Chihayafuru 38

*Only for use by LAS

tl by JinHea

65
- All right. Time’s up.
- Term exams finished.

- 3 more days until the East Japan Qualifiers.
- 38th song

66
- The passage writing for English this time was a piece of cake!
- Oh? / You weren’t fooled by the trap?
- Eh? What trap?
- It seemed like it was asking for the time, but it was actually asking for the speed.
- Eh?

- Hiru ha kietsutsu mono wo koso omoe—

- Yuusareba—
- Whoa! They’ve started already!

- Ayase couldn’t wait, could she. / I feel sorry for Desk-kun— / since they’re in the same class
Above door: can’t enter…
- They must’ve not eaten lunch.
- It can’t be helped. / Chihaya-chan didn’t talk about Karuta at all during exam period, after all… / she really held back.

SFX: hahh hahh

67
- Flowing…
- Like water…

- To imprint…
- that feeling into my body…

68
- Wabinureba—

- I got it. / Yes!

- If it’s the usual Ayase…
- Ah— dammit!
- Unghh / he got me—
- she’d tilt her head up or to the side after letting a card get away, yet…

69
- Her eyes aren’t moving away from the cards…

- Thank you very much.
- Thank you very much.

SFX: clatter
- You’re way slow!! / How could you start without us?
- Bff
- Zzzzz / Zzzz

- Get up Ayase!
- Fmwah?
- Play me too!!

70
- I’ll play! I’ll play!!
- Eh? Wai— / Let’s have a break… / and eat…
- I’ll play!
- It’s my turn as the reader, huh.

- I…
- really like Karuta.

- It brought Arata…
- back again.

71
- Ever since the national tournament in summer…
- she’d practiced like she was impatient for something, now though…

- Is it because she saw Arata?
- Ah— geez, I’m… / hung up over that again.
SFX: shuffle (x 3)

- I’m also…
- Let’s begin.
- changing.

72
- Tachi wakare—
- Inaba no yama no mine niouru—

- Yamagawa ni—

- Yuusareba—

- Ashi no maroya ni aki kazezo fuku—

- Hototogisu—
- Nakitsuru kata wo nagamureba—

73
- Tada ariake no tsuki sono koreru—


- Thank you very much.
- Thank you very much—

Taichi aside: phew—
- boff
- Ma… / Mashima…

- You don’t have to do that! / Humans don’t have to be that perfect!
- Ah… / I didn’t get anything wrong?
- It was perfect!

74
Linked: what happened?
- Chihaya-chan, / didn’t you notice?

- In our match just now…
- Mashima-kun was reciting the cards…

- Huh? / Whassat mean?
- It MEANS he was randomly reciting the cards without looking! / All off the top of his head!

- No— you see… / I read somewhere that it’s good for memorisation practice—
- He recited all 100 of them completely at random without repetition!?

Nishida’s shirt says: paw [NB. literally “meat ball”]

- I got it! / That’s an advantage and a disadvantage.
- There’s nothing but words in that head of yours!

75
- Of course knowing which cards have been read is important, but… / you have to properly feel the cards that are constantly moving in the territories!
- See them as pictures!

- You don’t do any practice swings cuz you think it’s embarrassing, right?

- Get used to the distance between you and the cards!
- Playing Karuta requires both your head and body!

- “Even though I keep thinking faster, faster… / My arms can’t keep up”

- Head and body—

76
- You so hated to lose when you were little. The reason you came back… / was because of your friends.

- You’re right, Coach. I understand now.

- Practice swings…
- I want us to get stronger together.

- I wanted us to attend the East Japan Qualifiers together.

- What I’m saying is, you shouldn’t remember everything like that. / I can only remember half of the initial positioning myself.
- How do you win like that?

- Get them in during the match! / into your head
- I’d be too afraid of faulting to get the cards!
- Like I’m saying—

77
- Ah.
- Ayase-saaaan!
- Empress…

- I went around asking the teachers…
- they said you didn’t fail anything this time!!

Bold: Eh!
- Sensei is so loud…
- That’s great!!

- Work hard for the Queen qualifiers!!

78
- I…
- really like Karuta.

79
SFX: ruffle ruffle ruffle

- I really do.

80
- October Xth.
- Determining the challengers for the titles of Queen and Meijin, the East Japan Qualifiers.

81
- Chihaya-chan! / Here.
Above Taichi and Komano: supporters
- I prepared a brand new hakama for today’s tournament!

- Forehead-chan, I’m sorry, but this tournament is a battle with HEAT. / We’ll hold off with the hakama.
- Eh!? / Forehead-chan?

- Air conditioners are used during most tournaments, but… / in this tournament, even windows aren’t opened. Even ventilation fans aren’t turned on, let alone air conditioners… / which makes it REALLY HOT!! / not to mention it’s October…
- Wh- why is that?

- Because “sound” is important.

82
- Where’s Meatbun-kun?
- Ah. / He’s over there with the people from Suihoku Karuta Meet.

- Ooe-san and Komano, you also belong to the Suihoku Meet, right?
- Yes. / Since they help us out at times… / Meatbun-kun got us to join.

83
Bold: hmph!
- Somehow…
- I’m guessing there’s bad blood between them…

- Chihaya is concentrating.

- Looking good.
- Don’t lose focus…

- Don’t lose focus, and the 1st match—

84
- Ah!
- The one that lost to the Queen with a 20 card difference is here.

- Don’t run away.

- Sudou-san, you’re a 3rd year, so what’re you doing here? / What about studying for entrance exams…
- I’m studying. / My first choice is a national uni, after all.
- Although I did get runner up at the High School Championships…

Empty test: owww
- High School Championships? What’s it got to do with anything?
- Idiot, you didn’t know?

85
- If you win or get runner-up in the high school championships…
- you’ll be able to get into universities like ⃝⃝ Uni or XX Uni on recommendation. [arrow: famous private universities]

- By the way, becoming Queen can get you into a good university by recommendation as well.

- Uh-oh…

86
- Right now, Chihaya’s head…
Black text beside Chihaya: Karuta… / can get me into university!?
- is filled with a whole lotta unnecessary stuff~~~!
Sudou aside: Hmph!
- He’s the worst—!! / but we already knew that

- Ah well, it’s impossible for you.

- It’s said that Wakamiya Shinobu might be even stronger than the current Meijin. / You’ve seen it in your dreams, haven’t you? The Queen’s smile.
Arrow: enjoying himself
- You can’t imagine yourself winning, can you.

Text above Chihaya: psst
- But I won against Sudou-san…

- Let’s have a bet, then.

87
- The one who loses first today…
- shaves their head!!
- Y- / you’re on!

Bold text: Blockhead!!

- Him being bald and you being bald are two different things, you know!? / He’s definitely the type that won’t let it go as a joke!
- I c… carelessly…
- You carelessly bet your life as a woman--

- And things were looking so good…
- The opening ceremony is beginning.
- Carelessly… / carelessly…
Chihaya: wobble wobble…
- Now she’s gotten needlessly competitive…

- Careless… / careless…
- Um— today… / is without a doubt a good day for Karuta—

88
- Um— at this moment… / in Oumi Jinguu, the West Japan Qualifiers are also being held.
- On November ⃝th, the final match between the East and West Japan representatives will be held here in this hall—

89
- If you become number 1 in Japan…
- you’ll be number 1 in the world.

- It begins.

90
- Please check the match-off chart and take your seat immediately.
- It begins.

Number 13 slip name: Sudou Akito
Number 14 name: Nishida Yuusei

- Burn you.

- Ayase… I’ll protect your hair…
- O- okay.
- You give it your all too. / Even if your first opponent is a difficult one…

Above 28: Ayase Chihaya
28: Tachikawa Ririka

91
- A difficult opponent? / Why?
- You really don’t know anything, so you!
- Ririka-chan, can I take a picture?

- How are you feeling?
- Are you thirsty?
- I’m okay.
- Ririka, your ribbon…
- That’s a big shot for you. / She placed in the Chiba Tournament that was held over the summer too.

- Tachikawa Ririka. / Born in Sendai and entered A-Class in 4th grade, same as the Queen.

- They say she’s Wakamiya Shinobu’s successor.
- It’s almost time to go.
- She’s expected to become the youngest challenger in history.

- “Genius Ririka.”
- The expectations heaped upon her are different from those for a no-name like you.

92
- Currently in 6th grade, she’s a speed star.