Chapter 39

Yuki Kataoka sat bolt upright, and the crepe in her hand went "plop" onto the carpet, cream splashing onto the tip of Sora Kageyama's shoe.

"Mako-senpai..." Her voice trembled, and her eyes welled up with tears once again.

Sora Kageyama watched her shaking shoulders, knowing full well that Yuki Kataoka's emotional state was dire right now.

If she continued like this, it wouldn't just affect her; it would be even worse if it ended up impacting Mako Someya, who had already lost her match.

Thinking this, Sora Kageyama swallowed hard, finally deciding not to suppress the surging emotions in his heart any longer.

He wrapped a long arm around her, pulling Yuki Kataoka into his embrace, causing the leather sofa to let out a faint creak.

Yuki Kataoka collided with Sora Kageyama's chest, her nose brushing against his shirt buttons, and she seemed to find a moment of relief from that overwhelming sadness.

At a time like this, the only way to cope was to overwrite her current emotions with others.

Sora Kageyama's scorching palm pressed against the back of her neck, his thumb stroking her sensitive skin again and again, as if he wanted to knead her into his very bones and blood.

"It's okay." He buried his head in her hair, his voice low enough to vibrate against her eardrums: "Trust your other teammates..."

Yuki Kataoka wanted to look up and retort, but Sora Kageyama held the back of her head firmly.

His fingertips, calloused from practice, lightly grazed her flushed earlobe, sending a tingling sensation exploding down her spine.

"You know better than anyone that winning and losing are part of the game, and a teammate's failure only serves to inspire the others to become stronger..."

As if to shift Yuki Kataoka's focus, his breath sprayed against her eyelashes: "Besides, you're in my arms now, and it's just you and me."

This sentence made Yuki Kataoka's entire body go limp, her hands instinctively clutching the fabric over Sora Kageyama's chest.

The commentator's voice on the television became distant, leaving only their intertwined heartbeats, which sounded deafening.

Sora Kageyama's fingertips slid down her slender neck, stopping at the hollow of her collarbone, feeling her rapid breathing.

"Yuki." He suddenly called her name, his voice raspy as if coated in honey.

Without waiting for Yuki Kataoka to respond, his warm lips gently covered the corners of her eyes, licking away the lingering tear stains.

This soothing kiss made Yuki Kataoka tremble, and immediately after, Sora Kageyama kissed her flushed cheeks, finally lingering on her quivering lips.

It was a cautious kiss; Sora Kageyama merely nibbled at her lips until he felt Yuki Kataoka's hands, which were gripping his lapels, tighten slightly, at which point he pulled her even closer.

Chapter 87: The Private Room Situation

The moment his tongue pried open her pearly teeth, the air in the private room boiled over.

Yuki Kataoka tasted the faint sweetness of the macaron on his tongue, mixed with the scent unique to Sora Kageyama, making her feel as if she were drowning in this tenderness.

Sora Kageyama's hand slid restlessly toward her slender waist, feeling the temperature of her skin through the thin fabric.

When his thumb brushed across her waist, Yuki Kataoka let out a soft hum; this tiny sound acted as a catalyst, causing Sora Kageyama to lose his composure entirely.

He pressed her back against the sofa, deepening the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers as his breathing grew heavy.

It was unknown how much time had passed before the two finally separated, gasping for air.

Yuki Kataoka's lips were red, swollen, and glistening, and she looked at Sora Kageyama with dazed eyes.

Sora Kageyama used his thumb to stroke her swollen lips, his eyes swirling with intense emotion: "In the next match, I believe you will turn defeat into victory."

He looked at Yuki Kataoka's sparkling eyes and leaned down to peck her lips once more: "Take my courage with you and go win the victory that belongs to you."

Yuki Kataoka buried her face in Sora Kageyama's chest, listening to his powerful heartbeat, and suddenly felt that all the failure and frustration no longer mattered at this moment.

It wasn't because she was easily coaxed, but because she believed that she would absolutely win next time—absolutely.

Yuki Kataoka looked at Ling Xiao with watery eyes.

Her feelings at this moment were so conflicted; although she had previously been intimate with Sora Kageyama, she had felt it wasn't quite right after Nodoka Haramura told her that fair competition was allowed, leading her to distance herself from him.

Yet, unexpectedly, even though she had stopped moving forward, Sora Kageyama had chosen to take the initiative.

It seemed that what happened after that kiss was not going to end so simply.

Sora Kageyama's palm moved slowly up along Yuki Kataoka's waistline, and as his fingertips grazed the hollow between her ribs, he felt her spine stiffen from a shiver.

The chill of the leather sofa intertwined with their body heat, and the sound of mahjong tiles clacking on the TV suddenly became jarring; he curled his finger to press the remote, and the room instantly fell into silence, with only their ragged breathing tangling in the air.

"Yuki..." His voice, mixed with gasps, fell behind her ear as his fingertips hooked the ribbon of her school uniform collar.

The instant the silk ribbon came undone in Sora Kageyama's fingers, Yuki Kataoka grabbed his wrist, her moist eyes veiled with a layer of shimmer: "Wait, wait a second... here..."

It wasn't that she couldn't do it here, but that she wasn't ready.

It was as good as consent.

Sora Kageyama lowered his head to bite her lower lip, his tongue tracing the tooth marks until she whimpered and loosened her grip.

He took the opportunity to pull the ribbon apart and undo two shirt buttons, revealing the pale, glowing skin at her collarbone.

His Adam's apple bobbed as his kisses spread down her neck, sucking lightly at the hollow of her collarbone, tasting the scent of strawberry cream mixed with the girl's natural fragrance.

Yuki Kataoka's fingers scratched unconsciously, her body going soft from the kisses.

When Sora Kageyama's palm covered her waist, she arched her back abruptly, her lower back hitting the sofa cushion hard.

This accidental movement made them both freeze, and then she turned her face away, her earlobes red as blood: "It's a bit ticklish... and it hurts to bump into things..."

"I can't bear to hurt you... so be good, don't struggle..."

Kageyama Sora chuckled with a raspy voice, his palm pressing gently against the spot where she had bumped herself, rubbing it soothingly.

This tender gesture made Yuki Kataoka's heart tremble, and her previously tense body suddenly relaxed.

She turned to look at him, teardrops still clinging to her eyelashes, shimmering with tiny glints of light under the warm yellow lamp.

Kageyama Sora's breathing suddenly grew heavy.

He leaned down to kiss her again, but this time, it was even gentler and more lingering than before.

His palms no longer wandered with urgency; instead, they held her softly, as if cradling a fragile treasure.

Yuki Kataoka slowly responded to him, clumsily poking out the tip of her tongue, learning from him as she tangled it with his.

The temperature in the private room climbed steadily, and their overlapping figures cast an ambiguous silhouette against the leather sofa.

When Kageyama Sora's fingertips touched the top of her white over-the-knee stockings, Yuki Kataoka suddenly grabbed his wrist, her voice tinged with a trace of unease: "Is there... a camera in here?"

Kageyama Sora froze, looking at her flushed cheeks from the passion, and suddenly laughed out loud. He pulled her into his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head: "You little fool, how could there be?"

As he spoke, he tightened his arms and planted a kiss on the top of her hair: "If you're scared, we don't have to do this..."

Yuki Kataoka buried herself in his embrace, listening to his rapid yet steady heartbeat, and suddenly felt that all her grievances and unwillingness had transformed into motivation.

She lifted her head and pecked him lightly on the lips: "I'm not scared... as long as there's no camera..."

Since things had reached this point, Kageyama Sora naturally wouldn't act like a saint.

He rose and, maintaining the kissing posture, pressed Yuki Kataoka down onto the sofa.

The texture of the leather sofa pressed against her lower back, yet Yuki Kataoka felt those tiny bumps tracing along her spine, like the edges of mahjong tiles carved into her skin.

When Kageyama Sora's breath drew near again, she suddenly remembered the day Nodoka Haramura spoke of "fair competition," when the three of them were in front of the waterfall at the training camp, talking about the National Tournament and fair pursuit of love.

"Don't think about anyone else." Kageyama Sora's murmur, wrapped in hot air, burrowed into her ear canal as his fingertips flicked open the buttons of her shirt.

At that moment, Yuki Kataoka felt as if her heart were about to jump out, much like how her heart would make the table tremble slightly when she drew a good hand at the mahjong table.

The moist sensation on her collarbone made her arch her back; in her daze, she couldn't tell if it was desire or the thrill of a decisive moment in a match.

The rustling sound of her stockings sliding down overlapped with the static of the muted television. Yuki Kataoka stared at the crystal chandelier swirling on the ceiling, the dangling glass beads suddenly transforming into mahjong dice, rolling endlessly in the depths of her consciousness.

When Kageyama Sora's scorching palm pressed against her inner thigh, Yuki Kataoka bit her lower lip and tasted the metallic tang of blood.

Her brain was a chaotic mess—she only felt that it was so tense and so stimulating, to actually be doing such a thing in a place like this...

And with her best friend's boyfriend...

And her best friend even allowed it...

No matter how she thought about it, it felt so strange...

"Yuki..." Kageyama Sora's call, mixed with the soft sound of fabric tearing, was like the rushing waves of shuffling tiles.

Her fingers unconsciously tightened on the hem of his shirt...

When his kiss landed on her chest, Yuki Kataoka suddenly felt that she couldn't do something like giving up for the sake of friendship, because she liked this too—not just the person, but all the emotions Kageyama Sora brought her.

The cold air from the AC vent brushed against her feverish skin, yet she felt as if she were soaking in a hot spring, the misty vapor blurring the boundaries of reality.

As his fingertips traced her shoulder blades, she heard a whimper spill from her throat, sweet and cloying, sounding nothing like her own voice.

Her consciousness drifted between desire and guilt; Nodoka Haramura's smile, the tiles flipping on the competition table, Kageyama Sora's burning gaze at this moment—all these images switched rapidly like a deck of cards being shuffled.

Chapter 88: Hisa Takei's Match

The messy ribbons slid to the floor like faded moonlight.

Yuki Kataoka curled up in the corner of the sofa, trembling as she tried to button her shirt, but she couldn't align the holes.

Kageyama Sora knelt on the carpet, his warm palms covering her icy fingertips: "Let me."

His movements were gentler than shuffling tiles, his knobby fingers passing through the gaps between the lace and cotton.

When the third button was fastened, Yuki Kataoka suddenly grabbed his wrist, her nails sinking into the veins on his arm: "Nodoka said before that I could compete fairly... but I still feel so sad... I know it's very 'green tea' of me to say this after having already done it, but my heart... it just can't get past it..."

The air instantly solidified.

Kageyama Sora's thumb brushed over the back of her hand: "I will handle these things; for now, don't overthink it, okay?"

He picked up the hair accessory that had fallen into the sofa crevice and helped Yuki Kataoka tidy her hair.

"But..." Her voice was swallowed by the humming of the air conditioner.

Kageyama Sora had already stood up and dressed himself.

Then, he suddenly leaned down, his nose brushing against her flushed earlobe: "Listen."

The sound of a waiter's cart wheels came from the hallway, mixed with the faint singing from the next room.

Kageyama Sora's fingers traced the curve of her shoulder blades, drawing an indistinct circle at the base of her spine: "If you don't dress properly, you'll be discovered..."

Yuki Kataoka was startled and stood up abruptly, only to bump into his smiling eyes.

After the intense passion had faded, Kageyama Sora's eyes remained scorching, making Yuki Kataoka feel as if her very soul were burning.

And she was inexplicably influenced by Kageyama Sora at this moment.

"I want to win," she blurted out, her voice carrying a firmness that surprised even herself.

Kageyama Sora raised an eyebrow, his fingertips still smoothing out her messy hair: "The match or me?"

"Both." She grabbed the crooked tie at his chest, the sound of silk rubbing against silk making her heart skip a beat.

Before Kageyama Sora lowered his head to kiss her, she saw their overlapping reflections in the mirrored wall.

As their lips touched again, Yuki Kataoka heard a pleasant hum ringing in her heart.

She bit his lower lip and tasted a faint trace of blood, momentarily unable to distinguish whether she had bitten through his lip or if it was some heart-stopping, decisive moment in the match.

By the time the two of them tidied themselves up and cleared away the aftermath to leave, Mako Someya's match had already ended, and the current situation was not looking good; Kiyosumi High School was in last place.

However, Hisa Takei's match would not continue for the moment, as it was already the lunch break.

Kageyama Sora had someone buy some things, then took them and returned to the lounge with Yuki.

Hisa Takei held a teacup, her gaze sweeping over Kageyama Sora and Yuki Kataoka with a smile that was nothing if not meaningful: "You were gone for quite a while..."

Kageyama Sora chuckled and placed the pile of food he had his assistant buy onto the table: "Spare me this once?"

Hisa Takei smiled: "Of course."

After chatting briefly, they turned the conversation to the match that had just concluded.

Hisa Takei sighed with emotion: "That player from Tsuruga Academy is truly incredible. Even though she's so amateur, she still managed to win three times in a row while Mako was the dealer, and one of them was even a Grand Slam."

Although Kageyama Sora had been busy doing shameful things with Yuki Kataoka at the time, he had still taken a moment to watch the live stream, so he had seen some of it: "Does this count as a beginner's luck period, or is she just exceptionally talented?"

Hisa Takei sighed appropriately: "A bit of both. Because she's a beginner, she isn't bound by the conventional wisdom everyone else follows, which allows her to play even more miraculous hands."

However, even so, Mako Someya was still under a lot of pressure: "I'm so sorry, I'm handing the baton to you in last place."

Hisa Takei, however, didn't mind and didn't pressure her teammate: "It's fine. I'm up after the lunch break, and I'll do my best to catch up on the score. That's the charm of team competitions."

After the lunch break, the Center Battle began just like that.

Amidst the broadcast announcements, everyone, now well-fed and satisfied, stepped back onto the path of the competition.