A little story about some of the offscreen parts of episode 8 in the anime.

Yubikiri: for those who don't know, is a childish way to make a promise in Japan, where both parties making the promise hold each other pinky fingers.

Disclaimer: I don't own Saki... And if I did, I would still say that I didn't just to get the fans off my back.

Yubikiri

by Sniperk

There was five types of people in this world, when it came to game the girls were playing. The non literates, the newbies, the regular players, the masters and the monsters. Every category had some sort of subdivision, like, in the non literates, there was the ones that knew about the game but never played or never got the interest to play, and the ones that really didn't even knew the game existed at all. In the newbies there was the fresh meat and the easy marks, and so on. She was in the last category. She was, indeed, a monster. Be it about luck, skill or reading the tiles, she was a top player, a monster above monsters.

"Tsumo. Pinfu, 3 dora. 2000 points from each, please."

The rest of the table was in silence. That was the third bonus hand played in that hanchan, that since it began, no one else got even one point from her. She was on a roll, and she knew it.

They were going for the fourth bonus hand. And she was still east.

The others tried to avoid her, discarding furiten tiles.

She didn't mind the others.

She had a target.

"Ron".

And her target was getting beat up.

"Honitsu, Yakupai, 3 dora. 12000 please."

The other two understood that she was gunning for her, but they couldn't help it. They themselves were in no better position.

"Riichi"

The silence seemed to grow. They could almost hear the sound of their own heartbeats.

"Ron. Riichi Ippatsu. 3900 points, please."

Her target was down. The target had lost again. Not just the hand, but the game itself. Her team points had gone below zero. The game was over.

"Thank you very much. It was a fun game!"

The winner bowed to the others, and started walking to the door. The three that were left at the table tought the same thing, at the same time.

"She can't be human. She must be a monster!"

"Saki-chan! That was amazing!"

The little one jumped in the arms of her taisho who was exiting the play room.

"I'm just glad that you are in our team, and not against us." Was the remark made by the girl with glasses while rubbing her chin.

"Good work out there, Saki." Said the club president, that doubled as the student council president, or in her own words, the student congress president.

"Good work, Miyanaga-san." Said by a blushing pink haired girl, while holding a stuffed toy, a penguin.

"That was great, Saki." Was the statement from their only male companion.

"Thank you, guys." She said letting go of the little one. "That was fun."

"It's fun to win, or is it fun to crush them?" The eldest between them asked, with a grin splattered in her face.

The ruby-eyed girl turned to her, smiling, and answered. "It's fun to play with different people. It's fun to figure out their strategies. It's fun to play the game itself."

"This coming from the girl who, less than two months ago, had said that she hated mahjong." Was the comeback remark made by the the boy clad in the oficial school gakuran.

She just smiled.

"Well, let's go then. Or we'll miss the train that will depart in a few minutes, and we don't have the money to spend on a hotel or a taxi." The green haired girl stated, and they all started to walk in the general direction of the exit. They had just classified themselves for the final round, in the next day, and were pretty damn happy about it.

As they got outside, the well endowed girl slowed a little her pace, and got behind the group. She held the hand of the fifth member of her team, and after a few moments, their fingers interwined. They looked at each other, both blushing, but neither turning away their gaze. They were immersed in their own little world where no words were really necessary, just the image of the other one, being burned into their memories. Near the station, they got dragged back to reality by the yells from the tacos crazed girl.

"Hurry up, Saki-chan! Nodo-chan! The train is about to leave!"

"A-ah. W-wait!" Saki stammered, running inside the station, still holding Nodoka's hand.

During the trip, the brown short haired girl fell asleep, while the twintailed was lost in thought. The show wasn't over yet. She needed to win this tournament, in order to her father to allow her to stay in this countryside town, the first place where she managed to make friends. The boy and the little girl that were seated in the bench in front of her were already fast asleep. Her senpais, in the other side of the train, weren't fairing any better too. She was the only one completely awake. She looked at her hand, fingers still wraped around her friend's. Then her thoughts came back to the final in the next day again. She would win, she had to win. Otherwise she would be forced to go away from this place, away from her friends. Away from her. Only the thought of it sended a sharp nip in her chest. She was with all that in her head when, all of sudden, her shoulder got heavy. She looked down and saw Saki's sleeping face. All tought process ceased immediatly. The only thing in her mind was that little beauty in her shoulder. The mere tought of it made her blush profusely. Nodoka smiled, and decided to let all her toughts for another time, because now she would enjoy the soft feeling of the sleeping beauty on her. She too decided to stop to row against the tide, and tried to get some sleep, supporting her head against Saki's.

"Let's go to the nationals" Said the ruby eyed girl lifting her pinky finger.

Nodoka took a few moments to recollect herself, then she smiled and wraped her pinky with Saki's one. "Let's go to the nationals".

It had started again, they stare battle. A battle that there was neither winners or losers. Red and blue eyes shooting directly at each other. Neither girl made a notion to move. Both were trying to figure the other thoughts, but in fact, neither of them was thinking of anything. They would do anything just to stay looking at each other. If nothing happens, neither of them would break that position. They were immersing themselves more and more in that pleasant atmosphere. They wanted to look at one another more and more. Both wanting more, both wanting to feel the touch of the other skin, but neither one moved a muscle. They rather stay like that. Then a soft light caressed them, then another, and various others.

"Fireflies. We're surrounded by fireflies." Saki raised her hands, as if she was thanking them, then she let her hands go down. Without even looking their hands interwined again. And like that they decided to go in direction of their homes. Still holding hands and smiling while blushing.

'God, how come you can be so cute.' The same thought came for both of them. Neither said out loud, but there was no need. Just looking in the orbs of the other was enough for them to realize what the other was thinking. Even though they had actually only met a few weeks ago, they could read one another like a open book. Near the place were they would go separate ways, the set of stairs by the roadside, Saki stopped.

"Miyanaga-san?" Nodoka asked.

Saki lifted her eyes to the top of the staircase, then without looking down she said. "Haramura-san. What this tournament means to you? For me, you already know, is a chance to see my sister, but I still don't know what it means to you." Only after she spoke was that she glanced back at the girl in front of her.

"T-To me?" Nodoka stammered. "Well, I too have something that requires that I win not only this tournament, but the nationals too." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "My father promised me that I could stay here if I won the at the nationals." She looks again at Saki, blushing. "I love this place. It was here that I managed to make my first few friends" A soft smile played in her lips "It was here that I met you."

It was Saki's turn to blush. "Alright" She takes both Nodoka's hands in hers and pull them to her bosom, pulling the owner of the hands along. "We will win. For both of us." She let go of her hands and started walking to the stairs. When she was in the first step she stops and turn around. "Haramura-san, let's make a bet. If we win tomorrow we'll both need to do something for the other. If we lose-"

"We won't lose." Nodoka cut Saki's phrase. "Besides what kind of bet would be that when both of us win at the same time?"

Saki didn't flinch at Nodoka's words. "I think it's because the award I have in mind would be for both of us, not just for me." She smiled, turned around and started to climb the stairs.

"W-Wait." Nodoka called out to the climbing girl. Saki stopped and turned sideways. A gleam of hope in her eyes. "Then let's not bet. Let's make a promise. If we win... No... When we win tomorrow, we will meet here again, at this same time, and share our award with each other." She then lifted her pinky finger to the ruby eyed girl.

Saki blushed and smiled. She climbed down the few steps and took the finger in hers. "It's a deal."

A/N: I like this pairing, but I'm still tied, trying to mantain everything canon. If you liked, then review it. If you didn't, review it too. Please?