle to check for traps. When she did speak, her words were saturated in malice, “…Mary can be house, since she brought this trainwreck into our club.” With that, she stalked off to a different part of the clubroom, nearly knocking a house pet off their feet as she left. Yumeko squealed and practically skipped after Kira. The crowd followed as Mary trailed behind both of them, absolutely sh@tt@ng herself. 
  
  
Mary handled a deck of cards with the practiced ease of someone who had done it a hundred times before. Yumeko watched as her dexterous hands shuffled the cards, admiring the technique. The clubroom was now solely focused on the gamble between the student council president and the freshie who challenged her. It felt like a movie scene. “So. You finally slithered out from under your rock.” Kira remarked. Yumeko smiled and pulled her gaze away from Mary’s hands. She drummed her nails onto the tablet and the sound was swallowed up by the velvet draped across it. She replied, “I thought I could use a change of scenery.” She always spoke like she was a moment away from saying a punchline. This habit of Yumeko’s, the tendency towards teasing and taunting, was clearly aggravating Kira. That cute little vein was sticking up on her temple. The cards were dealt out. Kira shot her a look, saying, “Most people move states for a change of scenery, not continents.” “You know me, Kira.” Yumeko replied, “I like to go all in.” “Always jumping into the shark tank,” Kira grumbled. Yumeko let out a little giggle at this. She was surprised Kira even remembered that little incident from their childhood. In Yumeko’s defense, she had never seen sharks up close like that before she visited Kira’s home. The shark tank had temporarily removed its lid for some maintenance and a younger Yumeko thought it was a brilliant idea to take a swim. Hearing Kira’s blood-curdling scream was all the reward little Yumeko had needed. “You still have those tiger sharks?” Yumeko asked. Kira gave her a little sneer and grumbled, “They live in Papa’s dacha now. Far from your insane antics.” “I’d love to see them again,” Yumeko replied. The sharks hadn’t even so much as nibbled at Yumeko when she jumped in. They were like puppies the way they had circled Yumeko during her intrusion; when she had been yanked out of the water by her father, she had been laughing hysterically because of ‘the fishies’. A fond memory for Yumeko; not so fond for a younger Kira who loved those sharks more than her own sister. Kira hummed, “Unfortunately, we can’t always get what we want.” Yumeko giggled at this. “Not you though.” A card was placed down in front of Kira. A three of spades, bringing her total to twenty-one. “Twenty-one. Kira wins,” Mary declared with a hint of relief. Kira smirked at the little victory and agreed with Yumeko’s early statement, repeating: “Not me.” Mary recollected their cards and the two of them began organising their chips. They placed their bets in relative silence. Yumeko didn’t really care about the monetary part of this gamble; she had already won plenty today. Instead, she was interested in a different kind of gamble. In a sweet voice, Yumeko asked, “Did you miss me?” “I haven’t thought about you in years, Yumeko.” Yumeko almost pouted at this. She had expected this, however. How else could she explain the unread letters and unanswered calls she left over the years? Kira was a prickly woman at the best of times. Toying with one of her chips, Yumeko drawled, “What a shame. I’ve thought about you… frequently.” Her tone was laced with desire and it perfumed the air between them. Kira looked up at her with a vague amount of interest. Perhaps she hadn’t been expecting Yumeko to be so open about herself, especially considering the audience they were surrounded by. “Still clinging onto some childhood crush? I didn’t take you for a hopeless romantic,” Kira said, almost reprimanding her. “You could say that,” Yumeko replied, “Your father brings you up sometimes.” Kira froze. Yumeko did her best to hide her smirk – now  that  got her attention. The easiest way to throw Kira off her game was to bring up her father, a fact Yumeko had learned over the years. She was glad this little trick still worked. “You talk to him?” Kira asked, her voice taut with tension. Yumeko feigned nonchalance, saying, “Sometimes.” Kira huffed and asked, “And what  exactly do you two have to talk about?” “I can’t tell you all my secrets, now can I?” Yumeko asked, eyes sparkling with mischief. The game was like background music at this point. Yumeko played her hands based on her mood rather than actually considering her cards, while Kira seemed to be far more invested in winning. Whether she called, folded, or raised was a carefully decided move. Yumeko found it endlessly endearing how fixated she was on winning even the most simple games. As Mary collected the cards once more, Kira leaned forward on her elbows and said, “You will. I have my ways.” The threat was evident. As Yumeko allowed her eyes to scan the crowd around them, she found countless eyes staring back at her. How many of these eyes belonged to a network of spies Kira had cultivated? How many of them were loyal or just feared her enough to report back to her? How many of them would try to offer Yumeko up to Kira as a sacrificial lamb if she wasn’t careful? Turning back to her opponent, Yumeko said, “I’m sure you do. You’ve made quite a little empire here, haven’t you?” Kira didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, she said, “If you’re trying to fish for information to tell my father, you’re barking up the wrong tree.” “I’m not in cahoots with your father, silly. He’s just… nice. Treats me like one of his daughters.” Yumeko said with a teasing lilt, adding, “I mean, might as well have been. We were almost married, you know.” Mary’s hands freeze mid-shuffle. Oops. Judging by the look on Kira’s face, that little tidbit of information Yumeko let slip was far too personal. Her cheeks were flushed with anger as she snapped, “That was a long time ago. You weren’t even born yet.” Yumeko shrugged, saying, “Doesn’t change the fact that I could’ve been the next Timurov wife.” Kira’s jaw clenched and unclenched several times before she spoke. “You’re just as irritating as I remember.” “So you admit,” Yumeko murmured in a dulcet tone, “I’m getting under your skin.” Kira sneered. “Like a fungus.” “Kira busts. Round to Yumeko,” Mary spat out the words like they were poison. Privately, Yumeko did understand why Mary was so aggravated with her; Yumeko’s little white lies about her identity landed Mary in hot water with the biggest and meanest shark in the whole university. And while she empathised with Mary’s plight, she couldn’t care less. How could she care about anything else when Kira’s pretty eyes were glaring at her? “Why did you really transfer here?” Kira asked. Finally. The claws were coming out. Yumeko smiled and scrunched her nose up at Kira, saying, “You make it sound like I have some nefarious plan.” “You always do.” Kira replied sharply, “I doubt that’s changed since the last time we met.” Memories of their brief childhood encounters flashed in Yumeko’s mind. Her chasing after Kira, begging her to play a few more games, wanting her attention all to herself. She remembered their parents watching on fondly and encouraging them to spend time together. She even remembered all the times Kira tried to remove Yumeko from the picture entirely. She was never successful, of course, but Yumeko did wear the scars like a badge of honour. Humming, Yumeko said, “You always did hold a grudge. Do you remember that night in Moscow? You looked so cute with that bl@@dy nose.” Kira’s eyes darkened with rage as she snarled, “That wa–” Abruptly, she cut herself as she glanced at the crowd present around them. It just wouldn’t do for Kira to look emotional in front of others, now would it? Kira took a deep breath and spoke evenly, saying, “That was your fault. You always take stupid risks and the rest of us pay for it.” “A life without risk is not worth living,” Yumeko replied. Kira corrected her, “Not risk, Yumeko. Success.” The cards were laid out. Yumeko hit twenty-two. Oh well, that’s what she got for being greedy. Mary announced, “Yumeko busts. Round to Kira.” As the dealer began gathering up the cards once more, Yumeko glanced once more at Mary’s hands. She thought for a moment before turning back to Kira with a dazzling smile. She would keep her little thoughts in the back of her mind for now. “Let’s raise the stakes,” Kira said. Yumeko’s heart leapt in her chest at this. It was like music to her ears. “Oh, I do love high stakes,” Yumeko said with unrestrained excitement, “What are you thinking?” “We can keep the favour as the final reward,” Kira said, “but let’s add a death flag.” If Yumeko was a cat, she’d be purring by now. A  death flag . What a word. Part of Yumeko wanted to open up Kira’s brains and sift through the grooves to collect every thread of gold there. Clearly her mind operated on a fascinating level; it’s what Yumeko always liked about her. “Whoever gets blackjack gets to stay in the club,” Kira said, “the opponent forfeits her membership.” Yumeko almost came right then and there. What a stake to gamble with! She leaned forward onto her elbows and nearly pounced across the table, asking, “You would risk your status just like that?” Kira crossed her arms over her chest and smiled, saying, “I’m feeling lucky.” Excitement was bubbling out of Yumeko like a kettle boiling over. Leaning back in her chair, she spied Mary’s hands fluttered around the deck of cards. She was awfully good at double-lifts. A commendable skill, no doubt, but all fun had to end at some point. Yumeko had a lot to lose now. It was endlessly thrilling. “I’m in!” Kira didn’t have to look at Mary for Yumeko to guess what they were planning. Mary likely just understood that this was the round that she was going to f@ck over Yumeko. It was slightly disheartening that Kira wanted to remove Yumeko from the Kakegurui club but she had been expecting it; Kira had been trying to get rid of Yumeko from her life since they were girls. She ought to admire her consistency. Mary dealt out the cards. Yumeko only had a split second to adjust her hands and reverse her fortune. “You love to win, Kira. It’s all you care about.” Yumeko said, folding her hands in her lap, “It’s what I like about you.” An ace sat on Yumeko’s side of the table. She smirked as the pieces all began to fall into place. “But unfortunately, it makes you oh-so predictable.” Kira shot her a confused look but it was too late now. Mary’s hand was already moving and she laid the card down on top on Yumeko’s ace. It fell like the blade of a guillotine. A face card on an ace. Blackjack for Yumeko. “The queen of spades,” Yumeko mused as she held up the face card, “looks like fate’s on my side tonight.” Kira looked downright murderous now. Her usually porcelain-white face was filled with blood and when she glared over at Mary, the accusation was clear in her eyes. The gambit had failed. Mary herself looked absolutely floored that Yumeko had won against the odds. Mary stuttered out her words, “K-Kira, I–” Yumeko let out a shriek of laughter that bounced off the walls of the clubroom. It was shrill and abrupt and clearly unnerved everyone in the room around her. When she recovered, there were tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. “Oh, don’t be mad at Mary.” Yumeko said with a shit-eating grin, “How would she know that I could see her little tricks?” Kira clenched her hands so hard that Yumeko knew that she was stopping herself from hitting Yumeko. Vitriol spewed from her mouth as she asked, “What are you trying to say, Jabami? Accusations of cheating are taken very seriously, you know.” Yumeko held her hands up, saying, “I haven’t made any accusations. Where would be the fun in that? Besides, I just evened the playing field a little.” Kira’s eyes twitched. “You can’t prove anything.” Yumeko smiled as she went in for the kill. “I don’t need to. I’m not here to win, Kira. I just like to play.” With deliberately slow movements, Yumeko placed her queen of spades onto the table in front of Kira. The face card seemed to be mocking Kira as it sat before her. If looks could kill, Yumeko would already be six feet under. “If it makes you feel better, let’s call it a draw.” Yumeko said dismissively, “If you quit the club, I won’t get a chance to play with you again. Can’t have that, can we?” Kira did not argue this. The leaderboards reflected the decision and their positions did not change, as per the tie. Neither of them would be kicked out of the Kakegurui club tonight – by Yumeko’s merciful hand. Like the uneasy quiet before a storm, Yumeko rose to her feet and began to skip her way out of the club. She only paused her victory march to look back at the crowd and call out a single, joyous wish: “Happy gambling!”'
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
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