I Want to Have a Girlfriend Too - Chapter 28

〜A quiet talk – Me, a beautiful girl, and Old Maid! (3)

 

“Okay, I’ll deal the cards this time.”

 

　I gather the cards in my hand, shuffle them, and deal them evenly to everyone.

　Unfortunately, I do not have the skill to cheat.

　So, no cheating.

 

　Anyway, let’s not think about the blind date this time but only about getting the video deleted.

　So, let’s aim for first place and beat Saijouin!

 

“I have 4.”

“I’m 6.”

“I have 5 left! “

 

　Everyone discards their paired cards and looks at the remaining cards.

　Okay, it looks like the cards are evenly distributed, not just a single card like before.

　I’m left with four cards like Saijouin, but I have a joker in hand.

 

　…I’d better deal with that.

 

“Well, I guess I’ll go first since I just lost.”

 

　I turn to Kagurazaka and take her card.

　To be frank, as long as I have the Joker, I can take any card I want, but I pretend to choose carefully so that no one will know.

 

　I look at Kagurazaka and her cards closely so that she doesn’t realize what I’m doing…

 

” …… ! “

 

　Why are you turning your face away from me?

　You don’t have the Joker in you. And why is your face red? Are you okay?

 

“Damn, I missed.”

 

　I take a card from Kagurazaka, but it does not match the card in my hand.

　But it’s still early in the game. No need to be in a hurry!

 

“Here you go, Saijouin.”

 

　I point my cards at Saijouin, with the Joker on the far right.

 

“Right. Then I’ll draw.”

 

　Saijouin turns to me and stares at my cards.

　Oh, don’t stare at me like that… I’m so embarrassed.

 

“By the way, Tokimori-san. Do you have a joker in your hand? “

 

　You’re trying to pull a fast one on me, aren’t you?

　But it’s no use! After all, I’m so confident of my own impassive expression that I used to be called [Tokimo-chan, the poker face guy].

 

　I answer Saijouin very coolly and calmly so that she doesn’t know.

 

“O-of course, I don’t have it. “

 

　Oh no!

　Saijouin, the most beautiful girl in the world, stared at me and turned me into a chicken!

 

　But even if you know I have the Joker, there is only a 4/5 chance you didn’t take the Joker, that is, a 20% chance that you will draw the wild card.

　Now, pull the Joker on the far right.

 

“I see. There is a joker on the far right.”

 

　How do you know that???

　The way you look at me! Or is it the expression on my face?

　Even my perfect poker face is no match for Saijouin’s esper-like powers of observation?!

 

　Saijouin skips the rightmost card and draws a card from me, and draws a pair.

　Damn! Now she has three cards left…

 

“fufu, Tokimori-san is easy to understand.”

 

　Saijouin smiles wryly as if teasing me.

　? Stop making fun of me!

 

　Both Kazuki and Kagurazaka also draw a pair, and the cards are all in order.

 

　Then it’s my turn.

　I carefully draw Kagurazaka’s card.

　As I have fewer cards, there is a good chance that I will get my card’s pair. I stare at Kagurazaka again, trying not to be obvious.

 

“D-don’t stare at me like that…”

 

　Then for some reason, Kagurazaka turned her face red and looked down.

　Is she having a fever or something?

 

　――No, no way!?

 

　Is she averting her face because she feels a physiological aversion to me looking at her??

 

“D-don’t do that, Kagurazaka… you’re hurting my feelings and making me upset…”

“Eh, what are you talking about? “

 

　What a mental attack… Anyone would have been upset too.

　Kagurazaka… what a horrible girl !?

 

“Nozomu must be thinking differently.”

“Ugh…Sato-kun, why is Tokimori-kun like this? “

 

　I draw a card from Kagurazaka while protecting my broken heart.

　Then I discard a pair of cards and have five cards left.

 

“Come on, Saijouin. It’s not going to be like the last round! “

“I’m looking forward to it.”

 

　Maybe she knew where the Joker was by the look on her face or by the way she looked at me.

　But not this time!

 

　I turn my eyes away from Saijouin’s face a little and look at her still unexplored chest.

　This way, we don’t have to make eye contact, and if I look at this horizon, my mind will calm down, she won’t be able to read what I’m thinking, my joints will be bent in a different direction, and my senses will be――

 

“Ouch, ouch, Saijouin-san! That joint is not supposed to go the other way! “

“Where the hell are you looking, and what are you thinking? “

 

　If you want to ask a question, why do you have to bend my joint, Saijouin-san?

 

” …God, you should have some delicacy―――Ah, here we go again.”

 

　Sighing, Saijouin draws another pair with my card.

　Seriously, I don’t think I can beat Saijouin…

 

* * *

 

　So it comes to an end, and we put our cards away.

　The result is, well, as you readers know, of course――

 

“In the end, Saijouin-san is in first place, and Nozomu is in last place.”

 

　…it was dead last.

 

　This is not right!

　I’ve had the Joker in my hand for a long time since the start, yet not once! Saijouin never pulled the Joker!

　That’s why I lose. All the tricks I tried to do with the Joker didn’t make any difference at all…

 

“Now, what should I ask you? “

“Please. When you ask me to do a favor, please don’t threaten me.”

“I’m not threatening anyone…”

 

　In my experience, she’s not very convincing.

 

“So, what do you want, Hii-chan? “

“Well… I’ve decided on a request.

 

　I reflexively go on alert.

　Here they come! Saijouin’s request!

　She’s asking for a favor. I hope it’s not too much trouble.

 

“Please go on a date with me sometime.”

“Ha? “

“What are you talking about, Hii-chan !?”

 

　I can’t help but let out a strange voice at Saijouin’s request.

　Saijouin’s favor also flusters Kagurazaka.

 

“Oh? Why not? I asked him the same thing as Alice did. Of course, I’m just practicing for when I have a boyfriend in the future.”

“Ughh… “

 

　Saijouin gives Kagurazaka a suggestive smile, to which Kagurazaka stumbles over her words in frustration.

 

　Well, as for me, I’m happy to have a date with beautiful girls, both as a man and as an individual…

 

“…Nozomu, be careful with the boys when you go on a date with them.”

 

　Yes, if I am seen going out with these guys, there is a possibility that my life will go straight to heaven.

　That’s why I have to be very careful when going on a date with these two――

 

“I’ve never been safe these days…”

 

　I sigh when I think of a date.

　Will I be able to go on a date safely?

 

 

　Thus, the after-school Old Maid game ended in a victory for Kagurazaka and Saijouin.