Chapter 28

"Let's go!" Amae Koromo's voice carried an irrepressible excitement, her golden hair caught by the wind, tracing a lively arc in the air.

Kageyama Sora's hand, gripping the throttle, paused for a moment. Amidst the roar of the engine, he could clearly feel the warmth radiating from behind him, as well as Amae Koromo's slightly trembling fingertips—it wasn't fear, but an excitement that could not be concealed.

I was really overthinking it earlier, worrying that it would be inconvenient to pick her up on a motorcycle while she was wearing a skirt, Kageyama Sora thought to himself.

The motorcycle shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, the tires screeching against the pavement.

Amae Koromo was not afraid in the slightest; instead, she tilted her head back and laughed, her laughter shredded by the wind and scattered across the rushing scenery.

She let go with one hand, reaching out toward the sky as if to grasp the passing clouds: "This is amazing! Go faster, Sora!"

Such a suggestive line made Kageyama Sora inexplicably think of that night, when Amae Koromo was clearly at her limit, yet still urged him to go faster, just a little faster.

Kageyama Sora looked at Amae Koromo's beaming eyes in the rearview mirror, the corners of his mouth lifting involuntarily.

He twisted the throttle further, the bike leaning into the curve at a dangerous angle, yet Amae Koromo only held him tighter, her scorching breath burning his skin through his clothes.

The girl's excited screams, mixed with the roar of the engine, echoed across the empty road, startling a few birds from the trees along the way.

"Do you see that red sports car up ahead?" Amae Koromo suddenly whispered against his ear, her warm breath making Kageyama Sora's neck flush, "Overtake it!"

Before he could respond, Amae Koromo tapped his waist, as if issuing a challenge.

Kageyama Sora's gaze sharpened, and the bike surged forward, flashing past the sports car like a bolt of black lightning, leaving behind only Amae Koromo's bell-like laughter and the surprised honking of the sports car driver.

When Kageyama Sora and Amae Koromo arrived at the venue, thanks to his speeding, they were perfectly on time, ensuring Ryumonbuchi High School wouldn't be disqualified for an incomplete roster.

The circular LED screen on the gymnasium dome suddenly erupted in blinding white light, casting a divine halo over Amae Koromo's golden hair.

Ryumonbuchi Toka stood on the sidelines with her arms crossed, her ahoge swaying as she stomped her foot: "Koromo! You almost got us disqualified!"

"Toka is still so uncute." Amae Koromo blinked her large, watery eyes and walked over, a few delicate flower petals still clinging to the hem of her pink skirt: "But thanks to Sora bringing me here, otherwise I really would have missed it."

She deliberately dragged out the end of her sentence, affectionately hooking her arm through Kageyama Sora's and leaning against him like a lazy cat.

Amae Koromo knew what had happened between Ryumonbuchi Toka and Kageyama Sora, which was exactly why she was doing this to provoke her.

Inoue Jun rested her forehead in her hand, her metal tie clip refracting a cold light under the arena lamps: "Five alarm clocks couldn't wake you up; next time, we should just have Kageyama-kun use his motorcycle engine as your alarm."

Before she could finish, Kunihiro Hajime had already leaned in front of Kageyama Sora: "Having a cousin is really useful at critical moments, isn't it?"

The star sticker on her face trembled slightly with her smile, her eyes full of teasing.

Kageyama Sora's earlobes turned slightly red, and just as he was about to explain, Amae Koromo suddenly stood on her tiptoes and gave him a light kiss on the cheek: "Sora is the best!"

This action instantly caused a stir in the arena, especially for a certain professional player who knew Amae Koromo, who widened her eyes in shock at seeing her act so coy and adorable.

Seeing Amae Koromo like this, Ryumonbuchi Toka knew she shouldn't be angry and had no reason to be, but her ahoge still trembled with rage, yet she could do nothing about her. "The match is about to start, stop the lovey-dovey stuff!"

She sounded fierce, but her eyes drifted involuntarily toward Kageyama Sora—the only person who could make Amae Koromo behave.

She used to be very close to Amae Koromo, but because of Amae Koromo's own nature, there had always been a barrier between them; however, with Kageyama Sora, that barrier didn't exist at all.

With things settled at Ryumonbuchi High School for the moment, Kageyama Sora decided to go check on Haramura Nodoka and the others from Kiyosumi High School.

To his surprise, he found that the aura surrounding Haramura Nodoka was very subtle... it wasn't fear or anything of the sort, but rather a dangerous edge.

Kageyama Sora couldn't help but feel worried—although it was a good thing for Haramura Nodoka to have a fighting spirit, her current demeanor was still quite concerning.

"Nodoka, did something happen?" Under Kageyama Sora's concerned gaze, before Haramura Nodoka could say anything, the others from Kiyosumi High School began to chime in, talking over one another.

It turned out that their first-round opponents, upon discovering they were facing Kiyosumi High School, had been mocking them behind their backs.

Some said Kiyosumi High School was mediocre, others called Haramura Nodoka's declaration of wanting the national title during her interview the arrogance of a newborn calf, and they even ridiculed her for having no merits other than her large chest, claiming that was the only reason reporters paid attention to her. In short, they didn't take Kiyosumi High School seriously at all and had nothing good to say.

Haramura Nodoka, who was proud and took mahjong seriously, naturally couldn't accept this.

After explaining the situation to Kageyama Sora, Miyanaga Saki walked over to Haramura Nodoka with a look of concern: "Haramura Nodoka-san... it's okay, let's show them in the match..."

Before Miyanaga Saki could finish, Haramura Nodoka cut her off decisively: "First round, let's do our best."

As the words fell, the first round of the match was about to begin.

And the one starting as the vanguard was Yuki Kataoka.

Yuki Kataoka, who had just been standing up for Haramura Nodoka, instantly became energetic and gave herself a thumbs-up: "It's time for the protagonist to take the stage!"

Seeing Yuki Kataoka so spirited, everyone from Kiyosumi High School began to cheer her on: "Good luck, Yuki!"

"Leave it to me!" As she said this, Yuki Kataoka suddenly looked at Kageyama Sora: "If I win, does Kageyama-kun have a reward for me!?"

Before Kageyama Sora could respond, Someya Mako chimed in: "Winning is a matter of course, why would you need a reward!"

Feeling her little scheme had been exposed, Yuki Kataoka instantly broke down: "Don't stop me from trying to get some benefits for myself!"

Kageyama Sora smiled: "I'll grant you one request, good luck, Yuki."

"Let's go!"

Just like that, Yuki Kataoka bounced off, full of energy, while the others headed toward the waiting room.

It is worth mentioning that the person who had been mocking Haramura Nodoka was also one of Yuki's opponents in this round.

Chapter 63: The Prefectural Preliminaries Officially Begin

"Prefectural Preliminaries, Team Tournament, First Round, Begin."

The incandescent lights in the gymnasium dome suddenly flared to life before the match, illuminating the giant electronic scoreboard suspended in mid-air with a blinding glare.

The moment the mechanical female voice faded from the broadcast, the sound of mahjong tiles clattering against each other surged like a tide across the stands, accompanied by waves of cheering and shouting.

"The curtain has finally risen on the battle!" The male announcer's knuckles were white as he gripped the microphone, the veins in his neck pulsing along with the roar of the crowd: "Starting as the dealer is the first-year player from Kiyosumi High School—Yuki Kataoka!"

At the dark green table, Yuki Kataoka was stuffing the last bite of a burrito into her mouth, her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel stealing nuts.

As her fingertips brushed across the wall of tiles, her nails scraped against the matte surface, creating a faint, crisp sound. Only then did the three opposing players realize that the energetic girl with short twin-tails before them had the eyes of a predator burning in her pupils.

"A first-year student? Can you keep up with me, the one known for the fastest speed?" The punk-styled player who had mocked Nodoka Haramura not long ago sneered while spinning a tile, only to freeze completely five minutes later.

Yuki Kataoka's rhythm in pushing tiles was so fast it stirred the air; the hem of her blue skirt fluttered with her movements, and her calves, clad in white stockings, swayed back and forth in a cute display.

As the score bar for Kiyosumi High School on the electronic screen began to skyrocket, the punk player's bangs were already plastered to her forehead with cold sweat, and her fingers trembled as she gripped her tiles.

In the lounge, Hisa Takei rested her chin on her crossed hands, her wine-red hair cascading over her shoulders.

She watched Yuki's unstoppable momentum at the table, the corners of her mouth curling into an appreciative arc: "With Yuki in this state, even I would find it difficult to stop her."

"Eh! Is she really that amazing!?" Mako Someya sat up straight abruptly, her round glasses reflecting a blinding white light, completely unaware that her loose-leaf notebook had slid off her lap.

Kageyama Sora's gaze followed the opponents who were retreating step by step at the table; their pale faces and trembling fingertips were worlds apart from the mahjong masters he remembered seeing.

Each of them looked as if their souls had been scattered by the beating.

This made Kageyama Sora realize a problem: although this was an era where mahjong was extremely popular and prevalent, not every high school student played with the monstrous abilities he had encountered.

It could only be said that most people's skill levels were normal, and it was just that he happened to be surrounded by an unusually high number of monstrous geniuses.

"Yuki's opponents look like they're having a rough time..." He unconsciously stroked the top of Nodoka Haramura's head, suddenly realizing that outside this circle filled with geniuses, most high school students were actually at a normal level.

Saki Miyanaga rested her chin in her hand, her peach-blossom eyes curving into crescents: "Speaking of which, that one just now was the one who was bad-mouthing Nodoka Haramura in private..."

Her voice trailed off, leaving it unclear whether she was teasing or simply stating a fact.

Kageyama Sora looked down to meet Nodoka Haramura's reddening earlobes and chuckled: "Well, that is... truly well-deserved."

Shortly after, Yuki, wearing her Kiyosumi High School uniform, came bouncing off the stage, the hair on her head bobbing along with her, her skirt fluttering as she radiated enthusiasm and energy.

"Since that's the case, it's time for me to go on stage." Mako Someya closed her notebook neatly and stood up. Despite wearing the same Kiyosumi High School uniform, the hem of her mid-length skirt was lifted and dropped by the air conditioning breeze.

Hisa Takei looked up, her eyes reflecting Mako Someya's figure: "No need to play defensively; just widen the gap."

"That was my plan all along." Mako Someya pushed up her glasses, the metal frames flashing with a cold light as she wore a confident smile.

Watching Mako Someya's back, Kageyama Sora suddenly felt that, among the five members of Kiyosumi High School, he knew everyone except for Mako Someya.

Perhaps it was because this second-year senior was too composed, which resulted in Kageyama Sora having the least amount of interaction with her: "I'll take this match as an opportunity to see her..."

"Are you curious about Mako!?" Hisa Takei suddenly leaned in close, her hair brushing against Kageyama Sora's ear, her eyes carrying a certain ambiguous smile.

Because Hisa Takei knew about the relationships between Kageyama Sora and the other girls, Kageyama Sora naturally misinterpreted her, thinking Hisa Takei was teasing him.

"Hmm... but it's not what you think." Kageyama Sora felt as if he had been labeled with something strange and looked away: "It's just that I don't know her very well."

Hisa Takei chuckled softly, the corners of her eyes curving into a beautiful arc: "Hehe, Mako would be very happy to hear you say that."

Just as Kageyama Sora wanted to ask what Hisa Takei was being so cryptic about, Mako Someya had already taken her place and started the match.

However, compared to Yuki Kataoka's luck, Mako Someya's tiles were quite poor this time, with nothing connecting to anything else.

Faced with such natural tile disadvantage, Kageyama Sora couldn't help but feel a little worried: "It looks a bit dangerous."

But as the person who understood Mako Someya best, Hisa Takei crossed her arms, her lips curling into a confident arc: "Mako has been playing mahjong for years; she isn't the type to be defeated so easily."

As she spoke, she turned to look at the boy beside her, her eyes filled with a certain secret expectation: "This is the perfect chance for you to witness her ability—did you think that a team member I hold in high regard is just a vase propped up by seniority?"

"That is exactly what I was thinking..." Kageyama Sora indicated that he had no intention of questioning Mako Someya: "I naturally believe that anyone you care about is definitely not someone who just coasted on seniority... that is why I am... so curious."

Once these words were out, perhaps because Kageyama Sora's expression toward Hisa Takei was too earnest, it actually made Hisa Takei, who was in some sense quite calculating, feel a bit embarrassed, causing her face and ears to turn red.

Just then, Mako Someya took off her glasses. She had a pair of dark red eyes, which were unexpectedly devoid of any aggression.

She wore a confident smile, clearly unfazed by her poor tile luck.

Then, as if some sort of seal had been broken, Mako Someya began to win hand after hand, and big hands at that.

Her aggressive demeanor was completely different from her usual low-key style.

It wasn't until the match ended that Mako Someya put her glasses back on and assumed a humble appearance—while her opponents were by then practically soul-shattered.

Kageyama Sora smiled and remarked with genuine emotion: "Kiyosumi High School really doesn't keep any dead weight..."

At this moment, it was finally time for the club president, Hisa Takei, to compete.

She moved her arms and smiled exceptionally brightly: "It's finally my turn. I can't wait. The first team match... that I've only managed to have in my third year of high school..."

Afterward, as if she had just realized something, Hisa Takei looked at Kageyama Sora: "Could you please take Nodoka Haramura and Saki Miyanaga to the coffee shop on the second floor to get something to eat? Eating bananas and dairy products together can activate the brain..."

Chapter 64: A Date for Three

As they walked through the corridor, the cool air from the air conditioning, carrying a faint scent of disinfectant, rushed toward them.

Kageyama Sora walked in front to lead the way, his peripheral vision occasionally sweeping over the two walking side-by-side behind him—Saki Miyanaga was unconsciously tugging at the hem of her uniform skirt, her hair falling to cover her reddened earlobes; Nodoka Haramura, on the other hand, looked calmer, her ankles wrapped in white socks swaying gently with her steps, her leather shoes tapping out a crisp sound.

The floor-to-ceiling windows of the second-floor coffee shop were flooded with sunlight, and dust motes floated in the light over the wooden tables and chairs.

The screen was still broadcasting the mahjong match in real-time, and Hisa Takei was, as expected, not giving anyone reason to worry, winning hand after hand.

"As expected, there's no need to worry about her..." Nodoka Haramura had a faint smile on her face: "The president has always been reliable."

Kageyama Sora chuckled as he looked at the screen: "I originally thought she was the type to play the pig to eat the tiger, but I didn't expect her to play so aggressively."

Hearing Kageyama Sora say this, Saki Miyanaga said thoughtfully: "Actually, I heard the club president and Mako Someya talking, saying that since it's the first match, there's no need to hide one's skills..."

Kageyama Sora ordered three glasses of iced milk and specifically requested a banana pancake, watching as the waiter placed the dessert drizzled with caramel sauce between the two of them.

"Try it quickly, I heard sweets can relieve tension." Before he had even finished speaking, Haramura Nodoka had already reached out to tear off a piece of the pancake, completely unaware of the cream smudged on the corner of her lip.

Saki Miyanaga lowered her head and stirred her glass, the straw piercing the milk foam with a soft sound. She stole a glance at Kageyama Sora across from her and found that he was focused on wiping the cream from the corner of Haramura Nodoka's mouth with a tissue; as his fingertips brushed against the girl's soft skin, both of their breaths hitched for a fleeting moment.

This scene pricked at her throat, making it feel tight, and she hurriedly lowered her head to take a large gulp of milk, but the cold liquid failed to extinguish the burning heat on her cheeks.

Saki Miyanaga always felt that there was such an effortless rapport between Haramura Nodoka and Kageyama Sora, an intimacy that felt completely natural.

Although Haramura Nodoka had agreed to her joining, she always felt like something was missing...

It was as if there was a net separating them.

"Miyanaga-san, your ears are about to catch fire." Haramura Nodoka suddenly leaned in close, her warm breath brushing against Saki Miyanaga's reddened earlobe.

This made Saki Miyanaga's face turn even redder, and she became flustered and at a loss for what to do.

Haramura Nodoka, however, blinked slyly and reached out to hold a piece of banana coated in cream to her lips: "Open up -- you won't be shy once you eat it."

Saki Miyanaga bit into the fruit instinctively, the fresh, sweet fragrance of the fruit mingling with the milky scent on her tongue, while in her peripheral vision, she saw Kageyama Sora resting his chin on his hand, smiling with eyes full of tenderness.

A flock of white pigeons suddenly swept past outside the window, the fluttering sound of their wings breaking the quiet.

Kageyama Sora stood up and opened the window, letting in a cool breeze that carried the noise from the distant playground. When he turned back, he caught Saki Miyanaga's flustered, dodging gaze, while Haramura Nodoka had moved to his side at some point, her hair brushing against the back of his hand: "The cherry blossom tree over there is shedding petals, just like the day the three of us first met..."

The girl pointed out the window, the small bell on her hair tie swaying gently.

Kageyama Sora followed her gaze, watching as pink and white petals landed on Haramura Nodoka's long pink hair, only to be swept up by the wind to brush past Saki Miyanaga's trembling eyelashes and land on her shoulder.

Kageyama Sora turned around and, as if possessed, raised his hand to brush the petal off Saki Miyanaga's shoulder; as his fingertips touched her soft hair, he heard the girl's sharp intake of breath.

Saki Miyanaga suddenly felt that the net that had been separating her seemed to have vanished.

And at that very moment, Kageyama Sora's phone rang.