Juza Hyodo/Like the Late Autumn Wind

Flight! The Team Karuta Competition!

Backstage Stories

Part 1Part 2Part 3

Izumi	panting We finally made it!
Banri	That was a long climb over those steps. Director-chan, you good?
Izumi	Y-Yeah, more or less…
Azami	Wow, the shrine really lives up to size.
Omi	Yeah. Apparently it has a lot of historical significance too.
Juza	—!
	I heard they’ve got a delicious sweets store nearby.
Banri	Even at a cultural monument, that’s the only thing on your mind. How did you even hear about that?
Juza	There was a sign about it on the way here.
Taichi	I wanna go too!
Omi	Haha, let’s swing by afterwards.
Sakyo	We’re not here to play, you brats.
	Today’s our day off, but our shows start up again tomorrow. Don’t forget.
Azami	Strict as ever, and with wrinkles to match.
Sakyo	You wanna say that again?
Banri	Well, he’s not wrong about keeping our performance in mind.
Izumi	…
Juza	Something up, Director?
Izumi	No, I was just thinking about how physically fit everyone in Autumn Troupe is… I should have expected this.
	applause
Sakyo	What’s that?
Taichi	Seems like a big event happening over there!
Izumi	There’s a lot of people in traditional clothing… I wonder what it is?
Omi	Let’s go have a look.
Card Reader	Ashibiki no~
Competitor	—!
Izumi	Oh, it’s a karuta competition.
Sakyo	Now that you mention it, this shrine does have a connection to karuta.
Taichi	Wow, that’s sick!
Card Reader	Kasasagi no~
Competitor	!!
Banri	Man, that’s impressive.
Azami	The memorization involved is insane…
Omi	Knowing which card to take just from that…
Taichi	They’re so fast, it’s like watching a pro athlete at work!
Sakyo	Even if you can identify the card, it seems difficult to snatch it up before anyone else.
Omi	There’s a panel over here explaining the Hyakunin Isshu.
Azami	Hmm… So that's what it means, huh.
Izumi	It’s helpful when they translate these poems, isn’t it?
Taichi	…Hm? Ah!
Sakyo	Oi, don’t just go wandering off.
Omi	Taichi, what is it?
Taichi	This is the one they read before!
Banri	Hmm, karuta phone straps.
Juza	…
???	Are you interested in that one?
Juza	Huh?
???	That poem is an autumn poem…
	Dew drops blown by a strong wind are much like scattered pearls.
Juza	…Hmm.
???	Haha, sorry to pop up out of nowhere. I saw you looking at it with deep curiosity, and I became curious myself.
	I used to compete in this karuta competition a lot back in the day… Now I’m on the organization and planning side of things.
	The competition over there is one I organized.
Juza	Oh, huh.
???	By the way, are you some kind of celebrity? You and the kids you were with—you’re all quite handsome.
Juza	…No, we’re in a theater company. We’re here for a regional performance.
???	Hmm, I see… A theater company, then.
Izumi	Ah, here you are. …Oh. Juza-kun, is this an acquaintance?
Juza	No, I just met him. He said he organized the karuta competition.
Izumi	Wait, really?
Juza	Ah, this person is our director.
Izumi	Nice to meet you. My name is Tachibana Izumi.
Juza	I’m Hyodo Juza.
Matsumura	Apologies for not introducing myself sooner. I’m Matsumura. Nice to meet you.
	I see, so you’re their…?
Izumi	Yes, we’re a theater company called Mankai Company, from Veludo—
Matsumura	Veludo?
Izumi	Do you know it?
Masumura	Yes. We’re planning for our next karuta competition to be in Veludo.
Izumi	Oh? Really!?
Juza	What a coincidence.
Mastumura	There must be significance in our chance meeting here. Why don’t you participate in the competition?
Izumi	Us?
Juza	….

Izumi	—Mankai Company will be competing in the karuta competition!
Kazunari	Oh~ Heck to the yeah! It sounds fun!
Izumi	It’s a team contest where three people make up one team, so I’d like to choose the members.
	The people here who seem like they’d be good at karuta are—
Taichi	Tsumugi-san, right?
Sakuya	Yeah, Tsumugi-san seems like he’d be really good at it!
Muku	He’s our teacher, after all.
Tasuku	No, even if Tsumugi can remember the poems, he lacks the speed to grab the cards.
Tsumugi	That’s… I can’t deny it.
Juza	Then how about Chikage-san?
Sakuya	But Chikage-san seems busy lately…
Masumi	He’s been getting home late every day.
Tsuzuru	He said he had a lot of work backed up.
Tsumugi	Then, what about Masumi-kun?
Masumi	I’m not interested.
Muku	If it’s a matter of speed, then maybe Misumi-san or Hisoka-san would fit.
Tasuku	Do you think those guys would actually understand the rules?
Guy	Won’t Mikage fall asleep listening to the card reader sing the cards?
Tsumugi	I can imagine it all too well…
Izumi	Who else has speed and a good memory…
Tsumugi	Um, how about Guy-san?
Guy	A karuta competition… I have heard about it from Citronia before, and I am interested.
	If it’s all right, I’d like to do it.
Kazunari	Classic Guyguy, always reliable!
Izumi	Guy-san’s memory and physical ability are both top shelf.
Masumi	….!
	I’m going to compete, too.
Tsuzuru	You just said you weren’t!
Sakuya	Masumi-kun also has a good memory and great reflexes!
Izumi	Okay. So, Masumi-kun, we’ll ask you to join.
Masumi	Leave it to me. I’ll study how to grab the cards in a way that captivates you.
Izumi	And one more person. Someone else with a good memory and good reflexes…
Juza	…Director.
Izumi	Juza-kun?
Juza	I don’t know if I can do it or not… but I want to try.
Banri	Huh? Can you do it?
Juza	I won’t know unless I try.
	Director, am I no good?
Izumi	Skill is important, but motivation is just as important. There’s no reason to turn down your request.
Juza	…Thanks. If I’m going to do it, I’ll take it seriously.
Izumi	I know you will. Do your best!
Juza	…
Izumi	Juza-kun, that notebook… Are you writing out the poems for the karuta competition?
Juza	Yeah. I always memorized stuff for school by writing it out like this.
Izumi	(That’s right, I remember how he always used to study like this.)
	You borrowed a lot of books too.
Juza	Yeah. Tsumugi-san and Homare-san were kind enough to lend me them.
CHOICE 1: It must be tough because there are so many. [+] Izumi The drinks you recommended were really delicious. Azuma That bar actually has a lot of other delicious drinks. I know it's not the right time to talk about alcohol now, but... Do you want to go out with me again sometime? Izumi Definitely! That sounds great. Azuma Then let's go secretly without Sakyo-kun next time. Just the two of us. Izumi Eh... Azuma Fufu, just kidding.
CHOICE 2: [+]

Izumi	The competition uniform is a hakama! It’s so cool!
Masumi	I’m glad… have you fallen in love with me all over again?
Citron	Masumi, you look super cool! I’ve fallen in love with you all over again!
Masumi	Not you.
Guy	It helps you focus.
Juza	I’ll do my best.
Kazunari	Let’s get this threesome hyped!
Sakuya	Even I’m feeling nervous… Do your best!
Tsumugi	We’re cheering for you!
Izumi	Good luck! See you!
Card Reader	Kono tabi wa~
Guy	—!
Izumi	S-so fast!
Kazunari	I knew Guyguy would be amazing!
Sakuya	Of course!
Tsuzuru	I practiced with him, but he’s gotten even faster since then…
Azuma	He’s really become quite good.
Izumi	Okay, we’ve got one win!
Tsumugi	Guy-san, congratulations.
Azuma	This time you didn’t mishear anything.
Izumi	You took most of them from the first letter!
Guy	Yes. Once I learnt the rules of the first part of the poems, my accuracy increased.
	It’s because everyone took the time to practice with me. Thank you.
Masumi	…
Tsuzuru	I wonder if Masumi’ll be okay…
Sakuya	I think Masumi has a pretty good memory, but…
Citron	He has impure motives!
Card reader	Tsuki mireba~
Competitor	—!
Masumi	…
Tsuzuru	Masumi. He’s not moving.
Sakuya	I guess his opponent is just too fast.
Card reader	Tsukuba—
Masumi	—!
Sakuya	Wh-!? He’s so fast!
Tsuzuru	How did he speed up all of a sudden?
Citron	In the end you missed most of them, Masumi.
Sakuya	Masumi-kun, don’t worry!
Masumi	I took all the love poems for you…
Izumi	I wanted you to take the other poems too…
Tsuzuru	I thought that might be it…
Sakyo	So we’ve got one win and one loss.
Omi	Juza’s the last one.
Juza	I’m not gonna lose.
Izumi	Juza-kun, good luck!
Judge	This is the final competition.
???	It’s been a while.
Juza	!
	I never imagined you’d end up being my opponent…
Matsumura	I heard you were going to compete and it made me want to touch the cards again.
Juza	Even with you as my opponent, I won’t lose.
Card reader	Ahare tomo~
Matsumura	—!
Card reader	Momoshiki ya~
Matsumura	—!
Juza	—.
Izumi	(Matsumura-san said that he used to compete in karuta competitions. It’s a difficult match for Juza-kun…)
Card reader	Shirotsu—
Juza	—!
Matsumura	—!
Juza	Thank you. I guess I couldn’t beat you.
Matsumura	Thank you too. But when you took that one poem, it was incredible.
Juza	No, it wasn’t incredible.
	I realized that there was no way I could win against a person with so many years of experience with my shallow efforts.
Matsumura	Haha. I see.
	But it was a good match. I got fired up for the first time in ages. Like I won the match but lost the battle… That’s how it feels.
Juza	?
Matsumura	You’ve got that something in your eyes. If the opportunity comes around again, I want you to compete.
Juza	...‘Kay. Next time, I’ll win.
Matsumura	Haha, I’m looking forward to it.
Izumi	Juza-kun, well done! It’s incredible that you were able to get even a single card against an opponent like that!
Juza	Thanks.
Izumi	You were really quick getting just that one poem, hm, what was it…?
Juza	“In the autumn fields where the wind blows repeatedly on the white dewdrops. The pearls, not strung together, do scatter about indeed.”
	When he told me that it was an autumn poem, I thought of the guys in Autumn Troupe.
Izumi	…
Juza	When the cards were laid out, I saw that one… And I thought, no matter what, I have to get that one.
	I don’t really understand why myself, but…
Izumi	Fufu, so that’s what it was.
	(I can somehow feel Juza’s feelings towards Autumn Troupe and it makes me glad.)
Taichi	Ah! Here’s Juza-san!
Omi	Well done.
Sakyo	You got thrashed, but for a beginner you did very well.
Taichi	It was a really incredible match!
Omi	Yeah. It was amazing when Juza took that one card.
Azami	You really have the reflexes of an athlete.
Banri	Pfft, that’s why I said you wouldn’t be able to—
Taichi	You say that, but didn’t you look annoyed and disappointed whenever Juza-san had a card taken from him?
Azami	I could hear you muttering “Shit!” under your breath.
Banri	What? I was just bitching at him for not being able to take it himself.
Juza	Who’re you calling shit?
Banri	You! You only managed to get one card!
Juza	Next time I’ll get two.
Banri	That’s still too few!
Taichi	Guys! If you argue really loudly, Sakyo-nii’s gonna get you!
Izumi	Ahahaha.

star