Hoosuke! Time to eat!
Don't get the wrong idea! I'm only here to take care of Hoosuke!
Alright, alright. Enough with that already.
I would worry too about leaving him in the care of these two.
Exactly! I'd be nervous about his health, for one thing...
She acts normally around Himeko...
Bossun! Hey, Bossun!
You were born on November 11th, right?
What about it?
"Fujisaki Yuusuke"...
What is that?
A horoscope! Cell phone horoscope!
Oh, that one! It's right on the money a lot of times!
Oh, there it is!
What's it say?
Tomorrow, you're...
...probably gonna die!
You'll probably die!
What the hell kind of horoscope is that?!
Minakami-style divination?!
What's that?!
Episode 54: Get the Fortune Teller!
You haven't heard of it?
It's really popular these days.
No, I haven't heard of it!
I hate horoscopes and crap like that!
Yeah, but this one really works.
You better be careful or you'll die tomorrow.
Huh! So Bossun's gonna die?
Why would I die?!
Okay, relax! Cell phone horoscopes are like jokes.
But I heard that the real Minakami Himiko's fortunes often come true!
She predicts your future while looking at your aura or whatever!
Aura, my ass! Who believes that nonsense?!
I know about Minakami Himiko.
A mature TV talent, currently 56 years old, popular for developing...
"Minakami-style divination" as well as her arrogant nature and sharp tongue.
Looks like I'm not the only one who hates fortune tellers...
Anyway, why are you suddenly so into Minakami-style divination, Himeko?
I heard a lot about it from Yuuki-san...
Yuuki-san?
Yuuki-san's been going to a series of seminars by Minakami Himiko...
to learn this kind of fortune telling.
And now she's reading students' fortunes in the Occult Research Club.
The word is she's actually pretty accurate.
She promised to read my fortune today.
But since you dopes hate fortune telling,
you can just keep sitting around folding origami cranes.
See ya's!
I'll go, too!
Maybe I'll have her read my fortune, too...
Yeah, I wonder what she'll tell me about...
Maybe my studies or health or r... romance, like that!
Um... Well, there isn't anyone I particularly like...
...so I don't need to hear about that.
Y-Yeah, me neither...
That's ippon! Himeko-dono, truly thou dost seem in a fine mood!
What? You're the one who seems to be in a hell of a good mood.
My smartphone's fortune telling site has predicted...
that I shall meet a wonderful person.
Oh! I don't believe I've had the pleasure of encountering this young lady...
"Had the pleasure"?
And what kind of goofball cosplays as a samurai at school?!
This is Saaya, the little sister of the president of Student Council.
Th-This is the tsundere of whom I have heard so much?!
It is indeed a pleasure!
I am Takemitsu Shinzou...
I was born on January 21st and am thus an Aquarian, and my blood type is O!
Like I care?!
Incidentally, what might your sign be, Saaya-dono?
I think she's supposed to be an Aries.
What?!
The compatability between Aquarius and Aries...
The worst?!
That cannot be!
What's his problem?
Huh... Is that right?
Bossun!
You followed us?!
Ah, what's the big deal?
My horoscope said something good would happen if I checked out a fortune teller at work!
Liar!
I saw it on Red Cyclone Fortunes, I tells ya!
I thought you hated fortunes, too!
Zodiac Compatability
This site says we'd be okay!
A topknot and twin tails go perfectly together! That's what it sayeth!
But, there's no membership fee...
Occult Research Club
Open the door to your mind.
Sorry...
For some reason, I wanna skip the going in part and just get outta here...
Yeah... Me too...
What's everyone so scared about?! We're going in!
Well, I came!
The magician, Mercury...
Ala, regido, merda...
H-Hello!
I-I wanna go home...
Well, well, well... Those two horns...
Might you be Fujisaki-dono from the campus support club?
Yeah... I see you've got a couple horns yourself, huh?
What did you come here for?
U-Um, I'd like to see Yuuki-san...
And would you stop pushing me?!
I see... A gentlemen who would like to have his fortune told, eh?
Madam Yuuki is right behind that curtain.
Thank you very much.
That voice...
She says I'm better off not going on a diet...
Good for you.
Yabas... I was on the verge of becoming too popular.
That was a close call, huh?
You're all gonna get your fortunes told?
It's scary how dead-on she is. Really, yabas...
Yep...
The next visitor...
H-Hi... Yuuki-san, are you in here?
Elohim ess-"I am."
What was that?!
H-Hey, Yuuki-san, lookin' pretty spiffy there.
I've never seen someone rock a black robe like that before!
This is a cut above cosplay! Scary!
Thank you... Bossun-kun and Himeko-san...
I believe Himeko-san had an appointment for a reading today.
Please, have a seat over...
Give me a reading.
He's all fired up again...
Fine...
State your full name and date of birth.
Usui Kazuyoshi. February 28th...
Yes, actually... I already knew that...
Then don't ask.
Usui Kazuyoshi...
Basically, you have a cheerful personality,
but when you're alone, you feel extremely lonely.
You enjoy new things, but lose interest in them quickly.
Hmph. Just as I thought... This is a complete sham.
What?! From where I sit, it looks like I'm right on target...
That's because you're making general statements that could apply to anyone.
W-What's the relationship between these two?!
I-It is what it looks like...
Be careful, Switch-kun. I'm getting a warning about your health...
You would do well to carry a talisman with you for protection.
A talisman?
Wearing this crystal bracelet would keep misfortune at bay...
...for 6,000 yen!
W-Wait a second... What the hell is this?!
Yuuki-san, just how far does your idolization of Minakami Himiko go?
Whether you believe it or not is up to you.
But certainly, it is beneficial.
Minakami-sensei herself dedicated a prayer to the necklace, investing it with her feelings.
Yuuki-san...
Yuuki-san, assuming I bought this cheap-looking bracelet,
where would the money go?
To Minakami-sensei. Do you have a problem with that?
A big problem. You're making a mistake.
Why do you say that?
You just don't know how wonderful my mentor is.
If you've gotten what you came here for, then please leave.
Open your eyes, Yuuki-san!
What nonsense... You're obviously being tricked!
I'm being tricked?!
What evidence do you have to support that assertion?!
Leave it to us!
This is a job for the Sket-dan!
Yuuki-san, arrange a meeting for us with Minakami Himiko!
Minakami Himiko Divination
When Reiko told me her friends were coming, I wondered what you'd be like...
Well, it's cute how you stand there so quietly...
I'm Minakami Himiko.
I'm sure you children have seen me on TV before...
You should thank your lucky stars.
It's a rare opportunity to be able to meet me in person.
So, what did you want to talk about?
What else would we wanna talk about, buzz-cut lady?
Who are you calling "buzz-cut lady"?! I'll send you to Hell!
If you wanna teach Yuuki-san how to read fortunes, that's your business.
But don't you make her sell those bogus charms!
That is what you ordered her to do, isn't it?!
Hmph. That's right.
But so what?
There are people who are happy to buy them.
There's a need out there and I'm free to cater to it. What's wrong with that?
The problem is you're creating the "need" yourself, fortune teller!
Threatenin' people with, "If you don't buy this, you're doomed!"
I call that a scam!
You impertinent little rugrat!
You're calling my fortune telling a scam?!
Your rehearsed intimidation won't work on us...
...old lady with a hairstyle like the kid of a former yankee couple.
I'm gonna send you to hell, too!
Your fortune telling relies on trickery.
What's that?!
For example, personality assessment...
Even if you just make random statements,
several of them are likely to match just by coincidence.
Believe me, I don't use childish tricks like that with my fortune telling.
Why, if I felt like it, I could even give you specifics about your own pasts.
That sure would be somethin'. I'd love for you to tell me about me.
I have a seminar three days from now.
Why don't we have a showdown there?
If you refute my powers,
what could be more effective than doing it in front of my followers... right?
As for me, I can't back down now, not after everything you've said to me.
So that's my challenge to you...
How about it?
Fine! We accept!
Splendid.
I'll read your fortune there.
For now, write down your name and date of birth, then get out.
That old bag...
We let her talk us into showing up at a place packed with people on her side!
That old lady with the fashionable crew cut pisses me off!
What do you think, Switch? It's totally gonna be an away game.
To be frank, I'm just relying on your smarts at this point.
I think I have an idea.
Leave everything to me this time.
Still, you know... I'm surprised you'd go this far for Yuuki-san, Switch.
I'm not doing it for her sake, especially...
It's just that I have no interest in having a dull sparring partner.
Today's Fortune
Hmm... Today's best sign is...
Capricorn!
Yabas! I'm so lucky! An encounter with a handsome guy!
Oh, this is last year's fortune...
Yaba...
Today's worst sign is...
Aquarius!
Should I just give up?
Even if you have a bad horoscope, that doesn't mean everything's gonna be bad.
Oh! You're my goddess!
Please, let us exchange contact info!
Sorry, no. Not gonna happen!
Three days later
Minakami Himiko Divination Seminar
Order of the Compass Needle
Tanioka Osamu, 47 years old...
Osamu... Are you stressing out over work-related problems?
Yes, that's right...
And it has to do with a personal relationship, I believe.
Am I wrong?
Y-You're right. I just don't get along with my supervisor...
I know.
Your fortune tells me that you don't mix well with people in higher positions.
That's amazing, Minakami-sensei!
And that concludes the reading for Tanioka-san.
She's incredible...
She's made me a true believer!
Okay. Actually, today, we have some really cute guests in our midst.
They're high school students who want to raise objections against my fortune telling!
I have a duty to cross swords with those who doubt my ability.
And I invited them because...
I thought it would make a meaningful debate for everyone here.
So, come on down, Sket-dan!
Alright, let's hear from the handsome young man with glasses.
You said that my fortune telling relies on trickery, yes?
Would you care to explain that?
Switch...
Sure.
Taking that last reading as an example, the majority of people have problems,
and most of them are related to other people.
Even when people hear ambiguous statements, it's easy to get them to agree,
with expressions like, "You're right" and "That may be part of my personality."
It's a psychological phenomenon known as the "Barnum effect".
Apparently, the more authority the fortune teller has,
the greater the Barnum effect.
For someone as famous as you, the effect must be profound.
Is that all you've got?!
Would it have been possible for me to build up this much support with just that?!
Even that last reading, your whatever effect alone couldn't explain my results!
No, but at the same time, you also employed the art of conversation.
Please recall that conversation.
The gentleman was the one who mentioned...
that his interpersonal problem was being on bad terms with his superior.
You just deluded him into believing that you were the one who "hit the mark".
The conversational technique of observing your "mark" while keeping the conversation going,
extracting information from the details he unconsciously feeds you,
and then making him believe that you were the one who "guessed" the information...
is known as "cold reading"!
It requires technique, but through gaining experience,
it's possible to become a great "fortune teller".
You've done your homework, boy!
But it doesn't go far enough! It barely scratches the surface!
With my fortunes, I accurately divine details I'd never be able to get with those cheap tricks!
Now, as promised,
I'll read the fortune of that boy with the horned hat and explain it to everyone here...
...by looking at your aura directly!
I know everything from looking at your aura.
I'll skip over the personality evaluation.
Instead, revealing the truth that I saw will be much more definitive proof.
Fujisaki Yuusuke... You've got quite a past.
You were born under the star of solitude, weren't you?
I believe that after you were born, both of your parents met untimely ends...
Am I wrong?
Having no relatives who could take care of you, a perfect stranger...
Or, no, I believe a friend of your parents took you in and raised you.
After that, your family increased by one.
A younger sister, I take it...
And so, the three of you have been making a go at it...
Until recently...
You were actually born under the star of the twins!
Very recently, a long lost existence, once ripped away from you, came to light!
Well? Am I wrong?
What an interesting background!
I've been performing divinations for many years now, but it's my first time for a boy like this.
If only I'd been given the chance to read your fortune before now,
I could've told you then that you had a twin!
Bossun... I didn't know...
So as you can see, my power of divination gives me even the details!
Wrong!
You're totally wrong, you shithead!
Like this?
W-What are you...?
Don't be a sore loser! I can't be wrong! There's no way!
Fool!
I am that...
I am that long lost existence, the twin!
W-What?!
I didn't realize that holding an imbecilic look on my face would be so hard...
They even cut my eyelashes...
Y-You switched places?!
Bingo!
You...
Thanks for going to the trouble, Tsubaki.
You did a really good job, for you.
Don't sound so self-important!
I only did this because I heard one of our students was in trouble.
So let's get this straight, old hag!
Just before, you said you read the fortune by looking at the aura, right?
So how could you get my past by looking at my brother's aura?
Th-That's...
Minakami Himiko.
Even before all this, I heard that you investigated your subjects before doing their readings.
Your fortune telling relies on trickery.
That's why I accused you then,
to verify you were a fraud by watching your reaction!
It's the same scheme you used to become a famous fortune teller.
Investigating your subject beforehand and using the information for a mind-reading performance...
is called "hot reading"!
Bossun...
Oh, Twin Tail-dono, I see that Bossun is the one you want...
I was just about to fall for that fraudulent fortune teller's fibs!
What?! Why?! What are you doing here?!
P-Proof!
D-Do you have any proof?!
Proof that I investigated people beforehand?!
Let me introduce you.
These are the members of Kaimei High School's Student Council.
Hey. This is too much bother, so you explain.
Yeah, yeah.
Hello there, lovely fortune-telling lady.
It seems you persuade people to buy overpriced items for good luck.
Recently, other students have been coming to us for advice
after falling prey to this scheme, too.
And so, when we made our own investigation...
...we coincidentally discovered people sniffing around Fujisaki Yuusuke-kun.
I bet it was those guys at her office!
The Unyuu Group's investigation proved...
that they are indeed employees of Minakami Himiko's company.
F.B.I.
Fusei ha Barebare, Ikasama baba! Your wrongdoing is exposed, you phony old bag!
You can't explain your way out of this, not in front of all these believers!
Give it up!
It seems you're the one who's going to hell.
I've been tricked!
Let me read my future!
Anyway, the more I see you guys, the more you look alike.
Hey! Please stop with that, President!
It isn't something you have to be bashful about, Tsubaki-kun.
Mm. To be sure, you looked exactly like him.
In fact, why don't you quit Student Council and join Sket-dan, bug #2?
Wha...?!
We don't need him!
We wouldn't give you Tsubaki-kun!
Well, we worked together for once, but...
This was a special case, Fujisaki.
I know!
It seems I have to thank you this time around.
Thanks to all of you, my eyes were opened.
Well, that's good news.
I don't know how I could have believed in that stuff...
My biggest reason for not believing in fortune telling...
...is that fortune tellers don't take responsibility for their failed readings.
I don't despise paper fortunes from temples or frivolous daily horoscopes...
...but this idea that fate is already determined is a crock.
It's as you say...
Still and all, I hope you keep pursuing fortune telling, Yuuki-san.
Same here. It wouldn't be like Yuuki-san to give up the ghost here.
Science doubts, the occult believes, right?
Unless you stick to your path, there's no sense being your rival.
It's as you say...
In that case, I'll create my own fortune telling system!
And I'll blow it to pieces.
Why does he go out of his way to start a fight?
I can't understand it.
You may not get it, but that's the kind of relationship they have.
Topknot and twin tail love!
I feel like I've seen him somewhere before...
Not me...
No idea...
What are you doing here?
Don't tell me you're going out with that guy...
O-Of course not! Go out with that?!
In the first place, you're still too young for love, huh?
That goes without saying, Bro!
There's nobody around that I even like...
Let's go! On next time's...
Sket Dance!
Jeez! How are you gonna make this up to me, Chuu-san?!
Did you drink one of my formulas again without asking?
But Bossun, nothing strange is happening to you...
No, look carefully.
It's like he's possessed by something...
He's folding origami!
This isn't the formula's fault!
Next Time: The Man Who Was Called Laughing on the Outside, but Origami on the Inside.
What a pain. Guess I'll let it slide...
Don't you let it slide!
You'll all watch, won't you?!