One-away riichi.
That was a Japanese mahjong term, though of course back home there was also such a thing as riichi mahjong.
One-away meant you only needed one more tile before your hand was ready.
Riichi meant setting down the riichi stick, discarding the declaration tile, and announcing that your hand was ready.
Mm. That was the proper explanation.
But was the current situation proper? Obviously not. So what this riichi meant right now... if you knew, you knew.
At the very least, this moment was already unavoidable. Oreki Gen had finally reached the point he had predicted.
She first teased him with the smallest movements, then felt the young man's body change honestly, bit by bit.
Sakuraba Mitsuki could not help curling the corners of her lips. Perhaps even she had not realized why she had suddenly become so strange.
Nor did she know what was so attractive about a young man's body.
But it seemed she could not stop.
How was she supposed to stop?
Such an interesting change. Watching the shape, watching the size, watching it fill her hand little by little...
Watching the handsome young man's expression shift again and again, turning strange, turning embarrassed.
From it, she gained a mysterious satisfaction. That satisfaction made her mood feel strange.
Her cheeks began to heat, turning scorching.
The blood in her veins seemed to rush into her head, making her dizzy and lightheaded at the same time.
Watching the young man's evasive eyes, watching the involuntary signs he started to show, Sakuraba Mitsuki almost leaned her entire body against Oreki Gen, not caring in the slightest that her body was pressed against his.
"How interesting, Oreki Gen. It seems your body disagrees with what you say. So honest..."
Oreki Gen seemed to be gritting his teeth in restraint, but his body's instincts had already betrayed him.
Avoiding the breathtakingly beautiful young woman right in front of him, he even felt his throat go a little dry.
"Stop doing weird things like this... Let go. This isn't normal contact at all, is it? No one models like this!"
But Oreki Gen's attempt to break free had no effect.
She tangled herself closer, showing no intention of giving up. She even pressed nearer to Oreki Gen with doubled intensity.
"What do you mean, weird things? This is for work. The work you agreed to. Since a man gave his word, he should follow through properly, shouldn't he? Besides, you're enjoying it too, aren't you?"
Only now did Oreki Gen discover that Sakuraba could actually talk this much.
"This is not within the category of enjoyment... This is one-sided harassment, isn't it?"
Oreki Gen still seemed to be stubborn.
The young woman gave a derisive laugh. Her hand began to apply more strength. It seemed some things could be learned without a teacher. Apparently, that was not exclusive to men.
Though her movements were very inexperienced, she seemed to have watched some study material, and she was actually doing a decent imitation... Still, Sakuraba Mitsuki really was somewhat nervous. After all, this was her first time actually doing such a thing by hand. Yet it was as if simply seeing Oreki's expression let her enjoy herself.
She used more strength, gripping tighter, while advancing toward his ear. Looking at his slightly closed eyes, looking at his reddened face... how interesting.
She leaned lightly toward Oreki Gen's ear and breathed out.
Then she could feel Oreki Gen's body tremble faintly.
"Harassment? Aren't you very comfortable? Look. What a disgusting reaction."
She began lowering her voice again and again, speaking into his ear.
At this point, it no longer mattered whether this was acting or not. He already could not restrain himself.
He was human, not a god, nor some eminent monk like Fahai.
So his instinctive reaction could no longer be held back. Right now, he had already reached his full-power state!
Looking at the young man who seemed to be struggling faintly, she whispered beside Oreki Gen's ear like a demon.
"So disgusting... Are you trying to dirty my hand?"
"No... Please don't keep going..."
"Why shouldn't I keep going? Oh~ you can't take it anymore, can you? Didn't you say you didn't feel anything for me?"
"But... this is instinct."
"Aren't humans creatures who overcome instinct? Those who can't overcome instinct are animals. Livestock. Oreki Gen, are you livestock? Hm? Answer me."
"Uh... N-no. Of course I'm not. It's just that some things can't be overcome by reason alone. Besides, when you do this... I've already refused!"
"Heh. Are you really refusing? You're clearly enjoying it. Enjoying my hand. Enjoying the things I'm saying to you. Hey. Don't tell me you actually like hearing me talk like this? How disgusting. How obscene..."
She seemed to have immersed herself in some unique game she had never experienced before.
The process of the game was to keep giving this young man pressure. To keep pressing him down.
To keep saying strange things and drag the two of them together into a bottomless vortex.
And what would the result of the game be? She seemed to be looking forward to it now.
It should be destroying him directly from the front and exposing his truest side, shouldn't it?
So while her motions never stopped, she kept speaking beside Oreki Gen's ear.
"Why not give up resisting and admit you're this awful a person?"
"So obscene. So disgusting."
"You can't keep up the act until the end. You're only making a pointless resistance, just to make yourself seem a little more special."
"Oreki Gen... how obscene. Just from feeling this, you've already reached this point. Your head must be full of obscene fantasies, isn't it? Looks like it's far more honest than you are. Tch... disgusting, disgusting, disgusting, disgusting. If you dare come on my hand this quickly, you're dead."
"You really want to dirty a noble woman like me, don't you? A shameless, obscene, disgusting man dirtying the only daughter of the Sakuraba family... You're fantasizing about that sort of plot, aren't you? What are you waiting for?"
Waves that grew fiercer and fiercer seemed to surge into his mind along with her words.
Oreki Gen knew that this was the most dangerous moment.
The dam of desire was already swaying on the verge of collapse. At any second, it would break apart. No, it would collapse outright!
He could not let it end here.
At that moment, his final thread of reason, his Absolute Lucidity, awakened him.
"Bang!"
Before he seemed about to lay down his arms and surrender, Oreki Gen finally pushed away the young woman in front of him. Sakuraba Mitsuki, whose whole body already radiated desire, fell into a daze for a moment, then looked at Oreki Gen in confusion.
There was even a little anger in her eyes.
She did not understand why he would push her away.
Even if he truly had not liked her at first, how could he possibly refuse? Was this what men were like, as she understood them?
Weren't men supposed to take no initiative, refuse nothing, and want no responsibility?
Hadn't what she had just done suited his wishes perfectly?
Did he hate her that much?
No one had ever refused her, no matter what it was. How could he be the exception?
Oreki Gen panted lightly. He raised his head and looked at the light overhead, as if dispersing the desire that had nearly brought him to the edge.
Then he did not look at Sakuraba Mitsuki, whose emotions seemed very wrong right now, as if some storm were brewing inside her.
Instead, he picked his clothes up from the floor one piece at a time and put them back on.
Sakuraba Mitsuki frowned and said coldly, "I don't think I said we were done."
Oreki Gen looked over calmly. His completely cooled eyes held no emotion at all. They were even colder than Sakuraba Mitsuki's had been back then.
"We are done. You've seen it anyway. With your ability, you can draw it without sketching from life. So if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving."
"Oreki Gen! Do I disgust you that much?"
Sakuraba Mitsuki called out to stop him, full of unwilling anger.
Oreki Gen shook his head. "I wouldn't say you disgust me. I still just don't feel much of anything."
"After something like this happened, what nonsense are you talking about?!"
Oreki Gen answered with considerable calm. "This doesn't count as something. I only compromised because you coerced me. As for anything more, I can't satisfy you."
"Why?"
He had clearly reacted. He had clearly been immersed in it too. Why would he say something like this at the end?
Was her charm not enough?
What a joke. Only that reason was something Sakuraba Mitsuki could not accept.
Oreki Gen actually smiled with ease.
"Because you and I don't have the kind of relationship where this should happen. So whether it's for your sake or mine, it's best that this doesn't continue. After all, to you, this is just a fresh game, isn't it?"
Sakuraba Mitsuki's expression darkened.
"If it's not a game, do you think I like you?"
"I don't think that's possible either."
"But even if it isn't love, for you, isn't it still enjoyment? A woman like me doing this to you should make you feel honored!"
Looking at this arrogant young woman, Oreki Gen smiled and shook his head.
"Sakuraba-san, maybe in this world people are divided into high and low, noble and base, but affection and love are never lowly. So I choose not to participate in your game. Goodbye."
Affection and love were never lowly?
What a joke! Were you still in your chuunibyou phase or what?!
Oreki Gen had already pulled open the door and was about to leave.
At that moment, Sakuraba Mitsuki seemed deeply unwilling as she said, "My work still isn't finished. If you leave like this, I'll still find you."
Oreki Gen paused, then turned back indifferently and smiled.
"Whatever."
Whatever?!
From childhood until now, no one had ever dared say that word to her!
But Oreki Gen not only said it, he even closed the door with a smile.
The young woman had already clenched her fist, not caring at all that a little of the pre-cum Oreki had left earlier still clung to her hand.
She had already decided. The desire from earlier had transformed into something else, something complex.
It was burning fiercely now, swallowing her heart.
'Looks like I really can't let you go, Oreki Gen. You're even more interesting, even more challenging, than the game itself.'
Outside the studio, the young man who had pulled the door shut looked at the gradually appearing sunset and revealed a satisfied smile.
Because thinking of Sakuraba Mitsuki's expression just now, and of the words she had said, he knew he had already completed the first stage of his objective.
Only, he had not expected a voice to suddenly ring out in his mind at that moment.
【Congratulations, host, on completing first-stage contact with a plot heroine. Unlocking the Check-In System for the host...】