A/n: Made a longer chap to make up to you guys! Sorry if there are some mistakes, I kind of lost track of this story since it's been too long. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this chap!
Mary's POV
Who would've thought that the person with the most votes in this competition would be an easy defeat. Yumemite was like a walk in a park for me. I roll my eyes, she doesn't really care about the president's seat anyway, so she doesn't deserve to win this. That brings up the question...
Who does deserve to win?
Am I worthy enough to do so?...or does someone else deserve the title...
"Mary?"
I snap out of my thoughts, I should really stop zoning out so much. "Are you okay? You seem to be lost in thought." I cringe at the robotic sound she lets out, curse that voice changer.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I say in a rather unconvincing tone, it's really hard to lie about something that you damn well know it's not the truth.
I sigh, this whole election is just so stressful. It's giving me a headache, but I have to stay focused. I refuse to show them that I'm weak.
I feel a warm hand hover over mine. "You can tell me anything, you know that right?" I look up at her face, she's still wearing that stupid mask.
"I know." Oh how I wish I could just rip off that mask already. I want to know what she's feeling and I can't do that when I can't see her face.
"Yumeko's almost done with her match..." she pauses for awhile and I start to grow concern when she falters over her words.
"...And Miyo's your next opponent." I already have a feeling as to where this is going, but I need confirmation. I raise my brows as a signal for her to continue.
"Well, you know what happened before, I'm just worried that's all." Of course. I chuckle. It's just Ririka being...well Ririka. I hold her hand tightly, she gasps silently and even though I couldn't see her face, I knew that she was blushing heavily underneath that plastic on her face.
"No need to worry. If she does have poison on her. I'll make sure she won't lay a finger on me."
"I know that, you're always careful, so I trust you wouldn't let something like that happen...I just can't help it..." My face heats up slightly, it feels really good to have someone care for you.
"I wouldn't really blame you for feeling like that. I bumped into her yesterday and she really isn't the nicest person in the world isn't she?" Ririka nods.
"I— " suddenly the Intercom goes off.
"And the winner for round one of the semis is Yumeko Jabami-sama!" I sigh, well there's my cue. I'm going be up next now. I take a deep breath before standing.
"Wish me luck?"
"Always." I then let go of her hand, but she immediately grabs mine back. I give her a look of confusion.
"Uh...Ririka—"
"Please just...be careful." She cuts me off. Her voice was stern and serious. The way she said it gave me chills up my spine, her hands were shaking as well. Damn, She really is worried.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, I'll make sure she won't try anything alright?" She stays quiet, her hand's still intertwined with mine. I give her a quick smile.
"Now quit moping and just cheer me on you idiot." I let go of her and walk to the stage. If I could, I would've kissed her like the last time, but I don't want to risk people seeing me. I've still got a reputation to hold after all.
"Good luck Mary-San!" I hear Yumeko yell from the audience. I turn around and give her a small wave, Ririka was still sitting there in silence.
I wonder what she's thinking about...
I mentally groan to myself. That mask really is bothering me. I can't even check up on her properly.
Ugh.
Unfortunately, I can't really do anything about that now, so I start to head to my seat instead.
I spot Miyo across from me already seated. She gives me glare and I just stared blankly, not showing any kind of emotion.
"Now for the second semifinal match, Miyo Inbami vs Mary Saotome!" The referee's loud booming voice echoes around the room.
"Saotome-San, do you have a reason you need to win?" Miyo speaks up.
"Huh?"
"Because I do, I absolutely have to win this game. What about you?" I scoff, is she seriously asking me this question? Of course I do! Don't we all? Doesn't everyone competing in this election have one? Because if they don't...it's really pointless to compete.
Now those are the people who don't deserve to win.
"Not really, I've got nothing like that." I twirl my hair. "I just don't want to lose That's all." Miyo looks surprised. There's no way I'm telling her the truth.
"Oh, I'm sorry, was that some lead in to some story all about yourself?" I decide that it'll be more fun to play around with her, besides...she deserves it.
"Don't bother, it'll just the hot air, I couldn't care any less of a crap about your business." She growls and at that, I let out a smirk.
Now in order to make sure this'll be a fair game...
"Referee!" I call out. "If she uses poison to knock out her opponent out of the game, she'll be disqualified right?" Miyo gives me a dirty look.
"Of course." I chuckle. Hopefully that answer was enough to calm a certain silver haired girl down. She shouldn't even be worried at the first place. I'm sure to win this.
The referee then gives us our cards, I look down at mine....it's good enough.
"Turn one! Players, start picking your head cards!" I do as told and pick rock.
"I bet ten votes." Ten votes? Tsk. She's not even trying.
"I call."
"The showdown!" I watch intently as she reveals her card. "Paper beats rock! Miyo Inbami-sama wins!"
...That's normal. Nothing suspicious went on during that round. I lost fair and square, but I know for a fact she's going to try something.
"Let's move on to the next round." I pick paper as my head card. I swear, I'm going to get her back.
And in order to do that, I need to start taking risks.
"I raise thirty votes!" There...I did it.
"Was that supposed to be some kind of a threat? You really think I'd fold to something like that?" I groan.
"I raise! Fifty votes!" My eyes widen. "Now that's how you threaten someone." She's got to be cheating somehow...how can she just do that! Are her cards that good? I start to sweat.
"Now the showdown!" I bite my lip. "Scissors beats paper, Miyo Inbami-sama wins once again!"
She places her cards on the table...she's got nothing, why would she bet fifty votes on that?! This just proves it...she's cheating!
"On to Round three now." I grit my teeth. I need to make up for my loses. I need to figure out how she's winning all the time.
The referee hands out our cards. I look at mine and grin. Five of a kind! The best one. She's bound to lose.
"I raise forty votes!" There's no way I'm going to fail this time. I have to win.
I suddenly hear her laugh. I look up at her annoyed. What's she laughing for?
"This does bring me back, doesn't it feel like deja vu?" Whats she rambling on about?
"I raise you one hundred votes." My mouth drops.
"But the roles of winner and loser have switched now haven't they?" N-no way. I can't do that, she's got to be bluffing.
"I c-call!"
"Showdown!"
I raise my card. "Scissors beats paper! Miyo Inbami-sama wins!" My heart stops for a split second. I'm losing...why is this happening to me. Does she know what my cards are?! Does she have some kind of mark on them?
I stand up. "This is just ridiculous!" Miyo laughs.
"My my, you sure quite the sore loser Saotome." Is she mocking me? I can't accept this.
"She's cheating!"
"I'm most certainly not, now just sit down and continue the game. Accept your defeat."
I growl and grab the cards and slam it onto the table.
"You've done something haven't you?" I stare at the cards I've thrown...Come on, I can do this...look for anything out of place.
My eyes widen as I see something. Of course...she's marked them.
"Saotome-sama, please sit down." I obey, but not before changing the card with a new mark of my own.
"On to the next round." I've got it. She's dead now.
"Saotome, I'm sure you've spotted it by now." I raise my brows. She knows?
"I'm not dumb, not only are you a skilled gambler, but you are quite predictable." I clench my fist, that doesn't matter, I can still win, even if she knows.
"Though...it is strange...I never thought you'd get cozy with the vice-president..." My jaw drops.
"W-what?"
"You heard me."
How...we never told anyone besides Kirari, Yumeko and Suzui. She couldn't have know this...unless someone between those three told her.
I grit my teeth. "You better shut your mouth." I say quietly so that no one could hear.
She laughs. "Why? Are you afraid of other people knowing? Afraid of the rumors that might spread?" My eye twitches. This isn't going the way I thought it would go.
"Referee?"
"Yes?"
"We're allowed to make side bets, am I correct?" she nods. Why does she need to ask that...don't tell me—
"Saotome, let's have a deal." She pauses for awhile to stare at me, I stay silent, keeping my gaze locked onto the floor. My hands were clenched underneath the table.
"If you give up right now, I'll keep my mouth shut, no one will have to know all the details about your little affair with you know who." She teases.
I want to punch her.
I bite my lip. Why does she need to do this!? Doesn't she care for what Ririka's feeling right now? They're family for god's sake! If I could, I would protest right now and yell at how absurd this whole situation is.
But, I can't do that.
Causing a scene is the last thing I need right now, if I do that, it'll only confirm what Miyo's saying.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
"What are you talking about?" I chuckle.
"Don't play dumb." Miyo snarls at me. "You know you want to accept that deal. I'm sure the great Mary Saotome wouldn't want the whole school finding out or else your reputation is going downhill." She laughs.
"Well...can't say you had a good one at the first place." I bite down my lip, the taste of iron becomes present on my tongue, but I ignored it.
Just don't react.
I'm not going to give her this.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm sorry, can we just continue on with the game." I smirk. "But if you just want to stall your defeat, I'm fine with that too."
Her eyes narrow and she gives me a death glare. I gulp down nervously.
"If that's how you want it, fine then, I'm willing to play your game."
"R-right."
"Okay are you guys ready? Place your head cards down." The referee says and I nod.
I look up at Miyo's cards, she's got a rock according to that mark. I've got paper, but she doesn't know that, she thinks I've got scissors.
I can still win this, thank god I was able to change my card awhile ago. Now I just got to make sure she doesn't try anything now.
"Mary, you do have scissors right?"
"Yes, I do." She smirks. "If your lying, I'm not afraid to speak up, you know?" I stare at her in the eyes.
"It's the truth." My voice was stern, hopefully it was enough to convince her.
"We'll see about that." She pauses. "I'm all in."
"What!" Why would she do that! She's not certain I was telling the truth, she could just lose this! But yet again, I don't even know what her card is...could I have gotten it wrong? Is her card really a rock?
It should be, I've been keeping track of the deck and she should have all rocks by now, her only option is to use that.
"I-I call!" I'm bound to win, she just set up her own defeat.
"You do realize that if I lose this, they'll all know."
Don't react Mary. Just don't. I'll make sure her words won't be confirmed. No one would believe her then.
"Know what?" My hands start to get sweaty. She rolls her eyes. "It's your loss." I gulp.
"Are you guys ready? Showdown!"
The cards are then revealed.
"Paper vs Rock! Mary Saotome-sama wins! And this concludes round one match two!"
"Tsk, of course...you changed it." I grin. "I didn't expect this. Thought you'd care more about your reputation, for someone as low as you." Miyo frowns.
"Was it worth it?"
I look at her confused. "What is?"
"Was it worth doing this for her?"
She stands up.
"For Momobami Ririka?"