Three deaths in a matter of a few days was a shock to everyone. Junko's murder at the hands of Monokuma had brought Yasuhiro Hagakure's carefree world crashing down around him; Maizono's brutal murder had been like a punch to the gut, that the killing game was real, and scarily so; Leon's execution had been so many levels of messed up, Hagakure did his best to forget it had happened. It had shaken the group of survivors to the core, and no-one wanted to speak or even get out of bed in the morning under the current circumstances. All except, of course, Kiyotaka Ishimaru. It must've been in the early hours of the morning when the notes had found their ways under the doors of the students, written as neatly as you'd expect from the ultimate moral compass.
"We cannot overcome these hideous events if we do not come together! It is in my opinion, thereby, as the leader of our merry band that we gather in the dining hall (though running in the corridors is strictly forbidden, even under the current circumstances) for a game of poker, headed up by our very own ultimate gambler, Celestia Ludenberg! Rules to be explained upon arrival! DO NOT BE LATE!" - Signed, Kiyotaka Ishimaru.
Hagakure had never played poker. He'd never gambled in his life, as a matter of fact; his tarot readings had been very clear on how he should approach that subject. Nevertheless, respect towards Ishimaru and an overwhelming fear of what should happen if he were to disobey him, led Hagakure to the dining hall. The double doors to the largest room on the first floor were shut tightly, an air of foreboding hanging over them. Hagakure had a 12th sense for detecting foreboding air and since arriving in Hope's Peak, his foreboding airometer had been reacting non-stop. His peers seemed keen to ignore any mention he made of his 12th sense, yet Hagakure knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that something was off about this whole affair. He clutched one of his assorted crystal balls under one arm, took a deep breath to calm his nerves, and pushed the door the dining hall open.
"YOU" Came a booming voice from within. Hagakure shrieked, his crystal ball crashing to the floor and rolling towards his classmates gathered around a table, covered in poker chips, cards and all sorts of food from the kitchen. "I expected better of you, Yasuhiro Hagakure! Your tardiness is unforgivable! You are exactly..." Ishimaru paused, suddenly aware of how he could no longer tell the time given that the hands of every clock in the school had been removed "you are LATE, Yasuhiro! Explain yourself!"
"Dude, I didn't do it on purpose, I swear!" Hagakure's arms were thrown over his head, clasped together in prayer to Buddha, Jesus, any deity with the decency to save him for Ishimaru's wrath. "My foreboding airometer was going off the scale, dude! I was just playing it safe, don't hurt meeeeeeee!"
"Hey, c'mon, asshole. Knock it off." Mondo was reclining in one of the dining room's chairs, his feet resting on the table. "Fuckin' bullshit game anyway, could be doin' fifty other fuckin' things with my time right now." Ishimaru's rage was now directed at no one but Mondo.
"It's highly important, Mondo! We must overcome the pain of losing our comrades together if we are to ever escape this place! Someone of your low intellect may have trouble understanding that concept but I-"
"What did you just FUCKIN' SAY TO ME, ASSHOLE?!" Mondo was up now, lunging towards Ishimaru without a second thought. Hagakure shrieked again.
"SILENCE!" Celeste's voice cut through the air like hot knife through butter. She stood at the head of the table, hands flat on the desk, her expression blank. Ishimaru and Mondo froze, the rest of the students staring at her as if in awe. In the blink of an eye, a smile danced upon her lips and Celeste giggled. "I can assure all of you that this game is going to be anything but a waste of time." A series of grunts from Mondo were all the response Celeste got. "In a life in which killing your friends is a certainty, and a trial can mean life and death, the ability to lie is highly important. It is thereby vital that you all understand a game such as poker. We wouldn't want the class trials to be too easy now, would we?" Celeste's smile was unwavering, her eyes closed to hide any form of emotion. Hagakure found himself shrieking again.
"I was right! My foreboding airometer was right! There was something super weird about this whole thing, we're all gonna dieeeeeeeeeeeee!"
"C-Celeste! This is not the reason we're gathered to play poker!" Ishimaru put in. "We are here to grow our bonds with our peers! To forget about the horror we have witnessed over the last few..."
"The woman has a point." Togami's smirk was undeniably creepy but his voice was enough to calm the screams. "For those of us who wish for some form of enjoyment regarding this so called killing game, skills such as lying and bluffing are a necessity." Hagakure's crystal ball came to a rest by the Ultimate Affluent Progeny's feet. Without a second of hesitation, Togami scooped it into his arms and placed it on the table. "Money is, obviously, absent from this slum of a school so something else will have to serve as the prize. I, for one, see no better prize than this... thing."
"Uh, wait a second, dude! That's my limited edition crystal ba-"
"It appears as though no-one else has any objections either. In which case, I suggest all you commoners calm down, take a seat, and take Celeste up on her offer. It would certainly make this game far less of a waste of my time knowing that at least some useful skills would have been passed onto my opponents." Togami placed the crystal ball in the centre of the table and smirked once more, arms folded.
"Excellent!" Celeste piped up, her smile still fixed upon her face. "Then let us begin!"
x
Poker was, as it turned out, complicated. Only two of the students had played before; Celeste, of course, was undefeated as the Ultimate Gambler and Mondo spent the majority of the game boasting about how he been not only the leader of the Crazy Diamonds, but an unbeatable poker champion in his home town. Yamada seemed more interested with the cards themselves, claiming that they were part of a collectors edition Demon Angel * Pudgy Pudgy Princess set, one that sold for thousands of dollars on the internet. His finger was pointed at Celeste for most of the first few hands, yelling at her on how a "non-fan could never acquire such things from under his nose!" Needless to say, Yamada was out of chips within the first few rounds, constantly raising bluffs and demanding that the cards be added to the winnings. Asahina seemed fairly nonplussed with poker as a game; games required more running around, more physical activity than the sitting down a card game required. With Sakura's help, Asahina was able to last a short while longer than Yamada, but she too was out of chips in a matter of hands. Sakura was skilled at poker, her emotionless face proving a nightmare to play against, though left the room when Asahina was eliminated, forfeiting from the game and saying that working out was more important than winning a meaningless prize; Ishimaru was annoyed by this statement, though Hagakure could not quite comprehend how anyone could view a crystal ball as rare as his as 'meaningless'. Fukawa, too, was not exactly skilled at poker; she dedicated the whole game to her 'master' and only bet when Togami did. Togami's hands were either always high scorers or a highly successful bluff, whilst Fukawa never scored higher than an ace high. Losing out to Togami on a multitude of different hands, Fukawa was eliminated and left in tears. Ishimaru refused to play; the organiser of the entire affair, he had been under the impression that they would not be playing for a prize. That, by all accounts, was gambling and was in his own words "only two steps away from pure evil!" Taking on the role of the dealer instead, the Ultimate Moral Compass spent the majority of the game muttering to himself about how everyone was breaking about 50 school rules by committing this "vile sin". With 5 players eliminated, it boiled down to six survivors for the final hands.
True to his word, Mondo Owada was pretty damn good at poker. His hands hovered over his large pile of chips that seemed to grow with every passing hand. Constantly betting big and simply out-bluffing his opponents, Mondo spent most of the game with a large grin on his face; one that Hagakure found highly intimidating. Byakuya Togami took to poker like he took to everything. Of the six players remaining, Togami sat comfortably in his chair, cards held casually in one hand, feet resting on Fukawa's now empty seat. His pile of chips was equal in size to Mondo's, far greater than the three less talented players remaining. Makoto Naegi was simply lucky. The cards seemed to fall his way in dire situations, Mondo ruling that his "Ultimate Lucky Bullshit" was cheating and demanding he be removed from the game. Togami was quick to point out that Naegi lost nearly as much as he won, and that Mondo was a colossal fool for failing to realise that. It took nearly twenty minutes to calm the gang leader down. Kyoko Kirigiri was proving a good hand at the game; she was hard to read and even better at reading others, though her chip pile rarely grew. Usually folding after the blinds had been posted and only playing when she was confident, the walking mystery was beginning to get on Mondo's nerves, and Togami was growing equally frustrated. Hagakure was surprised at his ability to play poker; he was able to lie pretty convincingly and was very good at celebrating when he won a hand. This was all he was good at. Hagakure had absolutely no idea about what a three of a kind was, how a straight flush was any different to a royal one (he assumed it was something to do with the plumbing) and didn't exactly know why a king was worth less than a boring old ace. That said, the ultimate clairvoyant figured he had to win. It was his crystal ball they were playing for... and he needed to get that back. Celeste was a monster. Her pile of chips was simply enormous and Hagakure couldn't help but stare at her as she raked in pot after pot of winnings. They clearly hadn't been lying when they'd said Celeste was the Ultimate Gambler.
"Well, uh..." Naegi broke the silence, concentration etched on the faces of those gathered around the table. "This has certainly been..."
The doors to the dining hall slammed open. Hagakure screamed and hid under the table.
"JESUS! BUDDHA! MIGHTY DEITIES OF THE NETHERREALM! PROTECT MEEEEEE!"
"Guys!" It was Asahina's voice, Hagakure realised, exhaling in relief and pulling himself out from under the table. Sakura stood flanking her, both drenched in sweat and panting from their work out. "We... Monokuma... night time... five minutes..."
"I think the poor scatterbrain left a few verbs outside." Togami smirked to himself and Naegi shot him a look.
"Hina... calm down and try again. What was that about Monokuma?" Naegi asked, staring at the two women in the doorway.
"The bear approached us as we were leaving our dormitory to check on you all." Sakura's voice seemed to echo around the room, an eerie silence now over it. "The game has not escaped his notice and he asked us to remind you that the night time rule is still in place. The doors to the dining hall are to be locked in five minutes and it will still be scene as trespassing. Under the circumstances, I think it's best if you pack up your things and-"
"The game isn't over." Celeste's eyes were locked with Sakura's, her cold smile still etched on her face. "It needs to be finished. We can't leave without a winner. That's not how poker works."
"Now, come along Celeste!" Ishimaru was sweating. "If Mr. Monokuma wants us to leave the hall then it's our duty to follow his orders! He is the headmaster after all!" Mondo's fist smashed onto the table, his neatly stacked chips cascading everywhere.
"He's a fuckin' black and white bear who's beggin' for someone to kick his stuffing out. We play until the game's done." Ishimaru huffed.
"I will NOT allow your stupidity to put the other students at danger! Don't you UNDERSTAND?! We have to get out of here!"
"Maybe Taka's right, you guys!" Naegi piped up. "We can just... carry on tomorrow or something! Or we just call it a draw!"
"Gambling is about two things," Celeste was glaring at Naegi now. "winners and losers. A draw is merely another way of saying you lost. I never lose." Her smile was unwavering and Hagakure gulped.
"If the Ultimate Gambler says a draw is impossible, it's impossible." Togami said, cocking his head. "Now, Celeste, is there anyway we can hurry this up? I need to discard that worthless object in my trash can as proof of my accomplishments."
"YOU OFFERED UP MY CRYSTAL BALL SO YOU COULD THROW IT IN THE FRICKIN' TRASH?!" Hagakure screeched from the other side of the table.
"I suggest," Kirigiri's voice had not been heard all game and it caused the assembled party to falter. "We simply make this last hand the decider. Winner takes all."
"What a load of fuckin' bullshit!" Mondo roared. "That's not fuckin' winning!"
"On the contrary," Celeste spoke up again, her smile dancing "I agree with Kyoko. This last hand is the decider. Taka, if you would kindly deal?"
x
The last hand was suddenly a big deal. Ishimaru hands were shaking as he quickly laid the flop on the table, five cards facing down. He then dealt two cards to the six assembled, Sakura and Asahina standing beside him as the players looked at their hands. Hagakure stared at his cards. A two and a three, both hearts. He frowned.
"Awwww..." He audibly moaned.
"Shut up." Mondo growled from the corner. Ishimaru flipped over three of the five cards on the table; a four, and two kings. Hagakure slumped more in his seat.
"Awwwwwwwwwwwww..." He moaned again, staring at his crystal ball, longingly.
"It's... it's your turn to post the blinds guys. Naegi, you're the small." Naegi fumbled around in his small pile of chips, gathering up enough to post the small blind and pushing them into the centre of the table. Kirigri posted next, a larger handful. Sitting to Kirigiri's right, Togami smirked.
"Bet." He said simply, flicking in some chips, a larger amount than Kirigiri's for certain. Mondo matched Togami, his grimace growing with every passing second.
The gathered then looked to Hagakure. The clairvoyant was barely visible, his head resting on the table in sheer disappointment. "Fiiiiiine..." He whined, calling Togami's bet.
"Oh, most certainly call." Celeste smiled and matched Togami; Togami tch'd and cocked his head, smirking. Naegi folded after a long pause, Ishimaru constantly prodding him and telling him to hurry it up, with Kirigiri also matching Togami. Practically jumping with impatience, Ishimaru flipped the fourth card over; a five. Togami smirked.
"Things just got interesting." He said. Celeste looked happy. Kirigiri was emotionless. Hagakure looked confused. Mondo looked furious. Once again, the players placed their bets. Togami bet big again, Mondo pounding his fist on the table before calling. Celeste was in too, and when it came to Hagakure he simply pushed his chips in without thinking. Chances were slim, but Buddha might still grant him a pair of threes. Kirigiri folded this round and left without a word.
"Get out in time." She said simply, her voice like ice.
Ishimaru flipped the last card over; a six. Mondo's face was one of pure rage.
"I swear to God..." He growled. Hagakure didn't get it, but everyone seemed fascinated. Togami checked, Mondo grimaced and did the same and Hagakure followed suit. Celeste bet a little; Togami matched without hesitation, Mondo pushing in some chips with a face like thunder and Hagakure simply went along with everything and stayed in.
"Uhhh... please... ummm..." Ishimaru gulped. "Reveal your hands?" The players were unsure as to whether Ishimaru was asking a question. Togami quickly flipped his cards: a king and a nine. A high scoring three of a kind. Mondo smashed his cards on the table and roared in Togami's face. Togami did not seem phased once he saw Mondo's nothing hand, a pair of sevens. It would not be enough to win Mondo the game under the circumstances.
"Fuck this... and fuck all of you! I lost, doesn't mean I'm gonna fuckin' bite the dust!" Mondo stood and his chair fell to floor, his long coat billowing out behind him. Hagakure and Togami stared at Celeste who calmly flipped her cards. A king and a six; a full house. Togami's smug expression remained.
"It seems... I will have to watch out for you," Togami grinned "as expected, the ultimate gambler is truly a worthy opponent."
"The clairvoyant is who you have to watch out for." Celeste smiled, looking at Hagakure's hand. Togami gaped.
"Wh... what the? What is the meaning of this?"
"Huh?" Hagakure scratched his head. "But I lost, right? I mean... I've got a two and a three! Yeah! Yeah I lost!"
"Geez, don't sound so happy about it!" Asahina groaned.
"The suits, Yasuhiro." Celeste smiled. "The four, five and six are all hearts. And so are your cards. It's a straight flush. You've won."
Hagakure looked dumbfounded as Togami stormed out of the room in silence, muttering something about the whole situation being ridiculous and how Hagakure didn't have the brains to kill him.
x
The dining room doors swung shut as Hagakure, Asahina, Sakura, Celeste and Ishimaru all exited the room.
"Well... I think it's time I hit the hay." Asahina yawned, stretching and heading off down the corridor. "Night guys!" She called out as Sakura nodded and headed after her.
"A remarkable victory! The underdog! The underdog!" Yelled Ishimaru as he walked, briskly, down the corridor to his bedroom. Hagakure stared at the crystal ball under his arm, still amazed at what had just happened.
"I won?" Hagakure said, though he wasn't sure if he was stating or asking. Celeste nodded.
"You won." She said, the smile still etched on her face. "Remarkably so. A straight flush is very rare, I've seen it maybe twice in my career and... my career is a storied one. And your bluffing fooled everyone. To keep a ruse like that going all game? Everyone thought you were nothing more than a fool. Wonderful work, if I am allowed to say so. Perhaps it is you who should take on the role of the Ultimate Gambler, no?" Hagakure shuffled from foot to foot.
"Well... I dunno about that. I... I didn't really know what I was doing, y'know? I just sorta... happened to win. I mean... that coulda happened to anyone, right? Like... I guess I just wanted to win bad enough... and something musta happened in my past life... and I guess karma got me my crystal ball back!"
"I am not sure what you mean but nevertheless, that ball must be very important to you for you to stay in the game even after you thought you'd lost. Your cards were nothing special, excluding their suits, and the flop did you no favours. Why stay in? What does that ball mean to you?" Celeste's question caught Hagakure off guard. Was she actually curious about him? Did she care? Hagakure had simply assumed Celeste cared for no-one but herself but... maybe... could it be?
"Well..." Hagakure patted the crystal ball under his arm. "This here is a limited edition glass crystal ball from Mexico! I got it from a salesman at some convention a while back! Cost me a frickin' fortune too; nearly a decade's worth of fortune telling sessions! It's pretty neat, y'know? Really gives you a good connection to the spirit realm! Hey you're welcome to try it one..." It was at this point, Hagakure noticed Celeste was laughing. And not a stifled giggle either, a full on laugh. Hagakure couldn't help but laugh too. "Wh-what's so funny?" He asked.
"It bounced, Yasuhiro." Celeste chuckled. "When it hit the floor, the ball bounced and rolled over to Togami. You saw it happen. I have no idea what it's made of, but it's certainly not glass." Hagakure's face fell and he raised the crystal ball above his head, looking at it from every angle for cracks or smashes; anything to indicate that Celeste was in fact wrong and that the ball was glass through and through. It wasn't. Hagakure dropped to his knees and sighed.
"Not again..." Celeste chuckled and patted Hagakure on the shoulder.
"You are certainly one of a kind in stupidity, Yasuhiro. I shall have to keep you in mind. Sleep well." Celeste walked off down the corridor, Hagakure watching her walk away.
"I'll have to keep you in mind..." Hagakure muttered to himself. "Wait... does this mean... does she LIKE me?"