All day Friday, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka did not step foot in the casino again, listening to class like an ordinary student.
Indeed, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka did not listen carefully to the lectures; he merely sat at his desk playing on his phone.
But... isn't slacking off a student's daily routine?
In the afternoon after school, Saotome Meari came to find Ayanokoji.
"I came looking for you yesterday and found you weren't here..."
Saotome Meari's words trailed off when she saw Ayanokoji's bandaged left hand, letting out a gasp: "What happened to your hand, what on earth happened!?"
Saotome hurriedly snatched Ayanokoji's left hand to examine it carefully.
"It's nothing." Ayanokoji smiled, pulling his hand from her grasp: "I accidentally cut it with a knife yesterday; it's just a small wound."
A small wound, huh...
Saotome Meari looked at Ayanokoji's left hand, which was wrapped in bandages like a mummy, and could not see it as a small wound at all.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. This little injury will heal in a few days."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka comforted Saotome Meari. Seeing that she seemed to have something to say, he asked: "What about you? Is there something you need to see me about? I thought you'd be operating the casino today."
Saotome Meari looked troubled, weighing her words: "Actually, we lost a bit of money operating the casino yesterday..."
"Loss is loss, did you lose a lot?"
"It's okay, not much! Just a little, a tiny bit!"
Saotome Meari seemed to be afraid that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka would think she was a spendthrift, so she quickly shook her head and explained: "We are the house. Although we lost money in the short term, we will definitely earn it back, so don't worry!"
"I'm not worried. A small loss is nothing, as long as you don't take risks."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka counted out a million yen from his wallet and handed it to Saotome Meari, smiling as he asked: "Is the casino's capital still enough? Can I give you another million?"
"It's enough, you don't need to give me any more money..."
When the money was placed in Saotome's hand, her first reaction seemed to be to refuse, but after a moment of hesitation, she finally accepted the money.
"Ayanokoji, don't worry, entrust the casino to me, and I will definitely earn money for you!"
Saotome Meari held Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's hand and said earnestly.
Saotome Meari seemed to have made up her mind, walking with determined steps towards the Club Building.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka picked up his backpack, just as he was about to leave the classroom, Kuroki Ya happened to walk out of the casino.
He stretched, and when he saw Ayanokoji, his eyes lit up, and he immediately went forward to stop him.
"Ayanokoji, what's going on with you? You didn't show up yesterday, and you didn't go to the casino today, just sitting idly in the classroom all day."
Kuroki's sharp gaze fell on his bandaged left hand: "Could it be because of your hand?"
"I just suddenly found gambling uninteresting." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka yawned, saying lazily: "Don't you get tired of playing poker and dice all the time?"
"I understand, it's a period of fatigue, right? I've had that too." Kuroki nodded, acting like he understood everything.
The next moment, he suddenly looked around cautiously. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he leaned closer to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
"Of course, you'd get bored playing these ordinary gambling games all the time." Kuroki Ya smiled mysteriously: "Then let me introduce you to an exciting gambling game."
"What?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka looked at him in surprise.
How exciting? It couldn't be...
"This Saturday night, there's a mixer at the school's banquet hall. Do you want to come?"
"A mixer?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka thought only college students held mixers; he didn't expect high schoolers to as well.
"Oh, it's a mixer. I'm not really interested..." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka instantly lost interest and replied indifferently.
"Don't underestimate this mixer, this is an event hosted by the Student Council!"
Kuroki Ya quickly explained: "At this event, many people can get close to the girls they like, and maybe even spend a night together! Believe me, you definitely won't regret coming! The number of participants is limited to 120, so many people want to come but can't!"
Although Ayanokoji Kiyotaka wasn't very interested in mixers, since Kuroki Ya spoke with such conviction, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was still somewhat tempted.
Anyway, he had nothing to do tonight.
"...When?"
Kuroki's face lit up with joy when he saw Ayanokoji agree: "Saturday night at eight o'clock, in the banquet hall. I'll introduce you to a few friends then, so you definitely have to come!"
"Got it..."
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Kuroki Ya exchanged contact information. He asked Ayanokoji several more times, and after confirming that Ayanokoji would go, he left the classroom beaming, presumably to share the good news with someone.
Ayanokoji didn't pay him any mind. After leaving the classroom, he didn't go to the Club Building, but instead headed to the Beautification Committee.
Unlike the Student Council room, which is on the top floor of the Club Building, the Beautification Committee is located in the innermost room on the first floor of the Teaching Building.
They spend most of their time dealing with student relationships, only going to the Club Building to collect rent or mediate troubles.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka arrived at the door, knocked, then pushed it open and walked in: "Hello, excuse me, is the Beautification Committee Chairman here?"
There were only two people in the room: one was the Beautification Committee Chairman Miharu Taki Sakura, and the other was a man leaning against a desk, who was talking to Miharu Taki Sakura.
Seeing someone enter, they stopped talking. The man turned his head and asked with a smile: "Sakura? Is this your guest?"
He was well-dressed, handsome, with a sunny smile, looking like he came from an elite family, exuding an air of confidence.
Miharu Taki Sakura nodded and looked at Ayanokoji: "That's right, I owe him a favor."
The boy's gaze fell on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's left hand, and his eyes narrowed as if he realized something: "You wouldn't happen to be the one who gambled with Ikishima Midari and played Quick Knife Finger Stab, would you?"
"You are...?"
Ayanokoji didn't answer, but instead asked a question.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm the Student Council Accountant, Mibuomi Aoi."
He touched his head as if embarrassed, and said with a gentle smile: "As you know, as the Accountant, I'm responsible for managing the Student Council's accounts. It's very difficult for me if I can't collect money.
You really helped me a lot by being able to collect the rent from that troublesome person, Ikishima Midari."
He is also a member of the Student Council, and in the important position of Accountant. He seems to be someone the Student Council President trusts very much...
"I'm Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, a new student who just arrived not long ago." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka nodded without changing his expression.
He had no intention of staying here. He smiled and said: "You went so far as to injure your hand to collect the gambling money from Ikishima Midari, so it must be something very important, right? Then I won't disturb you."
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