-Art by quiyanga on Twitter-
The title has nothing to do with the anime Kakegurui (although, I really liked that anime lmao if you haven't seen it i recommend) I'm just using it as the Japanese word for gambling
~
"Are we there yet?" I muttered for the one hundredth time in the journey even though I knew the answer.
"Yes." Answered Kurapika from the passenger seat at the front. I was about to release another groan but stopped myself as I comprehended what he had just said. I shot up from my seat and looked outside the window. Surely enough, we were driving into the parking lot of the largest casino I had ever seen.
Azia was famous for all it's incredible gambling houses, many tourists are often lured in by the attractive buildings.
Of course, I knew all this. But I had never actually arrived before one, especially not one this big. The large retro vaporwave aesthetic was the most eye-catching thing in the street. The pink and blue neon lights from the inside illuminated the dark sky.
Kurapika got out of the car, followed by Basho and two other men. Our driver waited patiently as I tried to calm myself before exiting the Porsche.
The three of us, accompanied by two additional, non-Hunter bodyguards, walked towards the gorgous entrance to the extravagant casino. "Remember. We're here for work purposes. Our goal is to remake all the money lost at the Yorknew auctions." Kurapika, our boss, said seriously as he straightened his tie.
The group of men split up upon entering the casino, all heading in different directions to fulfill the order. I, on the otherhand, stood at the entrance, gawking at the overwhelming building. My senses couldn't find anything to focus on; the blaring music, the blinding, colourful lights, the yelling and chatters from every person inside, it was all too overwhelming.
Gulping, I slowly walked inside, mesmerised by everything. Every person was glammed up from head to toe, indicating they were upper class and clearly belonged to a family of high social status. It made me feel less out of place than I thought I would, actually. With the short silk dress I was forced to wear, I blended right in. I was self-conscious at first, afraid that I was showing too much skin with this mini black dress but standing here made me realise I was just like every other woman who wore flaunting outfits. Although, I was slightly disheartened that Melody wasn't with me. It was quite uncomfortable having to be the only lady in a group of four men, I didn't say anything about it but I knew that it would have been a lot less intimidating if Melody were here right now.
Taking a deep breath, I strutted through the building, hearing my high heels clacking against the polished floor as I walked. I was unable to identify any of my co-workers within all the men dressed in similar suits but I shook it off and decided that I could just explore the area by myself.
Not even a minute had passed before I was pulled into a game of roulette. Around five or six adults were crowded around the table, placing bets and whatnot.
The croupier was a white man with a unique, pointed mustache which mirrored his sharp hair. Adjusting his bow tie, he leaned across the table and over to me after the others at the table placed their bets, "And how much will you be betting, little lady?" He asked me in a thick accent.
I looked from the man to everybody else standing around me. Overall, everybody looked to be much older than me and much more experienced by the way they were smirking. It must have been obvious that I was new to the idea of gambling to them. But judgement shouldn't be based off by appearance. And I was about to prove that.
Reaching into my Bucci handbag, I pulled out a stack of money and slammed it onto the table. A twisted smirk crawled onto my lips as I watched everybody stare in shock at the amount of notes I threw onto the wooden table. "Five thousand Jenny. All on black." I grinned.
The croupier's eyes widened, surprised that I had thrown in the most money, but soon returned to their original state as he nodded. "You must be confident." He stated. I didn't reply and only waited for him to conduct the game.
Tension set in the air as the roulette machine began spinning. Every person stared intently at the small white ball as it hopped inbetween each slot. When it slowed down to reveal where the white ball had landed, gasps emerged in the air.
The croupier stared at me in disbelief for a short moment before sliding the winnings in my direction. I took the Jenny, flipping my finger through each note to make sure I was given the right amount. The other players only glared at the small ball which lay in slot number seventeen, black.
When I looked up after putting my winnings into my purse, I noticed a lot more people had gathered around the table. It appeared my cool win had attracted many more guests. Even more desperate people began placing bets, ones much higher than the five thousand I had placed, it was somewhat amusing. The croupier looked at me with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, asking the question with his eyes. I only nodded at him, "I'll play again."
It was a good thing the people here were too distracted in their own bets to notice me once again sneaking my Devil's Gun in and out of my purse. I couldn't help but smirk as I knew that I practically controlled the whole game. I didn't need Lady Luck because with my manipulation I was already the queen of kakegurui.
~
It wasn't fun anymore. Hours went by of repeating the same cheats again and again. It was pretty enjoyable at first but it became too repetitive for me after a while. Not only with roulette but with other games like blackjack, slots and a lot more. I basically played my way through numerous games, winning the majority until I became all dried out of any excitement.
I could of tried playing without the advantage of Nen but the idea seemed too risky for me. I was here on a mission to gain as much money as possible. Our whole organisation was in need of over three billion Jenny, that was gonna take far more than five players in one night of gambling to obtain. And, frankly, indulging in these games without any cheats for the sole reason to boost my enjoyment was only going to slow down the process.
And that's how I found myself sitting cross-legged on a long couch, too lazy to get up and resume my job. The flamingo pink seat was occupied by many others who lounged with their friends, screaming as they spoke. Unfortunately for me, all my acquaintances were too busy feeding their gambling addictions.
In fact, from where I sat I could see Kurapika in the distance. He was sat at a table playing poker with another group of men. The only other man I could identify there was the brunette next to him, he was apart of our organisation- I never did learn his name. It looked like he and Kurapika were playing together against the rest of the people there for the giant stack of money on the table. I smiled as I watched the blonde place down cards nonchalantly.
My view of the boy was cut off when a pair of skinny legs stood in the way. I looked up to see a cocktail waitress smiling down kindly at me. She had long red hair and her make up was on point, the silky dress she wore matched mine, except her skirt ended at her knees which was a little longer than mine did. What caught my attention was the tray she held in which contained many glasses of funky coloured liquid. She held the tray out to me as if to offer me one.
I hadn't actually drank since we arrived at the casino. Many other waitresses passed by and offered some to us when I was playing slots but I declined every offer as I was too engrossed in the games to drink.
But now that I had nothing to do, I considered the choice of actually taking one. The truth was, I had never drank alcohol in my life. Not that I disliked the idea of it or looked down on people that did, the opportunity was just never given to me during my upbringing. Besides, I was eighteen years old now, well past the legal drinking age in the country. Maybe it would be nice to try it out.
I reached out and took a glass of mysterious blue liquid and thanked the lady before she moved away to serve another.
Taking a sip from the glass, I almost gagged. It was bitter, a little sour, yet sweet, in a way. I couldn't pinpoint an exact description on the taste so I took another drink of it but regretted it immediately after, concluding it tasted bad. But, for some reason, every taste bud on my tongue begged for more. I took another sip. And then another. And then another.
And, before I knew it, I had downed the whole glass. The taste at first was utterly disgusting but it became more addicting the more I drank it. I wanted more.
Just like magic, another waitress appeared at the lounge area once more and offered a new fresh tray of drinks to everybody. This time I didn't hesitate before taking one. This one was red and had a little umbrella in it. I chugged it down in seconds. The waitress was still there, serving other men and women who were desperate for a drink much like I. I stood up and, without thinking clearly, took two glasses for myself. The lady didn't even question my decision but treated it as if it was a regular occurrence for her before moving on.
That was how the remainder of my night passed, drinking myself into stupor. I have only vague memories of laughing hysterically with other drunks at things which weren't funny or flirting with any man who approached me. I even remember blacking out and waking back up on numerous occasions. All my senses were distorted, I couldn't see, hear, or even speak clearly. But it never appeared as much of a problem because I was finally enjoying myself that night, even if I was drunk.
~
I can't believe I wrote this with my limited knowledge of gambling. I literally had to google so many terms and rules of particular games because I was so unsure on the topic lmao also I just want to clarify I have never drank nor even been within a meter of a cocktail or any alcoholic drink, I just based the description of the taste on the Monster Energy I'm drinking right now LMFAO
Also, I'm sure some of you know the direction where this is headed. Kurapika taking care of drunk (Y/N)? It's gonna be eventful, to say the least. I enjoyed writing this chapter quite a bit so thank you for reading :)