He glanced at his phone and saw it was a work call. With an apologetic smile, he said, "I'm going to take this. You two go on ahead. It'll be Nodoka's turn soon."
The second floor wasn't far from the first, so there was little chance of getting lost. More importantly, Haramura Nodoka was with her, so Saki Miyanaga wouldn't wander off.
And so, Haramura Nodoka and Saki Miyanaga headed back side by side.
Thinking of the subtle flirtation between the three of them, Saki felt a little embarrassed. She took the initiative to break the awkward silence. "By the way, is it really okay not to cheer for the Club President?"
Haramura Nodoka seemed calmer about it than Saki. "Don't worry. The Club President might be a little casual, but she's never done anything that backfired."
As they chatted, neither of them noticed a girl passing by who had spotted them. "Those are... girls from Kiyosumi High School."
The girl had long, glossy black hair tied in a high ponytail, with a green bow in it. Her cute, doll-like face featured clear blue eyes, deep as a lake, bright with intelligence and spirit. Her eyes were large, and her long eyelashes fluttered like little fans whenever she blinked.
This girl was none other than Kunihiro Hajime of Ryumonbuchi High School.
At her words, Inoue Jun—the only person at Ryumonbuchi High School who looked at all like a boy—suddenly perked up. She stood and called, "Hey, you over there!"
Saki and Nodoka, who had been chatting, stopped and turned around, puzzled.
Still, Jun's less-than-polite manner made them both wary.
Just then, Hajime looked at Saki. "Are you Haramura Nodoka?"
When Saki had passed them earlier, she'd given them a sense of oppression similar to Amae Koromo's. Ryumonbuchi Toka had denied it at the time, but, unable to imagine Kiyosumi having two strong players, they had still assumed Saki was Nodoka.
Saki froze. "I..."
She was about to explain when Nodoka stepped in front of her. "I'm Haramura Nodoka."
Jun and Hajime froze.
It wasn't because of Nodoka's assertive manner. Rather, the oppressive feeling they'd sensed from Saki earlier—the one that reminded them of Koromo—had disappeared.
And Nodoka, a player who relied on data, gave them no unusual sense of pressure. She was just busty and pretty.
Jun couldn't help wondering: Why did Ryumonbuchi Toka care about someone like her...?
But whatever Jun thought, she couldn't stop thinking about the pressure she'd felt from Saki when they passed each other.
So Jun looked at Saki. "Then who are you? Are you the interesting player from Kiyosumi High School that Kageyama Sora was talking about?"
Saki blinked. "Huh? Is that what Kageyama said about me...?"
Just as the two groups were about to continue talking...
The familiar announcement rang out. "The Center Battle at Table E has concluded."
Saki hurriedly said, "It looks like the Club President's finished. You're up next, Nodoka..."
With that, there was no need for any more probing. Nodoka said goodbye and left with Saki.
The Disguise of Ryumonbuchi Toka
Watching Nodoka and Saki walk away side by side, Jun absently rubbed the long fingers of one hand against her phone. Its metallic edge pressed a pale mark into her fingertip.
Hajime lowered her eyes to the tips of her shoes. The cold from the plastic floor seemed to creep up through their soles, freezing the strange silence between them.
"So, who was that short-haired girl...?" Jun suddenly asked, her voice sharp as shattering glass.
Hajime loosened her school uniform's tie. "What exactly was it that we sensed?"
She thought back to the feeling she'd had when passing Saki—the feeling so much like Koromo's. It was hard not to dwell on it.
The vending machine's cold light swallowed their shadows.
Amid the bright clink of a coin dropping into the machine, Hajime watched a can of coffee emerge from the slot and suddenly spoke. "By the way, Nodoka's match is coming up. Should we go watch?"
"Forget Nodoka." Jun picked up the soda she'd just bought, her manner dismissive. "Honestly, I've seen her middle school match records. She made a lot of mistakes. I think she's terrible. Maybe Toka only cares about her because of those huge boobs..."
Hajime pressed the coffee can against her flushed cheek. Condensation slid between her fingers.
But as someone who knew Toka better, Hajime clearly didn't see things so superficially. "Toka said back then that Nodoka might be Xiao Hehe from online mahjong. And because of Kageyama Sora, the producer, it was confirmed that Nodoka was Xiao Hehe... But it's strange. Xiao Hehe almost never made mistakes, while Nodoka makes plenty."
She grabbed a few strands of hair and impatiently twisted them around her fingers, tangling the ends into a messy knot. "What's this about making it more exciting when they meet? Does he think this is some kind of make-believe game?"
For once, Hajime agreed with Jun. "He says they'll have more fun when they meet in person. I don't get him, and Ryumonbuchi Toka even takes his side..."
At the same time, cheers rose from the competition area on the other side of the gymnasium.
Hisa Takei tossed her wine-red short hair. Her six consecutive wins blazed across the electronic scoreboard.
She put an arm around Nodoka's shoulder, the warmth of her palm passing through the cotton of her uniform. "Finish your match even faster than I did."
Her opponent looked ordinary enough, but this was still Nodoka's first high school match.
Just then, hurried footsteps drew closer.
Kageyama Sora came rushing back, beads of sweat at his temples. He flashed a bright smile. "I barely made it... Xiao Hehe, good luck!"
The Penguin Plushie in Nodoka's arms was slightly squashed in her grip. A sharp glint, just like the one in her online matches, lit her eyes. "Yes. I won't let everyone down."
The setting sun gilded her silhouette, her skirt fluttering as if she were a Valkyrie about to enter battle.
What was especially interesting was that as Nodoka went to her match, everyone noticed the audience, which had been sparse, suddenly growing.
Yuki Kataoka looked a little confused. "Huh? There are so many people..."
Saki agreed. "Yeah... They all came in so suddenly."
Hisa smiled. "They're all here to watch Nodoka..."
Following everyone's gaze, Kageyama Sora realized that the gymnasium was almost completely full.
And among the people in sight...
Kageyama Sora spotted a familiar figure. Waterfall-like golden hair fell to her waist, and her silk white dress rippled in the current from the central air conditioning. Her gentle, elegant features were completely hidden behind dark sunglasses, leaving only a pearl necklace barely visible beneath her chin.
On a movable tea table with wheels, porcelain teaware reflected the cold light. Emerald-green Longjing tea sent wisps of steam curling above the rim of the cup.
Macarons and Japanese confections were arranged in tiers on a three-level silver serving stand, their icing glowing like pearls in the twilight. Ogira, wearing white gloves, gently stirred the tea with a silver spoon. The crisp clink of porcelain rang through the silence like some kind of secret signal.
Who else could it be but Ryumonbuchi Toka?
But why was she wearing sunglasses?
Puzzled, Kageyama Sora walked over and heard Toka chuckle to herself. "Hehe, it was smart to come early and grab a seat... No one will recognize my perfect disguise."
As she spoke, Toka accepted the afternoon tea Ogira handed her.
Hearing Toka boast about her disguise, Kageyama Sora couldn't help laughing.
Toka was furious when she heard his teasing voice. She was about to say something when...
A girl in the row behind them asked, sounding puzzled, "Who is that person? She's making such a huge fuss."
The girl beside her quickly replied, "Oh, that's Ryumonbuchi Toka..."
...Toka's claim that her disguise was perfect had just been thoroughly debunked.
Kageyama Sora casually took a snack and sat beside Toka. "Now you know why I laughed... You're just wearing sunglasses. Does that even count as a disguise?"
After being seen through again and again, Toka felt she'd lost face.
Her ahoge swayed from side to side. "Hmph. Mind your own business."
Seeing that Toka really was embarrassed and frustrated, Kageyama Sora said, "Actually, my point is that there's nothing embarrassing about coming to watch Nodoka's match. Why disguise yourself? Are you afraid people will find out...? Do you care about Xiao Hehe?"
Toka had been a little annoyed after her failed disguise, but the moment she heard Xiao Hehe, she blew her top. "Don't call her that like you're so close!"
Just then, Nodoka appeared on the screen.
The moment the audience saw her, even the usually well-behaved spectators grew excited.
"Look, it's Haramura Nodoka!"
"Last year's middle school champion, Haramura Nodoka!"
The words were full of praise for Nodoka, which left Toka feeling strangely unhappy. "Darn it, she's way too popular! She steals the spotlight even more than I do. Unforgivable!"
Watching Toka with jealousy written all over her face, Kageyama Sora let out a quiet laugh. "Why do you care so much? It's not like you didn't know she was popular..."
Toka huffed. "Knowing about it behind her back and seeing it in person are two different things."
There was no denying it: Toka looked rather cute like this.
Kageyama Sora couldn't help patting the top of her head. "You really don't need to worry about that. You're great too... And Nodoka herself isn't the kind of person who cares about popularity."
In an instant, Toka's face flushed slightly. The feeling of being comforted and the words that had comforted her clashed in her mind, and in the end she could only manage a stiff reply. "That's exactly why she's even more annoying!"
The Blushing Ryumonbuchi Toka
The match hadn't started yet. Sitting beside Ryumonbuchi Toka, Kageyama Sora looked at her flushed cheeks and thought she was adorable.
His fingertips still remembered the softness of her hair. Seeing Toka's ears turn red as she tried to keep up her tough act, he suddenly felt like teasing her.
He plucked a cherry-blossom-shaped Japanese confection from the serving stand and dangled it in front of her. "Throwing a tantrum doesn't suit the young lady of the Ryumonbuchi family. If Koromo saw you sneaking a look like that, who knows what she'd say?"
"Who's throwing a tantrum? Don't make things up!" Toka reached for it, but Kageyama Sora easily dodged her.
As she puffed out her cheeks, her sunglasses slipped halfway down, revealing the distinctive beauty mark at the corner of her eye. It glimmered like a pearl in the twilight.
Ogira cleared his throat and discreetly looked away.
Seeing his young lady flirt and bicker like this... Well.
Just then, Kageyama Sora leaned closer. His warm breath brushed her reddened earlobe. "Keep this up and you'll blow your cover, young lady."
Toka froze. The air between them suddenly grew warm, and even the mist rising from the tea table seemed to take on an air of intimacy.
Just as the atmosphere between them was heating up...
The match at the table was about to begin.
Because Nodoka was carrying the Penguin Plushie, everyone paid attention to her, and security stopped her.
A cute girl, a legendary mahjong player, a rising star watched by everyone, a busty beauty carrying a Penguin Plushie—of course people would be curious.
Did they think she was... weird?
Or that it was some kind of character gimmick?
Toka suddenly started ranting. "Darn that Nodoka! She's doing this to stand out even more, isn't she? Maybe I should bring some signature item too. But then people might say I'm copying her. Darn it!"
Kageyama Sora wanted to explain that it was just to help Nodoka get into the right frame of mind.
As Hisa put it, hugging the penguin made Nodoka feel more secure and helped her get into the game.
But he thought that might sound like he was throwing her under the bus, so he held back and simply reminded her, "Toka, you're drawing too much attention."
After security checked the Penguin Plushie and found nothing wrong, Nodoka sat upright at the table. Her skirt, which had fluttered as she walked, now hung still, like a blade returned to its sheath after being drawn.
It had to be said: two of Nodoka's opponents looked like delinquent girls, and they didn't seem friendly. That was... a little worrying.
With the broadcast introducing Nodoka's impressive record as background, the match officially began.
Her fingertips brushed the patterns on the tiles. A sharp gleam filled her eyes, just like Hisa's—the resolve of someone who saw the match as a battlefield.
"It's starting." Hisa narrowed her eyes, her gaze sweeping over her opponents' slightly trembling fingertips.
Saki and Yuki squeezed in among the crowd. The electronic screen magnified Nodoka's profile. Her eyelashes cast butterfly-wing shadows beneath her eyes, but they couldn't hide the fighting spirit surging in her gaze.
The first hand was unusually quiet. Nodoka barely spoke, and even when she drew a tile, her movements were a little slow.
It made everyone wonder why she was moving so slowly at the start.
But before they could figure it out, she picked up the pace, playing without needing to think at all.
Others might not have noticed, but Toka immediately saw what was happening. "She's already decided what to discard while drawing the tile... Her processing ability is beyond what I imagined."
Nodoka had no idea everyone was discussing her. The Penguin Plushie rested quietly on her lap, almost as if it were holding its breath and watching too.
When Nodoka ended the first hand with a beautiful win, the audience fell into a breathless silence before erupting in a wave of cheers.
Amid the overlapping shouts of amazement, Kageyama Sora keenly caught the rustle of fabric beside him. Toka was unconsciously gripping her skirt, her fingertips pale, but she still forced herself to lift her chin. "She just got lucky..."
"Was it really just luck?" Kageyama Sora raised an eyebrow and leaned closer with a teasing smile.
He noticed the suspicious blush on her ear and the uneasy flutter of her eyelashes behind the teacup, so he went on. "Fine, I just think her hand patterns are more stable than they were in middle school, and closer to the way Xiao Hehe played online. What happened to make her change so much...? It's like she... emerged from a cocoon as a butterfly..."
Toka abruptly turned to look at Kageyama Sora. "Was it that training camp?!"
"Mm. You could say she got stronger through special training at the camp." Kageyama Sora deliberately drew out the last words, watching the girl's shoulders tense up.
Toka set down her teacup with a sharp clink against the saucer. "Did you train her?" Her question held an urgency she hadn't even noticed herself.
Kageyama Sora chuckled and reached out to steady the teacup before it could tip over. "It was her club president, Hisa Takei."
He looked toward Hisa in the audience, rare admiration in his eyes. "That woman has a talent for drawing out each team member's potential."
Before you continue