直接白石さんに相談する

...Well, I think Ai was acting a little strangely in the previous game.
I'll feel bad if I keep everything to myself and try to guess her reasons, so I decide to just tell Nana Shiraishi my suspicions.
Okay, I'll ask her about this later.
Just like that? Don't you think I might be overthinking things?
Even if I'm your senior in life, I won't pretend to be better than you in mahjong-related matters. I trust your judgment.
Eat something first. The lieutenant battle is almost over, and you need to eat something to have the energy to play against others.
Ai happens to enter the room after I finish eating. I don't know when Nana Shiraishi will ask her about the thing we discussed earlier, so I tell her I need to use the toilet and leave the room because I feel a little embarrassed. After that, I wander around outside until it's time to start playing.
In the vice-captain battle, the team that moves before me deals into a Baiman by mistake. As a result, the team of children that moves after me ends up climbing to second place. I didn't earn too many points in this Hanchan, but I managed to defend our team's ranking by playing safely and steadily.
I see Nana Shiraishi walking towards me after I leave the mahjong room. She gets straight to the point and answers the question I'm most concerned about.
Well, I was thinking of a way to ask her about this, but she came to me herself and asked me to go easy on those children. She said she agreed to help them advance to the finals.
So she really wasn't playing fairly... What's her reason?
I feel a little stupid after asking this question. The reason isn't important anyway, because no reason is an excuse to play unfairly.
Ai said those children want the set of toys prize of the finals. She thinks that it's alright to go easy on them since we have so many points.
Well... What will you do then?
Ah, you're frowning again. Don't you worry, because I'll try my best.
If you want to act like a cute junior, you should leave all the difficult things to your senpai. Now be sensible and go to the lounge to cheer for me. Go now.
After speaking, Nana Shiraishi turns around and waves with her back to me before disappearing at the other end of the corridor.
I reach out and want to ask her what she means when she says she'll try her best, but I don't say anything in the end because I suddenly realize that I don't actually know Nana Shiraishi that well.
I'm not confident that she'll give me an answer I can accept...
Competition venue lounge
Ah, you're back. That wasn't bad. It's a shame you left the room too early just then, so I wasn't able to ask you to coordinate with me. Has Nana-senpai told you about the situation?
Mmm.
I avoid Ai's eyes and sit in front of the screen. Nana Shiraishi also sits down at the mahjong table at the same time, and the game starts.
(whisper) She'll do her best, huh...
Captain battle, third East round, second repeat
Riichi.
A good two-way wait Riichi in the third turn... There are so few clues in this turn that the other players can only play defensively.
After two turns, there are still no reliable clues based on Nana Shiraishi's discarded tiles. The person who moves before her wipes some sweat, hesitates for a while, then closes her eyes and plays a 7 Sou.
This player has made this reckless move because she wants to achieve something while she is still the dealer. What's more, she might even lose more points than she has earned from her wins so far if Nana Shiraishi manages to Tsumo a Mangan or Haneman. She decided to do this because she didn't really have a choice.
She mumbles something, probably a prayer that her tile won't deal into someone's hand. She slowly moves her trembling fingers away from her tile. At the same time, she glances at Nana Shiraishi with uncertainty. When she sees Nana Shiraishi looking at her with a smile, her face suddenly turns pale. It isn't until after Nana Shiraishi continues to draw tiles that she lets out a long sigh of relief...
Whoa... Nana-senpai is so mean. I wonder why she deliberately scared that person. I bet that person felt like she had dealt into her hand.
She's quite lucky that none of the extra tiles in her hand will deal into the other players' hands. But I think she's given up on winning now. The best outcome would be if she draws a deal-in tile and starts attacking, because then those little children will be able to advance!
(whisper) You're making it sound like the player who moves after Nana Shiraishi won't deal into someone's hand at all...
The player who moves after Nana seems to really want to win and completely ignores Nana Shiraishi's Riichi by playing one risky tile after another. At the same time, this player happens to have the deal-in tile of 5 Man in their hand, but they probably won't be playing it any time soon because they have 4, 5, 5, 6 Man in their hand.
After that, the player who moves before Nana plays two more risky tiles and gets rid of the unnecessary tiles in her hand. I can tell from the look in her eyes that she doesn't care anymore because she's got nothing to lose. Meanwhile, the player who moves after Nana keeps playing with fearless confidence, daring to play any tile just to win.
The player sitting opposite Nana, the only one defending normally, looks at the two players sitting on their left and right, then shakes their head and keeps defending. I bet this person is really confused by what's happening.
...Ah, she's started to Tenpai.
As if she is being rewarded for her bravery, the player who moves before Nana has started to Tenpai, and she also has a two-way wait Tenpai with a 5 and 8 Man, just like Nana Shiraishi. However, she didn't call Riichi. Maybe she is waiting for an even better hand to win more points.
Immediately after that, the player who moves after Nana also starts to Tenpai.
Riichi!
The player who moves after Nana throws a 5 Man tile, which makes a thud as it lands on the table. The player who moves before Nana seizes this opportunity and shouts "Ron" as she pushes down her tiles.
Ah, what a shame! But the hand is only worth three Han, so she's nowhere close to making up for her loss from the previous Baiman.
Ron.
Huh...?
The player who moves after Nana stares blankly at her as she reveals her hand. Ai, who is beside me, also makes a look of disbelief.
Wh-What's going on?
I'm sorry, but this is a double Ron. Let me see... Oh? I have two Ura Dora, which means this is a Haneman.
The player who moves after Nana loses three Han to the dealer and a Haneman to a non-dealer player. Factoring in the repeat counter, this player has lost all the points they won from the previous Baiman.
After that... no, since the very beginning, Nana Shiraishi has never had the intention to go easy on the child. She has just been playing mahjong like always in this captain battle.
After losing the previous assistance they received, the player who moves after Nana makes several mistakes in a row, giving the player who moves before Nana the chance to regain the advantage and ultimately turn the situation around to reach the finals.
Haha, so that's what she meant by trying her best. Nana acted the same as usual.
I don't understand... This shouldn't have happened...
After the match
When Nana Shiraishi returns to the lounge, Ai rushes up to her and starts to question her emotionally.
Huh? I told you I would try my best, right?
Didn't you understand what I was saying? I wanted you to...
Nana had no intention of helping you from the beginning. Do you really have to force her to say that out loud?
Don't interrupt me while I'm talking to my senpai, you outsider!
No, junior here is right. It's necessary to try one's best to win, so how can I go easy on others?
...I don't understand. This is just a recreational competition. Why do you have to take it so seriously? ...Even if you want to win, we have way more points than everyone, right?! You didn't need to win with that Haneman!
Those children just want that set of toys. Nana-senpai, you always go on about how you lend a helping hand to the weak, so why...
Wait a minute. I do like helping people, but I don't think I've said anything like I need to "lend a helping hand to the weak." I'm just an ordinary person, so I'll let real heroes say something that sounds so cool.
If they want that set of toys, I'm happy to give it to them after winning and advancing to the finals, but since we have this rare opportunity to play together at the same table, wouldn't it be a pity if we don't compete with our true skills and enjoy the game together?
...I don't think they enjoyed anything. It hasn't been easy for them to get so far. After seeing the chance to get to the finals, do you think they'll really be happy even if you give them that prize in the end?
It's normal for most people to feel a little unhappy after losing a match.
They might feel sad about not making it to the finals, but wouldn't this fuel their desire to become stronger? I would like to give them this prize to encourage them to do better next time instead of giving them a chance to enter the finals out of pity because I think they are weak.
No, that's not what I meant...
Haha, you don't need to get nervous. I know you don't mean that. What will really make me sad is if you think I helped you in the past because I was pitying you and that I'm an arrogant person who did that for self-satisfaction.
Kindness is important, but it's also equally important to take the competition seriously and respect your opponents, right? Okay, that's it for now. Let's prepare for the finals and give that set of toys to those children.
Oh wait, there's one more thing. Ai, you should apologize to PLAYER.
Huh?! Why do I have to apologize?
Don't be silly. Did you forget what you said? PLAYER is our teammate and a junior I approve of, not an outsider.
I know you were a little emotional earlier, but you should apologize for the rude things you've said.
What she said makes sense. Ai, maybe you should just apologize.
Since we're all on the same team for this competition, let's just shake hands and make peace.
Even you two aren't backing me up?! Geez... f-fine then!
Ai walks up to me with a sullen expression. She says she will apologize to me, but her eyes tell me that she is not convinced.
Umm... she doesn't need to apologize to me. Let's just forget about this since Nana said it's over.
No, that won't do. That's that, and this is this.
O-Okay then... (whisper) Just get it over and done with if you're going to apologize...
(whisper) Sigh... (loudly) I'M SORRY FOR BEING RUDE EARLIER!
Hmm-hmm, very good. That sounds very energetic!
It's so energetic that my eardrums are a little sore... Sigh, it really isn't necessary to apologize if you're so unhappy about it.
No, Nana-senpai said I have to apologize, so I have to do that. I also think that I was rude earlier, so I should apologize to you.
Then what's with that unhappy look on your face?
It's because... Nana-senpai said you're a junior she approves of. I... I was here first! I met her first, and I respect her the most, yet she has never said that I'm a junior she approves of. That isn't fair, right?!
You're more serious now than during the competition... Hey, don't pull my collar! Nana, this is your fault, so come here and diffuse the situation... Huh? Where is she?
She said she doesn't want to get in the way of your youthful exchange, so she has gone to talk to those children about giving them the prize after the competition.
Tsk... this woman has run away after sowing a disaster so casually!
As a result, I have to endure Ai's sad and resentful gaze and her disgruntled mumbling until the finals start...
Will you really give this to us?! Thank you, lady!
Hehe, let's play mahjong again next time.
Yeah! We'll definitely win next time!
After the finals, we exchanged the prize we received for winning the competition with the second runner-up's prize and gave the toy set to the team of children according to our agreement.
The two other members need to go, so the only people left here are me, Nana Shiraishi, and Ai.
...Those children are so happy, and they look at Nana-senpai like she's a hero.
I was worried that they would feel sad about not making it to the finals or even start to hate mahjong because of this. Was I overthinking the situation...?
What you were worrying about could have happened too, but even so, I think Nana would stay true to her decision and take all her opponents seriously.
Hmph... you win this time.
I win? What did I win?
I'm not happy to admit this, but I don't understand Nana-senpai well enough right now and couldn't make the same decision as her. That's why you win.
I feel a little complicated after hearing this. I also wondered whether Nana Shiraishi would support Ai earlier and doubted her. Do I really understand Nana Shiraishi better than Ai?
...Oh well, I don't want to keep thinking about something this depressing. At least I understand her better today than I did before. That's good enough for me.
Just so you know! I'll hear Nana-senpai say that I'm a junior she approves of one day. I won't give up! Anyway... I'm going to go now.
Aren't you going to wait for us?
No. I want to think carefully about how I should help others in the future...
Ai is already gone by the time Nana Shiraishi returns after chatting with the children. After I tell her why Ai left first, Nana Shiraishi places her hands behind her head and smiles.
She's so serious about this. In that case, let's not disturb her. Do you have any plans after this?
It's getting dark, so let's have dinner.
That's a great idea! It'll be even better if a certain sensible junior will treat their senpai who has worked hard all day to a cup of bubble tea first.
Ah, what a coincidence. There happens to be a sensible junior here.
Why are you just standing there then? Let's go.
A cup of sweet milk tea with lots of bubbles is the perfect cure for a tired body.
Oh, there's something I forgot to say to you.
Hmm?
You were really cool today, senpai.
Hehe, of course!