leoconstantinepinochle

[leoconstantinepinochle]

27) negotiation

characters: Ken, Lynch, Leo

note: This was translated by the softwares quite oddly, so I had to make it a little readable myself. This is not 100% correctly translated word by word, but the overall should be okeyy

Ken POV:

"…Well, look who it is," said a figure standing by the door.

I turned my gaze toward the voice.

A boy with a deep navy-blue suit. On his chest, a lion motif bared its teeth fiercely while gripping a ring in its jaws. The boy leaned casually against the doorframe, his face slightly lowered, making it unclear whether he was looking at us or not. At his feet rested an attaché case.

"No reaction from you either? I thought you'd be a little more surprised seeing me," said Lynch.

The figure by the door was noone else but Leo.

"That’s my line, Mr. Lynch."

Lynch’s demeanor remained unwavering.

Leo raised his face and picked up the attaché case. He stepped forward a few paces.

"How did you find this place… or realize that I was the culprit?"

"It took… a little time."

For a fleeting moment, Leo seemed to glance in my direction.

"My excellent subordinates are, it seems, rather meddlesome."

"That makes little sense to me," Lynch replied with a feigned cluelessness.

"Forget it. It's none of your concern."

"Well, fair enough."

Lynch let out a soft chuckle.

"I figured the culprit would be exposed eventually. Believe it or not, I’m a graduate of a good university. Though, I didn’t expect it’d be exposed by you, Leo."

Leo didn’t react—not even a twitch of his eyebrows.

"The location I specified wasn’t here, was it? Money can’t be a problem for you, so why wouldn’t you just give me my money and take the captive? Have you came for something else? A card perhaps? I’ve heard some things about you."

As he spoke, Lynch cast a sidelong glance at me, implying that I had ratted him out. He then slipped a hand into his pants pocket.

Leo didn’t react. He wasn’t wearing gloves, meaning he wasn’t in a state to play.

"Just so you know, I followed the instructions and came alone. You can rest easy on that point," said Leo.

He placed the attaché case he had been carrying on the floor, knelt down, and unfastened the latches.

Rising back to his feet, he nudged the case forward with his foot. The opened case slid across the waxed wooden floor and came to a stop right in front of Lynch.

"Ha-ha-ha…!"

Lynch’s laughter echoed, unrestrained and ominous. He seemed to forget about his previous point.

The room was filled with a sticky, unsettling laugh. Lynch leaned forward, almost looming over the case. I braced myself against the pillar and shifted my upper body to sit up slightly.

Inside the case, stacks of cash filled it to the brim. I couldn’t even guess how much money was there.

"Looks like you packed quite a bit in here, huh? The teacher's getting noisy..." Lynch muttered, examining the contents. "Shut up and take it."

"Of course, of course. I'll gladly accept it."

"To someone like you, beneath even a servant, this is more than enough. Now, hand over the heart card. Once I have the card, I won’t care about the rest. Do what you like."

My card was stored in the drawer, but Leo had likely not seen where Lynch had tucked it away.

"Wouldn’t  you like to know how I killed the Principal?"

"I don’t care."

Lynch’s creepy smile faded as he frowned, glancing over his shoulder at me. "And isn’t your best friend Ken worth a thought? I’m sure I mentioned that in my letter."

Leo still didn’t look at me. Cold ran through my spine.

"W-Won’t you ask for my release..?"

"Well, that’s no good," said Lynch.

"I offer double the money in that case for the card and the captive." When Leo said that, I felt a wave of relief.

Lynch eagerly pulled the case closer to his feet, his expression showing clear delight.

"Heh, one case can’t pay for the trouble I went and will go through because of this, now will it?"

"Before money, everything kneels."

I couldn’t tell if Leo was saying that to Lynch or to me.

"But still, that's a tough request."

Lynch pulled a bill from the stack and stared at it intently as he stood up.

"Ken is a smart student, he understands what will happen if he talks. So releasing him shouldn’t cause any issues."

Leo remained silent, staring directly at Lynch.

"But Leo, you’re different, aren’t you? From what Ken says, the big company Pinochle is collecting the cards. I can’t just go up against such a massive organization and believe that nothing will happen to me."

I quickly lowered my gaze, sensing that Leo might glance at me. I had already told Lynch everything I knew about both Pinochle and Leo.

"The teacher will disappear. It doesn’t matter if it's within the country... or maybe overseas, yeah I think that's better. Until then, Ken will stay with me. Oh, and maybe we can have Pinochle help out too. After that you will give me the additional money and I will release my dear student. How about that?"

"...Junkie," Leo muttered, a slight twitch appearing along his jawline.

"Don't worry. I'm not high right now." I knew that was a lie and Leo seemed to get it too.

"You better back off while you can, before I take my deal back." Leo didn’t plan on compromising whatsoever.

"Oh, a threat? Scary, scary."

Lynch stretched his body, making a sound in his throat, still wearing that self-assured expression. Whether it was due to the drugs or not, it was unclear.

Leo spoke, his tone firm.

"If you take the money and leave quietly, no harm will come to you. We won’t chase you. I swear on Pinochle's name."

Lynch held the bill between his fingers, pressing it against his throat as he inhaled deeply.

"Not a single scratch, pristine money. You went out of your way to provide me with new bills, didn’t you? How thoughtful."

"Stop talking nonsense."

"Just listen. The teacher's words are meant to be heard quietly. Let’s call it homeroom time."

Lynch crouched again, carefully counting the money in the case, as he continued talking.

"They say Rummy College is a prestigious school, but in reality, it’s a rich-kids’ school where only the wealthy can get in. Naturally, it becomes a gathering place for the children of political and financial elites. The kids pretend to be well-behaved students, but in reality, they’re just spoiled brats with soft, mushy brains."

"Do you want to know why I killed the principal?"

"I’ve told you already. It has nothing to do with me."

"Don’t be so cold."

Lynch continued undeterred.

"The principal deserved to die. He was a damn antiques fanatic. He didn’t want to dirty his hands directly and made excuses to claim he wasn’t a bad person. He partnered with a broker and turned a blind eye as drugs spread throughout the school."

Lynch mimicked the action of smoking a cigarette.

Seeing that, I suddenly remembered—when I was crawling through the school's ventilation shafts with the Jerry Crawler, I’d seen other students smoking something that looked like cigarettes a few times.

"I used to do my work more coolly, too. But the principal found out about it..."

As he spoke, Lynch rubbed his upper lip with his index finger.

"Looking back now, I realize the broker sold me out."

Leo remained completely expressionless.

"Before I knew it, I was a puppet. Eventually, the broker started using me for his own purposes. It was a side job, but a good one."

Lynch's gaze dropped as he continued.

"But the principal didn’t know I was a player. He was such a fool—boasting about his cards to me endlessly."

He trembled as he spoke.

"So I killed him. He was so obsessed with his antiques, and it was just a replica."

Leo opened his mouth.

"That sword, it was you who brought it in, wasn’t it?"

"Yeah, it's a fine piece of irony, isn’t it?"

The weapon used to kill the principal was one of the five swords in the room. However, Leo had deduced that one of the five swords was missing, and the one used in the murder had been brought in from outside. This meant it wasn’t part of the collection but was the weapon that caused the death.

"I had planned to make him out to be nothing more than a foolish antiques fanatic who put knowledge second… but then the Pinochle heir went and exposed everything after a single look at the crime scene… What a mess."

"I won’t say it again. I’m not here for your excuses."

"Curious why I’m talking so much?"

Lynch slowly stood up.

Sensing danger, Leo stepped back with one foot, bracing himself.

"Did you think I’d say it’s because I plan to kill you? I’m still an educator, you know. I wouldn’t do something as underhanded as an ambush."

He held three banknotes between his fingers.

But the way he held them was odd—bending all his fingers except his thumb, wedging a bill between each of them.

"Let me show you my play state. If you’re taking information back to Pinochle, that should work in your favor, right?"

With his other hand—the one not holding the money—Lynch reached into his pocket and pulled out a card.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

26) basement

characters: Ken, Lynch

Ken POV:

I didn’t know where I was, but there didn’t seem to be much traffic, just the occasional sound of cars driving by.

I was in a dimly lit, semi-basement room. It would be more accurate to call it a storage area. The air was heavy, possibly due to moisture seeping into the walls. The room contained wooden furniture and a sofa covered with fabric, giving it a bleak appearance.

I was tied to a pillar with my hands bound behind my back, unable to move. The rope bit into the flesh of my wrists, and I had long since lost the will to struggle.

Though the wounds on my legs and arms from the arrows hadn’t become life-threatening thanks to a medgel-like substance, they hadn’t fully healed either and still throbbed painfully.

At some point—probably yesterday—I’d wet myself. It had already dried, so I didn’t notice it anymore.

I wished for a book. The silence in the room made my mind spiral into unpleasant thoughts.

I just wanted to go home. That wish consumed almost all my thoughts.

Then I heard the creak of the old wooden door opening.

"Ken!"

Someone rushed toward me.

I didn’t respond, leaning against the pillar as they wrapped their arms around me.

"Are you okay? Who did this to you? I’ll untie you right now."

It was Lynch, he liked to mess with me like this. Every time something like this happens, I can’t help but wonder—what’s so enjoyable about doing this?

"Seriously, no reaction? Are you bored yet?" he said.

He let out a dry, mocking laugh. I didn’t even bother to look at him.

Suddenly, I felt a slap across my right cheek.

"Say something, will you?"

The man stood up and began kicking me in the stomach with the toe of his sneaker, as if he were stabbing me with each strike. The air was knocked out of my lungs, and I couldn’t suppress the pained groan that escaped.

I nearly collapsed onto the floor, but because my hands were tied, I couldn’t fall completely. The ropes bit into my wrists again, but the pain in my stomach overshadowed it.

When I glanced up at him, his face was completely expressionless. There was no malice, no satisfaction—just a blank, downturned mouth. He wore a suit that I vaguely recognized.

After a while, the beating stopped.

The man’s previously tidy hairstyle was now disheveled, with strands of hair falling across his forehead. Beads of sweat formed on his brow. Despite the minimal exertion, he was breathing heavily.

That’s because this guy wasn’t normal.

"Alright, let’s take attendance. Kent Hargreaves!"

I barely raised my shoulder in response—it was the only movement I could make at that height, tied as I was. I knew if I didn’t respond, I’d just get kicked again.

"Good, take a little break there for now."

The man was none other than Hadley Lynch, my former homeroom teacher and the advisor of the archery club I had quit.

This semi-basement room had a few archery bows displayed on the walls, but all of them were covered in a layer of dust.

"Hold on a second. It’s, uh, it’s toothpaste time," he stammered strangely.

Lynch opened a wooden drawer and pulled out a tube. It looked like toothpaste, but there was no proper packaging—just bare aluminum that had been crumpled and exposed.

The tube was nearly empty, flattened like paper. He pressed down at the opening with his fingers, lazily squeezing out what little was left. A cobalt-green paste oozed out in bursts, accompanied by faint popping sounds as air escaped.

Lynch then peeled back his upper lip like a neighing horse and smeared the paste directly onto his gums.

With a loud exhale, he threw himself onto a one-seater sofa draped with a cloth.

I’d seen this bizarre sight more than a few times already.

"It’s almost gone. I’ll have to get more... I have to get more."

Suddenly, Lynch’s body convulsed as if a jolt of electricity coursed through him. Starting from his feet, the tremors climbed upward—through his legs, across his torso, and along his spine—until they reached his neck and shot up to the top of his head.

He arched his back, straining his neck as if it might snap, and let out a high-pitched scream.

The muscles on his face twisted grotesquely, his mouth curling unnaturally upward, his eyebrows raised unnervingly high. His narrow eyes, now wide with tension, stared off into some incomprehensible direction.

As the cold sweat on his forehead began to dry, his gaze slowly returned to normal.

In fact, his eyes seemed even more alive, brimming with an unnatural vigor.

He smoothed his disheveled hair back into place, adjusting his appearance with a meticulousness that seemed almost absurd given the situation.

"Ken," he said, clearing his throat and standing up. His posture now mimicked the confident stance he might take behind a teacher’s podium.

"Money, Ken. We both need it, don’t we? Teacher and student—we should work together on this, don’t you think?"

"...When you revealed your cards and told me that all you had was the Heart, I have to admit, I almost laughed out loud. I wanted to teach you a lesson right then and there. But hey, I couldn’t possibly do that to such a lovable student, could I?"

The audacity of his words, after the torment he’d put me through, was infuriating.

"You were honest with me," he continued, his tone dripping with mock sincerity. "You even spilled the truth about your classmate. About him—Leo Constantine Pinochle."

I must have already crossed some critical line.

My exhausted body, deprived of proper food and drink, made even the act of thinking feel like an uphill battle.

I hadn’t wanted to say anything.

But I didn’t have the strength to hold out any longer.

Lynch’s sole motivation was money. If he could get his hands on that, he didn’t care about the rest. On the flip side, it also meant that threats—like harming my family—wouldn’t hold any weight since there was no money to be had from them. For him, the shortest route to his goal was to squeeze everything out of me and force me to reveal the card's location.

This man had already killed someone.

He might’ve even taken down others besides the principal. If that were true, then adding one or two more bodies wouldn’t make any difference to him.

The realization left me paralyzed, unable to do anything but tremble in fear.

“I’ve already made arrangements to deal with your Heart card,” Lynch said, his voice calm but menacing. “Word is, that scumbag broker Wallace got caught by the cops, but there are still other channels.”

I didn’t know who this Wallace guy was, but from the sound of it, he was some kind of middleman.

I’d done my own research on what to do with an X-playing card if I wanted to sell it. It didn’t seem too difficult. While the cards weren’t known to the general public, they were famous in certain circles.

I was just an ordinary person. Even if I owned a card and could use it as a player, at the end of the day...

For better or worse, I could never become a truly special existence. It was a matter of mentality.

And besides, the card was no longer in my possession.

Now, I was just an ordinary person who happened to know things I shouldn’t. Once again, I realized how far I’d wandered into a place I had no business being.

“Kent. Don’t worry; just stay right there.”

Lynch smiled, but beneath that grin, I could picture the grotesque, molten wickedness lurking beneath his skin like a mask ready to slip.

As he spoke, Lynch reached into his jacket and pulled out a card adorned with a design resembling a writhing tentacle—my Heart card, the “Jelly Crawler.”

He deliberately placed it into the wooden drawer where I could see it.

The gesture was clear: a warning that the card was no longer in my possession, so I shouldn’t try anything foolish. Not that I had any intention of resisting. But Lynch took pleasure in my submission, savoring the sight of my defeat.

There was no doubt now—he had no intention of letting me go.

Even if I swore to never breathe a word of this to anyone, there was no way to make him believe me. I had no leverage, no means to persuade this drug-addled lunatic.

“In a little while, I’ll be heading out again. Your dear little friend should be showing up at the designated spot with the money.”

"The discussion ends here."

A sudden voice interrupted from the direction of the door.

Lynch's eyes widened for a brief moment as he turned around.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

25) message from the enemy

characters: Leo, Bernard

Leo POV:

I wasn't unaware of Chris' situation. Wendy seemed not to have noticed, but it was clear that it wasn’t just his usual flirtation.

In fact, I realized that I had been thinking about it for a moment.

That guy, Chris…

Even after everyone else had clocked out, I remained at the office, continuing my work. There was so much left to do. While I had been working remotely from Rummy College, there were still many tasks that couldn’t be finished without being physically present.

"Master Leo, it might be time to head home. If you push yourself too hard, it could affect your health."

Bernard, who had brought me my second cup of coffee, said as he set it down.

"You can leave too. There's no need to stay just to keep me company."

"I think I’ll stay with you today," he replied, narrowing his eyes.

"You always say that, though."

"I'll go close up the shop," Bernard smiled slightly, his mustache barely moving, before stepping away from my desk. He opened the door and stepped outside.

I took a sip of coffee. It was neither too hot nor lukewarm, the perfect temperature, and the rich flavor of the carefully roasted beans stood out. There probably isn't a barista in the country who can brew coffee better than Bernard.

However, right now, I wasn’t in the mood for coffee.

The tingling sensation of the carbonation and the sweet scent of spices flashed through my mind. As I replayed the taste in my mind, the scene from that time also came back to me.

On the rooftop late at night.

A cloudy sky, no stars in sight.

Though it wasn’t visible, I had the sense that I felt some kind of sparkle there at the moment. Not the kind of excitement or thrill that one might expect… but something else.

Ken—no, what about Hargreaves?

If he's running away on his own, with the card in hand, at least he won’t be lacking for food, shelter, or anything else.

But unlike me, he's just a student, still a child. I wonder if he’s keeping his composure.

It happened again. Even though I knew it wasn’t something I should think about, my mind kept wandering there.

Damn it.

I left my desk, leaving the remaining work for tomorrow. Just then, Bernard finished preparing to close the shop and returned inside. The door was still open.

That’s when it happened.

Suddenly, I felt something.

"Bernard!" I shouted.

Bernard immediately reacted to my voice, tilting his body.

Something flew through the spot where Bernard’s head had been, moving with terrifying speed. It entered the store, but instead of hitting the floor, it landed softly, fluttering like a thin piece of cloth.

"Are you okay?"

I glanced at Bernard, who silently nodded, and bolted outside. I scanned the surroundings, but the quiet streets showed nothing out of the ordinary in the nighttime stillness. Whoever had attacked was already gone.

"Could it be someone from the Klondike Family?" Bernard asked from inside the store.

"No, that’s unlikely. Even they know they’d pay dearly if they attacked us directly."

Then, who?

Remaining cautious of my surroundings, I returned to the store.

"Leo-sama, over there," Bernard said, pointing.

Bernard was pointing to something on the floor—a tie.

It lay crumpled, as though someone had intentionally removed and discarded it.

"What... is this?"

Since there had been no sound, I knew it wasn’t a gunshot. At first, I thought someone had shot an arrow with a crossbow, but there were no arrows anywhere.

I picked up the tie. It was familiar—this was the tie provided as part of the Rummy College uniform.

There were bloodstains on it. They were dry but not very old.

My heart felt like it swelled up rapidly, and my pulse quickened as blood surged through my body. My breathing grew uneven as I realized what this was about.

Tied to the tie was a piece of paper, rolled up neatly. I opened it.

"What is it?" Bernard asked.

The message was brief. It seemed Bernard caught a glimpse of it from behind.

"Should we report this to the CEO?" he asked.

"There’s no need," I replied, my voice rising without realizing it.

"...Sorry," I added, catching myself.

"Not at all, please don’t worry about it. But what will you do?"

I placed the note and the tie into my pocket.

"This is my mission. I’ll handle it myself."

At that moment, the smartphone I’d left on the desk began to ring.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

24) back at the branch

characters: Leo, Chris, Wendy, Bernard

Leo POV:

Night had fallen, and the streetlights outside began to glow. The branch would be closing soon.

As I sat idly at the desk in the back of the store, staring at the monitor of my laptop, a savory aroma tickled my nose.

The faint clink of porcelain sounded as a coffee cup, adorned with a golden lion, was placed in front of me.

Looking up, I saw Bernard Simmons, the clerk and my caretaker. His suit embodied the word "gentleman," and he offered a serene smile—a mix of guardian and servant that was uniquely his.

"Leo-sama, I’d like to confirm your schedule for the week... May I proceed now?" "Yes, please."

It had been several days since Kent Hargreaves, the suspect in the murder of the principal at Rummy College, escaped.

I had returned to my usual duties. No longer in uniform, I was dressed in my usual suit.

Returning to the Old Maid branch for the first time in a while, I couldn’t deny feeling a sense of relief that neither the store nor its staff had changed at all.

In my personal room at Rummy College, I had confronted Hargreaves. He had used the Club of 6, an antique from the principal’s collection, as a decoy to escape.

Afterwards, detectives who heard the gunshot burst into the room, but I left without paying them any mind. I searched for Hargreaves but couldn’t find him. His "Jelly Crawler" ability seemed more specialized for infiltration and escape than for combat.

I reported the bare minimum of what had occurred in the personal room to Inspector Young. Our job at High Card is not to capture murder suspects—that’s the police’s responsibility. Our priority is recovering the cards, and we neither want nor ought to interfere beyond that.

From that perspective, I could say I successfully completed my mission. Naturally, the Club of 6 I recovered was sent to headquarters, and I had also reported the incident to the president.

Had I been instructed to continue my undercover operation, managing the aftermath would have been a real hassle, but in the end, my assignment at Rummy College was immediately terminated. Tracking Hargreaves is virtually impossible with the Jelly Crawler in his possession, and I wouldn’t have been allowed to act on my own initiative without direct orders from headquarters in the first place.

Once again, I reminded myself.

I successfully completed my mission—.

While it’s true I couldn’t celebrate fully, having let one card slip away, even just confirming the whereabouts and abilities of the Heart of 2 was more than satisfactory.

I fulfilled the responsibility entrusted to me as who I am.

Yet—

“––That concludes everything.”

“…Leo-sama.”

I suddenly noticed Bernard leaning slightly toward me, as if peering into my face, and snapped back to attention.

“Is something troubling you?”

“No, don’t worry about it.”

I shifted my gaze toward the front counter, where Wendy Sato was seated, and Chris Redgrave was standing with his back against the counter, legs crossed.

It looked like Bernard wanted to say more, but he stopped himself. With a small bow, he retreated to the back room.

Then, hushed voices reached my ears.

Wendy brought her hand close to her mouth and glanced at Chris.

Chris bent forward slightly, bringing his face closer to hers.

“Hey, doesn’t Leo seem kind of off?”

“He’s always kind of gloomy.”

“Well, yeah, but… doesn’t he seem weirder than usual since coming back from that mission…?”

Chris closed his eyes, his unnaturally long lashes lowering as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Don’t be boring. A 13-year-old boy only has one thing to worry about." "What’s that?"

"––Oh well, looks like it’s up to everyone’s beloved big brother to lend a hand."

I tried to ignore him, but Chris let out a dramatic huff through his nose and walked over.

He placed a hand on my desk. "Don’t forget that the Old Maid Branch has a Love Advice Desk, handled by yours truly. Leave your lovesick woes to me."

With one hand, he opened the edge of his jacket.

"My heart is wide open today, just for you… You know what that means, don’t you?"

"Shut up. Get lost."

“Chris-san, perhaps you could head back over there for now?”

I was about to crush his shin with the tip of my leather shoe, but Bernard intervened, so I let it slide. Chris, still grinning, let out another loud huff through his nose as Bernard took his hand and led him away.

Wendy looked exasperated.

"Chris, you’re such an idiot, you know that?"

"—Leo’s eyes sometimes look like ice. I thought he was going to kill me. If he could use that glare on a lady too, in a way, he’d have a promising future."

He spoke to Wendy ignoring my presence.

"Seriously, you’re a fool. Enough already."

"Chris-san, Leo-sama seems to be heartbroken, so..." Bernard said. I couldn’t believe he played into their stupid conversation.

"Heartbroken? Are you kidding me, old man? Leo is the son of that cold, android-like CEO!" said Chris.

Usually, I’d snap at them for dragging things out like this, but I didn’t even feel like mustering the energy to respond.

Today, one of the other members of High Card, Vijay Kumar Singh, was out, so he wasn’t here.

I hadn’t spoken to Chris or Wendy about the series of events at Rummy College. Bernard, being Bernard, had probably relayed the necessary details.

But I was absolutely not heartbroken.

According to information from the police, they still hadn’t located Hargreaves. His family had also been investigated, but there had been no sightings of him or any contact. If he were someone who cared about his family, he wouldn’t go near them with a murder charge hanging over his head.

Where could he be?

It would be a lie to say it didn’t bother me. But if I pursued him without any directives from headquarters, it would become an act that strayed from my mission.

That would be purely personal sentiment.

I must not waver. As the leader of High Card.

Then Bernard left the branch. He was likely going to check the mailbox.

"Jokes aside…"

Chris approached me again, and I shot him a sharp glare.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don’t get so worked up. We’re friends, all friends here."

"Don’t treat me like some captured gorilla—"

Chris said, "Practically speaking, thanks to my top-notch intel, we managed to secure a card, right? No need to beat yourself up over it."

"You idiot. All you were doing was chasing after women," I shot back.

"You just don’t get it, Leo. Adults have their own way of doing things."

I ignored the hopeless flirt.

Then Wendy spoke up, "…But the murder case hasn’t been solved in the end, right? The suspect was your roommate, but now he’s on the run—so are we not going to chase after him?"

"There’s no need. As long as we act according to headquarters' orders, that’s all that matters. Solving murder cases and apprehending suspects is the police’s job. It’s not in our domain."

The surroundings had grown completely dark, and the interior of the store was reflected in the front window. Chris looked at his reflection, fixing his hair as he spoke.

"Well, that’s technically true as far as the mission is concerned. But then, Leo, why are you so down in the dumps?"

"I’m not down," I replied.

Chris shrugged.

"Alright, alright. Then why are you so on edge? Don’t tell me you actually got along with that runaway student?"

"H-Hey, Chris!"

Wendy hurriedly rushed over, flustered, and grabbed Chris by the arm.

"Stop being so reckless! Leo wouldn’t make friends. He always says so himself!"

...

My lack of reaction seemed to surprise Wendy, and she gave me a puzzled look.

"...That’s right. I don’t have any friends."

Wendy hesitated, as if searching for the right words, likely trying to express her concern, though it was entirely unnecessary.

"Your shift is over. Both of you should head home."

Wendy took a step closer, about to say something else, but Chris put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back.

"Alright then, let’s clock out like the obedient employees we are," he said with a smirk.

"It’s the manager’s order, Wendy."

Wendy still looked reluctant, but Chris led her away.

"Aah, worked hard today too. Wendy, let’s go have a drink at Crazy 8. I’m about to starve to death from lack of calories," Chris said.

"I still have work to do," Wendy replied.

"Come on, hurry up. I’ll leave you behind, hungry Wendy," he teased.

"Geez, you're so pushy."

"Hey, Leo," Chris called.

He grabbed his bag and headed for the door. Wendy, flustered, quickly gathered her things and followed him.

As he placed his hand on the door, Chris turned and said without looking back. Wendy looked at me, as if dragged along by his words.

"Regret is something only the cowardly feel. The things you care about won’t always be there, so you need to hold on tight."

"...What was that? Some kind of pickup line?"

Wendy gave him a puzzled look again.

"It’s advice. From someone with a lot of experience saying goodbye," Chris replied.

Without waiting for my reaction, Chris left the store.

"Just so you know, that doesn’t sound impressive at all," I muttered.

Wendy gave me a thoughtful look but followed Chris out the door.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

23) arrow

characters: Ken, ???

Ken POV:

I strained my ears and heard commotion coming from the direction of the Diamond Dormitory. It’s probably the police officers rushing over due to the mess Leo and I caused.

Leo likely doesn’t want anyone to know about the cards, so he probably won’t tell the police about me—at least not anyone other than that Inspector Young.

If that’s the case, I have plenty of time.

I’ll leave here and gain my freedom.

Goodbye, Rummy College. Goodbye, dear Leo.

As I climbed onto the sharp railing at the top of the outer wall of the school building, I felt something strange in my leg—a jarring impact that shook my entire body.

While I can transform my whole body into slime, it takes a toll if maintained for too long. Depending on the situation, I only transform the minimum necessary parts. At that moment, my legs were still flesh.

I looked at my leg and saw an arrow in my limb

“Fuck! What the fuck..? … It hurts!”

Pain surged through me instantly, so sharp and overwhelming it took my breath away.

I felt an incredible heat and reflexively grabbed the shaft of the arrow embedded in my leg, trying to pull it out.

But it wouldn’t budge. Losing my balance, I nearly fell.

I felt a gaze from behind and turned around.

...No one was there.

Wait, there was someone. On the rooftop.

The intense pain made my eyelids twitch, but I could tell it was someone I knew and that someone was trying to kill me.

The arrow that had pierced my thigh was barely removed. Rather than pulling it out, I used my X-playing card to transform my leg into an ultra-soft state, nearly liquid, and let it pass through.

Even though my body is yellowish, my blood is red.

I tossed the wet arrow aside. It wasn’t some old-fashioned arrow but rather a modern competition arrow—the kind I had often handled during club activities in the past.

The idea of removing a stuck arrow this way was, if I do say so myself, a brilliant application of the ability, but I had no time to praise myself.

I climbed over the wall and left the grounds of Rummy College.

Maybe it was the tension. My breathing was ragged. Perhaps it was from the pain, the excessive use of my ability, or the fact that someone was trying to kill me.

Maybe it was all of those things.

Everything about this situation was a first for me.

Rummy College is located in the suburbs, an area devoid of people to begin with. I summoned what was left of my drained mental strength, activating my ability at maximum output for the moment, expanding the range of my ultra-softened body. Staying as low as possible, I crawled through the grass, moving almost like a slug. However, this ability does allow me to be relatively fast.

My movements were more animalistic than traditional crawling.

I stopped moving and looked back. At that exact moment, a shadow briefly flickered in the corner of my vision. Perhaps it was the power of the card sharpening my reflexes.

Sensing danger, I ultra-softened the area around my right hip.

An arrow pierced through my body and embedded itself in the ground below.

The balance of my arms faltered, and I lurched forward, my upper body tipping over. I felt the grass on the ground rustling as it entered my softened body.

I had been running blindly, desperate to escape, and I had no idea where I was.

When I realized it, a forest stood before me. If I could make it there, the abundance of obstacles would improve my chances of survival.

I had to keep running.

Whoever was chasing me had a clear intent to kill—or at the very least, harm me.

I hadn’t deactivated my play state yet. As long as I maintained the ultra-softening of my entire body, I could at least avoid being pierced by arrows.

I will not die from this.

I kept telling myself that, trying to motivate myself to keep going.

But it was no use.

I felt half my face begin to collapse. My eyeball was on the verge of falling out, and I instinctively caught it with one hand. My energy was running low, likely due to my mental instability.

A headache set in, followed by nausea.

Stay focused.

If I didn’t, not just my eyeball, but even my teeth might start crumbling and falling out.

I grabbed at the grass with my gloved hand, trying to crawl forward.

“...Agh!”

A dry crack echoed from my wrist. An arrow had grazed the bone and embedded itself just before the edge of the glove.

While in play state, my gloves couldn’t be damaged. The archer had precisely aimed for the unprotected part, just outside the glove's coverage.

I crouched there, curling up on the spot. It wasn’t just the pain that made me stop; my will to keep running had completely dissolved.

I curled up like a baby. Somehow, I had a strange, detached thought: this must be a subconscious desire for someone to protect me.

Water began streaming from the unstable, trembling gap around my eyeball. At some point—or perhaps I’d been crying all along—I realized I was sobbing.

Fear made me shake uncontrollably.

The glove turned into particles of light, scattering and then reassembling into a playing card. Like a single petal, it fluttered down in front of me.

I didn’t even have the energy to reach for it.

How did it come to this...?

Was this the price for someone as ordinary as me succumbing to greed?

Was it because my mother remarried? Because I enrolled in this school?

—Or... was it because I met Leo?

“You were told to stay in your private room, weren’t you? So why are you out here in a place like this?”

A man’s voice came from a short distance away. I could hear the sound of footsteps treading on the grass.

“Well, now?”

His voice carried a hint of forced cheerfulness, and that only heightened my fear. This was the unnerving tone that had driven me to distance myself from club activities. It was Mr. Lynch.

“What’s this? A playing card? You know bringing toys to school is against the rules. I’ll be confiscating this,” he said, his voice suddenly taking on an oddly high-pitched, throat-tightened laugh.

The man picked up my Heart of 2.

“Let’s hear it, then. A serious student like you should be able to give me a proper answer. Isn’t that right, Ken?”

“Uh... ah...”

He grabbed me by the hair and yanked me up. His face was right in front of mine.

Bloodshot eyes. I thought I saw a slight twitching near his neck.

“Here’s a question for you. Make sure you answer it correctly.”

That’s right... I’d seen him like this before. He often displayed emotional instability.

“Where’s the other card?”

[leoconstantinepinochle]

22) the two of hearts

characters: Ken

Ken POV:

I, now with a body turned gelatinous, wriggled through the ducts of the ventilation system, scrambling away.

From the first time I ventured into the ducts, it had been a series of discoveries.

I learned that areas near the kitchen were coated with a layer of vaporized grease, and I even discovered that the class’s top student, who pretended to be so perfect, would secretly hide in their room, drinking and smoking. These were trivial details, but knowing things no one else could gave me a strange sense of superiority, even if it wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular.

Also, ducts were nothing like how they appeared in movies—clean and polished.

There was dust piled up, rat droppings scattered everywhere, and even encounters with the creatures themselves.

But for me, none of it mattered.

This heart card, Jelly Crawler, was incredible. No matter what debris or filth was on the path he took, it couldn’t contaminate my body. Viruses or bacteria, for that matter, were no match either.

Additionally, it might even be faster than running. Its speed and agility were impeccable. No matter how quickly I moved, all it produced was the faint sound of a slithering motion, remaining remarkably quiet.

The most extraordinary part was that i could pass through almost any space that could be considered a gap. It was a matter of perception—unless ideemed it impossible, i could slip through any crevice.

It felt as though i had grown wings.

With this power, i felt as if i could go anywhere.

Of course, i knew my current form was far from beautiful, far removed from a bird soaring freely after breaking free from its chains. Still, during the time I played, I could taste a sense of liberation he had long forgotten.

The X-playing card was inducing all kinds of effects on my mind.

From the moment I first used it, I could sense an overwhelming energy packed into its mere millimeter-thick body, akin to a playing card. Responding to that, I could feel dormant energy being drawn up from the depths of his own core.

Those energies matched wavelengths with each other. I couldn’t explain what "wavelength" meant, but it was the only way I could describe it. Everything seemed to synchronize, as though the card had become a part of my body.

The fact that I had picked up the card was pure coincidence. It hadn’t been destiny, attraction, or divine intervention—nothing special like that. It had simply appeared before me unexpectedly.

Early one morning, as I opened the door of the Diamond Dormitory and stepped outside, I found it lying at my feet. Thinking it must have been dropped by someone playing cards in the dorm, I picked it up casually. But the moment I held it, I realized it was no ordinary card.

I started to think that this card had appeared there specifically to be found by me. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I felt as though the card had chosen me.

Then, almost instinctively, I said the word "play," and I transformed—becoming something like an amorphous creature.

To be precise, I turned into a yellowish slime.

The sensation was, in a word, supremely pleasant.

Even though my body felt cool, it wasn’t cold at all, and heat barely affected me either. No matter where I went, my body would adhere seamlessly to the floor or walls, melding with them. I didn’t need to think about balance at all—it felt like floating weightlessly in a world with gravity, providing an unparalleled sense of security.

On top of that, my clothes transformed with me, which was a subtle but greatly appreciated benefit really.

I never thought such a thing could exist, but I intuitively understood that this was one of the legendary cards from the fairy tales of the Fourland Kingdom.

I felt as though I could go anywhere I wanted.

I had no idea what to do with this card I had picked up by chance, but the sensation of using it was so incredible that I started wandering around the school late at night, after everyone had gone to bed.

That habit began even before Leo came. I don’t recall ever using it for anything particularly bad.

However, I also didn’t recall doing anything particularly good. Up until that point, the card had merely been a tool to relieve stress.

Then, not long after, I was informed about my overdue tuition fees. I was told that if the payments weren’t made soon, I’d be expelled.

Honestly, I didn’t feel much sympathy for my mom’s new husband and his impending bankruptcy, but I wanted to avoid dragging my mom, my little brother, and my little sister into it. My mom seemed desperate to keep me enrolled at school, but I wasn’t particularly interested myself. Still, once I started attending, I realized that Rummy College was an exceptional institution.

There wasn’t any specific reason why it had to be Rummy College, but I wanted my siblings to receive a good education and live comfortably without any struggles.

For that, the card was absolutely essential.

As I wandered around the school at night, I discovered that the principal’s office was filled with valuable items. Considering their rarity and the ease with which they could be taken, it became clear that the best option was to steal the X-playing card owned by the principal.

I scouted the area several times, trying to determine the perfect timing.

Leo had already caught on to the fact that I was sneaking out of my room at night. If the card’s disappearance caused an uproar, I’d definitely be a suspect. Leo is sharp—he would absolutely figure it out.

That’s why I aimed for the perfect window of time: when everyone was either finishing up or starting their day, and when the principal and other teachers might not yet have arrived. Even if it was discovered that I wasn’t in my room during that period, it wouldn’t raise as much suspicion.

I figured that doing it at that time would significantly reduce suspicion.

And then this morning happened.

For me, it was still supposed to be a rehearsal.

I snuck out of my room, confirmed that Leo was sound asleep, then activated Jerry Crawler and ran through the ducts.

Eventually, I arrived at the ventilation shaft of the principal’s office and peeked inside.

The lights were off, and the room was dim.

The window was open, and a breeze was blowing in. The silence typical of a space filled with only inanimate objects lingered.

Why was the window open? Had they simply forgotten to close it? I found myself questioning it.

While still in my transformed state, I slid down the wall into the room to investigate.

The only thing I planned to steal was the Six of Clubs card that should have been on the desk. Anything else would just complicate matters unnecessarily.

I already knew that if I followed the proper procedures and sold it through the right channels, a single X-playing card could fetch an outrageous price.

But just as I was heading toward the desk, I froze.

Something was in the leather chair.

It was the principal, with a blade buried deep in his stomach.

A violent chill ran through me. The principal had completely lost any sign of life; he was nothing more than an inert object.

It was a corpse so lifeless that everyone would understand, no matter how much they tried, it could never be revived.

I was about to run away but stopped myself and froze in place, forcing my shaken mind to think.

The card was there on the desk. It was encased in a cylindrical glass case, gleaming unnaturally bright despite the lack of light, its presence undeniable.

I kept glancing back and forth between the corpse and the card.

If I hesitated any longer, there was no telling who might come in and what they might see. I knew I needed to leave immediately, yet a voice in my mind warned me that if I didn’t take it now, I might never get another chance.

But… was it really the right thing to do?

What about necessity? Ethics? Priorities?

My thoughts became more and more tangled, and before I realized it, I had deactivated Jerry Crawler. I knew that in its active state, I wouldn’t leave fingerprints or hair behind, but by now, I had completely lost track of what I might have touched.

In my most confused and panicked state ever, I found myself moving the case aside, grabbing the Six of Clubs, and retracing my path back, mindlessly rushing through the ducts.

As I moved through the ducts, my mind was racing.

Something entirely unexpected had happened. The card was already in my hands.

Was this… really the right choice?

But even if it were discovered that I had stolen it, who would know about the X-playing cards?

Even if they suspected me, there wouldn’t be anyone capable of cornering me.

I planned to sell off the Six of Clubs as quickly as possible.

But as for my Two of Hearts, I wasn’t going to let it go. There would come a time when it would be even more useful. Based on the fact that I felt nothing when touching the Six of Clubs, I figured that only special individuals could play these cards, and that each person could only play one card. If that was the case, there was no way I could give up the Two of Hearts.

And yet… I ended up being detained by the police.

Apparently, someone in my class had quickly tattled that I’d been asking around about cards and antiques.

Even if I were suspected, I felt confident I could bluff my way through. The power of the cards was supernatural enough to back me up.

Still, I couldn’t deny that I was genuinely scared when I was surrounded by intimidating police officers.

And then Leo came to my aid. I was honestly happy.

Though I hadn’t known Leo for long, I felt we got along well. Despite our completely different upbringings, it seemed like we shared a similar way of looking at things.

As proof of that, even though he pretends otherwise, I know he secretly liked both the Poison Phenomenon I taught him and the cola I introduced him to for the first time.

But Leo really did suspect me.

"I don’t have friends."

When he said that, I could tell he felt a bit conflicted. But when he spoke those words, they were nothing but a straightforward fact. Leo suspects me of being a murderer.

But I really didn’t do it.

Sure, I did steal, but I never intended to commit murder. I haven’t actually hurt anyone.

The real culprit who killed the principal is someone else.

I don’t know who it is, but I’m sure the police will figure it out. Leo says the police can’t be trusted, but that’s probably just a bluff to scare me.

First, I need to pick up my family and hide until things cool down. I may have lost the Six of Clubs, but I can’t afford to be greedy. Ideally, I didn’t want this to become a big deal, but maybe I should have just taken the Jerry Crawler and left this school from the start.

I’ll figure out what to do next on my way home.

I exited through the ventilation duct on the back wall of the school building. Then, moving quickly from shadow to shadow, I made my way forward.

As expected, there was no one outside the school building.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

21) I don’t have friends

characters: Leo, Ken

Leo POV:

I am a member of the Pinochle family and the leader of the High card. I must not lose my composure. Staying calm at all times is the minimum requirement for leading the team.

As I walked from the cafeteria to the deputy principal’s office, I tried to organize my scattered thoughts.

Since taking on this mission at Rummy College, everything has been out of sync. Trying to reach the right conclusions while in a state where I’ve lost my usual calm—my true self—has proven quite challenging. However, in the end, I am still myself.

Though it only took a few minutes, I concluded that I hadn’t wavered from my true self. More precisely, I remembered the ideal image of who I should be.

When I opened the door to the private room, I found Kent Hargreaves crouched in front of the refrigerator, reaching into the gap between it and the wall.

I played Never No Dollars and drew my gun.

After some time had passed, I realized something: this boy definitely knows about the X-playing cards.

Kent Hargreaves— I partly used the play to test him. The fact that he wasn’t fazed when I activated the card means he knows something about it, even if only a little.

If the opponent’s true nature isn’t clear, you must always take the initiative.

“I don’t want to hurt you. Surrender.”

I tried my best to keep my emotions in check. Just do it as usual. I’ve pointed a gun at someone and forced them to comply countless times before. The only difference now is that my opponent is this boy.

“Hand over the card,” I said.

The boy gave a distorted smile. “No way. This card sells for a high price, you know. You’re aware of that, right?”

If he’s been asking around the school about selling antiques, then he might have gained some idea of its market value.

“Kent Hargreaves,” I called his name.

“Call me Ken,” he replied.

I can’t.

I shook off the distracting thoughts in my head.

“By nature, that card—an X-playing card—is not something that can be assigned a price. It’s something you have no need for.”

“No need for it, you say?”

The boy's eyebrows shot up, and his crimson eyes flared like oil ignited into flames.

“I’m the one who needs it! I need money!”

“Is it because you're about to be expelled for not paying tuition? Is staying at this school really that important to you?”

“You wouldn’t understand!”

“Wouldn’t I? You’re one of the richest kids in the Kingdom of Forland. Is money the only issue here? You’re not the only one struggling—you have younger siblings, right? I understand as well as anyone.”

“Money can solve everything! If I had money, Mom wouldn’t have had to remarry that sketchy guy!”

He shouted, on the verge of breaking down in tears. As he did, I quietly locked the door behind me to prevent anyone, even the police, from coming in too quickly.

“...Hey, Leo. Don’t tell me you have any idea how it feels to have no money.”

Unconsciously, I lowered the muzzle of the gun slightly.

“So, does that mean you’ve become the kind of person who would kill for money?”

At the mention of the word “kill,” the boy’s angry expression softened, and a flicker of genuine fear appeared on his face.

“N-no, Leo. You’ve got it wrong,” he stammered, forcing a strained smile as his trembling hands extended slightly toward me. His emotional instability was a clear sign that he was under extreme stress.

I pushed the matter further, stating it plainly. “From where I stand, you look like the culprit. At the very least, you’re a strong suspect.”

The boy visibly panicked, stumbling backward against the wall.

“B-but you just said earlier, Leo! You told the police I wasn’t the culprit!”

“When did I say that? All I told them was that I couldn’t definitively conclude who the culprit was.”

“Then... what was all that deduction for? Wasn’t it to buy time?”

“It was,” I admitted. “Inspector Young likely caught on to my intentions as well. That’s why he backed down so easily. But rest assured, once he’s fully prepared, he’ll return to arrest you again.”

“For what purpose...?”

The boy trailed off as realization struck him.

“It wasn’t about me, was it? It was about the card... That card... It must be in your room.”

“You assumed the stolen card was still here, left untouched. You wanted to force me to retrieve it before the police could search this place, so that it would fall into your hands...”

The boy’s quick thinking was apparent, just as it had been when we first met. Still, I continued to speak as though unaffected.

“The police in this country can’t be trusted. There are those among them under the influence of the mafia. But if you surrender quietly, Pinochle Corporation’s influence can protect you—and your family too. The crime of armed robbery and murder carries a heavy sentence. Even if you don’t confess and they fail to find direct evidence, the circumstantial evidence alone will be enough for the police to pin it on you. If you try to run, they’ll go after your family next.”

I lowered the gun, aligning it alongside my thigh.

“Hand over the card and surrender peacefully.”

The boy hesitated, clutching the card tightly in his trembling fist. The waxed and aged floorboards creaked under his shifting weight.

A tear fell from his face, splashing onto the floor.

He looked up at me, his expression wavering. “I thought you’d believe me... Weren’t we friends?”

The tears streamed down, tracing thick, wet lines across his face. One tear ran down to the corner of his mouth and slipped inside as his lips quivered.

The moment I saw his face, a dull pain shot through my chest, as if my heart were being pinched between fingers.

As a member of the Pinochle family, the leader of High Card, and the son of the company president, I had responsibilities to uphold.

I resisted the urge to bite my fingers and instead bit down on the inside of my cheek. The faint taste of iron spread in my mouth.

“...I don’t have friends.”

The moment those words left my lips, it felt as though the air in the room solidified, weighing down on my entire body.

The boy, momentarily stunned, blinked once and then smiled.

Whether that smile was born of farewell or renewed resolve, I couldn’t tell.

Before I realized it, the boy had risen to his feet, slipping a hand into his chest pocket in one fluid motion. His calm movements felt surreal, as if my mind couldn’t keep up.

“Play—”

The word escaped his lips.

Before I could process what was happening, he had already pulled out another card.

The card he had been holding was undergoing a transformation. For a fleeting moment, I glimpsed the intricate design of a heart adorned with extraneous, almost serpentine embellishments—it was the Two of Hearts.

In that instant, I fired at him.

Thanks to the silencer, the gun made a muffled sound, like the discharge of a gas gun, but the bullet had definitely been fired.

Then—

Plop.

It sounded like a metal ball being dropped into thick liquid.

"You..."

I had pulled the trigger almost instinctively. This was also due to training.

If it comes to combat between players, when the opponent's abilities are unknown, taking the initiative is prioritized. Even in cases of counter abilities, being the one attacked first almost always means death, as I was taught. I aimed for the boy's leg. The goal was to inflict damage while ensuring it wasn't a fatal wound, to both threaten and deal harm at the same time.

And yet, the boy, who had been shot, was smiling defiantly.

"It doesn't... hurt at all! Heh, just as I thought... this is amazing..."

Faintly, the boy's body, including the tailcoat he was wearing, seemed to blur and fade. It looked as though he was submerged in a yellowish, viscous liquid, yet the matter composing his body was changing. Though the original form was still discernible, it seemed more appropriate to describe it as soft-bodied.

Perhaps "super-soft-bodied" would be a more fitting description.

In the yellow fluid, two fiery eyes floated.

"...So you were a player after all."

I had suspected the boy when I learned that two cards had circulated around the school, as per Bernard's information, which made me consider him as a potential culprit once the incident occurred.

Indeed, one of the cards had already been in the boy's hands.

How was it that it was so close all along?

I imagined the president’s face and felt ashamed of myself.

"How did you get that card?"

The Heart card, already in the boy's hand, had become a glove with a marbled pattern of red and yellow fabric that seemed to blend into each other.

"I found it. Hey, Leo. This is incredible. You shot me with a gun, right? It doesn't hurt at all."

Cards affect a player's mind. While they don’t fundamentally alter their nature, inexperienced players may feel a sense of omnipotence during play, which sometimes causes them to get too carried away.

I readied my gun again.

The boy’s legs seemed to give way under his own weight, glistening with a slippery sheen like some kind of marine life.

"You can't hurt me. How are you going to stop me, Leo?"

"Idiot."

I didn’t lower my gun.

"There’s no such thing as an invincible ability. If the gun won’t work, we’ll burn you, drown you, sink you—there are plenty of ways. And we have the will and the means to do whatever it takes."

The boy's expression tensed once more.

"Could it be that your company is involved in something like this? Does Pinochle collect cards too?"

"Answering is unnecessary."

The boy silently slid backward and leaned against the wall.

Without stopping, he continued retreating.

Then, the back half of his body sank into the wall.

It looked as if his body had partially dissolved, with both his hands and feet pressed against the wall. His body was floating in the center of the wall, as if pudding had been thrown at it.

Seeing this, I finally understood.

Now it made sense. "Back then, just before we went up to the rooftop that night, you said "You're not used to this."

I didn’t pause to wait for a reaction and continued.

"With that ability, you must have thought you could scale the wall too. You must have gotten used to climbing up the rooftop walls in the middle of the night, moving around the school. That’s why you didn’t hesitate to break into the principal’s office from the ventilation shaft."

The boy didn’t respond. It was a direct hit.

"Can you say with certainty that no fingerprints will be found? Are you sure not even a single strand of hair will be left behind? You’ll be thoroughly investigated. Especially with Inspector Young around, nothing will be overlooked."

"Even if the police can’t handle it, I will pursue it myself. If you just leave the card behind, you can do whatever you like after that."

Pinochle only values the whereabouts of the cards. Even if the original owner is a criminal, as long as the card is recovered, we don’t impose any punishment. Pinochle is not a secret police force; we serve the king to maintain national security.

If the boy lets go of the card, there will be no further consequences.

Then, the boy’s face hardened, and he spoke in a hushed voice.

"This power is called the Jelly crawler. It's a special power only I can use. I don’t want to give it to anyone. I’ll use this power for myself, and for my family. Leo, if you say I’m not your friend, then fine. I’ll do whatever I want."

"But, there’s just one last thing."

I felt like I should attack immediately, but I stayed still. This situation required careful consideration.

I was beginning to vaguely realize that the situation was the result of my own weakness and naivety.

"I didn’t kill him. I couldn’t possibly do such a terrible thing. When I entered to steal the card, the principal was already dead."

The boy’s gaze lifted, and yellowish, sticky liquid gathered in his eyes. It could hardly be called tears.

"Please. Just believe me."

It was the same plea he had made when he sought my help in the principal's office.

I wanted to call him Ken, but I bit the inside of my mouth again. The gun was shaking. My hands were trembling. I had to be conscious of this. I must discard personal feelings.

I repeated this to myself in my mind, trying to encourage myself. Among the words that floated in my thoughts, I could see my father’s — the president’s face.

The face of someone who had always looked at me with critical eyes, saying, "You’re nothing more than that."

I must be like him. I must be the one to lead Pinochle. I can’t fail. I have to be like my father.

He killed the principal. Even if that’s not true, I must fulfill my duty...

"It doesn't change."

"…"

I slowly exhaled and discarded my hesitation.

"Deactivate your ability and hand over both cards. This is your final ultimatum."

The boy’s hands and feet, which were crawling along the wall, sank deeper into it.

I reached into my pocket and retrieved the money clipped together with another stack of bills.

The six of clubs that the principal had been holding was already lodged in an indistinct part of the boy’s body, standing vertically against the wall.

At that moment, the boy’s body exploded, scattering across the wall.

I instinctively tensed up, wary of an attack. Something flew by my field of vision.

It was a card. The boy’s body had lost the card.

"Damn it…"

I hesitated in my judgment.

The card flew to the floor behind me. I flipped over, chasing it, and managed to grab it from the floor, kneeling as I faced forward.

The boy had definitely discarded one card in order to escape from here.

I briefly glimpsed the edge of a yellow object in the ventilation grate high on the right wall, but the grate was only about the thickness of a hand.

The narrow gap was swiftly cleared, and the figure disappeared into the darkness.

Just then, the door was pounded on vigorously. It was the police officer who had brought the boy earlier, yelling from the other side.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

20) the six of clubs

characters: Leo, Ken

Ken POV:

I might have been mistaken. It's not that I couldn't make friends at this school, or that I couldn't keep up with the lessons, but I realized again that I wasn't the type of person who should be here. I came here to obtain just one thing. The difficulties that come with that were inevitable.

"Alright then, Kent-kun," There were two adults behind me. "You’ll be staying in your room for a few days. We’ll come by regularly to check on you, but don’t cause any trouble." I was led to my room by the detectives. Inspector Young, or whatever his name was, wasn’t there.

I stepped into my private room and bowed my head with a downcast expression. I could sense the detectives busy searching the room. They couldn’t enter without permission, but I could tell they were suspicious, wondering if something was hidden here.

After a while, the door closed.

I was alone in the room. There was no one else in the dorm, and even outside, no one was wandering. The other students were probably still packed into the gym.

It was eerily quiet.

There was a fridge.

I raised my head and immediately ran toward the back of the room. I could hear my heartbeat loudly—almost painfully.

It wasn’t like anyone would see this, but in this situation, it felt far too reckless. There were plenty of other places to hide things, but I needed to keep it close. I couldn't shake the feeling of unease.

Even though it wasn't hot, sweat was starting to bead on my scalp, trickling down my forehead. Whether from panic or excitement, I could feel my blood rushing through my body at an unusually fast pace.

I was chosen. At this point, whether it was God or the devil smiling at me didn’t matter. There was no turning back now. I reached behind the fridge. It was right here. I had come this far. There was no turning back now.

"Don't move."

I couldn’t tell where the voice came from. In the almost silent, cramped room, the voice seemed to echo unnaturally.

It was from behind. The source of the voice was near the door.

Still crouching on the floor, I slowly turned my face toward the voice.

"Don’t move. You’re not allowed to take even one more step."

"Leo."

It was Leo standing there.

"Aren’t all the students supposed to be in the gym?"

"Don’t speak out of turn. I’m the one asking questions. Tell me what you’re doing here."

He must have sneaked out. And even if he were caught, the teachers would just be manipulated by Leo. I tried to force a smile, but it wasn’t easy. I had never been good at fake smiles.

"Well what are you doing? Keep in mind that worthless lies won’t work on me. If you continue with the lies, I’m prepared for that too."

"This is getting ridiculous. You’re threatening me to not move, but you're empty-handed. Are you joking?"

Before I could finish my sentence, Leo, without even a slight change in his expression, slowly reached into his coat. He pulled something out, revealing a card and a wad of bills held by a money clip.

"Play... Never No Dollars."

As Leo recited, the card transformed into shimmering particles of light and reassembled into a gloved hand adorned with elegant jewels. The bills danced in the air, swirling and gathering near Leo’s hand, making a heavy metallic sound as they settled in his grasp.

Leo clenched them in his gloved hand, and with one hand, pointed directly at me.

A gun.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing, pointing that at me? Are we roommates now?"

Leo’s eyes were different from the ones that had looked at me just yesterday.

They were quiet, strong eyes. Eyes that had long since discarded innocence and childishness. But, there was also a trace of melancholy in them, as if something was still lingering.

Leo opened his mouth.

"Do you think this is some sort of magic trick? Pull your hand away slowly."

My right hand was still between the refrigerator and the wall.

Leo’s gaze was still calm, but it wasn’t peaceful. It was as if he had forcibly submerged intense passion into water, yet it still churned and bubbled beneath the surface, like a violent explosion waiting to erupt.

Leo was serious. When the time came, he wouldn’t hesitate to discard any semblance of courtesy, regardless of who the opponent was.

Leo is that kind of man. That’s why I like him. A true gentleman isn’t someone who just knows how to follow superficial manners. He is a man who has both the dignity and the resolve to embody that dignity.

I slowly pulled my hand away. I was holding a single card.

"...That’s the card that was in the principal’s office."

The Six of Clubs.

I silently nodded.

Leo glanced down, a little mournful, and then covered his face with his free hand.

"But Leo... it’s not what you think—"

"Don’t make me say it again. Stop talking."

His eyes, fierce like a lion’s, pierced through me, staring with an intensity that made my blood run cold.

The barrel of the gun seemed to enlarge for a split second. This must be what killing intent feels like. Without any control over it, a different kind of sweat began to bead on my forehead, far stronger than before.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

19) the crimescene

characters: Leo, Ken, Young

Leo POV:

When I was walking down the hallway, I had already come to a conclusion by the time I arrived.

At the entrance to the principal’s office, a group of teachers, detectives, and police officers stood gathered around a student.

"Leo..."

The student— A boy whose name was Kent Hargreaves, my roommate and dorm-mate. The boy who insisted I call him Ken.

His face showed none of its usual cheerfulness; it was nothing but the powerless face of a boy bound by fear and tension. He looked like he was about to burst into tears at any moment.

"Students should head to the gymnasium. This is no place for children!"

The vice principal, or whoever he was, stepped between Ken and me.

I moved a few steps closer and spoke calmly but firmly.

"You, sir, should step aside. I have something to discuss with the police."

Focusing the power of my gaze on him, I could see the teacher recoil. An ordinary teacher couldn’t possibly stand up to the authority of Pinochle.

There was no way I could retreat now.

The police officers started chattering and trying to surround me. These fools clearly didn’t know who I was.

Then, one man stepped forward, parting the crowd of officers.

“Now, now, hold on a second. Everyone, just step back for a moment...”

The man was middle-aged, with an unkempt beard. He wore a coat that looked like it had been picked up at a department store, draped lazily over his shoulders. Despite that, he didn’t come across as unkempt, instead exuding a unique air.

He pulled a cigarette from his breast pocket, paused briefly as if realizing this was inside a school, and then put it back.

I spoke first.

“…Inspector Young.”

“Oh, Leo. It’s been a while. Or maybe not that long, eh? How’s your father… doing?”

I didn’t reply.

He placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a firm pat. I still didn’t respond.

“My apologies, Inspector! We’ll escort him away immediately!”

The vice principal, apparently trying to save face, made a show of confidence despite not even having the courage to meet my eyes.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Leo can stay here.”

“W-what? But...”

“He’s fine, really. You couldn’t sit still, could you, Leo? That’s why you came here, right?”

The man smirked slightly, his lips curling beneath his unkempt beard.

“Yes. Please,” I replied, bowing my head lightly.

Inspector Greg Young was one of the few law enforcement officers aware of the existence of the X-playing cards. He was also an old acquaintance of my father, the president of Pinochle.

The activities of Pinochle’s secret organization, High Card, often escalated to a scale where complete secrecy was impossible. Pinochle’s rivals, like the Who’s Who corporation, or the Klondike mafia family, operated as organized groups. When facing such violent and dangerous adversaries, combat sometimes became inevitable, occasionally drawing in innocent civilians.

At such times, we relied on support from allies within the government or police—particularly for post-incident cleanups. Additionally, when incidents caused by the supernatural abilities of the X-playing cards were suspected, the police would contact us directly.

Inspector Young was often present at those scenes. Though considered a stubborn detective relegated to the sidelines within his department, he was a long-standing, indispensable informant from Pinochle’s perspective.

Even so, whether he could truly be called an ally remained uncertain.

“Well then, Leo, how about you take a look inside?”

“But inside, there’s—”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Young Inspector said, brushing off the vice principal’s attempt to stop me without even meeting his gaze.

He placed a hand on my back, guiding me forward.

I noticed Ken casting an anxious glance in my direction. I met his eyes for a brief moment before he turned away.

The door to the principal’s office was wide open and we stepped inside.

At the far end, behind an unnecessarily large desk, sat the principal.

At first glance, it was clear that this was a lifeless corpse. Slumped limply in the desk chair, it resembled a blood-soaked lump of flesh carelessly tossed aside.

A single sword was thrust vertically into the principal’s swollen abdomen. Blood had seeped out, spreading across the surface like an ominous, dark-red shadow. It looked as though the act of impaling had pinned him in place, holding him still.

“Quite the shock, isn’t it?” Young Inspector said beside me. Though I didn’t turn to look, I could imagine the sly grin on his face.

"Don’t be ridiculous." I’ve long since gotten used to seeing corpses.

“Don’t walk around too much. When the forensic team arrives, I’ll be the one who gets scolded.”

I took a few more steps into the room, surveying the scene. The sunlight filtering in through the windows was dimmed by patterned latticework. Aside from the desk and the corpse, there was a set of opposing sofas and a low table. Beyond that, the only noteworthy items were antiques.

There were several vases and Western-style helmets, along with some old swords on display, while the walls were adorned with large paintings.

Then, I noticed a small glass case on the desk. It was empty.

“The window, grilles are all fixed in place. Fire code violations, for sure, but it seems they were added later. Must’ve been pretty paranoid about someone stealing their antiques. But if they were so worried, why put them on display here in the first place?”

“And the lock?”

“The door here is the only entrance connected to the hallway, and it was locked. There’s also a ventilation duct near the ceiling, but it’s far too small for a person to pass through.”

“From what I understand, some of the locks used in this school’s facilities can’t be duplicated, right?”

“That’s what I’ve heard. It’s a historic, elite school for the wealthy, after all. Those locks are supposedly antique and uniquely designed.”

"And so, essentially, it’s impossible to create duplicates or spare keys nowadays? In other words, a locked-room mystery?"

I glanced at Inspector Young's face. He didn’t reply, but instead gave a smile that was hard to decipher.

“The first person to discover the scene wasn’t here. It was a teacher, Mr. Hadley Lynch, who is also Kent’s homeroom teacher. Apparently, the headmaster spent every morning admiring or maintaining his collection during this time. None of the teachers would bother visiting him then, knowing this habit. Lynch, who had an appointment right after, came in shortly after nine and discovered the body.”

“Then that teacher seems suspicious, doesn’t he?”

“No, the headmaster always locked this room during that time. The outer key is kept securely in the staff room, and other teachers confirmed that Lynch retrieved it from there just before the appointed time.”

I looked at the headmaster's corpse. He was wearing white gloves—likely used when handling antiques.

In the display rack for swords within the room, there was space for one more sword. The missing blade was now embedded in the headmaster’s abdomen.

“No way this was a suicide.”

When I said that, Inspector Young raised his voice slightly and added, “It’s obvious, isn’t it? But, as you know, the police are full of fools. When they first arrived, they immediately assumed suicide.”

The inspector shook his head as if dismissing an idea. "It's nearly impossible to stab oneself in the abdomen with such a long sword, especially with those short arms and a protruding belly."

"The headmaster was wearing gloves, so there won’t be any fingerprints, will there?"

Inspector Young replied, "Formal forensic work is yet to begin, but if this was an impulsive act using the weapon found here, there might be fingerprints—though it’s a long shot."

"Do you know the estimated time of death? It doesn’t seem like much time has passed."

"Judging from the body and the surroundings, it likely happened during the headmaster’s time admiring his antiques—or just before that. At the very least, it must have been this morning. Which means the murder occurred while the room was locked from the inside. A locked-room mystery, as puzzling as it gets."

He crouched slightly, scanning the room intently. "Hey, Leo. Do you know anything about this?"

I noticed the tightening of Inspector Young’s facial muscles, almost as if there was an audible click. "Don’t tell me you suspect me?"

He shook his head. "Not quite. But if cards are involved, you're the first person who comes to mind. After doing this job for so long, I’ve come to feel a certain familiarity with them, but there are only fifty-two of those cards in existence."

Speaking in a low voice, compressed and tightly controlled, he added, "I know well that players aren’t always good people—including your father."

If it had been anyone else, I would’ve silenced their rudeness immediately. But this man’s lack of pandering or deference made him more trustworthy from my perspective.

"Leave my father out of this. He has nothing to do with it right now."

"Oh, my apologies." Inspector Young shrugged and averted his gaze.

"Let’s focus on what’s important."

"And what would that be?"

Inspector Young glanced outside repeatedly, perhaps itching for a cigarette.

"Why is Ken—why is Kent Hargreaves here?"

"I believe he's your roommate, isn’t he? I suspect this is a case of robbery-homicide. This room is filled with valuable items. We’ll need to verify what’s missing soon enough."

As he spoke, Inspector Young glanced at the glass case on the desk. "There were testimonies that Kent had recently been asking other students questions. Things like whether antiques or playing cards could be sold for money."

"If you're his friend, you probably already knew this, but it seems he was on the verge of being expelled for unpaid tuition. For a student of Rummy College, who can’t leave campus, the most likely place to look for valuables would be this principal's office."

I hadn’t heard about any overdue tuition. As far as I knew, his mother’s new husband was supposed to be wealthy.

"Also, he doesn’t have an alibi for the presumed time of the crime. When asked, he just clams up. That’s why I need to ask you, his roommate. Did you see him this morning?"

Lying to the police without a good plan isn’t wise. Seeing my lack of response, Inspector Young exhaled a soft chuckle through his nose.

I glanced at Ken, who was standing outside the door. He looked away, unable to meet my gaze. I turned back to Inspector Young.

"Let him go."

Inspector Young laughed aloud this time.

"That's an unreasonable request. Of course, I’m not suspecting someone like Kent as a suspect in a robbery murder. For now, he’s an important witness. I said a lot earlier, but I’m just stating the situation objectively, so don’t take it the wrong way."

This was a lie.

Inspector Young placed a hand on my shoulder and shook it. I could feel the rough, bony texture.

"Don’t worry, rough interrogations like in dramas don’t happen in real life," he said, deliberately speaking to me like I was a child.

It made me feel a bit uneasy.

I understood why Inspector Young had invited me here. He was ensuring that, later, when the higher-ups at the police department were contacted, they would support his taking Kent in for questioning, preventing any interference.

This was a man I couldn’t underestimate.

"Well, leave the rest to the police. Kent will be taken to the station. He’ll be properly processed there. Also, the search of his room has to happen."

I persisted.

"He doesn’t need to be detained. Where could he run off to? He’s a student at an all-boys school, he doesn’t have anywhere to escape to."

"That’s not for the police to decide. If there’s suspicion, we take him in. You understand that, right?"

"I’m not here to argue. If you want to detain him, get a warrant," I said.

The smile vanished from Inspector Young’s face.

"A warrant, a warrant, where did I put it..."

He flustered, pretending to tap his coat pockets.

"There’s a collection of swords over there."

I pointed toward a black lacquered display shelf along the wall. Several swords were displayed, arranged in a vertical row within their circles.

I raised my voice so those outside the principal's office could hear, using gestures to emphasize my words.

"There's a reason the display is arranged like that. The top sword in the display is intentionally left empty. The sword that seems to be stuck in the principal's stomach should be different."

Inspector Young let out a curious breath and stroked his unshaven chin.

"I can’t tell if they’re real or replicas, but those are supposedly made by the Sato family, who lived in a certain eastern country decades ago. They created them as family treasures. It’s said the original one was among them."

I made sure everyone around me was listening intently before continuing.

"The Sato family had sons, and the swords were each given to them. However, one of the sons died in the flames of war before reaching adulthood. Heartbroken, the head of the family, Takino Shin-Sato, burned the swords with his deceased son and made the remaining four Sato-ome swords an heirloom, swearing that the sons would never let one be lost. In other words, when considering history, the sword missing from the set would be the most beautiful state. This is just a legend, but the principal, being an avid collector of antiques, surely knew this. So, it's possible that the sword used to kill the principal was brought in later."

"The only way to enter this room is through the door connecting to the hallway, as you mentioned earlier, Inspector Young. If a student had been carrying such a long object near the principal's office, someone would have noticed, even if it was in a bag or something else. Even a monkey would realize that it would look suspicious."

"That’s something we’ll be investigating with people who were in the school at the time."

This time, I smiled back at him.

"With such excellent detectives, you must have already covered most of the obvious things. So, it seems you’re aiming to take Kent Hargreaves into custody."

"Hey, Leo,"

Inspector Young stepped closer, his face coming near my ear.

"This isn't a detective novel. In real-life police work, we focus on the person who seems the most suspicious and use pressure to get them to confess. Most of the time, the most suspicious person is the one who did it, so it wraps up the case nicely."

His whisper was quiet but heavy, carrying a certain weight.

"Don't get too involved, okay?"

I gently pushed against his chest with my hand, looking up at him.

"I'm not saying he's not the culprit. I'm just asking for his release. I can notify the higher-ups at the police station if they’re conducting improper investigations. I’m just making it clear that there will be no compromise from us."

I straightened my posture and locked eyes with him, as the room fell silent.

With eyes that seemed half-drowsy, Young stared at me with suspicion. Then, as if a smile was growing stronger, he let out a quiet laugh.

"Just like a son of the Pinochle family, huh? You're not just experienced, you're something else."

He glanced at the other officers, and then slowly exhaled.

"Hey, take Kent to his room."

"Yes, but—"

One of the officers stepped forward, casting a suspicious glance at me, as if ready to challenge. Inspector Young quickly intervened.

"Didn't you hear what I just said? You bought that house, right? If your bonus gets canceled, don't say I didn't warn you."

Young then turned back toward me.

"But for now, just like the other students, you’re to stay in your room. Obviously, you can’t leave the dorms. This much should be easy for you to cooperate with, right?"

I lowered my gaze and gave a slight bow.

"Thank you for your understanding, Inspector Young."

"Having someone from the Pinochle family involved makes things tricky for us, you know? It's been like that for a long time," he said, his tone a bit lighter. "But I'm lucky. Really lucky. When I first heard your mom remarried and sent you here to Rummy College, I thought I’d be in trouble, but it turns out God hasn't forsaken me. Not that I believe in any of that, but maybe this is some sort of trial after all."

[leoconstantinepinochle]

18) a murder

characters: Leo, Ken

Leo POV:

The next day, an incident suddenly occurred.

In the morning, I woke up in the bunk bed that I had finally gotten used to.

The first thing I did when I sat up was look down.

The bed was empty, with the blanket haphazardly folded. Ken was nowhere to be seen.

Ken often sneaks out of the dormitory in the middle of the night. There are many mornings when I wake up and he’s not in the dorm. Sometimes he’s visiting other private rooms, or running around the schoolyard for no reason. In short, he’s a free-spirited guy.

So, that day was just another normal morning.

I got ready, dressed in the tailcoat that I had also finally gotten used to, and left the room.

At Rummy College’s dorm life, it’s expected that we follow the rules. We have to gather in the dining hall at the scheduled time and be counted.

When I got to the dining hall, I looked around for Kent, but couldn’t find him.

Normally, Kent and I eat together, but today I sat alone. When he’s here, it’s annoying, but when he’s not, I start wondering where he’s wandered off to.

Where the hell is he?

From now on, I’ll make sure to require a report whenever Ken goes somewhere in the morning. As I thought this, I noticed the other students glancing at me from around the dining hall. They were probably debating whether or not to come over and talk.

Annoying. I might as well skip the meal and head to class.

While I was thinking this, a loud voice echoed through the dining hall.

“Seriously? No way, really?”

I turned toward the voice, and saw one student, flustered, holding the mouth of another student to stop him from speaking. Then, from various corners of the dining hall, students began whispering to each other.

What’s going on?

The food in the dining hall was typical of a school, and the students were casually talking to one another. While they could be rowdy, they usually maintained a certain level of decorum, so it wasn’t that noisy.

Something was happening.

A teacher, who had been standing at the edge of the dining hall monitoring the students, was approached by another teacher. They exchanged a few quiet words. Then, without saying anything, both wore the same expression as the earlier students.

The dining hall was filled with a buzz of voices and murmurs.

At that moment, my smartphone vibrated in my pocket. Normally, bringing a phone into the dining hall is prohibited, but I have a special permission.

I silently stood up, left the dining hall, and moved into a corridor to answer the phone.

“It’s me.”

“Good morning, Leo-sama. How is school life going?” It was my attendant, Bernard Simmons. An elderly gentleman who was also a clerk at the Old Maid branch.

“Forget about me. I don’t have much time, so just tell me what you need.”

“My apologies. I’ll get to the point.”

I could almost imagine Bernard bowing even through his voice. He was a man with true class.

“Recently, we were able to extract some significant information about cards from Kai Wallace, who was brought in by you and the High Card.”

A surge of anger rose from the pit of my stomach knowing exactly who got this information out of Wallace, however I quickly realized that Bernard had intentionally left out the certain details to avoid provoking me, so I made an effort to calm myself.

“Owen Olddays' actions... So, he went to Wallace and interrogated him, I suppose?” I could understand why Owen’s mental state was deteriorating during the interrogation. One of the reasons the president highly values him. That alone deeply irritates me.

“The person he dealt with... well, he didn’t directly trade with them, but ultimately, the cards ended up with the principal of Rummy College.”

I had a pretty good guess about that. I’d already heard rumors about the principal’s love for antiques, and even the idiot Chris had managed to gather some recent intel about how the principal had been in a good mood lately.

I had planned to visit the principal’s office under the pretense of needing something, thinking there was no immediate rush. But if I could find out now, it would save me some trouble.

Apparently, the principal’s office is filled with a collection of antiques. The cards were most likely there.

“Leo-sama, one more thing. In addition to the cards, Wallace was also handling drugs. However, it wasn’t the principal.”

“There might be someone on campus abusing drugs. I thought I should inform you, just in case.”

“That has nothing to do with us. We’ll leave it to the police.”

After receiving some additional information from Bernard, I ended the call.

Then, as I looked up from the screen of my smartphone, a male student appeared before me.

“Hey, Leo-kun.”

“Oh, it’s you.”

This guy again. He was the one who, on the first day of school, tried to invite me to some kind of family business party while stretching out his hand like some kind of extended invitation.

“Sorry, but I’m kind of busy right now.”

“Don’t say something so cold. You were eating alone earlier, right? I thought maybe you still haven’t heard...”

“What is it?”

Today, he seemed unusually confident compared to before. The upperclassman smirked.

“Did you hear? The principal was killed.”

My thoughts froze. It took me a while to process the words.

“What?”

“This morning, they found him in the principal’s office. And apparently, according to rumors, he used one of the swords from the collection to stab himself in the stomach.”

“Are you saying it’s suicide?”

The upperclassman seemed to notice my confusion and grinned.

“Mysterious, huh? The thing is, not everyone’s noticed yet, but the police have already arrived. The students will probably be confined to their rooms soon.”

Given that someone had died on school grounds, and considering it was a boarding school, it was likely that they’d be kept in their rooms until things calmed down. It would be resolved quickly if everything went smoothly, but if the investigation dragged on, they might even send everyone home temporarily.

That would make it difficult to investigate the X-playing Cards. While I couldn’t be sure, if it was a murder, it wouldn’t be surprising if the cards were involved in the killing.

Things had gotten complicated.

“Leo-kun, I’m not finished yet.”

The upperclassman seemed to think he had the upper hand, drawing closer with a smug expression.

“You know who the important witness is?”

At this point, I was already tuning him out, but I couldn’t ignore what he said next.

“Kent Hargreaves.”

I had been trying to maintain a composed exterior, but my restraint vanished in an instant. I probably looked at him with an intense, almost cursed expression.

Before I realized it, I had grabbed the upperclassman by the collar and pulled him close.

“W-wait—what are you doing?”

“Tell me what you know. Everything. Don’t leave anything out.”

His mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air, and with a defeated look on his face, he finally spoke.

“I—I don’t know the details! Hargreaves didn’t even come to the cafeteria this morning. He wasn’t around at all.”

“So you think he’s been arrested by the police? You’re saying it wasn’t suicide, that he must’ve done it?”

“...I guess so. I mean, I’ve heard he’s been taken to the principal’s office some time before.”

I pushed him against the wall and let go of him. The upperclassman slumped to the floor.

“Where is he?”

“He’s being taken to the principal’s office right now. Please... don’t hurt me!”

“I’m sorry.”

I hadn’t intended to be violent, but my body acted on its own.

The upperclassman straightened his clothes and stood up.

“Well, what I really wanted to talk about wasn’t that... it’s the anniversary party for the second-year class... I was thinking maybe I should invite you.”

I turned my back and began walking.

Maybe I was a little too eager, as my steps quickened naturally. The upperclassman continued to try to invite me to the party, but my mind was too occupied, and I didn’t take in anything he said.

I walked through the school building, taking the most direct route.

The students were probably being moved from the cafeteria to the gymnasium or somewhere else, being accounted for, but it didn’t matter to me.

As I walked, I could see the main gate through the hallway windows. Several police vehicles were parked outside, and officers were standing by, talking into their radios.

I clicked my tongue. I wasn’t sure why, but something was bothering me.

Turning a corner, I saw the principal’s office. In front of the door stood a few teachers, some forensic experts in uniform, and several detectives dressed in suits.

There were several police officers, likely more would arrive once the full investigation began.

Surrounded by the adults, there was a boy who was over a head shorter than the others.

It was unmistakably Ken.

His face was pale, and he was trembling. Being so close to the door, he might be able to see the corpse right in front of him.

I didn’t stop as I approached.

There was still some distance, but one of the teachers, probably the vice-principal, noticed me.

“Hey, aren’t you Leo from Pinocle?”

All the teachers and police officers there turned to look at me at once.

“What are you doing here? All students are supposed to be waiting in the gym!”

Ignoring them, I walked straight toward Ken.

I could see his profile as he looked down.

His eyes were teary, and the color had drained from his face. The vividness in his once fiery red eyes was gone.

Slowly, he looked up, and our gazes met mid-air.

“Le... Leo.”

Kent had the face of a frightened child, and, as if pleading for help, he softly uttered my name.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

17) freaky Owen

characters: Owen, Wallace, (Theodore)

note: guys this is so odd, it almost looks like its translated incorrectly but like, all the translations lead to owen being freaky

Owen POV:

The setting is Spada State, Shield City—inside the headquarters of Pinochle. Despite the Fourland Kingdom’s strict regulations on aesthetics, Pinochle has managed to construct one of the rare skyscrapers in Shield City while adhering to the laws. At the very top lies the president’s office.

I, Owen Alldays, usually remain stationed at the counter outside the president's office. This proximity ensures that I can respond immediately to any directives from him.

Just then, the fixed-line telephone installed at my desk rang. I brushed aside a lock of hair and picked up the receiver, bringing it to my ear.

“This is Alldays,” I said.

The voice on the other end belonged to one of the very few within Pinochle who are aware of the existence of X-playing Cards. Officially, Pinochle is an established automobile manufacturer, but only a handful of employees know about the cards or the discreet relationship the company maintains with the royal family. In fact, I suspect that the only person who fully comprehends the entire picture is President Theodore himself.

“Understood,” I replied to the caller. “I’ll inform the president before proceeding.”

Though it is widely recognized that I serve as the president's secretary, only a select few understand my position beyond that role. Even fewer are aware of the particular skills I bring to bear.

It is not a special thing to me, nor is it something I do as a hobby, but because I have this, President Theodore sees me as I truly am.

This is a blessing from God, and a divine will. There is no other way to think of it.

I hung up the phone and stood up.

I knocked on the thick door of the president's office before opening it. Taking a step inside, I lowered my head.

When I raised my gaze, a halo of light streamed through the roof, making President Theodore’s visage hard to see as he rested his arm on the armrest of the chair.

Only President Theodore and I are in this room.

A space just for the two of us.

Sometimes, I get scared of being asleep. When I wake up, I wonder what would happen if, by some chance, my boundless love for President Theodore had vanished without a trace. It would feel like waking from a dream, where everything is gone without a trace...

Such a thing should be impossible, but when I think of it, I clutch the edge of my pillow tightly. I try to stay awake.When morning comes, I find peace, knowing my feelings remain unchanged.

President Theodore's gaze is directed toward me. Just that makes my eyes well up.

This president's office is the place where I belong.

I wish to dedicate the rest of my life, the very flames of my existence—my entire being—to him.

And if possible, I hope that, at the time of my death, I can take my last breath here.

If, at that moment, President Theodore were to gaze down at me as I lay upon this carpet, it would feel as though I were ascending to heaven itself.

After I conveyed the matter at hand, President Theodore paused for a moment of contemplation before calmly issuing his instructions.

“Do not mishandle this.”

“As you command.”

Suppressing the overwhelming urge to kneel at his feet right then and there, I offered a modest bow.

The red-glowing door shut behind me.

No one knows where this place is. To be precise, it is a secret shared only with President Theodore.

A secret just between the two of us.

A secret just between the two of us.

A secret just between the two of us.

Ah, what a wonderful phrase. I want to say it again and again.

As I went through red labyrinth i reached specific door and entered. Although this is inside the headquarters building, this room is considered a top-secret area. No one knows where this door connects to.

The ceiling, floor, and walls are all made of gray concrete. There are only a shelf and an aluminum cart. The air conditioning is working, so there is no discomfort. The air is cool and clean, so I prefer this place. Being stuffy and hot is not something a human being enjoys.

In front of me sits a man in a wheelchair, which was brought in here.

“Kai Wallace.”

When I called out, Wallace slowly arched his back.

“Hey, who the hell are you? Where have you brought me?”

Kai Wallace. His occupation is a broker—someone who facilitates trade. He was also a player of a card called “Juggling Gun.” His card has already been taken.

When he was brought to the headquarters, he wore a tailor-made suit, but now he is dressed in a black sweatshirt. His arms are bound, and his eyes are covered. His carefully groomed golden hair is now disheveled.

I don’t answer Wallace’s question. Who I am isn’t important.

What matters is simply carrying out the president’s orders. I must fulfill Theodore’s will.

“Do you understand the situation you’re in right now?”

Wallace gives a dirty smile beneath his blindfold.

“I don’t get it. That kid must have misunderstood something and caught me. Hey, help me out here.”

That kid—Leo Constantine Pinochle—refers to Theodore’s son. He loathes me. He is nowhere close to Theodores greatness.

Wallace is someone who has been linked to facilitating card transactions, and because of that, the incompetent high card captured him. If he were an innocent person, they wouldn’t have treated him so roughly, but since this man is a small-time crook, after some interrogation, they finally managed to get him under control.

It's frustrating that someone like Leo, along with others, had to deal with this. It’s entirely unworthy of someone working for Theodore.

I was called in because Wallace refused to give up any vital information that was necessary for Pinochle. He had already been interrogated several times by the headquarters staff, but he remained tight-lipped.

They managed to discover that there was a possibility of cards flowing into Rummy College, but they couldn’t gather any concrete information, so the headquarters staff ended up seeking Theodore’s help, and eventually, the task was handed over to me.

I stood in front of Wallace in his wheelchair, looking down at him as I said, “Do you understand what’s about to happen to you?”

Wallace let out a small, derisive laugh, almost spitting the words out.

“Heh...What’s the matter? You’re here to ask about X-playing Cards, right? I’ve told you a hundred times, I don’t know anything except about my own card.”

The deadline for handing this man over to the police is fast approaching. There’s not much time left.

Personally, I have no interest in how this man is involved with the cards or what he knows about them. Whether the cards are scattered across the Kingdom of Forland doesn’t concern me in the least. I couldn’t care less about the royal family.

However, if Theodore desires something, I simply need to remain loyal and execute his wishes.

“I’m going to ask you a few questions now. If you don’t want to answer, that’s fine.”

“Heh. Put some strength into your belly. You’re talking all soft. Do you even have any balls?”

Wallace interrupted with a sneer.

I took a hair tie from my suit pocket and used my lips to secure it.

Then, I tied my hair back.

Wallace is a well-known broker in certain circles. His work is respected, and he has a reputation for keeping quiet about the deals he facilitates.

He likely has some tricks up his sleeve and knows how to endure interrogation.

But that doesn’t matter to me.

“One more thing I want to make clear...”

“Speak clearly. I can’t hear you.”

“I don’t see you as a human being. You’re not even something I would call an object, there’s no room in my head to think about you.”

“Heh. Trying to scare me, huh?”

Scaring him is out of the question. I wanted to make sure he understood, as it’s painful when people misunderstand. What I’m going to do next has nothing to do with thinking about this man.

“Human senses shift in a vertical direction.”

I continued tying my hair with one hand while taking the rubber band off with the other.

“But somewhere, there’s a limit.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

I didn’t answer, just continued.

“For example, eating when you’re hungry is one of the greatest pleasures.”

I threaded my hair through the rubber band and overlapped the loops.

“However, if you keep eating, your stomach will start to expand, and the satiety center will be filled. If you continue eating beyond that, it will eventually turn into pain. You must have experienced this without intending to... over-eating.”

I finished tying my hair.

I rolled it up to the back.

“Then, what about the reverse? Is there a dividing line between pleasure and pain?”

“What does that even mean?”

“You don’t have to understand it now. Your brain will eventually come to the answer on its own.”

I pulled out a case from the shelf and started rummaging through its contents. The tools inside were in disarray, not properly cared for.

“As you might have guessed, what I’m about to do is interrogation. I have no interest in sadistic pleasures, but I’ve accepted this as part of my job.”

I randomly selected some items from the case and began placing them on a cart with casters.

I’ve never really thought about how to make him talk. I’ll just try everything, one by one.

“Now, I’m going to tighten things up for you. You might think it’s better to be dead than to go through this.”

I grabbed one of the tools and examined it closely. I sprayed some disinfectant from a bottle and wiped it with a napkin. After that, I put it back on the cart, making a heavy clinking sound.

“But somewhere along the line, that pain will shift.”

Wallace stopped speaking. Watching the spirit of a man who had been putting on a brave face collapse was something some might find enjoyment in, but I’m no sadistic mastermind.

I’m simply here to do my job.

I live and die as required by Theodore-sama. That alone is my one and only wish.

Wallace started to tremble.

His confidence came from past experiences with interrogation, but I wasn’t about to give him pain or suffering.

No, more accurately, he wouldn’t even feel it eventually.

I untied my tie and pulled it off. I took off my jacket and hung it on the edge of the cart.

I unbuttoned my shirt.

I circled behind Wallace, placing my fingers on his shoulder, and slowly slid them down, moving along the gaps in his chest muscles and bones.

When my hands fully wrapped around him, I could feel Wallace shivering inside my grasp. I tightened my grip a little, as if to calm him down.

"Hey, Wallace..."

I had to relay Theodore-sama’s orders as well.

"Don’t try to escape."

I breathed against the fine hairs on Wallace’s ear, causing him to flinch slightly.

And then, for the entire time I was touching him...

As Wallace trembled, for the entire time...

As Wallace sought something from me, for the entire time...

I was thinking only of Theodore-sama.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

16) visiting the principal

characters: Ken, Lynch, principal

Ken POV:

My homeroom teacher, Hadley Lynch, was sitting beside me.

I was made to sit on an overly cushioned leather sofa. It wasn’t as if I’d come here by choice.

"Kent, it’s fine. Don’t be so nervous."

Mr. Lynch placed his large hand on my back.

"Right."

In class, he was known as a personable and likable teacher, but ever since my time in the archery club, I hadn’t been particularly fond of him.

Despite his broad frame, his sunken eyes gave him an oddly listless appearance. Coupled with his slicked-back black hair and neatly checkered suit, he seemed composed, but in club activities… There were moments when his emotional instability showed through. While he’d never scolded me directly, I found him somewhat intimidating.

We were in the principal’s office. The room, supposedly part of the school, was sparsely furnished with bookshelves, a desk, a set of sofas, and a low table. Yet, there was an excessive amount of other objects.

Oversized oil paintings adorned the walls, alongside Western suits of armor and a row of four Japanese swords. The room was lined with antiques and various props along the edges.

It was well-known within the school that the principal had a passion for antiques, though no one found it interesting enough to discuss.

The door opened, prompting Mr. Lynch and me to stand. I straightened the tails of my coat.

"Thank you for waiting."

It was the principal.

The too-tight suit stretched across his overly large frame, pushed outward from the inside. While not an uncultured person, he had a habit of rubbing his protruding belly—a habit he indulged even now as he walked toward us.

"Good morning, Principal," I greeted politely, bowing deeply.

"Hmm," he muttered, his double chin bobbing slightly as he nodded in a half-hearted manner.

Mr. Lynch offered a bright smile.

"Kent was an earnest and exceptional student during his time in the archery club," he remarked warmly.

"Ah, so you're a student of Mr. Lynch, who teaches both academics and physical education. Well, don't be nervous, just sit down."

Mr. Lynch and I sat side by side, while the principal faced us.

Ordinary students rarely visit the principal’s office, and it’s even rarer to have a conversation with the principal. I knew why I was called here, but I couldn’t hide my nervousness.

"To get to the point..." The principal cleared his throat, leaning slightly forward.

"Your tuition payments have been overdue, Hargreaves."

"Yes, I know."

"I’ve been unable to get in touch with your father. So, I’m speaking to you directly now, which I’d like you to consider as a final warning."

"I’m terribly sorry."

I placed both hands on my knees and bowed my head. The principal placed a heavy hand on my shoulder and gently shook it.

"No, I don’t want an apology. I understand your family situation, and besides, you’re a student. You’ve done nothing wrong. Please, raise your head."

"..."

"However, the school is still a corporation. If the finances aren’t in order, the school can’t keep operating. This isn’t a charitable organization."

"Because, without the tuition fees, you can’t stay here."

Even I, with my limited experience, understood that much. If the tuition isn’t paid, I’d be expelled. In other words, it would be a forced withdrawal.

Mr. Lynch spoke up.

"Kent, have you been able to contact your father? Or maybe through your mother?"

"It’s impossible. I don’t think he’s disappeared, but it seems like the company is in trouble."

Then, I looked at both the principal and Mr. Lynch.

"By the way, my father isn’t really my father."

"Ah, I see. My apologies."

Mr. Lynch gave a wry smile.

The man who was technically my father, through my mother’s remarriage, was a businessman. I had never asked for details, but he was apparently involved in a major company.

However, recently, his business had rapidly worsened. Apparently, a new company called Mizelka launched a service that was a complete superior version of his, and they promoted it with large-scale advertisements.

And then, one day, I suddenly received a call from my mother saying that she couldn’t afford to pay my tuition anymore. That’s when everything started to fall apart.

The household finances took a sharp downturn, and my stepfather was desperately trying to liquidate assets.

My mother wasn’t from a prestigious family, nor did she have any special education or career background—she was just an ordinary person by any standard. In this situation, there was nothing I could do to help my stepfather’s business. My younger brother, sister, and I had been living modestly and happily with my mother up until then. Our family wasn’t the type to be able to afford a school like this.

"Is there no way to use financial aid?" Mr. Lynch asked the principal.

"It won’t work. Rummy college is a top-tier private institution. Even if you were to receive financial aid, it wouldn’t be enough."

I had already looked into this myself. This was exactly why I didn’t really like Mr. Lynch.

"Anyway, try to get in touch with him. Do what you can," the principal said with a sigh. "Yeah, please. The payment deadline has already passed, so hurry up. Well, that’s all for today." The principal casually ended the conversation, rubbing his stomach. Had I been called here just for this obvious matter? I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

"Alright, Kent. If something comes up, let me know right away," Mr. Lynch said, patting my shoulder. I knew that he would only say these things without offering any real help.

"Yes."

I quietly responded. Mr. Lynch, with a smile that seemed dependable, looked around the principal's office.

"By the way, Principal, your collection is as beautiful as ever. Oh, could it be that you’ve added something new?" "Ah, as expected of Mr. Lynch. You noticed right away."

The principal stood up, pleased, rubbing his stomach, and put on a pair of white gloves from the desk. He then carefully opened a cylindrical glass container and took out a card.

"Ah, that one? I thought you had acquired another sword," he said, holding the card up to the light. "Is that a card? Is it also an antique?"

"I had to work hard to get it," the principal replied, picking up the card with his fingertips. He spun it slowly under the light coming through the lattice of a screen, causing it to reflect like a dull mirror.

"Normally, antiques shouldn’t be exposed to sunlight, but this card has none of those concerns. It's magnificent. It carries a definite history, yet not a single scratch."

The card was indeed a playing card. The back was primarily black, with intricate golden patterns, as though crafted from a golden box, overlapping to create a complex design.

The front of the card seemed to resemble a knight’s crest, but from my position, I couldn’t make out the details clearly.

"Such a rare item... Could it possibly be a card from this country's legendary knight tales?" The principal chuckled while rubbing his stomach. "No, no, you don't need to know. It's enough for me to understand its value."

I quietly watched the two of them talk. It wasn’t a conversation I could easily join.

"As for antiques, I am no expert. But someday, I hope to understand the value of things as you do, Principal," Mr. Lynch said. "Haha, it’s not so easy," the principal replied.

While I kept my head down in silence, the two of them exchanged amused glances and laughed together. I didn’t understand what was so funny.

"..." I was thinking about something else.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

15) the sky

characters: Leo, Ken

Leo POV:

Kent and I were on the rooftop of the main building. From the top of the emergency stairs, we had climbed up using the ventilation ducts, drainpipes, and other structures, like rock climbing.

Around Rummy college, there was just a forest and a road leading to the town; there were no other buildings. Other than occasional animal sounds, the area was silent.

There were no proper lights. On the roof, the only light that reached us was from the moon, and it was so dark it felt like someone had spilled black paint diluted with water.

I stood still in silence as Kent led the way.

"Watch your step," he warned.

He was using his phone's screen as a guide, waving it in my direction. Because of the darkness, Kent’s figure was hard to see.

As I got closer, Kent sat on the edge of the roof, about knee-high, and dangled his legs into the air.

As I quietly watched Kent, he looked up at me.

"What’s wrong? Are you afraid of heights? Always acting so high and mighty," he said, with a hint of sarcasm, twisting his lips.

"Shut up," I replied.

I sat down on the edge as well, leaving about a person’s length of distance between me and Kent. My feet were facing down toward the ground. Sitting like this, with my feet floating in the air, felt slightly unsettling, but at the same time, it was somewhat comfortable.

"Leo. Come a little closer," Kent called.

"I don’t see the need," I replied.

"God, you’re such a pain," he muttered.

Kent shuffled closer on the edge. After settling, he took out a bottle from his pocket and twisted the cap open.

A little foam bubbled up from the bottle’s opening, and some spilled onto the ground. After taking a sip, Kent exhaled contentedly.

I had already let go of the card, my hands resting on my crossed legs. This guy was so clueless that I figured there was no point in staying on guard.

"So, why are we even up here?" I asked.

Kent answered, "Before you came, I always did this. Sneaking out of my room after lights out, you know."

"Even though Rummy college is big, it feels pretty cramped being locked inside all the time. Going off-campus is too risky, and there’s nothing around anyway. So, the roof is pretty much the only place to go."

Kent looked up and scanned the grounds, pointing at something. I followed his gesture and turned my gaze forward.

In the distance, I could see the lights of the city. It was Shield City, the center of Spada Province. As the light drew closer to us, it became more sparse.

Then Kent slowly moved his finger upward.

"See? The stars are beautiful."

I followed the direction of his finger and lifted my gaze.

But when I looked up at the sky—there was nothing there.

Just dark clouds hanging heavily in the sky.

"Nothing—" I started to say.

"Ha! Gotcha! It’s cloudy today, you can’t see any stars! Are you a romantic or something?" Kent shouted, laughing.

He smacked me hard on the back.

"Ugh...!"

I nearly lost my balance and almost fell. A cold sweat immediately broke out on my skin.

"You idiot! What would you do if I fell!" I snapped.

Kent, trying to suppress his laughter, covered his mouth with his hand like a child. I seriously considered kicking him off.

"Hmph. If you have nothing else to do, I’ll be going back. It’s better to do some work," I said, trying to stand up.

But before I could, Kent grabbed my arm.

"Sorry, sorry. Come on, it’s fine. Hang out with me for a bit. It’s boring doing this alone. Well, not as bad as being alone like you," he teased.

"Stop picking fights. I’m just fine being alone," I replied.

Kent ignored me and started fiddling with his phone. He took out a pair of earphones from his pocket, plugged them into the jack, and put one earbud in his ear.

Then he silently groaned, offering me the other earbud.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Well, if you're hanging out with me, you’re gonna have to listen to my usual stuff. Come on, hurry up," Kent said, pushing the earbud toward me.

Reluctantly, I took it and put it in my ear. Kent gave a satisfied grunt, tapping the screen of his phone.

Soon, a lively drum solo filled my ears. The beat bounced along, followed by a sharp guitar riff that made the music swell with energy.

Then a slightly weary-sounding vocal began, weaving a melody over the music.

It was a band sound—rock.

I looked at Kent, and he seemed to be surrendering himself to the music, lightly nodding his head. He closed his eyes and looked lost in it.

"Hey," I said.

But there was no response.

When I nudged his shoulder, he finally looked up at me.

"Hm?" "...What is this?"

"Huh? You don't know?" "..."

I hadn't intended to ask about the band, but I didn't want to admit my ignorance, so I stayed silent.

"Wow, you’re seriously a rich kid, huh? Or should I say, a sheltered prince? Any Fourland citizen would know this." "Don't spew such nonsense."

I was starting to get used to this.

He was deliberately speaking in a mocking tone to get under my skin, but I had begun to figure out his mannerisms.

"Seriously, there's no way anyone would know this." "Okay, maybe I exaggerated a bit, but any teen with decent taste knows them."

"Well what's their name?"

"'Poison Phenomenon.' We call them Poipheno for short. They're already disbanded, though."

"Ah, right."

He started ruffling my hair roughly.

"Hey, stop that! It's annoying!"

"Aw, look at you, acting like you totally know it!"

"Is it what they call FK Rock?"

In truth, I had no idea who Poison Phenomenon was.

I had never really had the chance to encounter rock music. Despite the breadth of knowledge I had accumulated through my elite education, trendy music and the like were never part of it.

"You know, after I graduate, I want to start a band."

The music coming through the earphones was upbeat and lively, yet the melody carried a faint melancholy.

I snorted.

"To think you'd want to play such vulgar music... you're tainted by the common world. Even someone like you is supposedly a student of Rummy college."

"Leo, can you play an instrument?"

"An instrument? Hah, who do you think I am? I wouldn't say I'm a master, but I can manage most things."

"How about an electric guitar or a bass?"

Kent kicked his feet idly, looking as childish as ever.

"Idiot. I've never even touched something like that. I'm talking about orchestral instruments."

Kent heaved a deliberately exaggerated sigh just as the next song began.

"Man, that's boring. I was hoping you'd teach me something."

His eyes drooped like a child whose toy had been take  away, and I couldn’t help but laugh a little.

"Hahaha. What’s this? You can’t even play anything. That’s a problem before you even think about starting a band."

"That’s why I’m going to practice after I graduate."

"Isn’t there a music club here tho? I’ve heard loud noises coming from somewhere after school."

"Oh, there’s a music club, but I can’t join clubs. Actually, I already quit one."

"You quit the music club?"

"No, the archery club. I was forced to join at first just because my parents were into it."

The bass, carrying the melody line, wove smoothly through the gaps in the clean guitar’s cutting notes.

"Archery club? Your class homeroom teacher supervises that, doesn’t he?"

"Yeah, that’s right. You’re surprisingly attentive for someone who doesn’t care."

"Why did you quit?"

"Well, let’s just leave it at that."

Kent averted his gaze and shook his head slightly.

The guitar solo section began.

"You’re always prying into my business, but when it comes to yourself, you clam up. That’s unfair."

"Simply put, I got bored. I want to do music. It’s cool, don’t you think?"

I didn’t respond.

“I’m not aiming to go pro or anything; just a cover band would be fine. To someone like you, who already acts like an adult, it might seem like a trivial dream, though.”

He smiled broadly, without any hidden intentions, the kind of smile you could almost hear.

The song playing now had a sense of weightlessness. The offbeat rhythm of the hi-hats made the song feel danceable, and I almost felt like swaying my shoulders.

“If you’ve got something you want to do, that’s good, isn’t it?”

I said something that sounded like a sentimental platitude, and as soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted it.

“Leo, I actually feel sorry for you, you know?”

“Sorry for me?”

“I haven’t had it as rough as you, but it’s not like I came to this school because I wanted to either.”

“Because my mom’s new husband was rich, he just assumed his stepson should attend Rummy college. And I’ve got a younger brother and sister, so I have to set a good example for them. I didn’t have any choice in the matter. You didn’t have much of a choice, either, did you?”

For once, Ken spoke about himself.

“Don’t lump me in with you. I do this because I want to. Being part of the Pinochle family is something I take pride in.”

“You’re cool for being able to say that so definitively.”

Kent smiled again. But this time, his expression lacked its usual boyishness.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he lifted his head.

“Oh! This part right here—this is the best, right? This is the killer track of the album, ‘Get Me Out.’”

“Well, it’s not bad.”

“I like the early albums with the standout riffs, but someone as twisted as you would probably prefer the later albums.”

“You’ve got a real knack for saying annoying things.”

“Right back at ya. Anyway, just listen.”

Ken then started to go on and on about Poison Phenomenon’s history. They were an indie band. Early on, their music leaned towards hard rock, but since all the members were graduates of music universities, they gradually began incorporating diverse genres like jazz and fusion. By their later years, they had created an unparalleled and intricate pop sound.

There’s hardly anything more painful than enduring trivia you’re not interested in, but before I realized it, I was caught up in listening.

After a while, Ken shifted the conversation.

"By the way, after graduation, you’re going to join Pinochle company, right? Actually, you’re already working there, so I guess you’re technically in. Will you become an executive right away or something?"

"Who knows? I can’t predict that far ahead. I still have five years until I graduate from here."

"Then... whenever works for you, hire me at Pinochle. If I can join Pinochle, my mom’s remarried husband would be satisfied. I’d land a job at a prestigious company without breaking a sweat, and everyone would be happy."

I let out a faint scoff and gave him a mocking smirk.

"Someone as brazenly rude as you is not welcome."

"Aw, come on! What a stingy rich guy you are."

"If you change your attitude, I might consider it."

"Please, Lord Leo! I promise I’ll work hard. Look, I’ll even share some of my cola with you."

"Who would drink such a cheap beverage? And it’s already your backwash."

Kent stared at my face intently.

"Don’t tell me... you’ve never had cola before, have you?"

"There’s no need to."

"You’re kidding me. You’re unbelievable."

Ken leaned even closer, until our thighs were touching. I must say, noone has ever willingly got this close to me and I almost felt a small spark of peace.

"Just take a sip."

Ken pressed the bottle to my lips.

"Come on, just one sip!"

"…Hey, cut it out. Get off me."

Ken grabbed my arm to not let me back away.

"Not until you drink!"

"If I drink it, will you let go?"

"Yep! Now, come on, drink up!"

As Kent and I wrestled over the matter, the night wore on.

By the time the sky began to lighten, we were still talking.

Compared to my usual missions, there wasn’t even a hint of danger in this moment. Yet sneaking out of my room brought a faint thrill, a feeling of exhilaration I’d never known before.

We talked about school, music, student life, the neighboring girls' school—nothing significant, just frivolous conversations that would be forgotten after a night’s sleep.

Come to think of it, had I ever spent time in sleepwear chatting with someone my own age like this before?

All the while, a small part of me felt a bit bewildered by something stirring within me. I couldn’t quite put a name to this feeling.

Until Ken’s phone ran out of battery, the songs of Poison Phenomenon played in the background.

The view stretched out before me was nothing but an endless expanse of black, as though no one else existed.

Through the earphones, Ken and I were listening to the same Poison Phenomenon song at the exact same timing, perfectly synchronized. It created the illusion that this entire space was inhabited solely by the two of us.

Eventually, I gave in and tasted cola for the first time in my life.

The sweet, fizzy carbonation was slightly stimulating.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

14) investigation?

characters: Leo, Kent

Leo POV:

I got off the bed and secretely left the room following the person, who has left just before me. I only took my card and a ten dollar bill.

I was walking down the hallway, lit only by moonlight, keeping my footsteps as quiet as possible. I kept just enough distance from the person ahead of me so I wouldn't lose sight of them. While tailing someone for a mission wasn't uncommon, it was rare to do so in such a quiet, isolated area. It was simply too peaceful here.

I left the dormitory and walked through the school grounds. It was a little chilly in the specified nightwear.

I continued on, heading toward the main building.

The main building housed the classrooms, faculty rooms, the student council room, and the principal's office. The front entrance should be locked, so it would be impossible to enter.

As expected, I circled around the building and headed toward the back.

I reached the emergency staircase. The person ahead of me climbed the stairs while constantly checking behind them, as if expecting someone.

And then, it happened.

I felt a presence behind me.

In the span of a few seconds, I turned around and immediately grasped the card in my pocket—the Diamond of Never No Dollars. As soon as I sensed danger, it was now reflexive to prepare the card for play.

Then…

"Meow."

A foolish-sounding meow echoed through the quiet, tense atmosphere. When I focused my eyes, I saw a black cat with glowing yellow eyes. It quickly disappeared into the darkness.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance, holding the sound in my mouth, and then tried to turn my gaze back, only to realize that the person who had been ahead of me was now standing behind me.

It was Kent Hargreaves. He stood still, looking directly at me, and then spoke.

"What are you doing, out here at this hour? If the guards catch you, you'll be in trouble."

I didn't respond. I half-turned, resting my chin on my shoulder.

"Leo. Weren't you asleep?"

It was more appropriate for me to say that.

I slipped my hand into the pocket where Kent couldn’t see, keeping my fingers curled around the card.

Kent stood there like a scarecrow. Seeing that he wasn’t going to explain himself, I pressed on.

"I know you've been sneaking out of your room after lights out these past few days."

This wasn’t a bluff. I had first noticed it by chance when I woke up in the middle of the night once and saw that Kent wasn’t in his bed.

"You’re the one who told me that leaving your personal room after lights out would result in severe punishment. What are you doing?"

"Tch. You found out, huh?"

Kent kicked the grass beneath his feet and ruffled his hair, which didn’t have any bedhead.

Then, he stuck his hand into the pocket of his sweatshirt, the same as mine.

I became more cautious when I saw that. I gripped the card in my pocket tightly.

It felt like a standoff in a Western, and for a moment, an idle thought about it crossed my mind.

Then Kent withdrew his hand. Almost at the same time, I was about to draw the card— but I stopped.

In his hand was a bottle of cola. It was full.

"The fuck…?"

Then Kent turned his back and started walking without a pause.

Ahead of him was the very same emergency staircase he had just climbed.

He glanced over his shoulder and gave me a quick red-eyed look, then waved his hand, signaling for me to "follow."

He was climbing the brightly visible emergency staircase. I could see Kent’s back just a little above me.

I quietly followed behind him.

"Where are we going?"

Kent didn’t answer. He continued climbing the steps at a pace that wasn’t too fast but also not slow.

Now that I looked closely, Kent’s pocket bulged in the shape of a bottle. Since it was a single-serving size, it fit perfectly inside.

The main school building wasn’t particularly tall. It didn’t take long for us to reach the top of the emergency staircase, where Kent stopped.

In front of us was a door leading into a room.I figured it would be locked, just like everywhere else.My hand still held the card in my pocket.

"What are you planning to do?"

Kent sharply turned his neck to face me. Now that he had been seen, he couldn't just let me go. His gaze quite sharp, but there was no tension in it. However, it didn't relax my wariness.

Then Kent placed his hands on a wooden beam at chest height and jumped onto it. He grabbed a drainpipe, twisted his body, and looked back.

"Come over here."

He reached out his hand to me.

I didn’t take his hand and just stood there, motionless.

"Hey."

Kentt deliberately slid his foot. His upper body completely went outside the frame.

"Whoa!"

He lost his balance and his foot slipped off.

I instinctively reached out and grabbed Kent’s arm, pulling him without a second thought. Without time to think, I just yanked him with all my strength.

"Idiot!"

Kent clung to my body as he regained his balance on the frame.

Kent settled his body down.

"Ah... that was close..."

Up close, I could see beads of cold sweat on his forehead.

"Don't mess around, you idiot!"

I noticed we were almost in an embrace and quickly pulled him away from the fence. Then, Kent pressed his hand over my mouth and put his index finger to his own lips.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't shout! What if someone hears us? We'll both be in trouble!"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Just shut up and stay quiet!"

I couldn’t understand what was going on anymore. I just wanted to get back to my room.

"Leo, just stay quiet and follow me."

Saying that, he climbed back onto the fence.

"If you almost fall again, I'm not helping you..."

"Leave it to me. This time it'll be fine."

Kent looked towards the wall ahead of him. In addition to the rain drainpipe, there were protruding ventilation ducts.

"I’m not really used to this..."

I heard Kent mutter quietly.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

13) falling asleep

characters: Leo, Kent

Leo POV:

Life in the dorms at Rummy college was relatively free, but it also had its strict rules. For instance, when the designated time came, the lights would all be turned off, though the power outlets stayed on. During this time students aren´t allowed their dorms unless an it´s an emergency. I sank my head into the pillow on the upper bunk of the bed, keeping my eyes open as I thought.

Today, I received a report from Chris Redgrave, an employee at the Pinochle Company Old Maid branch and a member of the High Card team. The ones who infiltrated Rummy college for this mission were me, Chris, and Vijay Kumar Singh, another employee and High Card member.

Chris, due to his age, might have passed for the oldest senior if he had just kept quiet, but due to his stupidity, he was suspected while talking to a female teacher and was reported as a suspicious person, forcing him to flee.

Later, he apparently disguised himself as a deep-cover agent in the Royal Forland Kingdom's Major Organizational Crime Task Force, claiming to be "the sexiest undercover investigator"—but he had still been in contact with the female teacher, trying to extract information from her. When he called me, he was desperate to spin himself a story and listed a bunch of nonsense, but there was one useful piece of information.

He reported, "Recently, the principal’s mood has been good."

At first, I thought it was just a desperate attempt to redeem his failed mission, but when combined with the information from Vijay, it seemed like we were finally getting a lead on the location of the card.

Apparently, the principal of this college was an avid collector of rare items. It was generally not possible for regular students to enter the principal's office, so I couldn’t know for sure from my position, but Vijay, as a visiting lecturer from a prestigious university, was able to gather this information.

It was unclear whether the principal possessed an X-playing Card, but there was a possibility that he was involved in some way. I compiled this information and entrusted it to Bernard. Now, I was simply waiting for instructions from headquarters.

That was the last thought i had before I sensed something standing by the bed.

It felt like a warm presence, like the air around me had become the temperature of human skin. Someone was standing right in front of me, near the upper bunk, seemingly cupping their hand near my face to check if I was asleep. I kept my eyes closed and made sure to keep my breathing steady, pretending to sleep in order to avoid detection. Then, the hand pulled away.

I waited for a while, making sure the presence had completely faded, and then slowly sat up. I looked down from the upper bunk to see the lower bunk is empty.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

12) living together

characters: Leo, Kent

Leo POV:

Several days had passed since the start of what was arguably the worst mission of my life.

“How many times do I have to say it—stop following me around!”

Carrying clothes and toiletries down the hallway of the Diamond Dorm, I spoke in a low voice, trying to keep my tone from becoming too loud. I didn’t want other students to overhear the way I was talking.

“What’s with the embarrassment? Come on.”

“I’m not embarrassed—I’m just irritated!”

“We’re both guys, right? We’re the only ones sharing a room, so of course we can shower together.”

“I’m not a kid, so why the hell do you have to tag along?”

“Exactly because you’re not a kid, you don’t need to make a fuss about it. We’re not holding hands for a bathroom break.”

I nearly ruffled my damp hair from the shower in frustration. Walking next to me was Kentt Hargreaves, my roommate. Like me, he was dressed in

 the designated pajamas— a white half-button shirt and black sweatpants.

I wasn’t sure if it was because the teachers had instructed him to do so or if he was just being nosy, but since the start of my investigation into the x-playing Cards here at Rummy college, Kent had been tailing me at every turn.

“I’ve told you already, I’m not interested in getting cozy with you just because we’re roommates,” I said, my voice flat.

“You’re no fun. Come on, let’s get along and hang out,” Kent said, playfully resting his head on my shoulder.

“Ugh, stop clinging for no reason,” I grumbled as I shrugged him off and quickened my pace.

Back in the room, Kent took a bottle of drink-sized cola from the small fridge, popping open the silver cap with a satisfying metallic snap. He deliberately made a loud gulping sound as he drank.

I sat on the bottom bunk—Kent’s bed—and watched him.

“Ahh, this is so good! After a shower, there’s nothing like it!” Kent said, enjoying the cola.

The bottle had a completely utilitarian design, with just the word “COLA” printed on it.

“Did you know?” Kent said, taking another gulp. “Cola actually has quite a bit of caffeine in it.”

“What are you doing drinking caffeine before bed?” I asked.

“I’m planning to keep you awake tonight, obviously.”

“If you mess with my sleep, I’ll kick you down.”

“Yeah, right, Leo. You’re the last person who should be talking. You’re a caffeine addict, drinking coffee like it’s water at night,” Kent retorted.

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

“I have work to do. Unlike you, I don’t have all this free time,” I said, trying to cover up my discomfort.

“Oh, the heir to the Pinochle family, huh? But hey, aren’t you the kind of guy who lets others do all the company work for you?”

“Tch. If there were trustworthy people around to handle the work, I wouldn’t be so burdened,” I snapped back.

This guy, Kent, had an annoying way of getting to the point.

Kent thrust the bottle toward me, jerking his chin as if offering it.

“No thanks,” I responded curtly.

“I’m just trying to offer you some of my leftover drink. Why are you like this?”

Kent drank the cola in one go, standing as he did so, his movements exaggerated.

Kent and I were in different classes. I believe his homeroom teacher was the first one to speak to me when I arrived at the school for my mission. Because of that, Kent and I rarely saw each other during the day. Still, school life was already stressful enough, but returning to my room only to find him there every morning was starting to get on my nerves.

That said, Kent often went out of his way to take care of me, and I had gotten used to this lifestyle. In that regard, I couldn’t say I had zero appreciation.

However, while he was always asking me personal questions, he never really talked much about himself. Tho I didn’t really care in the first place, so it didn’t matter much to me.

Then Kent glanced at the desk clock.

“Oh, it’s already this late. Lights out soon.”

“It's your fault for bothering me so much. Go brush your teeth,” I told him.

[leoconstantinepinochle]

11) Kents introduction

characters: Leo, Kent

Leo POV:

I raised my head to see a student standing before me.

"You're late! I was called in by a teacher this morning and told over and over to give you a proper welcome. What were you even doing?"

Who is this guy...?

The student had removed the jacket of his tailcoat, wearing just a white shirt and a black vest. His shirt was unbuttoned down to the second button, and his sleeves were rolled up. Judging by his toned, though not bulky, arms, he must have been in some sort of sports club. He was about the same height as me.

His hair was dark brown with a natural wave, cut just long enough to cover his ears, and parted neatly to expose his forehead in the typical Rummy college fashion.

"Why aren’t you saying anything? I asked what you were doing," he repeated.

"…W-work… I was working," I replied.

"Working?"

He exaggeratedly spread his arms wide, making me flinch slightly and almost drop my usual composure.

"Wow. You're still only 13, right? Must be tough being the heir to the Pinochle family. Well, whatever. Come in and sit down already."

He said this as he placed a hand on the door and shifted his body to the side. Then, with a theatrical flair, he extended his arm toward the interior of the room like a hotel doorman.

"Ah, thank you..."

He gestured toward the interior of the room.

"This will be your room, sir."

I looked around.

The room was about the size of a slightly larger-than-average one-room apartment, though to me, it felt no bigger than a doghouse.

Two desks were placed side by side, made of wood with a childlike design despite trying to exude a vintage vibe.

And worst of all, it had a bunk bed.

I couldn’t help but groan.

"Just put your stuff over there and sit down," the student said as he dropped himself roughly onto the bed.

I’d never slept in something like this before—honestly, I’d never even seen one in person until now.

"Sorry, but first come, first served. The bottom's already mine," he added.

Reluctantly, I placed my bag on the overly ornate desk, with nothing on it but a peculiarly decorated table lamp. I moved to sit on the swiveling chair.

"Hey, idiot. Not there. Over here, over here."

The student slapped the area near his own thigh repeatedly.

Calling me an idiot—this guy.

I held back the urge to snap at him.

"Come on, come on, hurry up," he urged.

I hesitated to comply with what this guy said, but for now, I decided to sit quietly. I felt a strong aversion to sitting on the futon he used every night, but there wasn’t much choice.

"Yeah, yeah. Just listen to what I say. I’m the senior in this room, after all," he declared smugly.

"—Just kidding! We’re in the same grade. Don’t get all tense!"

He laughed heartily and gave my back a few friendly pats.

Internally annoyed at how casually he was touching me, I subtly shifted my posture to evade his hand.

"...Nice to meet you. I’m Leo," I introduced myself.

"You actually say 'Nice to meet you' and talk all formal like that? Dude, you’re in your private room now. Stop acting all cutesy."

"It’s not like I’m trying to act—"

Before I could finish, the student got down on one knee, resting his elbow on it and his chin on his hand, peering up at my face from below.

"Yeah, yeah, I can tell just by the way you look. Being all formal like that doesn’t suit you. I get it, though. This kind of school, being part of Pinochle, all that. But honestly, that kind of act must be a pain in the ass, right?"

"What are you even saying?" I couldn’t help but give a bit of attitude.

"Well, whatever. I’ve already heard most of the stuff about you, so I pretty much know who you are. By the way, do you know anything about me?"

couldn’t believe someone so crude could be part of Rummy college. I shook my head sideways.

"Then I’ll introduce myself!"

He straightened his posture and turned to face me directly.

"Kentt Hargreaves. It’s an old-fashioned name, and I’m not too fond of it. Just call me Kent," he said as he extended his right hand toward me.

"...Nice to meet you," I replied.

Our faces were close. His thick eyebrows and the pinkish eyes beneath them carried a sense of intensity.

I took his extended hand in mine.

No way was I going to call him by a nickname. I had no intention of getting overly familiar with anyone—

"Ow—ouch!"

Kentt had gripped my hand with full strength.

I let out a cry of pain, yanking my arm back and cradling it protectively.

"Ahahaha!"

Kent burst out laughing, rolling onto the bed.

"What are you doing? Do you want to be trampled, you lowly cur?"

"It's because you keep wearing that stiff, mask-like face! Just now, you looked like a pigeon!"

"A pigeon?"

"Yeah, one that got hit with a slingshot!"

"If you're going to say it, it's 'a bean shooter,' you insolent fool."

"Oh, you're pretty spirited now, huh? Yeah, yeah, that's better. It's good to loosen up. If you spend 24 hours acting like the perfect little boy in a prison-like school like this, you'll lose your mind."

Before I knew it, I'd been dragged into his rhythm.

"Alright then... Dinner time's coming up soon. Before we head to the cafeteria, I need to teach you a thing or two about living here."

Kentt stood up.

"If you don’t get it right, I’m the one who’ll get yelled at by the teachers. So listen up."

He began to size me up, staring at me from head to toe.

"...W-What?"

"Why are you still dressed so stiffly? This is your private room; you could go naked if you wanted."

"Come on. It’s been a while since you’ve been to school, so did you forget how to take off your tailcoat? Let me help you with that—"

Kentt said as he started to climb over me.

"Stop, you idiot! Don’t touch me!"

"Ohh, you’ve got quite the body, huh? As expected of a Pinochle, you’ve got a solid physique."

I was taken aback. It wasn’t like me to react this way, but somehow it threw off my usual rhythm. Oddly enough, I felt like I was on the verge of biting my thumbnail. Normally, I wouldn’t even think about it, but this guy, a student of Rummy college, made me forget to maintain my usual tone and mannerisms in the middle of our roughhousing.

"Whether I like it or not, I can’t get away from you, huh?"

"I’ll kick your ass! Go to the other side!"

It was a hassle, so I just let him be, going along with it. At dinner in the cafeteria, he kept messing with me, but I did my best to avoid him.

Afterward, Kentt taught me a lot about the Diamond Dorm. During all that time, he continued to bother me, but I tried to ignore it.

That night, I quickly went to bed.

Kent was still making noise underneath the bed, but I ignored it and covered myself with the blanket, waiting for lights out.

However, I had trouble falling asleep and tossed and turned for a while.

Now thinking about it, I probably could have had a private room... I realized now that this might have been one of Bernard’s unnecessary arrangements, but by now, there was no turning back.

The top bunk felt strangely unsettling, and I was filled with an inexplicable sense of fear, which made for a restless night.

Kent Hargreaves.

The man I was living with...

He was an overly familiar guy.