Stan quickly noticed that Camilla was taking the game more seriously than he had expected. More importantly, the number of cards remaining in the opponent’s hand had to be monitored constantly. Allowing an opponent to reach only a few cards without adjusting one’s strategy could result in an unexpected defeat.
As the game progressed, her relaxed expression gradually disappeared. Her posture became straighter, her attention focused entirely on the cards, and her eyes repeatedly moved between her own hand and Stan’s. She began memorizing his discarded cards and paying close attention whenever he drew from the pile. Stan noticed the transformation almost immediately.
He nearly laughed.
Camilla wasn’t playing Uno anymore.
She was waging war.
"You know this is just Uno, right?" Stan asked after watching her stare at the discard pile for several seconds.
"I know."
"You look like you’re preparing to kill someone."
"I’m concentrating."
Stan glanced at the cards in her hand. She was holding only three.
"You’re holding three cards."
"Exactly."
Stan looked down at his own hand.
He had six.
The difference wasn’t particularly large, but it was enough for him to realize that Camilla had maneuvered herself into a considerably better position than he had expected. She had been quietly controlling the game while he had been treating it as entertainment.
"You’re terrifying," Stan said.
Camilla didn’t even look up from her cards. "I’ll take that as a compliment."
Several more turns passed. Stan attempted to recover his position, but Camilla had already anticipated his strategy. She changed the color whenever necessary, forced him to draw when she had the opportunity, and carefully preserved the cards she suspected would become useful later. Eventually, after a particularly well-timed sequence, she placed her final card onto the table.
"Uno."
Stan froze.
His gaze moved slowly toward Camilla’s empty hand. He then looked down at his own cards before looking back at her.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
"...You cheated."
Camilla’s eyes widened in genuine disbelief. "I did not."
"You definitely did."
"I played according to the rules."
"You’ve been counting my cards."
"That’s called strategy."
Stan stared at her.
Camilla simply smiled.
"I won."
Stan leaned back and released a resigned sigh. He couldn’t even argue with her reasoning. She hadn’t broken any rules. She had simply paid far more attention to the game than he had.
"Fine."
Camilla’s smile immediately became more pronounced.
"Again."
Stan blinked. "Already?"
"Again."
He shook his head in disbelief. "You’re addicted."
"Perhaps."
The second game began almost immediately.
Unlike the first, there was no longer any pretense that they were playing casually. Both of them had now become aware of what the other was capable of, and the atmosphere around the table subtly changed. Stan started paying closer attention to Camilla’s discarded cards, while Camilla became even more cautious about revealing the structure of her hand.
The second game lasted considerably longer than the first. Neither managed to gain a decisive advantage for a while, and the number of cards in their hands repeatedly shifted as Draw Two and Draw Four cards were exchanged. When one of them appeared close to victory, the other would inevitably find a way to disrupt the situation.
The third game lasted even longer.
By the fourth, Stan had reached a simple conclusion.
Camilla was far more competitive than he had expected.
She had started the evening treating Uno as a simple game she wanted to play because Stan had bought it for her. Now she was behaving as though the outcome would determine something of genuine importance. Every card was examined carefully before being played, every move was considered, and every unexpected draw visibly affected her mood.
At one point, Camilla was forced to draw several cards in succession. She stared down at the growing number of cards in her hand, her expression becoming increasingly dark.
Stan pressed his lips together, desperately trying not to laugh.
"Don’t laugh," Camilla said without looking at him.
"I’m not."
"You are."
"I’m not."
"You are."
"I promise I’m not."
Camilla slowly lifted her head and looked directly at him. Her expression made it obvious that she knew exactly how much he was enjoying her misfortune.
"You’re enjoying this."
Stan struggled to maintain a straight face. "A little."
Camilla immediately picked up one of her cards and placed it firmly on the table.
"Draw Four."
Stan’s smile vanished.
He looked at the card.
Then he looked at Camilla.
"...That’s personal."
"It isn’t."
"It feels personal."
Camilla’s lips curved into a sweet smile that somehow made the situation even worse. "Your turn."
Stan stared at her for a moment before reluctantly drawing the required cards.
By the time they finally decided to move on from Uno, Camilla had become thoroughly invested in the game. Stan wasn’t entirely sure whether she was more interested in the game itself or simply in proving that she could beat him.
Eventually, however, the Uno cards were pushed aside, and Camilla placed the chessboard on the table.
The atmosphere changed almost immediately.
Chess was fundamentally different from Uno. There was no dependence on a random draw determining what pieces a player could use. Every piece was visible from the beginning, and every move carried consequences. Victory depended on planning, calculation, patience, and the ability to anticipate what the opponent intended to do several moves ahead.
Camilla sat across from Stan and rested her chin lightly on her hands as she stared at the board. Unlike Uno, where she had quickly become impulsive and competitive, chess forced her to slow down. Her eyes moved from one piece to another as she considered different possibilities. She studied the arrangement of the board carefully, apparently trying to determine which opening would give her the greatest advantage.
After several moments of consideration, she finally moved one of her pieces.
Stan responded almost immediately.
Camilla frowned.
She studied the board again before making another move.
Stan countered.
Her frown deepened.
"You saw that?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Before I moved?"
"Yes."
Camilla looked at him suspiciously. "How?"
Stan shrugged. "Experience."
She stared at him for a moment before looking back at the chessboard.
She looked down at the board again, but the suspicion in her expression remained. After several seconds, she sighed and moved another piece.
"Still."
A small smile appeared on Stan’s face.
There was something strangely peaceful about the entire situation.
After everything they had experienced, sitting across from each other over a chessboard felt almost unreal
It was simply the two of them sitting inside his residence, arguing over the rules of Uno and silently calculating their next moves on a chessboard.
For a brief moment, Stan almost forgot how complicated the world had become.