In the second round, Satsu played the Joker as planned. Matsuyama had a Joker too.
"No! No matter how I struggle, he wins." (Matsuyama)
"There are three cups of regular coffee and two cups with laxatives left. No matter how I adjust my strategy this round, there are only two possible outcomes: three cups left or four." (Matsuyama)
At that moment, Satsu couldn't help adding to the thought in his mind:
"But I get to call first in the third round. Whether he drinks one cup or two is entirely up to me."
"I'm not opening!" Satsu, who called first this round, shouted.
"I'll open!" Matsuyama replied through gritted teeth.
The Joker was revealed, and Satsu drank another cup of coffee. Four cups remained for the third round, and both players still had two Jokers.
There was little point in playing a safe card now. Satsu had taken the antidote, and Matsuyama knew which two cups contained laxatives. They both knew where the other stood.
Besides, there were still two whole cups of regular coffee left. It didn't matter who drank them.
"I'll open!"
"I'll open too!"
Hearing Satsu's response, Matsuyama couldn't help regretting his decision to make up these rules.
The antidote was supposed to keep him from losing, but now things had turned out like this.
In fact, whether they played a safe card or a Joker, someone would have to drink coffee if they opened. The only question was who.
If he didn't open, and Satsu didn't either, two cups of coffee would still be gone.
After they downed another two cups of coffee without incident, Satsu and Matsuyama sent the atmosphere soaring.
The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers. Only two cups of coffee remained, and everyone knew what that meant.
Both cups contained laxatives. The antidote had already been drunk. It was time for the final round.
Seeing that, Ayanokoji turned and left. He had no interest in watching Matsuyama's inevitable bout of diarrhea.
"Ayanokoji, aren't you going to stay and watch? They're about to decide the winner," Yamauchi called after him.
"No. I'm afraid I won't be able to eat afterward," Ayanokoji replied flatly, then left.
Yamauchi and his two friends didn't try to stop Ayanokoji. Like everyone else, they had their phones out, ready to record what happened next.
"If Kato loses, just imagining the scene is getting me excited," Yamauchi said, eagerly opening his camera and staring fixedly at the stage.
"There's no doubt about it. Judging by how readily Kato drank and the expressions on their faces, he took the antidote right at the start." (Ayanokoji Kiyotaka)
In the fourth round, the safe cards finally made their appearance, with both players playing one.
"I'm not opening," Satsu called first.
Clearly, he had no intention of letting Matsuyama off the hook. If Satsu opened this round, then Matsuyama could simply refuse to open and wouldn't have to drink.
Once Satsu drank the laxative without any reaction, the winner would be decided, and Matsuyama wouldn't have to drink either.
But Satsu decisively refused to open, which meant Matsuyama would have to drink. If Matsuyama opened, Satsu had a safe card and Matsuyama would have to drink. If he didn't, they would both have to drink.
"I'm not opening either."
Matsuyama replied in despair. His choice no longer mattered, but he still wanted to make Satsu drink one more cup.
Satsu didn't care and drank it without hesitation.
"Ten!"
The crowd began counting down.
"Nine!"
"You're that confident?" (Horikita Suzune)
"Eight!"
"Come on, let's head back to the dorm." (Ayanokoji Kiyotaka)
"Seven!"
"Don't disappoint me, Kato! Come on, let me see you humiliated!" (Yamauchi)
"Six!"
"Five!"
"Four!"
"Someone that handsome isn't really going to do it in front of everyone, is he?" (Girl in the front row)
"Three!"
"This ending..." (Kato Satsu)
"Two!"
"Flawless..." (Kato Satsu)
"One!"
"Cheer! I'm the winner!"
The moment the countdown ended, Satsu threw both hands into the air and shouted.
The crowd burst into deafening cheers, but Reine didn't join in. She watched Satsu for a few seconds, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.
Satsu noticed Suzune leaving, of course. The scene that was about to unfold wouldn't be pretty, and he didn't want Suzune to keep watching.
Meanwhile, Matsuyama held his coffee with his eyes half-closed, his heart in his boots.
Seeing this, Satsu leaned in until his face was right against Matsuyama's. Matsuyama could feel Satsu's breath brushing across his own face.
"Drink it! What are you waiting for?"
"I'm sorry."
"What?"
Satsu pretended not to hear and pressed his ear close to Matsuyama's mouth. "Louder! Say it again."
"I'm sorry. Please, leave me some dignity. You've already got everything. At least don't make me drink this."
Matsuyama's tears fell despite his efforts to hold them back. He knew that if he drank it, the videos would follow him for the rest of his life and might even spread beyond the school.
"Everyone, do you agree?"
Instead of answering, Satsu turned around, spread his arms, and shouted.
"No!"
The crowd immediately echoed Satsu's words and began chanting.
"Drink! Drink! Drink!"
"You can see for yourself, Matsuyama. This isn't me telling you to drink anymore."
"I suggest you drink it yourself. Otherwise, some hotheaded idiot in the crowd might come up and force it down your throat. That would make things even uglier."
As the crowd's chants grew louder, Matsuyama looked around in despair, then calmly drank the laxative.
The laxative worked faster than he'd expected. Soon, a foul stench smashed through the crowd's defenses and filled their nostrils.
But the crowd didn't scatter right away. Everyone pinched their noses and filmed the stage.
Matsuyama clutched his stomach and collapsed limply on the ground, his face contorted in pain.
The pain was so severe that Matsuyama finally lost control of his body and completely let himself go.
As they watched Matsuyama convulsing in a pool of foul liquid, no one went to fetch a doctor or offered even a shred of sympathy.
That was just how things were here: the strong ruled, and the weak weren't even worthy of being called losers. Strength above all!
Everyone did nothing but laugh, gag, and record. The videos were shared in various group chats right away.
There weren't many students at this school. It would probably take less than half an hour for everyone to see Matsuyama in this pitiful state.
A few minutes later, some people finally couldn't stand the stench any longer and started leaving. The crowd gradually dispersed.
Before long, only Satsu and Matsuyama remained in the vast sports stadium. Satsu slowly walked over to Matsuyama.
Matsuyama trembled all over, only able to make faint whimpering sounds. Satsu's expression didn't change.
Unlike the others, he didn't pinch his nose. He held his breath instead.
Without a word, Satsu turned and left. Only his footsteps and Matsuyama's whimpers remained in the stadium, echoing back and forth.
Matsuyama didn't have many points—only a little over fifty thousand—but Satsu was still happy. He now had a full two hundred thousand points.
"I had two hundred and ten thousand before, but I spent some on a gift yesterday. I still haven't given it to Ayanokoji."
He said it like that, but Satsu didn't feel the least bit unhappy. After all, he'd made money and fulfilled his promise to Kuraku.
Before you continue