Aoi liked to call himself ambitious.
In a way, he was. Ranked amongst the best academics and athletes in the school, plus a position as the Treasurer in the Student Council, and a fiancée belonging to one of the richest families in Japan. Not only that, but soon the current president would be leaving. At the end of the very year, in fact. And presidency over Hyakkaou would be prime for the taking.
The campaign had already begun, really. Small funds from the student council he had allotted to his own accounts. Bribe money had been prepared in advance, as well as a group of students who were willing to advocate for him.
He was ambitious in many respects. Or so he liked to think.
.
"Are you alright?" Walking, talking to her felt so ridiculously routine, and it annoyed Aoi to no end. Miharutaki Sakura was nice- well, more than nice- but she just didn't get it a lot of the time.
The problem? Aoi absolutely detested his fiancée. There was just something so irritatingly perfect, yet off-putting about her. Aoi would look in the mirror sometimes, only to see her eyes- a cold, authoritative, icy blue, boring into him, analysing him, rather than his own, paler baby blues.
It chilled him a little. The fact that he and her had such similar physical attributes yet were so different in character.
Aoi was a cheater through and through, because he believed that the end justified the means, but Sakura? Oh no, Little Miss Perfect always did everything the "right way". Talking to her never failed to irritate him, but he never allowed it to show.
"I'm fine." He forced a smile, determinedly looking away from whatever condescending concern Sakura had to offer to him.
"Are you listening to me?" Her voice turned sharp in less than a moment, dismissing his noncommittal reaction. But, again, that was Sakura for you.
"I- uh-," Aoi sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, forcing down a glare.
"As I was saying," unsurprisingly, her voice was tinged with annoyance. As if Aoi owed her something since she graced him with her oh-so-high-and-mighty presence. "Juraku told me that her friend Yomotsuki told her about this new girl. Water lily class one."
"Two questions." Like always, Aoi quickly flitted into his usual easygoing persona. "One, since when do you talk to Juraku?"
"Since never. She was the one who approached me."
"Riiight..." Aoi continued in that same, lilting, teasing voice. Juraku and Sakura were constantly contesting for the top spot in class- gambling-wise. So if Juraku had approached Sakura that meant that anything she relayed to her was meant to be threatening. Or flirtatious. Honestly, with Juraku you couldn't tell.
"Which leads me to the second question. What's the deal with the new girl? Is she indebted to Juraku already and a part of her prostitution ring?"
"Juraku doesn't have a prostitution ring." It was a joke, Sakura. God. "But no, Aoi, that's not it. In fact, just two days ago, the new girl won 10 million yen off of Musubi-san." Her voice turned ponderous, almost.
"Musubi-san...?"
"The creep who keeps cheating in your speed-dating games." Without even looking at her face, he could already tell she was rolling her eyes. It was probably one of the reasons he tended to avoid looking at his fiancée in the first place: because she had the same stern, sharp features a teacher would have. It was annoying.
Like, sorry I don't remember everyone who participated in my speed-date gambles!
But something about what Sakura said intrigued Aoi.
"Right, right, him." He said dismissively. "So, new girl, hm? What's her name?"
"Momobami Kirari." Sakura said, hastily looking down at her watch. So you'll look at your watch but not at me? "Now come on. If I'm late I'll never hear the end of it from S- Juraku."
Ah yes, Juraku. Go concern yourself with her rather than with me. Aoi thought sourly, too engrossed in self-pity to notice that his girlfriend had almost called her worst enemy by her first name.
Waving a silent goodbye, Aoi walked off to class, as Sakura went off to hers. But thoughts of the new girl she told him about lingered in his mind. The girl who won 10 million on her first day.
Impressive... he thought. And she could be a useful attribute to my plans.
Perhaps he ought to pay Water Lily class a visit...
To Sakura, school posed almost no problems for her. Lessons were a breeze, and as was gambling. Plus, with a high status such as hers, most people didn't dare to bother the fiancée of the Treasurer of the Hyakkaou Student Council.
Most people.
Juraku Sachiko, mind reader menace, was an exception.
"Hello, Sakura. Looking good as always." Juraku purred, leaning against the doorframe as she levelled Sakura with a menacing stare.
The other girl straightened. "You shall address me by last name only." She forced herself to face Juraku, whose snake-eyes lit up.
"Oooh, roleplay, how kinky! Never imagined you would be in charge though, Miharutaki-sama. How's Miboumi?"
Aoi. Of course she'd ask about Aoi. "Mind your fucking business, Juraku," Sakura growled.
"Ooh! Het couples drama! My favourite." Juraku clapped her hands with faux excitement. "You know what I think your problem is?"
"I don't care what you think." Sakura replied stiffly, moving away from her classmate and sitting down, hoping she would take the hint, but no such luck. Persistent as ever, Juraku casually slid into a sitting position... right on Sakura's desk, who in turn gulped, looking away from her rivals' bare legs (well, not bare. Stockinged, but there was hardly a difference, was there?).
"Oh, drop the formalities, Sakura-" "Miharutaki-san." "-just call me Sachiko!" The platinum-haired woman shot her a razor-sharp smile. Coated with honey on one side and venom on the other.
"Never. We're rivals, or have you forgotten that?" Sakura retorted.
"Rivals-to-lovers?" Juraku said in an annoyingly singsong voice.
"I'm engaged!" A hot pink dusted Sakura's cheeks at the implication.
"Eh." Juraku shrugged. "Anyone's bendable. So. Anyway," she crossed her legs, miniskirt hiking up her thighs. Not that Sakura was looking or anything.
"The only way to fix your problems with Miboumi, Sakura," Juraku leaned in so that the two of them were face to face: burning red eyes boring into Sakura's blues. Close enough for Sakura to overlook the use of her first name. "Is to have some hot, spicy..." Juraku licked her lips before saying the last word, her voice breathy. "Sex."
For a moment, she was rooted to the spot, just staring into Juraku's hypnotic red eyes. Then, the snake blinked, and Sakura pulled away, flush spreading all over her face
"What?" Her eyes widened. "No! I don't have any problems with Aoi. I have no idea where you got that from! And besides, it's not your business to insinuate-"
"Calm your tits, Sakura. Just a little suggestion of mine. Or, y'know, you can break up with him and go to me~" Juraku even had the audacity to wink. Sakura rolled her eyes.
"Are you as dense as you are sadistic? Aoi and I are in an arranged marriage. Also, please get off my desk. You are being unnecessarily crass." Sakura folded her arms, attempting to maintain some semblance of dignity, although the red tips of her ears probably made it hard to do so.
"Alright, cutie." Juraku replied, getting off the desk with an obvious reluctance, before her teasing expression morphed into a serious one.
"But jokes aside, I have some business I need to discuss with you."
"Go on." Sakura's expression was wholly unimpressed, but she was a little caught off guard. This was new.
"Well." Sa- Juraku looked pensive for a moment, before continuing. "I believe that the head of the Traditional Culture Club, honorary council member and my dear friend Nishinoutouin Yuriko is none other than a swindler." The way she put heavy emphasis on the word friend implied that Nishinoutouin was anything but that.
"Oh?" Sakura's stony expression remained unmovable. Juraku had never liked Nishinoutouin ever since the other girl had gotten a position on the council that she had been gunning for, so this accusation was far from unexpected. "Evidence?"
"Well, that's the thing, see," her voice was almost pouty, by Juraku Sachiko standards, at the very least. "I'd like to play that game of hers- Life or Death. And I'd like you to supervise, Sakura. See if you can help me spot the cheat."
At that Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Asking for help, Juraku? That's new." She couldn't resist taking a dig at the other girl, who to her annoyance, seemed to remain eternally unfazed.
"Yeah, well." The platinum-haired woman shrugged. "It would be appreciated."
"One condition." Sakura injected as much ice as she could into her voice. Fight fire with water and all that.
"Ooh, and what would that be, princess?"
"You." Sakura swallowed, properly thinking out her condition. "Are to refrain from addressing me from my first name for the rest of the day."
An easy smile flitted across Juraku's features and Sakura wondered if she'd let her off the hook too easily.
"Okay, hot stuff." She smirked evilly, edging past Sakura and patting her on the shoulder. "Meet you at the Traditional Culture Den tomorrow at 1:00, sharp."
Leaving Sakura sitting at her desk and reconsidering her life choices.
To Igarashi Sayaka, gambling was an art. Something unattainable. Something Sayaka herself could never properly perfect. Perhaps that's why the new girl had her in raptures, really. Momobami Kirari held the cards as her brush, the game as her canvass. Her long-fingered finesse allowing Sayaka to truly appreciate the defeats and victories, paralleled by one another.
She was ethereal. Like a goddess. Even though she was new, Hyakkaou was already in her grasp.
Match after match she played. Win after win. She was getting bolder, Sayaka could tell (if 10 million wasn't bold enough, that was.), and the stakes of every match kept getting higher and higher.
So it shouldn't have been a surprise when, finally, a student council member took notice.
Had Miboumi Aoi been in any other situation, his presence would have commanded the entire room. Sharp, blue eyes and a handsome jawline, Miboumi-san was well known for landing even the most experienced gamblers in crippling debt. That, and a pretty face, was the reason he was a favourite of many students, and that authority plus easygoing-ness ought to have turned heads.
But not today, and probably not ever while Momobami-san was in the same room. Because while Miboumi held himself like a second-in-command, Momobami-san held herself like a true leader.
It was lunch when he came, coincidentally at the same time Sayaka was working up the nerve to properly talk to Momobami-san, who was surrounded by a gaggle of equally-impressed students. Hardly anyone even noticed when Miboumi entered the room, until he had pitched his voice to ask which one of the students was named Momobami Kirari.
Then, all heads turned, stammering and pointing out the compulsive gambler, who seemed unbothered.
Of course. Yomotsuki probably didn't bother to tell her exactly who the student council are,
Sayaka thought disdainfully.
"Hello. What can I do to help you...?" Momobami-san trailed off, not knowing the name.
"Miboumi-san," he supplied, eyes hard with no trace of his usual easygoing grin most girls (and some guys) tended to swoon over. Not Sayaka, obviously. She thought Miboumi was middle-grade at best, looks-wise, and she'd never seen him gamble, either. To her, the only thing that made him interesting was his position on the student council and arranged engagement to Miharutaki Sakura- which everybody just would not shut up about, because taken boys were supposedly more attractive or something. Sayaka would never understand.
"I would like to gamble with you, Momobami-san. Apparently, you've gained quite a bit of a... reputation." He said, voice steely.
"Oh, of course, Miboumi-san. I would love to try my hand against one of the members of the esteemed student council." Momobami-san replied, her voice light but her gaze matching Miboumi-san's steel.
So she knew... and it didn't bother her in the slightest? This girl is truly an enigma. Sayaka found herself thinking.
"And I, you." Just the smallest hint of a smirk crossed Miboumi-san's features. A confident, arrogant smirk. But Momobami was not perturbed.
"What game would you propose we play, Miboumi-san?" She asked, pulling out a pack of cards and a die simultaneously.
"Hm," a look of faux concentration crossed his features- Sayaka very much doubted that none of this was pre planned, so it was only logical to assume he had already picked out the game. "Let's go with cards. I was thinking we could play a game of "Racing Demon,""
"Very well." Momobami-san replied, equally placid. "Cards it is. Runa-chan?" She waved a hand at the Class President: a short girl with a sweet tooth and love of animal hoodies, who was her go-to dealer.
"Wait." Miboumi intoned, just as the short girl was midway through to approaching their table. "Don't you think it would be more fun if we... mixed our dealers up, Momobami-san?"
"Fun." She seemed to be tasting the word on her tongue. "Well. Runa-chan is an excellent dealer, but alright. Who do you have in mind, Miboumi-san?"
"I was thinking..." Once again, the student council treasurer made a show of examining the room, before his eyes landed on a gangly boy with neatly-parted hair and rectangular glasses. "Manyuda-san. Why don't you deal for us?"
Of course. Manyuda Kaede was the vice-treasurer- an awkward first-year with an eye for statistics. It was only natural that Miboumi would pick him.
Or was it? It made sense that he didn't trust the girl with the winning streak to choose the dealer, but could Miboumi himself be planning a cheat?
"How much are you betting, Miboumi-san?"
A self-assured smile in response. "100,000 yen."
"Oooh!" A slightly deranged cackle sounded from behind Sayaka, as long nails gripped her shoulder. "Shit's getting real, hm, Sayaka-chan?"
The girl with twin braids nearly jumped out of her skin. "Midari! Don't scare me like that!"
Ikishima Midari- her friend since middle school. Well. "Friend" didn't quite cover it. Some of the things they did together bordered on the "more than friend" category. But alas, romanticism wasn't for them- or at least, not for Midari, who just looked for a good time and a short time.
By sight, nobody would guess them to be as friendly as they were- what with Sayaka's shy, nerdy demeanour, coupled with glasses and twin tails to complete the look. And, in contrast, Midari's boorish, outgoing, sleazy attitude and multiple piercings in the most random places, they were quite the unlikely duo.
"Sorry, sorry," Midari said in a dismissive tone, as Manyuda began to explain the rules. "So. You wanna do a little side-betting?" She nodded crudely at Momobami-san and Miboumi.
"I don't gamble, Midari." Was Sayaka's curt response.
"Oh, come on! Just 100,000 yen. Please?" It was a little odd to see the other girl plead, but a little cathartic all the same.
Sayaka chose not to dignify her with a response. Instead, she chose to ask a question of her own.
"What do you think of Miboumi?"
The reply was instantaneous. "His fiancée is hot."
That earned her a smack on the arm. "No! Get your mind out of the gutter you useless lesbian! I meant, do you think he stands a chance against Momobami?" Sayaka exclaimed, exasperated. The game was set in motion now, and both of them playing lightning fast. Momobami-san had 9 cards in her demon, while Miboumi had 10.
"Against Momobami-san? Ha! He's too pussy to play the best in his year. This is clearly a tactic to establish his dominance amongst the lower ranks." Midari snorted. "Men are such betas."
"Agreed." Sayaka said, not taking her eyes off the game. Or, rather, the delicate motions of Momobami-san's hands as she picked off the cards, in comparison to Miboumi-san's faster, more frenzied pickings.
"But I'm not talking about Miharutaki-san and Juraku-san. I'm talking about Momobami-san here."
"Oh, Sayaka, if she continues like this..." Midari whistled, "she'll outclass both of them in no time." For effect, she snapped her fingers, and, as if on coincidence, the melodious voice of Momobami-san carried through the room: "Demon."
"Game over." Manyuda proclaimed in his robotic voice. "Allow me to count your respective points."
"See?" Midari hissed. "Told you. Miboumi's just a piece of meat. And not the hot kind either. Momobami, though? She's hot shit. I swear, all those top gamblers are so-"
"Okay, okay! We get it, you're gay, and a massive pervert. I don't want to hear it." Sayaka glared at her best friend, her cheeks pinkening just ever-so-slightly.
"Hmph! You say that as if you're not, but sure, go off bestie." Midari muttered, and Sayaka turned from light pink to bright red at the insinuation.
"The points have been counted." Manyuda's voice carried through the room, monotonous as ever. He pushed up his glasses, casting a half-way nervous look to the Treasurer, who gave him a half nod.
"81 points for Momobami-san. 73 points for Miboumi-san. I announce Momobami-san as the victor."
" "I announce Momobami-san as the victor" ," Midari mocked with a scowl. "Could he be more boring if he tried?"
"Shut up, Midari."
Game over.
With Momobami Kirari as the victor.
Oh, he would never hear the end of this. Really, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, to challenge Momobami-san. When he heard that she and her dealer, who she used for every game she played, and was on first-name basis with, he assumed that that was the rather simple cheat, and that his victory, with Manyuda as the dealer, ought to have been assured.
Yet, somehow, she had won. Someone in the crowd whistled.
"Dammit. That bastard Momobami won. Again! I was rooting for ya, Miboumi!" He yelled, but Aoi forced himself to stay neutral.
"Good game." Her voice, smooth as silk, yet hiding undertones of condescension, cut into him. "You play well. Had I lost concentration for even a moment, the game would have been lost."
Then she smiled. Smiled. And offered out her hand. But Aoi had grace. Years of being around Sakura granted him that, and so, with a "what can you do?" smile, he shook her hand.
"Good game indeed. Here's your ten thousand yen." He said, reaching into his pocket, but was met with airy dismissal.
"Oh, no! I was thinking, next round we ought to go double-or-nothing." She propped her hands on the desk, and her head on her hands, still smiling. "Are you up for it, Miboumi-san?"
Her voice, and the way she looked at him sent unwarranted chills down his spine, yet a part of him urged Aoi to accept. To win back his 10,000, and to win back his pride, and crush hers.
It would be so easy-
He blinked. No.
"What are you hoping to get out of it, Momobami-san?" He instead directed the topic towards her, purposefully avoiding the question.
"Well..." one finger tapping her chin, she let out an exhale, leaning back on her chair. The epitome of calmness, even though half the year had gathered to watch. This girl was truly extraordinary. "I think I want to start... by becoming Student Council President."
Well, that certainly caused an uproar.
"No way!"
"She's kidding, right?"
"Nah, I think she's serious."
"It's impossible to tell!"
Aoi forced out a chuckle. "Oh, aha, well, I suppose if you were to run, you'd have my support, Momobami-san. You're a damn good gambler." The words, smooth and slippery and oily, slipped out of his mouth easily. He was a practised charmed after all, but the way Momobami's eyes glinted with that steel made him gulp.
"Hm. Thank you, but I was only joking, Miboumi-san. But, I digress. What say you to round two?" So she was just playing with him. This time, Aoi's answer was cemented.
"Sorry, Momobami-san. It was fun playing you, but I've got to go now." He flashed her another smirk. "You know, council duties." Because he could be condescending if he wanted to be, too.
"I understand." Her smile was leisurely, but those eyes, those eyes...
As Aoi made his retreat, those icy eyes remained seared into his memory. So similar to his fiancée's, those eyes boring into him, silently telling him behind the shroud of encouragement and support, how lazy he was.
Unambitious. Weak.
Because while Aoi was ambitious enough to live comfortably... he wasn't ambitious enough to claw his way to the top.
Notes on the chapter: Nobody likes Aoi . Nobody likes Aoi . Least of all me. He is a dick. End of story. I will enjoy destroying his mentality in this story. :)
Anyway, next chapter: Sakura and Sachiko take on Yuriko (and meet Naoe in the process). Runa and Kirari discuss potentially taking control of the school.