Chapter 37

Seeing that Ryumonbuchi Toka had stopped making a scene, the rest of the Ryumonbuchi High School group went about their business, some arranging tea and others attending to her needs.

Kageyama Sora was used to this, as he knew full well that everyone pampered this young lady, and in turn, she had her own ways of looking after them.

As for this tournament...

It is worth mentioning that since this was the final of the preliminaries, all four competing teams were provided with private lounges. These rooms were equipped with sofas, water, and some food, and even televisions, allowing the participants to watch the progress of the match from within. It also provided a place for non-competing members to rest, a significant improvement in conditions compared to the previous round.

The rules had also changed this time; each person would have to play two hanchan.

This meant that the number of games each person had to play increased, as did the cumulative point totals, which was a major test of the players' stamina and mental fortitude.

For those without much endurance, this was quite a disaster—specifically, Yuki Kataoka.

After all, Yuki Kataoka was a classic example of someone who only played well in the East Round, and she herself admitted to lacking stamina.

[The vanguard match will begin in ten minutes. Will all players please assemble in the match room.]

At this moment, Kageyama Sora was with the Ryumonbuchi High School group, and their representative for this match was Inoue Jun, the only player present who looked quite like a boy.

Inoue Jun stood up and raised an eyebrow slightly: "Hmm, finally some interesting opponents."

Inoue Jun wasn't exaggerating when she said this; for instance, in the previous round, she had single-handedly wiped out her opponents' points, making it unnecessary for a second teammate to even step up.

And so, the vanguard match began.

Amidst the broadcast announcements, everyone headed toward the match room.

[The vanguard players are taking the stage. This rising star, known for her fast-paced play, is the first-year student from Kiyosumi High School, Yuki Kataoka.]

Kageyama Sora watched Yuki Kataoka on the screen. She was just as energetic as she had been when they parted that morning, wearing the Kiyosumi High School uniform with a short skirt and white stockings, her dark brown hair tied into two short twin-tails. She looked incredibly cute, and she was holding a chicken wrap in her hand.

[Can she reclaim the throne of victory this time? The representative sent by Kazekoshi Girls' High School is...]

It was someone Kageyama Sora had a history with... the third-year captain of the Kazekoshi Girls' High School Mahjong Club, Fukuji Mihoko.

And the only person present whom Kageyama Sora did not recognize...

According to the broadcast introduction, that was—

[Though previously unknown, she has made a stunning impression in this tournament: the second-year student sent by Tsuruga Academy, Mutsuki Tsuyama.]

The four of them walked into the match room together.

The final vanguard match was about to begin.

Kageyama Sora sat side-by-side with Ryumonbuchi Toka, watching the live broadcast on the television.

Then, they saw Yuki Kataoka just place her Mexican chicken wrap on the small table to her right, when Inoue Jun said with quite a bit of surprise: "Are you a fan of mine? Is this a gift for me? Thank you..."

Then, this cool lady ate Yuki Kataoka's Mexican chicken wrap right in front of her.

The next second, Yuki Kataoka went completely stiff, and then began to... wail loudly.

Seeing this, Kageyama Sora thought to himself that this was a disaster; a Yuki Kataoka without her chicken wrap was like a character without a buff... He immediately took out his phone to call his assistant and told him to go buy one.

Ryumonbuchi Toka was also baffled when she saw this: "A Mexican chicken wrap? Are you hungry?"

As she spoke, before Kageyama Sora could answer, she muttered helplessly: "Jun is really something, getting herself cast as the villain..."

Just then, Fukuji Mihoko reached out and gently patted the top of Yuki Kataoka's head, her voice gentle: "What's wrong? Were you bullied by a scary big sister?"

As soon as she was comforted, Yuki Kataoka pointed at Inoue Jun and cried: "That bad person stole my Mexican chicken wrap..."

Inoue Jun hadn't meant anything by it, but upon hearing Yuki Kataoka's small, soft voice, she quickly pressed her palms together in apology.

However, the apology didn't seem to help, after all... she had already eaten it.

Kageyama Sora could only take out his phone to urge his assistant...

Just then, Fukuji Mihoko took out a lunch box and handed it to Yuki Kataoka: "Are you hungry? You can eat this first..."

Following that, Yuki Kataoka was appeased and began to tuck into the luxurious bento gifted by Fukuji Mihoko.

...Watching this scene, Kageyama Sora inexplicably felt a strange sense of harem harmony.

Chapter 83: Hero Saves the Beauty

The match officially began.

After Fukuji Mihoko gave her bento to Yuki Kataoka, although the girl still looked aggrieved, she seemed to have perked up.

The East Round was generally the domain where Yuki Kataoka excelled.

So, bolstered by Fukuji Mihoko's bento of love, she quickly got into the zone.

Riichi—Tenpai—Tsumo.

This was a common pattern for Yuki Kataoka's play, but this time, Inoue Jun ponned a tile midway through, preventing Yuki Kataoka from winning.

From the perspective of an observer, it was clear that after Inoue Jun ponned the tile, the tile that should have landed in Yuki Kataoka's hand for the win ended up in someone else's.

Kageyama Sora, sitting beside Ryumonbuchi Toka, was thoughtful: "So, Inoue Jun completely deduced what tile Yuki was waiting for, so even if the pon didn't help her own hand, she did it anyway."

"You could say that." Ryumonbuchi Toka smiled: "Inoue Jun's playstyle is to destroy the opponent's flow at the root..."

Kageyama Sora listened to Ryumonbuchi Toka's explanation and understood what she meant.

It was just... thinking about encountering such things in mahjong, he couldn't help but sigh: "That's a truly mysterious and unfathomable way of putting it."

Ryumonbuchi Toka was very calm: "Although it sounds mysterious and unfathomable, it is effective, isn't it!?"

Just then, Kageyama Sora's assistant indicated that the burritos had been purchased—dozens of them—and were currently at the door.

Kageyama Sora checked the time, confirmed that the halftime break had begun, and stood up, intending to leave Ryumonbuchi's lounge.

Although Ryumonbuchi Toka did not stop Kageyama Sora, she still asked with a hint of teasing: "What, going to play the hero saving the beauty?"

Kageyama Sora remained calm: "Yes, she's my own little girl; naturally, I have to spoil her."

Ryumonbuchi Toka's expression shifted slightly, but a second later, she maintained a polite smile: "How excessive, saying such things right in front of me."

Kageyama Sora paused: "Does that make you unhappy?"

Ryumonbuchi Toka's ahoge swayed, her face displaying absolute confidence: "No, because... no matter who the opponent is, Inoue Jun will not lose."

Kageyama Sora smiled and said nothing.

The halftime whistle blew, and Kageyama Sora strode toward the area where Yuki Kataoka was located.

He stood tall and straight, his entire being seemingly shrouded in an aura that could not be ignored. Carrying a bag overflowing with burritos, he was exceptionally conspicuous in the crowd.

"Yuki." Kageyama Sora's deep, magnetic voice rang out, causing everyone around to cast glances their way.

He looked down at Yuki Kataoka with undeniable doting in his eyes and handed the burritos to her: "Eat up, replenish your energy."

Yuki Kataoka looked up, gazing at Kageyama Sora's handsome and overbearing appearance, then at the fragrant burritos, and her eyes instantly turned red.

The pressure of the matches during this period and the frustration of being suppressed in her own specialty position all turned into tears of emotion at this moment, sliding down her cheeks.

She took the burritos with trembling hands, choked out a "thank you," and began to devour them as if they were the most delicious food in the world.

Kageyama Sora couldn't help but pat the top of her head.

Just as Yuki Kataoka was eating heartily, Kageyama Sora's gaze inadvertently met with Fukuji Mihoko not far away.

The two pairs of eyes seemed to be attracted by magnets; after a brief moment of eye contact, they quickly looked away, yet sparks of ambiguity ignited in the air.

Fukuji Mihoko's cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, pretending to adjust her clothes; Kageyama Sora gave a light cough, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint smile. The emotions flowing in that gaze were something only they could understand.

Even with people coming and going all around, they continued to convey a thousand words through their eyes while maintaining restraint.

As for not showing their intimacy on the surface, it really wasn't Kageyama Sora's fault, but rather because Fukuji Mihoko said she didn't want their relationship to be exposed too much, as it would cause a lot of trouble.

However, even so, seeing Kageyama Sora's doting on Yuki Kataoka, Fukuji Mihoko said with a hint of teasing: "Mr. Kageyama, you are really special to Yuki."

Kageyama Sora stared at her, his gaze gentle and profound: "You are also very special, especially outstanding."

Fukuji Mihoko's heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond.

Just then, the whistle for the second half of the match blew, breaking the subtle atmosphere.

"Let's play the match first." Kageyama Sora gave Fukuji Mihoko a deep look and turned to leave.

Yuki Kataoka and Fukuji Mihoko watched Kageyama Sora's retreating figure, both feeling a bit conflicted, yet increasingly hungry for victory.

Returning to the match, Yuki Kataoka finished the burritos, feeling as if she were filled with strength.

She wiped the corners of her mouth, her eyes becoming firm once again. This time, she secretly vowed that she would never let Inoue Jun disrupt her rhythm so easily again.

The match continued, and the atmosphere at the table grew increasingly tense.

However... Inoue Jun maintained her aggressive playstyle, constantly interfering with her opponents.

Once again, she cut off Yuki Kataoka, who had been bursting with momentum after eating the burritos, just as she was about to win.

And this time, Yuki Kataoka panicked. It was her specialty East Round, and she clearly had the boost from the burritos, yet she still couldn't win...

This realization made Yuki Kataoka nearly collapse, but in her mind... a strange feeling inexplicably appeared—this feeling of being unable to win, like drowning, didn't seem to be the first time.

That was it; she had felt this way during the training camp, where no matter what, she couldn't win.

Back then, she had said discouraging words... but...

If she gave up just like that, then it would really be the end.

Yuki Kataoka suddenly stood up and bowed: "I'm sorry, excuse me!"

Then, she sat in her chair and spun around a few times, as if brainwashing herself, telling herself that the next hand was also an East Round—Yuki Kataoka, whose momentum had clearly been crushed just a moment ago, was suddenly full of fighting spirit again.

This made even Inoue Jun surprised by her cockroach-like ability to recover.

It was just that... even so, Inoue Jun would not go easy on her. To her, even if the enemy stood up ten thousand times, she could still knock them down ten thousand times.

But this time, Fukuji Mihoko, who had done nothing previously, suddenly began to call pon... helping Yuki Kataoka win.

"Oh my..."

Kageyama Sora was slightly surprised. He didn't think Fukuji Mihoko was helping Yuki Kataoka because of him, and it certainly wasn't out of pity...

Then the only possibility was...

"Using force to strike back." Kageyama Sora whispered: "Helping Yuki win to strike at Inoue Jun, and thereby reaping the rewards..."

The fact was exactly that. After helping Yuki Kataoka break Inoue Jun's control, the one who won the hand became Fukuji Mihoko.

Chapter 84: The Vanguard Match Ends

The morning light spilled obliquely into the competition venue, reflecting tiny golden glimmers off the glass dome.

As expected of the Prefectural Preliminaries finals, this was no longer the one-sided affair of the previous round; every player possessed their own unique abilities.

"Using force to overcome force," Kageyama Sora whispered. "Helping Yuki win to strike at Inoue Jun, and in doing so, reaping the rewards..."

Kageyama Sora did not believe that Fukuji Mihoko was the type to soften her heart and unconditionally help Yuki Kataoka just because she was being targeted by Inoue Jun.

As a captain, as a powerhouse, the only possibility for her acting this way was... purely for the sake of winning.

And just as Kageyama Sora had judged.

Fukuji Mihoko had indeed broken the deadlock for Yuki Kataoka, allowing her to land a big hand.

And then...

It was Fukuji Mihoko's turn to win.

At this moment, Inoue Jun finally realized that her opponent was not the Yuki Kataoka who was full of fighting spirit after eating a burrito, but the quiet and unassuming Fukuji Mihoko.

And Yuki Kataoka also realized that this gentle big sister was not purely on her side...

She was a truly dangerous individual.

However, Kageyama Sora felt a bit helpless as he watched the stunned expression on Yuki's face.

Still too green. Even if it's a calculated gesture of goodwill, they are still opponents. How could she think that the other party's kindness meant they would help her one hundred percent?

After finishing his internal monologue, Kageyama Sora lost interest in watching further and headed toward the Kiyosumi High School lounge.

Actually, he had originally intended to wait for Yuki Kataoka, but since Fukuji Mihoko was there too, he might end up having to deal with the awkwardness of balancing favors, so it was better to just run away while he could.

After all, there were times when things didn't necessarily require him to be present or to make his presence felt.

The moment he opened the Gate of Opening, he heard Hisa Takei say with a hint of a smile, "A white horse prince or a dark knight? That burrito delivery was certainly timely."

"Since I've finally managed to participate in a tournament, I naturally have to face it in the best possible state of mind." Kageyama Sora walked in with a light step, his well-tailored casual wear accentuating his upright posture, his eyes filled with his usual confident and carefree air.

After entering the Kiyosumi High School lounge, the corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily. He walked toward Haramura Nodoka without hesitation, sat elegantly and naturally by her side, and let his slender, well-defined hand rest on her shoulder, his fingertips still lingering with a faint, subtle warmth.

Haramura Nodoka was dressed in her Kiyosumi High School uniform, her soft pink hair draped loosely over her shoulders, a gentle glow reflecting off her fair profile.