At that moment, Ikeda Kana was still slumped over the mahjong table, her shoulders trembling in spasms.
Her black hair hung down, concealing her face, but dark water stains had spread along the edge of the table, drops striking the tabletop one after another.
Memories of being shut out by Amae Koromo last year suddenly surged back, overlapping with her current helplessness until she no longer had the strength to lift her head—so even her all-out resistance had truly meant nothing in her opponent's eyes.
"I need to use the restroom!" Saki Miyanaga suddenly sprang out of her chair, her knee hitting the table edge with a dull thud. Yet she seemed not to hear it. Her face was pale as paper, her legs shaking so badly she could barely stand. She grabbed the table edge, staggered two steps, then rushed out.
Her short brown hair flew wildly as she ran, like a small beast fleeing in panic.
Almost at the same moment, Haramura Nodoka abruptly set down the Penguin Plushie she had been holding and rose to her feet. "I'm going out for a moment."
Her voice was strained with suppressed urgency, her fingertips clenched white.
Everyone watched as Haramura Nodoka's back disappeared into the corridor, their expressions complicated.
Hisa Takei turned her teacup, her gaze slowly settling on Kageyama Sora. A faint, familiar smile curled her lips. "Aren't you going to check on them? Aren't you worried they might be crying outside?"
Kageyama Sora's eyes remained fixed on the screen, his brow slightly furrowed. "No. She probably went to find Saki Miyanaga... They probably have things they want to say to each other."
Mako Someya pushed up her glasses, the lenses reflecting the overhead lights. "Still, Haramura Nodoka was right just now. Saki Miyanaga still hasn't shown her