Chapter 26

Saki Miyanaga reached peak combat readiness in an instant: "It's decided then!"

"If you manage to qualify from the prefectural preliminaries, how about I take you all to visit my company?" Kageyama Sora stepped forward, a gentle smile playing on his lips; beneath his short black hair, his eyes were exceptionally tender.

"Kageyama-kun..." The three of them looked at him simultaneously, their eyes filled with surprise and anticipation.

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

"How could it be? You are all important people to me." Kageyama Sora raised an eyebrow, his smile growing even brighter: "Aren't you curious about the story behind a mahjong game software!?"

"Super curious!" The three shouted in unison, their voices brimming with excitement and expectation.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Yuki was the first to lose her restraint.

She blinked her sparkling eyes, her twin tails tracing playful arcs in the air as she ran, her Cherry Hair Accessory glinting in the sunlight.

Before Kageyama Sora could react, she dove into his arms like a joyful little deer, carrying the sweet, fruity scent of a fresh bath, the patterns on her yukata swaying gently with her movements: "Kageyama-kun is the best!"

Kageyama Sora was startled, thinking to himself, Is Yuki always this aggressive now?

Back when they had been intimate, she had told him not to expose their relationship in front of Haramura Nodoka, so why was she throwing herself at him now!?

Kageyama Sora naturally didn't know that the three girls had made up their minds last night to share him, and were currently caught in a delicate state of mind.

Yuki beckoned to Saki Miyanaga: "Saki, don't be shy! Come on, join us!"

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

After a moment of hesitation, she took small, tentative steps, slowly shuffling over to Kageyama Sora's side, leaning against him gently like a timid kitten.

Her subtle, elegant fragrance mingled with Yuki's fruity scent, diffusing into the air.

Seeing this, Haramura Nodoka's long pink hair fluttered in the breeze, her dimples appearing faintly.

A gentle smile curled her lips as she stepped forward and lightly wrapped her arms around the two of them, the pink ribbon in her hair brushing against Kageyama Sora's arm, carrying a lingering, sweet scent.

The three of them surrounded Kageyama Sora tightly, the girls' body heat transferring through the thin fabric. Caught off guard by this sudden burst of affection, Kageyama Sora froze in place, his earlobes slowly turning red.

Something is definitely wrong when things are this abnormal; when people act this strangely, there's bound to be a blade involved.

Being hugged by three beautiful girls first thing in the morning—one his girlfriend, one he had a failed flirtation with, and one he had been intimate with...

Moreover, looking at the tacit understanding between the three of them, Kageyama Sora couldn't help but feel they had discussed something behind his back.

This realization made Kageyama Sora not only fail to enjoy the "blessing of having multiple partners," but instead start worrying if he would end up like the protagonist of School Days and get his head chopped off.

"You guys, what's gotten into you?" Kageyama Sora, who usually handled everything with ease, asked stutteringly, his eyes full of confusion.

His heart rate accelerated involuntarily. Surrounded by the girls' soft bodies and breathing in the fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose, he felt a bit flustered.

Especially when he started imagining that he might share the same fate as Makoto from School Days, he felt even more unnatural.

Yuki tilted her head up and gave him a sweet smile, revealing two cute fangs: "Nothing, we're just so happy! Meow~"

After saying that, she mischievously winked at Saki Miyanaga and Haramura Nodoka.

Saki Miyanaga peeked at Kageyama Sora, and seeing his bewildered expression, she couldn't help but let out a "pfft" of laughter, her nervous tension dissipating slightly.

Haramura Nodoka gently patted Yuki's back and said softly: "Alright, don't scare Kageyama-kun."

She let go and took a step back, her long pink hair swaying gently behind her: "We just had a talk in the hot spring last night."

"What did you talk about?" Kageyama Sora pressed, as this was a matter of life-or-death importance to him.

Yuki pouted, trying to summarize their long conversation: "Probably about what to do when friendship and love conflict."

"And... what should you do?" Kageyama Sora asked.

Haramura Nodoka, as his official girlfriend, smiled: "Probably that we can't bear to lose each other, and we can't bear to lose you... so we decided to be wings for each other."

Startled by such a bold statement, Kageyama Sora hadn't expected that he would reach the best ending without doing anything at all.

He couldn't help but blurt out: "...There's such a good thing!?"

This candid reaction made the three girls laugh, and Yuki even made a face and stuck out her tongue: "Kageyama-kun, that look of someone who just won the lottery is really embarrassing."

However, seeing everyone's reaction, he knew they weren't lying, but had truly made a pact where friendship and love could coexist.

Kageyama Sora finally relaxed, the gentle smile returning to his lips: "It's just... it's truly too surprising."

His gaze swept over the three girls, filled with doting affection: "But since you've decided, I promise I'll treat you all very well."

The sound of the waterfall gurgling nearby seemed to cheer for their agreement.

Sunlight filtered through the mist of the waterfall, refracting into a brilliant rainbow that enveloped the four teenagers.

In this moment, the air was filled with the scent of youth and the faint, lingering fragrance of the girls.

However, the most important thing now was still to win the prefectural preliminaries.

And after that, to sprint toward the National Tournament.

Seeing the girls' excitement, Kageyama Sora belatedly thought of a problem.

His two cousins, Amae Koromo and Ryumonbuchi Toka, were players for the Ryumonbuchi High School Mahjong Club. Was it really okay for him to be cheering for his girlfriend's Mahjong Club like this!?

However, Kageyama Sora quickly cast all of that to the back of his mind—cheer for whoever you're with; as a smart man, one must learn how to balance the scales.

Regardless, this training camp at Kiyosumi High School had finally come to a successful conclusion.

After Kageyama Sora dropped everyone off, he returned to Ryumonbuchi Villa.

The afterglow of the sunset filtered through the mottled leaves, casting golden spots onto the bluestone path, while the evening breeze, carrying the fresh scent of mountain grass and trees, brushed gently against his neat, short black hair.

In the distance, the silhouette of the villa loomed in the twilight, warm yellow light spilling from the window lattices, yet it could not hide the elegant nobility radiating from the building itself.

Pushing open the carved wooden door, the house was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, and the crystal chandelier illuminated the entire living room, making it look both brilliant and solemn.

Ryumonbuchi Toka sat upright in a carved armchair, wearing a pure white silk dress, the gold-threaded hem swaying slightly with her elegant movements.

Her smooth, golden hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, and her exquisite makeup, paired with her feigned cold demeanor, made her look like an ice queen untouched by the world.

At this moment, she was holding a bone china teacup with her slender fingers, taking a light sip with her crimson lips, her eyes filled with scrutiny and inquiry, an unfathomable aura surrounding her.

"You're back?" A cold, clear voice came from ahead, the tail end of the sentence rising slightly, carrying a subtle sense of pressure.

Kageyama Sora raised a hand to straighten his slightly messy collar, a helpless smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

He stepped closer, his gaze meeting Ryumonbuchi Toka's, and the sharpness in her eyes made him sigh inwardly. "Toka, are you posing again?"

His tone was relaxed, attempting to break the somewhat oppressive atmosphere.

Ryumonbuchi Toka gently placed her teacup on the small gold-rimmed table, the porcelain clinking against the surface with a crisp sound. She sat up a little straighter, the gold-threaded patterns on her white dress shimmering under the light, making her posture even more upright and graceful.

"It's not a pose, it's an interrogation." She narrowed her eyes slightly, the ahoge on her head swaying; it was clear she was actually very excited but trying to act cold.

"An interrogation?" Kageyama Sora raised an eyebrow and sat on the sofa opposite her, crossing his long legs casually, his black sportswear forming a sharp contrast with the luxurious surroundings.

"Tell me, where have you been these past few days!?" Ryumonbuchi Toka leaned forward, her golden hair sliding over her shoulders with the movement, her eyes locked onto Kageyama Sora as if she wanted to see right through him.

Kageyama Sora reached out to rub his brow, saying helplessly, "Actually, if you have something important, you can just call me."

"Then how would I interrogate you!" Ryumonbuchi Toka stood up abruptly, the hem of her white dress spreading out like a blooming flower.

She crossed her arms, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, the spoiled and willful nature of a young lady fully on display.

Well, as expected, she gave herself away after only a few words, and her act fell apart.

"...You just said what was on your mind..." Kageyama Sora's mouth twitched, his face covered in black lines.

He looked at the high-and-mighty cousin before him, his heart filled with helplessness.

From the brilliant light reflecting off her golden hair to the luxury of the gold-threaded patterns on her white dress, everything highlighted her status, but this earnest look right now really made him feel quite helpless.

Just then, a sound of light, quick footsteps came from the stairs.

Amae Koromo, her golden hair loose and wearing her signature Red Rabbit Ear Accessory, walked down the stairs, the accessory swaying gently with her movements, her pink suspender dress making her look even more petite and cute.

She hopped over, the ribbon bow on her chest fluttering, like a nimble little rabbit: "Toka, Sora, what interesting things are you two talking about?"

She blinked her watery eyes and asked curiously, her innocent appearance forming a strong contrast with the two people who were at each other's throats.

Of course, acting cute was a daily routine, but being the Demon King was her true nature.

This look couldn't fool anyone in the room.

Chapter 59: The Unequal Treaty Agreed to Under Duress

"Toka, Sora, what interesting things are you two talking about?"

Just as Kageyama Sora was about to explain, Amae Koromo had already sat down beside him, her pink skirt brushing against his thigh, and the sweet scent of strawberries instantly surrounded him.

She tilted her head, her rabbit ears brushing against Kageyama Sora's burning earlobes: "Sora... you have a very strong smell of hot springs on you, and it's mixed with a woman's perfume, too."

Amae Koromo, who was good at acting cute but was actually sharp-tongued and black-hearted, dragged out the end of her sentence with a long, trembling tone, her fingers unconsciously twisting the button on his sleeve.

She had the look of a Demon King who knew everything, but just wouldn't say it, waiting for him to confess himself.

Kageyama Sora had discovered that ever since that incident with Amae Koromo, her attitude toward him had undergone a drastic change, a subtle burden of being treated as "one of her own."

Ryumonbuchi Toka gave a cold snort, the proud young lady's fingertips tracing the velvet sofa armrest: "It seems the Kiyosumi training camp was very pleasant?" She suddenly leaned in, her silk skirt sliding over his knees, the high-end perfume from her hair clashing with Amae Koromo's strawberry scent to create a subtle smell of gunpowder: "I heard you accompanied them for the entire special training?"

Fine, no wonder Ryumonbuchi Toka was putting on this act to interrogate him; it turned out she knew everything.

And Kageyama Sora wasn't surprised that Ryumonbuchi Toka knew everything; after all, her omnipotent butler, Ogira, knew everything.

Just then, Amae Koromo's cold hand suddenly snaked out from the gap in the sofa, crawling up his lower back: "Cousin Kong is biased... you didn't accompany us for a training camp."

There were sharp hooks hidden in the girl's soft, sweet complaint, her fingernails lightly scratching the protruding joints of his spine.

"Wait! It's not like the Mahjong Club at Ryumonbuchi High School had a training camp either..." Kageyama Sora grabbed Amae Koromo's mischievous hand, but he was held by both of her hands instead, the delicate touch of her palms and the girl's scent making his Adam's apple bob.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the rhythm of the ahoge on Ryumonbuchi Toka's head... hmm, that was her signature sign of irritation.

It meant she was very anxious right now and needed to find a way to deal with it.

"Koromo, stop it." Toka picked up her teacup and took a sip of black tea, a faint pink lipstick stain left on the rim: "Cousin, after saying so much, shouldn't you explain? You are my and Koromo's cousin!"

Kageyama Sora helplessly recounted the events of the Kiyosumi training camp: "I just thought the way that captain named Hisa Takei trained them was interesting, so I played along for two days..."

As for the fact that he had ambiguous encounters with all three girls, he would absolutely, definitely not say a word.

Kageyama Sora asked himself if he had explained it well enough.

However, Ryumonbuchi Toka "slapped" her teacup down, the tea rippling in the bone china cup: "So, the special training at Kiyosumi High School is interesting, but the Mahjong Club at Ryumonbuchi High School isn't enough to pique your interest?"

She deliberately drew out the word "Cousin," the upward curve of her eyes dangerous and alluring, the gold-threaded hem of her dress sweeping across the back of his hand like the soft claws of a feline.

At this moment, Amae Koromo suddenly puffed out her cheeks and straddled Kageyama Sora's lap, her pink skirt spreading out like a soft blanket. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, she looked toward the sulking Ryumonbuchi Toka and said, "Toka, let's go to the training camp too, okay? And after that, let's go to Sora's company abroad!"

Ryumonbuchi Toka clearly thought this was a good suggestion: "So, Cousin Kong, what is your opinion!?"

Kageyama Sora sighed, helplessly holding Amae Koromo to steady her position, fearing she might fall off, while looking at Ryumonbuchi Toka: "If you all have the time, it's perfectly fine for me to take everyone from the Ryumonbuchi High School Mahjong Club along after the preliminaries end."

Just like that, after agreeing to a mountain of unequal treaties that might come to pass during the training camps and trips, Kageyama Sora had, for the time being, escaped the crisis.

Between his cousin and his woman, what else could he do but spoil them?

And so, amidst the chaos, the preliminaries finally arrived.

Originally, as an investor, Kageyama Sora could have sat with the judges or simply not come at all.

However... considering there were many people he cared about, he showed up anyway.

Kiyosumi High School had arrived quite early.

He walked over with a calm gait to greet Haramura Nodoka and the others, but was surprised to find someone missing: "Where is Miyanaga Saki?"

Yuki complained while eating a chicken wrap: "I don't know... could she have overslept?"

Seeing that everyone looked a bit worried, Kageyama Sora suggested: "How about I go look for her for you?"

Before the people from Kiyosumi High School could answer, a voice came from not far away.

Accompanied by the reporter's commentary, Kageyama Sora looked at the newcomers... how should he put it, it was actually a familiar team.

It was the Kazekoshi Girls' High School, where Fukuji Mihoko, who had helped him pick out a gift when he was having trouble with Ryumonbuchi Toka last time, belonged.

The reporter's voice remained impassioned:

"Kazekoshi Girls' High School, last year's runner-up, a powerhouse mahjong school with eighty members. The captain is Fukuji Mihoko. Can she wash away the shame of having their consecutive team championship streak ended last year!?"

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

Kageyama Sora felt helpless: "Them... Toka said she didn't want me to steal her spotlight..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the door was pushed open. Ryumonbuchi Toka, with her golden hair, stood at the very front. With an absolutely magnificent posture and accompanied by the reporter's voice, she made a powerful entrance: "Ryumonbuchi High School, last year's county preliminary championship team, the absolute powerhouse squad that interrupted Kazekoshi Girls' High School with an all-first-year lineup--"