[player]I'm okay. Let's continue. After considering all the factors, I decide to let this 8 Pin go. Since 1 Sou hasn't appeared yet, it might still be possible to win more points with my Seven Pairs. If I count the bonuses from Ura Dora, it might even be possible to reverse the situation with an Ippatsu. [player]Tsumo. 1,600, 3,200. As I expected, the final form of my hand is Seven Pairs. Although it's a pity that I don't have any Ura Doras, I should be able to reduce the gap between my points and the opponents' points. Now, it's the fourth game of the East round with Ryan as the dealer. We still have a chance. [Ryan]Huh? I think I have Tenpai. [player]Oh? That's great! Who knew we'd run into a case of double Riichi in the last round. Just the defense is difficult enough for the opponents, let alone quickly winning the round by feeding tiles like before. It just so happens that my points aren't too high. I decisively give up on winning, and I seek out a Last Discard Safe Tile or Suji from Ryan without giving my opponent any information. A few turns later, Ryan successfully completes a Tsumo. [Ryan]Look! I got 2 Ura Doras! [player]Alright! With those two in hand, you've reversed the situation with a dealer round Haneman! [Ryan]It's all thanks to you. If you didn't win the third game of the East round, I wouldn't have been able to become the dealer and win. [player]To be more precise, it's the fruit of our cooperation. However, we went a little overboard. While Ryan won in the end, according to the rules, I must finish first for us to actually win. Ryan seems quite guilty when the waiter announces the results. [Ryan]I'm sorry, I failed to cooperate well with you. I shake my head. In the end, we were just lacking in tacit understanding. Fortunately, we weren't crushed, and we still managed to take the first place. I pat Ryan on the shoulder and tell him not to worry too much. [player]Not to mention that I have a huge sense of accomplishment. Never would I have expected to teach a mahjong prodigy. Since we can't meet the leader, I have no interest in staying at the dojo and playing more mahjong. I plan to return to Soul and discuss other solutions with Sara. When we return to Soul, Sara is working with everyone to change the stage's backdrop as tomorrow's dance music requires a special one. Seeing the downcast expression on our faces doesn't seem to surprise her at all. She claps her hands and pulls both Ryan and me to sit down by the stage. [Sara]Oh, I see it's not progressing well. [player]Sorry, I didn't expect to lose at what we're best at, mahjong. [Ryan]I'm responsible for this too. I didn't expect it to be 2v2 mahjong... If I knew, I would have played more 2v2 games with you. [Sara]Don't worry too much about it. I've been managing a large troupe for years, so of course I'm not naive enough to put all my eggs in a single basket. [player]You have other ideas? [Sara]Actually, I was merely giving Strix a try. I would never entrust my own problems to them with the hopes that they would be solved. I'm just a little hesitant... I'm hesitating if I should go straight to Ciri. [player]Why do you hesitate? [Sara]Because I'll need your help with that. [player]Huh? [Sara]The only person who has a good relationship with Soul and wouldn't make Ciri wary is you. Sigh... Now that I think about it, I really have few friends. [Ryan]Do you really care so much about how many friends you have? I'm not like that, all I need is onee-sama. [Sara]You're such a little rascal. [player]Then it seems I am the most suited for the task... [Sara]I'll be counting on you. Sara puts her palms together, and the pleading look in her heterochromatic pupils makes her impossible to refuse. [player]But I have no clue about what I must do. [Ryan]Then let's start with watching Soul's performances every day. I'll take responsibility for your tickets. Consider it my way of making it up to you for my failure today. [Sara]Ryan is right. It's easy to get blinded when you're too close. We live in Soul all day, so we may overlook many details. Perhaps the situation will be clearer to you, and you can give us some inspiration and help too. [player]Alright, then let's do that. Right after we set our initial objective, we hear a loud noise from the side. It seems the curtain's frame has fallen, and Sara smiles wryly at me. [Sara]See? I really can't step away for even a moment... Ryan and I follow Sara to help out, and when I heave up the frame, I feel its weight. Actually, Sara is mainly busy because Soul's current labor force mostly consists of the elderly. If they had some young and middle-aged members, then she probably wouldn't have to worry about this. The prep work before a performance was more than I ever expected, and when we finally finished, hours had unknowingly passed. [Sara]It's already so late. Why don't you stay for dinner? [player]I... [Ryan]Don't refuse. If you don't stay for dinner, Sara would definitely be upset for being unable to repay your help today. Ryan interrupts my refusal and gives me a reason I cannot refuse. I have no choice but to agree and stay for dinner with them. Soul's dining habits are unlike that of One Han City's people who sit at the table and everything seems so proper. They are fond of sitting out in the open on nice evenings to enjoy food, song, and dance. The elderly man is the same man I helped with ticket inspections the other day. He should have gotten enough rest as he looks much better, and he doesn't forget to shoot some jokes my way while chatting with the others. [Elderly Man]Here in Soul, our soul changes with every leader, haha! When Sid was still with us, everyone had to sit and eat properly at the table. But after Sara took over, she began teaching us to eat and dance like this. Heh, to be honest, it makes me feel like I can eat two more bowls with every meal. [player]Maybe it's the good mood so eating like this is really nice. [Elderly Man]Right? Soul seems more like the touring troupes in the movies now. Haha! [Elderly Man]But I sometimes find myself missing the days when the previous leader was around. During that time... Ugh, why am I saying all of this on a happy day like this? Eat! Eat! The elderly man seems to have remembered something from the past but is unwilling to share more, and he goes off to use his bowl and steal some wine from the lady beside me. I hear her scolding him about drinking when he's in poor health. They are clearly having a fight, yet the atmosphere is so joyful. Sara passes me a plate of freshly grilled skewers and sits down beside me. [Sara]Thank you. [player]You've said that many times today. [Sara]This time it's for myself... Thank you for always being by my side in my most helpless moments and letting me know that I don't have to do everything on my own. [Sara]I know the extent of my ability. So, I always wonder if I can really take care of such a huge troupe. [Sara]But whenever I see you, I think... Yes, I can do it. At the very least, I can try. [Sara]So, thank you. I gaze at the lively group that's dancing around the bonfire before me. Ryan, who always acts like an adult, is surrounded by a few of the elders, and they seem to be asking him something. His face is flushed red, and he desperately looks in my direction for help. He looks like a helpless youth who's being chased around by elders during family gatherings with questions like "how did you do in your exams", "are you in a relationship yet", or "your mother says you've gotten a new hobby lately, so why don't you put on a performance for us." [player]Sara, everything will get better. [Sara]Yes, it will.
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