"Nino, you're making Shiratori uncomfortable like this."
Nino was on the verge of frustration. She might not care about reputation, but she couldn't let Hakuto end up breaking his word.
"You idiot, Yotsuba! How could you lose?!" Nino muttered under her breath.
In her eyes, if Miku was going to win, then it would have been better for Yotsuba to be the leader instead.
Now, she had no choice but to squat in the corner and wait for the arrival of her "loser" life...
"Do you think... Shiratori was just joking from the very beginning?"
Nino took back her previous words.
Nino didn't care if Hakuto was joking (×)
As long as Nino won, it wouldn't be a joke (✓)
Ginko sat on the side, watching the drama unfold. She found it even more entertaining than most movies!
After all, no young idol actor could possibly portray the emotional rollercoaster Nino was experiencing.
A mix of hesitation, anger, helplessness, and, finally, a touch of unwillingness!
It was simply perfect!
Unfortunately, Ginko had missed Nino and Ichika's earlier conversation. Otherwise, she might have blown up and stopped the bet right then and there!
As for Hakuto, he had no intention of holding back. Whether it was against Yotsuba or Miku, he went all out from the start!
Well... maybe not entirely all out. After all, he hadn't activated his advanced calculations yet. But using those against amateur players would have been way too unfair.
Still, he couldn't afford to lose. Not only was Ginko watching him closely from afar, but the stakes were also too high—becoming someone else's underling...
Hakuto hadn't been a boss for years, but that didn't mean he wanted to be someone else's lackey.
Obeying orders... Ugh, just thinking about it sent shivers down his spine!
As expected, with Hakuto going full force, Miku, who had just stepped up, quickly fell as well.
"How... could this happen..."
Miku bit her lip lightly, her eyes locked onto the board.
Just like Yotsuba, all of her pieces had been wiped out by Hakuto, completely and utterly!
"Not even seventy moves..."
She had been extremely cautious, focusing only on lasting at least seventy moves.
But despite that, she still lost, and not much better than Yotsuba—defeated in just sixty moves.
"Thank you for the match..." Hakuto smiled. "Don't worry, Miku. I'll pick the perfect practice tests for you."
Miku's face instantly turned red at his words!
It was unclear whether it was from embarrassment or sheer frustration.
She puffed out her cheeks, glaring at Hakuto.
"Why are you looking at me like that...?"
"You... you did it on purpose, didn't you?"
"What do you mean? I didn't say anything."
Hakuto waved his hands dismissively, trying to distance himself from the situation. It had only been a joke, but these sisters took it way too seriously. Not his fault!
Now that they'd lost, they had no choice but to obediently do their practice tests. No more complaining!
"Huh? Miku, you lost too?"
Hearing that Miku had been defeated, Yotsuba shot up from the ground like a bear waking from hibernation and crouched behind her.
"Ah, Yotsuba, you're awake. Perfect. I'll go grab your 100 practice tests now. You can start early."
"One-one-hundred tests?!"
"Yeah, wasn't that what you asked for?"
Yotsuba thought for a moment. That was true—she had never considered the possibility of losing.
At the time, she could have even said ten thousand tests without hesitation!
"How did Nino actually manage to beat Itsuki in an eating contest..."
She felt like her entire life was about to be ruined by those 100 practice tests.
"What's wrong? You look upset... Is 100 tests too few?"
"N-no, Shiratori-sensei, you're mistaken. I'm still unconscious..."
Saying that, Yotsuba suddenly flopped face-down onto the ground, closing her eyes and staying completely still—looking as if she had really passed out.
Hakuto didn't say anything. It didn't matter what Yotsuba tried—those 100 tests weren't going anywhere.
Miku's defeat reignited Nino's fighting spirit from the corner!
"Miku... lost?"
At first, she couldn't believe it. But once reality sank in, her face lit up with excitement!
"It looks like fate is still on my side."
She lifted her chin slightly, savoring the fresh air—it had never smelled sweeter!
But at that moment, Ichika passed by her, speaking casually.
"Nino, it's my turn next."
"Huh?! Weren't you just here to watch?"
"I told you, the idea of being Shiratori's boss is pretty tempting."
"Hah?"
Nino stumbled back a few steps, looking utterly devastated.
What kind of situation was this?!
First, her sisters had been scheming to make Hakuto their underling, and now they were betraying her?!
It was like every tragic protagonist's script had been dumped onto her!
"Sigh... greed..."
Itsuki, who had been watching from the sidelines, now felt more confident than ever.
She was the only observer of Miku's match.
Maybe Yotsuba had underestimated Hakuto, but Miku hadn't.
After seeing their match, Itsuki quickly calculated that if she had played instead, she would have met the same fate.
In other words, Hakuto had the upper hand from the very start. He was just waiting for them to fall into his trap.
"So... is being the boss really that tempting?"
She shook her head.
Even though both Yotsuba and Miku had lost in less than two minutes, the remaining two were still eager to fight.
Was it really worth it? Wouldn't doing ten fewer practice tests be better?
What she didn't know was that, whether she fought for the position or not, those ten tests were already guaranteed for her!
And now!
With no time to mourn Miku's defeat, the next to step onto the battlefield was—
The eldest of the five sisters! Ichika!
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