Chapter 17

However, Ryumonbuchi Toka truly could not understand: "This is the reason you are with Kageyama Sora? Don't you think you're being too irresponsible toward yourself?"

Too irresponsible? Amae Koromo pondered this for a moment, then suddenly felt that the meaning of her existence in this world, or anything else for that matter, did not seem to require her to be responsible to so-called worldly ethics.

Besides, she was clearly very happy, so how did she become someone who needed to be held responsible?

Yet, she found it difficult to articulate her thoughts. She suddenly leaned in close, her warm breath brushing against Ryumonbuchi Toka's burning earlobe. "Tell me, why should such happiness be shackled by 'responsibility'?"

This sentence was like a red-hot branding iron, instantly searing a forbidden image into Toka's mind.

In her mind, she saw the image of two people kissing each other's collarbones. She saw Kageyama Sora's distinct, bony fingers stroking Amae Koromo's snow-white nape, and saw their intertwined figures under the moonlight, the blush on their earlobes spreading down their swan-like necks to their collarbones.

"Enough!" She stumbled backward, unsure if she was telling Amae Koromo to stop, or if she wanted the images in her own mind to stop.

And Amae Koromo seemed to be savoring the feeling of what had happened last night.

It really was very happy...

After a moment of silence, Amae Koromo cupped her burning cheeks and said something astonishing with a pure expression: "No one ever said that doing that kind of thing means you have to be a couple, right?"

"What you said makes so much sense..." Toka was brainwashed by Amae Koromo's twisted logic and almost agreed with her.

Although something felt wrong, she truly couldn't find the words to refute it.

Seeing Ryumonbuchi Toka's expression soften, Amae Koromo, looking seemingly innocent, dealt her a final blow: "Besides, Cousin Kong is quite good, it felt very comfortable... If you like it, Toka, you can try it too."

Kageyama Sora, who had been watching from the sidelines, was completely stunned.

He hadn't expected the plot to develop to such an outrageous extent.

Just as he was about to speak, he was stopped by a look from Amae Koromo.

And Ryumonbuchi Toka was clearly not doing well at all.

Perhaps it was because the young lady's imagination was too vivid, but because of Amae Koromo's words, an image actually formed in her mind.

For instance, the scene she had just imagined of Kageyama Sora pinning Amae Koromo down to kiss her, sliding from her lips to her neck and collarbone, was replaced by her, Ryumonbuchi Toka.

And she...

In the fantasy in her mind, she was actually enjoying it with a flushed face!

Ryumonbuchi Toka was so frightened by this "astonishing remark" and the shocking image in her head that she took a half-step back and knocked over a vase: "Crazy, everyone's crazy, ahhh!"

On this side, Ryumonbuchi Toka didn't know what kind of nonsense she was imagining, but her pretty face grew redder and redder, as if she had been boiled: "Who, who wants that kind of thing! Shut up!"

Amae Koromo wasn't angry; instead, she tilted her head, her innocent smile hiding a touch of cunning: "Are you sure you don't want to? Your ears are redder than the sunset, Toka."

"Stop it!" Toka's scream nearly blew the roof off. She grabbed the scattered newspapers and bolted out the door, her high heels tapping out a chaotic rhythm on the marble floor.

She usually wouldn't speak harshly to Amae Koromo, but this time she was truly provoked.

Ryumonbuchi Toka had arrived with great momentum, only to be scared into turning around and leaving by these few sentences from Amae Koromo—seemingly natural, but actually exceptionally bold in their thinking.

Or rather, running.

As she dashed out the door, the wall lamp in the hallway cast a distorted shadow behind her, looking exactly like her collapsing worldview.

The young lady who usually valued elegance and grandeur now felt a bit like she was fleeing in disgrace.

Sure enough, this young lady still felt that the world had gone mad.

After Ryumonbuchi Toka left, it wasn't until the sound of the door slamming echoed from the entryway that Kageyama Sora recovered from his shock.

He looked at the mess on the floor, his Adam's apple bobbing as he was about to speak, but Amae Koromo had already stepped barefoot across the cold floor tiles and stood on her tiptoes to cover his mouth.

The faint, lingering scent from the girl's hair brushed against his nose. "Shh—" Her azure pupils were filled with laughter and mischief: "In this situation, no matter what you say, you'll be blamed by Toka. It's better to let me explain."

That was right. During the confrontation with Ryumonbuchi Toka, Amae Koromo hadn't let Kageyama Sora intervene, which was why he had remained silent.

In the end, Amae Koromo was simply trying to protect him.

This left Kageyama Sora feeling quite conflicted inside.

However, Amae Koromo didn't seem to take it to heart at all; instead, she brought up what she had mentioned last night: "Didn't you say, Kong, that I would meet many interesting people in the tournament? I've already started looking forward to it..."

Chapter 38: Fukuji Mihoko

Nagano Prefecture during the rainy season was always shrouded in a hazy mist. Kageyama Sora stood in front of a luxury store, clutching his phone.

The screen was still stuck on the big red exclamation mark in his chat window with Ryumonbuchi Toka—yes, he had been blocked.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his thumb unconsciously rubbed the edge of the phone, thinking that he had indeed offended Ryumonbuchi Toka deeply.

From childhood to adulthood, Toka had always been the little princess held in the palm of everyone's hand, arrogant and proud.

Perhaps his appearance had indeed caused her to lose some control over her life.

First, there was the report of him and Haramura Nodoka appearing in the newspaper together, where he was called her cousin, then Ryumonbuchi Toka catching him and Amae Koromo in bed doing that kind of thing, and finally being provoked by Amae Koromo's remarks.

Although Kageyama Sora himself didn't know why he needed to apologize to Ryumonbuchi Toka for his private affairs.

Even if he had accidentally seen everything the first time he came to the Ryumonbuchi residence, it was an accident after all, and she hadn't held it against him...

However, thinking of Ryumonbuchi Toka's red-rimmed eyes and trembling shoulders, Kageyama Sora's chest felt as if it were being pressed by a heavy weight, making it hard to breathe.

He had originally intended to ask Ryumonbuchi Toka out for a meal to apologize properly, but instead, he found that he had been blocked.

Since that was the case, he would buy something as an apology gift.

He took a deep breath and stepped into the store.

Crystal chandeliers cast fine, shimmering spots of light onto the velvet carpet. A sales assistant approached with a rhythmic click of her ten-centimeter heels, her sweet smile carrying a professional sense of detachment: "Are you shopping for yourself, sir, or are you looking for a gift?"

"It's for someone else. A... cousin." Kageyama Sora spoke after some deliberation: "I need a gift that can make someone angry... no, wait, a gift that can make someone stop being angry after they've been upset."

The assistant's smile stiffened for a fleeting moment before returning to normal, and she led him toward the jewelry section.

After all, it was a truly vague request, but surely there wasn't a woman alive who didn't like jewelry.

Just then, the glass display window reflected a graceful figure.

Kageyama Sora turned his head instinctively and saw a girl with medium-length blonde hair standing in front of a dessert shop across the street. She was wearing the uniform of Kazekoshi Girls' High School, her white shirt tucked into a pink pleated skirt, accentuating her slender waist. The girl had her right eye closed, focusing intently on the strawberry cake in the display case, her eyelashes casting small shadows beneath her eyes.

Although Kageyama Sora had never met her, he had seen this girl in his files.

A third-year student at Kazekoshi Girls' High School and captain of the Mahjong Club, Fukuji Mihoko. Last year, Ryumonbuchi High School had snatched the top spot in Nagano Prefecture away from Kazekoshi Girls' High School.

And for the years prior to that, Kazekoshi Girls' High School had held a consecutive winning streak for the right to compete in the Nagano Prefecture tournament.

Fukuji Mihoko was unaware that someone was watching her through the glass; she was simply thinking about buying some desserts to take back for the members of her Mahjong Club.

The moment she pushed the door open, the bell chimed.

She habitually tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear with her right hand, revealing a gentle smile as she said softly to the clerk: "One large strawberry cake, please, to go."

Her voice was like milk infused with honey—sweet, but not cloying.

Kageyama Sora followed her, driven by an inexplicable impulse; he didn't even know why he was following her.

When he stepped into the dessert shop, he saw Fukuji Mihoko standing on tiptoe, reaching for the strawberry plushie on the top shelf of the store's merchandise display, her slender ankles visible beneath her white stockings.

"Do you need some help?" The words were out before he realized how abrupt they sounded, so he hurriedly added, "I mean, I'm tall, so it's easier for me to reach."

It was true; as a man, Kageyama Sora was considered tall even among his peers.

Furthermore, he was quite handsome, so even if his words were a bit sudden, he didn't come across as annoying—in fact, he might even make someone feel shy.

Fukuji Mihoko turned back, a flicker of surprise in her left eye quickly giving way to a smile: "Then I'll trouble you."

She stepped back half a pace, her hair brushing against the back of Kageyama Sora's hand, carrying a faint, subtle scent of a young girl.

The moment his fingertips touched the plushie's fur, the glass door was pushed open again, and two girls who looked like middle schoolers ran in, chattering noisily: "Big sister! We want the last strawberry plushie!"

Kageyama Sora's hand froze in mid-air. Seeing this, Fukuji Mihoko tugged gently on his sleeve: "It's alright, let them have it."

Her voice was very soft, yet it carried a reassuring strength.

She really was an excessively gentle girl.

However... Kageyama Sora looked at the fleeting disappointment in the depths of Fukuji Mihoko's eyes and, acting on a whim, said to the clerk: "I'll take this plushie and the strawberry cake." Before Fukuji Mihoko could speak, he quickly added, "Consider it an apology for my sudden approach earlier; it was truly rude of me."

Fukuji Mihoko was stunned for a moment; she didn't understand why this handsome boy before her would show her such kindness.

"Then I shall accept it without false modesty." She pulled her wallet from her handbag: "But I should really be the one to pay. I'm already moved that you helped me secure this plushie; I would feel terrible if you had to spend your own money."

Kageyama Sora was not short on money, nor would he take Fukuji Mihoko's.

But... thinking of the purpose of his outing today, Kageyama Sora said, "If you feel bad about it, why not do me a favor instead?"

Stepping out of the dessert shop, the rain had stopped at some point.

The setting sun dyed the clouds the color of honey, and the puddles on the street reflected the shadows of the two walking side by side.

Fukuji Mihoko held the cake box, the ribbon of the strawberry plushie wrapped around her wrist, swaying gently with her steps: "So you're saying you wanted to buy a gift for an important cousin who is angry with you, but you didn't know what to get, so you hoped I could help?"

Kageyama Sora looked up at the sunset glow on the horizon: "Yes. I did something that made her angry, and I've even been blocked, so I need to make amends."

As for the specifics of what happened, he wouldn't say; he wasn't the type to go around sharing his private affairs.

Fukuji Mihoko listened quietly and thought for a moment: "I think that since you're family, no matter what happened, the fact that you're thinking about making amends means there's still room for reconciliation."

"I hope there's still room for reconciliation." Kageyama Sora sighed: "Honestly, I don't want to be at odds with her, but I can't understand why she cares so much about my personal business."

"Of course, it's because she cares about you that she cares about your affairs." Fukuji Mihoko answered without hesitation: "If she didn't care about you, she wouldn't be concerned about anything that happens to you."

Kageyama Sora felt that what Fukuji Mihoko said made a lot of sense, and his determination to appease Tohka grew even stronger.

As he thought this, Fukuji Mihoko asked again: "By the way, you haven't told me if she has any usual hobbies, if there are any specific brands she wears, or if she's ever posted about something she wanted but couldn't get on social media?"

Author's Note

Hi, we meet again!

Dear readers, this book has reached eighty thousand words and is going to be published! (3)

I suddenly felt like chatting with everyone because, although I previously said I wouldn't write a crossover fanfiction, I accidentally stumbled upon an old image of Amae Koromo while browsing, and I suddenly really wanted to write about her.

When I first watched Saki, I really liked Amae Koromo; I felt her art style was quite different from the others.

As I grew up, I started liking characters like Haramura Nodoka, Tohka, and Jindai Komaki more... my preferences have changed quite a bit.

But as for why I write so little of that and focus mainly on original works...

Personally, I'm not very familiar with some of the current harem or yuri anime. From my first crossover work, you can tell that the shows I watch are quite old (from my school days).

Saki Date A Live K-On! Kakegurui

These are all shows with a sense of their era, and I'm very worried that I won't resonate with everyone.

The truth is, the stats for this Saki-themed novel are far, far worse than my original work, but I still intend to finish it.

It is purely out of love, because I like it.

As for the update schedule, although I have two other brain-draining projects to write, I really find writing this fanfic compilation to be a joy.

It's that satisfying feeling of being able to finish a chapter in half an hour; perhaps it's because what I wanted to express in the early stages was already constructed in my mind?

So, there is no need to worry about me dropping this; I will finish it. No matter what, I will complete the Saki portion. This is a promise.

Enough being sentimental, let's talk about the male lead of this book.

Sticking to my usual style: incredibly handsome, wealthy, and convenient for you, dear readers, to project yourselves onto!

And as for the heroines, I will definitely collect all the beautiful ones~

So, I look forward to everyone's support~

Chapter 39: A Date with a Gentle Girl

After listening to Fukuji Mihoko's analysis on how to buy gifts, Kageyama Sora rubbed his chin, his gaze landing on her brilliant blonde hair: "She likes white and everything flashy, but..." He recalled the ahoge swaying on Ryumonbuchi Toka's blonde hair and the way she would occasionally laugh wildly: "She is a young lady of high status, she lacks nothing, and her only hobby is mahjong."

"I see." Fukuji Mihoko tapped her fingertip against the cake box, her eyes suddenly lighting up: "I know of a very popular designer brand that recently launched; their jewelry blends traditional patterns with modern design. Perhaps there's something suitable there."

As she turned, her hair brushed against Kageyama Sora's arm, bringing with it a faint, lingering scent of a young girl.

The two walked side by side along the commercial street, the sweet, cloying fragrance of pastries floating in the humid air of the rainy season.

Passing by a music store, the jazz CDs in the display window made Fukuji Mihoko stop in her tracks: "The owner of this shop imports out-of-print records from Europe. Do you think the person you mentioned would like a music-related gift?"

"She only listens to Chopin." Kageyama Sora recalled the times he passed by Toka's study and would always hear the low, resonant sound of a piano: "And it must be the Rubinstein version."

Yes, despite Ryumonbuchi Toka being an arrogant young lady, she certainly has elegant hobbies.

Fukuji Mihoko blinked, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth: "She sounds like a very picky young lady, doesn't she?"