Chapter 185: Happy Life Game
Final exams are coming. Lately, the atmosphere for studying in the school has become increasingly tense.
People always cling to Lady Luck at the last moment—criminals also regret and beg for divine forgiveness before death. But they don't pray to reality, because they know it's useless.
There are no shortcuts in studying — the more effort you put in, the more you gain — that was always Sakurai's belief.
Therefore, even though school had ended, he was still sitting in the Student Council room reading a book.
"Sakurai-san, you've never studied in the Student Council room before," Shinomiya Kaguya spoke up, also holding a book in her hand.
The two of them now looked no different from death row inmates who knew their execution day was coming, struggling desperately in their final moments by "grinding" like mad, hoping to survive.
That's right, exams are war!
No one could refute that, because this time, the two of them had made another bet.
The loser would have to wear a Miko outfit and dance — and only dance for the winner to see.
That second condition was added by Kaguya — she had lost too miserably last time, so she got smarter this time.
No one stumbles twice on the same slope… unless they're unlucky… or there's something wrong with their legs.
Although Shinomiya Kaguya was perfectly healthy, she still left herself a way out — she even prepared a spare leg.
"Kaguya-san, do you think I'm putting in all this effort just to win a bet with you? I honestly don't care if I lose," Sakurai said, his hand not stopping as he continued writing.
In his mind: But actually, I really want to win! I want to win overwhelmingly!
The Miko outfit, that red and white one — it's a female outfit, there's no male version.
Losing would be humiliating, and if Sakurai wasn't confident, he wouldn't have dared to make the bet.
"I want to achieve good results to prove my own ability. Fame is trivial to me, I just want to do what I like and live for myself."
After saying that, Sakurai glanced at Ishigami Yuu: "Ishigami, exams are coming, why are you still playing games?"
"Sakurai-senpai, I'll review when I get home. Let me relax a bit now," Ishigami Yuu replied.
Sakurai Saki didn't say anything. A while later, he asked:
"Ah right, I mentioned the Tanabata gathering yesterday. Do you want to join? At Shinomiya's house."
Ishigami Yuu shook his head, pressing buttons on his game controller as he spoke: "That day I have to help out at my mom's flower shop."
He had declined.
In truth, he didn't really need to help — he just didn't want to go to Shinomiya Kaguya's house.
In Ishigami Yuu's eyes, Shinomiya Kaguya was still just as scary as when he first entered school. Only Sakurai dared to talk to her like that.
Hearing that answer, Sakurai didn't ask further, and neither did Kaguya.
A while later, while the two were still busy writing something, Fujiwara Chika walked in.
⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡
She was holding a deck of cards.
They looked like poker cards.
Ah, probably that custom game she'd mentioned before.
Sakurai didn't expect much. Fujiwara Chika and the people in her club — just hearing about them already sounded boring.
Her next words would definitely be—
"Everyone!! Let's play a game!!"
ヾ( ˃ᴗ˂ )◞ • *✰
Perfect, not a single word off! Sakurai Saki silently sighed.
Sasuga watashi!
"What game is it?" The first to speak was Ishigami Yuu.
"Ta da~! Happy Life Game!!" Chika raised the deck of cards above her head like showing off a treasure, then walked closer to everyone.
She sat down next to Sakurai, very naturally leaning on his shoulder.
Ishigami Yuu saw this and his eyelid twitched.
(·•᷄ࡇ•᷅ )
If he remembered correctly, Sakurai-senpai was dating Hayasaka-senpai, wasn't he?
So why could Fujiwara-senpai shamelessly be so close to someone who already had a girlfriend?
Didn't she understand these things?
Well, it made sense — Fujiwara-senpai was a parasitic creature by nature, stealing other people's men probably came easy to her!
Ishigami Yuu cursed silently in his mind.
"Life game?" He was confused.
"Happy life game!"
"Fujiwara-senpai, even if you say it again in English, we still don't understand it," Ishigami Yuu mocked.
"Maa~ just play once and everyone will understand how to play!" Chika placed the deck on the table.
"Wanna play? Wanna play? Kaguya-san!"
Shinomiya Kaguya didn't even think before replying in a cold tone: "No."
"Final exams are coming soon, why are you still playing games? Secretary Fujiwara, aren't you afraid of failing?"
"Studying too long gives you headaches~ Kaguya-san, come play with me~!" Chika leaned in closer to Kaguya.
Kaguya & Chika: (¬_¬") (இ﹏இ`｡)
Ishigami Yuu shifted over to make space.
Then looked at the scene of two beautiful girls pressing against each other.
After being pestered for a while, Shinomiya Kaguya finally gave in.
"Just one round."
"Yay!" Chika turned to Ishigami Yuu: "Ishigami-kun, wanna play?"
Ishigami Yuu put his game console down. "Hmph, no harm in trying, but games like this are always lame."
He intended to utterly trash this game!
"If Ishigami-kun doesn't want to play, that's fine." Fujiwara Chika didn't bother to beg.
As long as Saki-kun is in, that's enough!
"Sorry, Chika, I'm not playing today." Sakurai lowered his head to continue reading.
"Are?" Chika tilted her head, her cute face full of question marks.
∘ ∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° ) ?
Arerere~? Why though?
Sakurai Saki, who had never refused her before, was refusing this time!!
What!? Is the sky about to fall!?
"Please~!" Chika ran over to Sakurai Saki, nudging his shoulder.
In this game, you could get married to other players! That was the whole point why Chika dragged everyone in to play!
"Fine, I'll play with you," Sakurai Saki said helplessly.
He really didn't want to play.
Because the game looked weird from every angle.
Once Chika finished setting up the cards, Sakurai asked:
"Is this sugoroku?"
Sugoroku — a type of board game, somewhat similar to Monopoly but without buying land or building houses. Each space had different events, like a house burning down, or getting hit by truck-kun and ending up in the hospital — in short, lots of random events, both lucky and unlucky.
"It's Happy Life Game!" Chika said, proudly placing her hand on her chest, her chin tilted slightly upward: "By the way, I came up with all the events in the game myself!"
Right after she said that, Ishigami Yuu raised his right hand: "Sorry, is it still too late to back out now?"
"Nuh-uh~ Too late already!" Chika said as she placed Ishigami Yuu's game piece on the table.
The table was full of cards, nearly covering the whole tea table.
There were three zones in total:
Kids zone, adults zone, elderly zone.
The goal was to earn the most money. Shirogane — the part-time warrior — would probably find this fun.
Too bad he had to attend the regular Club Union meeting today.
"Alright everyone, start rolling the dice!"
Chika was acting as MC as well.
After all, she was the only one who knew how to play the game.
"Who goes first?" Shinomiya Kaguya asked.
Even with a garbage game like this, she didn't want to lose.
It wasn't that she couldn't accept failure, she just didn't want to lose.
"I'm fine with anything." Sakurai intended to let someone else take the hit first.
"Oh, same here," Kaguya added.
She didn't want to be mistaken for someone obsessed with winning. It's just a board game, after all.
"Then let Ishigami-kun go first! Then Saki-kun, Kaguya-san, and finally me." Chika suggested.
"Sure." Ishigami Yuu didn't hesitate.
The dice rolled on the table — it landed on six.
"Eh! That's a misfortune event! Ishigami-kun, flip this card!" Chika explained.
Ishigami Yuu flipped the card and glanced at the back: "Traffic accident — truck."
"Roll again."
"Three points." Ishigami glanced at it.
"Ishigami-kun, you broke your leg." Chika beamed: "Ahaha, Ishigami-kun is so unlucky!"
Chika: ꉂ(๑˃́ꇴ˂̀๑)
"Huh?" Ishigami Yuu's face was full of question marks.
What the hell is this chick talking about?
"Got hit by a truck, so you broke your leg," Chika added with a stifled giggle.
"I'm done!!" Ishigami stood up suddenly and shouted:
"Garbage game!!! What the hell is this, who the hell came up with these events?! Are they brain-damaged!?"
"Calm down, Ishigami, don't judge a game just by the first impression," Sakurai stepped in to mediate.
Then he rolled the dice.
"Three points. Lucky card!"
Hearing Chika's voice, Sakurai flipped the card — [Lucky Event – Narrowly Escaped Death].
"Oya, you were taken hostage by a robber, and although you lost one arm after being rescued, you received a ten million yen reward from the police. Super lucky, right!"
Sakurai's face was full of black lines.
（ꐦ𝅒_𝅒）
How the hell is this a lucky event!?
Sakurai stood up: "Ishigami, I heard there's a new café near the station. Let's go grab coffee!"
This garbage game — he couldn't take it anymore.