Chapter 9
A Slow News Day
Just a few hours before the semi-finals match, the incessant ringing of the phone woke Teru up from her deep slumber. Blindly reaching out to her nightstand, she took hold of her phone and tried to stop its ringing. However, she realized then that her phone wasn't ringing at all.
Groggy from staying up too late, she sluggishly took her covers away from her and looked around her dorm room to see where the source of the sound is. Upon training her eyes to her desk, she noticed another phone deliberately placed amidst her pile of books. She realized then that the phone ringing on the desk is actually her mother's.
Why is that here?
With that realization, she stood up abruptly, her heart pounding on her chest, and answered the phone without looking at the screen on who the caller is.
"How could you?" A voice immediately went through when she answered the phone.
Upon hearing the voice, Teru's heart somehow calmed down.
It's just her father, there's nothing to worry about. She told herself. But why does his voice sounded like he's sad and angry at the same time?
What's going on?
"I thought that we could talk things out and try to fix this but…"
Teru couldn't understand what he's saying. Are they supposed to meet up today?
"-b-but you actually have the gall to twist the knife further just to insult me." Teru heard a bitter laugh before he continued. "I know that it's been years now, but you should have told me that you asked for a meeting because you wanted a divorce. I guess if I just knew by then, I wouldn't tell Saki and give her hope."
Teru couldn't take what she's hearing anymore, what is even happening anymore? "O-otou-san…" she called out to him through the phone, trembling as she did so.
The knowledge that her mom is asking for a divorce is making her weak. What about their plan? This wasn't supposed to be how it goes!
The hitch in the other line could be heard before she heard him. "T-teru is that you?"
She couldn't hold her sobs anymore and she let it all out, "Y-yes it's me. What's happening?"
"I-I…"
"Tell me!" Teru insisted.
Kai sighed before talking again through the phone. "Your mom didn't really want to meet up with me, your grandma was there, she told me that and gave me a divorce paper to sign."
"B-but mom w-wouldn't contact her." Teru stuttered out. Surely her mom wouldn't do that now that they're so close… "She wouldn't, Otou-san!" Teru, again insisted.
"That's why I'm calling right now, I wanted to talk to her before I sign this-" he paused for a bit, "-papers."
Teru began to get herself ready, looking around her room and forgone tidying it up in favor of getting ready. "Don't worry dad, I'll fix this. I promise."
His father sighed, not quite knowing what to do. "Thank you…."
Silence fell between the two.
"How's Saki?" Teru shakily asked him in a whisper. "Is she alright?"
"... Maybe you should ask her that." Teru didn't miss the hope laced in her father's response.
Teru shook her head even though her dad can't see it, and with a sigh, she replied, "... Not yet... I- I have to finish something."
Teru heard nothing but a shaky sigh coming from the phone.
"I have to go." Teru was about to cut off the call when she heard her father call out to her.
"Wait Teru! I-"
"Ah yes?" Teru put the phone back in her ear to listen intently.
"I'm sorry…" Kai whispered in turn.
"I-" Teru didn't really expect that and it made her tears that she's holding onto shed fast, "I'm sorry too." Teru shakily replied, "I'll fix this. I promise."
"It's not your fault Teru, I'm the one who should be sorry…"
"No! I- I don't know…" Teru gritted her teeth and blinked back her tears, "Where were you and mama supposed to meet?" she asked him this time, she figured that maybe her grandmother knows where her mother is.
"At a restaurant near the stadium."
"Okay then, I'll call you later."
With that, Teru hanged up the phone and changed into something, as fast as she could, and immediately ran towards the stadium. She ran as fast as she could, her emotions getting the better of her. She didn't really know if she's angry or sad right now. But all she knows is that she wants to get to her mother right now to ask her why… they're so close!
The slamming of the door announced Teru's arrival. She didn't really care if she's coming off as rude right now, she doesn't have the time to. What she saw made her angry, there she is, her mother, having a conversation with her… her grandmother.
"Mama…" Teru looked at Ai directly, ignoring the older woman, "What did you do?!"
When Saki arrived back in her home, she wasn't expecting anything, at least that's what she keeps telling herself. But when she opened the door and stepped inside the room that she's sharing with her older sister, or at least she used to and finding it vacant, devoid of everything but simple furniture.
It broke her.
She's really gone…
Seeing the physical remnants felt like reality was crashing down on her. Saki stood by the door, unmoving. Trying to accept what her mind already knew, what her heart refused to acknowledge.
Sadness washed over her, it really was cruel what hope can do to you.
A sudden strong gust of wind that blew her hair from her face broke Saki's reverie, pulling her back to the present. She opened her eyes and noticed that she's still on the rooftop along with Nodoka.
"Hope can be a dangerous thing, so it seems huh..."
"So it- what?" Nodoka asked her friend, curious as to what's on her mind.
Saki caught herself. She hadn't really meant to say what she's thinking, out loud. "Ah, nothing," she said again, shaking her head. "I'm just beginning to realize something that I should have realized a long time ago."
Saki craned her neck back and stared at the late afternoon sun in a vast blue sky. She dashed a hand towards the sky, almost as if reaching out for it, her hand's shadow then began dancing across her eyes; effectively hiding her face, shading her eyes from the light.
Hope is nothing but dangerous. Sometimes it was a source of strength, while other times, it leaves you despondent. Demoralized. And depressed as fuck.
Nodoka put one hand on Saki's shoulder, squeezing it once before asking her friend to go with her. "Do you want to go down now?"
Saki sighed, knowing that when they go down, they'll bump into the said person that she's trying to avoid as much as she could. "Well, no point in prolonging the inevitable." Saki began her walk towards the elevator before turning back to Nodoka who's looking at her dumbly.
"What?"
"Plus you have your game to worry about next." Saki continued her words from before, ignoring Nodoka's question.
Nodoka didn't make any indication that she'll move anytime soon, she just stared at her friend intently, asking for an explanation. "What are you talking about?"
"Ah, it's nothing." Saki shrugged, not really bothered by it, contrary to her friend.
"Should I worry about it? It doesn't look like nothing to me." Nodoka asked her again, she began her walk towards the elevator, once she reached her friend, she looked at her pointedly.
"Don't worry." Saki offered her a smile and laughed lightly, she pressed the down button in the elevator and looked at the floor indicator for a bit before looking at her friend. "You'll understand once we get down."
"Hmmm." The elevator reached their floor and the doors opened, prompting the two to enter, "If you say so."
The two were left with nothing but silence, the silence was entirely welcome and not really bothering the two, although it left Nodoka wondering what Saki is talking about.
The ring of the elevator broke the comfortable silence, the two wasn't expecting the elevator to open anytime soon since their destination is supposed to be the ground flor, and looking at the floor indicator let them know that there are still a few floors before they reach their floor, which only means that someone called for the elevator.
The elevator opened slowly but still, it provided Nodoka a view of who actually called for the elevator. When she saw who it was, she finally began to understand what Saki was telling her earlier.
"Ah…"
She turned to Saki before looking at the said person in front of them. It was Junko Nishida, a reporter from Weekly Mahjong Today, whose also looking at them in surprise.
"I see what you mean now."
Hiroe Atago is going to have a hard time, she surmised that pretty much as soon as she sat down at the start of the Lieutenant match. However, she didn't really expect things to be much harder as the game progresses. Her plays from the last hanchan are the same as much as she doesn't want them to be. She's still looking for ways to overtake Rinkai all while protecting Usuzan from going bust. Which is what is Rinkai is currently doing.
Rinkai won the first hand off of her right off the bat at the start of the second hanchan. And she just overtook her right before that…
The back and forth between her and Rinkai's Choe Myeonghwa is tedious and a lot of work. And now that Hiroe is in second place, thanks to Takei Hisa in part, she has forgone protecting Usuzan's Yuan Iwadate, but that's when Rinkai come in to help the said school to avoid going bust.
It's frustrating, to be honest, Hiroe thought, it's becoming obvious to her that Kiyosumi's Takei Hisa is helping her. And it irked her because she can't understand why she's doing it.
Her frustration with this game grew the more that it goes on. As much as she doesn't want to admit it, she's thankful for Kiyosumi for keeping Rinkai in check. Which led her to the last hand of the second hanchan, going neck and neck against Rinkai for the whole second half.
Hiroe sighed, giving up on her plays on making Usuzan go bust and just settled on defending the points that she gathered throughout the match.
'Kinue, I'm sorry. I can't end the game here. I'll leave it to you.'
Takei Hisa won the last hand off of Rinkai, effectively ending the second hanchan with their team still on the lead.
The said player stood up happily and quickly made her way towards her team's waiting room. Her mind going about checking Yuuki's progress with her last-minute training and focusing on improving Mako's plays.
"Oi! Kiyosumi!"
Hisa turned towards the source calling out for her before replying, "Oh? Atago-san, do you need anything?" Hisa asked her as soon as the said person reach her. Although Hisa already has an idea of what Himematsu's Hiroe Atago going on about. After all, it's part of their plan.
"What was that?" Hiroe didn't bother with any polite greetings and went straight to asking her what she's doing back in their game.
"What was what?" Hisa hid her smirk and cocked her head to the side with furrowed eyebrows, acting confused. "I'm not sure of what you mean?"
Hiroe inhaled sharply, trying hard to reign in her temper. "You know damn well what I'm talking about."
"Oh?" With that, Hisa let out a Cheshire cat smile, grinning at her openly. "But aren't you the one who asked me to stop playing like a coward?" Again, she turned her head to the side, "So, I'm not sure what you're talking about here. I'm just doing what you ask me to."
Hiroe can't form any kind of reply with that, because yes, she brought this on to herself. She did told the Kiyosumi player that before the start of the round, in an act of false bravado, if only to intimidate her just like she did back in their last game together. With that, she can only grit her teeth while she watches the Kiyosumi captain walk away.
Saki, Nodoka, and Nishida stared at each other before the elevator door began to close again. It prompted Nishida to move quickly and pressed the down button again to stop it from closing. Once the elevator opened its doors wide again, Nishida went in.
The comfortable silence from before was now replaced with an awkward one. With the elevator music filling the quiet. And not before long, an announcement stopped the music from playing, making the three currently in the elevator look at the speakers above them.
The semifinals Lieutenant match has just ended. We ask the next designated participating players to please make their way to the competition hall. Thank you.
Two more floors to go before they reach the ground floor and Nishida realized then that maybe she should say something in order for her to get her much-awaited interview.
But to her surprise, Miyanaga Saki stepped out of the elevator once the elevator reaches Nishida's stop, leaving Nodoka looking at her friend in question,
"You go on ahead with your game Nodoka-san, I'll catch up with you later," Saki told her as she returns her unasked question with a smile.
"Alright then." Nodoka nodded once at her and to Nishida before letting the door close on them.
Once the elevator closed, Saki turned towards Nishida and looked at her seriously, in a calculating manner. "I believe you were looking for me?"
Caught in surprise, Nishida could only dumbly look at her. "Ah. Eh?"
Saki looked at her for a moment before continuing, "Let me rephrase that for you, are you here to ask me about my last name?"
Nishida for her part, was left disoriented by Saki's straightforwardness, how could this girl know that she wanted to interview her? She could only nod at her and mutter some quick replies. "Ah… Hai…"
Saki folded her arms as if contemplating something. "Is it safe to assume that you already made some inquiries with your investigation?"
"Y-yes…" Nishida wondered if this what others felt when they were being interviewed by her, she was supposed to do the asking, how did it come to this? She cleared her throat to try and get back her bearings. "I already talked to Miyanaga Ichika-san, your grandmother."
Saki's folded arms dropped with that as she sighs out loud. "Well, no point in denying it then…"
Nishida knitted her eyebrows in confusion, "Eh?" What does Miyanaga Saki-san mean by that? "I'm sorry but, are you denying that you and-" she didn't get the chance to continue, she was cut off by Saki's abrupt reply.
"-Oh no. I'm not."
"But you just-" again, she wasn't able to finish her sentence.
Saki waved her off with a shrug, "It's just a fleeting thought, don't mind me." Saki straightened herself before continuing. "Now, about this interview?"
That pushed Nishida into action, "Ah, yes," Nishida cleared her throat and composed herself again. "Given that your game is almost up, is it possible if I could have it later in private?"
Saki looked at her thoughtfully.
With the girl's silence, Nishida continued to fill the quiet between them. "-o-or if you want, I could gather some information from you right now and continue it later…" With Saki's lack of reaction, she trailed off her words.
"Ah, sorry, I was just thinking about something," Saki replied and nodded at her, and for the first time, she offered Nishida a small smile. "It's fine by me, although I'm not sure if I could answer everything you wanted to ask."
"Ah, no worries," Nishida began to lead Saki to a private room, the same one where she interviewed Nodoka the day prior, "Anything will do actually."
"You're glad that you knew about them, is it?" Ryuumonbuchi's Touka announced herself with that when she arrived at the onsen. "It's easy for you to say that right now, but once you're there, there are opponents in the Nationals lurking about that you'd rather not know about."
After a day of training, some players including Hisa went on to the open-air bath to try and relax. It led to a discussion on why the Nationals is so much different than the Regionals.
"Opponents that we'd rather not know about?" Nodoka turned to her in curiosity, prompting her to explain further.
"Yes." Touka folded her arms and nodded at the others before continuing. "For example, the captain of last year's Inter-High National Championship's Shiraitodai High School."
She glanced at one of the particular mahjong players in the bath with her before continuing. "Miyanaga Teru."
The said player that Touka is looking at stiffened up a bit upon the mention of that name.
"Miyanaga…" Nodoka let out before glancing at her friend who has the same last name. "-Teru."
With that, the players that are enjoying the onsen was left in silence. Looking at the same player that Nodoka got her sights on.
"We didn't make it to the finals, so we can only watch from the sidelines." Hajime Kunihiro, Ryuumonbuchi High School's lieutenant broke the silence then. "But, it went beyond just mere strength and skill…"
"I don't know about my teammates but back then, when I was watching her games, I can't understand it, but it felt like there's something…" Touka trailed off, after some time, she shook her head slightly as if trying to shake off the ominous feeling that she felt back then. "That's all there is to it. Miyanaga Teru is a true monster player capable of going to the nationals."
Miyanaga Saki, the player sharing the last name of the monster player that they're currently talking about, bowed her head slightly, whispering to herself.
"Onee-chan…"
Hisa heard her soft words and can't help asking her what she knew the others are dying to ask. "Saki… are you, perhaps, Miyanaga Teru's little sister?"
Her question startled Saki leaving her flustered and mustering for a reply. She decided against making one and bit her lip to stop herself from saying anything.
Her lack of reply didn't really deter her captain from reaching the conclusion, it wouldn't really matter. Her actions speak for themselves so it seems.
Hisa turned to face the taishou player before continuing. "Just as I had thought."
It left the players in the onsen once again looking at Saki with various glances. Some were surprised, others are curious, some were worried. But it doesn't matter really, Saki doesn't really care right now.
"Huh? Ano… But…" Fukuji Mihoko was now the one to say what's on her mind. It made everyone put their attention from Saki to her.
"But, I did an interview with Nishida-san from Weekly Mahjong before, along with the other Individual Match top contenders in other prefectures…" She paused before continuing her words. "That includes Miyanaga Teru-san."
"What about it?" Hisa asked her this time, curious about what happened in the said interview.
Fukuji Mihoko shrugged before replying, "Nishida-san asked her the same question that I wanted to ask then," She turned to Saki and nodded at her, "I was really curious at that time if you and she are sisters but,"
"-but what?" Touka prompted her to continue this time.
Mihoko looked at Touka and the others and gave them a smile, unsure if she should continue. "But she said nothing. She didn't react actually, she didn't even make any indication that she heard the question; she deliberately ignored it and just let the interview run its course. At that time, I figured that it's just a coincidence, that you have the same last name and then I didn't think much of it, but seeing how you react now Miyanaga Saki-san…" Mihoko's words got cut off by Saki's sudden movements.
"Um… I… excuse me…"
She stood up from the onsen and made her way towards the exit quickly, leaving the others in silence.
After the taishou left the other mahjong players, Nodoka stood up and followed her friend in worry.
"Buchou, I gotta go check on her," Nodoka announced to her captain and the others.
"Nodoka-" Hisa called out to her before she closes the door.
"Ah… Yes?" Nodoka answered in turn.
"I'll leave her to you, Nodoka."
Nodoka nodded determinedly in turn and closed the door.
"Well, that's that." Hisa sighed and leaned back on the wide hot spring and forced herself to relax.
"Aren't you going to go after her?" Yumi Kajiki asked the Kiyosumi captain this time, confusion written on her face.
Hisa sighed and folded her arms before looking at the sky for a moment. "It's not that I'm not worried about her." she straightened herself and looked back at the players around her. "It's just how Saki is. You may think that she's an open book judging by her appearance and her personality but that's not who she is actually."
"What do you mean by that?" Hajime prompted her to continue.
"I haven't asked her this directly but I figured that she doesn't like talking about her family that much," Hisa told the others.
"Why is that?" Kana Ikeda, a family-oriented person can't help but ask her this time. To her, a family is everything and she's proud of them no matter what they do. For her, it's unthinkable to even not like talking about her family.
Hisa shrugged and closed her eyes to relax once more. "Who knows, we never really asked her." She sighed once more and looked at the others, offering them a half-smile, "And if we do, she wouldn't really say anything, and she'll do everything that she can to avoid talking about them. Just like you've witnessed earlier."
"But…" Kana couldn't think of anything to say with the Kiyosumi captain's response.
"But yeah…" Hisa picked up the conversation and continued what she was saying earlier. "She really is Miyanaga Teru-san's sister just as I figured when I first met her. I was just looking for a confirmation."
"Wait, really?" Touka looked at her in surprise with that. "You can already tell that she's the Inter-High champion's sister when you first met her?"
"Yeah…" Hisa scratched her chin in contemplation before continuing. "I can't really explain how, but when I saw her at our club playing with Nodoka and Yuuki, along with our lone male club member Kyoutaro, I got this feeling that she's Miyanaga Teru-san's sister even before we got introduced."
"Even before you got introduced to each other? That's stretching it too far." Yumi furrowed her eyebrows at Hisa with that.
Hisa smirked at the others and grinned at them. "Well, why did you think I did everything that I could to get her to join our mahjong club when at first she doesn't even want to?"
"Eh?" The collective surprise that the other players prompted Hisa to continue.
"Back then when I went for the data that the game collected when I first saw her on a game with my other kouhai's, I immediately knew that she's something else when it comes to mahjong."
"You're not making any sense Hisa-san, just get on with your story, enough with the dramatics." Touka prompted her to finish her story then, her patience getting the best of her. "How can you tell that she's a monster player just by looking at her play records?"
Hisa let out a small grin before looking at her, "I suppose so." she replied before shrugging, "Well, I guess it's entirely because Nodoka won the game three times in a row."
"Wait," Momoko let herself known with that, "If you're saying that Haramura-san won the game consecutively three times in a row, why are you saying that Miyanaga-san was on another level with that?"
"Are you actually here this whole time?" Kana muttered to herself, before agreeing with what the Vice-Captain of Tsuruga Academy said, "Anyway, yeah," Kana nodded in turn. "Aren't you suppose to say that to Haramura-san?"
"That would be true if it's not deliberate." Hisa winked at them, obviously enjoying the fact that she knows something that they don't. "That game hurt Nodoka's pride more than anything that when I bribed Saki with books to join the club," Hisa caught herself and cleared her throat in embarrassment. "I mean, forget what I said before-" She let out a laugh before continuing, "When Saki joined the club, she relentlessly challenged her every time she gets."
"What exactly did Miyanaga-san did in their game that irked Haramura Nodoka?" Touka asked Hisa this time, her interest in the conversation rising.
Hisa contemplated for a bit before giving them an apologetic smile, "Sorry but I can't tell you."
"Hehhhh…. Why?"
"I don't want to hurt Saki's chances at winning the Individual matches in the National's." She told the others and nodding at Mihoko. "I hope you don't mind. I'm sure with enough observation, you'll know what I'm talking about."
Mihoko smiled at her in acceptance, she's still an opponent after all. "I don't mind. But are you saying that Miyanaga-san let Haramura-san win those games on purpose?"
"You caught on to that didn't you?" Hisa replied.
Mihoko nodded and tried to bring the conversation to what they're talking about before. "But, if she really is Miyanaga Teru-san's sister why is it that she's not saying anything? Why is she here in Nagano and not in Tokyo where Miyanaga Teru-san is?"
"I don't know." Hisa sighed at that, all her playfulness gone, "I never really asked. Considering that she doesn't really want to answer questions like that. But from what I've heard from Kyoutaro,"
"Kyoutaro?" Touka and Hajime cut her off at the same time at the mention of the name.
"Isn't he the guy that Hagiyoshi is teaching to become a butler?" Hajime continued her initial question and looked at Touka for confirmation, in which she nodded simply.
"Yeah, he's Saki's childhood friend," Hisa explained. "From what I've heard from him, - which isn't much really, is that Saki is currently living with her father, while her mother and her sister went away a few years ago to live in the city. And anyway, I've basically had hints that she's Miyanaga Teru's sister when I saw her carrying a book and magazine every time that I see her."
"Book and magazine?" Yumi asked her, "What magazine?"
"The book is a staple since she always reads but the magazine issue never changes. She's always carrying it."
"Let me guess, is it Weekly Mahjong Today?" Touka asked Hisa for confirmation.
"Yeah," Hisa nodded "The one where it covers Fujita."
"And what does Fujita-pro have to do with it?" Kana prompted.
"Nothing really, but there's a one-page article there that she always looks at. Specifically on page 57."
"Is it Junko Nishida's interview with Miyanaga Teru?" Kana asked again, almost expecting the answer.
"Yeah." Hisa sighed at that. "She's always looking at that page wistfully as if she's trying to reach for the Shiraitodai player.
"What do you think happened between the two for them to end up like that?" Touka asked the question out loud, but no one can answer her.
With that, Hisa stood up, "I don't know. But I'll do my best to offer my support when the time comes that she needs me. That's just what I can do since its not really my place."
"Isn'tthat just what every good Senpai should do?" Mihoko smiled at her in turn.
"Yeah." Hisa smiled and nodded at her before she headed for the door.
The elevator door opening to her left brought Hisa out of her musings. And furthermore, it surprises her that it was Nodoka exiting the said elevator. Where did she come from?
"Oh, Nodoka, aren't you suppose to be on the game hall now?" Hisa asked her upon seeing her.
Nodoka looked up from where she's standing and smiled at her, "Ah," She walked towards their waiting room, and is immediately followed by Hisa, "Yeah, I was just about to get Etopen before I go there."
"Oh, alright then." Hisa figured that it was just a short walk, it wouldn't really take her a few minutes to go to their room and back towards the game hall. "But where did you go?"
"I was with Saki earlier," Her face betrayed her words. Hisa noticed that she looked worried.
"Is there something wrong with Saki?"
"I'm not sure…" Nodoka sighed for a bit and continued. "But I worry about her."
"Do you want me to talk to her?" Hisa for her part wanted to ease her worries since she was about to play her games. It wouldn't be good if she wasn't focused because of this.
"If it's alright with you Bouchou…"
"Of course." Hisa winked at her, "Where's Saki anyway?"
"She's on an interview with Nishida-san on the second floor." Nodoka provided.
"Oh? Should I worry about that?" Hisa paused her steps, "Maybe I should go there then."
"Don't worry about that Buchou, but if you wanted to you can go after her." Nodoka quickened her steps towards their room, contrary to Hisa, "I better get Etopen now and head towards the game hall. I'll see you then."
"Alright then," Hisa turned back towards the elevator to make her way up, but before that, she called out to Nodoka, "Don't forget about the plan alright, try to restrain yourself until tomorrow!"
"Leave it to me!"
Nishida and Saki are still near where Nodoka left them together since the whole interview will be concluded much later, Nishida opted to just have a casual conversation with the Kiyosumi player. Considering that she didn't really know anything about her aside from her matches. Instead of going to the interview room, she and the Kiyosumi player sat at a nearby bench in the hallway.
After a few moments and a few questions about her thoughts on this year's games, Nishida handed her contact information to Saki for her to contact her later. "This is my card, please contact me when you're free later for the interview."
"Ah thank you," Saki gave her a small smile and nodded at her apologetically, "I better head back to my teammates than to discuss this now. I think that we'll have a meeting later on and I'm not sure if I will have the time later."
"Oh, if you're worried about that, I wouldn't mind if it's late. As long as I get to interview you."
Saki nodded in understanding at Nishida's words. "Alright. I'll contact you later them." with that she turned to go but before she could walk away from any further. Nishida called out to her.
"Ano… Miyanaga Saki-san…"
"Ah yes?" Saki turned towards her again. "Is there something else that you need?"
"Y-yes… I have one more question for now... if you don't mind me asking."
Saki shrugged and nodded at her, "THere's no point in not answering anyway."
"Thanks."
"Well, what is it?" Saki looked at her expectantly and smiled slightly.
"Oh- yes, um… I'm sure it's not just me that's curious about-" Nishida began, but she was cut off again by Saki, who's now sporting a thin grimace.
"-I thought we'll talk about this in private?"
Nishida waved her hand and shook her head incessantly, "N-no. I'm not going to ask anything right now about…." She trailed off not sure if she should say it out loud considering that they're in public. "…that." she settled with that.
"Well then, what is it?" she asked crisply.
Nishida decided to bite the bullet and asked her directly. "It's about your Rinshan Kaihou, I want to know what made it special to you."
Saki didn't answer for a few moments, she swallowed thickly before replying, as if unsure. "…Special?"
Nishida nodded at her, "Some players play-style vary, and usually there's some meaning behind it. I'm curious to know about yours."
"Saki…" Teru turned towards her sister and smiled, "Promise me… that you'll bloom just like those flowers alright?"
Saki nodded and smiled at her sister, "Okay! I promise!"
"And now it's your turn."
Teru turned to her sister. "My turn?"
"To make a promise Nee-Chan! Promise me we'll always be together okay?"
"That's easy." Teru looked at her sister as if saying that what she's asking her to promise isn't hard at all.
"Really? You promise?" Saki held out a pinky to her older sister.
"Of course."
"Uh… Miyanaga-san?"
Nishida took a step forward but Saki stepped back when she realized that she's calling out to her. She blinked rapidly and looked down from where she's standing, hiding her eyes behind her fringes.
"I just remembered something," Saki began to take a step away from the reporter not giving her the chance to ask anything anymore, before continuing, "I have a game after this. I'll answer everything later on Nishida-san."
"Onee-chan you lose, I got here first!" Saki happily announced once she arrived at the clearing.
Teru laughed for a bit before smiling at her sister, "Alright then what do you want in exchange?"
"Hmm…" Saki hummed in contemplation, folding her hands together in concentration. "I got it!" Saki smiled brightly at her older sister and jumped in place in excitement. "Make me a flower crown?"
Teru smiled softly at her sister and laughed lightly in amusement. "Hai hai Saku-hime," Teru said with a wink and a bow. "Why don't you gather some flowers for me to make one?"
"Okay!" Saki agreed enthusiastically before running off.
"I'll be right here waiting for you to get some alright?" Teru then sat down at a nearby tree and waited for Saki to get some flowers that she'll weave together.
"I'll be back!"
"Okay."
In no time, Saki gathered enough flowers for Teru to make one.
"Saki? Have you ever heard of the word Rinshan Kaihou?" Saki heard her older sister asking a question while weaving together some flowers.
"Rinshan Kaihou?" Saki tilts her head in confusion towards her sister, asking her to explain. "What's that?"
"It's the name of one of the yaku in mahjong." Teru smiled at her before continuing her weaving patterns. "It means a flower that blooms on top of the mountain."
"Bloom?" Saki smiled brightly in excitement, "It's the same as my name!"
"That's right, Saki." Teru smiled softly at her sister before turning her head towards the mountain peaks, "Even far above the tree line, on the tallest peak of the mountains, there are pretty flowers that bloom even through the harshest conditions."
"Really?" Saki gazed over the peaks of the mountains in wonder. "There's a flower that blooms like that?"
"Yeah."
"Seems impossible to me." Saki furrowed her eyebrows, processing what her older sister just told her.
"Believe it or not, there are flowers that grow like that." Teru nudged her sister before continuing, "Saki…" Teru turned towards her sister and smiled as she presented her with the crown that she just finished weaving together. "Promise me… that you'll bloom just like those flowers alright?"
Saki nodded at her and bowed her head lightly for Teru to put the crown on her, as soon as she has it, she smiled at her sister, "Okay! I promise!"
She took hold of one of her older sister's hand and held it tightly. "As long as Onee-chan is with me I have no doubt that I'll bloom just like you said!" She happily declared.
"Really?" Teru asks her.
"Yes!" Saki exclaimed happily. "Oh, I know…" Saki turned her back to her sister and fumbled for a bit.
She took some flowers that weren't used when Teru was making her crown and began weaving them together.
Teru was curious about what her sister is doing but she didn't have to wait long before her sister faces her again to present her a…
"A ring?"
"Hai! I heard from Otou-san that when he made a promise to mama, he got her a ring." Saki smiled brightly, "So here! I don't have my allowance with me so I made you this instead."
Teru scratched her cheek while muttering to herself. "This is a different kind of promise though…" But still presented her hand for her little sister to put the ring on.
"And now it's your turn."
Teru turned her gaze from her hand to her sister. "My turn?"
"To make a promise Nee-Chan!"
"Okay, then I promise," Teru said without prompt or whatsoever.
"Onee-chan! You don't even know what I was about to say!"
"Well, no matter what, as long as it's for you. I'll do it."
"Still!" Saki pouted, "But you can't take it back okay!"
"Okay." The only response was another gentle smile from Teru.
"Hey, Onee-chan..." Saki said softly, pausing for a bit before continuing, letting her sister know the weight of her promise. "Promise me we'll always be together okay?"
"That's easy." Teru looked at her sister, the wind swaying her hair softly back and forth, she looked at Saki as if saying that what she's asking her to promise isn't hard at all.
"Really? You promise?" Saki held out a pinky to her older sister.
"Of course." Teru immediately held out her own, and when she was about to intertwine hers with her little sisters', Saki suddenly held hers away.
"Don't swear onee-chan unless you mean it," Saki told her, pouting slightly.
"I do mean it Saki..." Teru looked at her softly, "I swear that I'll always be by your side. I'll always protect you and we'll be together through thick and thin," Teru finally connected her pinky with her sister to signify her promise. "I promise."
Come to think about it, promises are worse than lies so it seems. I've only come to realize that when you look at it closely, because you don't just make the other person believe, you also make them hope.
Saki doesn't always think like that but, she supposes, every mindset could change in a blink of an eye. Just like that.
You see…
It really doesn't matter how good of a person you are, does it?
The world can be a pretty cold place.
But... Still... It's alright I guess.
I'm the crazy one who thinks that words reach people after all.
"Saki!" She heard someone called out to her, but when she got out of her musings, she realized then that she's about to fall. How come she's on the stairs?
Saki felt someone pulling her back, tugging her back hard, which is actually a good thing. And when she looked at the one who saved her, it actually surprised her to see Hisa, her captain.
"Buchou?"
"What do you think you're doing?" Hisa began to pull her away from the stairs, looking at her in panic. "You're about to fall."
"Ah, I'm sorry." Saki scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "I didn't notice... Thank you for saving me ..."
"How could you not notice that?" Hisa asks her with her eyebrows furrowed.
"I was just thinking of something..."
Hisa began noticing her demeanor. She looked tired. "Did something happen with your interview?" Hisa squeezed her shoulders three times, effectively getting her attention, "or is it about-" Hisa paused her questioning when she felt Saki stiffened up. That's when she understood what Saki is thinking about. It didn't really surprise Hisa.
"Oh, I see then." She dropped her hold on Saki, and stepped back for a bit, giving her space. "Do you want to go back now?" She asked her, trying to distract Saki.
"O-okay." Saki then looked up and gave her a small smile. They were about to walk down the stairs again when Saki remembered something and looked at Hisa.
Hisa in turn paused her steps and gave Saki a questioning glance.
Saki shook her head and laughed lightly. "I just remembered something Buchou," she took a step towards her captain and the two began their walk down. "Isn't it ironic that the thing I warned you from almost happened to me?"
Author's Note:
Everything is slightly coming together now! :D
One person asked me if I'll have any pairings on this one, sorry to say this but no... This story will focus on Saki and her family mostly. Although I do write some scenes here and there to provide service to some of you. ;)
I've been told that I wrote too many unnecessary epithets in here. So I had a hard time editing this...
Anyway, what do you think about this one?
P.S.
I have an announcement for you all, I haven't updated last week because I'm currently in the process of finishing the last few chapters of Wither and Bloom, so please give me time to finish it. I'll be able to finish it within this week and everything should be uploaded within the next 2 weeks. I don't have the final chapter count right now but it will be around 20 plus chapters, more or less, depending on the flow of the story and the word count since I limit every chapter within 4000 words at the minimum and 7000 words max :)
I'm finishing the story because of my work and its ever-increasing workload but rest assured that it wouldn't be rushed! :) And also I'd like to start a new fanfic (It's about Youjo Senki this time, and my ass wanted to add some fics there that are so scarce, to begin with) hehehe. And as much as possible, I don't want to divide my attention when writing two things.
Anywayyyyy, thank you for reading and appreciating my story.
Starting Monday, next week, updates will be daily! Edit: (When I said daily, I meant daily. Including the weekends!)
Also, apologies for the misunderstanding! Back when I made this announcement last week, I wasn't very clear when I said I'd be updating this daily starting Monday, and some of you thought that that was supposed to be 2 days ago. But I was talking about Monday on 15 though, again, apologies for the misunderstandings.
Also, as an afterthought, I just want to tell you all that my update time has always been around 7 in the morning New York time. But I made an exception today since so many of you had messaged me for the update. :)
I'll end this note now, this has been overtly chaotic at best lol. well, see you on Monday then!