Pachinko Parlor's Cheater

Watching the three of them get along so well, Star Color revealed a genuine smile.

Kamuro being able to give up half of herself and take that step—how enviable.

"Chicken soup's here."

Star Color brought over steaming bowls of chicken soup.

Seeing the three of them already opening up to each other, a hint of loneliness crept into Star Color's heart.

Life is like bitter chocolate, even when it's uncertain.

"Delicious—"

Miki Yamamura took a sip, let out a sigh, and murmured.

"..."

Masumi Kamuro said nothing, just kept her head down and drank her soup.

"Star Color-kun's cooking skills are still as excellent as ever."

Tamiya Emi savored it in small sips, giving off the air of a young lady dining. Her praise embarrassed even Star Color.

"Once you finish this bowl of soup, I'll bring out the main dishes."

Star Color simply tilted his head, hiding his emotions. He put on the most natural, most undetectable, most fake smile he had practiced countless times.

After dinner, Star Color lay sprawled on the floor in satisfaction.

Miki Yamamura volunteered to wash the dishes, and the two people in the room fixed their gazes on Star Color.

"Gurgle gurgle... As expected, [soup] is humanity's greatest invention."

Star Color wriggled meaninglessly on the floor, holding a novel called Sakura's Trap, his feet swinging idly.

"The book Righteous Memories that Star Color-kun recommended was really good. [Turning falsehood into truth]—it's a wonderful piece of light literature."

Masumi Kamuro suddenly remembered the novel Star Color had recommended to her, Only You Can Hear, and wondered if she should borrow it from the library tomorrow.

"Speaking of which, Otonashi-kun recommended some books by Mr. Camus to me. [A person's only duty is to make themselves happy]—that line really benefited me."

Miki Yamamura finished washing the dishes and came to sit beside Star Color.

Tamiya Emi and Masumi Kamuro saw this and also moved closer.

"Hey, why are all three of you crowding so close? It's really hot..."

(Saturday morning)

Star Color changed outfits in the Keyaki Shopping Mall restroom, put on makeup, a masculine wig, and colored contacts.

"Ah↘ ah↘ ah↘—cough cough cough... Good."

His voice also shifted to a low, masculine tone.

He changed into a Pachinko staff uniform.

A guy that even a shadow guard like Zhou Changqing couldn't handle—interesting, wasn't it?

As Pachinko machines upgraded, the cheating methods available grew fewer, so Star Color came to personally meet this [Cheat Gambler].

"So noisy."

Because it was Saturday, the idle faculty crowd was completely sucked in.

These people had once, in a sense, been Star Color's bread and butter, so he couldn't say much. Wearing a mask, he patrolled around.

A report came through the earpiece—the [Cheater] had appeared.

Star Color went to the backstage monitoring room and watched the [Cheater] sitting at a Pachislot machine through the monitors, signaling the patrolling staff not to tip him off.

[1. A body search found no suspicious devices, even shoes were thoroughly checked.] [2. He doesn't stick to one machine; all machines were inspected and found fine.] [3. This guy always wins big—he must be carrying a remote, radio transmitter, or jammer.]

"Can't find where it is? Interesting."

Star Color slid his finger across the monitor screen, staring at the middle-aged man playing Pachinko. A wild, manic grin spread across his face, and the aura of a rakshasa clawing its way out of hell burst forth.

Next, it was his turn to face this man. That thrill that could devour a [gambler] surged through his entire body.

"His luck's about to take a major downturn now."

Star Color opened his earpiece, arranged Zhou Changqing's movements, grabbed a cup of water, and walked toward that man's direction.

"Old-timer, you're really something."

The middle-aged man with thick black hair wore a gray [maintenance worker] uniform and a pair of black work boots. He leaned back, sitting there slapping the buttons, and as three number 7s appeared, it was a [jackpot].

The machine frantically spat out coins.

"You got some method?"

Star Color propped his head up with his hand, watching him with keen interest.

"This kind of machine you can play with your brain. One week equals 0.02 seconds, 16,384 slots. That means pressing the lever at the right timing lets the symbols line up. The time needed is 3 minutes, 52 seconds, and 24."

Star Color's eyes went wide as he lavished praise without restraint.

"Amazing! So you're using your biological clock to calculate the time cycle for hitting the jackpot!"

"Kid, watch and learn. You're the new server, right? Remember me, and don't be like those other trash servers who check whether I'm cheating."

"This style of play really reminds me of someone... that [Heart-Striking Silver Bee]."

Wearing colored contacts, his yellow, sunflower-like pupils stared straight at that hundred-percent-cheating old man.

"Th-That's right! I'm his disciple!"

"But your method only works on old machines, right? The current machines all use [Pseudo-Random Algorithm]. You can't calculate that with just human biological time, sir~. Unless your brain is a precision computer."

Star Color propped his head up, revealing a predatory grin like a hunter.

"Are you doubting me?!!"

He immediately stood up and backed away a few steps. This guy had seemed so friendly just a moment ago, and now he was like a monster.

"What's with all the fear? I really find it hard to imagine that a small-time shop like this would have a [Cheat Gambler] hanging around."

"Cheat Gambler? I'm not cheating!!"

"Hold him down. Using force is fine."

Zhou Changqing appeared behind him, seized the [Cheat Gambler]'s arm, and pinned him to the ground.

"You're using violence! I'll report you!! I'll make sure you have no place to stand in this school!"

Everyone stopped playing the machines and gathered around to watch the show.

Star Color took the water cup in his hand and poured it directly over his head.

"That wig must've been pretty expensive, old man. Hiding a radio wave transmitter in your wig is a decent trick."

Star Color kicked the wig off his head with his foot.

"Bald, huh, old man. Using a wig to look young? How lame."

Star Color bent down and picked up the wave transmitter.

"Heh, as expected, there's always something new. Ever since the machines were fitted with strong magnetic field alarms, you guys started using wave transmitters to simulate the signal of the probability adjustment remote for machine maintenance. Your methods really do iterate fast."

Star Color had caught guys before who hid jammers in the lining of their shoes, or wore masks and held them in their mouths. This was the first time he'd seen one hidden in a wig. Modern manufacturing tech was just too good, reaching the point of "passing off the fake as real." No wonder Zhou Changqing hadn't thought of it—in such a comfortable environment, combined with a relatively innovative method. If Star Color hadn't been wearing a wig today and made the connection in a flash, he'd have had to observe for a while longer.

[Only a cheater can best understand a cheater.]

Star Color stepped on the guy's head with his foot.

"You used cheating methods to earn 3 million points. Everyone, what should we do with a cheater?!"

The crowd around clapped and cheered. Who wouldn't be jealous of a guy who won that much money by cheating? Even if he hadn't cheated, some people would've been itching for him to get caught.

"Beat him up!"

"Hand him over to the yakuza!!"

"Hey hey, this is a university campus. No yakuza here."

Star Color retorted.

"But we can hand him over to the police~."

After all, the Japanese police are the umbrella for Pachinko and Pachislot, providing them with stable, cushy, nominal retirement jobs after they leave the force. Even though Japanese civil servants' pensions aren't low, who would complain about more money? The Kisen Group established organizations related to the Pachinko and Pachislot industry, like the [Neon Game Business Cooperation Alliance] and the [Neon Game Business Revitalization Association], totaling over twenty or so, most staffed by retired Japanese police.

The Japanese police issue licenses to the shops and manage the profit margins, so even when Pachinko shops screw people over, they still remember the police fondly... And the Kisen Group slowly infiltrated them.

(In this fictional world, the police absolutely are not a dig at Japan! Absolutely not!)

Star Color stepped on his head. Even with the golden colored contacts, they couldn't stop the devouring, predatory light from spilling out. That killing intent and murderous aura was so intense that even Zhou Changqing couldn't believe it—was this guy really a monster wearing the skin of a "child"?