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"Now, now." Kuro smiled to the rest of crowds, and dragged them with him, leaving Soujin and Ayame alone.

Although Ayame didn't seem as drunk as before, a certain 'switch' was still activated. Making her more honest to her feeling.

Such things were happening, but they were completely isolated from Kuro and group, and Kuro didn't want to eavesdrop them, so they moved to far area—inside the tree house.

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"Kuro~! Long time no see." Once the group successfully moved up to the tree house, the Wolf moved toward Kuro, and hugged him like a mother would to a son.

"This is… a little bit embarrassing…" Kuro in his 5th years of this life was a step closer to puberty. Although in the end, he still enjoyed it.

After a while, Mio separated herself from Kuro as she asked about him. "How is your life? Are you going well with Ayame? Are you making friends well?"

Kuro answered her while nodding. "Yes! Although I had an argument with Ayame-chan before… I made 5 friends. 2 of them is her, Okayu, Korone~ this is Mio-san."

Okayu raised her lazy hand and greeted. "Hello~… Kuro's friend, Okayu here~"

Meanwhile, Korone was rather energetic. "I am Korone! Kuro is my emergency food. His finger is delicious! Would you like a try next time he gives permission?"

"I don't human flesh!" Mio gave her 'famous tsukkomi.'

"Anyway, it's a relief that Kuro made a friend." Mio started patting Kuro's head as she said an warming words like: 'you did your best' whatsoever.

Kuro was, speechless at the moment, he had no idea on what to say. Besides, he is too embarrassed to be treated as a child (even though he is).

"A-a-anyway! Nice to meet you! Ayame-chan's mother(?)" Kuro's words was rushed and had no confidence. As it was directed to the person who have been quiet the entire time, and he wasn't sure if she was related to Ayame. They only had the similar appearances.

"Oh, nice to meet you. I am Adona." Her red pupils looking directly at Kuro, with her small mouth slightly opened, she spoke a little words. After that, she stopped speaking, as if she have no intention to continue a discussion.

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.

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The room quickly turned awkward as no one is there to speak. Which Kuro mustered his courage and clap his hand, to take the attention of everyone. "I, interested in playing a card game?"

Okayu was the first person to respond to this. "If Kuro is also playing in…"

The response continued like a chain lightning, Korone responded as well. "If Okayu is also playing in."

Mio as unsure but she was interested. "I want to try it."

Adona, just nodded, indicating that she will also participate.

"Alright let's play Blackjack. Since the rule is easy to understand. Card symbol doesn't matter all it matters is number. Aside from the numbers indicated in each cards, the Jack - Queen - King cards indicates number 10 and Ace Card indicates either number 11 or 1."

"Each player will be handed 2 cards and you can either hit or stay. If you 'hit' 1 more card will be given to you. If you 'stay' the cards in your hand stay the same. players' goal is to get the number closest to 21, or get 21 itself."

"If the numbers in your hand surpass 21, it will be 'burst' meaning that you automatically lose the game. Of course just that is boring so." After saying this, Kuro passed them an plastic that takes the similar form to card, just more smaller. This is the Xeroxing Anti Kinetic Plastic.

"We will be using his plastic as 'bet' each players get 5 of this. If you won a round, the amount of plastic you get will double the amount you betted. If you lose, the plastic will be lost. Sounds interesting?"

Surprisingly, Adona opened her mouth to speak. "There's no benefit, even if I won this game…?"

Kuro looked toward her, scratching his smooth forehead while troubled. "That's true… but! I am not forcing you to participate so… if you don't want to, you can not play..."

Adona shook her head. "I am playing…"

Kuro smiled widely to her. "That's a relief! Then! Let's play! I am playing a dealer. If you guys have a closer numbers to 21 than me, you guys win. If I burst, you guys win."

The 'child' cat said rising her arm adorably. "Sensei! What about, we play a penalty game for the loser who has the fewest points?"

Okayu raising this suggestion also indicated that she understood the rule. "How is it? Does anyone disagree with her suggestion?"

"Eh..? I, I think it's a good idea." Mio was, just there going along with the atmosphere.

Of course, Korone had no disagreement as it is Okayu's idea.

"Interesting…" instead of an reward, there existed 'punishment' from losing this game. It piqued Adona's interest as well, she became interested to Okayu who suggested the idea.

"Alright. Let's begin." Kuro passed 2 cards to each players and revealed his own card… 21. an Ace and Queen. Out of 10 betting plastic:

Korone betted: 10

Okayu betted: 1

Mio betted: 5

Adona betted: 1

Kuro had no choice but to admire Korone's brave soul. It's her first time playing it, and she still haven't received her card when she betted, yet she actually betted 10. If she won this round, she'd have a 90% rate to not be in last place as long as she played safely, but of course Korone wasn't that type of person.

Beside, unless she draw, she'll really lost her entire betting plastic.

"Oh, by the way, you can do this thing called 'double down' which doubles your current bet, in exchange of having to take 1 card and stay the entire round." Kuro smiled schemingly.

"Oh, then, doub-… never mind. Stay." Adona kept the number on her card in this turn.

"I'll hit… augheh!? So this is the so-called, gamble of darkness…! How terrifying!" Okayu showed the face despair, while she lets out the sound of someone who's taken a strong hit in their stomach.

"Th-this is scary…!" Mio also took a card and, showed the face of despair.

Meanwhile, Korone seemed to be confident. "Double, Down!… KYAAAAGH!…? Oh, ohhhh…"

No one knows what she got surprised at, when the card flew to her, she let out an shriek as if she saw a dead body, but she soon returned her calm.

At the same time, Kuro revealed his card while everyone did.

Kuro: 21

Adona: 21

Okayu: 22

Mio: 25

Korone: 19

As of now, despair engulfed the 3, especially Korone, whose in debt right now.

Adona: 10

Okayu: 9

Mio: 5

Korone: -10

Korone's point seemed devastating, but her misfortune was a fortune for other player, alhough Okay and Mio losy the round, the still sighed in relief as there's a person in lower points than them.

At the same time, 'I felt happy… for someone's misfortune!?' Mio was having a trouble within herself. She felt like she never seen this 'dirty' an tainted side of her.

"This game is… fun." The quiet one, Adona was now more interested in this game after looking at Korone and Mio's face—especially Mio. She never thought that this pure and obedient maiden as her would be this happy that someone's suffering.