Monopoly.
A classic board game where the win condition is simple: either amass a certain amount of money or eliminate all other players.Intrigue, alliances, diplomacy—within the confines of this modest board lies a world of complexity.
And among its most cunning players are Sakurai Saki and Ishigami Yu.
If you want to win consistently, there's only one path:Alliance.
That's right.Individual strength has limits.To win—not just survive—you need more than luck. You need allies. Ruthless, clever allies.
Sakurai placed his token at the starting point, casting a meaningful glance at Ishigami Yu.
"If I win, I'll buy you a soda."
Ishigami raised an eyebrow, then tapped out a quick message in Morse code.
"Sakurai-senpai! No problem!"
Their quiet exchange didn't go unnoticed.
Fujiwara Chika's sea-blue eyes sparkled with suspicion.
"Sakurai-kun, were you just sending secret messages?! Tell me!"
"No."
Chika pressed a finger to her temple, thinking hard.Then, without missing a beat, she pulled a detective hat from her backpack and set it on her head. A magnifying glass followed.
Detective Chika, on the case!
"Hmph! You two are definitely up to something!" she declared, dramatically pointing at Ishigami Yu.
"Fujiwara-senpai, what are you saying? We have no reason to cheat. We were just talking."Ishigami shrugged like a man with nothing to hide. "I have so much embarrassing history I wouldn't even mind airing it."
Ishigami Yu—a man with no shame and no fear.In this battle, he might just be the biggest wild card.
Meanwhile, Kaguya Shinomiya sat beside him, her starting funds already laid out.
"Can we start now?! Can we start now?!"
She was so excited, she said it twice.
Fujiwara Chika narrowed her eyes, her delicate features puckered with suspicion.
"Suspicious…"
"Chika, seriously, we weren't cheating," Sakurai said with a wry smile. "Everything's within the rules."
Reluctantly, Chika sat back down, pouting.
"Si... since Saki-kun says so, then… fine."
Wait—Did he just call me by my first name?!He didn't even do that once last year!That's basically a confession, right?!
"Fujiwara-kun, who's Saki-kun?" Sakurai asked innocently.
"Sakurai-kun, didn't you just call me Chika?! I mean…"She looked away, feigning nonchalance. "It's a pretty intimate way to address someone. Like… a con—"
"Can we focus?!" Kaguya interjected, unable to contain her impatience. "We're here to play a game!"
"!!!"
Fujiwara puffed out her cheeks like a hamster, glaring at Kaguya.
Kaguya-san!!I thought we were friends!Why are you ruining my romantic moment?!You're the worst!
"Can we start? Or is this preparation phase going to drag on forever?" Kaguya asked dryly.
Romance?To Kaguya, it was a foreign language.In her world, boys were tools. Puppets of the Shinomiya household.There was a very clear rule in the family motto:No falling in love. No exceptions.
"Since Kaguya-san is eager, let's begin." Sakurai Saki smiled warmly.
Fujiwara stared at him.Bullied again!
"Rock! Paper! Scissors!" x3
All four of them moved in sync.Kaguya joined in with practiced ease, clearly no stranger to board games.
It was a surprise.She had refused Fujiwara's invitations to game nights many times in the past.Eventually, Chika gave up, thinking Kaguya just wasn't interested.Until, a few days ago, she stumbled upon Kaguya's unexpected enthusiasm for Ludo.
And so, here they were—ready to battle.
"Hmm… Kaguya-san is first, Sakurai-senpai second, Fujiwara-senpai third, and I'm fourth," Ishigami announced after the dice roll.
"This board has both item cards and trap cards, so there's no real first-mover advantage—kind of like yesterday's Ludo match."
Sakurai nodded in agreement.
"On the flip side, matches will take longer. If no one upgrades to houses quickly, it could turn into a war of attrition."
"First round. Kaguya-san, please roll the dice," he said, gesturing politely.
All three understood she was still a beginner.They had no intention of exploiting that—they would explain the rules clearly, even if it meant giving up a slight advantage.
The game was about to begin.
The dice slipped from Kaguya's hand.Three points.
Her token landed on the Fate block.
"Fate. Players may draw one card from the Fate deck."
Kaguya drew a card and revealed her reward—an item card, at the cost of 1,000 points.With a starting fund of 30,000, it was a solid bargain.
The card's name: Plunder Card.
It allowed the player to acquire an opponent's property—but not their houses. To claim the houses as well, one would need to pay the full construction cost.
"Beginner's luck?" Ishigami Yu muttered under his breath.
In the gaming world, there's a phrase: Beginner's luck.New players tend to draw rare or powerful items.
Some conspiracy theorists take it further:They say game systems have hidden drop rate boosts for newbies—so-called whales might not care about small perks, but veterans, often stingier with their spending, are punished subtly to keep them grinding.
Kaguya-san, your luck is absurd.
There were only two Plunder Cards in the entire item pool.
Sakurai Saki heard Ishigami's muttering but said nothing.Instead, he glanced at Fujiwara Chika—just in time to see her look away, a little too quickly.She struck up a conversation with Kaguya, her tone way too casual.
"Kaguya-san, your luck is amazing!"
Luck? Was it?
Sakurai picked up the dice and rolled—controlled, measured.
Three.
Another Fate card.
He didn't draw it immediately. Instead, he kept his gaze on Chika.
Why the guilty face, Fujiwara Secretary?
He turned over the Fate card.It was one that allowed a free item draw.
He flipped the item card.
Of course.
"Plunder Card," he said, a slow smile forming. "My luck's pretty good, wouldn't you say, Fujiwara Secretary?"
"Ah~ y-yeah, mm, that's right."Chika nodded nervously, trying to whistle nonchalantly.No sound came out.She couldn't whistle. Never could.
The attempt looked more like a failed attempt at being cute than anything else.
Sakurai wordlessly handed her the dice.
He already had the upper hand.With a card capable of flipping the board, the momentum had shifted decisively in his favor.
Two vs. one.Victory was within reach.
"Eh? Four points!" Chika rolled and moved her token to the Korea region.
"1,400 points? Bought!"
"A loss," Kaguya said bluntly, frowning at the board.A failed investment.
The toll was only 90 points—she'd need 15 rent payments just to break even.
"Kaguya-san, it's fine! As long as you're having fun playing board games!" Chika held up the property card proudly, beaming.
Only you think that way...
Kaguya turned her eyes across the table.
Sakurai-kun. Ishigami-senpai.She narrowed her gaze.
You are both worthy opponents.Let me show you the business acumen of the Shinomiya Family!