Chihayafuru 44

*Only for use by LAS

tl by JinHea


69
- I— / see you every morning at the station— / and I was thinking, damn she’s cute, you know?
- So you wanna go out?

Insert: 44th song

70
- You should have refused.

- Eh? / So quickly, Kana-chan!?
- Of course. / He’s from another school and doesn’t know a thing about you.
- But! But!

- That was the first time I’ve been asked out!
- This might be the only chance I get!

- Her first time? For real? / She really is a waste of a beauty…
Bold SFX: psst psst
- But it’s true that the more time I spend around her the less I think of her as pretty. / I only thought it at first.
- I think the fact she’s not popular with guys at our school… / has more to do with how Mashima-kun is always around her.

- Eh?
- Why’s that?

71
- I think you should…
- go out with him.

- Taichi…
- You won’t understand if you don’t go through it, Chihaya.

- How it’s impossible.

- For you to go out with a guy who doesn’t know you play Karuta.
- It’s out of the question.

72
- Oh…
- I get it…

- But he’s already texted and phoned me heaps…
Phone: Brrrrrrrr
- You gave him your number?
- I’ll call and refuse him properly…

- I’ve blocked his number.
- Eh?
- Starting tomorrow, you’re getting up early and taking the train with me.

73
Card 1: Taira no Kanemori / Shinoburedo / ironi ideni keri / waga koi ha / mono ya omou to / hitono tou made [Translation of this poem by Professor Mostow: Even though I hide it / it shows all over my face / such is my longing / so that people ask me / “What ARE you thinking about?”]
Card 2: Taira no Kanemori / Koisu tefu / waga naha madaki / tachini keri / hito shirezu koso / omoi someshi ka [Translation by Professor Mostow: My name already / is bandied about with / rumours I’m in love— / though, unknown to anyone, I thought, / I had only just begun to love her!]

- The pair of songs that vied for first place in the Tentokudairi Song Contest hosted by Emperor Murakami in the year 960.
- When I look at our club president, these songs appear in my mind.

- Songs of secret passion kept barely hidden.

- Even if those blockheads in the club don’t get it…
- I sympathize with you, club prez!
Nishida aside: I’ve never blocked someone.
Komano aside: Me neither—
Chihaya aside: Bye bye, Watanabe-kun…
Dark shaded blocks: Those / block / heads

74
Screen from top down: Watanabe Ayumu / Watanabe Satoru / Wada Marimo / Wataya Arata. Cell / Wataya Arata. Fukui home

- I can’t text him.
- Even though I had Taichi tell me his number and all…

- Arata lost in the 4th round of the West Japan Qualifiers.

- Arata, what was he feeling?
- How frustrated did he feel?

- There’s so much I want to say…

75
Rightmost bubble: Did something happen?
- Yuu— why is Wataya-kun always making that face lately?
- Love trouble?
Below bubble: turmoil

- Arata.

- Are you that torn up about the West Japan Qualifiers?
- You entered for the first time and got into the top 8, that’s really good. / Especially considering you took time off from playing.

- Just try harder next yea…

76
- It’s not enough.

- The amount I practice…

- The effort I put in…
- The time I’m spending…

- I shouldn’t have stop playing.

- Not even for a day.
- I shouldn’t have put down those cards.

77
- All-Japan Karuta Association / Fukui Prefecture Karuta Association

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

- The one who beat me and became the West japan representative, Takemura-san—
Aside: proud of his muscles
- wasn’t very skillful, but…

- He had momentum from having placed four times this year…
- and the stamina to last six rounds.

78
- People play for keeps in a competition.
- I’ll need to make it a tension-filled match every time at practice.
- It may be practice, but play for keeps.
- Arata-kun / your third match…

- is with Daisuke-kun. He entered C Class last month.
- Eh— / I don’t wanna! Big brother Arata’s scary—
Aside: 1st year middle school

- Gya— I’m scared—

- Murao-kun isn’t coming today either, is he.
- He hasn’t come since November. / And Horiiwa-san’s struggling with his graduation thesis, so he’s absent…
- There aren’t enough opponents for Arata-kun, sensei.

79
- Listen…
- As long as YOU work hard…

Nameplate: Murao

- I’m home—
- Shinichi, Shinichi!

- What have you been doing? You’re late! / Arata-kun’s been waiting for you—
[NB: I just really want to say Arata looks so cute all stressed out in this panel!]
Aside: eat / eat—
- We started cooking the hotpot already.

80
[NB: Once again, too cute!]
- G-
Aside: It’s yummy— Eat—
Below rice: huge
- Good evening…

SFX: bubble bubble

- I’m sorry. I went in and even had dinner…
- No… I can imagine what happened.
- They all do it, don’t they. / My mother would invite anyone into our house…

- So, what is it?
- You came to tell me to go to practice?

- Yes…

- It’s not like you.
- I don’t remember you being this meddlesome.

81
- You just up and stopped playing Karuta for over a year and a month.
- Can that you really tell someone else, “come practice”?

- I know you want to get better… / but I can’t practice with you.
- Give everyone Nagumo Meet my regards.

- I…

- I’m…
- regretting it…

82
- I regret running away from Karuta.
- I regret the time I wasted…

- You can’t separate yourself from it too long.
- Murao-san.

- My goal is to become Meijin.

83
- …t…

- terrifying~~~ / that idea is terrifying~~~
SFX: brrr—
- There’s no Karuta but that which aims to be Meijin~~~

- Arata.
- I can no longer play…/ at that level.

- Look me up if you just want to play for kicks.
- Night.

84
- “It’s not like you”.
- “Meddlesome”

- Arata—

85
- Clack

- I will…
- come again.

- November Xth / Held at Tokyo Karuta Commemoration Ootsuka Hall is… / the Meijin/Queen Challenger Playoffs between the East and West Japan representatives.

SFX: excited excited excited

- Kana-chan, you look happy.
- Because, you know!! / They’re finally playing in traditional clothing!

86
- Right…

- The Challenger Playoffs…

- where players wear hakama and play a set of three matches.
Megumu description: West Japan Representative / Akashi Meet / Ousaka Megumu / 17y.o.
Yumi description: East japan Representative / Suihoku Meet / Yamamoto Yumi / 24y.o.
Hiroshi description: East Japan Representative / Shiranami Meet / Tsuboguchi Hiroshi / 22y.o.
- First person to get two wins becomes the representative…
Keiichi description: West Japan Representative / Koutokuin University Karuta Meet / Takemura Keiichi / 28y.o.
- and gains the right to challenge the Meijin/Queen in January at Oumi Jinguu.

87
- Kyah!

- Bump

- Bam!

- It appears the West Representative girl isn’t used to wearing hakama.
Aside: her hem’s a little long
- Even if you can get through the Qualifiers relying on your vigour… / it’s a question of whether or not you have experience from here on out…

- Frankly, we of Shiranami Meet take pride in our depth of experience!!

SFX: fufu…
Aside: Cooling packs / (on his back and lower back too)

- Nine cooling packs! It’s a flawless counter-measure against the heat! / It’s especially important to keep the head cool—

- Tsuboguchi-kun, the others are fine. Just take off the one on your forehead.
- Nwha!?
- The TV crews are coming…

88
- Whatever I do…
- I can’t help but wonder…

- if I hadn’t played such a hasty match…
Sign: Meijin/Queen / Hosted by the All-Japan Karuta As
- would I have been able to come here?
- Would I be the one sitting over there?

SFX: sigh…

- Peel / peel

89
- “Well, this is as far as I go—“

- I got to…

- become the East representative…
- because of Harada-sensei. He wore down Kotegawa-kun for me in the semi-finals.
Box 1: Semi-finals
Arrows: Koteguchi-kun
Harada aside: yeahhhh!
SFX: wheeze— wheeze—

- Watch me, sensei.

90
- Excuse me.

- May I put on a headband?
- Headband!?

Headband: Fight on, Megumu!

91
- I was conceited.

- Thinking something like “I’D be sitting there if I had tried harder.”

- The ones there…
Sign: Meijin/Queen Challenger Playoffs / Hosted by the All-Japan Karuta Association
- are the east and west “representatives”.

92
- OUR representatives.
- Match start.
Sign: Meijin/Queen / All-Japan Karuta

93
- That was my card.

94
- Hmmm
- Hmmm
- Gyah— I’m scared—

95
- Thank you very much.
- Unh / hic
- ugnh

- Big brother Arata…

- I’ll get better. / I’ll work hard.
- So don’t stop playing with me. / Please.

- All of you!

- We have our challenger!
- Takemura-kun to challenge the Meijn, / and Yamamoto Yumi-san to challenge the Queen!

- Shiranami Meet’s Tsuboguchi-san…
- Lost—

96
- That was intense— / Aw man, playing against the same person three matches in a row is just~~
- Plus Takemura-san was like a heavyweight tank—

- Hiroshi-san…
- Can I take this off now—? / Ah— I want some beer—

97
- Shiranami Meet’s dearest wish…

- for our Meet to produce a Meijin someday…

98
- Fufu [heart]

- I’m getting chills.

- Ah, Shinobu-ch-
- Click