~ Ayano's Pov, An hour later... ~
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'Looks like I've healed up pretty nicely... Now... How does one go through with this?' I knew where the location was. Heck, I was standing right in front of it... But, I didn't want to go down.
I must stood here for a minute straight, staring at the door like it was a cliff's edge. 'Damn... To think I'd get flashbacks just before committing to this...' I fessed up to myself at this point. Might as well be as real as possible...
Knock~
Knock~
I knocked on the door a few times before I finally got a response... Of course, it was a shady looking bugger that was easily a head taller than me, wearing an all black suit.
"What did you come here for?"
I pretended to glance to the side and back. I wanted to sound calm and desperate... "What the heck do you think, man!? Of course it's to get some cash..."
The guy didn't move at first. His eyes narrowed slightly. I could practically hear the math happening in his head — assessing weight, posture, tone, angle. He was trying to decide if I was a junkie, a con, or just desperate enough to be worth using.
He leaned a little into the doorframe, one hand still behind it.
"You don't look like the usual rats," he said flatly. "You sure you know where the fuck you are?"
I scoffed, shaking my head, letting a bit of bitterness slip through. "Tch… Yeah. I know exactly where I am. I'm not new, I'm just not dumb enough to look like a beggar walking in with torn shoes and a twitch. You want me to look desperate, fine — but I'm not a damn mess."
That got a small raise of his brow.
"...Huh."
He gave me one more long, slow look — then stepped aside.
"Inside, kid. Don't try anything cute either."
In my head, I was disappointed. If he was gonna do the wrong thing, at least do it right. I stepped in, ignoring him completely. The door creaked wider... The hallway beyond that was pretty dim, lit by a single overhead light that buzzed like it had a grudge against silence. The walls were concrete, scuffed and stained as well.
I heard the door latch shut behind me.
"Follow me..." He said, stepping in front.
'Alright...'
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We made our way past a few flights of stairs, the place getting dimmer and dimmer as we went downwards... Until, we reached a door, and immediately I could hear the sounds of idiots shouting. Some crying out that they won, while others were crying out that they had lost...
The guy ahead of me didn't say anything. He just knocked twice, short and coded —knock-knock... knock~Some kind of rhythm? Maybe? Likely familiar to whoever was inside... A bolt clacked from the other side, then the door swung open slowly...
Just beyond it, I saw poker tables. Dice games. Chip stacks taller than some of the players' dignity. Men and women crowded around in layers of smoke and sweat, laughing too loud, or not at all... A few machines blinked faintly in the far corners, all old tech — probably rewired. Someone was crying near the slot section, clutching an empty wallet.
And then he appeared.
"Ah, a fresh face..." said a smooth, lilting voice. "You walk like someone who thinks he knows where he is, but your eyes haven't decided yet. That's my favorite type."
I turned, and there this guy was.
Tailored maroon suit, shoes that clicked too clean for a place like this, and rings on three fingers of his left hand. His smile was sharp — not predatory exactly, but curved like someone who always knew more than you did... A classic.
"The name's Saizo," he said, giving me a short, lazy bow. "And this little playground you see? Mine."
I didn't reply right away. Just nodded once.
Saizotilted his head slightly, examining me like a piece of meat in a luxury shop window. "You look like someone searching for quick fortune... But, not the desperate kind. More... methodical. Tactical."
He leaned in slightly. His cologne was expensive — sharp and citrusy, with something bitter underneath.
"I feel as though... You're not here to bet. Not really," he murmured. "But poker? Poker might just suit you."
He straightened with a grin and gestured with one hand, leading me away from the fighting mats and into the casino's inner lounge.
"You don't have to win big. Just make a small dent for now. Eyes tend to follow that."
I played the reluctant card. "And if I don't want to play...?" Just to follow along.
"Oh, you will," he chuckled at me. "First game's free, of course. And the house always enjoys meeting its new, investments."
'Investments, huh' ...I let him lead me. This entire place already felt like a damn
We stopped at a table near the center. Dim spotlight. Five seats. Real cards — no screens here. The dealer had gloves and no expression. Two players sat already, both too calm to be clean. One man with mirrored shades. One woman with rings but no nails.
I slid into the third seat...
Saizo gave me a nod, then vanished into the crowed of the others in the back...
And then — as the shuffler reset the deck with a series of precise clicks — it happened.
I caught a flicker at the edge of my eye...
'What the hell?'
Then a presence, seated in the fourth chair.
My blood nearly froze — just for a second.
"Yo." said Renji.
Not the real one. I knew that instantly. What really gave it away was the fact that he was constantly glitching in and out of reality.
Not just that, this version wore a charcoal gray suit, his hair neatly combed, his ever-crooked grin sharpened to perfect symmetry. He looked... better than real.
"You've gotta be kidding me," I whispered under my breath. No one else had reacted. Not a single inch or sign from the others either...
Then, I quickly understood... 'The system,'. 'It's using Renji's face.'
The hologram tilted his head slightly and gave me that signature half-laugh. It didn't speak at first. Just watched the cards being dealt with the same smug calm the real Renji used whenever he was about to clean someone out in cards.
Two cards. One face-down. One face-up. I checked my hand. Low pair. Nothing fancy.
Then, finally — the hologram leaned closer, smile still present.
"When it's your turn... call." he said.
The voice was spot-on too. The cadence. Even the little rasp at the end.
And just like that, something clicked. I couldn't help it — I smiled.
'Ah... so that's what you're here for.' It wasn't just giving me advice. It was likely navigating all this for me. Like a living, breathing poker instinct with a familiar face.
This would be much easier than I thought it would be.
And once I started winning… once the stakes got high enough... Drawing out the real boss behind Saizo? That'd be child's play.
'Alright, system… I'll play your little game.'
I leaned back, gave the table a slow, cocky glance, and waited for my turn.
And when it came — just like the hologram said —
"I call."
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All the games lasted for a few hours at most... I left with a heavy hand since I decided to bet.
Still, I'd probably have to go there a number of times for it to be effective in the first place
I smiled... 'I walked in with a hundred thousand yen... Now I have around two million... If this were the old me, I'd practically be having a field day by now.'
Plus, I was pretty much home too.
Of course, all the workers were here... It was already 2 PM, and they usually left around 6 and given what I saw last time, these guys were practically done with the excavation. I think they were on the foundations for the place... If I didn't commend these guys on anything else, it's that their fast.
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I walked further up, this time, hearing Yukari's voice...? I wasn't one to really pry into other's business, but, she sounded pretty stressed out. So I stopped, just at the entrance... Listening in.
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"Please, listen to me! I know what I did was, sudden... But-"
She stopped.
"Chisaki... I can't tell you why right now. I'm not even entirely sure of the reason myself..." She said.
Her voice was softer now. Not apologetic. Just… raw. She sounded like someone caught in the middle of a mess they hadn't meant to make.
There was another pause.
"No, it's not like that, okay? I didn't leave because something happened between us." Her voice quivered there — barely — but I caught it. "I just... needed distance. That's all. It's not. permanent."
Not permanent... I think I know what she was talking about now, kind of.
She exhaled. I heard it.
"You, don't believe me...?" she murmured.
I didn't hear what Chisaki said — obviously — but the silence after was long. Uncomfortable. I could imagine what kind of questions were being asked on the other side. Yukari's responses didn't come immediately, either. She was listening. Enduring.
Finally, she spoke again.
"...I needed a reason to feel like myself again, Chi... And when I was there with you, I wasn't sure who that even was anymore. That's, all I can say..."
There was a deep, long pause after that. Then, with a hint of something like pain behind her voice:
"...I'll call again later. I promise."
The call must've ended because after that, there was just nothing — just silence and the faint mechanical groan of concrete being poured somewhere farther out. I took a step back from the edge...
I didn't know why exactly, but something about that conversation sat in my chest like a stone. Maybe it was the way her voice sounded so not-Yukari — like she was trying to be a person she hadn't been in a while. Regardless, just what kind of drama did I get myself caught up in?
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END