CH 61

Act 2 - Summer Break

16-1 The secret I left behind in the summer

"Now that we're all ready to go to bed――――Let's play Old Maid!" (Kanon)

Just like with the beach volleyball, Kanon suddenly says that.

She has a generic playing card in her hand.

From the look of excitement on her face, it seems that she has been planning to do it from the beginning.

"Interesting, so what is the bet?" (Mia)

Mia asks gleefully.

It seems that they have already decided to bet on something.

"Before, we had one right to order anything, but when it comes to Old Maid, one game and done is boring, so how about every time the game is over, the loser reveals a secret that he or she has been hiding?" (Kanon)

"Hey...... Are you insane?" (Rintaro)

"Well, it's just for fun, so you don't have to say anything you are not willing to say. There are lots of little secrets, aren't there?" (Kanon)

Well――――, she has a point.

"But it's up to the others to decide if it's an acceptable secret or not. Otherwise, one would just reveal, "When I take a bath, I wash my head first" and the others can't do anything but accepted it." (Kanon)

"So you should be prepared to be humiliated to some extent, huh." (Rintaro)

"That's right. Are there any other questions?" (Kanon)

Neither I, Mia, nor Rei can think of any specific questions.

In the Old Maid, there are no rules at all.

In the old-maid game, where there are many local rules, you just simply draw cards from your opponents one by one and discard them when you get a pair number.

There is no strategy in the beginning. It is only in the later stages of the game, when you gradually learn the habits of your opponents, that you finally begin to use your head.

In the end, it comes down to luck. That is why, unlike beach volleyball, there is a chance to win.

"Let's get started, then!" (Kanon)

We gather around the table and commence the game.

If you have a certain number of cards in your hand at the time you are dealt, you can feel like you have an advantage with a small number of cards――――, but in reality, however, it does not make that much difference because the cards start to not mesh later on.

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The order is Rei takes Mia's card, Mia takes my card, I take Kanon's card, and then Kanon takes Rei's card.

"Ah, a pair." (Rei)

When Rei takes Mia's card, it seems that one pair is complete and she discards her cards on the table.

Looking at the number of cards in each player's hand, the average is seven.

By the way, I don't have the Old Maid. I hope I can keep my cards until the end.

"Here, draw mine!" (Kanon)

Kanon's card is held out in front of me.

There are six cards. There is no point in being tense from this point on.

I reach for the card at the end of the deck.

"!" (Kanon)

"...... Hmm?" (Rintaro)

Just as I'm about to draw it, her eyes widen.

If I move my hand to the other card, her eyes will return to normal.

But when I reach for that card at the end again, her eyes widen again.

――――I'll have to check it out.

"I'll take this one." (Rintaro)

I draw out the card at the far end.

The word "Joker" is written proudly on the face of the card.

I don't believe it, but...... is this girl really weak in the Old Maid?

(......Anyway, I have to do something about the old maid that I have drawn.)

I'm forced to draw that card in the end, and I'm the one at the biggest disadvantage in this situation.

Mia is the one to draw the card from me.

I have to pass this card to her somehow......

"From Kanon's reaction just now, it seems that the old maid has moved on to Rintaro-kun." (Mia)

"Sigh~, you can see right through it, huh." (Rintaro)

"Well, yea. I'm going to be very careful from here on out." (Mia)

As she says this, Mia begins to examine my expression.

Therefore, I decided to keep my mind clear.

It is not so difficult to avoid showing attitude unless the situation is directly related to winning or losing.

Even if she avoids drawing the old maid at this point, I still have a chance.

Rather, I think it is better than being drawn here and circling around and then coming back to me again.

"Hmmm, I see you can't afford to be beaten this time after all." (Mia)

In the end, Mia picks the right card.

Although it's not the Old Maid, it does not seem to have a pair with the cards in her hand, and without discarding anything, she holds out her cards to Rei.

Rei, feeling relieved to learn that Mia does not have the Old Maid from the previous exchange, draws her card.

This kind of exchange continues for several rounds, with everyone steadily reducing their cards except for me, who is left holding the Old Maid.

And finally――――.

"Ah, another pair." (Rei)

Rei draws Mia's card and says this.

She then discards it along with a card in her hand, to the table, leaving her with only one card left.

Then, it's Kanon's turn to draw a card from Rei.

In other words, that one card will be gone during this turn.

"Tsk, At least you can have the winner." (Kanon)

"Mm, thanks." (Rei)

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Thus, all the cards in Rei's hand are gone.

It's a clean sweep.

"Hmm, I've got a pair, too. Okay, your turn." (Kanon)

After Kanon discards her cards, I reach for her remaining cards.

There are only two cards left. So Kanon will soon be done.

I, on the other hand, still have four cards. One of them is the Old Maid.

I want to make as many pairs as possible and increase the chances of getting the Old Maid to be drawn.

"Hurry up and draw. You still have the Old maid anyway, don't you?" (Kanon)

"You can relax for now......" (Rintaro)

On a hunch, I draw the left one of her cards.

The card matches in number with my card, and I'm able to move on.

I have three cards in my hand. This is enough to get the Old Maid to be drawn.

"Here, time to draw!" (Rintaro)

".......You're being so aggressive just because your cards decreasing." (Mia)

In this situation, Mia is at a mental disadvantage because of the fear of drawing the Old Maid. At this point, getting it can directly affect the outcome of the game.

"Fine then, this is it!" (Mia)

Mia decides it's no use thinking much about it and draws a card from my hand.

At that moment, I involuntarily lift the corner of my mouth.

The old maid is no more.

"Wait a minute......! Don't tell me, Mia, you drew it?" (Kanon)

"Sorry, Kanon. But, I'd appreciate it if you'd take this nuisance off my hands." (Mia)

"No! I'm not going to do that!" (Kanon)

Oh, it's a flag.

By the time I thought so, it was already too late. Kanon brilliantly draws the Old Maid out of Mia's cards.

Of course, I can't tell, but her eyes already convey more than her mouth.

Now she has only two cards in her hand. One of them is the Old Maid, which means that there's a one-in-two chance that it may be drawn.

However, Kanon has a habit, which can be called a fatal one, that she had shown earlier.

"...... this is it." (Rintaro)

"What!?" (Kanon)

The card I draw mercilessly is not the Old Maid, after all.

The expression on her face is too easy to understand. This way, there's no way I'll lose.

"It looks like I'm the runner-up." (Rintaro)

I've got another pair.

I now have only one card left in my hand. And now it is Mia's turn to draw my card.

"Phew........., well, it's only the first round." (Mia)

Mia draws my card, and I'm done.

And here is where the tragedy for Kanon happened.

"Oh, a pair." (Mia)

Mia draws a card from me, and the card matches with one in her hand.

Then, by discarding them, she is left with only one card in her hand.

The turn proceeds, and it is Kanon's turn to draw a card from Mia. In other words, Kanon no longer has a chance to win.

"......You'd better remember this next game." (Kanon)

With a frustrated look on her face, Kanon draws the last card.

"I don't mind listening to your ramblings, but I'd like to know Kanon's secret." (Mia)

"We've known each other for quite a long time, but I'd like to hear Kanon's secret." (Rei)

Mia and Rei, are very interested in Kanon's secrets, even though they have known her longer than I have.

It's true that after spending so much time together, there's probably not much that they don't know. Given that, it's no wonder they're curious.

"Fine...... I'm the one who started this. I'll reveal a proper secret of mine!" (Kanon)

I've never seen such a beautifully desperate person before.

"About that...... it's so embarrassing, but...... recently, I've shrunk a centimeter in height." (Kanon)

Ah, is so.......