The person who appeared before Saotome Meari at this moment was not Ochi Ren, but Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, dressed in casual clothes.
He looked at Saotome with a playful smile.
Saotome's face showed more surprise than astonishment: "Ayanokoji, why is it you?"
Before Ayanokoji Kiyotaka could reply, she had already imagined the reason for his arrival: "Could it be… you're going to have dinner with that Kurume Laiwei?"
Speaking of which, Kurume Laiwei chose Ayanokoji Kiyotaka in both rounds; in the first round, she wanted to have dinner with Ayanokoji, and in the second, she wanted to spend the night with him.
Although she lost, her face still carried a smile, seeming quite happy.
Could it be that Kurume Laiwei fell in love with Ayanokoji at first sight? No, they were in the same class, so it could also be love that grew over time…
She said she liked people with a lot of money, could she be referring to Ayanokoji!?
Saotome Meari hadn't paid attention before, but now she suddenly thought of this.
Thinking about it carefully, it seemed Kurume Laiwei had been paying attention to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka throughout the entire game.
This guy didn't seem to be here to make money; he was here to fall in love.
As long as she used the lunch opportunity to build a good relationship with Ayanokoji, then in the afternoon, the two would have a pleasant conversation, go to a movie date together, and then naturally go to a love hotel in the evening…
Even if she was currently a "livestock," if she really fell in love with Ayanokoji, he would definitely not be stingy with his money to "redeem" her.
The biggest winner of this gamble wasn't herself and Togakushi Yukimi, but that Kurume Laiwei!
Thinking of this, Saotome Meari suddenly felt a bit sour, and her joy at seeing Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was diluted.
That Kurume Laiwei must be somewhere in this restaurant. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was here to have dinner with her, and seeing herself was just a casual greeting…
At school, Ayanokoji always wore his uniform. For this dinner, he wore casual clothes, and he even seemed to have specially sprayed a faint perfume on himself.
Saotome smelled a scent on him that was somewhat similar to the perfume Hanatemari usually used—very faint, but very pleasant.
Saotome Meari suddenly felt jealous.
If only she had known there was a mole in the first round, she should have directly chosen to have dinner with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
She was clearly here first…
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka noticed Saotome's spirits suddenly drop.
He didn't know Saotome had thought so much. He teased: "Are you so unwilling to see me? Why are you so disappointed? Do you perhaps want to have dinner with someone else?"
Saotome Meari subconsciously blurted out: "Of course I want to be with you, but aren't you going to have dinner with that Kurume girl!?"
"Kurume…?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka then realized what Saotome Meari was thinking.
He chuckled: "I'm not here for her today. I'm here to have dinner with you today."
Saotome Meari was both surprised and delighted: "What do you mean by that? Where is Ochi Ren? Is he not coming? And Kurume?"
The unexpected surprise made Saotome truly speechless, so excited she almost jumped up.
Ayanokoji spread his hands and laughed: "Don't let Ochi Ren's appearance as a rich young master fool you. He's like you, from a commoner background. A meal costing six hundred sixty thousand Japanese Yen, such a meal pains him to eat. So, I spent six hundred sixty thousand Japanese Yen to buy back your meal."
"Six hundred sixty thousand!" Saotome Meari was startled.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka actually spent a large sum of money to buy back her meal. Saotome's excitement immediately turned into anxiety.
"Oh no, this isn't worth it at all! You should go. I'll call Ochi Ren and get the six hundred sixty thousand back from him!"
Saotome said as she was about to call Ochi Ren, but the other party seemed to have anticipated this and had already blacklisted Saotome's number. Several calls went straight to voicemail.
Saotome extended her hand towards Ayanokoji, her tone firm: "Ayanokoji, give me your phone. I'll talk to him personally using your phone. We must get the money back."
Six hundred sixty thousand for one meal. If Ayanokoji wanted to eat with her, she would have come even if she had to pay for it herself.
Seeing Saotome Meari's anxious expression, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka couldn't help but laugh: "He's not going to return that money to me. Don't bother. You don't know how happy he was when I said I wanted to swap with him."
"Then I'll return this six hundred sixty thousand to you…" Saying that, Saotome Meari was about to take out money.
Ayanokoji asked: "Do you think having dinner with you isn't worth six hundred sixty thousand?"
"Of course not!" Saotome shook her head vigorously.
Forget six hundred and sixty thousand, it wasn't even worth six thousand six.
Ayanokoji asked again, "Then do you think it's worth one point eight million for you to spend a night with me?"
Of course, that wasn't worth it either. She wasn't some big celebrity; her body wasn't that valuable.
But the words stuck in her throat, unable to be uttered. She wasn't selling herself, so how could she debase herself?
"This…" Saotome was speechless, her hand lowering from her pocket.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's meaning was clear: he was displeased with her actions yesterday.
To put her own body on the gambling table as a stake, what was she thinking?
"I'm sorry."
Saotome whispered, "I know I was wrong. Yesterday, I got a bit carried away and gambled on the right to spend the night. But, actually, I was quite confident, which is why I wanted to take a chance…"
Saotome's thinking was truly similar to his own from a few days ago.
Both believed they had an advantage and wouldn't be overturned, which is why they decided to gamble their precious possessions.
He gambled his hand; Saotome gambled her body.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had already experienced the consequences of losing a gamble, but Saotome had not.
She might even be gloating over her decision now, believing she had effortlessly gained two million.
To make her see the error of her ways, lecturing would never work; she had to experience "pain."
"You have nothing to apologize to me for. This was your own decision; I have no right to interfere."
Ayanokoji smiled and shook his head, "I'm not here to lecture you today. I even turned down Kurume's dinner invitation to have dinner with you. Can you just be happy?"
Saotome secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
If Ayanokoji Kiyotaka really wanted to pursue that point, she truly would have nothing to say and could only lower her head and listen to Ayanokoji's teachings.
It wasn't that she didn't know the grand truths like "gambling is wrong"; she also knew that what she had done was absolutely wrong.
But sometimes, even if you know it's wrong, you can only grit your teeth and choose that path.
-------------------------------
Hello everyone!
I've already posted 30 new chapters on Patreon!
If you like the story and want to reaad more, please visit my patreon. Every support is very meaningful!
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you very much!