I paid off the debt for the most beautiful sisters in the school, and then they barged into my house where I live alone. “Please go back home; you don’t need to repay the favor.” “No way.” “We don’t want to~☆”

“The stakes are our lives, what do you say?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

What’s she suddenly going on about? Karen, who’s usually overly serious, is suggesting a bet?

“It’s just as I said. If we win, you will take a gamble on us with your life. Believe in us and live with us.”

“If we lose, just continue to live your life trusting in yourself. Never get involved with anyone, live all the way to the very end alone. We will also give up on you.”

—To entrust one’s life to a gamble, huh.

For me, that’s a course of action that I might very much want to avoid.

After all, I’ve once ruined my life with a bet.

What I got from gambling was only money, and I lost everything else.

Are they telling me to do it again? Even using their lives as chips?

“Why do you two go that far…? Regardless of how you look at it, I’m a troublesome person to get involved with. I’m totally unsuited to be a lover or family.”

“Because we are already gambling. We believe that being with Seiichiro-kun enriches the meaning of our lives. That’s why today, we’ll win and take a part of your life.”

“Even if you betray us at some point, I don’t think we’ll regret today. But if we let our relationship with you remain ambiguous now, we definitely know we will regret it.”

…I see.

This indeed feels like a gamble.

My intuition is telling me it’s a crucial moment.

The kind of momentous decision that likely visits everyone a few times in their lives.

And, unfortunately for them,

“I never lose at serious bets.”

I will win, and their bet will lose.

“Then, you’ll accept?”

“If that’s what it takes for you two to be satisfied, fine. Let’s do it.”

This will be the last gamble of my life involving other people.

By winning this, I’ll clear away everything.

All my lingering attachments to people, all my fears of loneliness.

“Promise, okay? If we win, you’ll definitely stay with us for the rest of our lives.”

“Didn’t you say you were hiring me…?”

“We’re hoping for permanent employment. So, we’ll end up together anyway.”

“Ah, fine, fine. I’ll win anyway.”

Erika laughs in delight.

Does she even have the confidence to win?

Well, she wouldn’t have suggested it otherwise.

“But just so you know, I won’t accept just any kind of match. What are you planning to compete in?”

In response to my question, Karen silently shows me a coin.

A coin toss, huh.

“Got it. You’ve also calculated that you could win this way.”

It’s simple. Just guessing heads or tails.

It’s a game purely of luck. So simple it can’t even be called gambling.

“It’s a single round. If you guess correctly, you win; if not, you lose. If you lose, it means your intuition was completely off, right?”

“And if that happens, then statistically speaking, you have a better chance betting on us in this big gamble called life.”

Again, some weird logic…

My gambling intuition, huh.

It’s a natural gift that has put me through so much trouble.

If I lose this ridiculous yet crucial bet, maybe it’s worth taking a chance on them.

After all, we’re not gambling with money, but with our ways of life.

“Alright. I accept under those terms.”

“—Then.”

Karen and Erika stand up.

I also stand before them.

“I’m not used to this, so could you please close your eyes?”

“Once you open them, you have ten seconds to answer!”

Alright, fine.

Karen seems the clumsy type anyway, probably would just drop the coin.

“Got it.”

Rather, it’s convenient.

I close my eyes, focusing my senses.

It’s been a while since I’ve concentrated this much.

When I concentrate like this, I never lose in gambling.

So with this, my ties with these two will really be—

—Kiss.

“!?”

Suddenly, I feel an unknown sensation on my lips, and my thoughts blank out.

Soft, moist, warm… Wait, was that, was that just—

“Wha- What just happened!?”

I open my eyes, and right in front of me, Karen and Erika are standing at close range.

“So, who was it?”

“Whose lips do you think those were?”

What the hell are they saying!?

“What happened to the coin toss!?”

“We never said anything about a coin toss. It was this kind of gamble from the start.”

“You just misunderstood.”

Damn it… They tricked me!

My focus is completely shattered. How can I concentrate like this!?

“Times up, times up! Five more seconds!”

This is ridiculous.

“Ah, umm, ah, how should I know!!”

“Seiichiro loses~”

“This is clearly unfair!”

“We don’t mind being unfair. Didn’t we say we won’t let you escape? That we love you? If it means keeping you, we’ll use any means necessary.”

Karen smiles, Erika giggles.

—Well, damn it.

I guess there are gambles where you lose but still end up winning something precious.

Because, right now, I feel like I’ve just gained something truly irreplaceable.

“I hate to admit it, but you two win. Well, I guess my life is yours now.”

“We promise to take good care of it.”

“Better prepare yourselves.”

The game of love is full of irrationality.

But maybe, it’s this kind of illogicality that makes it worth gambling on.