99 What does Hikigaya want to play? Then let him play it~
"Hikigaya, you really are—"
"—someone a girl can't say no to!"
It was Naoko who spoke, her gaze at Hikigaya misted over with a soft peach-pink haze. She had been completely captivated by this man who dispelled the confusion in her heart.
'If it's for him… then becoming a private livestock wouldn't be so bad. At least, he's a man I can rely on.'
'It has to be him…'
'What do you think, little sister?'
Naoko used her eyes to convey her desire to submit to her sister, Houko.
'We sisters… will be together forever, big sis.'
With sisterly affection, Houko gave Naoko her support. Good sisters are meant to be together for a lifetime, never separating—not even when it comes to men.
"Then let's lose this game—together!"
Naoko took a deep breath and slammed her cards onto the table, using her actions to show Shimotsukiuri Ouri the choice she had made.
"Clubs 3!"
Shimotsukiuri Ouri nearly lost it. "You… Ougatou Naoko, are you crazy?! You just had to say it out loud!"
Why? Why did it turn out like this?!
Could it be that Hikigaya Hachiman's words had that much power?
For the first time, Shimotsukiuri Ouri felt lost. She was starting to… lose her ability to see through people's hearts.
In all her investigations, the Ougatou sisters were the proud type who cared immensely about their image—there's no way they could accept the shame of becoming private livestock. So why now? Why would they willingly give up on themselves?!
'Did I do something wrong? Why would they rather become Hikigaya's livestock than rush to the safe zone I set up??'
"Ougatou… you…" It was Saotome's turn to play, but she hesitated.
At this moment, her emotions were complex. From being mocked by the Ougatou sisters at the beginning, to now cooperating in harmony—those same sisters were even volunteering to lose to save her from her suffering.
"Don't overthink it, Saotome. I just want to stay with my sister."
Naoko's words snapped Saotome out of her daze and forced her to make a decision. "I see… I get it now."
"Clubs 6!"
Now fully awakened, Houko resumed her usual haughty, seductive demeanor. She covered her mouth and stared directly at Hikigaya.
"Big sister, becoming a guy's private livestock… is really kind of thrilling, huh?"
"This feeling of being under someone's control… it really makes me burn with rage."
Ougatou Houko flipped her hair, and without hesitation, threw down her hand, one odd-numbered Clubs card after another, all revealed on the table.
Her resolve was more than clear.
"You underestimated the human heart, Shimotsukiuri Ouri." Hikigaya rested his chin in his hands, his eyes gleaming with the will of a wise god, locking eyes with Shimotsukiuri Ouri and forcing her to face him.
"You wanted to rescue the regular students in the Full-Bloom Association who had become livestock."
"But at the same time, you ridiculed the very traits that make them human."
"Clumsy, slow-witted… even the dignity they have as human beings, you trample on. Shimotsukiuri Ouri—someone like you… is truly despicable."
"Thanks to your arrogance, the 'wisdom of us commoners' was able to unite and drag you down."
"Now, are you feeling fear?"
Hikigaya's words were like ghostly claws, howling through the air as they closed in on Shimotsukiuri Ouri to claim her soul.
The suffocating pressure made Shimotsukiuri's body tremble uncontrollably as she stepped backward. With a loud thud, she collapsed in a daze onto the floor.
"N-no, I didn't mean to…"
"Judge the actions, not the heart," Hikigaya recited. "No matter what your intentions were, you've already betrayed your original purpose. You've insulted the dignity of the very people you meant to save."
A finishing blow—completely irrefutable.
Hikigaya Hachiman had absolutely no intention of showing mercy to Shimotsukiuri Ouri. He understood perfectly well that a "smart person" like her was the type to get stuck in her own logic.
Always chanting about "belief" and "ideals" as her code of action—Hikigaya had already seen through her thought process.
In her mind, the livestock in the Full-Bloom Association were pitiable people—victims she had to go out of her way to tolerate and help.
But when it came to facing her enemies—namely the Ougatou sisters—that high-and-mighty attitude, that deep-seated contempt, was real. She had already cast them as nothing more than stray cats.
She truly, from the bottom of her heart, despised those "stray cats."
This was something that perhaps even she herself had never realized—until she was mercilessly exposed by Hikigaya.
Shimotsukiuri Ouri's convictions had long since been subtly warped under the influence of Mibuomi Aoi. She had become a hypocritical villainess—waving the flag of righteousness while committing acts of cruelty.
A corrupted girl like her... she needed moral reformation!
"There's no point in comparing scores anymore." Hikigaya casually tossed an even-numbered Club card onto the table.
[1st Place: Hikigaya Hachiman – 31 points]
[2nd Place: Shimotsukiuri Ouri – 30 points]
"Ougatou Naoko, fourth. Ougatou Houko, fifth."
"So, you've lost, Shimotsukiuri Ouri."
You lost...
You lost...
I... lost...
Shimotsukiuri Ouri clutched her head in agony, her face twisted in despair. She couldn't accept this brutal reality.
She had done so much to prepare for this match—pouring in manpower, digging deep into background info on the Ougatou sisters. And yet... she lost. Without even a chance to fight back.
The real fool... was her all along, wasn't it?
Why didn't they just let her fall to dead last, so she could die and be done with it? Anything but this humiliating second place… forced to live on in disgrace.
Remembering the insults she hurled at the Ougatou sisters just moments ago… Shimotsukiuri Ouri fell deeper into confusion.
"What the hell… have I even been doing?"
Staggering, she scrambled up from the ground, stumbling as she fled the room in a daze. The convictions she had held since entering Hyakkaou Academy were utterly shattered by this one match.
Hikigaya Hachiman silently watched her fleeing back.
If Shimotsukiuri Ouri was properly disciplined, she could actually be a very useful tool.
And for that, he didn't mind waiting—for her to undergo her metamorphosis.
"Let the bullet fly for a while."
He still firmly believed in one thing:
True goodness will always prevail.
Hikigaya Hachiman's face was calm as he looked toward the slightly nervous twin sisters standing in front of him.
He clearly understood the anxiety on their faces—of course they were worried. Worried that he wouldn't keep his promise. That he'd force them to uphold their original bet.
Hyakkaou Academy had a special Oversight Committee responsible for ensuring the execution of gambling contracts. In other words, if the winner willed it, no one could defy them.
If he gave the order, the two delicate girls before him would become his private playthings. Whether he wanted to do... they'd have no ability to resist.
But—Hikigaya Hachiman was a man beyond base desires.
He opened his mouth and said: