............
[Monday, November 1, 03:26 pm]
The library on the second floor was empty. However, the floor was littered with books, and there were signs that someone had searched for cards in the library.
Yumeto picked up the fallen book and placed it on his desk.
"If it's hidden in a book, it'll be hard to find."
When he raises his face, tens of thousands of books lined up on the bookshelf come into view. It would be difficult in terms of time to examine the books one by one.
"Should I look elsewhere?"
The foot that was about to head for the exit stops, and the line of sight is fixed on the bookshelf by the window.
"Could it be..."
Yumeto approaches the bookshelf and checks the spine. He picked up a book in it. On the back cover is written 'Keldo Virus Basics'.
The moment I opened it, a playing card fell to the floor. I hurriedly picked up the card and saw the 4 of spades.
"Four..."
Yumeto muttered while still staring at the card.
It's not a very good card, but it means that if I find a Queen or King, I won't be penalized. No, that's no good. I need to collect more cards and help my friends.
At that moment, the door opened and Hideyuki, the chairman, and Miki, the vice chairman, entered the library. The two of them stiffen their expressions when they see Yumeto.
"Yumeto-kun..Huh..."
Hideyuki approached Yumeto with a cautious look.
"It looks like you've successfully cleared the tag order. I can't say congratulations though."
"That's right. I have a dead classmate instead of me."
Yumeto let out a calm voice even though he felt a pain deep in his left chest.
"It can't be helped. Even here, we acted like demons were punished. It's good for both of us."
"You were hiding in the mountains, weren't you?"
"I thought that was the safest way. Well, Shirou went back to school on his own and died."
"Shiro-kun is like committing suicide. Because he was caught on purpose for Narumi-san."
"Yeah. Because Shirou liked Narumi. I guess Narumi took advantage of his feelings."
Hideyuki wrinkles his eyebrows and exhales.
"Well, there's no point in thinking it's over. Now I'm talking about new orders."
"That's right. It's an order that three people will be punished again this time."
"The question is who it will be"
Hideyuki's gaze shifted to the card Yumeto was holding.
"Looks like you found a card."
"Yeah. It was stuck in a book."
"Really…....."
Hideyuki, staring at Yumeto, puts his fist to his lips.
"...Yumeto-kun, why don't you share the information?"
"Information?"
"Oh. You guys made a group too, right? You, Yohei, Tokisada, Seiya, Yuna, and Fuka."
"You know me well."
"A girl in our group was listening to you guys talking in the classroom. It seems Kanon-san and Riko-san have joined Seiichiro's group."
"Yeah. Now everyone is in some group."
"If you aim to survive, that would be a safe choice."
"Individual conflicts have become group conflicts."
Yumeto gripped the playing cards he was holding.
"In the end, fighting between classmates won't change."
"But there are things we can work on, like finding out if there's really one deck of cards hidden."
"If it's one set, total number of 16 or more will definitely save you."
"Looks like you noticed, too. The total number of playing cards is 364, so if you has more than 16, you can't be in the bottom three, especially if you can't find all the cards."
"The problem is when two or more decks of cards are hidden."
"That's why I want to know the numbers on the cards you have."
Hideyuki took out four cards from his pocket.
"How about it? I think it's important for both of us to see if there's one deck of cards hidden."
"That's true. But I can't judge it by myself. So, is it okay if we consult with everyone first?"
"Oh... That's fine."
Saying that, Hideyuki showed Yumeto trump's numbers.
"We have 7 of diamonds, 3 of hearts, King of hearts and 5 of clubs"
"…..You will show me first?"
"Because I have authority over this, and your group is more trustworthy than other groups."
Hideyuki laughed with a tired face.
"But in the end, I might end up fighting with you guys as well."
Yumeto's expression hardened at Hideyuki's words.
................
[Monday, November 1, 5:41 pm]
Yumeto and the others are gathered in the computer room on the 4th floor. Dozens of computers are placed on the white desks, and on the whiteboard, some of the students may have written some character from the anime with a red pen.
Yumeto took out three cards from his pocket and placed them on the desk.
"For the time being, I found three : '4 of spades', '6 of diamonds' and '9 of diamonds'."
"I have only '8 of hearts' "
Yuna shows her card apologetically.
"Sorry, Narumi-san and others came into the music room halfway through and I got kicked out. I still wanted to find it more."
"You don't have to worry about it. Anyway, there's no guarantee that it will be in the music room more, and there's no need to force a fight with her."
"I'm found '11 of the club' , just a face card."
Fuka sat down on a chair with casters while showing her card.
"What about Seiya and the others?"
"I was the first to find it, only the six of spades."
"I have 'the queen of the Club, 12' "
"I only have 9 of hearts. I thought the clubroom building was my target earlier."
Seiya, Tokisada, and Youhei answered in turn.
Yumeto copies the cards found by everyone into the student notebook.
"After all, it seems likely that trump will be in one set. I don't even have to checked with Hideyuki and others."
"In other words, if you get 16 or more, you won't be punished, right?"
Yumeto shook his head up and down at Fuka's question.
"Yeah. From now on, I will continue to exchange information with Hideyuki and the others, so if we have the same card, I think I will know immediately."
"Having a goal makes me feel better. It looks like we're finding cards in good condition, so you might be able to clear it surprisingly easily."
"Don't worry.... because the number of cards is getting smaller and smaller."
"Yes. The card I found was on the keyboard of the piano in the music room, so I recognized it immediately, but it may not be easy to find from now on."
Fuka looks at the card on her desk.
"Hey, Yumeto-kun. What would you do if total number for everyone can't reach 16 or higher in the end? There's a that possibility, right?"
At those words, everyone's face tightened. After several tens of seconds of silence, Yumeto spoke.
"...I have a suggestion, but I think it would be good if everyone had the same number. For example, make everyone's numbers total 15 or 14."
"So there's a possibility that one of us will be punished, right?"
"Yeah. But I'm willing to bet that everyone here will be equally unpunished! Sure, if the numbers total 15, at worst you might get punished, but the chances of that should be low. Given that you can't find all the cards, I think '14' and '13' are probably okay."
"Maybe... huh... It's a scary proposal to bet your life on."
"But if Fuka-san can't find a single card from now on, this suggestion might help."
"...…I see"
Fuka dropped her gaze on the card she was holding.
"I understand. I agree with Yumeto-kun's proposal. Yumeto-kun has cleared 16 or more at this point, and he made such a proposal."
"I also agree"
Yuna said.
"In this situation, I want to help each other as much as possible. At least with everyone in the same group."
Yohei and Seiya also agreed with Yumeto's proposal.
"How about Tokisada-kun?"
At Yumeto's question, Tokisada narrowed one eye.
"....All right. It's not because I'm bad rather than finding it on my own, but it seems better to rely on you guys."
"Well then, let's resume looking for cards. After all, the goal is a total of 16 or more."
Everyone shook their heads at Yumeto's words.
................
[Monday, November 1, 10:34 pm]
When I opened the door to the principal's office, I saw Iwamoto fumbling around in the drawers of wooden desk. Iwamoto was pale and had dark circles under his eyes. The stubble grows from his cheeks to his chin, making him look years older in a matter of days.
"Iwamoto... sensei."
"...Yumeto....huh?"
Iwamoto opened his chapped lips.
"How is it? Have you found the card?"
"...I'm looking for it with my friends now."
"Friend.... So you've made a friend too."
"I don't know if I can call them friends, but we all want to survive."
Yumeto said firmly.
"Are you acting alone, Sensei?"
"Yeah. I can't join the group of students. No, actually, even searching for cards like this might disqualify me as a teacher. If I survive, one of my students will die."
A dry laugh echoed through the principal's office.
"However, inevitably, I end up doing what I need to do to survive. During the previous order, I hid from you, demons."
"I think it can't be helped. Teachers are human too."
"....I'm grateful that you said that. Earlier, I met Miki, the vice chairman, and she looked at me looking for a card like she was looking at garbage."
Iwamoto's hand trembles on the desk.
"Hey, Yumeto. Why do we have to play the King's Game?"
"That is....."
"Yes, there was a student suicide in our class. But is that the reason? Even if the homeroom teacher and the students had problems, there's no need to do something like this, right? Why it have to be the king's game....."
"I... don't understand either."
"Ha... Haha, that's right. I think you, the transfer student, are more unreasonable than me, the homeroom teacher."
With unsteady steps, Iwamoto approached Yumeto and put his hand on his shoulder. Yumeto was staring at him with droopy eyes.
"I was in a position to guide you guy, but it might be my limit now."
"limit?"
"It's about quitting teaching. I can no longer guide you. I will write a letter of resignation and return to my parents' house in Kumamoto.
"Teacher..."
"Well, if only I could survive in the King's Game."
Iwamoto walked out of the principal's office while moving his upper body unsteadily.
................
[November 2 (Tuesday) 10:45 am]
"Is this the only additional card you found?"
In the computer room, Yumeto copies the card that Fuka and the others show to the student notebook.
" '5 of spades' , '4 of hearts' , 1 of clubs'..."
"This is not enough at all!"
Fuka lifted her straightened eyebrows.
"Mine's 5 of spades, Seiya-kun is '4 of hearts', Yuna is '1 of clubs'. Youhei-kun hasn't come back yet, but Tokisada-kun hasn't found anything?"
"Didn't I say I'm out of luck?"
Tokisada smacked his tongue.
"Besides, it's possible that all the cards have been found. The chairman's group seems to be finding cards in his own way, and so are the other groups."
"If all the cards are found, it doesn't mean we're being punished! Like this, It should be just 11 to 13."
"If you divide by six people, then it will be '11' and '12', Is it certain that this number will be punished?"
The air in the room cooled in an instant. Everyone's face turns pale.
"In the end, it was impossible to cooperate as a group."
Tokisada let out a sigh and sneered.
"Yumeto has a total of 19, Fuka has 16, I have 12, Seiya has 10, and Yuna has 9. So, you will you save Yuna ? Me, Seiya, or Yuna. what are you gonna do?"
"I...."
The moment Yumeto opened his mouth, the door opened and Youhei entered.
"I'm sorry I'm late. It took me a while to find the card. But there's a harvest."
"Did you find the card?"
"Oh. A card with a face."
Youhei took out two cards from his pocket and placed them on his desk. Seeing 13 diamonds and 11 spades, Yumeto's eyes widened.
"Both are face cards."
"Come on! I can't be useless."
"That's Impressive!"
Fuka shines her eyes and taps Yohei on the shoulder.
"Hey Yumeo-kun. With this, everyone will be able to do something, right?"
"Wait a minute. Let's do the math."
Yumeto confirms the number on the card written in his student notebook.
"....We can do it! Now you can combine cards with a total of 17, 17, 16, 17, 16, 16 !"
"If all the combinations are 16 or more..."
"It means we are no longer be punished."
Yumeto's words brought a smile to Fuka's face.
"We're saved, aren't we?"
"Yeah. We cleared the order."
"Looks like we got lucky"
"Okay! Let's divide it quickly."
Yohei then takes out a '9 of hearts' card from his pocket and puts it on his desk.
"Yumeto, you'll have to share it."
"Ah, yes. Understood."
Yumeto took out the card he found from his pocket. Yuna and the others also put the cards on the desk.
Yumeto divided the card into six people.
Yohei picked up two cards.
"Then, I'll take these 9 and 8 cards. They're both hearts."
"What does the heart have to do with it?"
"Well, hearts feel like love, don't they?"
With a smile, Yohei winks at Fuka.
"Well, Fuka and the others should also take cards. Wouldn't it be bad if people from other groups came in here?"
"Ah, that's right. I have to make sure I have it."
When Fuka takes the card, Yuna, Tokisada, and Seiya hurriedly reach for the card. Holding the remaining cards in their hand, Yumeto let out a deep breath.
....We did it! Trump should be one deck, so none of our group should be punished.
Seeing the happy faces of Yuna and the others, Yumeto's face also smiles.
.....the next order may come, but if we all work together, we should be able to do something about it.
"That?"
Suddenly, Seiya pointed to Tokisada's card.
"The pattern on the card is..."
"What happened to the pattern on the card?"
Tokisada flips the card over and looks at the back. His face stiffened in an instant.
"What is this? It looks different!"
Tokisada shows the back of the card to Yumeto and the others. The pattern on that card was different from the card Yumeto and the others had.
"My card has a different pattern too!"
Fuka looked at the back of the 'diamond 13 card' and cried out.
"What do you mean? Youhei-kun!"
"Well, it's not the playing cards that the king hid."
Yohei shrugs his shoulders and lifts the corners of his lips.
"That card is the one I had in my shoe. I bought it at a 100 yen shop about a month ago. I thought I'd play on my lunch break"
"I'm not asking you that! Why did you do this?"
"....It's to help my group mates."
Yumeto approached Yohei.
"Your group, no way..."
"Yeah. I joined Narumi's group. I was scouted by herself."
"Scout from Narumi-san?"
"That's right. Narumi's group isn't doing well at collecting cards. That's why we decided to target other groups. If we reduce the number of cards like this, we won't be penalized even if our average card is around 14. It's a good move, isn't it?"
Yohei stares at the card Yumeto is holding.
""Actually, I was listening to your conversation in front of the door, and I did the math. If I got the '9' and '8' cards, so the rest of the cards won't average 13, right? In other words, Narumi is safe."
"...Why"
Yumeto's voice trembled.
"Why did you betray us?"
"Narumi promised me that if I betray Yumeto and the others, they'll let me play with her after the King's game is over."
"Let you play with her?"
"If you're a man, you know what I mean, right? Besides, it's not just Narumi. Even Wakaba and Iori, they are the top three girls in our class."
"For such a thing..."
"Hey, hey, Narumi is better than the idols out there. Who says you can have a girl like that? I'll accept her invitation."
"Horrible!"
Fuka glared at Yohei.
"I didn't think you were this scum."
"I just acted naturally. Eroticism isn't the only purpose. If you do this, you'll definitely not die. This is a strategy."
"Strategy?"
"Yeah. We don't know how long the King's Game will last. At that time, if there's a team that's more likely to survive, it's either Narumi's group or Seiichiro's group. It's a pity, but we can't compete with that group."
Yohei stares at Yumeto.
"Yumeto, you're smart and brave. But you can't beat Narumi and Seiichiro. Do you know why?"
"Because I'm a transfer student?"
"That's not all. You don't have enough resolve. Narumi and Seiichiro will do whatever it takes to survive. They'll actively interfere with other groups, or at worst, kill them. Do you think you can survive with a straight attack against such guys?"
"..."
"You don't seem to have any objections. Well, if we were going to be friends, I'd choose you over Narumi and Seiichiro. But if it's a King's game, it's a different story. You don't need a half-hearted conscience. "
"Is that the end of your speech?"
Tokisada, still clenching his fist, approaches Yohei.
"We'll have our cards back."
"Stop it, Tokisada."
"Huh? Do you think you can get away with doing this much?"
"I may not be able to escape. But I have no intention of handing over the card. No matter how much you beat me. What should you do in that case? It's forbidden to forcibly take away the card."
"....Nevertheless, it's fine. If this happens, I'll take you with me."
"Wait! Tokisada-kun."
Yumeto grabbed Tokisada's hand.
"There's no point in doing that. After all, the card won't come back."
"But he...."
"It's okay. It's my fault for being deceived."
Yumeto stares at Yohei.
"It's a pity that this happened. Yohei-kun."
"....That's right. Well, I hope you guys don't get punished. If you die because of me, I can't get sleep maybe. If some of the remaining guys have lower numbers, you still have a chance to survive, right?"
"Certainly, the possibility remains."
"Then I'll go back to my friends. Thank you for stopping Tokisada. It's not like I like being hit."
Saying that, Yohei left the computer room while waving one hand.
................