"Hax! I call hax! This game is definitely rigged!" Ruri loudly complained after losing a few million bucks.

"And how exactly are we supposed to rig the game when you are the one who brought it from your house and you are the one always throwing the dice?" Gojima asked amusedly.

"T-thats... I-I'll definitely take everything back, just watch it!" She threw the dice again.

It resulted in another loss of ten thousand bucks. Ruri simply watched with shock as the money went to Sayuri's account.

"Well then, Ruri chan, do you want to throw the dice for me or will you finally let me do it myself?" Sayuri asked with a smile. Ruri dejectedly handed her the dice.

"Let's see..." Sayuri read as she picked a card, "you get married with one of the unmarried male players. You both will share three properties which will have their rents doubled. Um... Gojima san is the only male player here though..."

"Wah! Congrats, Sayuri san! Gojima san!" Miki clapped as Ruri looked more dejected.

Great, now she would have to pay two times the original money per each property to both of them equally. She was already knee deep in debt!

"Hmm... it seems like we will not be fining each other any more, Hanazono san. That's a relief I guess. Anyways, I will be under your care from now on." Gojima jokingly bowed.

"I will be under your care as well." Sayuri jokingly bowed as well. Then they both burst into laughter. Miki also followed suit, even though she did not really understand why.

"Well then, time for me to throw the dice. So, what will it be, Ruri chan? Am I allowed to throw the dice?"

Ruri glared at him for a moment, and then handed the dice to Miki. "Mi-chan! You throw it!"

"Eh? Me? O-okay... Ei!"

"Hm? Pick a family card... okay... you and your partner give birth to a triplet. The house rents and hotel bills increase by 2000 bucks per child."

"Oh my!"
"Gwah!"
"Wah! Congrats!"

"Now then, your turn, Ruri chan."

Ruri took the dice and shook her hands wildly before throwing it.

"Oh? Pick a business card... one of your factories get burned down and you lose 1 million?! What the hell?!!"

"My turn my turn!" Miki took the dice from a still shocked Ruri and then throws it.

"Oh! Business card! Um... you file a law...sweets? Against one of the players for one million?" She tilts her head with confusion.

"It means you can force one of the players to give you one million, Miki chan. Oh, and its not lawsweet, its lawsuit."

"Oh!" Her face lit up as she understood what it meant. Then she tapped her chin and looked at each of them for a few seconds.

"Okay! Ruri chan! Pay up!"
"WHYYYY?!!!"
...
...
...
"Oh my! I am having triplets again!"
"Wah! Congrats!"
...
...
...
"Ugh! Another loan!"
...
...
...
"Oh! Another lawsweets! Ruri chan!"
"You traitor!"
...
...
...
"Hmm? More triplets?"
"My!"
"Wah!"
"You perverted ogre! How many times are you gonna make Sayuri san pregnant! Are you planning to make a baseball team or something!"
"Kuhum Kuhum!"
"Kuhum Kuhum!"
"Eh? Gojima san, Sayuri san, are you okay? Mama gave me some candies that helps whenever I catch cold!"
...
...
...
..
.
"It was really fun!" Miki jumped in joy as Ruri coldly stared at her.
"Was watching me getting bankrupt and losing all my money really that fun?"
"Um! Are we also going to have these games in your birthday party, Ruri chan?"
"T-thats..."
"We can also invite our classmates! It will be more fun that way!"

"Oh! Are you finally going to have a party, Ruri chan?" Sayuri asked.

"I..." Ruri hesitated to answer. Gojima stared at her for a moment. Then he knelt in front of her.

"Ruri chan."

"...What?"

"A kid of your age should never ever feel like they are undeserving of any happiness."

"..." Ruri said nothing and simply stared at him with widened eyes. Then she looked down.

"...How did you know?"

"I majo—I have studied psychology, you see. One of my hobbies is to watch people."

"...Perverted ogre."

"Oi."

Sayuri also heard what he said. She was no psychology major like the original not-Gojima, but she could infer what he meant based on what she knew of Ruri.

She bent down as well and patted her head.

"Ruri chan. Its... been four years, right?" She said nothing and just nodded her head.

"In these four years you have also met people who care for you. Your friends, Miki chan, Takeshi kun, Koharu san, Satoru san, Gojima san... me I guess? We might never compare to them, but we do love you, and we care for you. We just want you to live happily. It sometimes really hurts us to see you like this, okay? Sometimes... I won't say never, but... you should not lose sight of what you have right now because of what you... cannot have anymore."

Ruri bit her lip slightly and nodded.

"R-Ruri chan?"

Ruri looked up to see Miki being all teary eyed.

"...Mi chan?"

"Are you sad? Are you feeling pain? Does your tummy hurt? I-I-Mama knows how to make them go away! Please don't be sad! If you feel sad, I-I-hik!" Ruri was besides her in a flash and started to pat her head.

"Who me? I am fine! I just don't like sharing my birthday cake with everyone, that's all! Its really funny and annoying how you guys are acting like know-it-alls. Sigh, I guess I have no other choice, huh. I will allow it next year, okay! This year..." she looked at Gojima and Sayuri. "My uncle seems a little troubled recently. I don't really want to cause trouble for him..."

"What about us, then?" Gojima asked

"Huh?" Ruri blinked

"Well, we can help you arrange a party if it troubles your uncle that much? Right, Hanazono san?"

"Yep! Although... I am sorry I only know how to make apple pie as a western desert. But I know how to make traditional sweets! I can make them for you! I am confident that your friends will like them!"

"Sayuri san! Sayuri san!" Miki jumped. "Are you going to make that sakura mochi like New Year as well! That was really yummy!"

"...Okay! I will! And lots more other tasty stuff!" She happily nodded in reply.

"Yey! Then I will ask Mama to make a really yummy cake! And we are gonna have lots of games! And—and—we are gonna sing and dance a lot! Look!"

Then Miki started her demonstration of the Magical Girl Utena chan dance. The others just clapped along her.

After the girls went away, Gojima helped Sayuri clean up the dishes.

"I must say, Hanazono san. If someone told me that you only know traditional sweets, I would have never believed them."

"Haha... well, it was something I learned from my uni friend. Satoshi said he liked apple pie, and I wanted to make him happy, so..." She looked down at the cleaned dishes with sadness.

The apple pies were delicious, but it did not go into the stomach of the intended person.

"Well, I can always buy more apples! Next time I will get a sturdier bag!"

"That's sad. I will not be able to get more apple pies in return of helping you."

"Oh you jest! Even if you are not Satoshi kun, I will always make apple pie for you whenever you ask! ...I-I mean, whenever you and the kids want to eat them!"

"O-okay."

"..."
"..."

"...Bye the way, Gojima san, What is your favorite desert anyway?"

"...Its apple pie."

"...Oh."

 

---

 

"...Party?" Sunohara asked.

"Hm. Sayuri san and O-Gojima san said that they will help arrange a birthday party for me. Mi-chan was being really insistent, so I also agreed." Ruri replied as she prepared to take a bath.

"...no need."

"What?"

"There is no need for them to arrange your birthday party. I am still here."

"...but—"

"But what?"

"N-nothing." Her uncle looked really crazy sometimes, it was best to leave him alone in those moments. She simply went inside the bath.

It had been one month since he had lost his job, and still was not able to find another one. His reserve was already running dry. And now his dear flower wanted to go have fun with those annoying flies? She belonged with them more?

Was he that much unimportant?

That was... unacceptable.

Unacceptable.

He needed money.

He took out the card from his purse.

It was time to make a call.