Dumped by One, Chased by Another? My Ex's Sister Is a Gal and She's Coming for Me - Episode 33

“Hey, Haruki-chan.”

“What is it, Onii-san?”

“Um, aren’t you sitting a bit too close?”

“Huh? Really? I don’t think it’s that close.”

Yeah, it’s definitely close.

Specifically, close enough that our arms are brushing against each other.

Well, it’s not too bad since she’s wearing a light hoodie even indoors.

If she were just in that low-cut shirt she’s got underneath, it’d be a whole different story—way more skin contact, and let’s just say a whole lot more visible distractions.

That would be bad.

Seriously bad.

My mind would spiral with all sorts of unnecessary thoughts.

I shook my head to clear them away.

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“Anyway, shall we get started?”

I began explaining the basic rules of mahjong.

From what I know, the game that comes closest to mahjong is probably poker.

You create specific combinations of tiles, which are recognized as “hands” or “yaku.”

In mahjong, the rarer the hand, the more points you earn.

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“Basically, out of fourteen tiles, you make four sets of three and one pair.”

“I see… Okay, that makes sense.”

Haruki really is smart.

It only took a quick explanation for her to grasp the rules.

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“That’s just the basics though. There are all sorts of exceptions and special hands. I’ll explain those as we go.”

“Okaaay!”

She cheerfully raised her hand, and I couldn’t help but think how cute she looked.
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“You’re totally lovestruck, huh? Pon!”

“Right? He’s practically drooling. Kan!”

“Will you two stop teasing me like it’s second nature?”

Also, those two are surprisingly fast players.

If they keep completing their hands before I can teach Haruki properly, the whole point of this session goes out the window… But I guess it is what it is.

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“Ah, Tsumo.”

“Ah—”

“Oh no—”

Just as I was thinking that, Marco won.

Come on, seriously? That was way too fast.

We’re not even through the fourth turn.

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“So, when you complete a hand, you lay your tiles down like this so everyone can see. That means you’ve won, and you collect points based on your hand from the other players.”

“I see… So, in this case, Marco-san gets points from me and Honoka-san?”

“Exactly.”

“Oh no, that’s not good!”

Haruki’s eyes widened as she realized what it meant to let Marco win.

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“So, how many points do I have to pay in this case?”

“Let’s see…”

Since Marco rushed the win with a basic hand, the point loss wasn’t too severe this time.

While paying out the points just as I’d instructed, Haruki muttered:

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“I get it now. You have to work on your own hand and pay attention to what others are doing. This is actually really fun, Onii-san!”

“Yeah, it is…”

Haruki laughed, genuinely having a great time.

She’s always liked games, so it’s no surprise she’d enjoy her first time playing mahjong this much.

Seeing her smile like that makes me think I should thank Marco, honestly.

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“Ah, Ron!”

“Hey—!”

“Whoa, that’s a really pretty hand… does that mean it’s worth a lot of points?”

“Good eye. Yeah, it’s beautifully suited—high points.”

“Ugh, seriously?”

Watching Haruki clutch her head in frustration was so adorable that I couldn’t help but smile.

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“Heeey, Onii-san. Why are you smiling when I’m losing?”

“Ahaha, sorry, sorry. You’re just too cute.”

“Geez, just because you say stuff like that doesn’t mean I’ll forgive you, okay?”

With a playful sigh, Haruki began rearranging her tiles.

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◆

After that, Haruki quickly picked up the rest of the rules.

Bit by bit, she was getting the hang of mahjong.

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“Ah, Ron!”

“Whoa, no way!”

“Dang, high score again!”

Haruki had begun clawing her way back, slowly recovering from her earlier losses—this time by winning points from Marco.

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“Haruki-chan, you’re a fast learner. I think your college debut’s going to go great.”

“Eh? Really? Thank you so much!”

Her eyes sparkled as Marco praised her.

There’s nothing wrong with that—nothing at all.

And yet… I feel this weird knot in my chest.

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“……”

“Onii-san? Something wrong?”

“No, not really.”

Yeah, it’s nothing. Nothing’s wrong.

We’re just playing a game. That’s all.

So why am I feeling so uneasy?

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“Hmm?”

Suddenly, Haruki leaned in and stared at my face.

She was so close I could feel her breath, and my heart skipped a beat.

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“Wait a sec… are you jealous, Onii-san?”

“Wh-what? No, I mean—uh, maybe a little?”

I fumbled for words, and Haruki grinned mischievously.

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“Wow… so you are jealous. That’s adorable, Onii-san.”

She gently leaned in, whispering right into my ear.

This time, her breath tickled for real, and a shiver ran down my spine.

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“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere—and I’m not looking at anyone else, okay?”

“Ah… yeah.”

So that’s it.

I thought I’d moved on, but I still have a scar in my heart… one with the name Fuyumi carved into it.

That’s probably why even something this small made me anxious.

Afraid Haruki might leave my side.

But… Haruki already knows that.

That’s why she reached out her hand to me.

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“If you’re feeling anxious, then just hold my hand. So, you’ll know I’m staying right here.”

“Ah…”

How is it she understands me this well?

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“Yeah…”

I gently took the hand she offered.

It was warm. Just holding it made me feel safe.

She was like the gentle warmth of spring after a long winter.

And I realized—I needed her in my life.

I think… no, I know I’ve already—

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“Wow, connecting mahjong to a flirt-fest? Even we couldn’t pull that off.”

“Right? I should take notes for next time… right, Marco-kun?”

“…Ah.”

“…Oh.”

Right.

I’d almost forgotten they were still here.

Haruki and I, both red-faced, quietly resumed our game of mahjong.