Jabberwock of Spades《Probably on a super long hiatus》

There are alleyways near casinos?

The casino smelled strongly of cigarettes and money. The burnt tobacco drifted into a certain brunet's nostrils, causing him to gag at the odor. He never understood why people liked gambling. It just wasn't his thing.

Then why was he here again? His mind was hazy because of the smoke, and the bright lights obscured his vision.

Oh, that's right. His friend and a classmate had dragged him here, despite all his complaints. They had pressured him, practically begging him to accompany them to the casino only for one night. Only this night and they would never drag him along ever again.

The brunet snorted at the memory. Kazuichi and Fuyuhiko had told him that they would stay only for a few hours.

It's going to be fun! They had said enthusiastically. He didn't reciprocate those emotions.

Upon their arrival, the brown-haired male had managed to lose track of his friends' whereabouts. He had come to the conclusion that they had ditched him to do whatever they pleased. So much for being his "friends".

"One shot of vodka, please, and with scotch," he had told the bartender with a slight slur in his voice.

Obliging, the man went to work, pouring the clear liquid into a small glass cup. He slid it down the countertop for the brunet, which he gracefully caught in one palm.

He knew better than to intoxicate himself with too much alcohol but did it anyway. Who cared at this point? No one was looking after him. Besides, he was a college student, so he was responsible enough to keep track of his drinking habits.

Downing the beverage in one gulp, the brown-haired boy wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, rising from the bar stool with unsteady legs.

He never had much luck in casinos, especially not in any of the card games that were being offered.

His mind woozy with the effect of the alcohol, the college student decided to spend the rest of his night at the slot machines, something he thought he would be decent at.

The machine's bright lights blinded him as he squinted at the numbers in front of him.

Sighing in exasperation, he inserted five hundred yen into the mouth of the machine, which it devoured hungrily. The multi-colored lights on the machine flashed vibrantly, indicating that the transaction had been successful.

With a grunt, the brunet pulled down on the lever, causing the numbers and symbols inside the slot machine to spin.

None of the pictures ended up matching. The brown-haired male groaned in defeat.

Today just wasn't his day, was it. Another failure at gambling, he supposed. His luck truly was rotten. Giving up after only one try, he sat on one of the bar stools again, his eyes scanning across the busy casino.

Where had Kazuichi and Fuyuhiko gone? The blonde and vibrant pink-haired males were nowhere to be seen, swallowed by the ever-moving crowds in the gambling center.

A raven-haired girl walked up to the mini-bar, taking a seat on the bar stool next to the male.

"Two whiskeys, please," she ordered from the bartender.

Nodding his head, the bartender went to serve the girl the drinks she requested.

"You drink?" she suddenly asked him, tapping her nails on the countertop.

"Huh? Me?" The brunet pointed at himself, looking around to see if she was asking another person and not him.

"Yes, you."