Standing beside Kageyama Sora, Hisa Takei added with a smile, "Kiyosumi High School has welcomed many distinctive first-years this year. We might actually make it to the finals of the National Tournament you're sponsoring."
Just as Kageyama Sora was wondering whether, as a witness to that "meeting," he ought to get involved too—
He heard running footsteps behind him.
Bright yellow hair flashed past, and a breeze carrying the scent of cherry blossoms sent a girl's pleated skirt fluttering.
Kageyama Sora instinctively turned aside, but his gaze inevitably caught a glimpse of the cherry pattern embroidered on her white underwear. Her skirt was even shorter than he'd imagined, swaying with her hurried steps.
"The cafeteria's sold out of Mexican wraps!" the girl said, still catching her breath from the run. The cherry-bead chain on her hair ornament trembled as she grinned mischievously. "But I managed to get the last one..."
As she spoke, she suddenly noticed the stranger by the door. Her round eyes widened. "Oh! Club President, who's this?"
Seeing Kageyama Sora's shoulders tense, Hisa Takei mistook it for a startled reaction to the girl's sudden appearance and hurried to explain, "This is Kageyama. He's a sponsor of the National Tournament..."
"Hello! I'm Yuki Kataoka, a first-year!" As she introduced herself, Yuki Kataoka suddenly bent forward, making her skirt swing up again.
Kageyama Sora quickly looked up, fixing his gaze on the window at the end of the hall, though the tips of his ears turned slightly red.
"Yuki, mind your manners." Hisa Takei coughed softly and poked her junior in the side. "He's an important guest here to observe the club."
When she turned back, Kageyama Sora had already resumed his usual gentle smile, as if he hadn't noticed what had just happened.
What Hisa Takei didn't know was that the cherry pattern had happened to be in a particularly memorable spot, and the image was still lingering in Kageyama Sora's mind.
In the midst of all this commotion, the group entered the Mahjong Club room.
The wooden door creaked shut behind them. Sunlight streaming through the windows scattered patches of light across the wooden floor.
At that moment, the yellow-haired boy in the room, besides Kageyama Sora, was earnestly telling Saki Miyanaga about Haramura Nodoka's achievements.
At the mention of that, Yuki Kataoka, Haramura Nodoka's best friend, perked right up. "Nodoka's amazing! She won last year's junior high National Tournament! She's the strongest middle school player! She's really, really incredible!"
But Haramura Nodoka, the person being praised, didn't respond. Instead, she looked at Kageyama Sora with mild surprise. "That's... the person from earlier."
The moment she said it, the yellow-haired boy, Kyotaro Suga, was utterly astonished. "Huh? You've met him too!? What a small world!"
Haramura Nodoka glanced at Saki Miyanaga. "I saw him... when I met her just now."
Kyotaro Suga marveled sincerely, "A lot happened in that brief moment, huh... Anyway, who are you? I don't think I've seen you around school before."
As the Club President, Hisa Takei offered a timely introduction. "Everyone, this is Kageyama Sora. He's one of the National Tournament's investors, and he's visiting our school's Mahjong Club for a particular reason."
Kyotaro Suga jumped up and went straight over to Kageyama Sora, looking thoroughly astonished. "An investor in the National Tournament? You're so young. Are you sure you're not kidding?"
"It's true," Hisa Takei interrupted, cutting off Kyotaro Suga's doubts. "The principal asked me to bring Kageyama here."
Kageyama Sora couldn't be bothered to dwell on his identity or anything of the sort.
He simply said calmly, "Since this is the Mahjong Club, let's get to know each other by playing mahjong."
With that, Kageyama Sora calmly took the seat Kyotaro Suga had just vacated. He swore he wasn't targeting someone of the same sex; Kyotaro Suga had simply stood up and left an empty seat.
Hisa Takei fanned the flames from the side. "Kageyama's right. Since this is the Mahjong Club, we should start by playing mahjong."
Yuki Kataoka murmured, "These Mexican chicken wraps are incredible!" Her cheeks were still stuffed with food as she reluctantly tossed the wrapper into the trash.
Once she'd finished the last bite, the unpredictable mahjong game began in a casual, oddly whimsical atmosphere.
At the table, Haramura Nodoka and Saki Miyanaga sat across from each other. On the other side, Kageyama Sora took Kyotaro Suga's place and sat opposite the energetic Yuki Kataoka.
The three first-year girls' skirts were remarkably short, barely reaching past their hips. Whenever they reached for or discarded tiles, their movements made their skirts shift, drawing attention.
It was worth mentioning that Kyotaro Suga wasn't upset that Kageyama Sora had taken his seat. Instead, he cheerfully went to make tea. He seemed like a good-natured boy.
Kageyama Sora had joined the game to observe, so he played quietly throughout. He didn't try to show off or deliberately lose. He simply kept a low profile.
Yuki Kataoka, however, was like a little bomb at the table. Her style was highly aggressive, a classic example of quick offense.
During the first half of the game, the East round, she seemed blessed by the goddess of luck. She called ready and won in quick succession, playing so fast that even Kageyama Sora was surprised. After all, her opponent was Haramura Nodoka, whom Tohka had praised.
In the past, Kageyama Sora might have thought the girl was simply unfocused and could only gain an advantage early on through sheer momentum.
But after seeing Amae Koromo control the table with her luck, he couldn't help wondering, "Yuki Kataoka... Is her strength limited to the East round?"
Yuki Kataoka hadn't expected Kageyama Sora to figure out her specialty so quickly. She immediately warmed to him.
Her eyes lit up, and she sat up excitedly like a cat being petted. Proudly, she declared, "That's right! That's Yuki's special ability! Yuki is unbeatable in the East round! Even Nodoka has to avoid challenging me!"
Kageyama Sora instinctively looked at Haramura Nodoka. The pink-haired girl, whom Yuki said had to avoid her, wasn't angry at all. Her lovely face was tinged with pink, and a gentle smile curved her lips. The affectionate expression made it clear they were very close friends.
After the East round ended, the game's momentum suddenly shifted.
Haramura Nodoka, who had lost very few points, pressed her advantage and won repeatedly. Kageyama Sora won at appropriate moments too, maintaining his presence in the game. Meanwhile, Yuki Kataoka, the big winner of the East round, started losing hand after hand, crying out in dismay. The misfortune only made the catlike girl seem even more adorable.
Kageyama Sora also noticed someone unusual: Saki Miyanaga, the brown-haired girl sitting to his left.
She had large, round eyes and a consistently obedient expression, but her performance at the table was completely at odds with her appearance.
Kageyama Sora keenly noticed that Saki Miyanaga was deliberately controlling her score. Sometimes she went out on a small hand; other times she deliberately dealt into someone else's win. Every move seemed carefully planned, her superb technique guiding the flow of the game.
This stirred a ripple of thought in Kageyama Sora. He mused to himself: I thought there was something unusual about her the first time I saw her. Could this seemingly unremarkable girl actually be a hidden mahjong expert?
At some point, rain began pattering outside. Dark clouds blotted out the sun, and the room grew dim.
Kageyama Sora looked intently at Saki Miyanaga and said meaningfully, "That's a very interesting way to play..."
Saki Miyanaga stiffened. Her heart skipped a beat, as if her deepest secret had just been exposed. Panic and unease surged through her.
Then Yuki Kataoka blurted out without a second thought, "Saki's style might look plain, but she's really good at calculating scores!"
Saki Miyanaga could only manage an awkward laugh. Just then, thunder suddenly boomed overhead, adding a tense note to the game, as if it were an omen.
Hisa Takei, who had been silently watching, suddenly stood up. Her gaze fixed on Saki Miyanaga, who had just won a hand worth a thousand points, and her expression turned complicated.
At first, Hisa Takei had been watching Kageyama Sora closely because she was curious about him.
She'd noticed that the player who had joined as an "observer" had a peculiar style. He neither pursued victory nor let himself lose too much, seeming to minimize his presence while still controlling the game's pace with precision.
That alone proved how skilled Kageyama Sora was at mahjong.
After observing Kageyama Sora, Hisa Takei turned her attention to the newcomer, Saki Miyanaga.
At first she'd only watched from a distance, but she soon realized that Saki Miyanaga's play was remarkably plain, with a subtle balance beneath that simplicity.
Curious, Hisa Takei examined Saki Miyanaga's hand closely. What she saw left her stunned: Saki Miyanaga had an excellent hand, worth at least seven thousand points, yet she had chosen to win a mere thousand-point hand.
I knew it wasn't my imagination... Hisa Takei was baffled. She could understand Kageyama Sora controlling the score to observe the game, but why was Saki Miyanaga doing it?
As Hisa Takei puzzled over it, Kageyama Sora said, as if casually, "Plus-Minus Zero... Saki Miyanaga's play is interesting..."
His words pierced the disguise Saki Miyanaga had carefully maintained.
She shot to her feet like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. In her haste, her chair scraped sharply across the floor, and her skirt shifted with the movement. Kageyama Sora, sitting to her right, caught an unintended glimpse.
Kageyama Sora turned his head awkwardly. Saki Miyanaga didn't seem to notice. She grabbed her bag in a panic and stammered, "Um, I just remembered I have something to do at the library. I'm leaving."
"It's still raining..." Haramura Nodoka reminded her softly.
Saki Miyanaga rushed out without looking back. "I brought an umbrella!"
Yuki Kataoka stared after her, bewildered. "She left awfully suddenly..."
Kyotaro Suga gave an awkward laugh and speculated, "Maybe she got beaten so badly she felt embarrassed and ran off?"
Kageyama Sora immediately cut him off. "A crushing defeat? I don't think so."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hisa Takei looked at Kageyama Sora. Both of them wore knowing expressions.
Hisa Takei spoke first. "Looks like you noticed too, Kageyama."
Kageyama Sora chuckled. "Yes. You saw through it too, Club President."
Yuki Kataoka puffed out her cheeks in a pout. "Club President, Kageyama, stop being so cryptic! Tell us what you figured out!"
"Club President, Kageyama, stop being so cryptic! Tell us what you figured out!"
Faced with Yuki Kataoka's adorable, puff-cheeked question, Hisa Takei gently wagged a finger. A knowing smile curved her lips, and her eyes gleamed with insight. "We're not being cryptic. You just haven't noticed the clue yet, Yuki... You're calling it a crushing victory, but did none of you pay attention to her score?"
As she spoke, Hisa Takei opened the computer used to record the scores. The numbers on the screen were clear: Saki Miyanaga had finished all three consecutive rounds with exactly Plus-Minus Zero.
Haramura Nodoka's pupils contracted. Her slender fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt, her knuckles paling with the pressure. "Could it be... are you saying she did it on purpose?"
Her voice trembled slightly, unable to hide her shock.
"How could that be? It has to be a coincidence!" Kyotaro Suga immediately objected, disbelief written all over his face. "I've known her for ages, and I've never heard she could do something like that!"
But this time it was the usually carefree Yuki Kataoka who disagreed with Kyotaro Suga.
She widened her eyes and spoke with serious conviction. "You can't put it that way! Luck plays a big part in mahjong. Even professional players are amazing if they have a thirty percent chance of winning, and keeping a score of Plus-Minus Zero is much harder than simply trying to win!"
"And she did it three times in a row..." Kageyama Sora's voice was still cool, but his words betrayed his strong interest in Saki Miyanaga's style. His low voice seemed to carry a faint hint of amusement. "That kind of control really is impressive."
Hisa Takei delivered a bombshell. "It would be extremely difficult, but if there were an overwhelming gap in skill..."
She didn't finish, but her words were like a stone tossed into a still lake, sending ripples through everyone's thoughts.
At just that moment, the rain outside grew heavier. Thunder cracked, making the whole building tremble slightly, and the lights briefly dimmed.
Haramura Nodoka shrank back instinctively. She was afraid of the dark, but Hisa Takei's words had left her rooted to the spot, her fear momentarily forgotten as shock and confusion filled her eyes.
Kageyama Sora noticed the girl beside him was uneasy. After hesitating briefly, he reached out and gently patted Haramura Nodoka on the shoulder. His gesture was easy and tender, and his voice softened without him realizing it. "Don't be afraid."
Warmth passed through the thin fabric from his palm, carrying a reassuring strength.
Haramura Nodoka shivered as if struck by an electric current. Her cheeks instantly flushed pink, like cherry blossoms opening in spring.
She lowered her head, too shy to meet Kageyama Sora's eyes. Her cheeks, which were often tinged with pink, now turned scarlet.
But the delicate, intimate atmosphere lasted only a moment.
The next second, Haramura Nodoka suddenly sprang to her feet, her short skirt fluttering slightly with the movement. Her legs, clad in white stockings, were long and slender.
Ignoring the downpour outside, she turned and dashed away, evidently determined to ask Saki Miyanaga what was going on.
Kageyama Sora watched her disappear. He hadn't meant to follow, but when he looked down, he noticed that Haramura Nodoka's student ID had fallen beside his shoe during their brief interaction.
Haramura Nodoka's photo on the ID showed her smiling brightly. With a sigh, he bent to pick it up, lightly rubbing the edge of the card with his fingertips. After a moment's hesitation, he set off in the direction she had gone.
In the hallway, the smell of rain mingled with a faint feminine fragrance. Kageyama Sora's heart began to beat a little faster, though he didn't notice.
The blush brought on by Kageyama Sora's gentle reassurance hadn't faded from Haramura Nodoka's cheeks, but a fire was burning inside her. Her curiosity about Saki Miyanaga's mahjong style had driven all her embarrassment away.
The rain drummed down urgently, but it did nothing to slow her.
She bit her lower lip. Her hair was wet, its strands clinging messily to either side of her face. Her school shoes splashed through puddles as she charged heedlessly into the rain.
Watching the girl's slender but determined figure, Kageyama Sora swallowed and almost instinctively hurried after her.
As a boy, he had a natural advantage in stamina, but Haramura Nodoka was running faster than he'd expected.
Rain slanted across the air and dampened his hair. It made the already handsome boy look a little more unruly, as though this were the side of him hidden beneath his gentle manner.
Within Kageyama Sora's field of vision, Haramura Nodoka's legs flashed beneath her fluttering skirt as she ran.
Haramura Nodoka paid none of it any mind. She had only one thought: catch up with Saki Miyanaga.
Her hurried breathing mingled with the sound of rain. After turning a corner, she finally spotted the figure ahead holding a red umbrella.
A look of determination flashed through her eyes as she quickened her pace. The wind caught her skirt, sending it into a disordered arc through the rain. She leapt over the railing by the roadside, her wet hair flying behind her like a butterfly throwing itself after its prey.
Kageyama Sora followed close behind, his heart pounding. He couldn't tell whether it was from running or from watching this girl push herself so hard.
Just as Haramura Nodoka was about to lose her footing and crash into Saki Miyanaga, Kageyama Sora accelerated. He stretched out an arm and caught the girl around her slender waist.
A faint feminine fragrance mixed with the smell of rain. He could clearly feel her soft body collide with him from the force of her momentum, their body heat mingling in the downpour.
At that moment, the wind suddenly snatched the red umbrella from Saki Miyanaga's hand. It spun through the air in a vivid arc.
Saki Miyanaga stood frozen, staring at the two of them embracing as rain ran down her astonished face.
For a moment, Saki Miyanaga didn't know what to say. She simply let the rain soak her face, inexplicably blushing along with the intimate atmosphere.
In the torrential rain, the flying red umbrella and the embracing figures formed a striking image. It was as if time had stopped, and as though some fated ritual were bearing witness to an unexpected affection quietly unfolding in the rain.
Before you continue