"I didn't say that."
Ikishima Midari shook her head, a look of eagerness on her face: "What I mean is... the person who did this probably isn't one of the older students who have been in the school for a long time. It's likely one of the new transfer students."
There are five classes in one grade, and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had only met the new students from his own class and Saotome's class. Indeed, it was possible that the person who did such a thing was a new student.
Ikishima Midari's angle of thought had some reference value, but it couldn't be fully trusted.
"Ayanokoji, if you really find that person, you must tell me! I absolutely want to gamble with her!" Ikishima Midari eagerly instructed Ayanokoji.
The entire academy was under the Student Council's control. If anyone dared to commit such a rule-breaking crime right under the Student Council's nose, once exposed, her fate would surely be dire.
No one who could come to this school would be a fool who didn't consider the consequences; doing such a thing required immense courage.
If someone truly dared to do so, then Ikishima Midari really wanted to gamble with her.
On this matter, Ikishima Midari couldn't help Ayanokoji. She had another idea.
Ikishima Midari smiled and stabbed the knife into the cutting mat on the table: "Oh, right... you're also a casino operator, aren't you? If you think the stakes aren't enough, how about this: I'll bet my casino against you!"
"..." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sighed: "Why do you insist on playing games that might cause injury? Wouldn't it be better to play something that doesn't harm your body? I'd definitely be willing to participate."
Ikishima Midari propped both her legs on the table, twirling the knife casually as she said, "Gambling... of course, you have to bet something important to feel the thrill during the process. That's what makes it interesting.
But the people in this school are too boring. Because they're incredibly wealthy, they don't feel any pain when they lose money.
It's gambling, but they don't feel any fun. They can only take pleasure in bullying commoners, deliberately cheating to toy with them, watching their ugly expressions when they lose..."
Ikishima Midari's expression made no attempt to hide her disgust for these people. She looked up at Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, as if expressing her confusion, and continued.
"Ayanokoji, don't you think this game is very unfair? One side bets everything they have, while the other side, even if they lose, won't lose anything significant. The money they lose is just a trifle to them. What's the point of this kind of gambling?"
"For those rich people, it has no meaning," Ayanokoji finally understood Ikishima Midari's thoughts.
"So... you want both sides to bet their hands, at least at that moment, both sides value the gamble equally?"
"Right!?"
As if seeing someone who agreed with her, Ikishima Midari's eyes lit up: "Exactly! That's it! In gambling, both sides must feel the thrill. Otherwise, how can you feel the fun from gambling?!"
"..." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka fell silent.
He had initially thought that Ikishima Midari was on the side of the commoners, sympathizing with those who were toyed with.
But in reality, Ikishima Midari simply believed that only when both sides bet something important would the gambling be stimulating enough to make her feel more excited.
Ikishima Midari was indeed a madwoman. She didn't care what others thought; she only wanted to feel pleasure herself.
"Sorry, you've got the wrong person. I'm not the type to gamble my life with you," Ayanokoji Kiyotaka shook his head.
Ikishima Midari was not surprised by Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's refusal: "You won't agree because I haven't offered you enough chips. Why do you think... those people agreed to my terms?"
"It's simple. The stakes I offered were irresistible to them."
Saying this, Ikishima Midari stood up and took out a safe from under the bookshelf behind her, placed it on the table, and opened it.
Inside was a neatly stacked box of US dollar bills.
She casually took out several stacks of bills and placed them on the table.
"Here's five hundred thousand US dollars, which is fifty million Japanese Yen. If you gamble with me and win, all this money is yours."
No wonder... Fifty million Japanese Yen was an unattainable sum for ordinary people.
And for the students of this school, it was also a sufficiently tempting figure.
"Sorry, you've miscalculated. Even if you offered a hundred million, I wouldn't gamble with you." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also slapped his wallet on the table: "I have a hundred million in my account. I'm not short on money."
Isn't it just a competition of wealth? Who's afraid of whom? Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was least afraid of competing financially right now.
Mikura, beside him, couldn't stay calm. She whispered into Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's ear, "Hey, do you really have a hundred million?"
She knew Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was a rich second-generation, with some pocket money, but she didn't expect him to be so wealthy.
"Yes, I have a hundred million. Do you want to switch sides and become my pet? It's not too late."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka made a joke, and as he spoke, he reached out to touch her collar, but Mikura angrily slapped his hand away.
"I'm Juraku-sama's pet! I won't change my mind! It's just a hundred million Japanese Yen, don't think that's a lot of money in this school. Juraku-sama's stakes for a single gamble are more than that!"
Mikura was furious.
What did Ayanokoji Kiyotaka take her for? She became Juraku-sama's pet voluntarily, not for money! Besides, was a hundred million Japanese Yen a lot? Did he really think that money could buy her off?
"Sorry, I was just joking..." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka knew he had spoken out of turn and honestly apologized to Mikura.
There was one thing he didn't say.
The hundred million he mentioned was US dollars.
Seeing that even after offering such a large sum, Ayanokoji still didn't want to gamble with her, Ikishima Midari grew curious.
"Since you're not short on money, why do you operate a casino?"
A casino could only earn a few million Japanese Yen a month. If Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was really that rich, he shouldn't care about such hard-earned money, right?
"I want to, can't I?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka rolled his eyes.
Why was Ikishima Midari so fond of digging for details? Couldn't she find someone else to gamble with? He had clearly indicated multiple times that he didn't want to participate, so why did she keep bothering him?
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka didn't know that Ikishima Midari had told every gambler who came here that she wanted to play the "Quick Knife Finger Stab" game, but everyone ran away as soon as they heard the rules.
Ikishima Midari did want to gamble with them, but no one paid attention to her.
Only Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, because he had to wait for Miharu Taki Sakura here, patiently listened to Ikishima Midari ramble on and on.
Having finally met someone who didn't run away, how could Ikishima Midari let him go?
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