Comprehensive Anime: Making Money Starting from Saki

Hisa Takei, standing beside Kageyama Sora, added with a smile, "Kiyosumi High School has welcomed many unique first-year members this year. Who knows, we might actually make it to the finals of the national tournament you're sponsoring."

Just as Kageyama Sora was wondering whether he should get involved, given that he was a witness to that 'meeting'—

He heard the sound of running footsteps behind him.

Bright yellow short hair flashed before his eyes, and a breeze carrying the scent of cherry blossoms lifted the hem of the girl's pleated skirt.

Kageyama Sora instinctively stepped aside, but his gaze inevitably swept over the cherry pattern embroidered on her white panties—the skirt, shorter than he had imagined, was swaying at her waist with her running movements.

"The burritos in the cafeteria are sold out!" The girl's voice was breathless from running, the cherry bead chain on her hair accessory trembling along with her. A mischievous, bright smile was plastered on her face: "But I managed to grab the last one..."

As she spoke, she suddenly noticed the stranger at the door, her round eyes widening: "Ah! Club President, who is this?"

Hisa Takei saw Kageyama Sora's shoulders suddenly tense up and, assuming he had been startled by the reckless girl, quickly explained: "This is Kageyama-kun, the sponsor for the national tournament..."

"Hello! I'm a first-year, Yuki Kataoka!" As she spoke, Yuki Kataoka suddenly bent over, and her skirt rose dangerously once again.

Kageyama Sora quickly looked up, fixing his gaze on the windowsill at the end of the hallway, though the tips of his ears felt slightly hot.

"Yuki, mind your manners." Hisa Takei coughed lightly and poked her underclassman in the waist, "This is an important guest here for an inspection."

When she turned around, she found that Kageyama Sora had already returned to his usual gentle smile, as if he didn't care about what had just happened at all.

What Hisa Takei didn't know was that the cherry pattern had been caught in a critical position, and it was currently swaying in Kageyama Sora's memory along with the girl's movements.

In this chaotic state, the group walked into the Mahjong Club.

In an instant, the wooden door of the Mahjong Club creaked shut behind them, and sunlight filtered through the glass windows, casting dappled light spots onto the wooden floor.

At that very moment, the only other male in the room besides Kageyama Sora, a boy with yellow hair, was earnestly introducing Nodoka Haramura's track record to Saki Miyanaga.

Hearing this, Yuki Kataoka, as Nodoka Haramura's best friend, immediately perked up: "Nodoka is amazing, you know! She was the champion of last year's junior high national tournament! She's the strongest middle schooler! She's a very, very incredible existence!"

As for the subject of this 'praise,' Nodoka Haramura did not respond, but instead looked at Kageyama Sora with a hint of surprise: "It's... that person from earlier."

As the words fell, the yellow-haired male, Kyotaro Suga, was instantly shocked: "Hey! Hey! Hey! You've met before!? The world is way too small!"

Nodoka Haramura glanced at Saki Miyanaga: "When I saw her earlier... I saw him too."

Kyotaro Suga remarked from the bottom of his heart: "So a lot happened in that split second... But... who are you? I haven't seen you around the school before."

Hisa Takei, acting as the club president, introduced him perfectly: "Let me introduce everyone. This is Kageyama Sora, the investor for the national tournament. For some reasons, he's here to visit our school's Mahjong Club."

Kyotaro Suga was so astonished that he jumped up and walked right in front of Kageyama Sora, his expression exaggerated: "National tournament investor? You're so young, you're kidding, right!"

"It's true." Hisa Takei interrupted Kyotaro Suga's skepticism: "The principal asked me to bring Kageyama-kun here."

Kageyama Sora couldn't be bothered to dwell on his identity.

He simply said calmly: "Since this is the Mahjong Club, let's communicate through a game of mahjong."

With that, Kageyama Sora sat down calmly in the seat Kyotaro Suga had just vacated. He swore he had no intention of targeting the same sex; it was just that Kyotaro Suga happened to stand up, leaving an empty seat.

Hisa Takei also 'fanned the flames' from the side: "Kageyama-kun is right. Since it's the Mahjong Club, let's start by playing mahjong."

Chapter 11: Plus-Minus Zero

"The chicken burrito is absolutely amazing!" Yuki Kataoka muttered, her cheeks bulging with food, before reluctantly tossing the wrapper into the trash can.

With the last bite of the meal finished, this mahjong match, full of unknowns, began in this somewhat casual and inexplicable atmosphere.

At the table, Nodoka Haramura and Saki Miyanaga sat facing each other; on the other side, Kageyama Sora took Kyotaro Suga's place, sitting opposite the energetic Yuki Kataoka.

The short skirts of the three first-year girls were indeed shockingly short, barely covering their hips. Every time they reached out to draw or discard tiles, their movements were large enough to make one worry about an accidental exposure.

It is worth mentioning that Kyotaro Suga was not angry about Kageyama Sora taking his seat; instead, he went to make tea with a smile, proving himself to be a male student with a very good personality.

On his end, Kageyama Sora had joined the game to observe, so he played very quietly throughout. He didn't try to show off, nor did he intentionally lose money; he simply maintained a state without drawing attention to himself.

However, Yuki Kataoka was like a "little bomb" at the table. Her playstyle was extremely aggressive, a typical fast-attack style.

In the first half of the game, the East Round, she seemed to be favored by the goddess of luck. Her draws and wins were seamless, and the speed was so fast that even Kageyama Sora was slightly surprised—after all, her opponent was Nodoka Haramura, whom even Tohka had praised.

In the past, Kageyama Sora might have thought this was just the girl lacking focus, only able to gain an advantage in the first half through sheer momentum.

But after witnessing the luck-based field control of Amae Koromo, he couldn't help but ponder: "Yuki Kataoka... is her ability only strong during the East Round?"

Yuki Kataoka didn't expect her trait to be seen through by Kageyama Sora so quickly, and her favorability toward him skyrocketed instantly.

Her eyes lit up, and like a cat being stroked, she straightened her back excitedly and proudly declared: "That's right! This is Yuki's ability! Yuki is invincible in the East Round! Even Nodoka has to avoid my edge!"

Kageyama Sora subconsciously looked at Nodoka Haramura. He saw that the pink-haired girl, who was said to need to avoid her edge, was not angry at all. Instead, a blush appeared on her delicate face, and a gentle smile hung on the corners of her lips. The intimate demeanor was clearly something only very close friends would have.

After the East Round ended, the situation of the game changed drastically.

Nodoka Haramura, who hadn't lost many points to begin with, pressed her advantage and won repeatedly. Kageyama Sora also won at the right moments, maintaining his presence in the game. Conversely, the big winner of the East Round, Yuki Kataoka, began to lose repeatedly, wailing in misery, which only made the already cute cat-like girl even cuter.

In addition, Kageyama Sora noticed a special presence—the girl with short brown hair sitting to his left, Saki Miyanaga.

She had a pair of large, round eyes and always wore a well-behaved expression, but her performance at the mahjong table was completely different from her appearance.

Kageyama Sora keenly sensed that Saki Miyanaga was consciously controlling the scores. Sometimes she intentionally won small hands, and other times she intentionally "dealt into" others. Every move she made seemed carefully designed, using superb technique to control the flow of the game.

This caused ripples in Kageyama Sora's heart. He thought to himself: I knew something was off when I first saw her. Could this seemingly obscure girl also be a hidden mahjong master?

Without knowing when, it began to drizzle outside the window. Dark clouds obscured the sun, and the light in the room dimmed accordingly.

Kageyama Sora looked at Saki Miyanaga with deep, meaningful eyes and said: "A very interesting playstyle..."

Saki Miyanaga stiffened at these words, her heart skipping a beat as if her deepest secret had been laid bare in that very moment, a wave of panic and unease instantly surging through her.

At this, the boisterous Yuki Kataoka spoke up without a second thought: "Don't let Saki Miyanaga's playstyle fool you; she's actually incredibly good at calculating points!"

Saki Miyanaga could only offer a couple of awkward, dry laughs. Just then, a sudden clap of thunder exploded in the sky, as if it were some kind of omen, adding a layer of tension to the match.

Hisa Takei, who had been silently observing the game, suddenly stood up, her gaze fixed intently on Saki Miyanaga—who had just won a 1000-point hand—with a complex expression on her face.

Earlier, Hisa Takei had been observing Sora Kageyama's playstyle out of interest.

She discovered that this person, who had entered the game as an "observer," had a very peculiar way of playing; he neither deliberately sought victory nor allowed himself to lose too much, as if he wanted to minimize his presence while still maintaining precise control over the rhythm of the game.

This undoubtedly proved the high level of Sora Kageyama's mahjong skills.

After observing Sora Kageyama, Hisa Takei turned her attention to the newcomer, Saki Miyanaga.

Although she had only been watching from afar at first, she quickly realized that Saki Miyanaga's style was extremely simple, yet within that simplicity lay a subtle sense of balance.

Out of curiosity, Hisa Takei carefully examined Saki Miyanaga's hand, and upon doing so, she couldn't help but be shocked—Saki Miyanaga's hand was excellent, guaranteed to win at least 7000 points, yet she had chosen to settle for a small 1000-point win.

So it wasn't just my imagination... Hisa Takei was filled with doubt. She could understand Sora Kageyama controlling his score for the sake of observation, but for what purpose was Saki Miyanaga doing the same?

Just as Hisa Takei was lost in confusion, Sora Kageyama said, seemingly intentionally or perhaps by chance: "Plus-Minus Zero... Saki Miyanaga's play is quite interesting..."

This sentence was like a sharp blade, instantly piercing through the facade Saki Miyanaga had carefully maintained.

She stood up abruptly like a cat whose tail had been stepped on; in her panic, the chair scraped harshly against the floor, and her skirt flared up, giving Sora Kageyama, who was sitting to her right, an inadvertent glimpse of something he shouldn't have seen.

Sora Kageyama looked away unnaturally, while Saki Miyanaga, seemingly completely unaware of the scene, grabbed her bag in a fluster and stammered, "Um, I suddenly remembered I have something to do at the library, I'm leaving first."

Nodoka Haramura reminded her softly: "It's still raining..."

Saki Miyanaga rushed out the door without looking back, shouting, "I brought an umbrella!"

Yuki Kataoka widened her eyes, looking blank: "That was a bit too sudden, wasn't it..."

Kyotaro Suga analyzed with a dry laugh: "Maybe she got beaten so badly that she felt embarrassed and ran off?"

Sora Kageyama immediately interrupted him: "Overwhelming victory? I wouldn't be so sure."

As soon as he finished speaking, Hisa Takei cast her gaze toward Sora Kageyama, both of them wearing meaningful expressions.

Hisa Takei spoke first: "It seems Kageyama-kun has noticed it too."

Sora Kageyama chuckled: "Indeed, the club president sees things clearly as well."

Yuki Kataoka puffed out her cheeks, complaining with dissatisfaction: "President, Kageyama-kun, stop keeping us in suspense! Tell us what you've discovered!"

Chapter 12: Ambiguity in the Rain

"President, Kageyama-kun, stop keeping us in suspense! Tell us what you've discovered!"

Facing Yuki Kataoka's cute, puffed-cheeked questioning, Hisa Takei gently shook her finger, a meaningful curve tugging at the corners of her lips, her eyes sparkling with the light of someone who saw through everything: "We aren't keeping you in suspense; it's just that you haven't noticed the clues yet... talking about an overwhelming victory, did none of you pay attention to her scores?"

As she spoke, Hisa Takei reached out and clicked on the computer responsible for recording the scores. The numbers on the screen were striking—Saki Miyanaga's results for three consecutive rounds were all precisely Plus-Minus Zero.

Nodoka Haramura's pupils suddenly contracted, her slender fingers unconsciously gripping her skirt, her knuckles turning white from the force: "Could it be... President, are you saying she did this on purpose?"

Her voice trembled slightly, carrying an undisguised shock.

"How is that possible? This must just be a coincidence!" Kyotaro Suga immediately retorted, his face full of disbelief: "I've known her for so long, and I've never heard of her having such a skill!"

However, the one who denied Kyotaro Suga this time was the usually boisterous Yuki Kataoka.

She widened her eyes, her expression serious and earnest: "You can't say that! Luck plays a huge role in mahjong; even for professional players, having a three-in-ten chance of winning is already impressive, let alone maintaining a Plus-Minus Zero—that's much harder than just pursuing victory!"

"And to do it three times in a row..." Sora Kageyama's voice remained cool, yet it could not hide his deep interest in Saki Miyanaga's playstyle, his low voice carrying a hint of an elusive smile: "This level of control is indeed not to be underestimated."

Hisa Takei threw in a bombshell at the right moment: "Although the difficulty is extremely high, if there exists an overwhelming gap in skill..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but it was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a thousand ripples in everyone's hearts.

Just then, the torrential rain outside the window intensified, and a clap of thunder exploded, shaking the entire building slightly, causing the indoor lights to dim for a brief moment.

Nodoka Haramura flinched instinctively; she was already afraid of the dark, but at this moment, because of Hisa Takei's words, she sat frozen in place, even her fear cast aside, her eyes filled with shock and confusion.

Sora Kageyama noticed the girl's unusual behavior beside him. After a moment of hesitation, he reached out and gently patted Nodoka Haramura's shoulder, his movements soft and natural, his voice becoming unconsciously gentler: "Don't be afraid."

His palm transmitted warmth through the thin fabric, carrying a reassuring strength.

Nodoka Haramura shuddered as if struck by an electric current, her cheeks instantly flushing with two spots of red, like cherry blossoms in full bloom in spring, delicate and dripping with beauty.

She lowered her head, not daring to meet Sora Kageyama's eyes; her cheeks, which were often flushed, were now red enough to bleed.

But this subtle, ambiguous atmosphere lasted only for a brief moment.

The next second, Nodoka Haramura suddenly stood up abruptly, her short skirt fluttering gently with the movement, revealing her long, slender legs wrapped in white stockings.

Ignoring the torrential rain outside, she turned and sprinted out, clearly intending to find Saki Miyanaga and get to the bottom of it.

Sora Kageyama watched Nodoka Haramura's retreating figure. He had no intention of chasing after her, but when he looked down, he discovered that during their brief interaction, Nodoka Haramura's student ID card had fallen beside his shoe.

On the card, Nodoka Haramura's photo was smiling brightly. He sighed softly, bent down to pick up the card, and gently rubbed the edge of it with his fingertips. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped forward and chased after the direction in which Nodoka Haramura had disappeared.

In the hallway, the scent of rain mingled with the faint fragrance of a young girl, and Sora Kageyama's heartbeat accelerated involuntarily, though he remained unaware of it himself.

The flush on Nodoka Haramura's cheeks from Sora Kageyama's gentle comfort had yet to fade, but deep in her heart, it felt as if a fire were burning, scorching all her shyness into a persistent obsession with investigating Saki Miyanaga's mahjong playstyle.

The sound of the rain was as rapid as drumbeats, yet it could not stop her footsteps in the slightest.

She bit her lower lip, her hair tips dampened by the rain and sticking messily to both sides of her cheeks. Her lambskin school shoes splashed through the puddles, sending crystalline droplets flying as she charged headlong into the curtain of rain without a second thought.

Kageyama Sora watched the girl's slender yet determined back, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily as he instinctively lifted his legs to give chase.

As a male, he naturally held the advantage in physical stamina, yet Haramura Nodoka was running faster than he had imagined.

The slanting rain swept past, striking his hair and lending the already handsome youth a touch of defiance and unruliness, as if this were the true face hidden beneath his gentle exterior.

Within Kageyama Sora's line of sight, Haramura Nodoka's slender legs were faintly visible beneath her fluttering skirt, and with every running stride, her ample chest rose and fell beneath her soaked white uniform shirt.

The rain had saturated the shirt, clinging to her body and outlining her exquisite curves. Against the backdrop of the translucent fabric, the girl's skin glowed with a faint pink hue, like a cherry blossom blooming after the rain, beautiful enough to make one's heart tremble.

Haramura Nodoka paid no heed to any of this, having only one thought in her mind—to catch up to Saki Miyanaga.

Her rapid breathing intertwined with the sound of the rain, and after rounding a corner, she finally caught sight of the figure ahead holding a red umbrella.

A flash of resolve crossed the girl's eyes as she quickened her pace, her skirt lifted by the wind to carve a chaotic arc through the rain. She leaped suddenly, vaulting over the roadside fence with her wet hair flying behind her like a butterfly throwing itself recklessly toward its prey.

Kageyama Sora followed closely behind, his heart pounding violently, whether from the exertion of the run or from the sight of this desperate girl before him.

Just as Haramura Nodoka was about to stumble and collide with Saki Miyanaga due to her unsteady footing, he surged forward, reaching out with a long arm to pull her slender waist tightly into his embrace.

A faint, girlish fragrance mixed with the scent of rain washed over him. He could clearly feel the soft body in his arms slam into him from the momentum, their body heat mingling amidst the downpour.

At that moment, the red umbrella in Saki Miyanaga's hand was caught by a sudden gust of wind, spinning through the air in a vibrant arc.

Saki Miyanaga stood frozen in place, watching the two figures locked in an embrace before her, the rain sliding down her stunned face.

For a moment, Saki Miyanaga didn't know what to say; she simply let the rain drench her cheeks, her face inexplicably flushing red along with the ambiguous atmosphere.

In the pouring rain, the flying red umbrella and the embracing figures formed a scene of immense impact, as if time had frozen in that instant, like some fated ritual witnessing this unexpected, ambiguous affection spreading quietly through the rain.

Chapter 13: I Came for You