The tall gyaru girl leads the two short girls through the busy streets of Akihabara. Mayumi turns to her crew. “Let’s go, girls!”

Cerys pouts as she trails behind Mayumi. “Yeah, whatever.”

Kirika follows along, curious at the bustle around her. “N-Now, where was it you were going to take us, Mayumi?”

Mayumi turns around to look at Kirika, walking backwards as she continues. “We're going to the Red Tree Parlor. Place is where the best of the best play mahjong. They say the owner is a silver haired demon wearing the face of a man.” She makes a scary face to Kirika, who hides behind Cerys. She laughs, then waves her hand before turning around again. “Don’t worry, he’s chill. Everyone there is pretty chill. He teaches me how to play when he’s not yelling at me.”

Cerys looks at Kirika, then back to Mayumi. She lets go a resigned sigh, then speaks back to the elf girl. “Say, Kirika are you sure you’re ok being here?”

Kirika perks up. “Hmm?”

“Can I trust you to not run off if anything filthy happens?”

This causes Kirika to blush. “What do you mean?”

Cerys gives her a stern look, “I don't want your innocent mind poisoned with whatever she has. Yuuri would murder me if I let that happen.” Mayumi gives her a stern look of annoyance, but she continues. “Please promise me you'll stay safe, Kirika.”

“I-I will!” Kirika nods along with her words. “I’ll be fine!”

“Okay, I trust you!” Cerys smiles. “If something bad happens just... actually you do have a phone right?” Her smile fades, then turns her gaze towards Mayumi, "You do know if anything happens to her Yuuri is coming after both of us right? Don't do anything weird or I’m going to throw you under the bus."

Mayumi scoffs. “You do realize I heard your comment, yeah? But I'm not gonna do anything to or with the kid that'll get us hurt… or arrested.” She stops and moves to rustle Kirika’s hair.

“Heh, good. Let’s have some fun then.” Cerys’ grin widens.

Kirika smiles “Okay, let’s go Mayumi-senpai!” She takes Mayumi’s hand, and Mayumi leads her to a mock-traditionalist building, one that stands out from the surrounding modernity without feeling as if it doesn’t belong.

They walk up towards the doors to the parlor, being stopped by the guard out front. “Ey, you. You can’t come in here. Your ban ain’t up yet, miss. An’ besides, you can’t bring these kids in, either. No underages.”

Mayumi points at the guard. “Wrong on both counts, buddy. My ban was up last week! An’ these ain’t kids,they’re my friends. They are just as legal as I am.”

The guard takes a moment to talk it over with his boss through his walkie-talkie, then looks back up. “Looks like yer clean now, and the boss said to trust ya about yer guests. C’mon in.” He begrudgingly opens the door, allowing the three to enter.

They walk into the building, it’s insides furnished to invoke a classical Japanese-style house. They remove their shoes and change into the provided slippers. “This place is… fancy.” Kirika says with an unease to her voice.

“See, kid, you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover.” Mayumi winks at Kirika before opening the nearby curtain door to the main area of the parlor, the air filled with smoke, clacking tiles, and raucous voices.

“I-I-I never judged you senpai!”

“Suuure you didn’t.” Mayumi says sarcastically. “C’mon, let’s watch a few games so you learn the ropes.” She starts towards a table near the back of the room, then adds,“Unless you already know the rules?”

“I-I don’t!” Kirika says, waving her hands in front of her. “Daddy plays it to entertain guests all the time, but I’ve never been allowed to play it myself!”

Mayumi grins. “Then I’ll teach ya! “

Kirika looks concerned. “But Daddy says…”

Mayumi lightly grabs Kirika’s wrist. “Hey, you can’t keep not doin’ things ‘cause daddy dearest doesn’t let you. You gotta stand on your own two feet eventually, kid.” She looks directly into Kirika’s eyes “What happens when Daddy ain’t around no more?”

Kirika looks startled and worried, trying to formulate a response. “D-D-Daddy has a plan for everything, he’ll tel-”

“Naw, you can’t be doin’ what daddy says. Hell, Ya know what other dad had a plan for everything? Ranbo Hikari. Know what happened to him?” Kirika shakes her head.” He ended up getting eaten by his wife.” Kirika again falls deeper into shock. “See, ya gotta fend for yourself sometime, girl. Now come on, enough of this shit, let’s go watch some mahjong.” She walks forward a few steps, then turns to Kirika. “Ya comin?”

Kirika thinks for a moment, then looks determined and walks up to Mayumi.”I’m not scared! He even let me watch sometimes, though, so I think I know enough to play.” Cerys giggles quietly at the exchange and follows behind the two

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Mayumi takes a seat in a booth, Kirika following her in sitting with the proper seiza style. “Watchin’ old business men aint the same as watchin’ real players. You’ll learn soon enough. Now just watch.” She opens the slat, showing four men play Mahjong in absolute silence. At the head of the table is a silver haired man with a wicked countenance.

The four men are mid-hand, and the girls watch as East draws a tile and declares Pinfu. Mayumi smiles and nods at the reliable classic.

As the silver-haired man starts resetting the tiles, he looks up to see Mayumi’s smiling face through the window. “Hey, hope ya don’t mind us watchin’.”

This causes the old man to frown and mutter, “Damn, I really should have banned her for longer…” but then he looks up in interest. “Wait, we?” He then sees Kirika and Cerys peeking through the corner of the window, as if trying to stay out of sight.

Kirika moves back to hide, but Mayumi grabs the nape of her shirt and pulls her up to the window gently. “H-hello, mister.” Kirika meekly peeps out.

The man clears his throat and put on a happier face. “Oh, you brought friends along? How nice! Welcome to my establishment, I own this place! No need to worry, we won’t bite… unless you try to skip on your debts.” He says, shooting a glance at Mayumi. “Here, would you like anything?”

He snaps his fingers and an assistant in black immediately comes to the call, handing Kirika and Cerys a menu. As Kirika looks it over, Mayumi leans over and tells her, “The karaage here is some of the best I’ve had.”

Kirika looks at Mayumi, then back at the menu, then finally to the assistant. “I’ll have the karaage, a-and orange juice!” She hands the menu back to the assistant, who immediately turns to Cerys. “I’ll have the karaage and green tea.”

“Oh, they didn’t ask what you want, Senpai!” Kirika says after he leaves.

“Don’t worry, they know what to get me, it’s the same thing I get every time.”

Sure enough, the assistant comes back with three plates of Karaage, a glass of orange juice for Kirika, and a pot of green tea for Mayumi and Cerys. “See?” Mayumi says with a laugh. She turns to the owner. “Thanks for the service mistah. Now how’s about we have a game of 3P together to introduce my friend to the game? She’s tryin’ to learn it, and I figured no one better to learn it from.”

The man grins as he gets up and moves over to thedir booth. “Flattery will get you everywhere, even here. Sure, I’ll show her how it’s played.”

The table is set and the three begin their game. Cerys’ discards keep disappearing from her pile as Mayumi is determined to call absolutely everything she throws down. Kirika watches on with curiosity as Cerys and the owner don’t seem to react to this at all. Another call and the owner betrays a smirk. “Ron.”

“Wha-”

“You didn’t even have a valid hand, girlie. Your play is almost as offensive as you are.”

“Can it. Put up a new wall.”

The owner chuckles and does so. Another hand passes, and another win for the owner.

Cerys speaks up. “I think I’m beginning to see why you get kicked out all the time.”

Kirika glares at Cerys. “She’s doing just fine, I think.”

The game continues, with Mayumi’s aggressive play style only paying off once. Kirika has a hard time following the action, and starts to drift off. Soon enough she stops jolting every time Mayumi yells “Chii” or “Pon”.

On the final turn, the owner taunts Mayumi by winning with a very low scoring hand. Cerys handily takes second without completing a single hand.

After the win, the owner gets up and passes by Mayumi and Kirika. He notices that Kirika has fallen sleep. “Seems like it was a bit too much for her today.” He smiles, then as he looks up at Mayumi it quickly washes away into a frown. “Now, you going to pay me for the lesson?”

“How about I pay you by not causin’ a ruckus today?” Mayumi says with an equally sly smile.

“Don’t worry, sir. I’m here to make sure she stays calm, anyway.” Cerys says to the owner.

“Good, good. Maybe I should hire you as security instead of these goons, if you can handle this one.” He chuckles a bit, then heads towards his office.

Cerys looks towards Mayumi. “The one good thing you could teach her and you bore her to sleep. Maybe underneath that slutty exterior is a very boring girl.”

“Why did you even come here, Cerys? Just to annoy me like some kind of under-developed ghost?” Mayumi retorts with a hint of exasperation in her voice..

Cerys sighs, “Look, you wanna play mahjong against me? Get this settled here?”

Mayumi’s look changes to one of interest. “Wait, you? You barely was able to keep up with that old man.”

“Yeah, my parents played it all the time. When we lived in Japan the first time, we’d play it together as a family. I only did poorly because my waits were awful.” Cerys answers.

“No shit. Well then, sure, I’ll take ya up on the offer. But I’m probably a lot better player than yer folks.” Mayumi says with a competitive grin.

The two move out of the booth and into the seats by the table, leaving the window open to keep an eye on the still sleeping Kirika. Mayumi sets up the table as Cerys watches, taunting her with, “Maybe you should get a quick lesson on how to setup a board” as Mayumi finishes.

“Maybe you should shut the fuck up. We speak with the tiles now!” Mayumi says as they start the game.

A very close match between the family taught Cerys and the street taught Mayumi happens. Mayumi wins the first set and it appears like she will win, but Cerys lucks out and gets two easy yakus and clinches the game. Mayumi bangs the table in frustration, saying “Aw, fuck you and your luck lolibitch.”

Cerys puffs her chest out. “You should be tired of losing to me by now.”

Mayumi looks up. “I guess God had to make you the luckiest bitch in the world to make up for your failings in the femininity, personality, and fuckin’ everything else department.” She then chuckles “You’re like an annoyin’ rabbit, I could cut your foot off and get my own luck from it.”

Cerys glances back “If I’m an annoying rabbit, at least I’m an annoying rabbit that beats you at everything.”

The two clean up and head back into the booth to gather their things. As they do, they rouse Kirika, who sits up and yawns loudly. “Oh no, did I fall asleep?”

“Ya sure did, kid. Missed a hell of a game, too.” Mayumi replies, looking at Cerys.

“Yeah, you missed one of the biggest ass kickings that ever happened.” Cerys looks back at Mayumi, for once both having a smile on their face.

Kirika gathers her things as well, before suddenly perking up, “Oh no! D-d-did we miss the meeting? What time is it?”

Cerys calms Kirika down. “Nope, Don’t worry. We have plenty of time to get there. You two ready?”

Mayumi and Kirika nod, and the three of them head out to meet up with the rest.