Chapter 44

Inoue Jun took a donut from the maid and muttered while chewing, "It's true, Toka is usually a clumsy young lady who always does ridiculous things, but she's the type who, the stronger her opponent is, the more she..."

Her slurred words were swallowed along with the food, leaving the others feeling helpless.

Kunihiro Hajime, carrying her faith in Toka, took over: "Toka is the passionate type who gets stronger when facing a challenge... And the more she burns, the more it actually brings out another version of Toka."

"Another version?" Kageyama Sora keenly identified the crux of the matter.

Kunihiro Hajime didn't hide anything: "Yeah... Kageyama-kun hasn't seen it either. It's a version of her that is extremely calm, one that leaves us unable to see any flaws..."

"But, there will eventually be a man who can make her melt..." Inoue Jun chuckled, turning her gaze toward Kageyama Sora.

Kageyama Sora felt subtly embarrassed by this, and at the same time asked, "However, that state you're talking about, isn't it very similar to the feeling when Amae Koromo plays mahjong..."

Kunihiro Hajime didn't deny it, even saying with complex emotions: "Yes, but Toka doesn't like that state. She prefers to rely on her own strength, rather than... a Monster..."

The air conditioner in the lounge hummed softly. Amae Koromo curled up in the corner of the sofa, her ice-blue eyes fixed intently on the television screen.

The hem of her pink uniform skirt rose and fell gently with her breathing, but her giant red rabbit ears drooped like frost-bitten leaves. Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the edge of a mahjong tile, making a faint rustling sound in the silence: "Toka... seems very excited..."

The tail of her sentence was as light as a drifting feather, carrying a trace of imperceptible confusion.

Kageyama Sora followed her gaze to the screen, where Ryumonbuchi Toka sat upright at the mahjong table.

The girl's long golden hair was draped over her shoulders, and her ahoge twitched slightly.

Her emerald-green eyes burned with a nearly paranoid intensity, and her fair cheeks flushed with a sickly crimson, like a snowfield stained by the sunset.

The fingertips of the hand supporting her cheek trembled slightly, her knuckles turning white from the pressure, while the mahjong tile held in her other hand was ground into a fine layer of sweat against her palm.

One could faintly see her knees trembling under the table, the skin visible beneath her school uniform skirt flushed with an abnormal red, and even the sweat beads sliding down her temples shimmered with an excited luster.

The moment she declared a riichi, she leaned back against the chair, the corners of her lips curling into an arc so flamboyant it was almost arrogant.

In a daze, the light and shadow in the broadcast seemed to outline a pair of pitch-black wings behind her, vibrating slightly to the rhythm of her fingertips tapping the table, as if they were about to break through the screen and shred all her opponents under an invisible edge.

The first round ended in a draw.

However, even the commentators were moved, noting that everyone was playing so cautiously that the first round actually ended in a draw.

This was the first time they had seen a draw in today's matches so far.

In the second round, the one who won the hand was Haramura Nodoka, having taken the tile from a Kazekoshi Girls' High School player, but...

In the words of the male announcer, it was truly an unremarkable winning hand.

In a sense, it could be considered breaking a certain stalemate.

Following this, Haramura Nodoka began to enter a state of calling tiles and stealing discards.

Toka also began to riichi and call tiles; neither side was as cautious as they were at the beginning, but rather, they began to launch appropriate attacks while remaining careful.

However, as the match progressed.

Haramura Nodoka's state became better and better, her cheeks becoming redder and redder...

It was simply... a metamorphosis...

Kageyama Sora looked at the screen and whispered: "She must have entered that state."

"Which state?" Kunihiro Hajime couldn't help but feel curious and worried; after all, she was the one here who worried about Toka the most, yet Toka seemed to be suppressed by Haramura Nodoka.

Kageyama Sora thought for a moment, and without revealing any secrets, tried his best to clarify things for everyone: "Well... when Nodoka plays face-to-face, she is often affected by things around her. This is the reason why she has a high win rate as Xiao Hehe, but not as high in person. However, after some events, she has been able to maintain the state of Xiao Hehe from online mahjong in reality as well."

As for how she trained, Kageyama Sora would certainly not say.

The air in the lounge was filled with the mist of lemon aromatherapy, and the hum of the central air conditioning mixed with the background noise of the live broadcast, weaving a dense net in the silence.

Inoue Jun's fingers, gripping her mineral water bottle, turned slightly white, and the water droplets condensed on the bottle slid down between her fingers, forming a small puddle in her palm: "Then Toka... is she really okay?"

Her eyes, looking up at the screen, were filled with worry.

Kunihiro Hajime leaned against the locker, her black ponytail swaying gently with her movements, and her green ribbon hair accessory reflecting cold light: "Toka... is getting more and more excited."

In the live broadcast, Ryumonbuchi Toka sat at the mahjong table, her hair tips trembling slightly in the air conditioning breeze.

Her emerald-green eyes were like poisoned jade, staring fixedly at the Haramura Nodoka opposite her, her fair cheeks flushed with a sickly crimson, and even her earlobes were stained with a vivid color.

When Haramura Nodoka pushed over a 5-man tile, Toka suddenly bit her lower lip, her canine teeth pressing a crescent-shaped white mark into her lip, and a suppressed chuckle spilled from her throat.

"I've met Xiao Hehe in person; the feeling of the real person is indeed much more delicious..." Toka's nails dug deep into her palms, but she felt no pain.

Hot thoughts churned in her mind, as if she had already seen herself tearing through Haramura Nodoka's defenses on the mahjong table. The girl leaned back slightly against the chair, her swan-like neck glowing like a pearl under the overhead light, and the sweat beads oozing from her collarbone slid slowly down the concave curve, disappearing into the collar of her pure white shirt.

In the close-up shot, one could clearly see her licking her lips—the tip of her tongue first swept lightly over her dry lips, and then she bit down hard on her lower lip, her fangs almost piercing the skin.

She looked like a hungry beast eyeing its prey, and also like a devout believer gazing at a holy relic.

In the lounge, Kageyama Sora's Adam's apple bobbed violently: "What kind of terrible fantasy is she indulging in again?"

He reached out to rub his throbbing temples, but he couldn't dispel the image of his cousin, who was currently in a state of near-madness.

Chapter 99 Extra: if Route Kubo Takako

The time was the night after the preliminary round ended.

If Kageyama Sora hadn't gone on a date with Fukuji Mihoko, but instead decided to go for a drink alone...

That day, Kazekoshi Girls' High School had clearly qualified perfectly, but their coach, Kubo Takako, still angrily punished her students.

However, because the one about to be played was Fukuji Mihoko, Kageyama Sora immediately stepped in to intercept this ill-tempered, beautiful coach.

Kageyama Sora had assumed it would just be a one-time encounter, but this world always has a way of weaving strange fates.

That day, neon lights blurred into hazy spots of color amidst the curtain of rain. When Kageyama Sora pushed open the bar door, the scent of whiskey mingled with cigarette smoke rushed to meet him.

The crystal chandelier cast diamond-shaped shadows onto the bar counter, and for some inexplicable reason, his mind drifted back to the chaotic mess in the lounge earlier that day.

"A bourbon, on the rocks." He leaned against the mahogany bar, the sound of glass clinking together as crisp as mahjong tiles colliding.

Suddenly, the sound of a glass shattering came from a corner. A blonde woman stumbled, knocking over a table, her black suit jacket stained with spilled alcohol—it was none other than the stern coach from earlier, Kubo Takako.

Kubo Takako supported her forehead with one hand, strands of hair falling to obscure half her face, the silver ring on her ring finger glinting coldly under the lights.

"Another..." Her voice was hoarse as she reached for the glass the waiter had just brought, but her fingertips slipped against the rim.

Kageyama Sora instinctively reached out to steady the glass, the cold surface pressing against his palm, overlapping with the temperature of her wrist from earlier that day.

"Looking to meddle?" Kubo Takako narrowed her eyes, the smell of alcohol wafting onto his collar. "Addicted to playing the hero?"

"Just worried you'd ruin the carpet." Kageyama Sora pulled out a napkin to wipe the table, catching a glimpse of fine beads of sweat on her neck out of the corner of his eye.

The imposing coach from the daytime looked like a crumpled playing card now—disheveled, yet hiding a different kind of sharpness.

Kubo Takako suddenly grabbed his sleeve with surprising strength. "Little brother, have a drink with me."

She undid the top button of her suit, revealing her faintly visible collarbone. "Tell me, what exactly is so good about that little girl you're protecting?"

The whiskey swirled in her glass, reflecting the redness at the corners of her eyes.

Kageyama Sora remembered how the sunlight had shone through Fukuji Mihoko's eyelashes when she stood up for her team. "I suppose it's that... even while she's standing in the rain herself, she thinks about holding an umbrella for others... It's very dazzling."

The glass slammed heavily onto the bar, amber liquid splashing onto Kubo Takako's sleeve.

"How foolish." The ill-tempered coach let out a scoff. "The night of the finals last year, Hanana's mistake caused the team's entire year of hard work to go down the drain. She was completely crushed by Amae Koromo and couldn't even get back up! Do you know why I'm so harsh on them?"

Without him noticing, it had started to rain outside.

The rain outside the window grew heavier, the sound of droplets hitting the glass blending with the jazz music.

Kubo Takako undid her second button, revealing her slender neck. She swirled her glass, as if lost in memory. "When I was their age, I was just like them—a mahjong player for Kazekoshi Girls' High School... In the final round of the championship, because of one mistake, I personally handed the trophy to our opponents."

Kageyama Sora looked at the ring on her finger, wondering why it felt like it held some special significance.

"Ever since then, I swore I would never let my players experience that kind of despair." She tilted her head back and finished the last of her drink. "But... the tighter I try to hold on, the more they want to run away. I'm doing it for their own good..."

Kageyama Sora hesitated for a moment before saying slowly, "But... they are still young girls, after all..."

The air was thick with the pungency of whiskey. Kubo Takako suddenly leaned in close, her hair brushing against his ear. "If they weren't young, pretty girls, would you even care?"

Her breath carried the warmth of alcohol, and her eyelashes cast fan-shaped shadows beneath her eyes.

Kageyama Sora's Adam's apple bobbed. The bar lights flowed over her blonde hair, outlining the shadows at her suit's neckline in an increasingly ambiguous way.

A closing-time announcement played in the distance, but Kubo Takako suddenly let out a soft laugh, her voice husky with intoxication. "Forget it, why am I even telling you this?"

She grabbed her suit jacket and stood up, but stumbled as she turned.

Kageyama Sora reached out to steady her waist, his touch meeting the slender bones beneath.

"Let go." Her voice was muffled, yet she didn't struggle. The two stood in a stalemate in the narrow aisle, the light refracting through the glass door cutting diamond patterns into the floor, looking exactly like the designs on mahjong tiles.

"Coach Kubo." Kageyama Sora's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet bar. "Do you know? Actually, they all know you're doing it for their own good, and they appreciate it, but... sometimes, some things really can't be solved just by being strict."

He felt the body in his arms tremble slightly. After a moment of thought, he voiced his own opinion: "Perhaps... you could try not being a strict coach once in a while."

Kubo Takako looked up abruptly, the flush at the corners of her eyes still present, her breathing growing rapid.

Under the warm yellow light of the bar, their shadows overlapped within the diamond-shaped light, as if they were about to melt into a single, blurred silhouette the next second.

Kubo Takako's damp eyelashes fluttered. The moment she met Kageyama Sora's gaze, the bar lights shattered into tiny stars in her pupils. She suddenly let out a soft laugh, tinged with self-mockery. "Not be a strict coach? Then what else could I be?"

Kageyama Sora let go, but then, as if by accident, draped her suit jacket over her shoulders to shield her from the draft blowing through the bar. "Perhaps you could start by being yourself again."

He paused, looking at her stunned expression. "There's a 24-hour bar nearby. Want to go check it out?"

Kubo Takako tugged at the jacket on her shoulders, the scent of her perfume mixing with the whiskey. "You brat, you sure know how to find excuses."

Yet, her feet were already following Kageyama Sora toward the door, crushing the diamond-shaped shadows on the floor.

The rain had stopped at some point, and the night air was wrapped in dampness.

The two walked side-by-side down the empty street, the sounds of their dress shoes and heels intermingling.

The neon sign of the 24-hour bar glowed with a purple hue. As they pushed the door open, the jazz music suddenly became clear, and the air was filled with the scent of citrus and rum.

"Two JokersSmile," Kageyama Sora said, raising an eyebrow at the bartender.

The amber liquid swirled in the tall glasses, the orange peel on the rim curled into a mischievous arc.

Kubo Takako rubbed her fingertips against the side of the glass, the cold sensation helping her sober up a little. "You really do know how to order."

"...Isn't it more interesting when you meet someone who understands?" Kageyama Sora tapped his glass against hers, the liquid clinking with a crisp sound.

As they drank glass after glass, the conversation shifted from mahjong tactics to childhood anecdotes. Kubo Takako talked about the embarrassing time she climbed over a wall to buy strawberry cake in high school and was punished by having to run laps around the track, laughing until she doubled over. Her blonde hair brushed against the back of Kageyama Sora's hand, leaving a tingling sensation.

At three in the morning, the bar was nearly empty.

Kubo Takako's cheeks were flushed, and she tilted her head to look at Kageyama Sora. "Tell me, if someone had been here to drink and vent with me like this back then..."

Her voice gradually lowered, but when Kageyama Sora reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from her face, she suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Their breaths intertwined in the purple light, and the wine in the highball glass rippled, shattering the ambiguity filling the room.

Chapter 100 Extra: if Route Kubo Takako (Part 2)

Kageyama Sora was pulled by his wrist, the temperature from her fingertips feeling as if it were searing into his skin.

Kubo Takako's gaze became hazy yet scorching; in the purple light, her eyes reflected his figure as if hiding a fire ready to spread across the plains.

"Kageyama Sora..." She murmured his name, the tail end of her voice carrying a faint tremor, her breath brushing lightly against the back of his hand: "Do you know how dangerous you are? A boy of your age, yet you possess the charm of a mature man..."

Kageyama Sora wanted to say that it was because he had been doing business early on and had faced many old foxes, so he was inherently more mature than his peers.

But he felt that explaining it this way would inexplicably carry an annoying arrogance, so he held back.

However, Kubo Takako perhaps never expected Kageyama Sora to answer at all.

Without waiting for his reply, she suddenly stood up, her high heels clicking crisply against the wooden floor as she dragged him toward the depths of the bar.

She had asked earlier if there were private rooms here, and he hadn't thought much of it.

Now it seemed she had planned this all along.

The wall lamps in the corridor were dim and soft, casting swaying shadows upon them.

Kubo Takako pushed open the door to a private room, pulled Kageyama Sora inside, and then locked the door with a "click."

The room was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, which intertwined with the smell of alcohol on their bodies, and an ambiguous atmosphere instantly filled the cramped space.

Purple patterned curtains blocked the light from outside, and the only source of illumination was a uniquely shaped lamp in the corner, its warm yellow glow making Kubo Takako's blonde hair look even more dazzling.

She let go of Kageyama Sora's hand but did not step back; instead, she stood slightly on her tiptoes, bracing her hands against the wall behind him, trapping him in this small space.

"You today remind me of many versions of myself that I had hidden away." Her voice was raspy from the alcohol, yet incredibly alluring: "The girl who would be happy because of a strawberry cake, the one who would run wild on the playground..."

Her fingertips slid slowly down his collarbone and paused over his heart, "It is you who makes her seem to have come alive again."

Kageyama Sora's throat tightened as he looked at the face so close to his own; the stern and cold coach from the daytime was nowhere to be found, leaving only a woman who was both enchanting and fragile.