Hyakkao Private Academy.
About to celebrate its 121st anniversary,
this school prides itself on tradition and prestige.
A hierarchy exists at this prestigious school.
STUDENTS WITH UNCOOPERATIVE TENDENCIES
It's not grades or athletic prowess that gets you to the top.
It's…
gambling! Gambling is everything!
The world's your oyster if you're a skilled gambler!
And you can cheat as long as your opponent doesn't notice!
That's super important!
If your gambling drives you into debt…
and you can't make the required donation to the Student Council,
your ranking will fall.
A student who falls to the bottom is treated as a "house pet."
Male pets are called "Fido,"
female pets are called "Mittens,"
and they get bullied every day!
House pets can't disobey humans.
That's me, Tsuzura Hanatemari.
I'm the one getting drenched, of course. I'm a Mittens.
And Kokoro Aiura is the one pouring the water.
She's top of the class in gambling.
Hello, miss honor student!
The honor student in question is Mary Saotome.
We were elementary school classmates. She just transferred to the Academy.
I was destined to be reunited with her!
Be careful, Mary.
They say transfer students are prime targets each year.
SPEED PRESIDENT CARD GAME
And so, she gambles the first chance she has.
Mary is a complete amateur,
so Aiura cheats and, bam!
Mary falls 200,000 yen into debt!
Still, Mary tries again with some money I gave her.
REMATCH
As expected, Aiura cheats again and, bam!
But Mary sees it coming and, boom!
What?!
Mary pulls off a stunning victory!
She wins 200,000 yen on her first day
and makes it to the top of our class!
And so begins Mary's story, or should I say, our story.
That's when it dawned on me.
Mary isn't some rando rich kid who transferred to our school.
She is lending me a helping hand.
She's my Prince Charming!
A WEEK LATER
I can't make any friends.
Why?
Everyone watched me playing against Aiura!
I study hard and nail questions, so no one can look down on me in class.
My make-up is perfect yet natural.
My nails are a conservative pastel pink,
and I always remember to wear a friendly face.
Damn it!
At this rate, my life plan is…
People are born into a hierarchy.
Endurance, intelligence,
appearance, sensibility, and money.
Society divides us into winners and losers by no fault of our own.
And I can't stand that.
That's why I transferred to this school as an honor student.
I'm going to leave here a champion!
I just transferred, but at this rate…
Mary, I was wondering.
Have you gotten used to our school?
I guess. Did you want something?
This may seem out of the blue, but…
Please, will you…
Please be my friend!
I'm fine with--
Of course you're fine!
You don't need any friends, do you?!
Especially not someone like me.
I'm worthless and forever a Mittens.
You wouldn't want me as a friend.
Stop acting so pathetic!
It's just like when I gambled against Aiura.
What's this?!
You're a house pet, right?
If you have so much money, use it yourself.
Even if I could escape pet status, even for a moment,
I wouldn't know what to do.
Why do you always…
Forgive me.
Hanatemari, I wanted to ask you something.
Huh?
I think it's because the sum is so low.
What?
At this school, 200,000 yen is considered play money.
I think you need to play games with much higher stakes
to prove you're a good gambler.
This really is one messed-up school.
So, what are you drinking, Mary?
Oh, me?
I have this.
That's so cute!
It's my favorite. Been using it since middle school.
I haven't seen a thermos in ages.
Is this why they look down on me?
They set up the gambling dens after school, right?
Can you show me the ropes?
Of course! What kind are you interested in?
Well…
LIBRARY PREP ROOM NO. 2
How about the least popular one on campus?
-Are you sure this is okay? -This is just fine.
An unpopular gambling den will be easier to take over.
Huh?
I'll make it mine and become its financier.
That's the secret behind a winning gambler.
In short, it's the fastest way to become this school's champion!
Excuse me.
Excuse me!
Welcome! I'm sorry.
I didn't know anyone was--
Are you all right?
Welcome to the literary club!
I'm the president, Yukimi Togakushi!
-Are you interested in joining? -No, we're not.
Of course you're not.
Well…
I'm embarrassed to say it's always like this.
No one ever visits. It's just me.
A few others signed up but never came back.
Now, how should I do this?
Well, this is something new.
Visitors?
We're a bit busy right now.
Get rid of them.
MITTENS
-Mikura. -Yes, ma'am.
The literary club's permission to use Library Prep Room Number Two
is hereby revoked.
Please leave immediately.
I can't just leave like that!
When was the last time you paid the room fee?
How many notices did you receive?
Who's that bossy bitch?
She's a Student Council member and Chair of the Public Morals Committee.
Her name's Sachiko Juraku.
Student Council also oversees the gambling dens.
What's wrong, Yukimi?
-Would you mind if I used the place? -What?
What's this?
Leave this gambling den to me.
I'll improve its revenue and pay a higher room fee.
And who might you be?
First year, Hana class. Mary Saotome.
Not so fast!
I'll pay you next month, including the amount overdue!
I think you'd be better off choosing someone new
rather than someone who's failed.
Interesting. Let's do this.
I want you two to gamble against each other.
Whoever wins gains control of this den.
Seriously?!
Bring it on.
I didn't think this would proceed so smoothly.
Let's start with a million-yen buy-in.
What?!
It's the same amount as this gambling den's setup fee.
Don't worry. I won't collect it if you win.
Only the loser will pay up.
That's way too much money!
Fine. I have to play, right?
Oh no!
Something wrong, Mary? How much can you put down?
About 200,000 yen.
All right. I'll front you the rest.
If you lose, you'll owe me 800,000.
Mary! Going into debt to the Student Council is--
You want a gambling den, right?
Then you should be able to handle such a risk.
Hanatemari, this is what separates winners from losers.
Five hundred thousand yen.
-I'm in, too, for 500,000 yen. -What are you doing?!
Then it's settled. Mikura, let's begin.
Yes, ma'am.
We will be playing three hit dice.
I'll be the dealer and roll the dice.
You'll try to guess the numbers rolled.
It's a very simple gambling game.
Here's what the numbers mean.
One, two, and three are "down."
Four, five, and six are "up."
You two will try to guess three consecutive rolls of the dice.
Whoever's combination appears first wins.
For example, player A versus player B.
Player A guesses "UDD."
and player B guesses "DUD."
In this case…
Player A's "UDD" appears first,
which means A wins.
Write your guesses on a card,
and give them to me before I roll the dice.
Sorry, but I gotta protect this gambling den.
I'm gonna win.
This gambling den's mine if I win. If I lose, I'm out a ton of money.
If I go into debt, it'll be hard to get out,
and I'll probably become a house pet.
I have to win.
I will win and become school champion!
All right, let us begin.
First roll.
The first roll is down.
If she wrote down the same guess as Togakushi, then it would be a draw.
Second roll, down.
Other than that…
The probability of a roll being "up" or "down" is a one-in-two chance each.
With the three consecutive rolls, the probability is cubed,
so it's a one-in-eight chance.
Third roll.
Up.
As I thought. Whatever you write, the probability of winning is the same.
That's the normal way of thinking.
But that's a big mistake.
If the dice were rolled infinitely,
then the probability of any combination would be the same.
However, guessing the combination that'll come up first is another story.
Some combinations are more probable than others.
This is a typical gambler's fallacy.
One can expect "up" or "down" to appear twice in a row,
such as "UUD," "UDD," "DDU" or "DUU," once in eight rolls of the dice.
On the other hand,
for "up" or "down" to appear three times in a row,
as in "DDD" and "UUU,"
it would be one in fourteen rolls.
At the core of dice games are slight fluctuations in probability.
A slight difference leads to big results.
Fifth roll, down.
So, my guess is…
"UUD." It's the most probable pattern.
But I'm sure my opponent knows that too.
Sixth roll. Up.
So, this is but a countermeasure so that I'm not at a disadvantage.
I've done what I can.
Now, I must leave the rest to fate.
Seventh roll. Up.
The game is over.
-What? -Huh?
DUU was rolled.
Togakushi has won.
It can't be! Mary lost?!
As promised, Yukimi gets the rights to this gambling den.
Mary owes me a million.
What is it, Yukimi? You won. You should be delighted.
So, then, can we keep using this place?
Of course. Do you have a problem with that?
No! I'm so glad.
Mary.
May I play one more time?
I don't care if the buy-in is doubled!
I promise to pay it back if I lose!
Wait a second!
I see.
All right. I'll grant your request since you're so determined.
But I won!
Quiet.
Or do you think you have the right to speak to me like that?
No, I don't…
However, this next round won't be just for money.
-Mikura. -Yes, ma'am.
What's that?
A collar for you.
Huh?
If you lose, you'll become my personal house pet.
You'll come when you're called. You'll fetch things.
If you're standing watch, you won't sleep the entire night. And…
And if I tell you to die, you die.
What do you say, Mary?
Are you sure you're ready?
-I'll do it. -What? Mary!
It's a game of chance, nothing more.
I just lost, so I bet I'll win next.
Now, let us begin the final round of three hit dice.
Please write down your guesses.
Miss Juraku wants to dominate Saotome.
Therefore, I'll make sure Saotome loses.
Here's mine.
Both cards have been submitted.
Now, the first roll.
Up.
Second roll.
Down.
There's a second kind of mistake you can make in this game.
It's true there are four combinations more likely to appear first.
But "higher probability" doesn't mean "easier to win."
As in rock-paper-scissors,
there are ways to increase your odds of winning.
For example, "UUD" is most easily beaten with "DUU."
In this case, "DUU" has a two-in-three chance of winning.
This is a phenomenon where "DUU" is more likely to appear right before "UUD."
The same applies to all combinations.
So then, it's easy to make Saotome lose.
As the dealer,
I can look at Saotome's card
and then change Togakushi's.
In this case, Saotome's card was "UUU,"
so I changed Togakushi's card to "DUU," which is more likely to win.
The odds of winning were 12.5%.
But those odds disappeared when the second roll was "down."
Third roll.
Down.
Saotome's defeat is a done deal.
Fourth roll.
Up.
Stupid girl.
You have no chance of winning.
All you can do is pray for a win.
What do you think, Miss Juraku?
I'm not just some empty-headed, just-for-show girl like her.
I will serve you well!
Hey! You got the card wet!
Sorry.
You useless dimwit.
Miss Juraku will grow bored with you before long.
Now, back to the fifth roll.
-There's no need for that. -Huh?
I guessed "DDU."
What?
Please pay attention. I wrote "DDU."
What are you talking about? You wrote…
DDU
DDU! Mary wins!
How's that possible?
I know you wrote…
You thought I wouldn't figure it out?
This game is basically rock-paper-scissors.
The first time we played, I noticed Togakushi's hand was superior to mine,
so I started to wonder.
My thoughts were confirmed after the first round.
Togakushi had won, but she seemed ambivalent.
You switched her card without her knowing, didn't you?
There's no greater advantage than switching out a player's card.
It's like seeing a throw beforehand in rock-paper-scissors.
But…
You wrote "UUU"! How could this happen?!
I drew a line with this to change it to "D."
The only way to beat someone who waits for your hand is to do the same.
What's that?
Nail polish remover containing acetone is usually clear,
but if you add water,
it becomes darker than its surrounding colors.
That's how the two Ds appeared.
Thanks so much for making it easier for me to win.
If we played normally, I would've had a fifty-fifty chance.
I would've been too scared to make a move.
Well done.
No one said you had to use a black pen to write your guess.
You used nail polish remover, but nonetheless, you did write "DDU."
And if the roll was "UUU,"
you would've kept quiet and declared your win, right?
You were supposed to lose with an 87.5% probability.
You completely changed that into a 71% chance of winning. Well done.
But you still had a 29% chance of losing.
Yet you still bet your life.
Did you think I was kidding?
No.
Isn't that what gambling is all about?
I had a 71% chance of winning.
In that case, of course I'd play.
Anyone too afraid of taking such a risk will be a loser their entire life.
I'd lose by not playing, so the only choice was to try and win.
I see.
Congratulations. Henceforth, this gambling den is yours, Mary!
Mary! You did it!
Wait. What about the literary club?!
Forget it.
You accepted your win in the first round even though your card was switched.
You have no right to protest.
Miss Juraku! I'm so sorry.
This happened because I'm worthless and weak!
Punish me as you see fit! Please!
Mary Saotome beat a classmate on her first day at our school.
Huh?
Isn't that interesting?
I wanted to know what she's like.
So you made me…
The whole thing with Togakushi was just an excuse.
I didn't care about the outcome.
But the results were beyond my expectations.
My, my, how brazen and impertinent she is.
But she's also bold.
She never doubts that she will win.
I want to know what she sounds like when she cries her eyes out.
You're amazing, Mary!
I didn't think you'd pull off such a brilliant win.
That was so cool!
Well, I only won a gambling den.
I have to make money now, or we won't get anywhere.
Still…
I do like having a place to call my own.
I always wanted to be like you, Mary.
-Fine. -Huh?
I'll be your friend.
You did ask, remember?
But I have one condition.
You're going to get rid of that "Mittens" tag.
Don't you hate being called a house pet? I can't stand it.
And I hate hearing people call my friend that.
But that's not all.
We're gonna come out on top.
That way, no one will look down on us again.
If gambling is the only way to win, that's what we'll do!
We're going to be champions!
Why are you crying?! Did I say something wrong?
No.
Me? A champion?
I never dared to imagine that.
She's just like I thought. And it's really true.
Mary has gallantly appeared to lend me a helping hand.
My Prince Charming!
EPISODE 1: A GIRL NAMED MARY SAOTOME
Subtitle translation by: Helen O'Horan