The Stand User Of The Daily World

Chapter 106: "A Day's Usage Rights, I Can Bet on That Too!"

"Senpai, being too enthusiastic might put some psychological pressure on your juniors. If possible, I hope you, Momobami-senpai, can guide me properly when the time comes," Shunsuke said casually.

In stark contrast to Manyu, whose forehead was already drenched in sweat, Shunsuke, facing Kirari directly, showed no signs of nervousness and even had the leisure to continue joking.

"So, Manyu-san, you're quite the feast yourself. I won't make a move on you this time, but as compensation, how about letting little Itsuki satisfy me instead?"

Manyu adjusted his glasses. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Itsuki-san is Itsuki-san, and I am me."

"Alright, alright, there's no need to say things no one would believe, Manyu-san. You believe in the way of the king, don't you? Following the king's path, as the 'king,' you should remain seated at the center, unshaken, and send out a vanguard to test the waters for you."

Erimi-chan is just your ally, so naturally, she can't be sacrificed for such a risky task. That leaves your 'general,' little Itsuki, as the only option. So let's stop wasting time here."

Shunsuke leisurely walked behind Itsuki Sumeragi. "Itsuki-san, the senior you admire most, Manyu-senpai, is in a major crisis right now. As his devoted fan, shouldn't you step up bravely to help him resolve his troubles? I'm sure Manyu-san would be immensely grateful to you for it."

Itsuki's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but glance toward Manyu.

—Idiot, don't look at me like that!

Manyu Kaede was seething, wishing he could curse.

There hadn't been any evidence before, but now, wasn't it obvious to everyone?

Shunsuke, noticing Itsuki's hesitation, smiled faintly. "Of course, as your senior, I should make an effort too. How about this? You decide the type and rules of the gamble, Itsuki. As long as they appear to be fair on the surface, I'll agree to anything."

Itsuki was even more tempted now. Even Manyu found the offer hard to resist. However, possessing far greater composure and skill than Itsuki, he quickly suppressed his urge.

—This guy is deliberately trying to lure Itsuki into taking action.

Hiding his sharp gaze behind his glasses, Manyu stared intently at Shunsuke.

—But this arrogance plays perfectly into my hands. A single dice game doesn't yield enough data. Let Itsuki try her hand at what she excels in: card games. If she wins, all the better. If she loses, it doesn't matter—I'll simply discard her and still gain valuable data.

—He knows full well this is the "kingly" way of doing things, yet he still proceeds like this. Laughable. Let's see how I crush him later.

Casting a glance at Yumemi, whose smile had turned stiff, and at Midari, whose expression was growing increasingly ecstatic, Manyu began to strategize. These two were also excellent pawns for his plans.

As someone who had earned his place in the student council through sheer ability and successfully assumed the role of treasurer—managing tens of billions of yen for the academy—Manyu's competence far exceeded that of Itsuki, who had relied on wealth to secure her spot on the council.

The weakest in ability yet the most ambitious—or rather delusional—a person who had to rely on connections to enter the student council and still dared to dream of becoming the "king."

Shunsuke couldn't help but think this was the epitome of adolescent naivety.

For Manyu Kaede to discard Itsuki Sumeragi so easily was only natural.

Even if she didn't lose to Yumeko Jabami, she was bound to lose to someone else sooner or later—like Kakegurui's true protagonist, Mary Saotome.

If they faced off, Itsuki wouldn't stand a chance.

Just like now, where Manyu could immediately see through the situation, Itsuki still believed she had a strong chance to turn the tables.

"She likes me," "The phone is vibrating," "I can counterattack." Scientifically speaking, these are referred to as the "projection effect," "phantom vibration syndrome," and the "Dunning-Kruger effect," respectively—three classic illusions of life.

Common among those with insufficient ability who overestimate their capabilities, they remain trapped in a self-created bubble of illusory advantages.

Right now, Itsuki was convinced the gap between her and Shunsuke wasn't that big.

I can counterattack!

Watching Itsuki throwing meaningful glances at Manyu, Shunsuke could only sigh in exasperation.

You're just someone who got in through connections—could you please tone down your confidence a bit?

Turning his gaze toward Manyu as well, Shunsuke said, "What do you think? With such favorable conditions, you wouldn't refuse, would you, Manyu-san?"

Manyu remained composed. "This is a gamble between you and Sumeragi-san. Stop trying to drag me into it."

Shunsuke let out a mocking laugh and looked back at Itsuki. "As for the stakes, I'm pretty flexible. How about this—if you lose, Itsuki, you'll be expelled from the student council."

"What? No way!" Itsuki shot up from her seat. "How is that 'flexible'? Do you even understand what being on the student council represents in this school?"

"But even if I don't bring it up, Itsuki, if you lose, Manyu-san will still kick you out of the council. In that sense, your stake is practically nonexistent. It's a total win for you!"

"Don't spout nonsense! Kaede—Manyu-senpai would never do that! Right, Manyu-senpai—"

Itsuki, full of expectation, looked at Manyu, only to see his indifferent expression. Her words froze in her throat.

Logically, it was normal for him to act as though they weren't close at this moment, but for some reason, she suddenly felt that Manyu was so far away from her.

"And as for my wager..." Shunsuke turned to Manyu. "If I lose, I'll fully support you once during your eventual rebellion. How about that?"

"…Boring."

"Ah, so it seems Manyu-san agrees. What do you think, Itsuki? Let's have an exciting gamble right now that could decide the future of the student council!"

"…No."

"Hm?"

"I refuse to accept this wager! As a fellow student council member, Fujii-senpai, you have no right to force me into accepting such terms. If we can't agree on the stakes, I can simply decline the gamble."

"Even if it's what Manyu-san wants?"

Shunsuke felt like a stereotypical villain at that moment.

If it weren't for the crowd around them, he might have been tempted to add, 'You wouldn't want to disappoint Manyu-san, would you?'

Itsuki bit her lip, glancing briefly at Manyu before quickly looking away. Her heart was in turmoil.

"Money… If it's money, I'll gamble however much you want. Ten… No, twenty billion yen! I can push it to twenty billion! It's not as much as the president's thirty billion, but it's the limit in this school."

After much hesitation, she decided to rely on her financial power to get through the situation.

Shunsuke, however, rejected her offer. "I don't need money right now."

—Even if I did, I could just ask Kirari Momobami for it.

That was the unspoken thought he kept to himself.

"Then… then…" Itsuki's cheeks flushed red as she fidgeted awkwardly. Finally, she took a deep breath, her expression turning resolute, like a warrior about to make a noble sacrifice. "If it's for something like one day's usage rights, like what Yomozuki-senpai-senpai wagered… I'm willing to bet that too!"

Seeing Itsuki's expression, as if she were heroically offering herself up, Shunsuke didn't hesitate for a second.

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