Perhaps it was Haru's comment that struck too directly, but Yukino rejected the idea instantly—with a flushed face and firm tone.
Very decisively.
Utaha, however, quickly backtracked.
"Then let's just stick to strip poker."
Yukino gave her a cold, deadpan glare—but said nothing more.
Haru couldn't help but sigh inwardly. That old saying really was true: If you suggest opening a skylight, no one agrees. But if you propose tearing off the roof entirely, suddenly everyone's okay with the skylight.
Yukino probably agreed not because she wanted to, but because—well, the house didn't have any outsiders now.
All three of them had seen each other's bodies before. In some strange way, it gave her enough reason to "let go."
Of course, she also really wanted to see Utaha thoroughly stripped down.
She wouldn't take photos or anything, but she'd be more than happy to enjoy her senpai's flustered state in silence.
With that consensus reached, once Utaha finished drying her hair, the trio grabbed the cards and headed into the bedroom.
This was the girls' idea.
Their reason for not playing in the living room? Too spacious. Not enough security.
Even though the curtains were fully drawn and no one could possibly see from outside.
As Haru closed the bedroom door and turned around, he saw the two girls already seated on the bed, silent and visibly tense.
He could guess their thoughts and decided to ease the mood.
"How about we reverse the game? Instead of taking off clothes when we lose... we put one on instead?"
Both girls shot him a sharp glare.
Haru raised his hands. "No, no, you misunderstood. I don't mean we all strip down first. We start just like this—and whoever loses has to put on one item of clothing."
The two girls blinked, clearly caught off guard by the twist.
He went on: "If either of you dislikes the idea, we can make a rule before starting—freedom to remove or add clothing. But once the game begins, no takebacks."
Yukino's expression softened. "That works."
Utaha, however, frowned. "I don't have extra clothes."
Yukino didn't bother replying. She wasn't about to offer her own. It would only start another pointless debate.
Haru offered a solution.
"You can wear my clothes. The size will be too big, sure, but this is just a game—it's not about fashion."
"Wrong. Fashion is always important," Utaha retorted automatically. Then, after a beat, she nodded. "But fine, I'll agree."
With that settled, Haru sat at the edge of the bed and began to shuffle the deck.
Suddenly, Utaha let out a soft chuckle.
It was abrupt. No warning.
Both Haru and Yukino looked over instinctively.
"Don't mind me," Utaha waved it off, still smiling. "Just remembered something funny."
Yukino narrowed her eyes.
"What's so funny?"
Utaha's lips curled with mischief.
"I was just thinking—girls' clothing includes more than shirts and pants. Underwear, stockings... all count as items, don't they?"
Yukino stiffened, realizing it instantly.
She looked down at herself—fully dressed in warm pajamas and fluffy white socks.
So was Haru.
Only Utaha was wearing a bathrobe—no socks, no extras. And she'd tucked her bare feet under the blanket the moment she sat down.
Yukino wasn't even sure whether Utaha had anything under that robe.
Under the game rules, the loser had to add a piece of clothing. Which meant... Yukino and Haru were already at a disadvantage.
Haru figured it out too, but didn't seem to mind.
"It's fine. I've played this game for years—should be better than both of you."
Yukino gave a serene smile.
"Then I suppose I don't need to worry."
With that, she peeled off her white socks.
Utaha, ever the provocateur, commented dryly:
"You might as well take off your underwear too. That way you'll have more pieces to play with. And don't worry—your pajamas will cover everything. Neither Haru nor I would notice."
Haru shook his head.
"There you go again..."
He and Yukino both knew what Utaha was doing—posing it like a suggestion, but clearly mocking Yukino's modest bust.
Yukino responded flatly, "Let's see if you're still this smug in five minutes."
Utaha's expression didn't change—but she tensed up internally.
Because Yukino hadn't taken the bait.
Which meant...
She was fully focused on the game now.
Utaha, realizing this, straightened her posture and narrowed her eyes.
It was about to get real.
Unlike stripping, which was shameful and humiliating, putting on more clothes didn't sound too bad—at least, not at first.
But if you lost too much and ended up waddling like a penguin… yeah, that'd be pretty damn tragic.
Not to mention—it gets hard to breathe when you're buried in too many layers.
Unsurprisingly, both beautiful girls chose the add clothing penalty.
Haru, in contrast, boldly went with remove.
That made both of them pause and glance at him.
"You're that confident?" Yukino asked, clearly suspecting he was bluffing.
He just gave her a small smile, offering no explanation.
Utaha narrowed her eyes and probed, "Playing the silent master? Or... are you hiding some secret trump card?"
Yukino, hearing that, also looked thoughtful.
Haru still didn't say a word.
He didn't need to cheat with tricks or sleight of hand—his skill [Perception] let him memorize every card perfectly, without fail.
He was, quite literally, a human card counter.
And the kind that never made a mistake.
Fight the Landlord was a simple game. Easy to pick up. But to master it? You needed skill, memory, and most importantly—luck.
Yukino, of course, knew exactly how dexterous Haru's fingers were. While she didn't believe he'd cheat, she still took the deck.
"I'll shuffle," she declared.
The room was a cozy 28°C. At this temperature, every piece of clothing—whether added or removed—would be felt.
As the game began, Haru went all out.
With [Perception] in full swing, he read and calculated both girls' hands precisely.
He won the first two rounds easily—as the landlord both times.
"No way…"
Utaha muttered in disbelief, having just put on a T-shirt under her bathrobe—only to lose again before she could even play her four eights.
Yukino sighed, discarded her cards, and quietly climbed off the bed to put on a jacket.
She had already lost her first round and had been forced to put her socks back on.
Seeing Utaha still not moving, Haru called out cheerfully:
"C'mon, Senpai! Hurry up, hurry up!"
His tone was just exaggerated enough to be suspicious.
Utaha gave him a sideways glance, her tone chilly:
"What exactly are you trying to pull here?"
Haru didn't flinch.
"What could I possibly be plotting? The penalty's just putting on clothes—not stripping. Even if I win every round… at most I'll end up seeing two adorable penguins waddling around."
By the end, he couldn't hold it anymore and burst into laughter.
That's when the girls understood—
He just wanted to enjoy the show.
But honestly, watching them suffer under layers of clothes was way better than being seen naked.
Utaha stood up and turned to Yukino.
"Can I borrow a pair of stockings?"
"Sure," Yukino replied bluntly.
She had plenty of extras. Besides, Haru's cheeky comment had already made him a common enemy, so sharing resources temporarily didn't bother her.
Following Yukino's instructions, Utaha opened the closet and pulled out a clean pair of black stockings from the bottom shelf.
Haru watched, visibly touched. She hadn't forgotten the black stockings.
Truly, a woman of principles.
Watching a beautiful girl put on stockings was… quite the visual treat.
Especially when said girl was gorgeous, shapely, and wearing nothing but a loose bathrobe.
Utaha turned her back to them and bent down slowly, her silky hair cascading forward, exuding a lazy elegance unique to beautiful girls.
Her robe slipped ever so slightly off her shoulder as she moved, revealing a fair, rounded shoulder beneath—enough for Yukino to spot the strap beneath.
So she was wearing underwear after all.
Utaha raised a leg and slipped it smoothly into the stocking. Her long, toned legs gleamed under the soft light—so dazzlingly fair they almost looked luminous.
"Let's continue."
She returned to the bed and didn't bother covering up. She extended her legs, fully clad in black stockings, right into Haru's direct line of sight.
Yukino's brow twitched.
She suddenly understood exactly what Utaha was trying to do.
Haru gave a slow, impressed thumbs-up.
"Kids, this… this is what we call true grit."
Then, coolly, he added: "But unfortunately for you, trying to distract me with beauty is a doomed tactic. You girls clearly don't know—when a man is playing cards, sexy legs mean nothing."
~~~~~~~~~~
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