[Meanwhile, Haramura Nodoka's starting hand was in terrible shape: a disastrous three-shanten.]
And just then... Ryumonbuchi Toka made a choice completely contrary to her usual behavior...
As Inoue Jun put it, "If she's going for a double-pair wait, a data player would never declare riichi!"
Kunihiro Hajime nodded along. "Normally, Toka would prioritize the higher chance of winning with a concealed hand over scoring points. And if she's trying to stop Haramura Nodoka's perfect game... that's even more... unlike her..."
Kunihiro Hajime looked as though her entire worldview had been shattered.
Kageyama Sora didn't really understand why she was so worried. "People aren't set in their ways. Maybe she just has something else on her mind right now?"
"Something else... on her mind?" Kageyama Sora's words immediately gave Kunihiro Hajime a very bad idea.
As for what Ryumonbuchi Toka was actually thinking, it was simple: if she stopped the perfect game with a win on a concealed hand, the audience wouldn't be satisfied. Only some of the people who understood mahjong would appreciate it. In that case...
Back in the waiting room, Kunihiro Hajime cried out in despair, "Could it be that her 'something else' is... wanting to draw even more attention to herself?"
[If she won openly after declaring riichi and interrupted Haramura Nodoka's perfect game, she'd attract even more attention than Nodoka.]
"Giving up a concealed hand just to get more attention!"
Hearing Kunihiro Hajime practically break down, Kageyama Sora chuckled. "I can see Toka doing that... It doesn't mean she's becoming less and less like herself, the way you're worried about..."
The next moment, Ryumonbuchi Toka won... by self-draw, no less.
[It's a dealer mangan! Everyone loses 8,000 points. Haramura Nodoka's perfect game has been stopped!!] As the commentator exclaimed in astonishment, Ryumonbuchi Toka reached the height of her delight.
[Ryumonbuchi High School has completed its comeback and taken first place!]
Ryumonbuchi Toka's run as dealer began.
Kageyama Sora didn't know whether the other waiting rooms had fallen into a gloom after Toka's win, but the atmosphere in Ryumonbuchi's room had certainly lightened.
Finally able to relax, Inoue Jun picked up some snacks and started munching. "That worked out pretty well..."
Kunihiro Hajime also let out a sigh of relief. "Haramura Nodoka is a complete data player, but Toka does occasionally get up to a bit of mischief."
Inoue Jun chuckled. "That side of Toka has its weaknesses, too."
Kunihiro Hajime had a different opinion. "It can be scary, too."
Watching them talk, Kageyama Sora couldn't help teasing them. "Kunihiro Hajime really is Toka's number-one fan."
He'd thought Kunihiro Hajime would be embarrassed, but she readily admitted it. "Because sometimes Toka really does make you think, 'No wonder she's Koromo's cousin.'"
At the mention of her name, Amae Koromo mused, "That side of Toka, huh..."
"Toka and Koromo are both so amazing. Maybe I've got some talent as their cousin, too..." But before he could finish, Kageyama Sora laughed. "Actually, never mind. It seems like only the girls here have any talent..."
[Ryumonbuchi High School has overtaken Kiyosumi High School and returned to the top of the rankings... Now it's the final hand of the first half. Can they hold on to their lead?]
But just as Ryumonbuchi Toka discarded a tile...
A girl's soft voice said, "Ron. Open tanyao, 2,600. Dealer pays 2,900."
An incredulous expression appeared on Ryumonbuchi Toka's face.
It wasn't just Toka. Haramura Nodoka and the girl from Kazekoshi Girls' High School wore the same incredulous expression.
If anything, they looked as if they'd seen a ghost.
The Invisible Girl
On the playing field, Ryumonbuchi Toka stared as if she'd seen a ghost after dealing into the hand of a player who had just declared riichi.
In Ryumonbuchi High School's waiting room, everyone looked just as grim.
Inoue Jun stared blankly. "Toka dealt into the hand of someone who'd just declared riichi without noticing at all?"
Kunihiro Hajime looked utterly devastated. "How could this happen..."
Even Sawamura Tomoki, who rarely spoke, looked shocked. "This has never happened before."
Kunihiro Hajime was beside herself. She grabbed the hem of her skirt and sprang anxiously to her feet. "What on earth happened out there?"
After all, the data players were all good at defense. Nothing like this had ever happened before—not even once had someone dealt into a hand right after their opponent declared riichi. That was why the uproar had been so intense...
Kageyama Sora, who'd been chatting and laughing with everyone moments earlier, also grew cautious. "Her expression isn't just the look of someone who's gotten careless after winning a big hand. It's more like... something has happened that's shattered her entire worldview."
The cicadas abruptly fell silent, their chirping turning eerie. The air in the hallway seemed to be sucked away by an invisible hand.
Amae Koromo tilted her head. Her porcelain-pale cheeks still held the last traces of a smile, but the loose strands of her hair stirred despite the lack of wind, like the mane of a crouching beast bristling for a fight.
A deep blue light swirled in her pupils like a current churning beneath a deep pool, turning her clear eyes into a dangerous vortex.
Amae Koromo tilted her head and looked at Kageyama Sora. "Are you worried about Toka, Sora...? Koromo can feel it. There's an interesting aura."
The girl who had been curled up in Kageyama Sora's arms, as docile as a kitten, now radiated an almost tangible pressure. Even the rabbit-ear bow on her head rippled strangely in the wake of it.
The dangerous aura that only appeared when she played mahjong had emerged from Amae Koromo, who was usually so sweet and well-behaved in Kageyama Sora's arms.
That alone made it easy to tell. In that fleeting change of aura, he suddenly realized that Toyoko Momoko—the girl who had provoked such a strong reaction in Amae Koromo—wasn't as simple as she seemed. There was something very strange about her.
"Another monster has appeared in a field I didn't know about..." Kageyama Sora murmured, interest showing in his eyes. "I'm a little worried, and a little curious..."
[Toyoko Momoko of Tsuruga Academy has won 2,900 points from Ryumonbuchi Toka, who was in first place. That brings the first half to a close.]
During the break, everyone was free to do as they pleased.
Kunihiro Hajime rushed out at once to find Ryumonbuchi Toka. After a moment's thought, Kageyama Sora followed.
Before leaving, he asked Amae Koromo if she wanted to go see what had happened. She shook her head. "Whatever happens, the outcome is already decided. Why bother...?"
By the time Kageyama Sora caught up, Kunihiro Hajime had run so fast that he'd lost sight of her.
He could only follow the route he knew.
In the distance, a figure in a Tsuruga Academy uniform stood in the hallway. Her ink-black hair stirred gently in the draft, like a still painting in black and white.
The long-haired girl stood with her back to him, perfectly straight, as if deep in thought.
The evening breeze brushed her clothes, stirring faint ripples around her, as though an invisible cocoon had separated her from the world.
Kageyama Sora found himself holding his breath. The loneliness surrounding the girl was overwhelming. She seemed like a solitary star lost in the folds of time, and even the evening sunlight on her shoulders looked out of place.
Based on his experience, girls like that were usually trouble.
So Kageyama Sora planned to walk past her and find Ryumonbuchi Toka and Haramura Nodoka.
Yes, he wanted to ask Toka why she'd worn such a world-shattering expression. He also wanted to ask Haramura Nodoka if she'd sensed anything.
After all, when he'd talked with Nodoka in the past, she'd often seemed completely oblivious to the turbulent auras around her.
So he hadn't paid much attention to the girl from Tsuruga Academy.
But as Kageyama Sora walked past her and glanced back without thinking, he was surprised to discover that the girl was Toyoko Momoko—the one who'd just won off Toka's discard.
Her straight black hair fell to her shoulders, with two long strands hanging down in front. From the front, they looked like two streaks of blood running down her face. Her deep green eyes were as clear as a lake. Beneath her somewhat shy and reserved expression, they revealed a touch of liveliness and intelligence, as if she were hiding countless secrets.
There was something mysterious about her, and her ethereal presence made Kageyama Sora speak up. "Are you the player from just now?"
Toyoko Momoko's lashes fluttered violently, and she stumbled half a step backward. "You can see me???"
Her voice seemed to come from deep in her chest, trembling with disbelief.
Momoko's pale fingertips clenched the hem of her skirt, her knuckles turning ashen. Her deep green eyes roiled like stormy seas.
Kageyama Sora took half a step back and warily studied her. "Am I not supposed to be able to see you? You're standing right here, plain as day!"
There were other students walking through the hallway, but Momoko reacted as if she shouldn't exist in anyone's line of sight.
"You really... can see me?" Momoko suddenly lurched half a step forward. Her hair brushed Kageyama Sora's nose, carrying a faint scent of bitter tea.
Her pupils contracted sharply, as if she were examining a priceless treasure. "No one ever has... Not even the Club President..."
The rest of her sentence faded into the breeze, but it sent waves crashing through Kageyama Sora's mind.
"Don't scare me. It's broad daylight..." Kageyama Sora was confused, curious, and uneasy about what Toyoko Momoko had said. "I saw you playing just now. Don't talk as if you're a ghost..."
Momoko suddenly covered her mouth and giggled. The sound escaping between her fingers was like wind chimes, bright with the excitement of discovering something new. "So there really is someone..." She leaned closer, her warm breath brushing Kageyama Sora's ear. "Someone who can see me."
Kageyama Sora froze. "What do you mean by that...?"
"So you really can see me..." The loneliness around Toyoko Momoko vanished completely. She looked like she'd just found a fascinating new toy. "What's your name? What are you doing here?"
"Kageyama Sora." After introducing himself, he thought for a moment and added, "If you want to be precise, I'm related to one of the players."
He didn't say which one. He was related to quite a few of them.
"Toyoko Momoko. That's my name." The girl smiled. Though she still had that ethereal quality, her presence somehow felt more real. "Remember me, okay? I think we'll probably... see each other often from now on."
Comforting Mihoko
The mysterious aura surrounding Toyoko Momoko, her ghostly demeanor, lingered like a thin fog and left an indelible impression on Kageyama Sora.
But that impression couldn't compete with the more urgent question on his mind: what secret lay behind the look on Ryumonbuchi Toka's face, as if her entire worldview had collapsed?
He was so anxious to find out that he wished he could appear in front of Toka that instant.
Unfortunately, his unexpected conversation with Toyoko Momoko had stolen precious time before he knew it.
By the time he finally arrived, he barely had a chance to talk with the two of them before Toka's agitated words cut in.
Toka's ahoge swayed back and forth with her emotions. She looked completely dazed as she cried out in a voice full of confusion and disbelief, even she couldn't understand. "It's so strange! That girl from Tsuruga Academy declared riichi, but I completely overlooked it. I didn't even realize it had happened!!"
She looked as if the foundations of her world had collapsed in an instant.
Kageyama Sora wanted to ask Haramura Nodoka, who'd been playing in the same match, what had happened. But the bell announcing the start of the second half rang without mercy. He had no choice but to return to the waiting room for the time being.
On the way, he unexpectedly ran into Fukuji Mihoko, who'd come to comfort her teammates.
Their eyes met. The silent air seemed wrapped in invisible threads, and an ambiguous warmth flowed between them, spreading until the atmosphere had become charged without either of them saying a word.
At last, Fukuji Mihoko broke the suffocating silence. A faint smile curved her lips as she asked softly, "Who did you come to see?"
Under her gaze, which seemed able to see into people's hearts, neither Ryumonbuchi Toka nor Haramura Nodoka felt like a suitable answer.
One was his girlfriend; one was his cousin, with whom he'd been intimate; and then there was Fukuji Mihoko herself, who had also slept with him.
Kageyama Sora felt a little like a playboy.
His thoughts raced, and he came up with a clever answer. "I came to see Toyoko Momoko, the player from Tsuruga Academy. There's something strange about her, and I'm curious."
"Curious? Are you worried Ryumonbuchi Toka will keep losing?" Fukuji Mihoko asked gently, with an undercurrent of probing.
"No. I'm just interested in all kinds of mahjong players..." Kageyama Sora replied cautiously, trying to keep up a calm facade.
The smile at the corner of Fukuji Mihoko's mouth deepened. She pressed him further, slowly drawing closer.
Then she rose lightly onto her toes. Her warm breath brushed his ear, carrying a hint of seduction. "That's a very safe answer, Kageyama. You're always so careful. But I'm not the kind of girl who gets jealous over nothing. You can be honest with me."
Her voice was soft and alluring, like a pebble dropped into Kageyama Sora's heart, sending ripples across it.
Fukuji Mihoko's warm breath still lingered by his ear, but Kageyama Sora caught a fleeting glimpse of vulnerability in her eyes. Beneath that smile, which pretended to be strong, he saw the heavy burden her team captain carried.
"Honestly, saying things like that..." He shook his head helplessly, but his fingers rose of their own accord to stroke her smooth blond hair. His fingertips brushed the tip of her ear, slightly red from standing on her toes, before settling gently on her head. "You're under a lot of pressure as captain, aren't you...?"
Before he could finish, Fukuji Mihoko's butterfly-like lashes fluttered violently.
Moisture welled in her beautiful eyes, which had been so aggressive just a moment earlier. A tear suddenly fell onto the back of Kageyama Sora's hand, so hot it seemed to burn.
Only then did he realize that this girl, who always seemed to have everything under control, was just a warrior fighting alone on the field.
"Mihoko..." His throat tightened, and he instinctively pulled her into his arms.
She felt even more delicate than she had a few weeks ago. A faint fragrance mingled with the sweet scent unique to a young woman in her hair.
Kageyama Sora patted her back, feeling her breathing grow increasingly uneven beneath his palm. "No matter what happens, you've already done your best..."
His chin brushed her soft hair. Telling her that winning and losing didn't matter felt too hollow, but all he could do was comfort her.
Fukuji Mihoko clutched the front of his clothes, her fingernails almost digging into the fabric.
In the long silence, the only sound echoing through the hallway was her muffled sobbing. Kageyama Sora lowered his head and placed a light kiss on her crown. His masculine scent brushed past her reddened ear. "You don't have to carry everything alone."
He heard his own heart pounding like a drum, but stubbornly held her tighter, as if he could chase away all her fears that way.
Kageyama Sora held Fukuji Mihoko gently, without a trace of desire, only an ache of sympathy. "A team match can't be decided by one person alone. You're pushing yourself too hard..."
Fukuji Mihoko spoke softly. She couldn't show this vulnerability in front of her teammates, but here she showed it to Kageyama Sora. "I know, but... this is my last year at the National Tournament... If I fail again this time, I won't get another chance..."
"You still have another chance. You still have the individual tournament..." Kageyama Sora's voice was incredibly gentle. "I believe in you..."
Neither Kageyama Sora nor Fukuji Mihoko knew.
Ikeda Kana, who'd come looking for Fukuji Mihoko, had seen the intimate scene with her own eyes.
The match had already started, but Fukuji Mihoko still hadn't returned to Kazekoshi Girls' High School's waiting room. Worried that something might have happened, Ikeda Kana had come to look for her.
Before you continue