15. Hikigaya Challenges Triple Memory
"We'll play Triple Memory, how about that?"
Sumeragi Itsuki smiled and, through the camera, spread the game rules to every corner of the school.
[Triple Memory]
Game Rules: From a deck of three sets of cards totaling 156 cards (excluding the jokers), find three cards of the same suit. Since the cards are face down, if the same suit isn't found after flipping, they must be flipped back. If successful, the player can continue flipping. The game ends when one side flips over more than half of the total cards, which is 78 cards, and wins.
Her words caused an immediate uproar.
The most intense reaction came from the always-ignored Suzui Ryota. "This is impossible! To memorize the positions of 156 cards? This is absurd!"
"Hey, random guy, please stop talking," Sumeragi Itsuki coldly glared at him, causing Suzui to immediately shut up.
At that moment, the first-floor cafeteria became filled with noisy discussions.
Memory—everyone had played it before. As long as they found matching cards without caring about the suits, many could do it. But Triple Memory was different. A normal person participating in this kind of game would probably end up with a tie because neither side could remember all the card combinations.
Suzui Ryota was as sure about this as he was about the fact that if he peed in the wind, it would splash onto his pants.
"This game is way too difficult, who could possibly do it?"
"No, look at their expressions, they're not even a little bit nervous."
"Exactly, it makes sense if Sumeragi didn't react, but why aren't even Hikigaya and Jabami reacting? Do they really think they can pull this off?"
Yeah...
Why aren't they reacting?
Sumeragi Itsuki felt confused too, but it didn't matter; she was confident this game was already hers to win. Triple Memory was a game tailor-made for her!
She smiled widely. "Now, the key is the bet."
"I heard you guys bet 10 million yen with Saotome?"
"If the amount is smaller than that, it's no fun," Sumeragi clapped her hands, and someone immediately brought over the chips.
She picked up a chip marked with "100", "This is a chip issued by the student council, and each one is worth 1 million yen. There are 40 chips here, let's bet 40 million!"
40 million!
Suzui Ryota gasped, worriedly looking at Hikigaya and Jabami, who were still unreactive.
Upon hearing the number, Jabami Yumeko showed a disappointed expression. "What a shame, I don't have that much money. I can't prepare 40 million."
She lifted her eyes and looked at Hikigaya Hachiman with hope, suddenly grabbing his hand. "Hey, Hikigaya-kun, could you lend me 30 million?"
"Sorry, I only have 10 million," Hikigaya shook his head.
That was a lie.
He definitely had more than 10 million. His aim was to feign weakness and see what Sumeragi Itsuki was planning. She probably didn't intend to merely blackmail them with this amount of money and turn them into her obedient pawns—such a boring outcome.
He quietly waited for Sumeragi Itsuki's next move.
Heh heh.
I've already calculated your funds, Sumeragi Itsuki waved her hand dismissively. "How about this, you two can join together? I'll lend you an additional 20 million with no interest, and that will make up the money!"
"How would we play if we joined together?" Jabami Yumeko asked.
"Well, well, since Triple Memory is too difficult for ordinary students, I've decided to reduce the difficulty for you."
"You two can flip the cards together, each remembering half, and the difficulty will be much lower."
After hearing her words, Yumeko's previously excited expression slowly faded and turned into one of cold detachment and reason.
She voiced the question that Hikigaya was thinking: "So what's the benefit of doing this?"
"To be honest, 20 million yen is nothing. What's more valuable is that it'll get everyone interested in the cards produced by my family."
As she spoke, she pulled two brand new, unopened decks of cards from her bag and introduced them to the camera while continuing her actions, slowly unwrapping them.
"Since that's the case, I have no objections. Hikigaya-kun, what about you?"
"Fine."
No, this still wasn't his objective, Hikigaya Hachiman was absolutely certain. He sneered, standing alongside Yumeko as they approached the card table.
Sumeragi Itsuki's technique was extremely skilled, as the three decks of cards flew in her hands, interlacing and overlapping. From Hikigaya's observation, at least during this phase, the opponent wasn't cheating.
Soon, the 156 cards were spread across the entire table.
"You're the new students, so you go first."
Both sides fell silent. Hikigaya Hachiman rested his chin in his hand, carefully observing the cards on the table.
Suddenly, a realization hit him, and with a silent understanding, he exchanged a glance with Jabami Yumeko, comprehending the subtle meaning in each other's eyes.
'As I thought…'
'Jabami Yumeko, this woman is the most observant person I've met in my sixteen years of life. In this aspect, I have to place her on the same level as me.'
"There's no point in hesitating. Jabami, just flip a card."
Following Hikigaya's command, Jabami Yumeko turned over the outermost card on the table.
Diamond 4.
She flipped again.
Spade 4.
Club 4.
"Hm, all three are 4s. If they're not the same suit, it's pointless. Your turn, Sumeragi."
"Exactly. Then it's my turn. I hope to draw a Diamond 6."
Then, one card after another was flipped by the two of them, then flipped back. Occasionally, a matching pair would be found, but nothing seemed out of place. The Triple Memory officially began after all the cards had been turned over once.
"Well then, the game officially starts now, you two."
"Jabami, Diamond Four."
Hikigaya calmly stated the card he intended to flip, and both extended their hands toward the three face-down cards on the table.
Whoosh—
The three Diamond Fours were revealed before everyone's eyes.
"Wow, these two really have incredible teamwork. Are they really first-year students?"
"Sumeragi's speed is impressive too. Neither side has made a mistake."
Back and forth they went, neither side falling behind.
[Sumeragi Itsuki, 22 pairs matched.]
[Hikigaya and Jabami, 21 pairs matched.]
On the sidelines.
"Is it just me, or have they not made any mistakes from the beginning until now?"
"What's going on?"
"So… if you flip a card you've seen before, you're guaranteed to make a match! What a terrifying memory."
...
"Jabami."
"Hm?"
Jabami Yumeko looked up, her expression one of confusion, her innocent and slightly dazed look incredibly cute, as her immersion in the game was interrupted.
Hikigaya raised his hand off the cards, sighing in a slightly resigned manner and shaking his head in disappointment.
"I can't remember the positions of the cards from here on out," Hikigaya said. "Could you take over from here?"
Hmph—
Sumeragi Itsuki couldn't help but laugh.
Finally, after all this time, it seemed they'd reached the limits of a normal person. It seemed Hikigaya Hachiman was just at the level of a normal person, nothing more.
"Leave it to me, Hikigaya-kun, you can rest now," Yumeko gently accepted Hikigaya's suggestion.
"Leave it all to you, Yumeko!"
Ah—
Jabami Yumeko's face immediately turned red, as though a bolt of lightning had struck her brain. She gazed at Hikigaya with a meaningful expression. She clutched her chest and gasped heavily.
She kept muttering, "As expected, as expected, Hachiman is special."
"?" After a while, Sumeragi Itsuki tilted her head, looking at the sweat-drenched Jabami Yumeko in confusion.
This woman… is she okay? Even if she's under pressure, this reaction is a bit too extreme.
Hikigaya Hachiman withdrew from the game.
However, the situation on the table didn't improve with Hikigaya's withdrawal from the "weak link."
Finally, Yumeko made a mistake.
Her startled gaze was transmitted through the camera to everyone present.
[Diamond 2, Diamond 2, Club 2]
"It's Jabami Yumeko who made the first mistake! Now there's a gap! Catching up will be difficult."
An avalanche began.
Yumeko seemed to lose her footing due to the sudden mistake, and errors followed one after another, further widening the gap.
[69 to 57]
Sumeragi Itsuki wiped the sweat from her forehead, speaking a little breathlessly, "Jabami, you're pretty good. Most people wouldn't have lasted this long."
Indeed, even Sumeragi Itsuki was starting to feel mentally exhausted after reaching this point.
It was important to note that her cheating techniques had a prerequisite: she needed to remember special marks within the first two minutes of the game. Any mistakes or oversights during this period would be irreversible.
Although she had reduced the difficulty of Triple Memory significantly, it still took considerable mental effort to carry out.
"But I won," Sumeragi Itsuki said.
She no longer held back; if she kept dragging things out, she'd forget everything. So, in a flash, she flipped over the remaining three sets of nine cards.
[Winner — Sumeragi Itsuki!]