Inexpressive Kashiwada and Expressive Oota (顔に出ない柏田さんと顔に出る太田君)

Kashiwada and Oota... What the heck are those two doing?

Apparently, playing old maid.

Huh?

Old maid?

Old maid is the ultimate game of psychological warfare

where you read your opponent's expressions...

So I'm gonna beat you in this match,

and prove to you once and for all that I don't wear my heart on my sleeve!

I win.

He's so weak! It was all over in an instant!

One more game!

Don't get a big head now!

The first match is just to see how your opponent moves!

Meaning I was just testing you!

The real match starts now!

This time, I'm gonna show the opposite emotions on my face

and confuse the hell out of Kashiwada.

But knowing her, she'll be able to see through that.

That's why I'm gonna take it a step further...

and express exactly how I'm feeling!

I win.

The hell are you doing, Oota?!

One...

One more time.

You probably shouldn't...

Shut up!

Next match, rather than think about what I'm gonna do,

I'm gonna try to read what she's thinking!

Focus...

The way her eyes are moving... how many times she blinks...

How fast she's breathing...

How she's moving her hands...

Her anxiousness...

Once I put my hand on the joker, I'm sure her expression will waver a little!

I can't tell a damn thing!

She's like some statue! She isn't moving even a single millimeter!

Gah!

She's... not even looking at the cards anymore!

She's just staring into the void!

SHE'S RELIEVED

No, really...

She's not staring at a single thing in this world right now.

She's using some transcendental power to look into another dimension!

SHE'S FEELING SHY

Hell yeah!

She pulled the joker and she's laughing?!

What's this strategy?!

Are you trying to trick me?!

She's laughing at how damn expressive you are!

That's 3-0. Kashiwada-san wins.

THOSE WHO ARE COMPLETELY INEXPRESSIVE AND THOSE WHO ARE SUPER EXPRESSIVE

TASHIRO MIDDLE SCHOOL

Wow, that startled me.

Kashiwada-san is inexpressive.

And so... she gets picked on by her classmate, Oota-kun.

Next time, I'll startle you real good!

Are you in grade school?

Wah!

Oof.

SHE'S SURPRISED

She didn't even blink!

BE MORE EXPRESSIVE

Damn it! I failed again!

Shut up already, Oota!

No matter what he does, she remains inexpressive.

Damn it! Nothing I've tried is working!

How can I change her damn expression?!

Would you give it a rest?

That's just how Kashiwada is.

Seriously, why are you taking it this far?

What difference does it make if Kashiwada-san gets startled or not?

I'm glad you asked, Sata.

This all started back at the opening ceremony, when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom—

Wait, is this gonna take long?

I need to go to the bathroom.

Shut up and listen!

The first time I met her

was on the day of the opening ceremony, when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.

Damn it! Shut the hell up, you stupid crow!

Piss off!

Gah!

Who do you think you are, you stupid crow?!

You're not getting away!

You moron! I ain't falling for that twice!

She...

got hit even more than me! And on her head!

Why isn't she moving at all?!

SHE'S SAD

Uh, hey!

We're in the same class?!

I've been curious ever since, so I've tried all sorts of things...

But she remains unfazed.

Uh, you're a piece of work yourself for chasing after a crow and trying to catch it.

Shut up!

Anyway, she pisses me off!

Well, don't go too far.

You actually drank it!

I swapped out the tea in that bottle and replaced it with vinegar!

Now, suffer!

You're kidding me! You just drank vinegar!

No, wait. Is she actually suffering?

I can't tell...

What the hell's going on?! Damn it!

You jerk!

You laughed just now, didn't you?!

Oota... you smirked a lot the whole time you stared at the bottle.

SHE'S LAUGHING - I figured something was up, so I switched my bottle out with yours.

Are you tryin' to say I'm insanely obvious, you jerk?!

Yes.

Say that again, damn it!

She's picking on him instead.

She's got him dancing in the palm of her hand.

Just you wait! I'll get you next time!

But...

that's what I like about you, Oota.

You— Wha?!

N-No, she clearly didn't mean that kind of "like."

Calm down...

No, that is what I meant.

There's no way that you like me!

How dare you mock me just because you're not expressive!

But I'm telling the truth...

SHE'S SAD NOW

How the hell am I supposed to believe you when you said it with that blank expression?!

Do you dislike me?

Of course, I hate you!

You're so inexpressive that it's creepy!

Wh-What?

Thank goodness.

What are you talking about?!