249 The Value of the Life Plan Document
"Swap cards, a pair of Queens."
In the new round, Hikigaya Hachiman calmly drew a pair of Queens from his hand.
This irrational move caused Manyuda Kaede to furrow his brows repeatedly.
This guy—he's done this kind of thing twice in a row. According to normal logic, this time he must be targeting a weak hand, planning to win through Victory by Weakness.
Manyuda Kaede glanced at his own hand and said calmly, "No swap."
"Now entering the betting phase, Hikigaya Hachiman starts."
"Bet, 10 chips."
Ten chips? It seems Hikigaya Hachiman is very confident in his cards this time.
If he intends to win by weakness, then his hand probably contains scattered cards like a 3 or 4.
"According to normal logic, if I give up the chance to win 100 million yen with the hand I have, that would be too stupid," Manyuda said coldly.
Although he only needs to bet 11 chips to gain the choice of victory method, he—who follows the royal road—decides to crush Hikigaya head-on.
So this round—
"I only need to proceed on the royal road to crush you, Hikigaya. Bet 20 chips."
"Talking down to me like that makes even me feel bad, Senior Manyuda. Want to test resolve? Then let's go all in."
Hikigaya extended his hand and pushed all 99 chips forward.
"All in."
Manyuda's pupils shrank.
Although he didn't know exactly how much funds Hikigaya Hachiman controlled, betting everything on a single round is definitely the most irrational move.
This guy is crazy!!
"Hikigaya Hachiman, this isn't gambling anymore, it's simply accumulating money."
"Of course, that's how Japanese society is—whoever has more money holds absolute power. Unfortunately, my money surpasses yours, Hikigaya."
"Ideal and strength are far apart, so you made the wrong choice. As expected, you don't have the qualification to walk the royal road."
"Raise, 100 chips."
Manyuda firmly executed his strategy—doubling the bet on small raises, only betting one chip more on big raises.
At this moment, the chips piled in the center of the table had become a small mountain. Hikigaya's side was already empty, while Manyuda still had as many as 48 chips.
"Eh, now the choice goes back to Manyuda-kun." Yomozuki Runa shook her head regretfully and looked at Hikigaya with apologetic eyes:
"Hikigaya-kun, if you can't provide more asset proof, the choice will be taken by Manyuda-kun~"
"More money?" Hikigaya Hachiman pretended to struggle as he said, "Although I want to bet more, I only have a bit over 1 billion yen at my disposal right now, so there's really nothing I can do."
"Heh, I told you, Hikigaya Hachiman, don't invest money and effort in goals you can never achieve, or you'll regret it."
Manyuda, in the posture of a victor, lectured: "1 billion yen is probably all the money you've won since you entered school. And with just one gamble against me, you lost it all... Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Mortgaging life!"
"What?!"
Manyuda thought he misheard.
He looked at Hikigaya, who raised one finger and flashed a cold gleam in his eyes.
"I'm mortgaging my life, probably to exchange for chips worth 6 billion yen. All in with these chips!"
"Eh?! Hikigaya-kun is going to sell his life in the form of a life plan document?"
Yomozuki Runa had already gotten completely excited.
She hadn't expected that after only three rounds, they were already at the point of selling one's life.
The gambling was progressing faster than she imagined.
But she was also a little troubled, because she wasn't quite sure about the valuation of Hikigaya Hachiman's life.
Although after the idol gambling she had looked up the value under Hikigaya's pen name, she wasn't certain whether it could really be worth... She was a bit unsure.
In such a critical gamble, not even the slightest mistake could be made.
Since she wasn't sure herself, she could only ask her superior.
Yomozuki Runa cheerfully took out her phone and was about to call Momobami Kirari.
"Wait, wait! How could Hikigaya Hachiman's life possibly be worth 6 billion yen? That's such an obvious question — just reject it outright, right? Why even go so far as to ask the president?"
The development of the situation had far exceeded Manyuda Kaede's expectations.
What a joke—he was just an ordinary high school student from a common family who knew how to gamble.
Why on earth would his life be worth 6 billion yen?
If that money really ended up in Hikigaya's hands, wouldn't he be dragged into the same gambling abyss?
Such a black swan event was absolutely unacceptable to Manyuda Kaede.
If the amount reached 6 billion yen, he would have to use the 5 billion yen savings his family had prepared for him.
But even then, it wouldn't be enough.
He would have to borrow money from others or bet his life like Hikigaya did.
"What a joke!!" Manyuda Kaede was already angry and shocked.
"No need to ask anymore."
A cool female voice came slowly with the sound of leather boots stepping on the floor.
The Momobami sisters entered the accounting office, one after the other.
"The vice president is back?" Hikigaya looked curiously at Momobami Kirari, with Ririka wearing a mask behind her.
No! Hikigaya suddenly remembered something—if the information Yumeko gave him was accurate, the internal meeting of the Momobami family was indeed underway.
Then what was Momobami Kirari doing at Hyakkaou Private Academy all this time?
Could it be that the vice president could attend the meeting on behalf of Kirari, the head of the Momobami family?
A few days ago, the person who did that kind of thing with him—was it the sister Ririka or the younger sister Kirari?
Hikigaya couldn't tell.
He really couldn't tell. If... the one who played that little game with him in the president's office that day was Vice President Momobami Ririka...
Hikigaya swallowed nervously. The president's awkwardness that day suddenly made sense.
At this moment, Ririka, still disguised as Kirari, instinctively glanced toward Hikigaya.
Seeing the strange look in his eyes, her heart skipped a beat.
Could it be... she had been found out?
But now was not the time to care about that.
Momobami Ririka forced herself to remain calm and continued according to the script her sister had given her earlier:
"I have personally confirmed this matter."
"Hikigaya Hachiman's life plan document is valued at 10 billion yen, and it can be purchased using all the student council's funds."
"I don't agree!"
Manyuda Kaede slammed the table and stood up.
6 billion yen was already outrageously high; 10 billion yen?
This wasn't gambling anymore—it was a conspiracy against him, Manyuda Kaede.
These guys were teaming up to make him lose everything!
"As the student council accountant, I have the right to question this kind of valuation!"
"Manyuda-kun, I am the student council president."
Momobami Ririka's tone was stern:
"You know, right? Why did Hikigaya-kun win the idol gambling in the end? It's related to the valuation of his life.
But I can't tell you the specifics yet.
You just need to know that Hikigaya's life plan document is worth 10 billion yen."
Manyuda Kaede clenched his hands tightly into fists, unwillingly sitting back down.
What should he do? Admit defeat?
Hikigaya's intention was obvious: aiming to win by weakness.
And because of his crazy betting, his intention was also clear—he wanted to win by strength. If he didn't keep betting, he would lose due to Hikigaya gaining the choice of victory method.
No, I absolutely can't lose.
As the son of a former finance minister, I must walk my own royal road.
I can never lose my life even once! If I lose, my life will be meaningless.
"Heh, I admit you're strong, Hikigaya Hachiman. Among the unexpectedly strong opponents I've met, you are the strongest. But do you think I will just give up?"
"Wrong, I will not lose."
"Since even you can bet your life in this gamble, I won't lose to you."
Manyuda Kaede turned his head toward Momobami Ririka: "President, I will also bet my life."
"Oh?" Momobami Ririka raised an eyebrow, casually glancing at the 48 chips on the table, then said, "If Manyuda-kun is willing, then of course you can."
"Your life plan document is valued at 5,520,000,000 yen, equivalent to 552 chips."
Damn it, this woman just wants me to bet my life. But there's no choice—this is the one thing I cannot back down from.
He looked at the massive pile of chips on the table, and his anxious heart gradually calmed down.
This royal road gamble ultimately ended with the victory of Manyuda Kaede.
He had one chip more than Hikigaya Hachiman, and it was this single chip that gave him the right to choose the victory method.
Manyuda Kaede unconsciously recalled his father's teaching from childhood.
"Kaede, you must become a person who walks the royal road. Since you were born as my son, you bear the obligation to lead the entire Japanese economy forward!"
"Money is the foundation of the nation, and whoever controls it is king!
You will become the finance minister, and I will pave the way for you."
"Work hard without worry.
In the future, you will be sent to Hyakkaou Private Academy to gain experience.
There, you will awaken the resolve to gamble on the nation's fate."
"You must become the one who bears the heavy responsibility of gambling on the nation's fate."
After a long moment, Manyuda Kaede pushed up his glasses again, his eyes now pitch black: "I won, Hikigaya."
"A total of 552 chips, all in!"
"My choice is to win by strength!"
250 When Life Burns Out, That Instant Flash
All the procedures were completed. The winner would gain everything, and the loser would lose their life.
"To fulfill both parties' bets, I will give everything to assist."
"No running away allowed."
"Absolutely."
Momobami Ririka's face showed a chilling gleam as she fully embodied the fierce aura of her younger sister.
Her long legs, wrapped in brown stockings, crossed with terrifying pressure weighing down on the two of them, almost suffocating.
Under her witness, there was absolutely no chance for forgery in the life plan book, something Manyuda knew very well.
If he lost, with the other's help, he would become the Minister of Finance, and all his plans would have to be completed under their orders, becoming a complete puppet; all his ambitions would turn to empty talk.
It was precisely because of his growth potential and future possibilities that his life plan book was valued at 6 billion yen.
No, actually, far more than 6 billion.
If I became Minister of Finance... The reason for this valuation was just because Momobami Kirari forced me to bet everything and barely surpassed Hachiman Hikigaya in a trick.
But it didn't matter now. Anyway, I will win.
I will conquer everything, command everything!
"Show-Down!" Momobami Ririka gave a coquettish shout.
Manyuda's face showed a fierce glare, as if he summoned all his strength to suddenly flip open the five poker cards in front of him.
His eyes looked fiercely at Hikigaya, holding the flipped cards horizontally in front of his chest like a holy shield to resist a great demon king.
"Three of a kind, eights!"
"Come on, show your cards, Hachiman Hikigaya! You threw away a pair of queens, aiming at a scattered hand. After losing the right to choose sides, how will you fight me?"
"Manyuda-senpai, do you believe in miracles?"
Hikigaya did not rush to reveal his hand but instead asked unusually:
"Miracles? What do you mean?"
"I've known from the start.
You've been analyzing and calculating me all along, coming up with a personality template you imagined, thinking you could completely grasp my calling strategy..."
"So what?"
"Thanks to that very you, I dared to confidently call, bet everything, making you think I changed the pair of queens to aim for a scattered hand."
"Actually—"
Swiftly,
Hikigaya lightly flipped over his five cards. Seeing the numbers, Manyuda's pupils suddenly contracted.
"A miracle for you..."
"I never expected such an extreme situation would happen."
"Hah? How is this possible?"
Why—
The blackness in Manyuda's eyes shrank to a tiny black dot, as if his whole soul was absorbed by the wild card in Hikigaya's hand.
[2-2-2-2-Joker]
The strongest hand appeared before him.
"Originally, my hand was already three twos and a pair of queens," Hikigaya explained earnestly. "With that hand, it would indeed be hard to lose. But to avoid making you suspicious, I chose the most conservative strategy and still discarded the pair of queens."
"Because you had already formed a template of me in your mind, plus the experience from the last round, you had no doubt about me."
"Luck is on my side, and the exchanged cards raised my hand to the game's maximum value."
"Manyuda-senpai, you really are obsessed with the royal road... If it were me, facing such a crazy bet from the opponent who even stakes their life plan book, I would choose to avoid the sharp edge."
"Letting the opponent step onto the final stage is, in a way, more important than winning or losing."
"What does this gamble mean for the royal road? It means giving up the final showdown. Abandoning the difficult final battle and securing victory when advantageous by this strategy, a commoner-born like me cannot compete."
"It's also because your royal road has gone astray that the president wanted to witness the outcome between us this time and gave your life a price far below its true value, forcing you to bet everything."
"So, the winner is me, Hikigaya Hachiman."
"Am I right, Vice President Ririka?"
Hikigaya turned his head and stared at the "president" in front of him.
"Eh?! Discovered..."
Momobami Ririka's body stiffened sharply.
With her mask pierced, she no longer maintained the calmness of the president, showing the demeanor of a normal girl next door.
Her body stiff, flustered, sitting still.
Just as she was about to say something to defend herself,
Behind her, masked Kirari removed her own mask, her eyes filled with coldness and mockery sweeping over the two.
"What an interesting gamble this has been..."
"Pr-President? Vice President?!"
Manyuda backed away in terror, unable to understand when the president and vice president had swapped roles.
Moreover, why did Hikigaya still have the energy to observe their identities while gambling with a strong opponent like himself?
Could it be that Hikigaya hadn't even used his full strength when gambling against him?!
Kirari stretched out her long, fair fingers, her faint blue nails gently pressing on Ririka's shoulder, holding her firmly in front of herself, unable to move.
Kirari's gaze first looked at Manyuda: "Manyuda, your fight was splendid. I really didn't expect you to gamble your own life, selling your life as a plan book."
"As a student council officer, you might be the first."
"Through this gamble between you and Hachiman Hikigaya, I have come to know all your charms..."
"So, a fleeting life also blooms with the most brilliant flowers, doesn't it? Manyuda, your life has been stripped away~"
The light words fell on Manyuda's ears.
In his vision, the world before him seemed like a mirror reflecting all the versions of himself from childhood to now.
At this moment, Momobami Kirari appeared in his world, mercilessly removing the mirror, throwing it to the ground, and with those brown little leather boots, fiercely stepping and crushing it until it shattered into pieces.
The kindergarten self disappeared... the elementary school self disappeared... even the middle school self vanished...
Everything from his past shattered like snowflakes with the mirror and disappeared into the world of "nothingness."
Until now, only his high school self remained.
His life was being stripped away...
His neck felt as if it was being pressed under those delicate, small brown leather boots, and the oxygen necessary for survival could no longer enter his body.
His breathing stopped.
Suddenly, Manyuda understood: he never truly had his own life, only rented it until the day he died.
And today, his death date had come.
In Hikigaya's sight, Manyuda's eyes had completely lost their pupils, leaving only a vast white.
His originally jet-black hair was rapidly turning white.
With a single thought of death, hair turned white instantly.
Then, sitting upright in his chair, Manyuda's whole body toppled straight to the floor.
Hikigaya sighed quietly, a flicker of pity flashing in his eyes.
Manyuda was one of the few normal people Hikigaya had seen at Momobami Academy, and their gambling was honorable and fair.
Pursuing his royal road, he fell on the path of idealism... which was quite tragic.
Looking at him, Hikigaya seemed to see himself.
The idealistic Shimotsukiuri Ouri, who after losing a gamble, had her soul tethered by Momobami Kirari and degraded into a puppet in her hands...
But unlike them, Hikigaya had already obtained a get-out-of-jail-free card, able to gamble with Kirari without paying any price.
"Oh dear, Manyuda-kun has fainted." Yomozuki Runa hurriedly bit the lollipop in her mouth, pressed the emergency button on her phone.
Soon, medical personnel appeared outside the door, carrying Manyuda away on a stretcher.
Yomozuki Runa seemed unsurprised by the matter with the Momobami sisters, turned around waving her hand, and fled the scene like oil slipping from her feet, leaving behind: "I've got things to do, so I'll leave first~"
Click.
The accounting office door was thoughtfully closed by Yomozuki Runa.
At this moment, only one man and two women remained in the large office.
Momobami Kirari released her grip from her sister, her gaze slowly fixed on Hikigaya, then moved behind him, gently massaging his neck.
"Hachiman-kun, have you ever seen a supernova explosion?"
The sudden question made Hikigaya pause slightly.
"Unfortunately, no."
"If I could witness one, I would really want to see it."
Momobami Kirari said in a faint voice, "A galactic-scale explosion caused by a nuclear fusion reaction—such an event must be unbelievably beautiful."
"A person's life is just like that."
"When life burns out, that instant flash."
"Isn't it incredible? No matter how many times you see it, you'll never get tired."
Kirari's fingers swept from Hikigaya's neck, softly gliding over his chest, her body leaning forward, letting him rest in her endless gentleness.
Strands of hair falling on his temples brushed against his face, disturbing his thoughts.
Hikigaya was silent for a moment and said, "Not getting tired of it is probably because the real wish hasn't been fulfilled."
"The way life burns out is indeed beautiful, and that's fine too. But Kirari, what you really want to see is—"
"The self that burns brilliantly and blooms, then finally vanishes in smoke, right?"
Though it was a rhetorical question, Hikigaya said it with absolute certainty.
As if Kirari understood him perfectly, and he her.
Two deep souls attracted each other, resisting yet unconsciously merging.