Saki and Nodoka:

Confession and Seduction

Chapter 1: Confession

It has been a very fun and exciting ride. And I'm thankful and glad that I was able to share that ride with Nodoka.

But now, finally, it is over. For this year.

We went to the Nationals, and we won! The final match was the hardest match of my life, as I was not only trying to win the competition, but also speak to my older sister Teru through mahjong. By winning the match with a Thirteen Orphans that counted for a Double Yakuman, I had managed to earn back some of Teru's respect, and bridge the divide that had long lasted between us. Teru had effectively managed to block my kans, but unlike when I faced that situation in the past, I was able to adapt to a different style of play in order to overcome it.

Still, I was only able to do that due to the advice, encouragement and support of my dearest friend Nodoka-chan...

For a long time, I have harbored strong romantic feelings for her. I found her truly beautiful from the very first moment I saw her. However, I was too shy to make my feelings known to her. By the time that I had felt up to revealing those feelings, my sense was that the timing was no longer right. If Nodoka had rejected a romantic confession from me at that point, it could have made the situation... very awkward for the entire Kiyosumi high school mahjong club. It could have hindered our efforts to succeed.

But in light of our recent victory at the Nationals, this is no longer a concern. I still fear rejection of course. But I think that she has the same feelings for me as I have for her. We have frequently held hands... embraced... and even slept alongside one another. Thinking about those times leaves me longing to hold her in my embrace once more.

Yet... it is possible she sees me as only a friend. A close friend, but no more than that. I hope and pray that it is not the case. But whatever the case might be, I can not hold my feelings for Nodoka back any longer. I must confess to her today...

"Saki-san" I hear her so sweetly strong voice, as she walks towards where I am sitting, "Please forgive me for being a bit late. I would usually be more punctual, as you know."

I quickly shake my head back-and-forth to reassure her.

"No, nothing's wrong" I reply to her, "Although it would be ironic if you were the one to get lost for a change, Nodoka-chan!"

With that last line, I forced a big, bright smile, wanting to ensure a cheerful atmosphere that will hopefully help lead to a successful confession.

"I didn't get lost" Nodoka said in that authoritative yet polite tone that I had come to find cute about her, while she sat down next beside me on the bench.

"However" she continued, as her face softened from a taut firmness to a jovial smile, "The good humor of your joke is not lost on me. You shouldn't be too self-depreciating of yourself though."

"I'll try to remember that" I said in slightly embarrassed reply.

"So, why did you want to meet me here on this Sunday afternoon?" Nodoka asked of me.

I have always found her ability to be forthright very admirable. She never beats around the bush, and she always speaks plainly and directly. I hope that I can match her in that regard today.

I had picked out this particular place for Nodoka and I to meet at because it was from here that I had first seen her. As such, this place has significant sentimental value to me. I often think back to it. To how awestruck I was by Nodoka as she walked gracefully by me. I couldn't help but to let my eyes linger on her back then, which in turn drew Nodoka's attention to me. How startled I would be to see her again, when Kyou-chan brought me to the mahjong club room. I never imagined, back then, how close I would become to this gorgeous girl who seemed beyond my reach. But even now, I wish to be closer to her still...

"There... is something that I want to tell you" I managed to say to her, as my heart began to quicken a small amount, "It is something I have been putting off for awhile now."

The tension in the air started to feel thick, as Nodoka paid close attention to my words. Our eyes shifted back and forth from meeting each other's gaze, to looking out over the clear, pristine water before us, and the horizon beyond.

"Please go on" Nodoka said at last, breaking the tense pause.

"Nodoka-chan..." I continued, "What... what would you say I am to you?"

Nodoka's confident posture seemed to sink a bit with this, as she shyly broke from the eye contact I had made with her while I posed that question.

"You..." she began uneasily, before her confidence reaffirmed itself, "You are my best friend, Saki-san."

Hearing that paradoxically warmed my heart while leaving me disappointing. Nodoka-chan's friendship was very precious to me. In fact, my biggest fear was that there was some small chance that me confessing my romantic feelings to her will cost me that friendship. It is a thought... it is a thought that grips my heart in such stark pain. But I must continue. I can't turn back now!

"Is that... all that I am to you?" I asked, digging deeper.

"Is there... something else you wish to be to me?" Nodoka asked in turn, as I could tell I had made her nervous, thus she was putting the ball back in my court.

It was now clear to me that my confession would not come easily. I would have to be the one to make the first move.

"Our friendship means a lot to me" I responded to Nodoka, as my eyes sheepishly shifted towards the ground and away from her, while my fingers dug under the edge of the bench in order to firm myself, "And I hope that I will never lose that."

"You won't" Nodoka quickly interjected, "You will always be my friend, Saki-san."

Those words helped to make me feel bolder, as I sensed that should my confession not meet with the response that I hope it will, Nodoka and I can at least continue to be friends.

"It makes me happy to hear you say that" I stated to her, as I shifted my head sideways to make eye contact with her once more, "But what I really want... what I want more than anything else in the world..."

My heart was now racing uncomfortably fast. I could feel tingles going up my spine. This was proving to be harder than I had thought it would be. But then Nodoka helped to make it a bit easier. She shifted herself almost ninety degrees, so that she was now facing me. She then slid towards me, and placed one of her two hands over one of my hands, while her pretty eyes became fixed upon my face.

"Please continue" she said in a deeply empathetic tone to me, "I want to know what it is that you want so badly."

"I-I want us to be girlfriends" I said, as tears threatened to well up in my eyes, and I felt a lump in my throat, "I want us to be more than just friends. I want you to love me. I want us to be... in a romance together."

The next thing I knew, a serenely beaming Nodoka gently brushed my hair to the side after moving her hand off of mine. She then placed another hand on the other side of my head, and began to lean her face towards mine. Her lips opened, and I felt her breath upon my lips. She did all of this smoothly, and with impeccable grace. But she did it slowly enough for me to respond in turn. My lips opened to invite her's, and she kissed me.

This was my first kiss, and it tasted sweeter than anything I had tasted before. I felt tiny water droplets form in the corners of my eyes, as a soft breeze passed over Nodoka and I, and a sensation of such incredible emotional release flew through me.

Nodoka's kiss was truly breathtaking, and I strained to match it in passion and pleasure. I wanted Nodoka to forever cherish this kiss as I would.

Finally, our lips released one another, while Nodoka's hands carefully moved to meet mine, and our fingers instinctively intertwined.

For a blissful moment that will forever be etched in my memory, I was shocked at the realization that Nodoka had kissed me. That the girl I loved more than anybody else in the world also loved me back. It is true that I had a tendency to have extremely lucky hands when playing mahjong, but never did I feel luckier than I did right now.

"My wants reflect your own, Saki" Nodoka said, blushing deeply, "I am... very joyous and relieved that we will be able to meet our wants... together."

I nodded in approval, as I blushed deeply as well.

With us holding each other's hands, we both then stood up. We gazed into each other's eyes, as though lost in a trance. We then finally embraced each other, allowing our heads and bodies to nestle against one another.

We eventually ended our embrace, but walked away together, holding hands. We discussed if, when, and how we should share the news of our romantic relationship to our friends. We both agreed that it could wait for at least a day or two, and that for now, we'd just enjoy one another's company.

An important step along my journey through life with Nodoka-chan had been made today. As happy and contented as I was, I couldn't help but wonder when the next step would occur...