"Yes, yes!" Ikishima Midari's eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly.
She thought Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also wanted to play this game, but to her surprise, Ayanokoji's expression instantly changed.
"Haven't you learned your lesson at all?!"
It was fine until she mentioned it; as soon as she brought it up, Ayanokoji's blood pressure rose, and he pointed at Ikishima Midari's nose, scolding: "What on earth are you thinking? Why did you switch to a sharpened knife?
Don't you know that with just a slight mistake, your finger would be severed?! You were lucky this time. If a few of your tendons had snapped, you wouldn't be able to use this hand!"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka still felt some lingering fear.
If Ikishima Midari hadn't changed the knife and had still used the unsharpened dagger, even if the system had made her make a mistake, she wouldn't have been so severely injured.
Ikishima Midari obediently listened to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's lecture, but instead, she started to laugh.
"That's right, that's what I want in gambling. When I win, I can experience the excitement of surviving that moment. Even if I lose, I can feel the excitement brought by physical pain.
Gambling is simply wonderful! Ayanokoji, don't you think so?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was completely stunned, looking at Ikishima Midari who made such a statement.
Originally, he had been teasing when he called Ikishima Midari a masochist, but now it seemed her mind might genuinely be a bit messed up.
To actually get excited by pain...
His normal way of thinking truly couldn't comprehend such a person.
However, as if mocking Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, the system suddenly issued a mission in his mind at that moment.
Mission 2: Save Ikishima Midari and help her escape the gambling abyss.
Now, receiving missions from the system no longer surprised Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
Even if one day it issued a mission to help Student Council President Kirari Momobami escape the gambling abyss, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka wouldn't find it strange.
It's just, he hadn't even completed one mission, so why was there another one?
If Saotome Meari was just touching the world of gambling, then Ikishima Midari was already deeply trapped in the gambling abyss, unable to extricate herself.
Their relationship wasn't that close right now, so trying to persuade Ikishima Midari to stop gambling through words was a practically impossible task.
Even if this person lost a hand or an eye, she probably wouldn't give up gambling.
Anyway, this was a long-term mission, with no time limit and no mission rewards announced.
Forget it, he would take it slowly.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka no longer paid attention to Ikishima Midari's shocking statement. He got up, opened the insulated container on the nearby table, and took out a bowl of porridge, two eggs, and a few side dishes.
He had gotten this meal from the cafeteria before Ikishima Midari woke up.
"Can you eat by yourself? Or do I need to feed you?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka looked at Ikishima Midari.
"I can manage myself." Ikishima Midari's left hand was injured, but her legs and right hand were fine.
She got out of bed, sat at the table, picked up a spoon, and began to eat the porridge.
Ikishima Midari took a mouthful of porridge; it was still warm. She glanced at Ayanokoji, who was peeling an egg for her, and hesitantly asked.
"Hey, Ayanokoji..."
"What is it?"
"Why are you helping me?" Ikishima Midari couldn't help but ask.
She had wanted to ask yesterday.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and she had known each other for less than a day, at most. They were merely simple opponents, and the injury on her hand was caused by her own mistake.
Why was Ayanokoji helping her bandage it, taking her to the hospital, and even buying her food and taking care of her here now?
Because Ikishima Midari's injury was self-inflicted? Ayanokoji Kiyotaka certainly wouldn't say such a thing; if he did, he might be considered a lunatic.
"There's no particular reason to help you, is there? After all, you got injured in front of me, I couldn't just leave you, could I? Besides, didn't you help me when my hand was injured?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka casually found an excuse and handed the egg to Ikishima Midari.
Ikishima Midari took the egg, and after a few bites, her complexion suddenly turned rosy: "Ayanokoji, do you have a girlfriend? I feel like I've fallen for you."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka didn't expect to be suddenly confessed to and was stunned for a good while: "Huh? What are you suddenly saying?"
"You're very caring, you look good, and like me, you have the courage and confidence to challenge danger, and your gambling skills are also excellent..."
Ikishima Midari's eyes sparkled, a flush spread across her cheeks, and she looked at Ayanokoji Kiyotaka with fervent eyes: "That's right... I feel like you really suit my taste, you're my ideal type!"
She continued: "My family is very rich. If you become my boyfriend, you'll never have to worry about money again. Whatever you want to try in bed, I can cooperate with you.
I don't care if you like other people. If you have other girls you like, I can even win their bodies for you through gambling...!"
Seeing Ikishima Midari getting more and more outrageous, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka quickly stopped her: "That's enough, don't say anymore..."
Ikishima Midari immediately closed her mouth, squirmed her body, and looked at Ayanokoji Kiyotaka with an expectant expression.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka saw Ikishima Midari's expression, which seemed genuinely on the verge of ecstasy, and secretly pondered.
Could it be the 'suspension bridge effect'?
The suspension bridge effect refers to an involuntary increase in heart rate in a dangerous situation. If, at this time, one happens to meet another person, they might mistakenly interpret the increased heart rate caused by this situation as a physiological reaction caused by the other person making their heart race, thus developing feelings of love for the other person.
Because he and Ikishima Midari had both experienced the dangerous Quick Knife Finger Stab, and both their left hands were injured, did she think that the excitement generated during the gamble was her liking for him?
"Do you really like me? Are you not joking, or making a decision on a whim?" Ayanokoji thought for a moment and asked.
Ikishima Midari nodded repeatedly: "That's right, I'm serious. If you're willing, we can go get our marriage certificate right now!"
"That's not necessary." Ayanokoji coughed lightly, feeling a bit awkward.
This was his first time encountering a girl confessing to him, and he was suddenly a little unaccustomed to it.
"Do you really like me?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka asked again, and after Ikishima Midari nodded seriously, he said: "Alright then, as long as you stop playing dangerous gambles like Quick Knife Finger Stab, I'll agree to be your boyfriend."
"Eh... No, absolutely not!"
Ikishima Midari shook her head like a rattle drum and loudly rejected Ayanokoji: "I can agree to all other conditions, but not this one! I cannot leave gambling. If I can't feel enough stimulation, I'd rather die!"
This person is really addicted to gambling, isn't she...?
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sighed lightly. It was a good thing he hadn't asked Ikishima Midari to quit gambling, otherwise, she probably would have turned on him right then and there.
"Then there's nothing to discuss." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's face hardened: "Unless you promise me not to play such dangerous gambles, I will not agree to you. This is also my principle."
Ikishima Midari lowered her eyes in disappointment. Just as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka thought she had given up, she suddenly said excitedly: "Then if not girlfriend, can I be a friend with benefits!?"
"..."
Ayanokoji couldn't bring himself to refuse, so he cleared his throat, feigning seriousness: "We can try, but before that, you need to recover from your injury."
"Yes, yes!" Ikishima Midari's face flushed, and she nodded excitedly, picking up her chopsticks to eat breakfast.
Her eating manner was not at all ladylike, but it was very real. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka thought she didn't have much of an appetite, so he hadn't brought much food, but in less than three minutes, she had devoured the entire meal.
"Is there more?" Ikishima Midari looked up at Ayanokoji, not at all polite.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka glanced at his phone; it was almost noon. He stood up and said: "What do you want to eat? I'll go to the cafeteria and buy it for you."
Ikishima Midari hesitated for a moment, then said: "That candy you fed me... do you have any more?"
"Do you like this candy that much?"
Ayanokoji deliberately said: "You want candy, huh? Sorry, my candy is only for good kids. As long as you promise me not to play Quick Knife Finger Stab again, I'll give you candy right now."
Ikishima Midari was very tempted, but then she refused.
"No!"
"I knew it..." Ayanokoji rolled his eyes helplessly.
This person is definitely harder to deal with than Saotome Meari.
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