image [https://i.imgur.com/i5yzM56.jpg]
----------------------------------------
The poker game between Tessa and Deshya began a few minutes earlier. In the living room are the two players, Maruno who was the dealer, Korone who is now the dealer, and around twenty students who are spectators. After a bad start for Deshya, who lost a total of '175€', she managed to come back thanks to the third set and the seventh. However, Deshya lost a total of '80€' in the eighth. Deshya now has '925€', while Tessa has '1075€'. The ninth round is about to begin and the minimum amount is raised to '50€'. Korone places the two cards on the table and Maruno shouts when he sees them. This attracts everyone's attention and one of the twenty students jumps up.
- I don't believe it!!! I don't believe it!!!!
Korone blinks as Tessa begins to tap the table as if she were playing the piano.
- Oi, oi. Are you kidding me right now...?
Deshya can't believe it either. She turns to Korone, who shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head: she didn't do it on purpose. She's not the one cheating or trying to make the game super interesting: it's just a coincidence.
The two cards are the ♦A and the ♦K. And again…
A royal flush is possible this round.
CHAPTER 20
⎾The Red And Black Clash ; Mistrust⏌
- I can't believe it..." thinks Korone as she hands the cards to Deshya and Tessa.
It's lucky enough to draw two cards of the same suit during a round, but to do it several times seems impossible. Korone can't even imagine the likelihood of it happening... It's highly likely that they're experiencing a poker game that's so 'lucky' that it would be suspected of cheating by anyone. In fact, even Korone wonders if this deck was rigged, but when she quickly looked at the cards before shuffling, she didn't see anything that looked like cheating... It's all a matter of chance. A simple chance that will surely never happen again. Korone places the deck of cards in front of her and waits for the two players to make their choice. Tessa asks directly to switch hands, but Deshya is slower. With the three cards still in front of her, she analyzes them, wondering what to do.
The ♦J, the ♠3 and the ♣J.
Although she has a pair of jacks and tells herself she doesn't have to hesitate in this way, there's a good reason she's thinking this way. She sees only two choices in front of her:
- Either I keep my two jacks to keep a pair, but then I shatter all my chances of having a royal flush or even a normal straight…
She squints gently.
- Either I just keep the ♦J hoping that luck will finally fall my way, but if it's not on my side, then I'll end up with a high card....
Deshya knows that holding a royal flush requires astronomical luck. However, the improbability of this poker game makes her hesitate. The luck seems to be entirely on the two cards in front of them, but there's nothing to say that Deshya can't be lucky in her turn. Plus, Tessa just switched all three of her cards, so she didn't have any cards that would give her a royal flush. In short, if Deshya is lucky, then she can have it. The strongest hand in poker. She closes her eyes... and makes her choice. She tends—
- I exchange a single card.
Exactly. She decides to keep the pair of jacks! She doesn't want to rely on luck, so she plays it safe! It's also not impossible that she'll manage to get a two pair, or even three of a kind! Deshya bets on this chance, not on the chance of a royal flush! This is safety!
- Here," Korone smiled at her.
Deshya picks up her card, praying it will show him a J... however!!!
One ♦5.
A card that does her no favors at all! She only has a pair of jacks, but in reality Deshya isn't disappointed: even if she's not convinced of her hand, she has more than a high card. What's more, it's impossible for her opponent to have a royal flush, so that's reassuring. Admittedly, the chances of her holding such a hand would have been very low in any case, but it's this kind of ‘certainties' that succeed in calming Deshya. When she can be certain that her opponent doesn't have a certain hand, then she can win a confidence game. She expects Tessa to bet, though...!
- I’m folding. I only have one high card.
She refuses!!! She folds directly, all the while saying the hand she owns!!!! Tessa returns her cards before resting her head on her fist, disappointed. While the two cards in front of them showed the possibility of a magnificent round, she doesn't trust her own hand and prefers not to risk a single chip: and rightly so! Deshya doesn't show Tessa her hand, but Tessa is convinced she would have lost anyway. She didn't receive a single card that could have led her to the royal flush, but she did come close to holding a flush. Unfortunately, one of her cards was a ♣... Korone starts shuffling, while Maruno waits impatiently to see the next round. Given the unlikely combinations of the two cards they put on the table, he's expecting more surprises! Meanwhile, Deshya looks at Tessa with puffed-up cheeks, which makes her opponent smile.
- She folds too often... Does she want to take the game to huge minimum stakes? Does she want to make the pleasure last, or does she just like to play it safe...? She won't always be able to lie down, though…
Deshya wishes she could have read minds at that very moment. She understands why she went to bed and didn't risk anything, but she wonders if it's really the best strategy. If the rules didn't forbid three lies in a row, she'd have understood: but right now, Deshya isn't sure it's the best thing to do. However, when she sees that she has fewer chips than Tessa, she smiles, telling herself that she's the fool.
Korone lays both cards on the table.
The ♠7 and the ♠8.
- Oddly enough, I'd be more surprised to have two cards that have nothing to do with each other than two cards that allow a flush or a straight..." jokes Maruno.
Everyone in the crowd nods at the same time, and Korone looks at the deck of cards with a spasm in her right eye.
- I-I think I'll mix it differently..." she swings.
- No prob’s, it makes the game more interestin’," smiles Tessa.
- You're the one who was bitching about it in the first place!" shouts Maruno.
- I've decided to change my mind because you're no longer the one mixin’.
- Sometimes I wonder if you really like me.
Tessa smiles at him and asks Korone to give them the three cards they are to receive. The little girl apologizes and hurries off. First Deshya, then Tessa. Both look at their cards and—
- !!!
Deshya opens her eyes wide. Unable to contain herself, she shows how she feels on the spot. Tessa notices and worries, but Deshya quickly closes her eyes and bites her lower lip: she's just made one of poker's worst mistakes. If Tessa doesn't think she's bluffing, then Deshya may have just ruined her chances of winning this round. Indeed, her hand is incredible. In fact, it's so good that she has only one choice:
- I keep my three cards.
She exchanges nothing! The hand she holds will not change during this round! Tessa squints before making her choice:
- I exchange my three cards.
The opposite! She has no cards left in her hands, she keeps nothing! The crowd starts to get excited little by little, wondering what cards Deshya could possibly have! Even Maruno !!! Even Korone !!! Even Tessa !!!! No one knows what Deshya owns, except herself! Will Tessa give up after Deshya's bet? Will she refuse to bet in this possibly losing round?
- Then Tessa won't be able to lie down for the next round..." Korone thought to herself as she offered the three cards to the teenager.
A situation that has already arisen during this round. One of the rules set by Tessa herself! Will she fall for it again, or will she call Deshya's bluff? What's going to happen in this tenth round?! What strategies will they use? It's with so many questions in mind that the spectators wait at the edge of their seats, impatient for Deshya to make her first bet!!! She lays her cards on the table and thinks, but finally decides! She's pushing chips, she's starting this round that gets everyone excited!
- I bet…
And then, it's madness! Tessa squints and Maruno opens her eyes wide! The students in the crowd shout with joy, excitement and surprise! Deshya's black tokens advance onto the battlefield and form a wall in front of her, confident of their general!!! It's war!!!
- I bet '120€'!
A total of 24 chips at once!!! A grandiose first bet!!! Deshya points a gun at Tessa and asks her to give up directly: defeat is not in her dictionary!!! She can't lose, she can only win this round !!! It's with conviction that she throws her wager, that she challenges her opponent!!!!
- It doesn't matter if I don't win, you'll have to give up and bet on the next round. You're not going to back down, are you?" thinks Deshya with a faint smile.
True, she mustn't show any emotion, but that smile isn't one that means she's certain of victory, but one that taunts Tessa! They stare into each other's eyes, they can't escape each other's gaze! The tension increases, the air becomes thinner and everyone waits for some kind of response from Tessa! Will she bet? Will she give up?! That's the question! Such is the uncertainty of this round! 120€' are in front of Deshya ! 24 chips ! More than 1/10th of her total amount! A daring bet, but one she has no intention of retracting !!! She's waiting!!! They're all waiting !!!! Tessa looks down at her cards, which are face-down, then at her chips. Should she bet? Should she dare? No one can know what she's thinking right now, but everyone wishes they could read her mind! Although barely five seconds have passed, for them it's a minute! A wait that prevents them from breathing properly! When Tessa's lips finally move, they catch their breath: she's finally going to answer the question. Deshya's challenge! Tessa's going to speak at last! After what had seemed like an eternity to them, an answer will finally see the light of day!!! At last!!! She moves her hand and there, and there!!!!
She bets !!!!
- I bet '50€'.
The minimum amount, yes, but she bets!!! She answers Deshya's challenge hesitantly, but she doesn't back down! She doesn't run !!! She doesn't give up!!! Even after her opponent doesn't exchange any cards, she's not afraid to face her army of chips!!! Sure, her bet isn't as big as Deshya's, but she's facing the enemy! She'll protect her honor! Deshya wants to smile, but she refuses to show her emotions again. Without keeping the sweaty crowd waiting, Deshya bets again!
- I am.
10 more chips! A total of '170€' lies before her!!! Her army is growing, and so is the risk! Korone looks at Deshya's cards, hidden behind the chips and face-up, wondering which hand she has.
- A straight... No, a straight flush?!
A chance that would be astronomical, given the context of this poker game that seems improbable if it's a possibility that exists! A straight flush, the strongest possible hand in this round! Would Deshya have managed to have such a hand from the start? Or is she bluffing?! Korone doesn't know, but she wants to know the answer! She wants to understand where Deshya's confidence comes from! Having lost hope at the start of the match, she's regaining her color! She's not afraid and faces her opponent, ready to protect the secret that's on her head! Ready to prove to Tessa that she can win this game!!! All eyes are on Tessa, but she hesitantly decides to follow. A total of '100€' at stake, 20 chips against Deshya's 34! She doesn't give up! Even in the face of her adversary's confidence, she doesn't back down! While playing it safe, while refusing to sacrifice too many soldiers, she defends herself!!! Deshya stares at her with a neutral expression, but inwardly, she smiles. Her teeth are crooked and her eyes show flames that envelop her pupils.
- She needs to bet more...!" she thought.
Deshya doesn't believe in defeat. There's a very specific reason why she hasn't exchanged a single card. An explanation for her eyes that opened wide when she saw her cards. The hand she holds, the three cards she possesses…
The ♠J, the ♠4 and the ♠A!!!
A 'flush', poker's fifth strongest hand!!!
Even if her opponent were to have a color as well, it's Deshya who has the ♠A! In short, she can only win! Sure, Tessa could have, say, a straight flush, but Deshya refuses to back down from that tiny possibility. She's got a lucky hand, and Tessa's hesitation can only mean one thing: she doesn't have a straight flush! She doesn't have a hand strong enough to beat her!
Deshya believes in her chances of victory more than anything!!!!
And it is with this confidence that she makes her first choice. With a strong, powerful hand, she commands her soldiers to advance. The tokens tumble over each other and join the fight! Facing Tessa's weak army. Yes, she bets! She bets a total of—
- I bet '130€' more!
A total of 60 chips are in front of her!!!! 3/10th of her initial sum, '300€'!!!!
The crowd erupts in cheers of excitement, and Korone can't help but smile. Tessa bites her thumb, while Maruno watches Deshya in amazement. She's not backing down! She's advancing, advancing, advancing! She's sending her troops to war, she can't lose! It's a victory she can only be sure of! Her 60 chips threaten Tessa's 20: they outnumber her three to one! They're standing tall, piling up, preparing to swallow them whole! They're going to win, win, win!!!
- Deshya!!!
- 300€', my word !!!
- Tessa, what are you going to do?!
- Deshya, Deshya, Deshya!!!!
The crowd goes wild! Deshya, who has played it safe for so long, challenges Tessa, staring into her eyes. !! She asks him telepathically what she intends to do. She makes him understand that giving up is the reasonable choice, the one to take!!! A real psychological battlefield! Tessa closes her eyes, stopping to challenge her opponent.
- It's good.
One sign. Two words. Tessa... Tessa... !
- So…
She crosses her arms. She no longer stares at Deshya, she doesn't even look at what she has in front of her: is this abandonment?! Will she accept that wagering more is suicide? Will she give in to Deshya's soldiers who stand proudly, sent by their general? Give up in the face of their flamboyant determination?!! It seems the best solution, the most certain path…
However, however, however!!!
- I BET '300€' THEN!!!
Tessa advances!!! She sends her soldiers into battle, she shouts!!! She doesn't back down in the face of this determination, but she wraps herself in an even more powerful one!!!! More burning, more flamboyant !!!!!
A total of 60 tokens advancing towards war!!!!! ‘300€' versus '400€' !!!!
- And I ask to see!
It stops here! Tessa bets 4/10th of her initial sum, 2/5th of '1000€'!!! A huge sum!!! One that could very well mean the end of this game for Tessa!!! A sum, if lost, that could shatter her confidence with a blow from a rock!!!! The crowd screams, Maruno stands up and Korone can't believe it!!! It's madness in the living room!!! It's unbelievable! Unthinkable!!! A war between two players!!! It's Deshya's determination against Tessa's!!!! The teenage girl in the fox sweater smiles and turns over her cards before crashing against the table, causing the chips to shake with shudder and fear!!! She screams, she screams, she screams!!!
- Color!!!
She shouts out the hand she holds!!! One that exceeds the straight!!! Three cards that are the same suit, that are ♣ !!!! An incredible hand!!! Korone and Maruno open their mouths wide and the crowd screams in all directions: she's incomprehensible!!! Cheers, excitement, senseless screams!!!! Deshya smiles broadly, she challenges Tessa, but for her, the war is over!!! It's her victory, hers, her '400€' that becomes theirs!!!!
- Are you really going to beat that, Tessa?!!" she screams entirely.
True, his army is smaller than Tessa's, but that doesn't matter: they'll win! They will defeat their enemy!!! They'll take them home!!! Deshya catches Tessa's '400€'! The 80 chips that thought they could win!!! Deshya will arrive at a sum of '1325€', while Tessa will find herself with '675€' !!!! A sum that will shatter her confidence!!! Deshya refuses to believe that she can lose with a 'color'! It's unthinkable! To be so lucky doesn't exist !!! Korone didn't shuffle badly enough for the possibility of a straight flush to exist!!!! Tessa can believe in herself all she wants, Deshya refuses to believe she can lose this fight !!!!
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
- A-A color?!" exclaims Tessa.
- That expression...!
Astonishment! Shock! Surprise!!! Tessa doesn't hide how she feels, she can't believe Deshya has such a hand! Even though she hasn't exchanged a single card, it seems unthinkable!!! An almost impossible chance!!! Tessa turns to Korone.
- Oi, better mix!" she shouts.
- A-Ah, sorry..." apologizes Korone, lowering her head.
- Whatever! Your chips are mine, Tessa!
A cry of victory! A rise to the light, Deshya can finally reach for the top, she can protect her secret !!! She can't lose, she's not going to lose!!! Tessa sighs and stands up, her three cards in hand.
- Whatever you hold, I win! I win!" thinks Deshya.
She returns her three cards to Korone and just as she's about to sit down, a shiver goes down her spine. An excruciating thunderbolt strikes her back and Deshya looks up. The crowd suddenly falls silent, and Korone and Maruno turn their faces towards Tessa.
A devilish smile.- You don't want to see my hand... Deshya?!
And then she slams her three cards down on the table with an even more violent movement. The chips shake, some fall under the pressure and the two cards laid down in advance, the ♠7 and the ♠8, fly off. Tessa pulls back her hand and shows everyone what she's got. The ranks and suits of her three cards. And here—
And then...!!
And there!!!!
- W-What?!!
- IMPOSSIBLE!!!
- HUUUH?!
Deshya freezes in place, mouth wide open. Eyes wide open. Breathless! Korone recoils in surprise and Maruno grabs the cards, refusing to believe it.
- Y-You're cheating?!
Tessa shakes her hair and cracks the back of her neck.
- No cheating. I'd rather die than cheat.
She sticks out her tongue while staring at Deshya.
- I'm just blessed with good luck!
Exactly, the hand Tessa owns... The three cards she received from Korone... She's... They're...!!!!
- A-A…
A 'square' of 8 !!!!
The ♦8!
The ♥8!
And the ♣8!!!
A hand even stronger than the flush, a hand made up of four cards of the same rank. A hand that can only be beaten by a straight flush or royal flush. A hand that's almost impossible to beat! The crowd screams, screams!!! Excitement! Of incomprehension!!! Of despair!!! Of euphoria!!!!
- A-AaAaAaa...?!!!!
Deshya's world is spinning! It no longer makes sense! She can no longer see straight ahead! Her army is swept away by the demon, who laughs as he shows his fangs even sharper than Deshya's! He towers over her by several meters! Tessa looks down on Deshya as she retrieves her booty, leaving her opponent petrified on the spot! Only Deshya's jaw moves, as if trying to speak. She sees her soldiers die before her, carried away by the demon and screaming in agony. They've lost the battle. Their general can't even get them back, she doesn't even try to reassure them: she's lost. She's lost. She's lost...! Lost! Lost! Lost!!!!
Even with a 'color', she lost!!! She couldn't face Tessa's hand, she was crushed like a mosquito!!!!
A square of 8! A horribly lucky hand! Way too lucky!
Deshya clenches her fists, but two cards drop in front of her. She blinks and looks at them. Tessa snaps her fingers and Deshya looks at her.
- We're starting round 11, Deshya," she told her.
- ... A-Ah…
Deshya bows her head towards the three cards Korone offers her. Her eyes have lost their determination, the confidence she had managed to gain. Her body is cold, the flames in her mind gone with a single breath of wind. A determination that seemed like it could burn through anything, but was only a bluff. One who had that looked strong enough to hold back the highest waves, but was destroyed by a mere breeze. Deshya looks at her sum total before even observing the hand she's holding.
125 chips. A total of €625.
Tessa has '1375€'. 275 chips.
In short, Tessa holds more than twice as many chips as Deshya. A huge advantage. A defeat that shatters Deshya.
Her cards are the ♣K, the ♦A and the ♠3. A straight is possible if she exchanges the ♠3 and manages to receive a queen, but in Deshya's mind this is a possibility that doesn't exist. She understands very well the reality of her situation. She doesn't need to be told for her to guess.
Luck is not on her side. The gods favor Tessa. She's bathed in their blessing, while Deshya has only herself to contend with.
She has to protect her secret, but they won't let her. The vipers circle around her, hissing and sticking out their tongues impatiently. They're waiting for her to fall, for her to lose this game and for Tessa to be the one on the throne. Deshya doesn't deserve to win: that's what she thinks right now.
So she exchanges the three cards.
Tessa keeps just one, which worries Deshya. When the latter collects three more from Korone, she gently lowers her head. Unconsciously, she lets Tessa know that she doesn't have a good hand. Without even knowing it, Deshya is already losing this round. Tessa doesn't wait a single second before pushing a total of 15 chips in front of her. 75€' on the board. Deshya shakes his head and hands the cards back to Korone.
- I give up.
She refuses to bet this round: she only has a high card. Tessa shrugs and returns Korone's cards in turn: she has a pair of jacks, but she suspects that Deshya didn't have anything better. She's completely weakened and has lost the light in her eyes. Korone looks at her, shuffling. She wants to shout at her to pull herself together, not to give up and to believe in herself, but would it be right of her? Can she encourage one player, but not the other? As much as she wants to see her win, it's a game that doesn't concern her: it's Deshya against Tessa. One against the other. Korone is just a spectator who has become the giver, nothing more.
- If I'd shuffled better, Tessa would never have had a square..." she said to herself as she placed two cards in the middle of the table.
The little girl is convinced that it's her fault that the tenth set went the way it did. She can't believe that a color and a square in each other's houses is anything other than a mixing error. If so, it's all Korone's fault. If she had mixed things better, this situation would never have arisen.
Then Deshya wouldn't be so devastated.
For this second round, the two cards in the middle of the table are the ♣7 and the ♥A. Two cards that don't allow much. As always, three cards are offered to Deshya, then to Tessa. Korone smiles at the red-haired one, but she doesn't even notice.
- Deshya…
Korone understands why she feels so bad about losing '300€' all at once, but at the same time, isn't this a game where a pledge is at stake? Is she so competitive that losing a game, even a friendly one, affects her that much? After all, Korone doesn't know Deshya well. Then perhaps…
- I'll swap my three cards," says Tessa.
- The same.
Korone returns their cards directly and Deshya, barely a second after grabbing her cards, speaks:
- I'm folding.
- Eeeh?!
- W-What? Already?
Deshya returns her cards and sighs. She tries to calm down and regain her confidence, but she feels terrible. She didn't even try to play this round, as she only had a high card with a jack as the highest card: far too weak a hand to dare try anything. However, this means that for the next round, whatever happens, she'll have to bet.
- Thirteenth round, so the minimum accepted is '70€'. declares Maruno.
If Deshya bets once and gives up right after, then she'll drop to '€555'. A total of 111 chips. She can't afford to go that low, so she takes a deep breath and exhales as she calms down. She has to bet this round, so she has to concentrate. She mustn't show her emotions to her opponent, nor let him know she's lost confidence. She needs to win a certain amount of money again, so that she can get back on track and reach out for the light again; for victory. It is with this conviction that Deshya looks at the two cards in front of her.
The ♣10 and the ♠4.
Impossible to make a straight or even a flush. Deshya grabs the three cards due to her and observes them, forcing herself not to react. Her cards don't allow her to do anything, so she decides to exchange them all. Tessa gives him a sharp look before smiling.
- Personally, I don't exchange a single card.
- N-Not even one?!
- Ooooh!
Deshya picks up her cards, staring at her in surprise, but she shakes her head and tries to calm down, gritting her teeth.
- Don't think about it! She's playing with you, manipulating you...!
Tessa announced in the tenth round that she was blessed with good fortune, but Deshya refuses to believe it: it's not impossible...! Even with everything she tells herself, she can't believe that the Gods are advantaging Tessa for some reason! Why would she say all this when she doesn't even believe it... ?! She wants to hit her head, wake up! This is a very important game, one she must win! To preserve her secret!!! To keep Tessa from digging too deep and discovering the truth!!!! Deshya must not lose! She must win, defeat her! Her opponent must accept defeat!!!
Her hand is just a pair of 10s, with the highest card being a jack.
A decent hand, but far from magnificent. Deshya looks at Tessa, hoping to see the slightest emotion on her face, but that doesn't happen. As soon as Deshya looks up, Tessa moves her hand.
And she pushes 14 chips.
- I bet '70€'.
The minimum accepted for this round. While she has kept her three cards, she bets no more. This gives a courageous leap into Deshya's chest as she lays down her cards. She has no choice, anyway: she has to bet. After giving up once and folding the last time, she has to move on and face her enemy! Running away is not an option! She has to fight!
- I bet... '85€' !!
17 black tokens advance towards the battle, fearfully facing Tessa's army. Tessa pushes her soldiers forward again, not even pausing to think.
- '130€' !!!
- Ooooh!
- Tessa is on fire!!!
- I'm going to explode!!!
She pushes them! The 26 chips join the 14! A total of 40 chips, a total of '200€' for the bet of Tessa!!! Deshya pulls her head back, gritting her teeth: the pressure is preventing her from breathing properly. Should she continue? Should she give up? What should she do? Dare to bet more, believe Tessa's bluff?! If she continues to bet and loses, then she'll sink into the abyss, she won't even be able to see the light of victory — no, even the light of hope will disappear from the darkening sky! The vipers are more numerous, telling her to dare, to bet, to push her chips! Whether it's '70€' or '200€', his body is telling him to bet! Don't give up! Not to back down!!! Don't trust Tessa's games!!! She's lying! She's bluffing!!! She must not have a good hand!!! This is not possible!!!! Luck can't just be with her!!!!! The Gods don't bathe her in their blessings, they're just nonsense created by her brain!!!!!!
- I-I bet '70€' and I ask to see!!!
And she bets !!!! She pushes her soldiers, creating a wall of 31 chips in front of her! One that's less imposing than Tessa's, but one that's big enough to please her opponent! A bet that can change everything! A bet that can sink her even deeper, or allow her to cling to the light of hope! Get back on track, even if it's just a few steps!!! Seek balance, equality!!!! Tessa smiles and turns over her cards, showing them to everyone.
- A pair of 10!
- I-I also have a pair of 10s!" admits Deshya.
Deshya knew it was a bluff! A way of putting pressure on her, preventing her from thinking straight and breathing!!! From now on, the highest card will play everything!!! Deshya's is a jack, so only a queen, king or ace can defeat her!!! There are only three different cards that can sink Deshya, otherwise, she'll win! She can recover a third of her lost winnings! She can come back and try to even the match!!!!
However!
However!!
HOWEVER!!!!
- Tessa wins!!!
Her highest card is a king!!! A king of hearts, a ♥K!!!!!
- W-What?!!!
- Raaah, Deshya loses again!!!
- She is sinking…
Deshya steps back, her breathing short. He soldiers leave, narrowly defeated by Tessa's. Deshya falls on her buttocks and trembles. Maruno asks her if she is okay and Korone takes her hand.
- Is everything all right?" she asks.
Deshya smiles tremulously, but the sweat dripping from her forehead, his clammy hands and her lifeless expression prove that this smile means nothing. She's neither happy nor amused.
- I-I'm going to lose…
She refuses to believe it, but…
- I'm going to lose…
'155€' which flew out before her eyes.
- I'm going to lose!
Deshya clenches both fists and grits her teeth. Korone steps back and blinks, but Deshya is so devastated she can't even notice she's standing next to her. Tessa asks the little girl to return to her seat to mix and start the 14th round. She observes Deshya for a few moments with a sad look on her face before nodding and complying. In the crowd of students, the sounds of many conversations, all intertwined, can be heard, but far from understood. Some are convinced that Tessa will win, others refuse to believe that Deshya will go down easy. Korone starts shuffling after collecting Deshya's cards, while Maruno worries about Deshya. They've known each other for some time, so he knows exactly what she's like. Even if this game doesn't involve their lives or real money, he knows how much victory means to Deshya, especially against Tessa.
However, only Tessa and Deshya can understand why she's so devastated; and even then, Tessa doesn't know the truth yet.
However, the same truth that Deshya is trying to hide seems to be about to be discovered by Tessa…
Deshya has '470€', less than 100 chips. Tessa has '1530', a total of 306 chips.
The fourteenth inning begins... but Deshya already seems to have lost this fight.