All the Heroines are my Ex-girlfriends-Chapter 196 - : Want to Place a Bet?

Chapter 196: Want to Place a Bet?

Yukima Azuma and Jabami Yumeko strolled along the streets of Chiyoda.

They were supposed to meet to discuss a business collaboration.

However, since they ran into each other by chance, throughout their conversation, they didn't touch on business matters at all.

Instead, their discussion revolved around school life and getting to know each other better.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Jabami Yumeko truly had no idea who Yukima Azuma was.

So when they met by coincidence, she had no awareness of his identity.

Helping out a random elementary school girl was simply an act of kindness on her part.

Now, standing before Yukima Azuma, this gentle and compassionate girl—

She was not pretending.

Jabami Yumeko genuinely had such a personality.

However, if a girl was purely kind and gentle,

She would have long been devoured, not even leaving a single bone behind, in Hyakubami.

Yet, Jabami Yumeko—

Despite losing her parents, becoming the representative of the Jabami family even before high school—

She still managed to secure the position of chief editor of Hyakubami Daily.

Holding the crucial throat of the Hyakubami conglomerate in her hands.

Clearly, beneath that gentle exterior—

This girl possessed something special, something capable of swallowing others whole in the Hyakubami bloodline.

"Come to think of it, weren't we supposed to meet today to discuss a business partnership?"

In the middle of their conversation, Yukima Azuma shifted the topic. "Jabami-san, what do you think?"

Hearing this, Jabami Yumeko merely gave an apologetic smile.

"Regarding the collaboration, I've already discussed it with the representative of Yukima-san's company online beforehand."

"As for the conditions, Hyakubami Daily cannot make any concessions. I apologize."

"If Yukima-san is still interested, please consider Hyakubami Daily's terms."

Her tone was humble, yet her words conveyed an uncompromising stance.

When it came to serious matters, this girl held firm to her position.

Unburdened by any personal relationships.

Yukima Azuma had already anticipated this response.

So he didn't react much.

Gazing into the distance, Yukima Azuma suddenly spoke:

"Jabami-san, do you want to place a bet?"

Jabami Yumeko, mid-step, momentarily paused.

She tilted her head to look at Yukima Azuma.

Her originally gentle, crimson-red eyes seemed to ignite with a fire from the abyss.

A single word had triggered Yumeko's hidden nature.

This gentle, kind-hearted girl—deep down, couldn't resist hearing the word bet.

Because she was addicted to gambling beyond control.

So addicted that, even knowing full well this was a trap set by Yukima Azuma,

She would still walk into it without hesitation, just to savor the thrill it offered.

"Eh? Really? What's the bet? How much are we wagering..."

"Ah, my apologies, I got a bit ahead of myself."

Mid-sentence, her eager voice suddenly halted.

Jabami Yumeko realized she had gotten too excited.

Her small pink tongue lightly licked the corner of her lips.

She gazed at Yukima Azuma with eyes full of anticipation.

"I don't usually carry cards or dice with me... and honestly, I'm not that skilled either."

"In that case, let's bet on something simple and easy to observe, like..."

As he spoke, Yukima Azuma raised his hand and pointed into the distance.

Jabami Yumeko followed the direction of his finger.

Over there, in a lush green park, stood a large tree.

Perched on its vibrant branches were two sparrows.

"Let's bet on how many seconds it will take for those two sparrows to fly away. Whoever guesses closest wins. How about it?"

Yukima Azuma tilted his head at Jabami Yumeko.

A wager that seemingly involved no skill whatsoever, relying purely on luck.

And yet, Jabami Yumeko could hardly contain herself—she immediately nodded with excitement.

"Alright! This sounds fun! So, what's at stake?"

"Hmm..." Yukima Azuma drew out his voice.

"If I win, I hope Jabami-san will grant me a small wish."

"You know, Laplace Corporation needs Hyakubami Daily's publicity to build its reputation."

"But if you win..."

"Laplace Corporation will pay ten times the price that Hyakubami Daily has offered to secure the partnership."

"What do you say?"

At first glance, this condition seemed highly favorable for Jabami Yumeko.

A bet with a 1:10 payout in her favor.

Yet, Jabami Yumeko pursed her lips and stared at Yukima Azuma for a few seconds.

Even so, in the end, she still nodded.

"Alright, let's go with Yukima-san's conditions."

The bet was sealed.

Neither of them signed any documents.

It was merely a verbal agreement.

There were not even any witnesses—such a bet had no legal validity.

But it was still established.

Yukima Azuma believed that Jabami Yumeko would abide by the conditions of the bet absolutely.

As for what Jabami Yumeko was thinking...

Yukima Azuma didn't know, but perhaps this girl just wanted to enjoy the thrill of the bet first.

"Jabami-san, how many seconds do you guess?"

Yukima Azuma pulled out his phone and opened the stopwatch app.

Jabami Yumeko looked at the distant tree branch, simultaneously glancing at the road beside it.

"Fifteen seconds."

Yukima Azuma nodded and pressed the start button.

Then, he bent down and picked up a small pebble from the ground.

"Then I'll guess five seconds."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yukima Azuma made a throwing motion like a baseball pitcher.

A faint clicking sound echoed.

The pebble was launched, tracing an arc through the air, heading toward the tree branch.

The distance from where they stood to the park was quite far.

Even being able to clearly see the two sparrows perched on the branch from this position was thanks to their sharp eyesight.

Yet, the pebble still managed to travel that great distance.

Just as the five-second countdown reached zero—

The pebble, without a single deviation, struck the tree branch.

A sudden impact,

naturally startling the birds perched on the branch.

The two sparrows immediately spread their wings, soaring through the layers of green leaves into the sky.

Yukima Azuma pressed the stop button on the stopwatch and smiled at Jabami Yumeko.

Seeing herself lose because of a simple action by the boy,

Jabami Yumeko did not appear the least bit angry.

Her small lips parted slightly, momentarily stunned, then she broke into a delighted grin.

"Yukima-san is truly impressive—I lost!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the timer had reached approximately fifteen seconds.

A large truck rumbled past the park.

With its enormous size, it stirred up a small cloud of dust.

Had Yukima Azuma not acted,

the two birds would likely have been startled by the noise of the truck and taken flight at that exact moment instead.

"Jabami-san, you're not going to complain even a little?"

Yukima Azuma blinked, asking with amusement.

Jabami Yumeko's smile only grew brighter.

"Why would I complain?" she said. "I should be thanking Yukima-san instead!"

She glanced at the tree branch where the sparrows had flown away, her crimson eyes slightly unfocused.

"What a thrilling bet!"

"In just a blink of an eye, Yukima-san set up such a brilliant trap."

"In a seemingly random situation, you managed to use a technique beyond an ordinary person's imagination to overturn me."

"A method of cheating even I didn't think of—a bet where I staked my entire existence, yet it ended in just five seconds!"

"Aah~! Truly wonderful~!"

"Yukima-san, please, take your winnings."

"What is this small wish of yours?"

"Since I lost the bet, I'll accept anything."

"Whether it's my wealth, my body, or even my very personality, it can all belong to you!"

Jabami Yumeko's voice grew more excited with each word.

Her pale skin gradually took on an unusual flush.

Her slender fingers absentmindedly traced her cheek before slipping between her soft lips.

It was almost impossible to believe—

that the girl now brimming with feverish ecstasy, on the verge of madness,

was the same gentle and lovely girl from moments ago.

Yukima Azuma watched her, the corners of his lips curving slightly upward.

As expected, this girl was truly insane.

As for the bet, Yukima Azuma's words had already contained a trap.

He had said he wanted Jabami Yumeko to grant him a "small wish."

And he had subtly implied that this wish was for he unconditional cooperation with Hyakubami Daily.

But in reality, the two matters were not directly related at all.

A normal person would naturally assume that Yukima Azuma's wish was free collaboration.

But in truth, he had never explicitly stated what his wish actually was.

This was undoubtedly a form of cheating.

Yet Jabami Yumeko had seen through the trap.

Even more than that—despite the unfair odds, she had stepped into the bet without hesitation.

Even knowing it was a rigged game, she still enjoyed it.

Or rather, it was precisely because the stakes were so high that the thrill of it excited her even more.

And the way Yukima Azuma had secured his victory? Undeniably a form of cheating.

The bet had no explicit rule against interfering with the sparrows.

Thus, his act of throwing a stone was technically valid.

But the unreasonable part lay within how he threw it.

With his physical strength rated at 7, he should have been completely incapable of throwing a pebble all the way to the tree branch.

The distance was far too great.

It was the middle of summer, and Yukima Azuma was wearing a short-sleeved white shirt.

Jabami Yumeko could clearly see the muscles on his arms.

While he looked strong, he was nowhere near the level of a professional pitcher.

From this, she could deduce that he shouldn't have been able to cross that distance to interfere with the bet.

And if he had run closer, there was no way he could have acted faster than fifteen seconds.

This was where the real cheating took place.

Yukima Azuma had employed a slight supernatural technique.

After his cooking skills had reached level 8,

he had acquired even more formidable supernatural abilities.

Now, not only could he see the structure of living organisms...

He could even alter their composition slightly through external force.

Just like when he threw the stone.

By applying precise pressure, he had subtly modified the structure of his arm.

The effect was as if he had gained extra joints—turning his arm into something like a whip.

Thanks to this adjustment, Yukima Azuma had successfully "cheated" his way to victory.

.....

Note: I only watched Kakegurui when ss1 came out a long time ago, and I haven't watched ss2 either. I just remember a few things:

Gambling school.

Yumeko look insane but that is why she hot.

Hayami Saori-sama's voice is the best.

ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧