At Shuchiin Academy, students were either super-geniuses or heirs of noble and wealthy families.
The former were unlikely to fall into gambling traps.
Anyone smart enough to meet Shuchiin's stringent admission standards would always have a backup plan, even if they gambled to make money.
The chances of them losing everything were slim.
As for the latter…
If an elite heir got addicted to gambling, they would become infamous in no time.
In other words, an easy-to-catch, juicy fat fish.
These "big fish" were rare, but aside from the victim themselves, everyone else would know about their downfall.
So, all Haruto had to do was ask someone from Hyakkaou Academy which casino had recently reeled in a young, high-profile gambler.
It didn't take long to locate the missing student.
Hearing Haruto's explanation, the three girls were momentarily stunned.
Clearly, these noble young ladies had never encountered anything like this before.
—
The Shinomiya family car soon arrived at a casino.
Haruto glanced out the window and immediately got a sense of the place.
It wasn't even a legal casino.
Seriously, why did rich kids always find underground gambling so thrilling?
Did they have a death wish or something?
As soon as they stepped out of the car, a girl hurried over.
Seeing her, Haruto was a little surprised.
"What are you doing here?"
The newcomer was Sumeragi Itsuki.
But the Itsuki standing before him now was completely different from the one Haruto had met at Hyakkaou Academy.
Gone was her arrogant and cunning attitude, full of self-importance. She had grown far more composed, keeping her sharpness concealed.
With a bright smile, Itsuki explained,
"I happened to be here when you called, Haruto-senpai, so I asked around about the student you were looking for."
"The situation inside is already under control. They're waiting for your decision. I'm here to guide you in."
Noticing the three girls behind Haruto, Itsuki deliberately addressed him as "senpai" instead of using more formal terms.
Haruto couldn't help but acknowledge how much Itsuki had matured.
It seemed that the lesson he had taught her before had truly helped her grow.
Thinking this, Haruto ruffled Itsuki hair affectionately.
His gaze instinctively drifted toward her hands.
After nearly a year, her fingernails had fully grown back, and the bandages that once wrapped her fingers were long gone.
Itsuki, on the other hand, clearly enjoyed Haruto's head pats.
Ever since she had been "disciplined" by him, her entire mindset had shifted.
She was no longer obsessed with nails, she was now completely obsessed with Haruto.
—
Kaguya, Chika, and Miko watched their interaction in stunned silence.
Something about it felt… off.
They didn't seem like former classmates.
Rather, it was more like… a master and—
Cough. It was best not to think too deeply about that.
After a brief introduction between Itsuki and the Shuchiin trio, the group entered the casino.
The priority now was resolving the issue with the Shuchiin student.
—
As soon as they stepped inside, the girls could feel multiple eyes on them.
The stares were cold and predatory, like venomous snakes lurking in the dark.
Aside from Itsuki, who was already used to such places, Kaguya, Chika, and Miko instinctively moved closer to Haruto for protection.
Haruto wasn't surprised.
Their group stood out too much in a place like this.
With a cold snort, he released a bit of his presence.
Immediately, all the staring eyes withdrew.
These gamblers were experts at reading people.
The aura Haruto exuded made them feel suffocated, they knew better than to mess with someone like him.
With the pressure lifted, the three girls relaxed a little.
Kaguya glanced at Haruto's back, admiration growing in her heart.
Japanese women had always been drawn to strength.
It was only natural.
—
The group walked up to a private room on the second floor.
By the time they arrived, the gambling had already been halted, thanks to Itsuki's intervention.
Around a long gambling table, a group of people sat in silence.
The moment Haruto and the others entered, they instinctively looked over before quickly averting their eyes.
Seeing this, Haruto let out a cold chuckle.
These people wore different outfits and carried themselves in various ways, seemingly from different social classes.
However, their subtle eye contact revealed the truth.
To an ordinary observer, their connection might not have been obvious.
But Haruto saw through them instantly.
They were all on the same team.
This entire setup was nothing more than a fishing trap.
In the corner of the room sat a young boy with his head down, slumped on the sofa.
Though he was dressed in fine clothing, his outfit was covered in dust and even bore traces of blood.
Iino quickly stepped forward and confirmed his identity.
He was the missing Shuchiin student.
Immediately, Iino turned toward the gamblers with a furious glare.
After all, the boy was visibly injured.
"Itsuki-san, we've returned the kid. If there's nothing else, we'll be taking our leave. Since it's you, we'll even round down his debt—three hundred million instead of three hundred twenty million."
A vicious-looking young man at the gambling table spoke, with the others subtly deferring to him.
Itsuki frowned in displeasure.
Ignoring him, she walked swiftly to Haruto and whispered a few words in his ear.
In just a few sentences, Itsuki summarized the situation at the table.
In short, this was a textbook scam.
A woman with some charm had met the Shuchiin student during summer vacation. After learning about his background and wealth, she set a trap. The boy, barely an adult and utterly naïve, was lured in.
(T/N: Weak shii)
A little flirting was all it took for him to lose his sense of reason.
After spending a few days together, she brought him to the casino. At first, he was wary. But with just a few taunts, his pride got the better of him. Worse still, for the first two days, they let him win.
Fueled by early success and constant praise from the woman, he got hooked.
Then, the real slaughter began.
He lost his allowance, then started selling off his cars. Eventually, he even siphoned funds from his family's assets. Now, completely bled dry, he owed an astronomical sum. And out of fear of his family's wrath, he hadn't dared to reach out to them.
Honestly, if not for Iino's diligent nature and investigation, the situation could have been much worse.
Heh.
After hearing the full story, Haruto didn't feel much sympathy.
He was an adult. He needed to take responsibility for his actions. Especially someone with a wealthy background, he should have known better.
"Take him home and notify his family. No interest, just pay back the principal."
Haruto's decision was final.
Iino hesitated as if she wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent.
aguya nodded, preparing to leave with the student.
However—
The young man at the table wasn't happy.
"Hah? He took out a high-interest loan! He agreed to the 9-13 return policy when he borrowed! And who the hell are you to say the interest doesn't count? Are you gonna pay it instead? What a joke!"
Itsuki's face darkened, her glare locking onto the man.
"Do you have a death wish? What Haruto says is law. Do you want to stop working in this business?"
However, the young man smirked.
"Itsuki, I call you 'sis' out of respect for your family, but don't think you actually matter. If you don't like it, sit down at the table and prove you have the right to talk."
Without hesitation, Itsuki stepped forward—only for Haruto to pull her back, causing her to stumble into his embrace.
"Haruto-senpai…" She wanted to protest, but he cut her off.
"I'll do it."
A spark of excitement flickered in Itsuki's eyes.
Haruto sat down at the gambling table, looking at the young man.
"I'll play. That's fine, right?"
The young man's eyes flickered with caution but maintained his mocking tone.
"Sure, but do you even have the money, pretty boy?"
Haruto smiled.
"How much did you win from him? Let's play for double."