Chihayafuru 21

*Only for use by Lazy Ass SCans

tl by JinHea

97
- Shiga Prefecture / Oumi Jinguu
- Established to enshrine Emperor Tenchi, this national cultural treasure is a model of contemporary shrine construction.
- A large number of Hyakunin Isshu competitions, including the Meijin and Queen tournaments, are held here each year. It is the holy land for Karuta.

98
- Wow—
Logo insert: 21st song

99
Chihaya: It’s red, Kana-chan! It’s red!!
Kana: I’d say it’s more vermilion than red. [linked] So pretty…
Taichi: You’re way too excited!
Komano: So this is Oumi Jinguu—

Chihaya: Oumi Jinguu…
Chihaya: is right there…

Kana: Speaking of red, your eyes are super red too, Chihaya-chan.
Chihaya: That’s cos I couldn’t sleep a wink last night!
Kana: Eh? Are you okay? [linked] The National Tournament’s group matches begin today…
Chihaya: I do have a tiny headache, but…

Chihaya: I’m okay! [linked] I’m okay…
Miyauchi: Now that you’re all keyed up…

Miyauchi: Let’s go pay our respects.
Miyauchi: And pray for victory.

100
Kana: You can’t walk right in the middle. [linked] The center of the flight of steps, called Seichuu, is exclusively for the god’s use. [NB. Seichuu literally means “middle”]
Chihaya: Eh?
Miyauchi: You’re very well informed, Ooe-san.

- The shrine up there’s pretty plain.
Chihaya: What’s this? Do I go through it?
Nishida: Just go through. It won’t hurt.
Sign: Eliminate disaster [rest of the text blocked by Nishida] / Cogongrass ring

Miyauchi: When paying your respects, the basic rule is to “bow twice, clap twice, final bow”. [linked] Understood?
Kana: Izumo Shrine is an exception to that rule, though.

Miyauchi: Greet the god, toss in your coin offering, [linked] then bow deeply, twice.
Miyauchi: Clap twice, then pray.
Miyauchi: Lastly, another deep bow.

101
Miyauchi: You may think the ritual and actions are troublesome to perform, but…
Miyauchi: the gods are not always magnanimous.

Miyauchi: Be sure to make your wish in proper form.

102
- Dear god…

- I don’t need a miracle.

- Please don’t let anything bad happen to any of us.

- I wish everyone will be able to perform as well as they did during practice.

103
SFX: zing

Miyauchi: All right. It’s about time we got going. [linked] The match itself is held at a different location, right?
Taichi: Yes. It’s held in the building next to here, the Hall of Learning.
Kana: We still need to change, let’s hurry!

104
Taichi: They’ll gather up everyone later and have a ceremony where we pay our respects again. [aside] According to Hyoro-kun’s info.
- [aside] Eh— [normal] Everybody will be coming here again?
- The Meijin Tournament does it too. With everyone paying their respects together.

- Arata…
- I’m finally here at Oumi Jinguu

- My dream is still…
- the same as it was then.

105
- Then, Ayase would be…

- Queen.

108
SFX: zing

109
SFX: zing zing zing

110
SFX: zing

Taichi: Chihaya?

111
Sign: Oumi Hall of Learning / (Institution) Tenchi Seitoku Educational Foundation

Nishida: It’s ho~~~~t!

Nishida: It’s hoooot! Kana-chaaaan! [linked] Let’s not wear hakama~~~
Kana: My mom brought these by car especially for us! [linked] It’s our first National Tournament! We’ll face this challenge in formal attire!!
Komano: I hear the hall below has air conditioning.

- Kanade!

Kana’s mom: Leave Mashima-kun’s fitting to mom.
Kana’s mom: You start preparing for your match!

112
Kana: Mom, what about Chihaya-chan’s outfit?
Rieko: I finished. [linked] She’s so slim, the adjustments were tough—
Box: Ooe Rieko (40) // (Store) Ooe Traditional Clothing / Manager // Johnnys’ fan
Arrow text below panel: Johnnys’ type [NB. Johnnys – a talent agency famous for representing lots of handsome guys]

Rieko: Still, Chihaya-chan is so reserved and elegant! [linked] Our kimonos suit her perfectly!

Rieko: Of course, Mashima-kun suits them too [heart]

- Matches are played 5 against 5… [linked] The team with 3 or more wins in a match receives 1 point…
Book: 3Xth / National High School Division / Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Karuta Championship Tournament
- The team with the highest number of points becomes the League Representative… [aside] hmmhmm

Miyauchi: All Japan Karuta Association tournament clause number 3: players must keep their hands behind their territory. [linked] Additionally, before the opening phrase is read, a player cannot extend their head beyond their own line of cards. [linked] Clause number 4…
- Wow—

- Who’s that? [linked] She’s way gorgeous—
- Matsuda, look! Look!
- Why hakama!?
- I know, she’s one of the Tokyo reps, right?

- Rumours say she’s gonna debut as an actress.
- [aside] that ain’t right [linked] Isn’t it her sister who’s the actress?

113
- When she doesn’t move or speak, she really is a beauty!

Komano: Ayase!

Komano: Are you okay, Ayase? [linked] Are you nervous?
Chihaya: Hm? [linked] I’m not nervous. [linked] I’m fiiine. I’m fiiine.

Komano: R-really?

Nishida: So we’re in E league.
- Alright! We’re not up against any formidable teams.

114
Nishida: According to Hyoro-kun’s data and the Tournament booklet… [linked] the one we really need to watch out for is Shizuoka’s Fujisaki High.
Komano: Where? [linked] Which ones are they?
Nishida: A local school, Zentokuji High, is another frequent competitor. They’re pretty strong.

- Hyougo’s representative, Ootori Girls, have been participating for 25 years straight. [linked] Schools like them probably receive diligent coaching from their teachers.
- It’s so crowded, I can’t pick them out.

- That girl…
- Isn’t here…
- Fukui representative, [linked] Kunimi High School—

- They beat Hokuou in last year’s Tournament preliminaries. [linked] But they didn’t have enough points to advance to the final round.
Paper: Regarding Fukui’s representatives / Attributes:
- They’re “strong, but inconsistent”.

115
Nishida: Wataya Arata… [linked] isn’t entered in tomorrow’s individual matches either.

- Over there?
- Which is the strong one? [linked] I hear they’re the Tokyo representatives.

- They must’ve defeated Hokuou Gakuen to come here.
- Which one did Hokuou’s Sudou lose to?
- No way!! Sudou-kun lost?
- Just how strong are they? [linked] Only 3 months as a club and they’re already Tokyo’s representatives!
- Gotta check up on them.

116
- Our first match is against…
- Saga’s Takechi High…
Paper top: E Block

Komano: They strong? Are they strong!?
Nishida: Lessee— They have 2 B-Levels, the rest are rankless. [linked] They shouldn’t be all that strong, but…

Komano: We’re…
- Rankless
- B-Level
- A-Level
- Rankless

- We must plan the order we’re going in.
- So? Do we go with the order we had when we faced Hokuou?
- You have a point. [linked] That’d be bes…
- Wait!

117
Komano: I… [linked] don’t mind being a pawn.
Komano: I’ll face the strongest of our opponents!

Chihaya: Huh?

Chihaya: What are you saying, Desk-kun? [linked] That’s—
Komano: It’s fine!

Komano: It’s fine if I lose, as long as the other 4 of us win. [linked] I’ll do anything if it improves our odds of winning.
Komano: We have to advance. [linked] Because we came as Tokyo’s representatives.

118
Taichi linked: Understood.

Nishida: Putting good players at each end or in the middle is common practice.
- In that case, we’ll have Komano be first… [linked] as for the rest…

- We were able to make it this far because everyone was here.

- Mi-
- zu-
- sa-
- wa
Chihaya: Fight!

- We have to advance!

119
- Saga Prefecture / Takechi High School

- Totally off the mark!
Chihaya: Me and Taichi are facing the B-Level players.
- All right, please arrange your cards.

- Eh?

120
SFX: zing

Rieko: Oh my, so many handsome boys! [linked] Duly noted!

- Memorization time start. Please remain silent.

Miyauchi: How strong are those kids? [linked] Do the rankings apply nationally?
Book: Karuta Rulebook

Miyauchi: Aren’t they nervous? [linked] With so many people watching...

121
Miyauchi: Oh dear. [linked] Now I’M nervous.
- Time’s up.

Sign: National High School division Ogura Hyakunin Isshu Karuta
- Nani wazu ni—
- Sakuya kono hana fuyu gomori—
- Ima wo haru beto sakuya kono hana—
- Ima wo haru beto sakuya kono hana—

122
- Ake nureba—

Rieko: Ka-Kanade...
Rieko: moves so fast!

- Taki no oto ha—
Nishida: Ah! [linked] Shoot!

Taichi: Ah!

Komano: Uwah!

- They’re on edge.
- so obvious

- The first game, so they’re tense. [linked] If they don’t snap out of it soon…
Taichi: Everyone! [linked] We’ll go for one card at a time!

123
- Yeah!
SFX: haa haa

Taichi: Chihaya?

SFX: haa haa
Outlined SFX: zing

- Hot…
SFX: huff huff
- This hakama is too hot.

Outlined SFX: zing
- Too many people.
- So noisy.
- Hot.

- No.
- Cold.

124
- Cold…

SFX: zing zing zing

- Dear god, why?
- I prayed to you.

125
- Please don’t let anything bad happen…

[The first sign doesn’t need translating]

Sign: Prayers, weddings / Oumi Jinguu / 15min from Ootsukyou Station

126
- I don’t need…
- a miracle.

[Comments: Regarding the “National High School Division......Tournament”, those who pay close attention may notice the name’s changed a bit from those in prior chapters – eg. on the stack of paper beside Chihaya’s (Ooe’s?) brochure in chapter 14. Much as I’d like to maintain consistency, I made the change because it’s more precise and sounds better.]