Bring down the Student Council President?
Yeah.
What do you mean?
You're a Student Council member. Why would you…
This.
MITTENS
It doesn't bother you?
We shouldn't label losers "house pets" and discriminate against them.
I want to destroy the system created by the current Student Council President.
Help me, and I'll return this one million yen to you.
We can do this.
Mary, I need you.
Mary.
I'm so sorry. It's my fault that…
Huh?
You don't have to apologize.
It's my fault I hadn't imagined that scenario.
No, don't say that! You didn't do anything wrong!
Whoa, calm down!
Who cares whose fault it was?
We should be thinking about how to make money--
Don't be stupid!
We don't even have money for a buy-in.
I'm outta here.
MITTENS
It's no use. I don't have the bandwidth to deal with this.
Really? What am I going to do?
Is it that time again?
Oh, man! How much have I saved up?
DEADLINE FOR STUDENT COUNCIL DONATIONS
Hey, what's this about?
Can't you read?
They announced the date donations are due.
Oh, right… I see.
Pay up, or you'll become a house pet.
This is bad. I'm nearly broke right now.
At this rate, Tsuzura's status will never change, and I might even…!
MITTENS
It's all over if that happens.
Neither of us will be "human" again until we graduate.
Come in.
I knew you'd eventually turn up.
What are you two doing here?
Well…
I invited them.
-What?! -You're here, aren't you?
That means you're interested in what I have to say.
But it doesn't mean I've decided to join you.
That's fine.
Why is the Student Council President so powerful?
Why can't anyone defy her?
It's all thanks to the house pet system.
Having house pets offers an outlet for venting frustrations,
so your average student won't defy the Student Council.
It's a way to cement the hierarchy.
Students will be happy to maintain the status quo.
It's really well thought out.
The system secures the Student Council's position.
So, what should we do?
We should destroy the system.
What is this?!
FIDO
MITTENS
FIDO
Is everyone here…
That's right. They're all house pets.
So why am I having them do this?
We're figuring out who's good at gambling.
House pets can't scrape up 100,000 yen,
but 10,000 should be within their reach.
If we get 10,000 yen from 100 students, that's a million yen, right?
No way.
We'll have the best among them win money to play higher-stakes games.
Then we'll use the winnings to buy everyone out of house pet status.
This is how we destroy the house pet system
and then bring down the Student Council President.
Mary, there's a game I'd like you to play.
What?!
It requires multiple players.
That's why I invited your friends.
There's a million yen involved, the same amount you lost.
It's my gift to you if you win.
Please, Mary. Save them!
Hello, all you singles out there!
Are you so lonely you cried yourself to sleep last night?!
Okay, thanks for that!
But your worries end today!
Welcome to the 50th Coupling Party!
We've had over 5,000 participants so far!
Many male and female alumni have even married after graduating!
What sort of romantic drama can we expect from this historic 50th event!
I hope you all find your ideal partner!
What the hell is this?
This is going to bring down the Student Council?
Is he jerking my chain?
It's the Coupling Game!
Ladies will confess their love to the man of their dreams!
Gentlemen will choose their fated lady!
Of course, the couples formed are within the game only!
Have fun! No pressure!
However, true love has blossomed countless times before!
Feel free to dream big!
First, I'll need everyone to split up into teams of five by gender.
Once you have a team and an opponent…
Conversation time!
Deepen your friendship and find your special someone.
Next up!
Consulting time!
Talk to your team and decide who to confess your love to.
And finally!
Confession time!
The ladies will each choose a man to confess her love to.
And the men will select whose confession they will accept.
Once the cards are filled out, the ladies will confess their love.
Each lady will have a turn.
The man wins if the pair become a happy couple!
His lady will pay him the amount she bet.
However, the men who don't couple up lose and pay the ladies the amount they bet.
We'll have both the men and the women bet the same amount.
But it's hard to get women to join these dating parties.
That's why we have a special advantage just for the ladies!
The Maiden's Promise!
You make a promise for a bet reduction from 1/2 to 1/10 the usual amount.
If you lose, you must keep your promise, such as "exchange numbers"
or "spend the night"!
For you guys out there, this might be a risk worth the return!
There will only be one chance to confess and to choose.
Now, go give it your best shot! Find your true love!
A dating party? What won't this school make us do?!
No one told me about this!
There's no way I'm gonna hook up with a total stranger!
But if we don't win, we…
Mary Saotome.
-Yes? -Hello.
You're… Mikura, right?
It's Sado to you. Don't use my first name like we're friends.
Why are you here? Are you looking for a boyfriend?
No. That's disgusting.
I'm here on official business. Look.
Miss Juraku is overseeing this party.
I'm here to assist her.
She's here?!
Have Mary Saotome participate in the coupling game?
Yeah.
That's not what we discussed. Do you have something up your sleeve?
If you're encroaching on my turf,
I will hunt you down and eat you alive.
Fine by me.
You three came together, I take it?
Well, yeah.
Then you need two more. I'll introduce you.
You want us to team up with them?
Yes.
What's up!
I'm a second-year from Sakura class, Kurumi Kurume.
Looking forward to today!
I'm a third-year from Botan class, Chitose Inui. Nice to meet you!
Yeah… Nice to meet you.
I wanted to ask.
-Is this your first coupling party? -I'll be going now.
It's my first time.
Us too.
I see. Then let me explain a few things.
I've played a few times, so I know how things go.
So you didn't find a boyfriend, eh?
Do not ask me that.
I've been paired up before.
But it was just part of the game. He rejected me when I asked him out.
Was there something the matter with me?
It's wrong. It's so wrong, isn't it?
Well, let's do our best today!
You're right!
I'm sorry. It's just…
Let's start by filling out our lineup!
Our lineup?
We fill in our names here and submit it.
This will be the order confessions and choices are made.
I'll write everyone's names down.
By the way, everyone.
What are you looking for today? A boyfriend or money?
We'll get in each other's way if our objectives clash.
If you're here for a boyfriend,
the order of confession will be really important!
After all, the men only get one choice too!
But the early bird doesn't always get--
We're obviously here for the money.
I'm good with what the group decides.
All right. Fine.
Let's decide the order with rock-paper-scissors or whatever.
I submitted the lineup!
Thanks.
I bet today's our lucky day!
Our seats are over there.
It looks like everyone's taken their seats.
It's time to start talking and get acquainted with each other!
Conversation time! Ready, set, go!
I'll get this rolling.
I'm Nobuya Sera. Looking forward to today.
Haruto Kibashira. Nice to meet you.
I'm Ren Kochi.
Mamoru Kuonji.
They're all pretty good-looking.
Do they even need to be here?
I'm Kanade Musubi. Nice to meet you!
Well, there is one exception.
Ladies, your turn.
Okay!
I'm Chitose Inui.
I'm here to find a wonderful boyfriend.
I'm excited about finding the one this time!
Nice work.
It's better if they don't know we're here to make money.
She has them fooled.
You're all so wonderful. This will be so much fun!
She is trying to fool them, right?
Wow. You three run a gambling den.
That's amazing! Must be a lot of work!
Well, yes. We're closed right now, though.
So then, are you looking for a quick-witted guy?
Um, no, not really.
What kind of guys are you into, then?
Someone who's honest to a fault, I guess.
I gave an honest answer!
Hanatemari, you haven't said a word.
Don't hold back because you're a house pet.
What are your hobbies?
Well…
I do like to cook.
And sewing too.
Cooking and sewing!
Wonderful! A prime example of traditional feminine ideals!
You're exactly my type.
Amazing!
All right! Time is up!
Did you find someone you like?
Next up, consulting time!
She didn't say anything about the stakes.
It was on the sign-up form.
We're special invitees.
It's one million per round.
I can't afford that!
Dammit! Now I see what he's trying to do!
He's testing me to see if I can handle this.
If I can't cut it, he'll kick me to the curb.
We'll have to use the "dinner together" advantage.
We might as well use "spend the night"?
-What?! -We'll save money.
And if we can arrange to be in the same room, I bet it'll be fun!
Do you think…
Hanatemari. "Spend the night" means you're alone with a guy and…
Did she seriously not know?
Let's use the "dinner together" advantage on our wager.
As for the actual plan,
we'll prevent as many couples as possible
in order to maximize our winnings.
That means everyone should confess to a different guy.
Confessing to the same guy
only increases the chances of making a couple.
Tsuzura shouldn't confess to Musubi.
He took quite a liking to her.
Oh! I'd like to confess to Kuonji!
What? Why?
A man in glasses is so dreamy.
He didn't talk much, but I love that he's so quiet.
-I'll use the "spend the night" advantage. -I'll choose randomly for the rest.
KURUME-KIBASHIRA YUKIMI-MUSUBI TSUZURA-KOCHI MARY-SERA INUI-KUONJI
-Any objections? -None!
I'm counting on all of you!
Consulting time is about to end.
Everyone, please return to your seats!
Phew.
-Tsuzura. -Yeah?
Let's switch our confessions.
Huh? Why?
I'm just being extra careful.
There's a flaw in this plan. This is my countermeasure.
We'll all lose if one of us betrays the rest.
We're toast if someone signals to the guys about who is confessing to whom.
What about Togakushi?
Sorry, but I don't trust her yet.
-But… -Tsuzura.
We can't afford to hesitate.
We will win. We're going to be champions!
Okay.
CONFESSION TIME
Thank you for your patience! It's finally confession time!
Now, put your hearts out there!
I am Sado, and I will be in charge of your table.
Nice to meet you all.
It's you.
Ladies, please circle the number of the person you will confess to.
Gentlemen, take these five cards.
The numbers are the same as your lineup sheet.
They will be collected after every confession.
Will anyone use an advantage?
I'll use "dinner together."
Me too, please.
Me too.
Very well. Please begin.
Starting from me? Who shall I choose?
So far, so good.
If it goes as planned, only one couple will result, giving us the advantage.
If a traitor disclosed all our confessions to the guys,
at least Tsuzura and I will win.
Gentlemen, please mark your selection on card number one.
Musubi, what'll you do?
Sorry, I'm not interested in brash, tastelessly dressed girls.
But I feel like something's off. Why?
Okay, my turn!
Kibashira, I like you.
Will you go out with me?
Just kidding!
Oh, no one got the joke.
No one chose her?
They barely responded.
-All right, next, please. -That's me!
I choose Musubi.
Next.
Okay!
CIRCLE ONE CHOICE
It's Sera.
What?
Hanatemari! Why?
We had a connection!
Hey! That's not what we discussed!
Yukimi.
It's part of our strategy to win.
I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but just watch.
Okay.
Next, please.
All right.
CONFESSION TIME
Good job, everyone!
All tables have finished their confessions!
All that's left now is to announce the results!
I've done everything I can.
We should be able to win with my plan.
Here are the results.
-The order will be-- -Wait!
I'd like to confess last!
-My heart's racing! -That's fine. Just get on with it.
Very well.
Starting with Kurumi Kurume.
Her confession was to Kibashira. The result…
We have a couple.
Oops, I got it right?
Hm? Were you actually after the money?
That's okay. Do you want to go on a real date with me?
Save the flirting for later.
Next, Togakushi's confession.
It was to Musubi.
We have a couple.
Huh?!
I, too, have strong opinions about the literary arts.
We've so much in common.
Since you used the "dinner together" advantage,
I'll make a reservation at a romantic restaurant.
Is this a coincidence?
No. What's the chance there'd be two couples in a row?
There is a traitor in our midst!
I can't discount it's Kurume and Yukimi, as they both paired up.
The traitor will cover her tracks by also getting paired.
I'm glad I planned my countermeasure with Tsuzura.
Next, Hanatemari.
-We have a couple. -What?
Next, Saotome. We have a couple.
-Wait, what? -Next, Inui.
We have a couple.
A total of five couples.
Congratulations.
That is all.
No… it can't be…
Yes! Kuonji!
This is getting really interesting!
This is bullshit!
This was rigged! I won't accept these results!
Rigged? Are you accusing me?
You bet I am! There is no way five couples is a coincidence!
Even if someone told the guys about our confessions,
Tsuzura and I secretly swapped our choices.
These results would be impossible unless you people cheated!
Let's not hurl accusations.
What?!
Just the other day, you all--
What's wrong, Mary?
Is there a problem?
Sachiko Juraku!
Is this her doing?
A problem?! I'm calling out your scheme--
Hold on. You'll have to stop with that nonsense.
We haven't cheated.
I can personally guarantee that.
You expect me to believe that?!
Mary.
Don't blind yourself to your own incompetence.
Think about it.
There is another far more simple explanation.
Another explanation?
Even if there were a traitor,
there's no way everyone would couple up.
The house must be cheating.
No, that's not it.
It can't be!
EPISODE 3: A TRAITOROUS GIRL
Tsuzura's the traitor!
Things would make sense if it wasn't the house that was cheating.
I only told Tsuzura about switching our confessions.
Why did she meet with Mibuomi before me?
What did they talk about?
Were they setting me up for defying the Student Council?
Did she strike a deal to save her own skin?
But then Yukimi, who was there too, is a…
Of course, Juraku would be in on it.
They're all trying to do me in!
Well done in the first round, everyone.
We're moving on to the bonus game. Round two!
Buy-in is double, two million yen!
Mary, what will you do?
You lost all the money Aoi gave you.
You'll become a house pet at this rate.
But, two million…
Is that it?
No worries. I'll lend you the money.
It's only 200,000 per person.
What?
Use the "spend the night" advantage. It'll be much more fun that way.
What a great idea.
Let's have you do that.
What do you say, Mary?
Mary.
Enough! Shut your mouths, all of you!
I can't stand any more!
I'm sick of being deceived!
What am I to do?
Who can I trust?
Subtitle translation by: Helen O'Horan