Gambler | My Hero Academia | Katsuki Bakugou

1.1 Once a Gambler

*Third POV*

Yumeko leaned back in her chair, the soft hum of the dimly lit room buzzing around her. She could feel the pulse of tension in the air, a mix of greed and desperation swirling together in the secret underground gambling den. It was tucked away in the basement of a run-down building just a few blocks from her school—a place no hero or teacher would think to look. Here, under the flickering glow of neon lights, Yumeko could feed her hunger for risk.

The scent of cigarette smoke clung to the walls, and the quiet shuffle of cards on the felt-covered table filled the silence. Across from her, three older students sat with furrowed brows and beads of sweat glistening on their foreheads. They were nervous, as they should be. Yumeko's presence had a way of unsettling even the most experienced gamblers, but it wasn't her looks or demeanour that did it—it was her absolute fearlessness.

Yumeko sat there, her beauty shining underneath the neon lights, she dressed in a deep burgundy low-cut dress, her feet clad in strappy burgundy heels showing off her perfect pedicure. She had a minimal amount of makeup as she covered her eyes with a black mask, her red lips in a permanent smirk.

Yumeko's meticulously manicured fingers danced across the edges of her cards, her gaze flicking to the pile of money in the centre of the table. It wasn't much compared to what the pros made, but for a high school student, it was enough to cover rent, even a little extra to help with her...other hobbies. She wasn't gambling just for fun tonight. No, this time it was different. She needed money—real money.

The other players shifted uncomfortably as Yumeko flashed a sweet, unsettling smile, her eyes gleaming with the same dangerous excitement that always sparked just before the final move. "Are you going to raise," she asked, her voice dripping with feigned innocence, "or are you going to fold?"

One of the older boys, a senior who clearly thought he had the upper hand, chuckled nervously. "Don't think you can scare me, Yagi," he muttered. His hand trembled slightly as he tossed a few more bills into the pot. "I'm all in."

Yumeko's heart raced, but outwardly, she was as calm as ever. She didn't need a quirk to win here, but it was comforting to know it was there—just in case. She could feel the molecules in the cards, feel the heat rising in the room as her adrenaline spiked. She was ready to play her final hand. The stakes were high, but that was exactly how she liked it.

With a slow, deliberate motion, Yumeko flipped her cards onto the table.

"Let's see who's really lucky tonight," she whispered, the thrill of victory already tingling in her veins.

The room fell silent, the tension snapping like a taut wire. Yumeko's cards lay spread across the felt, face up for all to see—a perfect, impossible royal flush. The ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of hearts stared back at her opponents, their crimson tones mocking the disbelieving expressions around the table. The senior who had gone all in sat frozen, his face pale as if all the colour had drained from his skin. His stack of chips had just evaporated before his eyes.

Yumeko leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table as she smiled, a flash of something dark and gleeful behind her eyes. Her voice, sweet and airy, cut through the heavy air. "Well, what do you know? Looks like tonight's my lucky night,| she joked innocently with a hint of mischief behind her teasing tone.

The other players didn't speak. They couldn't. The room was too thick with the weight of her win. No one dared challenge her now—not after what they'd just witnessed. With a casual flick of her wrist, Yumeko began gathering her winnings, the soft clink of coins and the rustle of bills filling the silence. The pile of money, nearly enough to cover an entire month's rent, slid smoothly toward her side of the table.