But to her great surprise, after she was injured, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, an outsider, showed concern and pain; he was distressed by the injuries she sustained.
Ikishima Midari was very curious: why was he in pain when she was the one who got hurt?
She appreciated Ayanokoji's concern and also liked Ayanokoji's courage and personality.
To repay Ayanokoji, and also to observe Ayanokoji, she expressed her desire to date Ayanokoji and displayed her financial power, generously stating that she could support him for life.
To her surprise, Ayanokoji righteously rejected her confession and instead proposed a condition, saying that he would only be willing to date her if she stayed away from those dangerous games.
Left with no choice, she had to settle for less, using the excuse of being "friends with benefits" to get close to Ayanokoji.
She had always been very curious why Ayanokoji Kiyotaka cared about such things. Her injury had nothing to do with him, so why should he worry?
She had been with Ayanokoji for two months and still hadn't figured out this question, until this time, when Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was willing to play the life-and-death Russian Roulette to save her life.
Ikishima Midari understood.
This was the so-called "onlooker sees clearly."
Only when she was in the perspective of an observer, seeing her usual actions replicated on the people she cared about around her, did she realize how scared she was.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was her important friend, her important lover; she was afraid of losing Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
She could not care about her own life, but when others were willing to gamble their lives for her, she suddenly realized how terrible and irresponsible her actions were.
She had only cared about her own pleasure, completely neglecting those who cared about her.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was the same; he worried about losing her, which was why he tried so hard to persuade her to stay away from such dangerous gambling.
...He cared about her, which was why he worried about her.
Although the thrilling pleasure of gambling was something Ikishima Midari was reluctant to let go of and found hard to forget, to stop Ayanokoji from playing dangerous games again, Ikishima Midari was willing to lead by example and abandon this pleasure.
...Ikishima Midari actually decided to give it up for him?
When Ayanokoji Kiyotaka heard Ikishima Midari say this, he was truly shocked.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was not interested in life-threatening dangerous games like Russian Roulette; he didn't rely purely on luck, but chose to challenge them only when he had a sure win.
But Ikishima Midari didn't know that.
She thought Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was gambling on a one-in-six chance to participate in the gamble, and if it weren't for the one-in-a-million chance of the gun backfiring, Ayanokoji would be dead by now.
She was terrified of not seeing Ayanokoji again and didn't want this to happen a second time.
Although Ikishima Midari misunderstood, it was a good thing that it could keep her away from dangerous gambling, which was also what Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had always hoped to see.
He didn't explain, just smiled and nodded: "…Mm, I promise you, I will never participate in such games again."
Hearing Ayanokoji say this, Ikishima Midari finally relaxed.
With the worry in her heart cast aside, her spirit suddenly surged.
"Then, shall we do it again?" Ikishima Midari flipped over and sat on Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, the fighting spirit reappearing in her eyes.
Once was far from enough; she wasn't satisfied yet.
"Bring it on!"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also mounted his 'weapon'.
Who knows how long passed, but when the 'bullets' in Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's 'gun' ran out, he stopped and lay down beside the already exhausted Ikishima Midari.
Just as he was about to close his eyes and sleep,
A cold mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Mission accomplished: Help Ikishima Midari escape the gambling abyss.]
[Reward: Supercomputing Space.]
My Self-Defense 1.0
This "kidnapping" plot arc has finally concluded.
During this period, I faced some criticism, saying things like "intelligence drop," "plot collapsed," "character design collapsed," "the male lead shouldn't have been humiliated," and so on…
Everyone has their own views on the plot; this is a matter of opinion, and I won't say much more.
However, I want to explain a few points.
First, why Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was "humiliated."
This was a sudden event; Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was "kidnapped" and had no preparations at first.
Who still remembers that his original purpose today was to visit Meari's home and deepen his relationship with her?
He never expected such a thing to happen; his actions were simply what he considered the correct choices.
Why didn't Ikishima Midari fire the gun? Because the gun contained blanks, and firing immediately wouldn't cause fatal injuries; she wanted to wait until the enemy was closer before firing.
In short, these plot arrangements have reasons. I admit that the plot is long-winded, but I don't think these parts caused character collapse.
These plot points are all paving the way for what comes next.
When Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was kidnapped and all means of calling for help were restricted, he realized that all he could rely on now was the System.
Previously, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had realized through Ikishima Midari that his System was a "weapon of mass destruction" that could kill people and needed to be used cautiously.
But now, to save his and Ikishima Midari's lives, he actively used the System, causing injuries and almost leading to death.
He confronted his views on the System, realizing that he could consciously guide it and control it reasonably.
After this, his use of the System will not be limited to gambling.
This is the plot, and I can only write it this way. If you still believe this plot does not align with your expectations, does not provide a good viewing experience, and leaves you dissatisfied, I deeply apologize.
This plot section might be tedious for you, but for the overall coherence of the book, I believe it is an indispensable part.
I am just a fanfiction writer; I don't understand gambling abyss better than the original author. I am just writing according to my own ideas.
With my limited imagination, I can only come up with this kind of plot, and it's normal for some people not to like it.
On the internet, the more you say, the more mistakes you make. No matter what you say, people will misunderstand and extrapolate, and no one will listen to your explanations.
If you have any questions, you can join the group or send a private message. I will not reply in the comment section.
Good night
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