The hot spring resort was especially tranquil at night. Moonlight silvered the stone path, and the streetlamps cast a gentle glow over the pools, making them look like something out of a dream.
Steam blurred the ukiyo-e paintings on the stone walls. The place was quiet and empty, the hazy night lending it a charm all its own.
Steam blurred the ukiyo-e paintings on the stone walls, sketching the indistinct outlines of flowers and birds.
Kageyama Sora was savoring the quiet solitude as he made his way toward the hot spring. Then he caught sight of a familiar figure in the pool.
Apparently, the place wasn't exactly... quiet and empty.
A girl sat with most of her body submerged. Her rounded shoulders appeared and disappeared in the mist, and droplets clung to her short brown hair, which swayed gently with her movements.
Judging by the hair alone... the brown, well-behaved short haircut, it seemed to be... Saki Miyanaga.
Kageyama Sora walked in wearing a yukata. Seeing Saki Miyanaga soaking in the water, drowsy with sleep, he felt like teasing her. "You've been in there a while. You haven't passed out, have you?"
Saki Miyanaga froze at the sound of his voice, then sat up abruptly. "N-no, I haven't. I've just been tired lately and wanted to soak in the middle of the night... I didn't pass out."
Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes darted away. She looked especially cute.
"I see... You don't mind if I join you, do you?" As he spoke, Kageyama Sora had already stepped into the water.
His voice brushed her ear through the steam. In a panic, Nodoka scooted toward the edge of the pool, but the hurried movement sent water splashing everywhere.
Warm droplets landed on Kageyama Sora's chest and ran along the contours of his muscles into the water. He chuckled softly and sat down half a meter from Saki Miyanaga. His movement sent ripples across the surface, which gently lapped against Saki Miyanaga's crossed knees.
"Of course, of course I don't mind..." Saki Miyanaga blushed, seemingly eager to change the subject. "Haramura Nodoka went back to rest because she was too tired. Should I go get her!?"
But Kageyama Sora quickly rejected her suggestion. "No need. Let her rest. The whole point of soaking in a hot spring is to relax, isn't it?"
After a few brief exchanges, the air fell quiet again.
Amid the swirling steam, Saki Miyanaga couldn't help catching a glimpse of the faint outline of Kageyama Sora's abs. Her heart suddenly beat faster.
Kageyama Sora seemed to notice her gaze and smiled. "Like what you see?"
Honestly, it was a little cheesy. But seeing how shy Saki Miyanaga looked made him want to tease her. They'd soaked together before, so why was she acting awkward now that they were alone?
Looking at the lingering blush on Saki Miyanaga's ears, Kageyama Sora suddenly realized that the ongoing silence was ruining the mood, forming an invisible barrier between them.
Kageyama Sora didn't want to let the awkwardness drag on, so he broke the silence. He curled a finger and flicked the water, sending droplets onto her hair and dispelling the stillness. "Saki Miyanaga, after joining the Mahjong Club—or, rather, after opening your heart to Haramura Nodoka—do you really feel happy?"
The question seemed to perk Saki Miyanaga up.
In the swirling steam, Saki Miyanaga's eyes suddenly lit up. She no longer looked shy and ill at ease.
She turned toward Kageyama Sora, her gaze earnest and focused. "I'm happy. I've never been this happy playing mahjong before. It's so much fun. I want to keep playing forever, and then go to the National Tournament with Nodoka."
Suddenly, she smiled, the corners of her eyes curving like crescents. Hot spring water slid from her hair and along the hollow of her collarbone. "I used to have so many things to worry about when I played mahjong... I wasn't happy whether I won or lost. It wasn't until I met Haramura Nodoka that I realized you could win at mahjong, and that there were so many opponents who could stand against me... that I wasn't invincible."
Petals floating on the surface drifted gently together with the current, making faint, delicate sounds.
Kageyama Sora rested his elbows on the pool's edge, letting the water flow over his chest and wind between his muscles like silvery streams. "Have you told Haramura Nodoka all this?"
As he lowered his eyes, his eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows beneath them, concealing the curiosity in his gaze.
If Haramura Nodoka heard that, she'd surely be happy.
"Of course!" Saki Miyanaga rose abruptly, sending a great splash across the pool. A night heron dozing at the edge flapped its wings in alarm.
She wiped the water from her face. Wet strands stuck to her cheeks, but her smile was brighter than the cherry blossoms in the daytime. "Every time I sit beside her at the mahjong table, I feel so happy. I even told her that we'd stand at the top of the National Tournament together and make everyone remember our names!"
The copper bell under the eaves suddenly rang out. The night breeze swept a few late cherry blossoms across the water. Watching a petal come to rest briefly on Saki Miyanaga's shoulder, Kageyama Sora murmured, "No wonder she's seemed so excited and happy lately."
His voice carried the warmth of the hot spring, but held a tenderness only he knew about.
Seeing the way Kageyama Sora softened just at the thought of Haramura Nodoka brought back a question Saki Miyanaga had never been able to resolve.
She stared at Kageyama Sora nervously. "Actually..."
She seemed to want to say something, but couldn't bring herself to.
Saki Miyanaga suddenly bit her lower lip. Her legs beneath the water stirred it anxiously, sending out tiny whirlpools. "Actually... I've always wanted to ask—when the three of us first met, we went through so much together... so why, in the end, did you and Haramura Nodoka..."
Her voice grew fainter as she spoke, and the last few words nearly dissolved into the rising steam. Only the redness of her ears gave away her inner turmoil.
The Right Tile
The night was deep, and mist hung over the hot spring pool, making the scene resemble a delicate ink painting.
Tiny ripples on the surface spread like wind-ruffled silk, washing gently over the overlapping reflections of Kageyama Sora and Saki Miyanaga.
Bright moonlight fell across the pool, blurring their outlines into soft silhouettes, as if draping the moment in a dreamlike veil.
Kageyama Sora leaned against the edge of the pool. His black hair was damp from the steam, and a few loose strands fell across his forehead, lending his handsome face a lazy, carefree air.
His deep black eyes glimmered faintly in the moonlight, like two unfathomable pools that drew in anyone who looked at them.
The mist suddenly thickened, like an ink-washed landscape painting, blurring their figures even further.
Kageyama Sora absently rubbed his fingertips against the cold stone at the edge of the pool. He could feel its texture, but it couldn't dispel the thoughts churning inside him.
The nervous tremble at the end of Saki Miyanaga's voice reached his ears. The faint sound was like a key quietly unlocking the gates of his memory.
His thoughts drifted back to their first meeting. The little things that had happened between him and Haramura Nodoka played through his mind like scenes from a movie.
At first, his awareness of Haramura Nodoka had come from his cousin Tohka's interest in her. On top of that, Haramura Nodoka was an exceptionally strong, advanced player in the mahjong game he'd carefully designed. It seemed only natural that he would become curious about her.
When he finally met Haramura Nodoka in person, the skill she showed at the mahjong table and her strong, steadfast character drew him in like a magnet.
By Kageyama Sora's own reckoning, his fascination with Haramura Nodoka was only natural.
But he also knew that he and Saki Miyanaga had gone through plenty of conflicts together with Haramura Nodoka. So why had he never developed those same special feelings for Saki Miyanaga?
Kageyama Sora gazed at the broken moonlight on the hot spring's surface. The shifting fragments of light seemed to reflect his own tangled thoughts.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he slowly replied, "Sometimes, you can't get an answer right away just because you want to know why."
His voice was low and resonant as it echoed beside the mist-shrouded pool.
After a brief pause, he continued, "It's like playing mahjong. Every tile you draw ends up on the table, but only a few key tiles can let you win."
What he'd originally wanted to say was that there was one key tile. After all, in mahjong, a hand wasn't always waiting to win on just one tile; sometimes, it could wait on several.
The night breeze drifted by, setting the copper bells beneath the eaves ringing in a long, clear chime.
The crisp notes mingled with the bubbling water, bringing a little life to the tranquil scene.
Kageyama Sora had no idea that the analogy he'd casually used with Saki Miyanaga had, in a sense, so perfectly matched his own life.
There weren't many who could "win," but it certainly wasn't as simple as having just one "tile."
Saki Miyanaga tilted her head and looked at Kageyama Sora, seeming only half to understand. "Do you mean Haramura Nodoka is the right tile for you?"
Her gaze held a trace of curiosity, along with a hint of anticipation she couldn't quite hide.
Watching Saki Miyanaga think it over so seriously, Kageyama Sora couldn't help letting a gentle smile rise to his lips.
He reached out and ruffled the top of Saki Miyanaga's brown hair, the gesture natural and affectionate. "You're good at summing things up, Saki Miyanaga."
The sudden show of affection made Saki Miyanaga blush at once.
Her eyes widened. She clearly hadn't expected Kageyama Sora to do that.
The blush spread quickly from her cheeks to her ears, like a brilliant sunset.
Kageyama Sora was also startled by her strong reaction. He quickly pulled his hand back and explained rather flusteredly, "Sorry. You remind me of my cousin, so I did that affectionately without thinking."
The cousin Kageyama Sora meant was, of course, Amae Koromo.
Amae Koromo looked nothing like Saki Miyanaga, and their personalities were completely different. Still, Kageyama Sora felt that their auras were similar when they played mahjong.
Hearing him mention his cousin, Saki Miyanaga paused. Then, as if something had just occurred to her, she asked, "Your cousin... is she Amae Koromo?"
"Yeah." Kageyama Sora nodded. He didn't think it was a secret worth keeping.
Even though Amae Koromo was an opponent of Saki Miyanaga and Haramura Nodoka, he wouldn't deliberately hide their relationship. In his eyes, concealing it would be unfair to everyone.
Saki Miyanaga suddenly looked up and met Kageyama Sora's eyes. Her gaze was full of resolve. "Do you think I can be her opponent? I mean, Club President thinks I might get a chance to play against her."
There was a hint of anxiety in her voice, but even more excitement and determination.
Kageyama Sora didn't brush her off. He furrowed his brow slightly and thought it over seriously.
After a moment, he replied, "You two feel pretty similar to me, but... when you're playing against each other, Koromo has the stronger presence."
His words were tactful, but the meaning was clear: at this stage, Saki Miyanaga still fell a little short in terms of presence.
But Saki Miyanaga didn't lose heart. Instead, she smiled brightly.
Her smile was like the brightest sunlight of spring, dispelling the mist by the hot spring. "That's okay. I won't be upset this time. I'll work hard... just like I promised Haramura Nodoka. I'll work hard to get stronger, then stand on the National Tournament stage."
As she spoke, Saki Miyanaga stared at Kageyama Sora. Her beautiful eyes seemed to light up, sparkling with brilliance. Her confident, spirited look made his heart suddenly beat faster for no apparent reason.
As Saki Miyanaga looked at Kageyama Sora, she happened to catch sight of his abs beneath the hot spring water.
His figure in the water was lean and muscular. The faint lines of his abs showed through the steam, giving him an alluring masculine charm.
Her face grew even redder, and she instinctively lowered her eyes.
But when she looked up again, she suddenly realized how handsome Kageyama Sora was at such close range.
His high nose, finely shaped lips, and sharply defined jaw all revealed his striking looks.
When their eyes met, it was as though electricity passed through the air, and the mood began to grow subtly warmer.
Steam curled between them, heightening the intimacy. Neither of them broke the delicate balance. They simply enjoyed the rare moment together in silence.
A Flutter in Saki Miyanaga's Heart
Saki Miyanaga dipped her burning cheeks into the warm spring water. Bubbles rose with soft glugs against her flushed ears.
The ripples on the surface shattered Kageyama Sora's reflection, but as soon as the water settled, they pieced his handsome face back together.
His wet black hair clung to his neck. Droplets ran down his throat and into the hollow of his collarbone, where the steam blurred them into a hazy dark shade.
"I can't keep looking." She bit her lower lip, digging her nails into her palm.
But whenever she lowered her eyes, she saw the faint outline of his abs in the steam. The warm sensation of his hand still seemed to linger where he'd ruffled her hair.
Haramura Nodoka's gentle smile suddenly appeared in her mind, stinging her flushed cheeks—he was Haramura Nodoka's boyfriend, after all. Her feelings at that moment were like those of a cat sneaking a bite of fish. It was terribly wrong.
The copper bell by the pool rang again in the night breeze, startling her into looking up.
Kageyama Sora was gently stirring the water with his fingertips. Silver flecks of light danced between his slender fingers, while his eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows beneath his eyes.
Noticing her gaze, he lifted his obsidian-black eyes. They met hers just as she hurriedly tried to look away.
"Saki Miyanaga?" His voice carried the warmth of the hot spring. "Your face is very red. Is the water too hot?"
"N-no!" She sprang almost straight out of the water, splashing Kageyama Sora's collarbone.
One strap of her swimsuit slipped halfway down her shoulder, revealing skin pink from the hot water.
She hurried to fix her swimsuit, but standing up so suddenly made her dizzy. Her feet slipped, and she fell toward Kageyama Sora.
The instant she fell into his arms, Saki Miyanaga heard two sharp gasps.
Her forehead pressed against his firm chest, and she could clearly feel his racing heartbeat through his damp skin.
Kageyama Sora instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist. His fingers tightened abruptly when they touched her slender waist, as if he'd touched a burning coal.
"S-sorry!" Saki Miyanaga struggled to get up, but his arm tightened around her before he could think.
Their noses were nearly touching. She could see droplets caught on his eyelashes, along with the complicated emotions roiling in his eyes.
Mist swirled between them, tangling their breath into a languid whirl.
Kageyama Sora's Adam's apple bobbed. His voice was so hoarse it sounded as if sandpaper had scraped it raw. "D-don't move."
His palm rested against her waist through her swimsuit. The warmth burned through the thin fabric and into her skin.
Only then did Saki Miyanaga realize that she was practically draped over him, their bodies barely separated.
The hot spring water suddenly seemed to scald her, and the steam blurred her vision.
Saki Miyanaga could feel Kageyama Sora's breath brushing over the crown of her head, carrying an indescribable warmth.
Her cheeks burned, though she couldn't tell whether it was because of the hot spring or her current position.
"I... I really have to get up now."
She weakly pushed against his chest, but he pressed her back against the edge of the pool.
Moonlight filtered through the mist, casting alternating light and shadow across Kageyama Sora's sharply defined features.
He lowered his eyes to look at her. The emotions churning in his dark gaze seemed ready to drown her.
"Saki Miyanaga," he said, his voice deep, as if it came from the very depths of his chest. "Are you telling me... that you could let me win, too?"
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