Shoko Komi's Ultimate Challenge
by Ulquiorra9000
Communication 9: poker face
Shoko Komi was used to seeing Najimi Osana hanging out with a gaggle of loud, fun-loving friends in homeroom, at the shoe lockers, in the gym lockers, at the local WcDonald's, and even at the post office, but rarely did Najimi invite Hitohito Tadano to the group, who would be uncomfortable in that crowd anyway. Until one Tuesday morning, that is.
"Tadanooooooo~" Najimi skipped right over, arms held out wide, a cheerful look on their face. "Today, in the empty club room on the second floor. You're in, right?"
Hitohito grinned. "I sure am. I'll bring my A-game this time."
Najimi stuck out their tongue. "You'd better be! Or you'll lose your shirt! See ya!"
Once Najimi skipped back to the usual group of rowdy friends, Shoko gave Hitohito a shocked look and held up her notebook with trembling hands. Are you really going to take off your clothes in front of Najimi?
Hitohito went pink and motioned with his hands. "Wh-what? No, no! It's a figure of speech. Like, you're so in debt you end up giving your shirt to the other person."
Shoko trembled even more. You owe someone money? Are they going to hurt you? She had heard about nasty things the Yakuza did, not that the Yakuza ever did anything around here.
Hitohito motioned frantically. "No way! I mean... Najimi really got me good last time. I had to fold after just a few hands."
Shoko cocked her head. Did you fold your hands? Like, on your lap? She imagined Tadano seated at a table in a business suit, conducting an interview with his hands politely folded on his lap. He looked good in that suit.
Hitohito suddenly grinned. "Oh. You don't play cards, do you?"
My grandmother has a collection of hanafuda cards at her house. They're really pretty.
Hitohito shook his head. "Not those kinds of cards. I mean regular playing cards, like for poker and blackjack."
Shoko gasped. Hitohito and Najimi were gambling with games of chance in the school? Maybe they were in the Yakuza! This explained everything! Shoko fought the urge to inquire about it.
Hitohito glanced at Najimi, then back at Shoko. "Would you care to join us, Komi?"
But... but...! Shoko held up her paper: gambling is illegal in Japan, you know! What if we got caught?
Hitohito laughed it off. "It's okay, Komi. We bet with toy poker chips. They aren't worth anything; it's all just for fun. We get together for some games whenever enough people are free to play."
Oh, that made sense! Shoko sighed with relief and chided herself for thinking that her friends were committing serious crimes on the school campus. In fact, this was a fine opportunity...
Shoko confidently held up her last message for homeroom: I accept your challenge, Tadano!
*o*o*o*o*
"A challenger approaches! It's Shoko Komi!" Makeru Yadano cried, throwing up her hands in excitement when Shoko timidly stepped into the abandoned club room Najimi and Hitohito had told her about. School was over, but the fun was just beginning.
Netsuno Chika folded her arms and nodded. "You got that right, Yadano. This girl's got a fire in her heart! I've seen it for myself. But right now, I've got her at 20 degrees. Not hot enough yet."
"She'll warm up soon enough," Nakanaka said, rubbing her hands. "Komi is a shadow dragon princess, you know. Powerful beings like her must hide their aura or risk crushing everyone around them. Mess with her, and you'll pay!"
Najimi burst out laughing. "Are you talking about that totally rad cosplay you did with her, Nakanaka? That was awesome! Komi the princess!"
"A dragon princess? Make that 40 degrees!" Netsuno declared. "Come on, Komi, join us! Show us what you can do."
"I'll crush her!" Yadano declared, until Najimi slapped her on the head with a deck of cards.
"Time to play, people!" Najimi declared, and a trembling Shoko took a seat at the table in the room's middle with her friends. Najimi shuffled the cards while Nakanaka provided the toy poker chips and handed them out to everyone.
"So, which games do you know, Komi?" Najimi asked once they finished shuffling. "I'm game for anything."
Shoko held up a paper: I've never played these kinds of games before.
"For real? Down to 38 degrees," Netsuno declared, and Shoko gasped in alarm. She was losing heat fast!
Najimi grinned wickedly. "Okay, then let's start you off with somethin' easy, Komi. Blackjack! Get ready!"
Hitohito gave Shoko a reassuring nod, so Shoko rolled her shoulders, tried (and failed) to crack her neck, and tried (and failed) to crack her knuckles. It was time to put on her poker face.
"Everyone place a bet!" Najimi cheered, and Shoko needed a moment to look over her chips and figure out which were worth how much, and what her total value was. Turns out she had 500 value among chips of different kinds, so she wagered a 5 chip. So did Hitohito, while Yadano recklessly bet 100!
Next, Najimi dealt everyone a face-down card. "Only you can look at your card, Komi," Najimi explained. "The rules vary, but this is how we do it. And as the dealer, I get one, too."
Shoko nodded, and checked her card: the five of hearts. Then she gasped in alarm when everyone else suddenly took out sunglasses and put them on. So this was a front for the Yakuza! Oh, no!
"This is to help us maintain a poker face," Hitohito told Shoko kindly, though he looked ten times scarier this way. "If you play with us next time, you can bring sunglasses too, or I'll get a pair for you. It'll help you stay competitive."
Shoko was tempted to hide under the table instead, but she didn't dare back down now. This was a challenge! Go for gold, Olympian Shoko Komi! So, she calmed herself down and allowed Najimi to explain the next part.
"Cards with numbers are worth that value, while face cards are 10," Najimi continued. They looked so weird with those stylish shades on. "And aces can be either 1 or 11; your choice. Now, I'm gonna deal a face-up card to everyone, and you secretly combine the total of your cards for the next part."
Najimi dealt the cards, and Shoko got a four of clubs, meaning she now had 9. Everyone else kept their faces carefully neutral as they got their own cards: Najimi, as the dealer, ended up with the jack of diamonds, Hitohito got the queen of spades, Yadano got the seven of hearts, Netsuno got the six of clubs, and Nakanaka was dealt the three of diamonds.
"Now the fun part!" Najimi declared, clapping their hands together and grinning. "Starting from my left, each player can choose to either stand, meaning they keep the cards they've got, or they say hit, and they get another card and add it to the total. The goal is to get close to 21 or reach it without going bust, or going over 21. When we're all done, whoever has the best hand wins the pot!"
Nakanaka, who was first, smiled wickedly and held her hand over her eyepatched eye, her fingers like claws. "I'm a compulsive gambler, Komi. I can't be stopped! Once the cards hit the table, I go wild!"
She also went bust.
"Gah! Stupid cards!" Nakanaka threw the cards across the table and folded her arms. "Wh-whatever. I didn't want to win, anyway!"
As the shadow dragon princess, Shoko could easily sense the awkward disappointment radiating off the other girl. Poor thing.
"Um... hit," Hitohito said, and Najimi dealt him a six of clubs. Then Hitohito decided to stand, meaning it was now Yadano's turn.
"Hit me! Do it, do it!" Yadano cried, clenching her fists, and Najimi dealt her the three of diamonds. Then, Yadano checked her secret card and chuckled. "Heheheheh. You're going down, Komi! I got a great hand!"
Didn't that ruin the point of sunglasses and a poker face?
Now it was Shoko's turn, and she decided that 9 was far too low, and even with a king or something, she'd be safe. She took a deep breath and timidly said, "Hit."
"Coming right up!" Najimi cheerfully slapped another face-up card onto Shoko's cards: the nine of spades. That doubled Shoko's total to 18, and it felt risky to "hit" for another card. Shoko decided to stand.
"As for me... well..." Netsuno examined her cards. "Hit." She got the seven of hearts, and decided to stand. That left Najimi who, according to their explanation, had to hit if the dealer's total was under 17 and had to stand if the total reached or exceeded that number. Najimi hit once, and then it was time for everyone except Nakanaka (who had busted) to show those cards!
"17 here," Hitohito said, showing his cards. Apparently, that was a very average and unremarkable total to have.
"20!" Yadano practically shouted when she showed her cards, and Shoko nearly jumped out of her skin in alarm. Shoko showed her 18, and then Netsuno revealed her own 18 while Najimi had 19. That meant -
"I won! I did it! I've beaten Komi!" Yadano hollered, standing and throwing her fists into the air. "I may get worse grades and have shorter legs and be worse at situps, but at least I have better game than her!"
"200 degrees," Netsuno decided. How scary!
Shoko was only down by 5, though, so she felt safe betting much more next time: 50. Then everyone got their cards and started hitting and standing, and once again, poor Nakanaka busted, and she threw her shades across the club room in anger (they didn't break). But Shoko also went bust when she asked to hit at 15, and she got the king of spades! Ouch!
"Read 'em and weep, friends," Netsuno said smugly, revealing her total of 21 with four different cards. "Those chips are mine! 300 degrees!" And she scooped up all the cards in the pot.
Hitohito, who had gotten 17 again, laughed it off. "That's too hot for me," he joked. "Anyway, are you having fun, Komi? How do you like blackjack?"
Yakuza vibes aside, Shoko was indeed having fun, and she said as much on her paper.
"The point isn't to have fun! The point is to crush you!" Yadano cried, pointing a dramatic finger at Shoko until Najimi slapped the back of Yadano's head.
"Save it for when you get a natural blackjack," Najimi said snidely.
Yadano rolled up her sleeves. "I shall!"
"350 degrees! Whew!" Netsuno said, fanning herself.
Shoko and her friends played a few more hands until Netsuno ended up winning all the chips, and she declared herself hotter than the Sun itself! She handed all the chips back to Nakanaka and tossed her hair. "You all are 100 years too young to defeat me," she said, smugly using that funny cliche line from shonen anime or whatever. "See you next time!" She took off her shades, picked up her school bag, and slid open the door to go home.
"Well, $#!+!" Yadano cried, clutching her face in dismay. "I have failed once again! Will I be a fool for the rest of my life?!"
"Probably," Nakanaka muttered.
Hitohito, meanwhile, took off his shades and beamed. "Thanks for playing with us, Komi. It was wonderful having you here."
Shoko felt herself blush and hid her face behind her notebook as she told him You're welcome on a fresh page. But as she walked home, Shoko kept reviewing the blackjack session in her head, and determined that with a little more practice, she could become an elite compulsive gambler herself! She swore to look up the rules to every casino game out there after doing homework this evening, and borrow some of Shosuke's spare sunglasses. This! Wasn't! Over!
*o*o*o*o*
Shoko got her chance for round 2 on Friday, when the same group of friends got together in the same empty club room for some good old-fashioned poker. Shoko felt so ready for this! She even brought some sunglasses she had borrowed from an amused Shosuke, and did her best to look imposing. Did it work?
"Bwahahahaha! Komi thinks she's tough!" Najimi hooted as they shuffled the deck. "But at least you have a poker face this time!"
Apparently, it didn't work.
Anyway, Shoko delicately took a seat between Nakanaka and Netsuno, and did her best to maintain that poker face when Najimi dealt the cards. Shoko had to appear calm and cool! Everyone else did, after all, and not even Yadano made a funny face when she looked at her cards. She didn't even chew on her thumb, which was saying a lot.
Hmmmmm, was this a good hand? Shoko had stayed up late on Tuesday night studying a wide variety of games, and she panicked slightly when she realized that she had forgotten all the hands by now. Shoot! Was it good to have three of the same suit? Or three of the same number value? Uh-oh!
Shoko pushed her sunglasses up her nose and calmed herself down. Stay cool, girl! The game's just starting. She'll figure it out as she goes.
"Tadano! How many cards ya want?" Najimi asked cheerily. Hitohito hesitated for a few seconds, then handed over two cards and added the replacements to his hand. His poker face was rock-solid. Impressive.
"One card! Gimme!" Yadano cried, and she flung a card at Najimi, who actually caught it in their teeth to show off. Yadano got her new card, her eyes unreadable behind her sunglasses.
Shoko trembled when it was her turn. Which cards should she give up? What kind of hand should she try to make? Her mind was going in circles! And she had bet an awful lot on this round!
Shoko timidly slid two cards across the table to Najimi, opting to copy Hitohito's move and hope for the best. She now had a king of hearts, a jack of clubs, a seven of diamonds, a five of spades, and an ace of hearts. What hand did that form? Could Shoko win with this?
Nope!
"Everyone has called. Bets are locked in. Show me those hands!" Najimi hollered, and Shoko presented her hand while checking out everyone else's. Then Nakanaka stood up and pumped her gloved fists.
"Full house!" she cheered. "The dragon force is truly smiling upon me this day! Bwahahahahaha!"
"Did Lady Luck get replaced?" Netsuno commented lightly as she turned in her hand.
Shoko had no idea what to say about that. She was just trying to keep all the rules from various card games straight in her mind. She had even studied Bridge, just in case.
Now it was time for the second session, and Shoko bet 75 worth of chips and got a new hand... with three twos! That had to be something! Shoko traded in two cards to get an even better hand, but she ended up with an eight and a three, so a trio of twos would have to suffice. Shoko upped her bet to 100 chips, and while Hitohito folded, everyone else called, so it was time for the big reveal!
"H... here," Shoko said softly, gesturing at her cards, her heart racing.
"Oooooooh! Three of a kind," Najimi said, clapping their hands together under their chin. "Can anyone beat that? Yup! Netsuno's got it!"
"Three of a kind, nines!" Netsuno declared happily. "That's 450 degrees. Yowch!"
Shoko hung her head and handed over her cards for another shuffle. Surely she'd get a decent hand...!
Round 3 was terrifying. Hitohito had the guts to bet 150, and then Yadano raised to 175, and Shoko had to call that, and then Nakanaka raised to an incredible 200! The wager went up to 210, then 220, then 230, and Shoko decided to cut her losses and fold. Her hand didn't have anything interesting in it, anyway.
"What? My rival can't just give up like that!" Yadano protested. She slapped a hand on the table. "Call, Komi, and face me!"
"475 degrees!" Netsuno announced. "Yadano's getting hot!"
Shoko was fine with being 0 degrees if it meant folding! She insisted, then watched everyone reveal their hands. Yadano had a fit when Hitohito, of all people, won the round with his two of a kind aces. Everyone's hands were pretty weak this time around, and Najimi and Nakanaka didn't have anything at all. Yadano did have two fives, but that couldn't beat Hitohito's hand.
Shoko adjusted her sunglasses again and dared herself to go big or go home, like a true gambling queen! Netsuno couldn't see it, but Shoko was on fire on the inside, and she didn't flinch when she lost a hand to Najimi's three of a kind jacks. Shoko only had a small collection of chips left, while Hitohito and Nakanaka had the biggest piles. It was all or nothing...!
After losing another round with some modest bets, Shoko wagered everything she had left, and studied her hand. A two, three, and queen of hearts, a seven of spades, and an eight of diamonds. Shoko handed in those last two cards on a whim, deciding to simply let Lady Luck (not the dragon force) decide her fate. Shoko calmly accepted two cards from Najimi, then stifled a gasp. She had to maintain her poker face when she saw her new hand, packed with heart cards! This was it!
Shoko was all in, and so were her wonderful friends, and they had poker faces to match. Najimi asked to see those cards, and everyone obliged. Hitohito had a three of a kind on fives, Yadano had nothing, Shoko had her hearts, Nakanaka had nothing, Netsuno had two of a kind kings, and Najimi had nothing.
Everyone stared at Shoko's hand.
"WHOOOOOO! KOMI WINS!" Najimi hollered, cupping both hands to their mouth, while Hitohito gave Shoko a warm smile and Yadano had a fit and Nakanaka face-palmed at how badly she had lost.
"A flush of hearts! That's a million degrees, girl!" Netsuno cried, and she offered a high five that Shoko meekly returned. Netsuno took off her sunglasses and beamed. "I've been underestimating you, Komi. You have the heart of a champion not only in baton races, but in the gambling halls! Incredible!"
Honestly, Shoko had just played with some cards and got lucky, but Netsuno was being nice, so Shoko didn't dare contradict her. She simply nodded and collected her winnings, and Najimi declared the games over for today, probably so Shoko the rookie could savor her victory.
"Good games. See you next time," Hitohito said kindly to Shoko before leaving, and Shoko took her leave soon after that, feeling like a true gambler. She confidently strode down the halls, changed shoes at the lockers, and strutted home, quietly humming to herself the entire time. People were still giving her funny looks, but she was used to that by now. No big deal.
"Ah! Welcome back, Shoko - what the?!" Shuko yelped when her daughter swaggered into the house. She clutched her face in horror.
Shoko cocked her head. What's wrong? she thought.
Shuko trembled. "Sh... Shoko... oh my!" She fanned herself.
It took Shoko a second to realize what was going on, then she jumped and let out a squeak of terror. She was still wearing Shosuke's sunglasses!
I was just borrowing these from Shosuke to impress my friends! Shoko thought frantically, and she hastily took them off. I'm not doing anything bad, mom!
Shuko held a hand to her heart. "Goodness, I hardly recognized you, Shoko! I forgot that Shosuke even had those. Be sure to give them back to him, okay?"
I will, mom. Shoko took off her shoes and hurried up the stairs to her brother's room to return those shades. She handed them over with a quick word of thanks.
What did you need these for, anyway, big sis? Shosuke's aloof expression asked.
Shoko made a tiny smile. I used them to win it all, Shosuke. See you at dinner! She turned and skipped out of the room to go do her homework in her room. Challenge... complete!
