Girl Band, Gravity Capture

Page 67

As he said this, before Ruoye Mu could respond, Yuan Xudou stood up first.

"Then you guys prepare for the games you're going to play later. I'll get some desserts and snacks."

The atmosphere was off, so he decided to leave for a while.

Although he didn't know exactly what went wrong or how it had turned out in a way he couldn't understand, since his intuition told him something was wrong, and trusting his usually accurate and sharp intuition completely, after helping Wakaba Mutsu out of the predicament, Gen Xudou immediately and without hesitation chose to follow his heart.

Moreover, this wasn't just a random excuse he made up—since it was a nighttime party, snacks and drinks were essential, and he had just made some desserts in the kitchen, which was perfectly reasonable.

Let them calm down first.

He closed the door, shutting out the atmosphere that made him feel inexplicably dangerous, and quickly walked down the stairs.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When he returned to the room carrying a gleaming plate and a few bags, the strange atmosphere had, just as he had hoped, vanished into the gaps in the air.

The pillows that were originally scattered everywhere were cleared aside by the girls, making enough space to move around. They sat together as usual, chatting and laughing, seemingly waiting for him to return.

Relieved, Yuan Xudou stepped forward and sat down in the empty seat reserved for him.

He put down the plate and pushed it in front of everyone.

"The ingredients here are plentiful. I made some snacks. Let's eat and play together."

Almond tofu, mango panna cotta, and various sliced ​​fruits—these were all desserts he had prepared before showering and frozen in the refrigerator beforehand. The flavors were on the sweeter side, appealing to young women, and the slight coolness made them perfect for enjoying on a summer night.

It's better to focus your energy on the food than on him.

As expected, teenage girls always find it hard to resist the temptation of desserts—they can't wait to pick up their own cutlery and start enjoying the snacks specially made for teenagers.

"Xu Doujun, thank you for your hard work."

Before taking action, Nagasaki Motoyo praised his efforts.

"...But eating dessert at night will make me fat, right..."

Hearing Shiina Tatsuki's mumbled words while holding a spoon in his mouth, Toyokawa Shoko, who was bringing a large piece of milk pudding to her mouth, froze for a moment.

But soon, she fearlessly put it into her mouth, while murmuring words of comfort.

"It's okay, we're going to the beach tomorrow, so all the calories we consume tonight can be burned off then... Hmm, there won't be any problems!"

"Knowing we're going to the beach tomorrow, don't stay out too late tonight," Yuan Xudou casually reminded him.

"What are you planning to play next? Still card games?"

"no."

Upon hearing this, the girl revealed a mysterious smile.

"Don't worry, it won't take too long... Xu Dou will find out soon."

Chapter Ninety-Six: The King's Game

The final answer is "The King's Game".

The reason is simple—since there are differences in skill and physical strength, let's compare luck, which is something no one can control later in life.

In this field, even Yuan Xudou cannot guarantee that he will always have the upper hand under fair and just circumstances—unlike talent, his luck is not outstanding, but rather similar to that of an ordinary person.

This way, at least everyone can have the same and fair experience.

The rules of the "King's Game" are simple. There are six players, so you take out six playing cards from "A" to "6", plus a joker as the king.

There are seven cards in total. Everyone present takes turns randomly drawing one card. The person who draws the King card must announce it publicly, and then use the remaining card as their number.

The "King" can issue any instructions to a designated number. As long as the instructions do not violate the pre-defined rules, the other party must comply; otherwise, they will be punished.

Although the ability to issue commands at will makes the king's authority seem immense, in reality, because he cannot directly designate personnel, and since they do not even know each other's numbers, there is no way to ensure the accuracy of the instructions, and there is a possibility of accidentally harming himself.

Therefore, from the process of drawing identities to issuing instructions, it is a game of pure luck.

But in other words, there is no targeting or deliberate intent, no distinction between the mature and the naive, and everyone is treated equally.

For teenagers who crave the unknown and excitement... it's definitely a suitable party game.

Yuan Xudou did not express any objection.

Among the people present, there was no one with the perverse pleasure of watching their companions make fools of themselves. Even Xiangzi, who was the most unconventional of them all, never crossed any lines in his actions and would never do anything that would genuinely embarrass others.

Since the participants are all normal, considerate of each other's feelings, and trustworthy partners, there is no need to worry about any malicious intent that might embarrass someone or lead to any extreme orders.

Moreover, there are pre-defined boundaries for issuing instructions.

"It cannot involve personal privacy," "It cannot involve contact in sensitive locations," and "It cannot involve sensitive topics."

The description is vague, but everyone understands the general scope. These rules, while not strictly defined, cover a wide range and are well-known to each other. If it were a group that had just met and wanted to use the game as a way to break the ice, then the rules would be more stringent in some areas and more lenient in others.

The punishment is simple—those who refuse must run an errand for someone else during their subsequent vacation.

To create a suitable atmosphere, Toyokawa Shoko even found a vintage-style hat as a symbol of the king, turned off the bright main light in the room, and replaced it with a dim night light.

Outside the bedroom window, the rustling evening breeze caressed the rolling trees, the sound of leaves moving in the stillness of the night mingling with the chirping of insects. Pale moonlight filtered through the tree canopy and windowsill, casting stark shadows on the wooden floor.

Enveloped in darkness, where only parts of each other's faces could be seen, the six people took out their playing cards.

"...Wait a minute, how did it suddenly turn into a horror story session?"

The lights were off, the mansion was completely silent, a group of boys and girls sat in a circle in the deserted countryside—Shiina Ritsuki complained, feeling a bit too strongly of a sense of déjà vu.

Didn't they all get scared and try to hide next to Xu Dou when they saw the lights? What kind of party is this?

However, upon hearing her question, Toyokawa Shoko nodded thoughtfully.

"A horror story session? That's a good idea. We can try it next time."

"Hey, you really want to do that?"

"Um...it was just a joke, Lixi."

It doesn't look like a joke at all.

If she had the opportunity to get support from others, she would definitely do it—Toyokawa Shoko was such a willful and bold girl. The image of that reserved, elegant, and gentle young lady, while not exactly a disguise, was certainly not the complete version of herself.

If it weren't for Yuan Xudou's existence, which allowed her to shed her perfect and approachable facade and reveal her selfishness and capriciousness, other girls might have been truly blinded by that filter.

But now, Shiina Tatsuki has seen through it all.

Shaking her head, too lazy to continue playing the role of the吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to criticize or complain), she randomly picked a card from the shuffled deck.

'It's not the King of Spades.'

Looking at the 4 of spades in her hand, she muttered a word of disappointment, then placed it face down in front of her. The girl then began to observe the expressions of the other people who had also drawn cards.

Let's start with Yuan Xudou.

'...I can't see anything.'

How did he and Toyokawa Shoko develop such a tacit understanding, and how did they cultivate such an observational ability that could see through other people's thoughts at a glance?

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't glean any information from those deep, serene eyes that resembled whirlpools. She could only look at others with a touch of envy.

Although members of the King's Game are not supposed to know each other's numbers, guessing them by skill is within the rules and can give them a significant advantage.

The experienced Shiina Tatsuki skipped over the composed and elegant Toyokawa Shoko and the charmingly smiling Nagasaki Motoyo. These two were also the type who didn't easily show their feelings; each was adept at concealing their emotions, and it was truly a mystery what had instilled in them such a habit.

Now, it's time to announce the king's identity—

As her gaze shifted, the girl with light green hair, as delicate and inorganic as a doll, reached out with a very small motion, revealing the brightly colored double-headed clown card in her hand to everyone.

The first round's "King" was Wakaba Mutsumi.

The black and red cap, a symbol of power, was placed by Xiangzi on the girl's emerald green hair, and it actually looked quite fitting—even though Wakaba Mutsu herself didn't seem to think so.

Pressing her number card down with her fingertip and dragging it in front of her, the girl pursed her lips, showing a hint of hesitation.

'Mu...she usually seems so indifferent and unambitious, what kind of orders would she give?'

It wasn't just Shiina Tatsuki; others shared similar doubts.

After hiding their number tags, everyone focused their attention on the youngest woman.

Without hesitating for long, Wakaba Mutsu made up her mind and called out the names in a calm, indifferent voice.

"Number 2 and Number 5."

—Without me.

Shiina Tatsuki, who immediately realized this fact, didn't know whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, but she still breathed a slight sigh of relief.

So, what instructions will she give next?

With her light purple pupils darting around, the girl quietly glanced around.

The two people who were called remained calm, and no one else in the room showed any signs of panic... So, at least one of them must be one of those three.

That's none of my business anymore, I'll just watch their performance quietly...

"—Pillow, on your head, ten minutes."

--what?

Chapter Ninety-Seven: A Moonlit Meeting for Five (Three Chapters Combined, Bonus Chapter 5/20)

Such a great opportunity, and it's only used for this kind of thing...

Is she genuinely naive, or is she still holding a grudge about being dragged into the pillow fight by Xiangzi...?

'And... what great luck, this guy.'

She actually won the grand prize—numbers 2 and 5, which were Nagasaki Motoyo and Toyokawa Shoko, respectively.

"Mu, when did you become such a vengeful person—"

Feeling that her best friend had been gradually influenced by Genjiro, and was no longer as silent and obedient as before, Toyokawa Shoko sighed, feigning sadness.

"Mumu-chan, do you think this is fun?"

On the other side, Nagasaki Motoyo, whose face was half dark but whose tone was still gentle, which made her even more terrifying, stood up and asked in a low voice.

However, all the two could do was make threats – after all, Ruoye Mu's request wasn't excessive; at most, it would only make people lose face, and it would be a waste to accept punishment for it.

Therefore, they obediently followed the girl's instructions, each taking a pillow from the side and then placing it on their heads with dark faces.

—Tsk tsk, a civil war in the Moon Forest.

Seeing Xiangzi and Su Shi, no longer as at ease as they were in the morning, looking defeated by this demand that was not very harmful but extremely insulting, Shiina Riki shook his head with schadenfreude, truly feeling the fun of this game that relied entirely on luck.

Anyone is capable of doing things they would never normally do; no one can remain aloof and detached from the situation.

Now that Nagasaki Motoyo and Toyokawa Shoko have suffered heavy losses, the next one should be—

"continue."

With half of her hair pinned down by a light blue cushion, Toyokawa Shoko, looking somewhat comical, smirked and spoke in a stiff voice.

She didn't believe that a person's luck could stay bad forever—the first round was just a temporary setback, and she was sure she could win next time!

With this belief in mind, the girl maintained her balance, preventing the pillow on her head from falling, and reached for the scrambled deck of cards.

In the second round, the "King" was Nagasaki Motoyo.

The smug girl held a brightly colored card between her fingertips and gently shook it. However, when she saw Wakaba Mutsu silently take off her hat and hand it to her, her smile suddenly vanished.

Unable to be happy, Nagasaki Motoyo issued the order in a depressed mood.

"Number 3, please tell Number 6 something you've been keeping from them."

...very aggressive.

The situation quickly escalated from minor skirmishes involving actions and gestures to a full-blown offensive concerning interpersonal relationships.

Despite her gentle and considerate appearance, Su Shi actually has very strong motives and purposes; she doesn't just treat this as an ordinary game.

"So, number three is..."

Her calm, lake-like blue eyes swept over the crowd with a light and agile gaze.