As the game progressed, more and more rounds passed, and Anna kept to her peculiar strategy.
She didn't pick up cards, didn't rush; she just watched the other players closely.
While the others were exchanging cards quickly, eager to get four of the same kind, she remained calm, analyzing every gesture, every nervous glance. And just when a player thought they had won, she would step in.
"Cut!" Anna would say, always with a calm voice, right when someone had four cards in their hand, ready to claim victory.
The second game ended that way, leaving the other kids frustrated. By the third game, Anna repeated her strategy—observing, not picking up any cards.
And once again, when another team was on the verge of winning, she stopped them with the same finishing move.
"Cut!"
The kids started looking at her suspiciously, beginning to catch on to her tactic.
But the fourth game was the breaking point.
Anna followed the same pattern, limiting herself to studying the expressions and movements of the other players, like a predator watching its prey.
Once again, she cut off their victory at the last second.
"Cut!"
And the other team froze, caught in the middle of their premature celebration.
It was then that the kids, instead of accepting defeat, decided they had had enough.
"This isn't fair!" one of them protested, his face red with frustration. "She's not playing right!"
Another boy, who had been particularly nervous under Anna's gaze, nodded vehemently.
"It's... it's creepy! She just sits there, staring, doing nothing, waiting for us to mess up."
Anna watched them in silence, saying nothing.
She hadn't cheated; she was just playing differently, using her wits instead of speed.
Before she could say anything, Leo jumped in with a smug smile.
"What exactly isn't fair?" Leo asked, his tone calm, but it was clear he was enjoying the situation. "She's not breaking any rules."
The other kids glanced at each other, uncomfortable, unsure how to respond.
Finally, one of them crossed his arms defensively.
"It's just... I don't know, it's scary. You never know when she's going to say 'Cut.' She's not doing anything; she's just watching... it's weird!"
Leo burst out laughing, a loud, mocking laugh that made the other boys shift uncomfortably in their seats.
"Really? That scares you? Then maybe you should work on hiding what you're doing better. If someone can beat you just by watching, maybe you're not as good as you think."
One of the boys opened his mouth to protest but then closed it, realizing Leo had a point.
As the tension in the room grew, Leo continued, more relaxed now.
"Instead of complaining, you should see this as a challenge. It's not impossible to beat Anna; you just have to be better."
The boys looked at him, first with skepticism, but then slowly, their expressions changed.
Leo's words seemed to reach them, and instead of giving up, they began to feel motivated.
The boys' eyes gleamed with newfound determination.
Anna, for her part, watched the scene in disbelief.
'Aren't you on my team, you jerk?' Anna thought, unable to help feeling a bit annoyed.
It seemed Leo had managed to ignite a competitive fire in the other kids, which meant the game was about to get much harder.
With renewed energy, the boys dove back into the game. This time, however, everything was different.
The kids exaggerated their gestures intentionally, trying to confuse Anna.
One of them, who usually remained calm, was now waving his hands dramatically every time he swapped a card, while another flashed a huge grin with every move, as if trying to make her second-guess his intentions.
Anna quickly realized that her observation strategy wasn't as effective anymore.
The boys had learned, and they were doing everything they could to throw her off.
Anna kept watching, but she could no longer easily figure out who was closer to completing their hand.
It was in the fifth round of this new game that the unexpected finally happened.
One of the boys, who had been particularly loud and exaggerated the entire game, leaned forward and shouted:
"Cut!"
Anna looked at him, confused.
She had been so focused on his gestures and how he was playing that she didn't realize his partner had actually managed to collect all four cards.
To her surprise, that boy had successfully hidden his intentions behind an exaggerated performance.
The kids erupted in cheers, celebrating their victory enthusiastically.
The boy who had tricked Anna slammed the table in joy, while the others patted him on the back.
"Told you! We did it!"
Anna, far from feeling bad about losing, couldn't help but laugh. It had been so long since she'd lost a card game, and seeing the kids so happy filled her with a strange sense of satisfaction.
'I guess that was fair,' Anna thought as she watched them celebrate like they had won a grand tournament.
Leo walked up to her, offering an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, Anna. Maybe I motivated them a bit too much."
Anna shook her head, still smiling.
"It's fine. At least they're enjoying the game."
Leo chuckled softly, leaning on the table while the other boys continued to celebrate.
"Well, looks like they won this time."
Anna nodded.
"Yeah, they did. And they did it well."
Anna leaned back against the wall, watching the boys revel in their small victory.
For the first time in a long while, she didn't feel the pressure to win, and that feeling of freedom made her feel good.