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The first thing Futaba noticed when she opened her eyes is the empty bed of her childhood friend and it’s enough to erase the sleepiness she feels. She immediately sits up and looks around their shared room.
Futaba have a bad feeling about this. One, it’s Sunday and Kaoruko woke up before her. Two, she is nowhere to be found in their room, and three, she can’t hear the whining of her childhood friend and it’s enough to send alarm bells in Futaba’s mind.
She makes her way to the common room and sighed in relief when she saw Kaoruko sitting primly in the sofa and doing nothing. She seems to be checking something on her phone but other than that, the place is quiet. ‘Looks like I’m just overthinking, phew.’
She immediately changed her mind when a maniacal laugh entered her ears and can’t help the shiver running down her spine. Kaoruko is having her infamous shit-eating grin and Futaba knows it will be utter chaos from now on. ‘It’s just seven in a Sunday morning dammit.’
Kaoruko seems to notice her standing there and called her, “Futaba-han, look what I learned from the internet.”
This is the moment Futaba regrets that she taught Kaoruko how to use the smartphone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“This is such a waste of time.”
The group are now in the living room and currently sitting on floor, forming a circle. They are gathered altogether because of Kaoruko's request.
Kaoruko huffed. "Well, I'm sorry that my plan to spend the day is to have fun and does not concern a dead man's book."
A tick appeared on Junna's face. "What did you say!?"
A hand touched Junna's shoulders, "Now, now let's all calm down for a second and let's hear what she prepared for us. Kaoruko-chan, why did you call us?" Nana smiled at Kaoruko and the latter beamed. "Well if you must know Banana-han..." She laid nine cards in the center, "I discovered a new game from the internet today. It's called 'King's Game' but since we're all girls, I'm gonna call it the 'Queen's Game."
The group started looking suspiciously at her, "And? How does it work?" Mahiru inquired.
She lifted two cards, the first one is labeled with a number '1' and the other has a drawing of a queen and gave it to her pink-haired friend. "Futaba-han, would you be a dear and explain the mechanics to them? That task is boring."
Futaba grumbled in annoyance and took the two cards. "The game is pretty straightforward if you asked me. We players will draw from these pile of cards with numbers labeled just like this one," she lifted the card with the number '1'.
"The numbers are only one to eight because the ninth card is the 'queen's card'. Whoever draws it will bear the title "Queen" and have the chance to order somebody. The catch is you're going to state a number from 1-8 instead of names so the person who will be doing orders is random. After the completion of orders, the game will start again." She took a deep breath. "To make it fair, the queen is banned to order all of us at once but she can choose two to three numbers."
"Thank you Futaba-han, so what do you guys say? It's a pretty clever game don't you think?"
The others looked like they are contemplating their judgements. "It is an interesting concept." Maya finally spoke, broking the silence.
"Don't tell me you want to play that game. How childish of you, Tendo Maya." Claudine chided her rival. Maya didn't even looked affected by the blonde's words.
"Of course Ma Claudine." The blonde flushed red, "Will you stop it with that nickname?!" Maya haughtily looked at Claudine, "I just realized if I will become the Queen and guessed your number correctly, you must absolutely follow my orders without complaint."
"Why you- Fine! I'll join this game and be the Queen to wipe that smirk on your face." Claudine stands up and points her finger to the brunette. "I won't lose to you, Tendo Maya!"
"I accept your challenge, Saijou Claudine." Maya returned, also standing up and tilting her head down to further rile up the blonde.
"For the love of God, just kiss." Futaba quickly stand up and hold back the growling Claudine by the shoulders from annihilating the laughing gremlin. Maya just returned to her position and sit like nothing happened.
"I agree with Tendo-san, the game sounds fun right Hikari-chan?" Karen looked excitedly at Hikari. The girl nodded her head while hugging her stuffed toy. 'If I become Queen I will order them to buy me Mr. White'
"You can't order them that Hikari-chan. Didn't I say that you can only acquire two Mr. White a week? You already bought two yesterday so no." Mahiru said as if reading the black-haired thoughts.
Hikari's face fall. Karen didn't like that look so she decided to say her trump card. "But Mahiru-chan, if you become Queen you can order someone to buy you a suzdal cat too." Mahiru realizes her mistake, 'why didn't I think of that?! If I decided to take back my words, Hikari-chan will not learn to control her addiction, but suzdal cat...'
Karen scratched her head now that her two friends share a defeated look. "Well, how about we go shopping next week? I will buy an extra Mr. White for Hikari-chan since the rule only applied to her and a new suzdal cat for your collection, Mahiru-chan. I mean we can't really order them to buy the merch since that person will have to go out right?" Hikari and Mahiru both looked at Karen like she's some sort of an angel sent from heaven. Karen couldn't help the grin in her face from spreading because she made them smile.
"Aww, Karen-chan's a really sweet person. Don't you think Junna-chan?" Nana said as she proceeds to capture the moment in camera. Junna also smiled fondly at the scene but it quickly vanished when she turned her head to the other group.
Claudine is still struggling from Futaba's iron grip. She decided to intervene, "If the ruckus won't stop, we will not play the game at all." That did the trick. Kaoruko stopped laughing and Claudine calmed down. Futaba sighed in relief and let go of her hold. The two began sitting down.
"You're joining the game, Junna-chan?" Nana asked her roommate.
"I have no choice, Nana. Someone has to keep an eye out or else it will result into chaos. Just thinking of it makes my head ache."
"I'm sure it'll be alright. If it gets out of hand we will stop the game." Nana placed her hand on Junna's shoulders again. The purple-haired girl sighed, "Okay."
Kaoruko coughed and she gathered the cards in her hands. "Now that Class Prez approved, we can now begin the game!" She proceeds to lay down the cards upside down and shuffles it. When she stops, everyone pick their respective cards.
Nana began smiling, "Looks like I'm the first Queen~" Everyone except Nana sighed in relief knowing that their Banana is not the type of person to order drastic-
"Number 4 must confess her feelings to their special someone."
The excited mood dropped then and there, replaced by horror and dread. It hits them like tons of bricks when they realized how dangerous the game could be. Mahiru's face flushed. Claudine's mouth falls and Junna's glasses began fogging up. Maya looked calm but you can see her eyebrows are twitching just a little bit. Futaba face palmed, now knowing the hidden agenda of the blue-haired devil while the said girl is laughing her ass off. "Way to go Banana-han! Such an epic icebreaker!" She said in between laughs. Hikari is the only one not bothered by what is happening.
Karen seems to be oblivious about the implications of the game. She stands up and raises her hands excitedly, "I'm number 4, Banana!"
Mahiru choked on her own spit and Hikari's neutral face now contains a subtle blush. Nana giggled in the scene, "Well number 4-chan, do what you must~"
Karen dramatically kneeled down in front of her 'Queen'. She lifted Nana's right hand and placed a kiss to the back of it. "As you wish, Your Majesty."
(In Nana's side, a certain bespectacled girl is exerting a menacing aura causing Kaoruko to hug Futaba, afraid of their class president's wrath.)
Karen stands up and looks to her two roommates. "Hikari-chan, Mahiru-chan." Mahiru yelped while Hikari remained silent. Everyone is watching the display intently like they are watching a confession scene from a movie.
Karen grinned. "Thank you for always staying by my side and I hope we will remain friends until we are old grannies!" Everyone groaned, of course Karen will not understand what 'confessing your feelings to your special someone' meant.
Mahiru loses her nervousness and Hikari is having a small smile. Mahiru patted Karen's head, "Of course, you can count on that Karen-chan." Karen beamed and went back to her place.
Nana captures the scene again with her camera, "Bananice! On to the next round!"
The tension is back. Everyone lay down their cards. When Nana stopped shuffling the cards they immediately choose their cards, a single thought running through their minds, the queen card shall be mine!
Maya flipped her card and a triumphant smile donned on her face. "The title of 'Queen' is now mine." She said and the smile on her face widened when Claudine groaned. "I can't believe it, you become Queen before me."
"As it should be, Ma Claudine." The blonde shrieked in fury and Futaba hold her back again. "Tendo, give us a favor and say your order now please."
"Since I aim to be the top star, it is only fitting I chose number 2 to do my bidding."
Claudine froze on her spot causing for her to let go of her card, the number 2 popping out. Mahiru and Karen gasped. Hikari, Junna and Futaba blinked while Nana uttered an "Oh my." Kaoruko began laughing again and pounded the floor with her fist, tears appearing in her eyes. "T-this is gold. Pure, absolute gold. Oh my God HAHAHAHAHA!"
If Maya's smile is wide before, it doesn't compare to what she has on her face now. "Well well well, what are the chances? The number fits you perfectly, cherie"
Claudine seems to snapped out of her reverie and give her deadliest glare to the almost shining brunette, "You annoying woman!"
Maya waved her pointy finger in front of Claudine, "Is that a way to treat your Queen? Aijou-san did a better job than you in that category." Claudine only snarled.
Maya is savoring the moment and something entered her mind. "Well Ma Claudine since you lacked certain manners, from now on the only thing you will call me is 'Ma Maya' for the entire game. Not vexing, annoying or any other nicknames you have for me. If you, perhaps, happen to say a different nickname, I will tell Hoshimi-san the locations of your secret stash of wine."
"Just what the actual - " Nana covered Junna's mouth with her hand to stop the girl from saying colorful words. Mahiru looks grateful and lowers her hands from Karen's ears, ignoring the latter's questioning gaze. Kaoruko is now on the floor, too busy dying from laughter.
Claudine's eyes looked like they will popped out of their sockets. Different emotions are flashing in her eyes "Y-you..."
"What about me?" A cheeky smile is evident in Maya's face.
"Mechante va!!!"
"Bottom left, inside her closet Hoshimi-san."
Junna is gone in the blink of an eye. There's a loud bang and the sound of someone scuffling things. "I'M CONFISCATING THIS!" Is the only sentence they understand because a stream of magical words filled the dormitory after that. Mahiru proceeds to cover Karen's ears again.
"Hoshimi-san have wide vocabularies, I should asked her about them later." Hikari muttered in awe but quickly snapped her mouth shut when Mahiru glared at her.
The noises died down and Junna walks back to the living room. She calmly returned to her seat like she didn't caused an uproar and pushed her glasses up. "Let's continue the game, I still need to know the other locations of Saijou-san's stash after all."
Claudine gulped. She decided to stay quiet, afraid of provoking their class president.
Futaba scratched the back of her head, "Before we do that, hey Tendo how did you know about the stash?"
Kaoruko stopped laughing after hearing the question of her beloved Futaba-han and sat properly in her seat, ears eager to hear the brunette's answer. Claudine blushed while Maya shrugged her shoulders, "I just happen to encounter them, that's all."
"Oh? How did you - "
"Let's start the next round." Maya cut Kaoruko's sentence, resulting a "How rude, Tendo-han!"
Different hands quickly dart in the center when Maya finished shuffling the cards.
The most sadistic laugh ever produced can be heard inside the dorm. It is conjured by none other than the blue devil herself. The stomachs of everyone churned.
"Behold, the true Royal Blood has grace you her presence and will deliver an order worthy of remembering for the rest of our lives." She looks so happy seeing the expressions of her classmates. This is so fun~
Mahiru began chanting prayers inside her head, "Please, don't let it be me, don't let it be me oh God..."
"I want number 7 to sit on number 6's lap for the rest of the game."
The temperature is now absolute zero. Karen wanted to bolt and return to her room. Beads of cold sweat can be seen from Futaba and Claudine. Maya coughs to erase the uneasiness she feels.
Number 7 grabbed a pillow and threw it at Kaoruko with deadly precision, earning an 'oof' from the girl. Hikari shivered, remembering their revue. She rubbed her shoulders, remembering the pain when the archer's arrow pinned her to the wall and hitting her right shoulder in it.
Number 6, on the other hand, became deathly still. Karen nervously poked Nana with a stick she gets out of nowhere but she's not moving at all.
Kaoruko recovered from the throw and glared at the perpetrator. She instantly cowers when she saw the murderous look from her assailant.
"Mark my words, Hanayagi. When I become Queen, I'm going to punish your entire being you'll be wishing you didn't enroll in Seisho at all. And don't worry, I won't let you forget it either."
After saying her death sentence to Kaoruko, she stands up and proceeds to sit on Nana's lap. The phone falls from Nana's hands with a thud.
No one dared to say a comment about the situation, too scared that the wrath will fall upon them.
Futaba coughed and collected the cards from everyone's hand. "W-well, let's continue shall we?"
The cards are shuffled again. Mahiru slowly lifted her card and smiled when the symbol of the Queen greeted her. She raised her right hand and everyone sighed in relief. They definitely needed an angel after the devil worked her deeds.
"Let's keep it light. Number 3 and 8 has to share their current secret to everybody."
The Mr. White Hikari is holding joined Nana's phone in the ground. Mahiru snapped her neck to the black-haired girl and saw it become so pale, "Hikari-chan?!"
When she turned to look at Karen, the same look can be seen and Mahiru couldn't help but panic. "W-what is happening to the both of you?!"
The number 3 is visible in Hikari's card and Mahiru can feel something's wrong from the way these two are acting.
"What did you do Hikari-chan, Karen-chan?"
The two immediately bow down their heads on the floor, "We're so sorry!"
Karen began spluttering words, "W-we didn't mean it, we swear M-mahiru-chan! We didn't notice it was there, we're really sorry, please forgive us!"
Mahiru didn't know what to do in this situation, so she knelt down and patted the head of the two 'children'. "It's ok Karen-chan, I'm sure what the two of you did isn't that b-"
"WeaccidentallyincludeyourSuzdalCatChristmasEditioninthewasherwhenyouorderedusto
dothelaundry." Hikari spoke so fast that everyone has to rub their ears to see if it was really her who said that.
Mahiru's eyebrow twitched. "Come again?"
Karen nervously lifted her head, "Remember the Suzdal Cat that went missing? We somehow put it in the washer..."
Mahiru stopped patting Karen's head. She proceeds to cover her mouth daintily and tilted her head a little. "Is that so?"
Karen and Hikari shivered. They know that look.
"Where is it now?"
"Ehehehe, w-well we don't want you to see that so I hid it here in my Kani Haniwa bag..." She opened her pouch and presented to everyone the Suzcal cat. If Mahiru ain't familiar with its appearance, she wouldn't assume that the stuffed toy Karen's holding is her beloved mascot.
It was tattered into pieces and the santa hat is nowhere to be found. Hikari looked up and cringed when she saw the stuffed toy again.
"Wow, for a second there I can't even recognized it." Karen whimpered when she heard Mahiru uttered those words.
"It's decided. The two of you are banned from our room for the time being and you will sleep here in the living room. Karen-chan, find your own futon. Hikari-chan, you can't bring Mr. White with you."
Karen is back begging for her life in front of Mahiru. "But Mahiru-chaaaan, it's so cold out here in the niiiiiight." While Hikari muttered a "Meanie Mahiru."
The glare is the only thing she did to shut the mouths of the two children. "No buts."
The two accepted their defeat. They sit back dejectedly and Mahiru clasped her hands together, "Let's continue the game, everyone."
The others blinked once they realized it's done. They don't know what to make out of the scene so they just nodded their heads.
Another round began and they choose their cards. Kaoruko started dreading she joined the game.
In the hands of their class president resides the most powerful card, making the heiress gulped. "Oh look at the time, it's already lunch. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to eat right?"
"The food can wait Hanayagi-san, I still need to get my revenge after all. You can't run, not on my watch you gremlin." Junna didn't hold back her words any longer. The class president is seething in anger.
"W-well, you don't know my number so the jokes on you, Hoshimi-han!" She mustered her courage to smirk.
The light shines in Junna's glasses, "It doesn't matter because Nana told me something before."
Kaoruko didn't want to hear it but her curiosity got the better of her. "W-what is it?"
Junna's face contains a very satisfied look. She's smiling so big that you would think she meets Shakespeare in the flesh.
"Kaoruko has one fear."
That catches everyone's attention. Claudine and Futaba looked eager to know what it is. Kaoruko's eyes widened. "I so did not!"
"Nana, show me your number." The girl quickly complied and presented her card to the girl in her lap.
"Well then. As the Queen, I will order number 1 to give a 'BanaBike' to someone of her choice."
The smirk on Kaoruko's face disappeared so quickly, replaced by realization and a look of horror. Futaba instantly remembered the memory and broke into a laughing fit. Claudine raised her eyebrows, "BanaBike?"
"You'll see."
Nana donned her own smile that rivals Junna's victory smirk. Maya thought that if they were in a revue, these two will be a force to be reckoned with. Natural talent combined with tactical approach are dangerous opponents.
Junna removed herself from Nana's lap. Kaoruko backed away in fright, "No, no, no stay away!"
Nana easily scooped the heiress and placed the girl on her back. Kaoruko shrieked. "Futaba-han, help!!!"
"Not today, Kaoruko. You're on your own."
"Hold tight, Kaoruko-chan~"
And zoom!!! Nana ran around the room, Kaoruko screaming her lungs out. Claudine joined Futaba and bursted out laughing from the scene in front of them. Maya has an amused smile on her face. Junna is now holding Nana's phone and recording the whole scene.
"Waaaaaaaaaah, that looks fun!" Karen exclaimed.
"Agreed." Hikari agreed, eyes shining.
"Ne, Hikari-chan let's do that too!" The auburn-haired girl kneeled in front of Hikari and the latter carefully climbed on Karen's back.
"Karen-chan don't drop Hikari-chan!" Mahiru reminded the two. Karen give her a two finger salute. "No problemo, Mahiru-chan! Leave it to me!" And she joined Nana in her 'adventure'.
Maya seems to contemplate something. She stands up and scoops the laughing blonde in her arms, bridal style. Claudine yelped and her face bloomed into shades of red. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
The brunette is shining again. "My own version of BanaBike and I'm calling it MayaBike. Hold tight, ma cherie." And joins Nana and Karen.
Claudine began shouting, "You vexing woman, put me down! I swear if my feet touch the ground I will pound your head, Tendo Maya!!!"
"The second drawer in her cabinet. Third one's under her bed, Hoshimi-san."
Junna's glasses began glinting again. She gave Nana's phone in Mahiru's hand, "Continue recording, Tsuyuzaki-san. I want my blackmail material to be perfect, okay?"
"W-wait, Hoshimi-san..." And just like that, the class president is gone once again. Mahiru sweat-dropped.
She sat near Futaba who looked like she's running out of air from laughing too much. She turned at the chaos happening and just sighed. I think this ends our game. Oh well.