Chihayafuru Vol. 15, Chapter 79

I am totally procrastinating!!  Hahah, I have this awful meeting next Thursday and I have to pull a miracle out of nowhere to get two sides who don't want to agree, to agree!  So one of my bosses is breathing down my neck making sure everything is going well, second guessing all my decisions.  On top of that, the client trusts him more than he trusts me, probably because I'm a woman.  For real?! But if both sides continue acting like children there's nothing I can do about that.  So besides getting my blood pressure checked at the doctor's tomorrow to see if I have stress induced hypertension, there's still time to procrastinate! >_<  Being an OL is hard... TT__TT  Really wish I was independently wealthy....

Let's start with Chihaya, and how I think she broke her finger in the last chapter... (really...?)  After this I'm going to finish Harada's route in Hakuouki: Stories of the Shinsengumi ^_^ and get the trophy for unlocking all CGs....  Whoohoo!

Chihayafuru Vol. 15, Chapter 79

Even Rion looks a little concerned as Chihaya clutches her finger close.  Her teammates are certainly worried.

Can it be... she's injured??!!

Has Chihaya also injured herself?? Taichi thinks, almost getting up.

"Excuse me," says one of the overseers/referees thinking she might need to forfeit.
"Ah!" Chihaya says, flexing her hand.  "No, I'm alright."  Her teammates all look at her in exasperation.
"Scared me--" says Meatbun.

Rion looks a bit relieved and her team captain, Makoto eyes her.
"Please excuse me," Chihaya states as she gets up and stretches to buy herself some time.

The Oe card takes experience and skill, thinks Makoto. Rion that girl...  Because she relies on 'feeling' the way she takes cards is unrefined in comparison.  How irritating...

Chihaya is still trying to recover as she stands.  Originally I wanted to take the other card (TN: the Chinese version recounts the "ocean island" card, which doesn't really exist in that form.  But the first five syllables of the Oe Mountain card are exactly the same as this card)

It's really not easy taking the Oeyama card!

Next time I've got to turn the tide.  One card at a time... One card!

[Throb...sting...stab...pain...]  Chihaya's concentration is broken by her finger injury.

...one card....

Meanwhile, as the match starts up, Taichi is cornered by his opponent.
Ah! Shoot!  Penalty!  Taichi laments as he took the wrong card.  I still haven't forgotten the prior games' memorization order.

He recalls Desktomu's lecture from before the game.  "You have to be careful.  Emuro Ryoga won't make any mistakes during the game."

Damn!  He looks over at his silent opponent.  He's already into his fifth match and yet he maintains that completely professional facade...  Isn't he tired?  Surprisingly he still makes no mistakes...

Emuro looks up at him and grins as if taunting him, "I'm not like you because I'm A-ranked!"  (Just by looking at him Taichi can hear Emuro's inner voice)

He checks his teammates.  Not good!  Every one of Fujisaki's players...is controlling the direction of the game.  Even Chihaya, she's....

Chihaya loses another card to Rion.  That last card...I could have taken it...  What's wrong with me?  That was right in my opponent's lower right quadrant!

[Throb...throb....throb....]

What is this? she clutches her hand.  This kind of shocking pain... it's not at all like the usual finger bruising....?

What's going on?
[Sharp...throbbing...pain]
What is this....

Meatbun notices her expression.  Ayase?

"Fine!" she says quietly as she stretches.  "Just start now!  Start now!"

She recalls the words Kana said to her when she had to bow out of the last game.  "I'm so glad it was me.  I'm so glad the one who got hurt wasn't the team's wild card, Chihaya..."

"The situation is to our advantage!"

I can't!  Chihaya stretches her arm and hand.  [Throb...throb...throb] I can't let Kana-chan's advantage disappear!

Meanwhile, Shinobu is dozing off in a corner as those around her marvel at Fujisaki High's strength.
Fujisaki really is that strong....
All five players are taking the lead...
All of their players are pulling ahead.
There's just no comparison in rank.
Will they just keep pulling further and further ahead...

"Ah...Ah...ACHOO!" Shinobu sneezes into the sleeve of the poor guy next to her.
(TN: -_____-;)
"I'm so sorry!" she apologizes as she tries to wipe his sleeve clean.  I guess I should really just go home...

The older overseer recognizes her instantly as the reigning Queen.
"Wakamiya-san, you've come!" he whispers.  "Please don't just stand around in a place like this.  Come closer to the front.
"No, no," she protests.  "How could I impose?"
"If everyone sees that even the Queen has come to observe, they will all work even harder." he beams.

So....he sits her right in the middle of the Fukisaki - Mizusawa front line....
(TN: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  Everyone has their wut? faces on)

.......

Shinobu isn't really thrilled to be put on the spot.

They're just saying the same thing...

"There must be someone who can be encouraged by this, "Arata had said.
"If they see that the Queen has come to observe, they will all work even harder," the overseer had told her.

The crowd titters.
Omigosh, isn't that the Queen?
That's Shinobu Wakamiya.
She got skinnier...
How odd.  This is my first time seeing her.

What the heck.  How could that possibly be?  Shinobu thinks.  She notices Chihaya in the far corner.

I've seen her before...  Another card is called and Shinobu grimaces as Chihaya is unable to take another card.  Tch, perhaps my feeling was wrong.

Here...there is no one who who can face me as an opponent!  Shinobu feels alone in the crowd.

[Throb...throb...]

Rion notices Chihaya is starting to sweat.  That's strange... during the first half of the match her reaction was swift and fierce...  Rion notices that Chihaya is gripping her right hand.

She's hurt...

Rion is distracted that she misses the next card and yields it to Chihaya

That's good!  She can still take cards by pressing on them.

Chihaya notices the look of sympathy on Rion's face.  Chihaya takes the next card as well.

That's odd...  for someone whose 'instincts' are good, she should have been skilled enough to take that card... (TN: I'm not bothering trying to translate the card name/meanings this time around)

She remembers something Harada-sensei had said to her.  "The best thing is to not get hurt.  You cannot get hurt!  But...there will always be that opportunity!  When you get hurt... Compared with the one who actually got injured, the one who committed the injury will be even more shaken."

What am I doing? Rion asks herself.  I have to be more attentive at listening to the sounds.  I have to win!  She thinks about how both her teacher and Makoto are watching her.

I have to win, I'm only here to win...  So I...

Flashback: to Rion with her club members.
"Yamashiro-san, you're only enthusiastic when you put the CD on...  You're clearly dissatisfied with the way senpai reads the cards!  Even with us it's like being criticized by your arrogant, bored stare! It's annoying!" *end flashback*

There's no shelter.

There's no shelter...here...

I have to win here!

"Yeeeesh!" Chihaya declares suddenly, snapping Rion out of it.  She dramatically clutches her injured hand.  "It's no problem.  I yield this card to you."

The audience:  EH?

She surprisingly yielded a single syllable card... the overseer observes.  Even if she was using it as a counter attack, that's still a little rash!  Is she just giving it up?

Chihaya takes a deep breath.  Right now it's just my right index finger that's hurting.
[Throb....throb....]

I've always just done it... with my right middle finger against the side of the cards in practice.  (TN: like Shinobu)

[Throb...throb...]

Chihaya focuses only on that finger.  When the next card is read, Chihaya tries but again jams her injured finger.

SO PAINFUL---------aaaaaaahhhhhh!  Tears come to her eyes as she tries again.

Even more focused...more...  until there is only one finger in my right hand.  A player who follows her ears!

Even as the reader picks up the next card and opens her mouth to read, Chihaya reacts.

"Tatsuta no kawa no ~"  (TN: chose card 69 because it describes the river's current as translated in Chinese.  There are 3 cards though it might be, I picked this one)

Chihaya touches the side of the card and flicks it by the edge with lightning speed.

Everyone, including the reader, is shocked.
What? gasps the overseer in surprise.
So...so fast!
Besides the Queen, there's actually a player who's also that fast?

Shinobu finally realizes.  Ah!  I remember!  Last year the one who stole the single syllable card in my left lower quadrant!  I remember you...

CHIHAYA!

"Oooh," Chihaya has some trouble reaching for the card she just took.  Rion just stares at her in shock.

Yama...Yamashiro....
..... (Chihaya's forgotten her first name.... -__-)
...... (still trying)
......Yama-chan.  (She gave up)

It doesn't matter that I'm injured!  Don't be like that!  Grasping a professional reader's color intonation, let's grasp each syllable to determine the winner!

She looks at Rion in challenge.  If you don't focus your energy, you will be cast aside!

Heh, idiot.  Just how naive is that girl with the bob?  She put the single syllable card her opponent handed her own lower right quadrant.  Obvious mistake.  It was easily in sight of her opponent's attack.  She needs to heighten her guard and slightly back away.  If it were me, I would not have been so foolish... If it were me....

She's leaning forward to observe the match, but Sakurazawa-sensei is frowning.  You're leaning too far forward!

Ayase has taken a string of them!  thinks Desktomu
Four in a row! thinks Tsukuba.  Awesome!
Even though she's still down six cards, thinks Taichi, but... that expression!
That expression... thinks Meatbun.

Ayase... even if you're trying to hide it, sitting next to you I still know.  Both the girls on our team gave so much that they were injured!  At this most important time I've continued to lose... and even now there's a guy who's posed like a ground excavator continuously pressing down on me as we battle...  When will I start giving it my all?

When?

Meatbun gets up to break up the game's momentum.  "Excuse me."

Just then he notices Taichi has done the same thing.  Taichi notices that Tsukuba and Desktomu have also done the same.  They stare at each other knowingly, and all together they slap themselves to focus.  (TN: teamwork!)

Everyone stares at them in surprise.

The one who...

...takes her passion and transfers it to us...

...has always been Chihaya.

But what is this feeling? thinks Taichi clutching at his shirt.  Surging upwards!  Like a scorching hot sensation from my gut...  like magma...

Each group is trying to dominate... thinks Makoto.  Don't think you can reverse this!

We know....this burning sensation... are five wills saying...  "DON'T GIVE UP!"

~Chapter 79 end~

Wow, pretty exciting stuff guys!  Pull your heads out of your butts and fight!  Don't make the girls do all the work.  I'm glad I could translate this chapter quickly (with the exception of the poetry I skipped).  I found this awesome app on my phone that helps me translate twice as fast.  Yay technology! -Kero

Chihayafuru Vol. 14, Chapter 78

And here we are again....

Volume 14 might seem a little slow, but I think it's the buildup the mangaka wanted us to feel with the Mizusawa team as they grow and learn together.  They're like a band of bushi (sorry, I have samurai on the brain) with a similar ideal, learning ideals like integrity, sportsmanship, teamwork, and ambition to be the best at what they do.  Essentially, it's like every sports manga out there...ha.  

But what makes them different is the game they play.  I've always had a soft spot for Japanese prose and poetry, starting back when I took courses in Japanese literature in college (pre and post Meiji era).   But the waka poetry in this chapter was REALLY hard.  I'm sorry if I didn't get the cards properly translated.  It was hard to differentiate between the Chinese translation, and what the Japanese version would be; there was some speculation on my part, a LOT of Google searches of the Hyakunin Isshu text in Romanji/English, and plugging in the Chinese verse into Google Translate when all else failed to search for the poem in Japanese instead.

So many images of autumn leaves, rivers and tears on sleeves swimming through my brain right now....

-KERO

Volume 14, Chapter 78

Sakurazawa-sensei watches the match cooly.
"Put Mizusawa on the defensive."  (TN: the translation in Chinese literally means to completely advance and threaten, giving your opponent the chance to feel how powerful you are.)

"Furusato samuku, koromo utsu nari..."  (TN: closest match was poem 94, that describes both Mt. Yoshino and the autumn wind.  Yoshino was also a village near the old capital of Nara -- pre-Kyoto 710-794 A.D.)

Meat-bun kun is staring at his opponent's sitting position.  He's down so low!  His form is like a spider, at an angle low enough to be parallel to the perfectly organized cards.  Just how strong are his back muscles?

Flashback to Desktomu's pre-game lecture: "This girl (referring to Makoto)... Her demeanor is clearly like a gruff older sister.  (TN: Wut?)  But during a match she's like a hot-blooded man.  Extremely forceful!"

She hits the floor with such force it makes a poof, boom sound!

Who in the hell likes Rion?  Who would like that kind of girl...?!  (TN: Ummm....you?  Repressed much?  Someone needs to relax and embrace her feelings....)

Meanwhile, Tsukuba is distracted by the strange visage of his opponent (Ichimura Mitsuki).

So weird....so weird...

"Miyoshino, yama no aki kaze sayo fukete--"

After taking a card, he strikes a pose: Secret ability. Lightning Strike!

This guy is seriously weird--!

Meanwhile, Taichi is also struggling against his opponent.

"Koromo katashiki, hitorini kamo nen--"  (TN: randomly choosing Poem 91 here; it was the closest fit I could find from the Chinese, but those who have seen the Japanese raws can clarify)

He loses the next card to him.  Already.....With his hand he's already blocked off all the 2 syllable cards....He's quick to move his hand, quick to stop it....  Is that the capability of his rank?

They all have really strong physiques! 

Sakurazawa-sensei...  

Flashback: 
Sakurazawa is talking to a group of students.
"I also started learning karuta at age 6, and I was able to practice consistently and nonstop....  So the first rule of the game is to maintain your physique!  Both before and after practice you must complete 30 minutes of physical warm up and warm down, 30 minutes of slow jogging, and 3 muscle building exercises...  which is all added into your regular competition practices!"  The group of students starts to mumble with uncertainty.

If Sakurazawa-sensei...

She sexy pose demonstrates the waist stretching exercise, the bicep/tricep/deltoid exercise, the rib cage and obliques exercise.  (TN: maybe I should start training for karuta....)

"Physical strength!"

...says so...

The boys watching are breaking a sweat: "It's not like she was doing anything pornographic."
"You're such a porno freak!"  (TN: Boys....)

...it doesn't matter how grueling the practice, we will accomplish it!   

Caption: There are 50 members of our club.  Fujisaki High School is karuta....

The members regularly train and jog in groups.  "Wow, the karuta team works really hard!" says a watching bystander.  "Their about to enter the national competition.  That's really incredible!"

Caption: No one on campus would ever say, "You know, that thing they call karuta!"

Flashback: Sakurazawa gives out her instructions.  "First years, you're doing recitation, second years start practicing your arrangements, third years you work with the cards.  One by one until they become an extension of yourself!"

Caption: Its trained students for 12 years now....  These are Sakurazawa-sensei's credentials...

This is the pride of the Fujisaki team!

Everyone in the Mizusawa group watches the match nervously.
"Are their opponents really that strong?" asks Kana-chan.  "Right from the start, they've suppressed us."
"Oe-senp--" begins Sumire but she notices the distressed look on Kana's face.  Kana is watching Chihaya intently.

Chihaya...

Chihaya seems frozen by her opponent and has not taken a single card.  The next card is drawn.

"Misebaya na --"  (TN: Poem 90 is the only one that starts with 'mi' and has to do with "sleeves") 
"Ojima no ama no / Even the fishermen's sleeves
Sode dani mo, / On Ojima's shores
Nure ni zo nureshi /Though wet through and wet again,
Iro wa kawarazu. / Do not so change their colors.

Rion is the first to claim it.  Makoto watches in dissatisfaction.  So stupid!
Sakurazawa-sensei...why did you let Rion participate in the final round?  What is she compared to the third years who've trained so much harder!

Rion is especially reactive to sound, a genius....  But even if you didn't have that ability, you could still win!  You could still defend Fujisaki's proud title!

Chihaya is quite shocked.  Why.... How...How is she able to make her move just by hearing the vowel 'mi'?  Even with the other two syllable cards, she was able to take the card just by hearing the first syllable.

She recalls something the reigning Meijin had said.

Flashback: "There are 28 single syllable cards."  (TN: meaning he can draw any of his cards at the first syllable.)  Is she like Suo -san?  But her decisiveness is far too quick!  What exactly is it that she hears?!  What is it---

Sakurazawa-sensei watches quietly.  Coincidentally she's up against the girl from Mizusawa with the strong intuitive style...  From the start Rion hasn't given her any leeway...  She must win as quickly as possible...

Caption: From an advantageous situation her progress is natural.

Can you continue like this?  Rion--

Shinobu is also watching.  But her expressionless face suddenly cracks a yawn.

Geez, this is so boring...  But the card reader, isn't she Yamashiro Kyoko-sama, one of the 7 certified readers?

As the next card is read, the players are all of the same notion that it is a "blank" card.

"Fuku kara ni /It is by its breath
Aki no kusaki no / That autumn's leaves of trees and grass
Shiorureba -- /Are wasted and driven. (TN: chose 22 that mentions grass and autumn wind.) 
Mube yama kaze o /So they call this mountain wind
Arashi to iuran/The wild one, the destroyer.

As she reads, Kana can picture the scene of the poem and the tall grass waving in the wind.

The next card is also a "blank" card.

"Kono tabi wa 

Nusa mo toriaezu
Tamukeyama --"  But Chihaya also begins to see the imagery of the poem as Yamashiro-san reads it and remembers Kana's words.

Flashback: "My favorite reader is Yamashiro Kyoko."

Her tone is so rich and colorful.

Chihaya sees it.  She sees the scene the author saw as the verses were written.  The sound, the noises... are so rich and colorful!

Chihaya is entranced.  

From the day Kana-chan first told me...

Caption: "Only "Chihaya" is a brilliant bright red."

I've felt the same way.  There are a few cards that leave a strong impression... and you can actually see their colors.  But... the way a card is read can also give it color.... 

She's...listening to that color---

Shinobu thinks quietly to herself, Yamashiro-sama,  the way she reads gives too much away.  Even if I thought the others wouldn't lose [to Hisashi Suo].... But with Yamashiro-sama as the reader in a match, Suo-san would be very difficult to deal with....

The same with that girl... [Rion]   Is she also difficult?

An organizer in the back reviews the team profiles and notes that Rion is only a B ranked player.

She's only B rank? Then why...?

Caption: Rion...

Yamashiro Kyoko reminisces, From a young age you've come to my karuta society to practice.  Even if it's just a grandmother's bias, I've always felt that child was a genius....  I've always had the greatest expectations for her.  But....

Flashback to when Rion was a child, her grandmother holding her hands.

"Why would you want to quit competing, Rion?  It was the same at the last meet as well.  You just need to keep pushing through until the very end...."  Rion looks uneasy and turns away.

"The reading... isn't pretty at all!  It's very hard to play!  They way you read it Grandma is much better."

If karuta cards also had what is called 'absolute timbre' then Rion would be like that.  Amid the competitions there are various readers of the opposite sex reading the waka.  Rion had never won those competitions.  She will never be the Queen.  But... be grateful!  Rion....

The teams move and strike the next card.  Ichimura Mitzuki strikes another pose: Dance of the undying bird! (TN: wut..?)

Your team has given you the opportunity to be a winning champion!

Taichi: Damn it!

Meat bun-kun: So strong!

Tsukuba: Weirdo!

Desktomu: ....

Chihaya: We're already down 6 cards!  Stay calm...!  If we're going to stop them from continuing to pull farther away from us, I have to do what I did last time... I just need to cut the distance, the single syllable cards are increasing, even I can--

Chiyaha notices Kana in the audience, eyes closed in meditation.  Chihaya!  Concentrate on the waka!  Be wholly absorbed... devoted to... listening to the waka!

Chihaya takes a breath and closes her eyes.

The rain has stopped... The sun is setting... The smell of sweat.... and tatami mats.... and the cards....  The sound of the air conditioning....

She slowly opens her eyes.  

Summer, the desire to meet again; mist, birdcalls, wanting to meet; darkness, noises; loneliness, sakura; friends, flame....  

The image of a smiling young Arata comes to mind.

Her eyes are open now as the reader chooses the next card.

"Na--"

Both Chihaya a Rion reach for a card opposite each other.

"ni--"

Chihaya's hand stops on hers.

"wae no --"

The others make their move.  Ichimura Mitzuki poses: Leaping crab style! (TN: I can't...even...)

The overseer pauses at Chihaya.  The cards remaining still include nanishi, naniwaga and natsu... at the first syllable she guarded, and by the second syllable she selected naniwae.  Actually naniwae and naniwaga are already difficult to differentiate.. but is her intuition really that good?

Chihaya looks at the card she took.  

Kana-chan....  Meanwhile Kana sits in awe.

Flashback to Kana's waka lesson: "Naniwaga is the color of winter's withered black reed, that kind of gloomy green color; Naniwae is the color of emerald green reeds...  you should try thinking of them like that."

I don't really have a lot of ability to follow the sound of the colors to connect the right waka...taking the cards like that is dangerous, I can't do that repeatedly.

But... Sensei....  She pictures her teacher, Harada Hidehiro (he's still alive, of course).

This is how you turn the tide isn't it?  Sensei!  (TN: In Chinese, it literally translates to this is how you take back the pennant.  It feels like the pennant you use in sports or in battle.)  

Yamashiro picks up the next card.

"Oeyama --"  By now everyone recognizes which card they must take.
"Ikuno--"  Chihaya tries to reach the card before Rion.  I don't think so!

 "no michi no --"  But both of them hear a "crack" as Chihaya's finger goes down on the mat.
"Ah!" Chihaya cries out.  Her teammates watch in horror as her finger is at an unnatural angle.

Chihaya!!

End Chapter 78, End Vol. 14

Chihayafuru Vol. 14, Chapter 77

So I actually got Xillia 2 out of my system!!  But Tales of Zestiria will be delivered to my door on October 22!!!  Before I get lost in my little world of JRPGs, I thought I'd translate another chapter of Chihayafuru.

I'm also watching Nirvana in Fire - Lang Ya Bang - 琅琊榜 And I totally find it fascinating.  I think I like it more than I liked Splendid Politics.  It's really well written and produced and that's surprising from a Mainland China drama.  I never thought I'd like Mainland dramas, but the people are really well performed actors, and I totally admire the characters.  No love triangles.  Just politics.  And hidden identities.  And kung fu masters whose qi gong lets them fly through the AIR! Yeah!  A little Crouching Tiger, a little Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and a little Saiunkoku Monogatari.

For a girl who was raised on Hong Kong TVB period costume dramas, this is totally up my alley.  I encourage everyone to watch it.

Volume 14, Chapter 77

[We last left Arata in shock when he is told by Hiro/Retro that his friends and their team have made it to the Omi Jingu final match against Fujisaki High.]

Taichi and Chiyaha....

Are moving forward to the final round to be Japan's best team?!

Hiro lingers, and closes the sliding door shut with a light 'slap - pak.'

Shinobu grins.  Hee...

"It's just a high school kids' competition, whatever does he mean by "Japan's best" even?  I just don't get it.  Just.  Don't.  Get.  It.  Everyone's 'really strong' right?  Arata!"

Before she finished that though, Arata's hand lunges past her face to the door latch.  She is completely aghast, and Arata pauses, before huddling down as he remembers he's still forbidden to enter the competition hall.

"So after all that, you really aren't going, right?" Shinobu asks.

"If I go now, I can forget about tomorrow's individual competition..." Arata says woefully.
"What?" Shinobu chides.  "Arata, you finally realize the individual competition is actually more important?"

"Arata!" says one of his teammates, "As long as you quietly sneak out you won't be caught.  There's so many people in there.  Just go.  Wasn't this your goal in the first place?"

"Breaking the rules and not getting punished for it is not something the Omi Jingu council takes lightly, Sho!" Arata exclaims.

His friend and Shinobu are shocked by his sudden outburst.

Hiro's words still echo through the room: Aren't you going to go...support them?

Taichi and Chihaya... are in the final round....

Arata sits stoically in seiza style.  (Translation Trivia: This word actually derives from two Chinese characters 正座, which literally means quiet/peaceful sitting)

They are competing to be Japan's best!

Shinobu suddenly stands and takes off her pants, revealing her snowman boxers.

"OMIGAWD STOP!" one teammate cries, covering his face.  "Don't take off the bottom half!"

Shinobu changes back into her uniform, now dry.

"Man, you're just like an old fogie (so old fashioned)," says another teammate.

"I just think about tomorrow and then I'm already really agitated!" says Shinobu. "I should hurry up and go home.  Laters."

"Shinobu!" calls out Arata.  "Some people are actually really motivated by it (team matches). Just for a bit, why don't you go watch the team competition?"

"....  That's.... highly unlikely, don't you think?"

Caption: Any high school competitor, no matter how many competitions...  For the sake of ensuring the competition goes smoothly...  will in advance have all the groupings of 50 cards at the start of the game.

Announcer: "Please shuffle the cards."

Caption: Then the two opponents will mix the cards together.... each of them receiving 25 cards, turn them face up and group the cards accordingly.

Panel: Everyone studies their cards intently

Chihaya: ...
Desktomu: This is...
Tsukuba: Omigawd I'm so nervous...
Meat bun: I only have one 'single syllable' card, yet I don't have any cards beginning with "chi".  This would have been be very detrimental to Chihaya.

Chihaya looks up at her opponent and notices for a brief moment she is smiling as if she is in on a little secret.  The smile disappears as soon as Chihaya takes a closer look.

Suddenly all of the Fujisaki players bow respectfully to request a break, before the male players get up and leave the room.

In the audience, they are shocked. They've just arranged the cards. They're already getting up to take a break?  The lot of them together?

"They've already gotten up?  Such bravado..."

I don't get it, thinks Miyauchi-sensei.
How fearsome, comments Kana.  Sumire just gawks in shock.

In the audience, Nayuta (Hokuo team) thinks, Mizusawa....  That's just how Fujisaki does things.  From the very beginning they set the pace of the match.  Don't let it throw you! (TN: don't let them intimidate you)

When everyone looks at Mizusawa's team, each of them are stretching or spending the time repositioning themselves.

They're all so calm, thinks Miyauchi-sensei.

Not a problem, not a problem, thinks Taichi.

Flashback to one of Desktomu's tips: "There were five matches in total inclusive of the final round.  Even with Fujisaki's third years their minds would be weary.  In order to not feel like last night's leftover meatloaf, Meat bun's description by the way,  I think they're not going to remain seated.  Maybe only the female addition will remain."  (TN: Not sure how it reads in Japanese but the Chinese translation uses "tai lao" where I used an English equivalent to convey the meaning, leftover meatloaf.  'Tai lao' are sacrificial meats of male animals - bull, ram, and boar - offered at the altar in ancient Chinese religion, appropriate since the Fujisaki strength is mostly male, and the captain a tomboy.  Leave it to Meat bun to come up with a turn of phrase that relates to food....)

Master Deskotumu, thinks Chihaya, you really are remarkable.  You predicted everything correctly!
She takes a deep breath.

Karuta is.... thorough memorization.... thorough forgetfulness....  and then repeat!

Memorize then forget...memorize then forget!  She concentrates hard through her past matches today.

An image of Megumu Osaka comes to mind.  Forget...I have to forget her.

If I can't forget her....  Her heart is pounding loudly in the background.  Boom.  Boom.  Boom. Boom...  I won't be able to beat someone who just entered her first match....  I need to clear my mind!

Outside, the Fujisaki players are all stretching.
"Where's Rion?" asks one of the players.
"Just shut it," reprimands the captain (Makoto).  "What does it matter?  Is it a good thing?  That little brat clearly lacks stamina, but insists on not doing stretching exercises?  Even if it's not compulsory."
"You guys really coddle Rion," she continues.  "I mean it's true! Her talents are really shocking.  But it's it really evil how her face has no expression?  Why would anyone welcome someone like that?"
"Also," she comments as they continue stretching (TN: clearly she rants about Rion ALL THE TIME since her teammates are largely ignoring her), "She's consistently remained a B ranked player.  Tsk, just because she's maybe a bit cute."
"Hey, Makoto!" says one of her teammates.  "I do have a girlfriend."
"Me too!" chimes in another.
"What?! Really?" asks Makoto.
"My girlfriend is first year Shino Mimi," says Kanata bashfully. "We started dating in the spring."
"I started the spring semester.  Mine is Ayami Seno. (TN: totally guessing her name here)
"I'm shocked!" declares Makoto.  "What about you Emuro?  Don't you like Rion?"

He stares at her blankly.  "Rion's chest... is like that of a preschooler, right?"

Oh my gosh, that's right  Emuro you....!!  Because you're so perverted your nickname is 'Ko-ero'! (TN: that's a guess on my part, because it uses part of Emuro's name with the word 'perverted'.)

Emuro continues muttering in his own little world, "At least let her be an E cup or something...it doesn't matter what her face looks like... Of course what her ass looks like is also important..."
(TN: As a woman I am completely offended and disgusted with Emuro's character and he needs to die.... are karuta cards sharp? Someone should ninja star one right between his eyes...seriously...  But I believe the author wanted to portray that he isn't anything like Arata, even though they may resemble one another -- according to Taichi)

"Well, this is what I think," says Kanata.  "Isn't it you, Yamai (Makoto) who actually has feelings for Rion?" (TN: I replated "like" with "Has feelings for" because the connotation is that she likes Rion romantically)

Wha---?!  ME?!  What the hell did you just say...?  Makoto blushes furiously.  She grabs Kanata by the collar and declares, "Who the heck would like that 'mask'...?"
"Well that's--" argues Kanata defensively.

In the background a shadow of a girl looms and continues getting closer.

"Don't say such disgusting things, Kanata!"

It gets closer...

"That little monotone sneak, whose only good quality is that she can listen well..."  Makoto suddenly feels a malevolent force behind her and turns around sharply.

She and Kanata note no one is there.  (Shinobu has already left)  (TN: Shinobu is like a malevolent ghost, attracted by strong feelings of hatred -- hahahaha)

"What was that?" she demands.
"I didn't hear any foot falls," comments Kanata.
"How creepy..."

Caption: This power of acute hearing... can be the competing team's strength, and she among the top players... Happily gathering together, loudly making noise...  separate from karuta...

Shinobu thinks of Arata, still under house arrest in the Fukui West sitting room.

Today is the day for the team competition! 

Arata!  Why?  Arata?  (TN: Shinobu lives for the karuta cards, so to make friends that are not karuta cards is something she cannot fathom)

Caption: Break time is limited to 15 minutes.  Ten minutes have already lapsed. 

Meatbun and Tsukuba are waiting in agitation.  Desktomu is mentally preparing by studying all of the cards in front of him.  Think quickly! First plan out...how to move, how to steal, how to give it away...  Think of all possible combinations!

His thoughts earlier [I probably...won't be able to win...  it's not that easy.]
I want to exceed...even my own analysis.  (TN: Desktomu wants to push his own limits, and exceed his prior prediction that he won't win).

Taichi is lost in own thoughts until his opponent returns.
"Forgive me," says Emuro, bowing from his seat.

On the outside...he really does resemble Arata.  Does everyone who studies karuta have that same quality..... Taichi wonders.

The national arena for team competition... my opponent is Fujisaki's wild card... An A rank...  I'm the one who wanted to fight him!

If I can prevail here... or possibly change something--

"Oh, I remember!"
"What?"
"You're the B rank student who competed against us last year....  I remember!" Emuro smirks.

The implication of his words: So then... you're still a B rank, eh?

I've just been snubbed!  (TN: the Chinese version says bei hua xia le yi tiao xian, or a line has been drawn, meaning he's been classified into his own rank, or Emuro has distinguished between their classes/levels)

I've just been sized up.  Aah... and in a very rude way...

Emuro's thoughts are taking a completely different direction.  Actually, I really wanted to see Mizusawa's other female player (Kana-chan) take the stage, thinks Emuro.  To think an H cup would be jiggling in front of my face...

Kana: Why do I feel like I'm being ogled...?

Oh wells...

If I win this time around Sakurazawa-sensei will let me touch her F cup beauties.... (TN: I think I'm thoroughly disgusted with this guy...)

Sakurazawa: [Just continue your A rank style of wishful thinking]  TN: Dream on, buddy.

Makoto is still making an ugly face and clearly agitated: What the hell kind of nonsense was Kanata spouting, that guy!  He actually said that I liked Rion... What the heck, I like Rion....  What 'like'... (TN: clearly she has issues she should sort through....)

Meanwhile Kanta looks over to his twin in the audience.  Manata!  Just watch me, Manata!

Ichimura stretches: This time around, should I use that to compete? Knight... fighter...

What is this? Kana watches.  Fujisaki seems so relaxed...

Announcer:  "Let the match begin!"

The orator begins the opening verse and everyone in the audience, especially Kana, listens in awe.

Orator: Naniwa-zu ni
Sakuya kono haana
Fuyu-gomori
Ima o haru-be to
Sakuya kono hana

(TN: "In Naniwa Bay, now the flowers are blossoming. After lying dormant all winter, now the spring has come and those flowers are blossoming." As written by Wani, a semi-legendary scholar from Baekjae.  Baekjae is one of the kingdoms in Korea's Three Kingdom's period, circ. 18 BC - 660 AD.  Back then everyone who was educated read/wrote poems.)

It's so different.  So this is what a master sounds like, thinks Chihaya.  Competition!  I'm with the others in this competition!

Orator: Okuyama ni 
Momiji fumiwake
Naku shika no Koe kiku toki zo
Aki wa kanashiki 

(TN: Totally winging it and guessing what this next poem is -- so if I'm wrong, please advise!!!  But it mentions "red leaves" in the Chinese version so I'm selecting Poem 5.  I'm wondering how accurate the Japanese-Chinese translation is here.... "In the mountain depths, Treading through the crimson leaves, The wandering stag calls. When I hear the lonely cry, Sad--how sad!--the autumn is." )

Rion is able to take the cards before Chihaya and she sits bewildered.

What--?

What is this?  It's different!  This is totally different!  The reaction, the feeling both!

Sakurazawa watches quietly.  Rion... you've only entered this one match... and the orator is your maternal grandmother, Yamashiro Kyoko, of the 7th rank  Will you have an enjoyable performance?  Everyone else, also...

A Kanata raises his hand to halt the pace of the game again.

You just need to take five cards... then you should be able to...

Skewer Mizusawa...

Until they've completely lost all resolve....

Why...Arata? asks Shinobu, sulking with arms crossed in the back of the room.  Everyone near her is shocked to see her there.  Surely this is going to turn out to be a boring match....

Chihayafuru Vol. 14, Chapter 76

Since I was prompted, I dug up my volume of Chihayafuru again.  I think it's therapeutic to get away from my infatuation with Elize and Gaius of Xillia2, and even though Gaius is HOT, I don't think it's healthy to obsess so much in drawing the male figure with all those glorious abs since in RL men don't look like that.  (No one I know, anyway!  Most office workers are not really in good shape and they tend to smoke and drink to excess!)  I need to keep reminding myself that 2D characters are fun to look at but unrealistic to expect to run into in life.  (She says as she reaches for josei/shoujo manga to read...)

Anyhoo...when I read about the Fujisaki team my impression of them was...weird.  But strong.  These opponents, Megumu, Rion...these are all people Chihaya needs to beat before she can even get to the Queen.  This is going to be one really really really long manga....  Do I dare continue my #Chiharata ship???  I swear, mangaka nowadays just play with our feels...

After being having my heart gouged and trampled by Naruto's ending last year I've been absolutely paranoid about all my other manga ships.  #Narusaku4ever.

-Kero

Chapter 76

"Tsubuka-kun, you have to win..."  Kana chan simply hides her face in her good hand in defeat, hiding her right hand behind her.
"Kana-chan," says Chihaya before she takes Kana's hand and notices her right middle finger is really bruised.
"You..." says Chihaya in shock.  "You injured yourself during the last match."
"It looks really swollen!" says Desktomu.

Kana simply smiles behind her tears.  "It's....it's a good thing it was only me.  It's a good thing it wasn't Chihaya who was injured."
"Kana-chan," says Chihaya, holding on to Kana's hand, "what kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

Instead, Kana grasps her hand passionately.  "We're really fortunate!" she insists.  "We're fortunate that the team's trump card wasn't injured, and that we've finally become a legitimate competitive first year team... This situation is our, no, Mizusawa's time to shine!"  (TN: the translation actually says, "stage" here, but I think the English equivalent would be spotlight.)

Everyone marvels at her words.
"Could it be, Tsubuka-kun, you already knew...?" asked Sumire, "that Kana-senpai was injured?"

"O-Of course!" he insists nervously.  "I had been watching Oe-senpai all this time!"
OMG, you're such a liar, thinks Sumire.  You're always lying through your teeth.

I was actually only worried about her stamina.  I had no idea she was injured, he thinks.

"Just kidding! Tsubuka-kun you have to win...."

The way that Oe-senpai lies and the way I do are completely different... (TN: meaning that Kana lies to protect and support others, while he lies only for himself.  I think he finally feels his shame acutely)

Meanwhile, Miyauchi-sensei tends to Kana's injury in the lounge.  "Just put ice on it, Kana.  I brought medicated bandages too."
"Bandages?" asks Kana.  Miyauchi-sensei opens up a bag and explains, "I have medicated bandages, elastic bandages, antiseptic...  Oh!  I also have ointment!"

Caption: She definitely coaches sports...

"You still won even when you were injured like this.... It's probably a sprain.  It's possible that it might even get more swollen after this."

Kana just smiles at her coach.  "I'm okay."  Miyauchi-sensei stares at her.

With such a small hand, she thinks as she helps patch Kana up.  Not only Oe, but also Tsutomu...  How can they make these concessions and yet... even though they're backing down, they're still giving strength to the others.

Meanwhile, back in the hall, the Hokuo players are in a huddle and Sudo-kun overhears them.
"What?  Someone on Mizusawa's team was hurt?"
"Don't change the subject.  Focus!"
"Everyone needs to exert their full power!"

Insert: Sudo and the others from Hokuo sit and wait for the match to begin.  We're watching.

"For anyone to say, that color red is irritating so I don't like it, or, I'm not going to wear it.  Our senpai  all wore the same T-shirt to come out here and support us.  We are not the only ones!"

We're watching.

The defeated Hokuo camp sits proudly in the audience to watch to the end, despite their loss.

But there's also another person who isn't our senpai in the crowd... (referring to Meat-bun's sister)
"Don't worry about that one!"
"Man, don't make me gag!"
"Don't say that, she came to support us!"

Hiro looks down silently.

(TN: don't really know what the point of that panel was -_-; it's like the mangaka is just drawing panels with filler...or I've lost something in translation...)

Yamashiro Rion.

The Fujisaki captain, Makoto Yamai, is pondering her coach's decision for the last match's roster.  I can't believe she made the cut.  Her.  How scary....  All of the third year guys adore her.  It's so unreal...

Even her hairstyle is just copied from mine...  That's too creepy!  (TN: wow, conceited much? I think she sees her kouhai as a rival.)

"Captain!"

"It's because I watched the Mizusawa match, and I have an impression of each players' style..." says Rion.
"So what?" Makoto cuts her off.  "You wanna lecture the third years?  No thanks!  Besides, what the hell did you ever do to become an actual member?  You can't be ignorant of the fact that the third year members have always been the backbone of the team!  Why didn't you just refuse?"
She points an angry finger at Rion.  "We could win even without you!"
"Makoto, that's enough," says Ryouga.
"Why is everyone so damn protective of Rion?  Her face has no expression, and it gives you the creeps... It's like she's wearing a mask!"
"But," interrupts Rion.  Her face is without any emotion.  "Ever since I've joined...we've been winning.  Also, the person who should decline this match isn't me."
"You don't have to tell me that, you little iron masked freak!"

I already know!  Fujisaki's real terror is---

Team coach Midori Sakurazawa sits in the lounge and thinks to herself, This year isn't the problem.  It's next year... The third years are going to leave the team and there's not a single prospect among the freshmen.   But still, should I not have chosen Rion and broken protocol by promoting a first year?  No!  This time, I absolutely had to let Rion play....

Or once again switch a third year to let a first year play, she thinks coldly.

"Sakurazawa-sensei," calls out Hokuo's coach, Mochida-sensei.
"Mochida-sensei, it's you," she greets.
"Congratulations on making the final match.  It is you guys, after all.  But I just saw you take out a third year player, is that right?  He was actually the player who beat out my student Kameda-kun very early on in the last match..."

She stares at him blankly.

"Sakurazawa-sensei is really something," comments another Fujisaki student in the audience.  "You can't just remove a third year from the team so lightly."
"Yeah but Manata-sempai is really strong....  It's totally understandable that he feels that way."

Manata Suzuki is actually sobbing in a corner of the lounge alone, disappointed that he can't play his last team match.

Meanwhile, Manata's twin, Kanata Suzuki checks in on him.
"Manata... your leg injury isn't serious right?  It's still not too late, so why don't you go talk it over with Sensei?"
"Kanata..." his brother says before breaking down into heavy sobs.
"Manata?!"
"I'm f-fine!  I'm j-just thinking of all the hard work and effort I put into ..."  He tears up and falls back into a little ball.

"Suzuki Manata is a marvellous competitor," Sakurazawa sensei remarks to Mochida.  "For tomorrow's individual match, I've placed my hopes on him."

Mochida sensei then thinks to himself, This is how Hokuo lost.  It's my fault.  I don't have that sort of strength, or Sakurazawa-sensei's mentality for dealing with third year competitors, and putting all her team members to good use.... This is a champion's strength!

Faith....

Meanwhile, Kana reaches out an injured hand up to the moon as she gazes out the window.  Tearfully she recites tanka poetry.

Nageke tote
Tsuki ya wa mono o
Omowasuru
Kakochi gao naru
Waga namida kana 

(TN: I can't translate Chinese at that level but it is about the moon on a lonely night, so my best guess is Poem 86, "Should I blame the moon For bringing forth this sadness, As if it pictured grief? Lifting up my troubled face, I regard it through my tears."  Since Kana mentions the monk Saigyou, I think my guess is right, since he's the author of #86.)

"Oe-san?" asks Miyauchi sensei.
"This poem represents the feelings in my heart," laments Kana.  "What sort of troubles did Master Saikgou have when he recited this?"
"I-I'm...glad you're feeling better," says Miyauchi-sensei.  (TN: probably bewildered that Kana lives and breathes tanka poetry)

Kana takes a break from her recital to see her teammates.
"For this last match I fully believe in my notes, 100%," announces Desktomu.  "Everyone gather round."

"Fujisaki's team consists of all power players, and it would kinda be like facing five Sudos from Hokuo's team."

"Wha-aa?" exclaim Meat-bun and Chihaya simultaneously.
"Why are you saying things that make people even more nervous??"

"There's no real difference in achievements among them but their characters are totally different, and their player roster has been ordered as 1. Emuro Ryoga, their wild card, 2. Ichimura Mitsuki, 3 & 4 twins Manata and Kanata Suzuki, 5. Makoto Yamai."

"What's this question mark?" asks Meat-bun referring to Desktomu's notes on Makoto Yamai.
"I'm not really sure what to make of that person," confesses Desktomu.  "I can't tell if it's real strength or just coincidence."

Taichi takes a glance at Emuro Ryoga and thinks, He resembles Arata.  I don't know if it's his build or the glasses on his face.... Prior to this, did I already forget what Arata looked like?  Before I was clearly able to remember what he looked like.  Is it because I've lost my energy...

...during this team competition?

(TN: I think Taichi is coming to the realization that he might not have the stamina to face Arata during the individual competition.)

"But, it's ultimately up to the members of the semi-finals," continues Desktomu-kun.  "In the final match one of the twins is likely to be switched and one of the first or second years will step up into the formation."
"What? How do you know?" asks Meat-bun.
"I thought you just said all their players are A-ranked 3rd years?" asks Chihaya.
"Right, even so...I think they're going to add a female first year."
"How the heck do you know that?" demands Chihaya.
"Based on various aspects of my analysis.  Also, I've watched 3 of their matches."

Rion Yamashiro is a formidable girl.

"One other thing," he continues.

This is all I can do for you guys.

I most likely have no ability to win my match... it won't be that easy.

But....

But....

Announcement: *Attention.  All competitors, please return to the main hall.  The competition is about to begin.*

The hall is filled with the teams from the semi-final match as well as the finals once again.  The audience is all abuzz.


"Hey, Nakayama!  It's going to be a mad rush if we finish watching this match and then catch the Shinkansen.  Will we be all right?  It'll be all right, yeah?"

What a tense atmosphere, thinks Manabu Nakayama.

(TN: For those of you who don't know, the Shinkansen is a speed train that runs long distances in Japan.  If you ever get a chance to ride it, it's fun.  I think I rode it ages ago to see Osaka castle during cherry blossom season.  I don't think they run it to full speed though... >__<)

In the audience, Sumire checks on Kana who seems bowled over with tears in her eyes and asks, "Oe-senpai, are you alright?  Did you really want to play that badly?"
"Of course I wanted to play!" answers Kana.  "Or rather, if I knew that it would turn out like this I would have definitely played!"
"What?"

This worked out well..  She gave such a straightforward answer, thinks the match organizer as he observes the orator who has just arranged the cards in front of her (TN: that old man who put Arata under house arrest, I forget his name).  For a high school competition this is a very impressive gift.

The orator for the final match...  is Yamashiro Kyoko.  (TN: the Chinese version refers to her as "qi duan" which literally means 7 sections and I think it's a TW turn of phrase for excellence, or top level)

"For high school competitors this is too high an honor," Kana cries.  "She's a superb orator!"
"Ha ha," laughs Sumire.
This world is too deep for me, thinks Sumire.  I don't get any of this at all....

 This is it, thinks Kana, tied up in her emotions.  This is the final match, at Omi Jingu no less....

In the highest competitive arena, 

With one of the best orators in the nation,

I really want to play....

In the background Manata Suzuki weeps loudly next to Sumire.

"I will now announce the finalists roster for both teams," says the organizer.  "Fujisaki High School, Yamashiro Rion and Mizusawa High School, Ayase Chihaya."

Yamashiro? thinks Kana.

Someone in the audience murmurs, "From an A-ranked 3rd year perspective, Fujisaki's manpower seems lacking...."
"She's pitted against a sophomore no less."

The organizers both recognize Rion, finally.
I've seen her before.... So she's a student at Fujisaki?
Is that why she responded to quickly and agreed to do it?  (TN: OMG how could you not know?? Isn't this cheating??)

Flashback to Rion and her captain:  "You'll be first on the roster.  If you lose, I won't even acknowledge you, Rion."

Flashback to Desktomu's pep talk: I don't know which girl is going to be added to the roster, and I have no notes on her.  But Ayase, you...

You want to be Queen, don't you?  (TN: meaning even if she's powerful, Chihaya needs to find a way to beat her to make it to the top)

"Fujisaki High School, Kanata Suzuki, and Mizusawa High School, Nishida Yusei."

As they're both staring at one another, they each think, "Sorry but, I'm going to eliminate you."  (TN: OMG Meat bun please redeem yourself...)

"Fujisaki High School, Emuro Ryoga, and Mizusawa High School, Mashima Taichi."

The audience gets louder and someone from the Fujisaki camp marvels, "Whoa, it's a duel between wild cards.  Expect no less from the finals!"

This is unexpected, thinks Desktomu, their tactician.

Flashback to Taichi: "Let me handle the wild card."

It ended up not being Ayase, and became Mashima's challenge instead....

I won't back down....

Even if my opponent was Arata in the team competition... bring it on.  (TN: the literal translation in Chinese is "I'm not afraid," but Taichi was just so cool in prince mode, that I gave him another line.  I do like him, and I usually fall for princes like him, but I'm still with the moody dark horse on this one, #teamChiharata).

"Fujisaki High School, Ichimura Mitsuki, and Mizusawa High School, Tsukuba Akihiro."  Tsukuba-kun is shaking in his boots. His opponent wonders what's up with him.

Flashback to Desktomu: "For this match, as long as you can maintain that expression, you'll be fine."

This time I will break through everyone's low expectations of me, and I will become the hero!

"Fox-eye?" asks his opponent jokingly.
"What?!  Did you just give me a nickname?!" Tsukuba asks suddenly. "How can a squinty eyed guy like you even qualify to give me a name like that?"

"Fujisaki High School, Yamai Makoto, and Mizusawa High School, Komano Tsutomu."

"Huh?" Makoto grunts as she sizes him up.

"So, Mr. Spy.  You guys qualified?  Impressive.  But... don't even think you can win against us.  Of course, even the champions couldn't hold their title against us."

"I would say the same to you, Yamai-san," says Desktomu calmly.  "Don't feel bad when the wind from the force of my hand smacks you in the forehead."  (TN: Desktomu, good job trash talking! She has a really large forehead...I bet she's self conscious about it.)

Makoto looks really pissed off.

"OMG, they're grandstanding!  They already announced the roster?" ask the Hokuo members (TN: were they lost in their own little world until now...?)

"Everyone," announces Chihaya to her team.  "Actually I'm really greedy."
"What? This we already knew," comments Desktomu.
"Compared to becoming Queen...compared to becoming the best female karuta player in all Japan, playing together with you all to become the best karuta team in Japan will be much harder than any of that."  (TN: and that's a challenge she wants to face with them.)

They all gather round and put their hands in to rally.

"Mi"
"Zu"
"Sa"
"Wa"
"GO!"

Meanwhile, back in the detention room....  Shinobu checks on her uniform and decides to change....right there....in a room full of boys.... (TN: Really?)

The Fukui team members start to panick.  "S-Stop!  Don't just change right in front of us!!  Can't you warn us first??" (TN: u might go blind >-<)

Suddenly, Hiro/Retro from Hokuo opens the door to their room.
"What? Who are you??" demands a member from the Fukui team as he peeks from behind his fingers.
"Who is that?"
"I don't recognize him."

"Retro!"  Arata recognizes his shirt.  Hokuo, is a high school in Tokyo.  The champions of their division.  So Retro continued to play karuta as well....

Flashback to Taichi's words: "Even if I lose in the first round at tomorrow's competition, today, I want to win every single round." 

Hiro grips the sliding door.  Mashima's an idiot.   What good is it to go all out in the team competition... He above all others wanted to be A-rank!

And probably even more than me...

"Wataya-san," says Hiro.  "You...Aren't you going to go...and support them?"

"Mashima and Chihaya have made it...  to the final match to be Japan's best karuta team!"

Arata just stares as it sets in.

Chapter end.

Chihahafuru Manga Synopsis, Chapter 71 Vol. 13

TN: Had a chance to pick this up again.  Wah, this match goes on and on... but enjoy!

Chapter 71

"Megumu has become faster," comments one of her fans as they watch behind their camera lenses in awe.
"I got it," Megumu says with a smile as she walks back to her position.  "All right... One card, one card!" she rallies her team.
"Yes, Ma'am!" they respond.  Chihaya remains silent and at this point she realizes the type of opponent she's up against.

In the crowd, Sumire notices a girl in uniform watching one end of the room and then turning back to watch them.

Isn't that a fan from Akashi First Girl's High School?  Mizusawa is Tokyo's 2nd ranked representative, and in the B Hall we haven't come across any significantly strong opponents.  It doesn't matter if it's the semi-finals team or the finalists, Akashi is definitely more favored.  If one were to compare, the real competition to watch...

Would be the match against Fujisaki and Hokuo!

Cut scene:  Both teams on Fujisaki and Hokuo are embroiled in their competition.  Hiro-kun and his opponent are still baring their teeth at one another.

As the chief overseer observes the matches, he recalls Arata's explanation as to why he came today. "I came to support my friends from Tokyo in their competition..."

Even he discounts Mizusawa and thinks that Arata actually came to support Hokuo.

Cut scene: Hokuo's teacher stares intently at the game.

Last year, because Mizusawa snatched the opportunity away from us, we weren't able to enter the national championship.  Only Amakasu and Takuma actually have experience in the nationals... This year we were able to bring the freshmen and sophomores with us.  All the members of Fujisaki are third year seniors...  If we can strike them down now, next year they'll be even less of a threat.

Hang in there, everyone! he thinks fiercely.
But I...  he breaks out into a sweat, I'm really scared of Fujisaki's teacher, Sakurasawa-sensei!  As she is sitting beside him, he hides behind his program while Sudo looks on in question.

Next to her is Akashi First Girl's High School teacher.  "All of the members of Akashi appear to be doing well, Minami-sensei," she comments casually.  "Osaka-san is especially outstanding."

"Of course, Sakurasawa-sensei!" Minami-sensei comments in his booming voice.  "Our entire team's status is excellent!"  He gives a thumbs up grin as he guffaws in Sakura-sensei and Hokuo's teacher's direction.  "Please be gracious to us in the finals, whether it's Fujisaki or Hokuo...."  (Big sweat drops from them both at his lack of etiquette)

Someone whispers to a girl in a Fujisaki shirt seated behind him.  She silently watches the Akashi and Hokuo players retrieve the cards they claimed.

Meanwhile, Chihaya stares down at her still very full card arrangement amid the bustle.  I distinctly recall last autumn when I watched her play, I didn't exclaim, 'Wow, she's fast!' or anything like that.

With this advancing speed she attacks... Even the difficult to attack "Awaji River" card... Was she just guessing?

Megumi hands Chihaya a "penalty" card.  Chihaya takes note of which one it is.

The only "ya" card in the entire collection... she's giving it to me... as a target.   Even Sudo notices that Chihaya has tucked it away in her lower right quadrant and he hands over his corner of the Hokuo banner (to the Hokuo school principal in the audience) to take a closer look at Chihaya's match.

When the next card is read, he notices that Chihaya is struggling.  How unlucky!  She was guarding the "oku" card with her right hand but the "ogu"card was read.

There was nothing I could do about the "ogu" card, Chihaya rallies herself.  That's all right!  The match has just begun.  I just need to take one card...

"One card," Megumu says, "is coming your way."
"....."  Chihaya notices the card she sends over as the only "so" card in the entire collection.

How she takes karuta cards is entirely different from how she seems on the outside, muses Sudo-kun.  "Yasu" and "sono" were both cards Ayase would use to enter her opponent's territory.  By positioning them to the forefront she is forcing her opponent to maintain the defensive.
"...."  Chihaya seems to be at a loss.
"All right," says Megumu, almost taunting.  "One card, one card."  Chihaya is startled by her words.

She's trying to force her opponents to feel like they need to attack!

Meanwhile, Ms. Miyauchi is having a hard time believing what she is seeing.  They all seem like a bunch of delicate girls but they all appear really strong.  This sense of unity among them.... She ponders but then puts a fist into her palm and concludes, Can it be... the key is their headbands?  Next time, I'm going to make headbands!  (TN: -_-;  She's partly correct....)

Next to her, Sumire notices that Tsbuku has fallen asleep and is snoring and drooling next to them.  She shakes him violently and demands, "Tsubuku! How could you have possibly fallen asleep?!"  Sumire slaps him repeatedly.  "Wake up this instant!"

"Be-because I already played in three consecutive rounds..." he complains as he holds his bruised face.
"You can't say 'because' or 'but'!" she insists.  (TN:  President Taichi's orders, see prior chapters)
"You wouldn't understand this type of exhaustion..." Tsubuku whines.

In the matter of half a day I fully invested in three matches, almost four....  Even a guy like me could fall fast asleep.  Oe-senpai, he says looking in Kana's direction.  She's going into her fourth competitive match.  From a stamina perspective, Oe-senpai causes the most concern.  Her last two matches were so neck-and-neck that she only lost by two cards.  Even to the last, she never gave up her competitive edge, but at the very last moment she lost the last two matches and she was just too tired...  If she was going to lose in the end, she should have taken it easy to give herself a proper rest!

Kana-chan is visibly panting.

But Oe-senpai is not the only one we should be worried about....

Tsutomu-senpai is competing for the first time in this match...  but he's immediately facing the semi-final round.  Ayase-senpai is facing the opposing team's wild card, and her cards are being continuously taken...    That wild card is obviously catering to the audience to create the atmosphere!

He just posted a text to his little brothers saying that he, as the team's wild card, has victory in his sight.

I'll just say my cell phone malfunctioned.... (-_-;)

Cut scene: Chihaya is having a conundrum during her match against Megumu

Do I attack?  Do I guard?

"...."  Chihaya doesn't have an immediate answer.

There's no sense in being confused!

Don't be confused!  Don't be confused!

Chihaya recalls something Harada-sensei once told her. "Chihaya---"

(In her mind, Harada points intensely at her)  "IN TIMES OF STRUGGLE IT'S THE LOWER RIGHT QUADRANT! NO MATTER WHAT, IT'S THE LOWER RIGHT QUADRANT!!"

The reader begins reciting the next card, "Me---" and to Mizusawa's astonishment, none of them are able to take that card.

One of the Akashi players concludes, Even if I don't look, I already know.  Megumu-senpai would never lose a "me" card to anyone.

Chihaya at this point is very confused.  She could have sworn she was protecting that card in her lower right quadrant and she clearly had her hand out to protect it and still her opponent was able to take the card.

This is the Western Conference representative... she marvels.

No!  This is a player who, starting from that match last autumn, has increasingly refined her speed...  a Queen's Competition contestant!

Her thoughts are interrupted when Amakasu and another player from the Hokuo team interrupts Megumu as she has also taken their "me" cards scattered on the tatami.  (It's really strange that she would actually take three of the same card)

Her fan club seems to get a rise out of that.

"All right," Megumu announces as she settles down again.  "Another card!"
"Right!" Akashi answers in unison.

"...."  Mizusawa is clearly facing a difficult match.

Cut scene:  As he's watching Megumu, the Akashi coach has a flashback.  TN: Ha! What did I say... 
(-_-;)

The phrase, "Shibetsu can change in three days" also applies to becoming the Queen in karuta.  
(TN:  He actually says, "士别三日，刮目相看" which literally translates into "Shibetsu three days, admirably see."  Shibetsu is a province in Hokkaido that began during the Meiji Era as a fishing village.  What?  I had to look this up and found a Q&A on Zhidao.baidu.com and this was the best answer:  There are four meanings to it.  1) having ambition to change in 3 days, 2) to understand your own faults and to want to change it over a quick period of time, but not literally in 3 days, 3) with time, anything can change, and determination can qualitatively change a situation, 4) one cannot change if one is still using an old world view.  So... take your own life lesson from that.  Class dismissed.)  

He recalls approaching the karuta club for last May's regional Kyoto competition, encouraging them to study up and practice so they could enter.  They would use the club finances to fund their entry.
"Daigoro, you're so annoying," said one of the club members. (TN: They call him by his first name?)  "Just focus your passion on volleyball."

"We are technically a team in this club but our team isn't very strong....  Even our regional participant Osaka is pretty loose when it comes to team playing," said another.

But then our luck started to change and Megumu became the Western Conference representative.  All the club members were astonished at Megumu's feats and her friends and classmates went so far as to stitch a lucky headband for her.  (TN: the one she wore when she played against Yumi-san)

There was the possibility that she could become the next Queen.  But she lost to the former Queen.  After the game, people were talking about how they pitied Megumu.  She was riding a newcomer's luck to get to the competition but when push came to shove, she wasn't as talented as Yamamoto Yumi.  Her club members overheard and resented those words for her.

When they asked her on the train ride back if she was dissatisfied she denied it.  But then the team captain said, "We'll accompany you to the point where you can actually feel dissatisfied when you lose...  and make the Queen's seat your goal!"

Everyone then banded together to support Osaka Megumu to be the next Queen!  From that point on those kids passionately practiced to the point where I was in tears.  Every time they went into a team competition they used that as practice to get a feel for becoming the Western Conference representatives, even though that really is limited to one person.

Cut scene:  flashback to the beginning of today's competition

In this competition they decided to put their wild card, Megumu, as the middle third position. "From a five member competitive standpoint, the most important thing is to help Megumu gain experience!" declared the captain.

Cute scene:  Back to the match between Megumu and Chihaya

Become stronger!  

Become faster!

Megumu recalls the support of her team mates as she plays, while Chihaya is still having a hard time gaining momentum.

It cant be! laments Chihaya as she struggles.  She's taken 4 cards in a row.  I still need to take my first card... just one card!

As the next card is read, Chihaya finally claims a card: "kazeso."

I finally got it!

"Good!" Chihaya says aloud.

Starting from here... I will begin to catch up!

Attack!

Attack!  she thinks intensely.  Suddenly a gentle hand touches her shoulder.  It's Kana's, who is sitting beside her.

"It's 'the wind blows Kawakami's trees'... Chihaya!"  Chihaya turns to look at her silently but Kana has already turned back to her own game.  Chihaya glimpses the sun peeking out from the broken clouds outside the glass doors of their competition hall.

The rain... thinks Chihaya, suddenly noticing.

"From where we are seated, the wind blows Kawakami's trees as the sun wanes an Autumn hue... at a time when we wear buckskin garments, I am watching Summer's colors." (TN: 风吹川上树...唯有袚褉时， 猶见夏景色 --> OMG that took forever to translate...whew!)

...has stopped!

Flashback: Chihaya recalls a history lesson she received from Kana about this very card

"When you read the Waka poem 'the wind blows Kawakami's trees', the sun sets unfeelingly behind the mountain, on the last day of summer."  What Kana is really saying to her is, "Our entire Summer rests on this day."

As he watches, Tsubuku marvels that Kana is only 4 cards behind her opponent when she should be exhausted at this point.

That card, Kana-chan thinks, is not the "kazeso" card, or at least it shouldn't be called that.  Chihaya--  Chihaya touches her shoulder where Kana's hand was.

The eight-hundred year old feelings behind "the wind blows Kawakami's trees" poem....

...should still be be achingly beautiful!

As the reader picks up the next card, even before the syllables are read, Chihaya recalls Kana's words, "Even the wind can hear it."

Chihaya reaches out to the next card even before the first syllable can audibly be heard.  Megumu, and the members of the Mizusawa and Akashi team are astonished at Chihaya's breakthrough.  (TN: I think Akashi is shocked because this is another "me" card that Megumu always claims, since her name also begins with the character "dream" or "yu-me")  Kana-chan is all smiles.

Kana-chan!  I remember!  Kana had explained this card to her as well.  "When you see the 'yume' card,  you will immediately think 'Suminoe river'!

Chihaya retrieves the card and looks at Megumu with new determination.

Megumu...

Let's have our showdown!

(Chapter end.)

Chihayafuru Vol. 13, Chapter 69 Synopsis

VOLUME INTRODUCTION:

I am back!  Con season is really hectic.  We have the AM2 and then AX and then Comic-con all around the same time!!!  (A nerd's paradise) Although, Los Angeles hosted the X Games as well in the same location at the same time as AX and downtown was super crowded!!  What were the city planners thinking?  What did the buff sporty skaters, bikers, boarders think of all them ninja, pokemon, sailor girls, knights, gaming heroes, reapers, pirates, and random karuta players walking around?  Haha, ok, maybe there was just one karuta player walking around, but I got recognition from random vendors, AX staff and fans I ran into on the street!!  KARUTA LIVES!!!  That's the best part of cosplay you know, costume recognition.  ^_^v  

I had the most in depth discussions with these true fans  (strangely enough, ALL of them were Chiharata fans, no joke!  That's like the first question they asked me!)  My friend whom I always go with was rolling his eyes saying, "Here we go again..." every time, hahaha.  FYI: wearing an obi under a hakama REALLY forces good posture on you.

Due to personal obligations I MISSED THE STUDIO MADHOUSE PANEL!!!! (I wanted to ask about season 2 of Chihayafuru!!)..... but I caught up with the Production I.G. panel very early the next morning and found out more about the new Blood movie CLAMP is creating.  I'm not sure about CLAMP, after what they did to Cardcaptor Sakura's characters in Tusbasa RC, I've lost confidence in them.  AND THERE'S NO HAGI!!! WTF??  I found Blood C to be a disappointment, but to obtain closure, I must watch the movie.

My camera has tons of cool pics.  Unfortunately, I seem to have misplaced my connector cable.... ha.  (sigh)

Ok, here starts my last volume of Chihayafuru (I'm not up to date on my purchases) so enjoy!

Chapter 69

Opening scene:  Everyone is silent as they stare in shock at what Meat bun just said.

["I think we should keep going with the same members we have in play."]
["I think keeping Desktomu out of play would be best."]

"Ah..." begins Chihaya.  "Meat bun-kun, why do you say--?"
"Why?" demands, Kana-chan, interrupting her.  "Why would you say something so offending?  Do you think that Desktomu being eliminated in the competition is just a natural conclusion?"
"Kana-chan..." says Chihaya.
"Compared to the already worn out Tsubuka-kouhai, Desktomu is the better candidate for competing!"  (On the sidelines, Tsubuka is in shock for being found out)
"Why did you say that--!" Kana demands again.

"No, Kana," interrupts Desktomu, raising a hand to calm her.  "I think it's better this way... from here on it's better if Tsubuka continued to play.  Now about Kyoto's Shoyo High School...  Since I went to see Fujisaki's match... I didn't have time to analyze their competition tactics... But, I did interview every player from teams that lost against them--" he says, holding his notes in front of him.  "My conclusion--" he begins, but Meat bun takes his notebook out of his hands.
"Why?" asks Meat bun quietly.  "Why don't you say it?  [I am a true competitor who is meant to compete]."  His hand, still holding Destomu's notes, starts to shake with his emotion.

"Why?" he demands.  "All this time we've worked our butts off to come here, right?  Why are you forfeiting to a kouhai?"
Meat bun continues, "Since the freshmen joined, we've had some breathing room, but this can't go on...  It just can't!  Once you start thinking that you don't have to stand up in front..."  He has a brief flashback of his tennis playing days.
"Your resolution leaves you from the moment you first run into trouble... then it becomes more difficult to rely on your actual strengths."

Everyone watches him silently.  Meat bun wipes his eyes and pushes Desktomu's notes onto Taichi.  "I think the optimistic fool who would secretly change the playing roster to enter the competition...," says Meat bun, (shock from Tsubuka standing behind them) "has already learned how to read the game's atmosphere since the preliminaries..."
He passes Taichi, "I leave it to the team captain to decide!"
"Meat bun-kun..." says Kana, reaching out to him.

Taichi is speechless.
The roster... the roster... how should we arrange the roster....
Whom should to leave to play and whom should I take off?
I understand what Nishida was saying... but...

It's always this atmosphere right before we're eliminated from the finals...

What to do?! Taichi thinks fervently.

"Taichi," interrupts Chihaya.  "Let me borrow that for a bit," she says as she takes Desktomu's notes from his hands.
"Huh?"
"Kyoto's Shoyo High team..." she says as she quietly studies the pages.

She begins to recite the names of the players.  "They are all right handed... two girls, three guys..."

Taichi and Miyauchi stare at Chihaya for her sudden seriousness.
"Everyone," Miyauchi-sensei interrupts, "those who want to each lunch have to eat it now...you only have 30 minutes left.  Since we couldn't use the vending machines, I just got this tea for you--" she says, rummaging through her bag.

An advisor should be a little more capable... she thinks.  Deciding the playing roster really should be an advisor's job--- especially in times of internal struggle...
Ayase-san is reliable only in terms of being a competitor... that places a great burden on Taichi.

"Mm... that's right!" Chihaya concludes.  "The playing roster should... exclude Desktomu-kun and keep the same five players as before!"

HUH??   Everyone stares at her.

Cut scene:  In the dinning commons of the Omi Jingu Center

What to do?  Two plates have piled up.

What to do?
What to do?  Six plates have now piled up.

While we were still in the preliminaries I actually said those kinds of words!  What do I do?

"Another plate please!" shouts Meat bun, ordering another round of curry rice.
"You still wanna eat?" demands the cafeteria lady.  "Aren't you going to go compete soon?  Aren't you going to regret it?"

But I don't regret it!

If I didn't say it now, then Tsutomu...will make the distinction between us as players and assistant...

Meat bun hangs his head low.  He'll no longer be a competitor.

But... what to do?  The cafeteria lady tells him to do his best to finish it all as she hands him another plate.  (-_-;)

If no one else opposes, and Tsutomu-kun really does get put onto the wayside as a non-competitor....  Meat bun puts his plate down.  Across the way he notices a familiar sight.

Also, if that girl with the curly-cue pig tails over there really is my older sister....

Suddenly his train of through is interrupted by someone shouting at him.
"Meat bun-kun!" shouts Chihaya, barging into the cafeteria.  "What the heck are you doing?  I've been looking for you!  The competition is about to begin---"

They both hurry out back down the stairs towards their competing hall.  "I never thought I'd find you in the cafeteria...  Ah!  Wait, that probably was the most likely place...." she says on second thought.  "But you bought three obento, so I thought you may have gone outside to find a place to eat...  You're the only one who wasn't able to make it back on time for the competition.  Oh!" she adds, "We've all decided to maintain the same 5 players as the prior round."

Meat bun stops short as he sees Desktomu standing outside with Sumire and Ms. Miyauchi.  A competition overseer calls in the remaining stragglers into the competition hall for the next round of preliminaries.

What is this? Meat bun thinks as he looks at Desktomu silently.  What... did you really not want to compete?

"Meat bun-kun," begins Desktomu.  "When you face the player Kawabe you need to keep your cool,  just face him head on."

I don't care about that!  Meat bun turns his back and the door slams behind him, without a word exchanged between them.

I don't care about that!

Cut scene:  The next round

The competition agenda posted on the board shows Mizusawa against Shoyo (翔耀) High.  Chihaya and the others face a group of students wearing T-shirts that say, "Show You!" (TN: which obviously is an attempt at a play on English words with the name of their school)

Caption: The decisive preliminary matches---  For the group competition it's how the weaker among the remaining 8 teams are weeded out and eliminated... those who lose are kicked out of the preliminaries!
(TN: among the remaining teams are Fujisaki, Hokuo, Mizusawa, Shoyo, etc.)

Cut scene: big sweat drop

Meat bun and the others are reading their opponents' T-shirts to themselves (TN: and I'm not sure they get it right away)

Show you!....? thinks Tsubuka and the others.
Shyou you.... thinks Meat bun, ruminating on the proper phonetic spelling.
[翔耀], thinks Taichi.

ARE THEY JOKING?  they all think collectively.

Caption: Kyoto representatives from Shoyo High... the players all have the appearance of being poor nobility ...which is completely accidental.  (TN:  I think the players all happen to have stoic and refined, traditional-looking faces, contrasted with their T-shirts of questionable taste. They are not lower rank nobility but they have the appearance of it.  I think this is what the author is trying to get across.  Kyoto, as you know, was once the capital and is known for its deep roots in culture and old family bloodlines.  This sentence however, was a nightmare to translate: 長著一副公卿貴族的模樣完全是偶然 -- waaaah, so many big words...)

Kyoto... thinks Meat bun.  Wakamiya Shinobu's home town....  He examines his opponent.  This poor lord seems rather capable...  (TN:  Here, Meat bun uses the word 公卿大人, which means "Sir/Lord poor aristocrat" in literal translation, both praising and demeaning -- like giving a title to a peasant.  I couldn't really think of an English equivalent that contained the full meaning, so I just used "poor lord.")

As the reader pulls and reads the first syllable of the first card his opponent is able to take it, much to Meat bun's astonishment.

How fast! he marvels.  What the hell?  Are all Kyoto players blessed with that kind of speed?  Just like Shinobu Wakamiya----

He snaps alert.  If we lose, it's all over for us...  the preliminaries!

But he isn't the only one with troubles.  His other teammates, Chihaya, Taichi and Tsubuka alike lose the second card to their opponents.

How fast! Chihaya thinks, wiping the sweat from her face with a towel.  He snatched it...  But... I need to calm down...  She takes a breath.

Harada-sensei told me once...  before a match, don't study other people's matches too seriously.  To watch a match whole-heartedly is even more tiring than actually competing in a match.  That's why I knew after reading Desktomu's notes...  right now, the person who is the most exhausted...

Outside, Desktomu has passed out, uneaten onigiri still in hand.

... is Desktomu-kun.  That's why I kept him out of this match.  (TN:  Banzai!  Banzai!  Chihaya is starting to redeem herself and stopped thinking like a karuta-nut and is thinking like a Captain!)

Meanwhile, Meat bun is still having a rough time of it.

Damn...  I'm unable to keep up with this guy's pace...  There's no way for me to attack!  This Kawabe guy is really strong---

He pauses and recalls what Desktomu said to him.

"When facing your opponent Kawabe, you just need to calm down.  Just face him head on."

His opponent is able to take the next card as well.

Is his speed the genuine article? thinks Meat bun.  Ordinarily, I would casually protect the card in my lower left quadrant, "ini." Before I hear the decisive syllable "ni" I can even claim the card.  Those with intuitive strengths or natural ability--- he thinks, sizing up his opponent again.  No! I'll just wait for the right opportunity to strike...

Meat bun takes a deep breath as if he were going to attack and his opponent takes notice.  At the next card, his opponent makes a mistake.

If he really was a natural talent, he wouldn't have been baited into a mistake like that.

"Just face him head on."

Desktomu-kun!

Meat bun takes the next card.

Meanwhile, Kana-chan is following Desktomu's tactics.

"Tashiro-kun likes to stand up in the middle of a match."

"Sorry," says Kana's opponent as he gets up.  He stands up to maintain his own muscle agility.  When he looks down at her, Kana is making her cutesy-pouty expression as if to ask how much longer he's going to stand up.

He blushes in embarrassment.  (TN: kekekeke....)  "Ah!  Sorry..."
When I do that, Tashiro-kun is too embarrassed to stand up and stretch, thinks Evil Kana.
("I'll get to stand up in a little while," he says with an awkward laugh.)

First I'll strike hard and break up his rhythm.

At the same time, Tsubuka is being challenged by his opponent regarding the card he took.
"That last card was clearly mine," she remarks.
"Excuse me?"
"If I didn't swipe it, it would've never have been sent to your side.
"Ha ah ah?  That last card was definitely..." he begins furiously, but recalls what Tsutomu told him.

"Concerning your opponent, in order to make herself calm down, sometimes she will pick a fight."

"Are you really certain?" Tsubuka asks threateningly.  "I took the card...I'm sending over a card in return."
His opponent has no retort.

All this time I thought that in karuta you had to only rely on yourself.  I never thought outside information could be so important.

But...

"Sanada-kun is the team's Big Papa."  Chihaya also faces her opponent head on.

"When striking a card, he will over-exaggerate his force on the tatami mat, but don't be alarmed by him."

She takes the next card.

From the mouths of those who just lost to this team, to ask them this many things was rather difficult, wasn't it? she thinks empathetically towards her team mate.

[Cut scene flashback: while Desktomu was asking other players about the Shoyo team, he was rebuffed many times.]

"Why should I tell you about the Shoyo team?" asks one girl.
"I would still ask you to help..." begins Desktomu.
"Hoping the team that beat you continuously wins throughout, you understand this feeling, don't you?" asks another girl.  (TN: b/c that would mean you lost to the best team)
"Just go! Go away!" says the other girl.
"For... For your own teammates, in order to help them in any way, you'd do anything," he says, bowing down to them.  "This kind of feeling, you understand, don't you?" Desktomu asks humbly in return.  "Please, I beg of you!"

[End cut scene flashback]

Desktomu-kun... stood in the front lines! (TN: i.e. the line of fire)

No matter what... he wants to lift Mizusawa into the title of Japan's Number One!  

Cut scene:  Someone has placed a jacket over him while Desktomu sleeps

His notebook says it all.

He comes out of his slumber slowly, but then shoots up.  "Ah... I fell asleep?"
Sumire is shocked by his sudden movement.  "Senpai, you scared me!  Because of your glasses, I couldn't tell if you were sleeping or awake!"
("Well sorry for that" he mumbles.)  "How is the match going?"
"They're still in there," she answers.
"Is that so..."
She pauses for a moment before adding, "I thought it was all right..."
"Huh?"
"Not everyone is meant for competition, I'm certainly more well suited for reconnaissance."
"Competing is really frustrating?" he asks.
"That's what I'm saying!" she emphasizes.
"Yeah," he says.  "It's tiring and it's frightening.... What Meat bun-kun said...  woke me up."

Suddenly, Meat bun throws open the door  to the competition hall and startles them both.

"WE WON!  MIZUSAWA WON!" he announces loudly.  He looks at Desktomu.

"Next time, you have to join us!"

"Next time, you have to join us!" he repeats.  "We'll go into competition together... Desktomu!"  In the doorway, a sweaty Chihaya and her teammates rush out behind him.

Desktomu runs up to them.

All this time we've been doing our best together...

Miyauchi, Sumire and Tsubuka are touched as the group embraces Desktomu.

I hope as players... we will always be together...

...as competitors!

[End chapter 69]

TN:  Was it just me, or were other readers tearing up a little bit at the end there?  I don't usually, but I got kinda choked up over that beautiful camaraderie that is a prevalent theme in this manga.

Due to the Universe really raining life issues on me, I didn't get this chapter out as quickly as I wanted.  I'm afraid it will be this way for this last volume of mine.  If this keeps up, I don't know if I can continue translating.  :-(  I'll do my best, through this volume, for the love of the manga.  I don't know after that.

-Kero