Clank! Tiri-ree-ree-leeing!
“…Mika.”
As I watched the nearby slot machine spin, I clicked my tongue lightly.
Two bunny symbols, and just one spot shy of a jackpot. The back of a student bursting with frustration looked as bitter as losing an opportunity for instant wealth.
Honestly, I had no clue how much that student had lost, and to be honest, I didn’t really want to know.
Everyone goes into gambling thinking they’ll win, but the few who actually do are as rare as hens’ teeth, right? They brought it on themselves.
Statistically speaking, how likely do you think it is that someone walks into a casino and comes out with more money than they brought? It’s structuring itself to be a losing game.
If it weren’t, who would run a casino?
…Right? It’s common sense that you wouldn’t run a business that’s perpetually in the red.
Anyway, my statistical forecast in my head was spot on. So I’m right.
“Hey, Mika.”
“Ah, yeah?”
“This is definitely a gambling den…”
After hearing Nagisa’s words, I looked around once more. Over there is the mahjong table, and that’s blackjack. There’s roulette, baccarat, and poker. This place was literally a casino.
I tried to brush off the situation by saying there’s nothing wrong with betting an appropriate amount for fun, but I hesitated for a moment.
I noticed something strange.
“Hey, Nagisa.”
“Yes?”
“That slot machine over there? It’s just a claw machine, isn’t it?”
“…Whaaat?!”
Glancing sideways at Nagisa’s face full of disbelief, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Seriously, it’s adorable.
More absurdly, that thing was actually a claw machine. Specifically, the prize was a stuffed toy.
If that’s the case, isn’t this more of a wholesome game than gambling…?
Realizing this, I suddenly grasped the truth of this place, the Play Lounge. Here, rather than a casino, it’s closer to an arcade.
Everything being played is optimized for gambling, sure. They were using something called Bunny Coins, which you got from clawing, and according to the guard, you could exchange what you clawed for Bunny Coins corresponding to its rank.
You bet that and exchange for prizes—a surprisingly rational… system?
I’d have to see what the prizes were, but since you couldn’t convert the coins to cash, it seems that the operations here aren’t as malicious as they could be.
“Well, if it were a real casino, the Student Council would’ve placed a bounty on the captain here, right?”
Truth be told, just the clawing system alone could have been enough reason to shut this place down… or at least stop the engine.
You know, I’ve heard rumors that Koyuki had issued bonds here in such tremendous amounts that Rio’s embezzlement got covered up in the process…
Oh.
Speaking of which, is Rio’s beaver house under construction right now? Based on the circumstances, it seems like she has her own plans going on.
To be honest, if Rio acts stubbornly like in the original story, I might lose a bit of affection for her… not just a bit, actually, quite a lot.
“By the way, Nagisa.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know any card games?”
“No. And I have no intention of learning, either.”
Nagisa’s reply was resolute.
Heueng… It seems like she’d be good at it, though.
Nagisa’s unique poker face during games doesn’t give away any information to opponents. Meanwhile, with her great insight, she can extract information from them at will.
Considering that “poker face” comes from the game itself, my thought that she’d be good at card games isn’t without basis. Of course, it’s a bit of a shame that she gets a bit too flustered inside.
Whenever I win against Nagisa in chess, it’s usually because I manage to disrupt her somehow.
“Well, if you’re not interested, that’s fine. Even if this place isn’t a casino, there’s no reason to dip into that side.”
Not starting at all is the perfect way to abstain from gambling or smoking. As for drinking, I can’t really speak on that.
“By the way, everyone’s been staring at us for a while now.”
“…It’s all your fault, isn’t it?”
Ahaha. Well, that’s true.
Once you’ve gained a bit of fame, no matter how well you disguise yourself, it becomes easy to get recognized. So realistically, those people’s attention is directed at me.
Is the host of the T-party from Trinity here? Dressed in the same outfit as the Bunny Girl Guards?
Plus, seeing me snuggled up to someone else might spark curiosity.
“So, how do you feel, Nagisa?”
“That depends on what you mean by that.”
“Literally.”
It may be a bit embarrassing to say, but resting my arm around the most beautiful person on this ship and catching people’s attention must be an extraordinary experience.
In fact, Aco had cautiously confessed that the time we played partner at a party was exhilarating to the point of being dizzying.
Of course, as I walk around with several stunning girls by my side in Kivotos, I can’t deny it gives me a good vibe. But when I focus on others’ gazes, it automatically shifts to the thought, “I’m the prettiest one here, right?”
That makes me a little curious about Nagisa’s thoughts.
“…It’s a special experience. I don’t want to admit it, but I think I understand why you chose that outfit, Mika.”
Ahaha! Got it. So this means you like it, right?
With my arm snug around Nagisa’s arm, which is sandwiched between the ample curves accentuated by her Bunny Girl outfit, she quickly glanced around, blinking with surprise.
“Mika… we’re in public, you know…!”
“So, do you like it or not?”
“…I don’t feel very opposed to it, honestly.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper. Hearing that, a large smile quickly spread across my face.
Honestly, Nagisa really is terrible at being honest.
“Enjoy this moment, Nagisa. Right now, I’m… your bunny.”
Overcoming my embarrassment, I added a word after a moment’s contemplation.
“…Boing.”
Fortunately, the effect hit right away. Nagisa’s face turned bright red. Had we been in a cabin, I might have been devoured right then and there.
…To put it frankly, I was super embarrassed. But if Nagisa is happy with it, that’s all that matters.
Yet, this lively atmosphere wouldn’t last long. Leading Nagisa into the area where students were engrossed in clawing, her gaze became considerably sharper compared to before.
“Mika, this is…”
“…Didn’t you hear from the guard? The rank you pull here is directly tied to the quality of service.”
“Yes, I heard. I certainly did, but this is just not priced reasonably?! And where’s the probability listing gone?! The likelihood of getting a high rank is close to negligible, and we would have nothing to say—”
Tiri-ree-ree-leeing…!
[Congratulations, Honored Customer! You’ve pulled an A-rank!]
“Ah, aaaaah!!! How many A-ranks is this?! Isn’t it about time I pull at least one S-rank?!”
This was happening as Nagisa was explaining to me just how unreasonable this clawing was. Right next to us, someone at the claw machine had pulled an A-rank, looking wonderfully familiar for some reason.
It wasn’t the first time they’d pulled it; it seemed they’d done this multiple times, which means…
“An A-rank is just something you can pull. So no need to dream about S-ranks, right?”
“…Haa. First, promise me just one thing.”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“First, don’t spend more than half of what you currently have.”
Fufu. A simple condition. Unfortunately, I currently possessed a whopping 1 million yen. Spending even half of that shouldn’t make an A-rank too tough.
“Second, don’t dip into your account funds.”
As mentioned earlier, just using my current cash is enough for an A-rank. So there’s no reason to dip into my account funds.
“Third, if you suggest borrowing money from me, consider it the end for you.”
For the same reasons as before, that shouldn’t even come up in the conversation. Man, honestly, these conditions couldn’t get any easier.
Smirking, I leaned in close to Nagisa’s ear and whispered.
“But, Nagisa, would there even be a reason for me to ask for a loan? After all, I’m yours, and you’re mine…”
“If you’re saying the money you’re planning to use for the clawing is equivalent to mine, then if I say not to spend it, you’ll take that as a refusal, right?”
Gasp. If I slip up here, I might end up losing everything I have.
“…I won’t spend it if you absolutely say I shouldn’t.”
Of course, I have learned all the appropriate responses for this kind of situation.
By wearing my best pitiful expression and voice in a way that evokes sympathy, I’d say…
“Ugh… please definitely stick to the conditions I set.”
“Yes, I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”
Dealing with Nagisa? This is easy. My acting skills are top-notch—
“Don’t get too cocky just because I’m going along with it.”
“…”
It seems Nagisa was playing me like a fiddle.
Feeling deflated, I led her to an open claw machine.
As I tried to have her sit naturally, she forced me to sit down instead.
…I was just trying to look out for her legs; how cruel.
Thinking that in my heart, I momentarily closed my eyes to gather my thoughts before clawing.
Winning mentality. I can do this!
I’d get a clean A-rank on the first 10 tries and cut my losses. Oh God, please…!
Here’s a shameless unbeliever furiously searching for a God for guidance, despite not really believing.
If Nagisa knew, she would have genuinely started giving me a hard time.
Lastly, I kissed the tip of my pinky finger.
“…Mika, can you not do that in this situation?”
I pulled the lever for the claw machine.
Tiri-ree-ree-leeing…
…Wow—oh.
