Volume 3 - CH 3.2

I’m sorry. I lied, Shura was not avoided at all.

“What does this mean?”

As soon as I returned home, I was made to kneel down. My sister, who is beautiful as always, is now piercing me with her sharp gaze. It’s starting to become pleasurable for me.

On my smartphone, there was a selfie that Tristy-san had sent me.

“Just as it looks… having a great time, huh? You’re all lovey-dovey.”

“Han, I’m the one who’s always been praised for being too serious and scary.”

“I hate to brag, but it’s not popular at all, not even a bit.”

“That’s a lie…”

“What’s wrong with your self-awareness? So, what’s the relationship?”

“It’s more like a victim and perpetrator…”

“Ha?”

“Eek!”

Tristy-san had previously come to apologize with her family. Thanks to that, my mother knows Tristy-san, but my sister, who wasn’t present at the time, doesn’t know her.

When I explained the situation, my sister was dumbfounded, and I felt the same way.

It’s incomprehensible that a victim and a perpetrator are playing together so harmoniously.

“I wonder if you have some kind of aura that makes older people like you.”

“What’s that? It’s scary.”

My sister muttered in exasperation, but for me, who has a reputation for being unlucky with women, it’s not a laughing matter. For me, women are synonymous with trouble, but even so, I stopped cutting off everything and took a step forward.

In order for me to change, I needed the help of others. I didn’t want to leave their one-sided feelings as they were.

I realized that it was a cowardly and sinful act. Regardless of the answer, if I don’t respond, it will end up being unhappy for everyone. Stagnation has gone on for far too long.

I can’t behave with the unconsciousness of a harem protagonist.

“I guess the only option now is for me to wear a micro bikini.”

“I want to see it! Haa!? My true thoughts slipped out…”

“You’re quite honest too.”

“That’s not it. This is more like a conditioned reflex, like Yukito Kokonoe’s Pavlov, and it’s definitely not my true feelings.”

“Do you want to see it?”

“I do.”

“Very well.”

“Are you sure about this?”

Doubts crossed my mind, but since my sister gave the green light, it should be fine. In this chaotic and demon-infested Kokonoe’s household, worrying about the details would be a lost cause.

“So, uhm… Do you have someone you like or anything?”

“Don’t siblings normally not talk about that kind of thing?”

“We haven’t had a normal relationship until now. It’s fine, isn’t it?”

“Well, yeah, but…”

“And it’s not just me. Mom will be part of the family meeting too.”

“At least, at least spare me that…”

“Well, let’s go.”

Afterward, I was subjected to intense questioning.

On Monday morning, a gloomy atmosphere dominated both teachers and students alike.

In a melancholic mood, thoughts like, “I wish a meteorite would fall and give us a day off from school,” crossed everyone’s mind. Amidst such inappropriate musings, a most tactless young man casually appeared in the classroom.

“What’s wrong, Yukito!? Your face is pale!”

Hinagi Suzurikawa rushed over in a panic. Sensing something serious, the other classmates quickly gathered as well.

“Yuki, are you feeling unwell? Should we go to the infirmary?”

“What’s the matter, seriously? Your dark circles are awful. Are you sleep-deprived?”

Concerned, Kouki Mihou inquired. Yukito, gasping for breath, murmured weakly.

“…Gambling… is bad. Absolutely.”

With a thud, Yukito collapsed right there on the spot.

“Yukito, pull yourself together! Yukito?!”

To understand why this young man was so exhausted and distressed, we must go back to the events of the previous day.

“…Such heavy rain. I was planning to go out wit you.”

My mother sighed softly while gazing out the window. Curiosity piqued, I looked up at the sky as well.

The rain had been pouring since morning, steadily intensifying. Thick clouds stretched endlessly without a break.

Despite it being daytime, the room felt dim and gloomy. It seemed like the right choice to stay indoors and quietly pass the time at home.

“I have an idea! How about playing a game for a change?”

“A Game?”

Mom claps her hands, as if she has just come up with a great idea.

I couldn’t recall ever playing a game together with my mother before, but with nothing else to do and just idling around in the living room, it might be a good idea. Some quality parent-child time.

“Shall we play mahjong?”

“Just the two of us?”

“Yuri will be here.”

“But that still makes three.”

While there is a variant of mahjong for three players, the rules are somewhat unconventional, and with three people, there’s no need to be fixated on playing mahjong. My sister, who had somehow appeared in the room, briskly prepared the mahjong table.

“Why do we have a mahjong table in our house?”

Amidst the numerous unsolvable mysteries that arose, the doorbell rang.

“Yuki-chan, hello there! I bought lots of snacks. Let’s eat together!”

“Sekka-san?”

In a strangely natural flow of events, the four of us gathered together.

I wondered if there was something important happening on such a stormy day, but it seemed they had simply come to hang out without any specific reason. Sekka’s participation was decided abruptly.

“Okay, now that the preparations are done, I’ll go change.”

“Change clothes?”

“Look forward to it, Yuki-chan.”

Unable to keep up with the rapidly progressing situation, I simply parroted the question.

Left alone and bewildered in the living room, a few minutes later, my mother and the others returned.

“W-W-What’s with those outfits!?”

“How do we look?”

For some reason, the three of them were dressed in Chinese dresses. It was a captivating sight.

They elegantly turned around, exuding a bewitching allure with every move.

Their legs, shamelessly revealed through the slits, captivated the gaze with their slender beauty. And for some reason, they even wore shoes, despite being indoors.

Yuri, in particular, had opted for a mini-length Chinese dresses. It was too provocative. Is this what youth looks like…?

They ostentatiously crossed their legs and sat on the chairs. Yes, ostentatiously, that’s the word!

Yuri playfully caressed her chin with a feather fan. She blew a breathy sigh on her neck.

“With this kind of weather, we have to liven up the mood, right?”

While my mother was saying something quite reasonable, I felt an intense desire to escape from this situation.

They all looked like villainous female executives. They might say something like “death to the traitors.”

“Well then, Yuki-chan. Let’s get started right away.”

And so, without my understanding, the “First Kokonoe Family Mahjong Tournament” began.

“Ron!”

In the first hand of East round, my mother declared a victorious “Ron” with excitement as she won on the eight of characters she discarded.

Luck was on her side. While munching on the karinto that Sekka-san brought, I secretly smiled to myself.

I was surprised by the Chinese dresses, but in a mahjong tournament, there must be some kind of reward for the winner. I will be the one to claim victory in this match!

“Haa… You really can’t hold back, can you, Nee-san?”

“Don’t push yourself too hard, Oba-san.”

“Be quiet! It’s embarrassing, but there’s no helped it.”

Ignoring the exasperated Sekka-san and my sister, my mother’s cheeks turned cherry blossom pink.

Standing up, my mother boldly slipped her hands into the opened slits on the left and right sides of her dress. Slowly pulling her legs out, she removed the shorts she had been wearing from under her dress and placed them in the nearby basket.

I was captivated by the radiant and graceful thighs, but suddenly snapped out of my daze.

“…W-Why are you suddenly undressing?”

“In mahjong, if you lose to your opponent, you have to remove one piece of clothing.”

“There’s no way such a rule exists!”

My mother blatantly lied as if it were natural. Even though I may be ignorant and lack common sense, I had never heard of such a rule. To stop this madness, I asked my sister for confirmation.

“Is that true?”

“It is.”

EEEEEHHHHHH?! But wait, it’s likely that my mother and sister are just conspiring together. Please, let it be true! Right, Sekka-san?

“Really!?”

“It is.”

“Is that soooooooo!? That’s amazingggggg!”

The cry of my soul echoed. Wait, am I the crazy one here? Is there really such a rule in mahjong?

“It’s mainly a local rule that was popular in arcades in the 1990s, but we’re using it here.”

Sekka-san kindly explains, but why on earth would such a barbaric rule exist…?

These days, game centers are dominated by prizes aimed at women, but if you trace back history, there was a time when video games were in their prime.

During that era, the atmosphere was said to be bad, with dimly lit rooms and ashtrays flying around like in a battlefield. Perhaps these mysterious mahjong rules were remnants of that time.

This is bad, really bad! I feel a sense of unease and fear of the unknown creeping over me.

This emotion is called ‘fear.’ Could it be that my mother and the others intend to teach me about it…

“Well, let’s continue the game.”

An unsettling atmosphere gradually enveloped the mahjong tournament.

“What?! That’s impossible!”

In the fourth hand of the East round, my sister discards a Three of Manzu and confidently declares a Ron. I hurriedly check the discard pile, realizing that hardly any Manzu tiles have been discarded so far. Therefore, it’s highly likely that someone has a concealed hand of Manzu. And based on the discards, the most probable candidate is me.

I’m in a ready hand, waiting for both Three and Six of Manzu, with a Riichi declaration. In this mahjong game with a special rule that requires removing a piece of clothing if you lose, no one wants to go through that. Even my mother and the others must want to avoid it at all costs.

That’s why I intentionally formed an obvious ready hand to make it easier for my opponent to read my waiting tiles. Avoiding the Three-Six Manzu tiles should have been an easy task.

But to my surprise, my sister swiftly discards the dangerously powerful Three of Manzu. It’s a suicidal move.

“What’s the matter? You should have Roned the hand.”

“—-!?”

My suspicion turns into certainty. She read my waiting tiles perfectly and discarded the winning tile.

“You wouldn’t think of deliberately missing it and winning on a self-drawn tile, would you? I won’t tolerate such a cheating move in a serious match. It’s a penalty. Remember that.”

“…Ron.”

With no other choice, I reluctantly declare Ron and reveal my hand. The tiles fall weakly onto the table.

“Ara ara, what a predicament. But it’s the rule. There’s nothing we can do about it. It’s the rule, after all.”

Yuri-san reaches around her back. I wonder if she’s unfastening her bra; it sways gently.

Why? Why would she do such a thing… Could it be!

“You planned this!”

“You’re the one calculating.”

It’s true that I’ve been calculating Yuri-san’s moves lately, but this situation is beyond calculation.

I can’t hide my terror at her desperate strategy. Is she really so determined to make herself lose!?

If things continue like this, I will win the game but lose in stripping. Yeah, I don’t really understand.

“Don’t worry, Yuki-chan. I’m only wearing this one piece.”

“Sekka, you’re out of the game!”

“A sl*tty mother like, Nee-san has no right to talk to me like that!”

“It’s a bit of both, isn’t it? Don’t worry, I’ll let you win by giving you a Ron.”

Yuri-san’s comforting words sound like devilish whispers to me in my current state.

I finally understand this death game. Come to think of it, there hasn’t been a single Ron victory among my mother and the others. They’re in cahoots. They’re all in on it, using any means necessary to make me lose. Now that I think about it, the timing of Sekka-san coming to our house is too suspicious. Everything was meticulously planned from the beginning.

This is a form of Mahjong where you must not win by Ron.

Only winning by Tsumo is allowed. My mother, sister, and Sekka are all watching me closely, eagerly waiting for a chance to discard winning tiles and give me a chance to lose.

I feel an extreme tension. I quench my thirst with a glass of ice-cold cola. Then, I suddenly realize something.

“What if, hypothetically, you run out of clothes to discard…?”

“No need to worry. I’ll pay with my body, so rest assured. Besides, I’m like a service character that appears in strip Mahjong games, so Yuki-chan can easily conquer me. Good luck, Yuki-chan♪”

Sekka said with an innocent smile, without a trace of worry.

“And if you lose, I’ll make sure you pay.”

Yuri-san’s sharp eyes gleam fiercely.

“Woof, woof.”

Like a lonely dog left at home by its owner, a voice filled with loneliness emerges.

Upon careful consideration, I realize that regardless of the outcome, it would be the same for me.

Wait a minute? That’s when a brilliant idea flashes through my mind. It’s precisely the kind of move that a strategist would come up with!

This is strip Mahjong. Then, while avoiding Ron, I should cut down my opponent’s score, aim for Yaku-Man or Doubaman, and then at once tobash the score with a high-scoring Yaku to reduce it to a negative number.

“Foul and despicable scheme! Fear not, I will chip away at their scores. I will forcefully end the game and make you strip!”

“If it’s a draw, I’ll take responsibility and strip completely, so don’t worry.”

“Grrr…”

There was no blood or tears. In sports competitions, when Europe can’t win, they immediately revise the rules to favor themselves. But as someone without power, all I can do is submit.

I analyze the current situation. The East fourth round is over, and only the South round remains. If what was said is true, avoiding even a single discard from the scantily clad Sekka might prevent a major catastrophe.

My victory condition is not based on points. It’s whether I can hide my waiting hand and avoid opponents’ discards while winning by Tsumo. At worst, a draw would be acceptable.

Suddenly, strong winds start to rage outside. Raindrops carried by the wind strike against the window.

A flash of blue and white light. It seems lightning struck nearby, slicing through the clouds, followed by the roar of thunder.

A momentary power outage. It quickly recovers, and the lights come back on. However, in that instant, I saw it.

Three figures with devilish smiles, resembling a crescent moon!

“—–Keep going”

Yuri’s words were fatal as they escaped her lips. Guh-guh-guh… I can’t refuse.

Now, at this point, the greatest crisis of my life has befallen me, where I can’t defy my family.

I rack my brain for a solution with all my might, using my head more than any test.

Dangerous, how can I escape from this predicament? Tell me, Zero!

“Ron, ah!”

“Yaay! Finally, it’s my turn.”

Carelessly winning, Sekka eagerly adjusts her Chinese dress.

“H-Hey. Since you’ve changed clothes, let me enjoy it more, okay? Sekka looks so lovely in her Chinese dress, I want to keep looking at her forever. That’s why you know, you know, you know?”

“Well, Yuki-chan, do you like it that much? I’ll let you enjoy it as much as you want later.”

Desperately pleading, but for some reason, at times like this, they never listen.

“All of you! Fine, if it comes to this, I’ll strip every last hair from your butts and leave you all bare! Are you prepared?! Please, don’t say okay! I beg you, please!”

It’s nothing more than the barking of a defeated dog, but I’ll at least strike a fighting pose.

“It’s embarrassing to be seen by you in such a state.”

“I take care of myself unlike your mother, so I’m not embarrassed at all.”

“How rude. I take care of myself properly too. I’m really looking forward to being stripped down. Please be gently.”

“I’ll strip you bare as well.”

“Yuki-chan stripping my body――Yan♪”

“I can’t take this family anymore.”

And so, the nightmare continues.

The Absolute Rule of Winning by Tsumo and Forbidden Ron Mahjong” has only just begun.