Interrogated by Tōka / The Unequal Pact I Was Forced to Accept

Saki Miyanaga instantly sprang into action. "Then it's settled!"

"If you qualify through the Prefectural Preliminaries, how about I show you around my company?" Kageyama Sora stepped forward, a warm smile on his lips. Beneath his short black hair, his eyes were especially gentle.

"Kageyama..." The three girls looked at him at once, their eyes full of surprise and anticipation.

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you..." As his girlfriend, Haramura Nodoka was the first to break the silence.

"How could it be? You're all important to me." Kageyama Sora raised an eyebrow and asked, his smile growing brighter. "Aren't you curious about the story behind a mahjong game app?"

"Super curious!" the three girls shouted in unison, their voices brimming with excitement and anticipation.

As soon as the words left their mouths, Yuki was the first to lose patience.

She blinked her sparkling eyes, her twin tails drawing playful arcs through the air as she ran. Her Cherry Hair Accessory flashed in the sunlight.

Before Kageyama Sora could react, she leaped into his arms like a happy little deer. She smelled sweet and fruity, fresh from her bath, and the patterns on her yukata swayed with her movements. "Kageyama, you're the best!"

Kageyama Sora jumped in surprise. Was Yuki this bold now?

When they'd slept together before, she'd told him not to let Haramura Nodoka find out. So why was she throwing herself at him now!?

Kageyama Sora had no idea that the three girls had decided the night before to share him. While he was still trying to make sense of the situation, Yuki beckoned to Saki Miyanaga. "Saki, don't be shy! Come join us!"

In an instant, Saki Miyanaga's cheeks flushed. Beneath her brown hair, she lowered her eyes, nervously twisting the little flowers on her yukata between her fingers.

After hesitating for a moment, she took small, tentative steps over to Kageyama Sora and leaned against him like a timid kitten.

Her delicate fragrance mingled with Yuki's fruity scent, filling the air.

Seeing this, Haramura Nodoka's pink hair fluttered in the breeze, and dimples appeared faintly in her cheeks.

She smiled tenderly and came over to gently put her arms around them. The pink ribbon in her hair brushed Kageyama Sora's arm, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance.

The three girls closed in around Kageyama Sora. Their body heat passed through the thin fabric, and their sudden affection caught him completely off guard. He froze in place, the tips of his ears slowly turning red.

Interrogated by Tohka

When something was out of the ordinary, there was usually a reason. When someone acted strangely, trouble was sure to follow.

He'd been hugged by three beautiful girls first thing in the morning. One was his girlfriend, one had nearly started a flirtation with him, and one had slept with him...

And seeing how perfectly in sync they were, Kageyama Sora couldn't help feeling they'd talked about something behind his back.

This did not make him feel like enjoying the bliss of having three beautiful girls to himself. Instead, he started worrying that he'd end up like the male lead of some School Days story, getting his head cut off.

"What's gotten into you?" Kageyama Sora, who was usually composed no matter what he did, stammered, confusion written across his face.

His heart raced in spite of himself. Surrounded by the girls' soft bodies and their lingering fragrance, he felt flustered.

Especially once he imagined that he might meet the same fate as Makoto, the male lead of School Days. That made him even more uneasy.

Yuki tipped her head back and gave him a sweet smile, showing off her two adorable canine teeth. "Nothing! We're just so happy! Meow~"

Then she mischievously winked at Saki Miyanaga and Haramura Nodoka.

Saki Miyanaga sneaked a glance at Kageyama Sora. Seeing how bewildered he looked, she couldn't help bursting into laughter, and some of her nervousness faded.

Haramura Nodoka gently patted Yuki's back and said tenderly, "All right, don't scare Kageyama."

She let go and took a step back, her pink hair swaying softly behind her. "We just talked in the hot spring last night."

"What did you talk about?" Kageyama Sora pressed. This was a matter of great importance to his future, after all.

Yuki pursed her lips and tried to summarize their long conversation. "Basically, what to do when friendship and love come into conflict."

"What... do you do?" Kageyama Sora asked.

Haramura Nodoka, his official girlfriend, smiled. "Basically, we can't bear to be apart from each other, and we can't bear to be apart from you... So we'll all be together."

Startled by the bold declaration, Kageyama Sora hadn't expected to get the best possible ending without doing anything at all.

He couldn't help blurting out, "...That's actually an option!?"

His frank reaction made the three girls laugh. Yuki even stuck out her tongue and made a face. "Kageyama looks so embarrassed, like he just won the lottery!"

But judging by their reactions, they weren't lying. They really had agreed to make room for both friendship and love.

Only then did Kageyama Sora slowly relax, the familiar warm smile returning to his lips. "Well, it's a lot to take in."

His gaze swept over the three girls, full of affection. "But if this is what you've decided, I promise I'll treat all of you well."

The waterfall murmured in the background, as if cheering on their promise.

Sunlight passed through the mist rising from the falls and refracted into a brilliant rainbow, enveloping the four young men and women.

In that moment, the air was full of youthful energy and the faint fragrance of the girls.

Still, their top priority was winning the Prefectural Preliminaries.

After that, they'd push on to the National Tournament.

Seeing how excited the girls were, Kageyama Sora belatedly realized there was one problem.

His two cousins, Amae Koromo and Ryumonbuchi Toka, were players on Ryumonbuchi High School's Mahjong Club. Was it really all right for him to cheer on his girlfriend's club like this!?

But Kageyama Sora quickly put the thought aside. He'd cheer for whoever he was with. A smart man knew how to keep things fair.

In any case, the Kiyosumi High School training camp came to a perfect end.

After seeing everyone off, Kageyama Sora returned to Ryumonbuchi Villa.

The setting sun filtered through the branches, scattering golden flecks across the stone path. The evening breeze carried the fresh scent of plants from the surrounding forest, gently ruffling his neat black hair.

In the distance, the villa's outline appeared and disappeared in the dusk. Warm yellow light spilled from its windows, but couldn't conceal the building's elegant grandeur.

He pushed open the carved wooden door. The room smelled faintly of sandalwood, and the crystal chandelier filled the living room with dazzling, stately light.

Ryumonbuchi Toka sat in a carved armchair, dressed in a pure white silk gown. The gold embroidery along its hem rippled gently with her graceful movements.

Her smooth golden hair fell over her shoulders like a waterfall. Her exquisite makeup and deliberately icy air made her seem like a snow queen untouched by worldly concerns.

She held a fine porcelain teacup in her slender fingers, taking a light sip with her red lips. Her eyes were full of scrutiny and curiosity, and there was an inscrutable aura about her.

"Back already?" Her cool voice came from ahead, the final syllable rising slightly with a hint of pressure.

Kageyama Sora lifted a hand to straighten his slightly rumpled collar, a helpless smile tugging at his lips.

He walked closer and met Ryumonbuchi Toka's gaze. The sharpness in her eyes made him sigh inwardly. "Tohka, putting on a pose again?"

He kept his tone light, trying to break the oppressive atmosphere.

Ryumonbuchi Toka gently set her teacup on the gold-trimmed side table. The porcelain clinked crisply against the tabletop. She straightened, and the gold embroidery on her white dress shimmered in the light, emphasizing her elegant, upright posture.

"I'm not putting on a pose. I'm interrogating you." She narrowed her eyes slightly. The ahoge on her head bobbed; she was clearly excited, despite trying to act aloof.

"Interrogating me?" Kageyama Sora raised an eyebrow and sat on the sofa opposite her, crossing his long legs casually. His black tracksuit stood out against the luxurious surroundings.

"Tell me, where have you been these past few days!?" Ryumonbuchi Toka leaned forward, her golden hair sliding over her shoulder. She fixed her eyes on Kageyama Sora as if trying to see right through him.

Kageyama Sora rubbed his brow and said helplessly, "If you had something important to ask, you could've called me."

"Then how would I interrogate you!?" Ryumonbuchi Toka shot to her feet, her white skirt flaring like a blossoming flower.

She crossed her arms, her delicate brows drawing together. All the young lady's spoiled, headstrong nature was on display.

Well, it hadn't taken long for her to give herself away and drop the act.

"...You just said what you were thinking..." Kageyama Sora's mouth twitched, and his expression went blank.

He looked at his haughty cousin, feeling utterly helpless.

The light glittering in her golden hair and the luxurious gold embroidery on her white dress both proclaimed her status. Yet her stubborn expression right now left him at a complete loss.

Just then, light footsteps sounded on the stairs.

Amae Koromo came downstairs, her golden hair loose around her shoulders and her trademark Red Rabbit Ear Accessory bobbing with each step. Her pink sundress made her look even smaller and cuter.

She hopped over, the bow at her chest fluttering like that of a lively little rabbit. "Tohka, Sora, what fun thing are you talking about?"

She blinked her big, watery eyes and asked curiously, her innocent appearance a stark contrast to the tension between the other two.

Of course, acting cute was just part of her daily routine. The Great Demon King was the real her.

No one in the room was fooled.

The Unequal Terms He Was Forced to Accept

"Tohka, Sora, what fun thing are you talking about?"

Kageyama Sora was just about to explain when Amae Koromo plopped down beside him. Her pink skirt brushed his thigh, and a sweet strawberry scent instantly enveloped him.

She tilted her head, her rabbit ears brushing Kageyama Sora's hot ear. "Sora... you smell strongly of hot springs, and there's women's perfume mixed in, too."

Amae Koromo was good at acting cute, but in truth she was sharp-tongued and devious. She drew out the last syllable, her fingers idly winding around a button on his sleeve.

She looked like a Great Demon King who knew everything but wasn't going to say a word, waiting for him to come clean on his own.

Ryumonbuchi Toka gave an aloof little hum, her fingertips tracing the armrest of the velvet sofa. "Sounds like the Kiyosumi training camp was fun?" She suddenly leaned closer, her silk skirt sliding over his knee. Her designer perfume clashed with Amae Koromo's strawberry scent, creating a subtle air of hostility. "I heard you spent the whole time training them?"

All right, no wonder Ryumonbuchi Toka was sitting there interrogating him like that. She already knew everything.

Kageyama Sora wasn't surprised that Ryumonbuchi Toka knew it all. After all, her Universal Butler, Ogira, knew everything.

Just then, Amae Koromo's cold hand slipped out from between the cushions and crept up his lower back. "Cousin Kong, you're so biased... You didn't even come to our training camp."

There was a sharp little hook hidden in the girl's soft, childish complaint. Her fingernail lightly scraped the bumps of his spine.

"Wait! Your Mahjong Club at Ryumonbuchi High School didn't even have a training camp..." Kageyama Sora caught Amae Koromo's misbehaving hand, only for her to clasp it in both of hers. The soft feel of her palm and her sweet scent made his Adam's apple bob.

In the corner of his eye, he caught the rhythm of Ryumonbuchi Toka's ahoge... Right, it moved like that when she was irritated.

That meant she was really on edge now. He needed to find a way to deal with it.

"Koromo, stop that." Toka lifted her teacup and took a sip of black tea. A pale pink lipstick mark clung to the rim. "Cousin, after all this, don't you think you should explain yourself? You're Koromo's and my cousin!"

Kageyama Sora helplessly explained the Kiyosumi training camp from beginning to end. "I just thought the way their Club President, Hisa Takei, trained them was interesting, so I joined in for a couple of days..."

As for the fact that he'd gotten involved with all three girls, he absolutely wasn't going to mention it.

Kageyama Sora thought he'd done a pretty good job explaining himself.

But Ryumonbuchi Toka set down her teacup with a sharp "clack." The tea rippled inside the porcelain cup. "So Kiyosumi High School's training was interesting, but Ryumonbuchi High School's Mahjong Club wasn't enough to catch your interest?"

She deliberately drew out the word "cousin." The dangerous, alluring lift of her eyes and the gold-embroidered hem brushing the back of his hand were like the soft claws of a cat.

Just then, Amae Koromo puffed out her cheeks and straddled Kageyama Sora's lap. Her pink skirt spread out like a soft blanket. She wrapped her arms around his neck, then turned to Ryumonbuchi Toka, who was sulking nearby. "Tohka, how about we go to a training camp too? After that, we can visit Sora's company overseas!"

Ryumonbuchi Toka clearly thought it was a good idea, too. "Then, Cousin Sora, what do you think!?"

Kageyama Sora sighed and steadied Amae Koromo in his arms, worried she might fall, then looked toward Ryumonbuchi Toka. "If you have time, after the preliminaries are over, I can take the whole Ryumonbuchi High School Mahjong Club. That's no problem at all."

After agreeing to a whole pile of unequal terms about training camps and what might happen on the trip afterward, Kageyama Sora had, for the moment, managed to escape the crisis.

One was his cousin, and one was his woman. What else could he do but spoil them?

And so, in the midst of all that chaos, the preliminaries finally arrived.

Normally, as an investor, Kageyama Sora could've sat with the referees or simply stayed home.

But... there were a lot of people he cared about, so he decided to show up.

Kiyosumi High School had arrived quite early.

He walked over at an easy pace to greet Haramura Nodoka and the others, but was surprised to see one person missing. "Where's Saki Miyanaga?"

Yuki, eating a chicken wrap, complained, "No idea... Maybe she overslept..."

Seeing that everyone looked worried, Kageyama Sora offered, "Why don't I go look for her?"

Before anyone from Kiyosumi High School could answer, a voice came from nearby.

As the reporter announced the team, Kageyama Sora looked toward the newcomers... They were a familiar team, as it turned out.

It was the Kazekoshi Girls' High School team, whose captain, Fukuji Mihoko, had helped him pick out a gift when he'd been at odds with Ryumonbuchi Toka.

The reporter's voice remained impassioned:

"Kazekoshi Girls' High School came in second last year. They're a powerhouse with eighty members, led by captain Fukuji Mihoko. Can she erase the shame of their streak of team championship wins coming to an end last year!?"

Just then, Hisa Takei turned to Kageyama Sora. "Come to think of it, aren't you from Ryumonbuchi High School? Why didn't you come with them?"

Kageyama Sora sighed. "They... Tohka said she didn't want me stealing her spotlight..."

Before he could finish, the doors opened, and Ryumonbuchi Toka stood at the front of her team. She made a dazzling entrance as the reporter announced them: "Ryumonbuchi High School, last year's Prefectural Preliminaries champions. With an all-first-year team, they ended Kazekoshi Girls' High School's reign in a show of overwhelming strength—"