Haramura Nodoka Is Absolutely Stacked / Cherries Beneath the Hem

A faint sound came from the doorway.

He looked up. Moonlight flowed through the half-open door like silver gauze, outlining Ryumonbuchi Toka's figure in a dreamlike glow.

She leaned against the doorframe. The folds of her silk nightgown rose and fell gently with her breathing, and moonlight glittered like tiny diamonds in her hair, tracing the graceful curve of her neck.

Right—she'd been wearing that nightgown the whole time. Kageyama Sora had been carrying Amae Koromo earlier, so he hadn't paid much attention.

The instant their eyes met, the air seemed to freeze. A strange feeling came over him, as though he'd been caught in the middle of an affair.

Ryumonbuchi Toka's amber eyes quivered faintly, like ripples startled across a pond, then quickly settled into the stillness of a deep pool.

The corners of her mouth lifted in the faintest smile, like a rose veiled in gauze, carrying a mysterious fragrance.

"You heard that too." Kageyama Sora broke the silence. His throat bobbed involuntarily, and his voice held the awkwardness of having a secret exposed, along with a trace of unease he hadn't even noticed himself.

Ryumonbuchi Toka's gaze passed over Amae Koromo's hand, resting against his arm. Her fingers absently brushed the lace trim of her nightgown.

Her voice was as light as the night breeze stirring a wind chime. "Good night. See you tomorrow."

Her voice was soft, but it seemed to carry some hidden emotion.

"See you tomorrow," Kageyama Sora replied.

As she turned, the silk hem of her nightgown brushed the threshold. A faint, sweet fragrance lingered behind her, along with all the words she hadn't said... Kageyama Sora couldn't shake the feeling that something had quietly changed in that moment.

With a soft click, the room fell into complete darkness.

Kageyama Sora felt his way out of his slippers. The wooden floor was cool against his feet.

The mattress dipped slightly. As though sensing a source of warmth, Amae Koromo immediately rolled over, pressed herself against him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and buried her face against his chest.

Her scent lingered around him, and her warm breath passed through the thin fabric of his clothes, leaving a tingling sensation in his chest.

Kageyama Sora stared at the ceiling. In the darkness, countless points of light seemed to flicker, much like his tangled thoughts.

He knew he wouldn't sleep that night, yet at that moment he found he didn't mind this sudden closeness.

Moonlight slipped through a gap in the curtains and scattered silvery flecks across the ceiling. He counted them, letting wakefulness and drowsiness intertwine in the night.

After some time, Amae Koromo shifted in her sleep. Her small frame curled close to him, holding on as if seeking comfort.

Her golden hair brushed Kageyama Sora's neck, and her warm breath fell against his collarbone.

Kageyama Sora, who hadn't been sleeping deeply to begin with, felt his heart suddenly speed up. His body tensed despite himself.

Amae Koromo's leg rested lightly against him. Even through their thin clothes, the warmth of their contact made him acutely aware of how close she was.

Amae Koromo was very petite, but she had ended up pressed against him in a way that made him feel awkward.

She murmured indistinctly in her sleep, her voice soft and drowsy. Her arms tightened around him, and she nestled even closer.

Kageyama Sora was now wide awake. His throat felt tight. He tried to shift away and give them some room, but that only made Amae Koromo stir restlessly. She rubbed her face against his chest, and her unconscious closeness made him feel increasingly flustered.

In the darkness, Kageyama Sora could clearly feel Amae Koromo's breathing and the warmth coming from her.

She's my cousin. I can't... I can't...

His reason kept reminding him to stay composed, but the quiet intimacy of the moment was gradually wearing down his resolve.

Without thinking, he rested a hand on Amae Koromo's smooth golden hair, stroking it gently as though it were something fragile... He couldn't even tell what he was feeling. He was simply following his instincts...

At last, the long night passed. The morning light slipped through the curtains and fell softly into the room.

Amae Koromo's lashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Usually, she slept alone and hugged a pillow. Now she suddenly realized that something felt different.

Her pillow was so big and warm. For the first time, it made her feel deeply comforted... almost as though she wasn't alone.

Wait...

How could a pillow be this warm?

That thought jolted Amae Koromo fully awake. She realized she wasn't hugging a pillow at all—she was holding Kageyama Sora, the cousin she'd only met yesterday.

Kageyama Sora hadn't slept all night. It was only close to dawn that he finally drifted off.

At the time, Amae Koromo had seen the handsome black-haired boy holding her with his eyes closed. When she tried to pull away, he'd drawn her back into his arms.

Her shoulder strap had slipped. Amae Koromo felt herself held securely against Kageyama Sora. The Great Demon King, usually so forceful at the mahjong table, now seemed uneasy and soft-spoken, more in keeping with her appearance.

Her cheeks immediately flushed, as bright as peach blossoms.

She hurriedly tried to pull her arm free, but accidentally woke Kageyama Sora.

Still drowsy, Kageyama Sora opened his eyes and saw the exposed shoulder where Amae Koromo's strap had slipped. For a moment, he didn't know how to react.

Their eyes met, and an awkward, embarrassed silence filled the air.

"I-I'm sorry!" Amae Koromo stammered, her voice barely louder than a whisper. She nearly buried her face in the blanket. "I must've... I must've done something in my sleep..."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter until she could hardly be heard.

Even Amae Koromo didn't know why she was apologizing. But... if her cousin had slept here, she must have done something, right?

Otherwise, Toka wouldn't have let a boy stay in her room to protect her.

Already convinced she was entirely at fault, Amae Koromo blushed from head to toe, unusually shy.

Kageyama Sora watched her embarrassment and smiled without meaning to. A tenderness welled up inside him. "I'm your older brother, after all... What's wrong with sleeping while holding my little sister?"

He spoke softly, his voice tinged with amusement. "Actually... I think this is pretty nice."

Amae Koromo abruptly raised her head and stared at him, her blush deepening. "W-what did you say?"

Kageyama Sora smiled. "I'm new here and don't know my way around. You know, if something happens in the future, I can honestly say we've shared a bed, can't I?"

Chapter 9: Haramura Nodoka Is Absolutely Stacked

The mood at the dining table turned tense at Kageyama Sora's words. The clear clink of a porcelain spoon against a bowl sounded especially loud in the silence.

The distinctive tuft of hair atop Ryumonbuchi Toka's head swayed wildly like an antenna in the wind. She stared at him with wide amber eyes, disbelief written across her face. "What?! You're saying you want to study at Ryumonbuchi? Don't you already have your own company?"

Kageyama Sora lifted a celadon teacup. Wisps of steam rose from the green tea, casting a soft shadow across his sharply defined features.

He slowly turned the cup, watching the tea leaves unfurl and drift in the water. His tone was as calm as a pool on a spring day. "That's true, but after yesterday's match with Koromo, and competing against all of you, I realized... this so-called luck-based style is incredibly interesting. It's a fascinating world I could never have experienced back when I was writing code and programs in an office."

His fingers absently rubbed the side of the cup, and his eyes shone with excitement. Whatever he'd experienced since arriving here had clearly captured his interest.

"So the young master plans to go to school?" Kunihiro Hajime leaned against the carved chair back. Her shackled hand tapped rhythmically on the table, and the corner of her mouth curled in a faintly teasing smile. "Is this your way of getting closer to the people?"

Kageyama Sora looked a little embarrassed by her blunt teasing. The tips of his ears reddened, and he gave an awkward smile. "That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but... more or less, yes."

Kunihiro Hajime sat up straight, her expression turning serious. As a devoted supporter of Ryumonbuchi Toka, she felt she ought to warn this young master who had suddenly appeared. "But luck-based play isn't invincible. Toka and Haramura Nodoka are both excellent at data-based play. They can hold their own against luck-based players."

Her words were concise, but her confidence in her friend's abilities was unmistakable.

Kunihiro Hajime was always so direct.

Kageyama Sora immediately understood her implication and nodded. "Of course I understand. Maybe I'm a kind of data-based player myself? But... you mentioned someone named Haramura Nodoka?"

At the mention of Haramura Nodoka, Ryumonbuchi Toka seemed to ignite. A fighting spirit radiated from her.

She sprang to her feet, shoved her chair back with a harsh scrape, and slammed both hands onto the table. Her eyes blazed. "Haramura Nodoka! My archrival!"

The moment Ryumonbuchi Toka brought up Haramura Nodoka, she came alive. "She definitely considers me her archrival too! After all, I won the prefectural individual championship in my first year of high school, and she won the individual division of the National Middle School Mahjong Tournament! Besides, we're both theory-oriented and data-oriented players! She must be thinking that she'll defeat me at the mahjong table and prove she's the strongest data-based idol girl."

Her chest rose and fell as she spoke, as though she were already in the middle of an intense match against Haramura Nodoka.

Kageyama Sora raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "The idol part... isn't that just your own idea about her?"

"Pfft—" Amae Koromo, who had been dozing at the table, burst out laughing at that perfectly aimed jab. Her laugh rang like a silver bell, making everyone else want to laugh too.

Amid the laughter, Kageyama Sora suddenly remembered something, and his eyes lit up. "Come to think of it, Haramura Nodoka is that Xiao Hehe from my software—the one with the incredibly high win rate, right? It's even a little higher than Toka's..."

Ryumonbuchi Toka gave a cold snort and folded her arms, looking thoroughly haughty. "I'll beat her in a real match sooner or later! I'll beat that conceited woman!"

"Conceited?" Kageyama Sora set down his chopsticks thoughtfully, stood, and straightened his collar as he headed for the door.

Ryumonbuchi Toka watched him go and called out anxiously, "Didn't you say you were going to register at school?! Where are you going now?!"

"To meet your archrival." Kageyama Sora tossed the words over his shoulder and left.

Kageyama Sora was an efficient person. When it came to anything that could make money, he preferred to act immediately rather than put it off.

And so, full of anticipation, Kageyama Sora set out to meet the Haramura Nodoka whom Ryumonbuchi Toka cared about so much.

The streets of Nara Prefecture were wrapped in gentle spring sunshine. Cherry trees lined the roads, their pale pink petals drifting on the breeze like a shower of blossoms.

Kageyama Sora sat in the car, gazing out the window at the passing scenery, eager to meet Haramura Nodoka.

He'd already had his assistant investigate her in detail: female, fifteen years old, a first-year student at Kiyosumi High School in Nara Prefecture, individual champion of the National Middle School Mahjong Tournament, and the online mahjong player "Xiao Hehe." Even as the creator of the software, a man who'd seen plenty, he couldn't help feeling curious about her extraordinary win rate.

Kiyosumi High School's entrance looked especially peaceful and beautiful beneath the cherry blossoms. A gentle breeze swept petals from the trees and scattered them across the campus, laying a dreamlike carpet over the world.

Kageyama Sora stood at the gate and took a deep breath, savoring the scent of cherry blossoms in the air. His instincts told him that today would be a special day.

Before long, a girl in a Kiyosumi High School uniform walked over.

Her slender waist and ample chest stood in striking contrast, forming an eye-catching figure. Even Ryumonbuchi Toka and Kunihiro Hajime together might not have matched her in that regard.

As for why Amae Koromo wasn't included—when it came to comparing bust sizes, they shouldn't drag Koromo into it.

The girl's pink hair was tied in a barely noticeable pair of twin tails that swayed gently as she walked. Beneath her thick bangs, clear blue eyes held a mysterious depth, like a still lake.

Her skin was as pale as snow and as smooth as white jade, glowing softly in the sunlight. It seemed as if a gentle aura surrounded her, like a cherry blossom spirit come down to earth.

Kageyama Sora silently compared her with the photograph and confirmed that she was his target: Haramura Nodoka.

Just as he was wondering how to approach her naturally without seeming too abrupt or creepy, Haramura Nodoka suddenly stopped and shifted her gaze slightly.

Following her line of sight, Kageyama Sora saw a girl with short brown hair, also wearing a Kiyosumi High School uniform.

Her hair had the rich, chocolate-like sheen of brown, glowing warmly in the sunlight and giving her a sweet, approachable air.

When her brown eyes met Haramura Nodoka's, they were bright and clear, shining with an innocent look as if they held countless little stars.

This girl wasn't among the candidates for the national tournament roster that Kageyama Sora had previously asked his assistant to investigate. Still, after years spent honing his instincts in the business world, he had a vague sense that she was anything but ordinary.

Chapter 10: Cherries Beneath the Hem

The May sunlight fell at an angle across the red-brick path of Kiyosumi High School. Kageyama Sora's shoes crossed the tree-shadowed walkway.

He didn't immediately approach his target, Haramura Nodoka. Instead, he paused outside the principal's office. As his knuckles tapped on the wooden door, he heard a clear "Come in" from inside.

A notebook lay half-open on the principal's desk, and his reading glasses had slipped to the tip of his nose.

The moment Kageyama Sora handed over his gold-embossed business card, the old man's eyes lit up behind his lenses. His fingers absently rubbed the raised gold lettering: Director, National High School Mahjong Tournament Preparatory Committee.

"So you're Mr. Kageyama! You're so young..." He quickly got to his feet, his chair scraping softly against the floor. "It's an honor. I'll have Club President Takei Hisa show you around the Mahjong Club right away."

As he spoke, he grabbed the intercom from his desk and tapped out a quick rhythm on the buttons.

Ten minutes later, light footsteps came down the hall. When Kageyama Sora turned, he found himself facing a pair of bright amber eyes.

Her red hair fell loose around her shoulders, and the collar of her uniform was neatly folded. There wasn't a wrinkle on her sleeves. One notable detail was that her uniform skirt was long, reaching to just above her knees.

The girl saw the principal's deferential manner toward someone her own age. Her lashes trembled slightly, but within 0.3 seconds she had settled into a practiced smile. "Hello, Kageyama. I'm Takei Hisa, the student council president and Mahjong Club president."

Before she'd finished speaking, her right hand had already come to rest straight against the side seam of her uniform, her fingertips touching the pleats of her skirt.

"Thanks for your effort, Club President Takei."

As they crossed the courtyard together, the heels of Takei Hisa's shoes tapped out a steady rhythm against the stone path.

"Our clubroom is on the third floor of the old building. The facilities are a little outdated..." She turned her head, her gaze passing over Kageyama Sora's exceptionally handsome face. "But this year's members have plenty of potential."

Kageyama Sora listened to the Mahjong Club president, Takei Hisa, and nodded in understanding...

Seeing how pensive Kageyama Sora looked, Takei Hisa couldn't help being curious. "The principal said you're one of the investors in this year's National Tournament. Someone like you... why come to Kiyosumi High School?"

Takei Hisa had plenty of ambition, but she also knew that Kiyosumi High School's Mahjong Club was nothing special compared with the many high schools full of monsters.

Still... Takei Hisa suddenly thought of this year's first-year students... and wondered if he might have come for Haramura Nodoka.

As they reached the entrance to the Mahjong Club, they heard girls talking inside.

"Oh... the one who was reading over by the bridge just now..." The pink-haired girl with twin tails and a short skirt, Haramura Nodoka, pointed to her lips with one hand and looked thoughtful...

"Huh? You saw me?" came the slightly surprised reply from Saki Miyanaga. Saki Miyanaga seemed not to have expected that the girl who'd completely caught her attention had noticed her too.

Kageyama Sora understood. The two girls had apparently run into each other earlier without speaking, and now they were expressing their surprise at meeting again in the Mahjong Club.

At the same time, a man's voice began an almost exaggerated introduction to Haramura Nodoka's mahjong accomplishments and record.