Riichi!
And what will you do when I put my riichi stick on the table?
A riichi stick!
Nodoka sure can be wicked.
So, this means that there's an extra 1000 points on the table?
Right. If she wants to make plus-minus zero now, she'll need to score from 4100 to 5000 points.
In order words, only a 70 fu 2 han hand will do.
So to avoid my riichi, can you change your 40 fu 3 han hand into a 70 fu 2 han one?
Kan!
Scary!
Going out with a 70 fu 2 han hand requires luck.
But...
To take control of a situation like this...
That takes superhuman luck!
Rinshan tsumo.
A 70 fu 2 han hand is...
1200/2300 points.
[Note: East pays 2300, the other two players pay 1200, for a total of 4700]
Hand 2
Battle
Saki-chan got plus-minus zero again.
If you include yesterday, that's four times in a row.
It's unbelievable.
Miyanaga-san.
Y-Yes?
Mahjong is a game where you play to win.
Right...
This next game, play mahjong like you want to win!
A-All right.
"All right"?
So, beating us is a forgone conclusion, now is it?
Winning... That means coming in first, right?
But...
I can't come in first and still score plus-minus zero.
Fine, then you could start with 1000 points.
And everyone else can start with 33 000 points.
Why don't you try keeping that in mind when you play?
Um...
If Saki starts with 1000 points...
Then...
Doesn't that mean everyone else starts off with 8000 extra points?!
So then, if I still play to score plus-minus zero, I can win.
That seems difficult.
Are you kidding me?
A
Second Game - 1st Hand Yuuki East
Miyanaga-san has scored plus-minus zero four times in a row before this.
However, the techniques for manipulating your score and winning are two different things.
It's unreal how certain she is she'll win.
Riichi.
A double riichi?
[Double riichi: Declaring riichi in the first go around of a hand. 2 han]
Say what?!
Double riichi ippatsu. 2000/3900.
[Ippatsu: A ron or tsumo within the turn the player has riichi'd. 1 han]
B-B-But that's my forte!
You rigged it?!
It's an automatic table.
Her amazing luck is still going strong since the last hand.
That luck of yours won't last long.
It's nothing but mere chance.
A
Second Hand
I have no need for chance.
Ron.
7700.
A
Third Hand Nodoka East
Riichi.
Man, you guys are fast.
Nodo-chan's in the groove...
Tsumo.
Concealed pinfu, ippatsu, tsumo, with 1 red dora.
4000 from each of you, please.
I'm going to decide this while I'm East.
Just like that, Nodoka's upped her game!
It seems she's finally playing with her full strength.
A
Third Hand Bonus Hand 1
[When the player sitting east wins, a bonus hand is played with the players in the same positions]
At this rate, I'm going to be totally beaten at my own game!
If it goes through, riichi!
It will not.
11 600 in the first bonus hand gives 11 900.
[The winner of a bonus hand gets 300*(the number of bonus rounds) extra points]
I guess I should just leave this to Nodoka.
With that, I'm 33 400 points ahead.
I'm pulling away!
That was...
A
Third Hand Bonus Hand 2
Ron!
6400 in the second bonus hand is 7000!
I finally won a hand!
You may be Nodo-chan, but even you can't see through my silent chitoitsu!
[Silent: A strategy where you don't declare riichi, even though you can] [Chitoitsu: A special hand that consists of 7 pairs. 25 fu, 2 han]
All right then! Now it's time for the final hand!
A
Fourth Hand Mako East
Miyanaga-san only won the first hand.
If it goes on like this, she'll just lose.
I'm 26 400 points ahead of Miyanaga-san.
Even if she lands a haneman, I'd still remain in first place.
I guess this is all she wrote for lil' miss zero.
Even if she gets a mangan for 8000 points, she'll still be down by 1000.
She can't get plus-minus zero.
Well, as long as no one puts down a riichi...
Riichi!
Don't go declaring riichi, you dolt!
Huh?
If she has the ability to deliberately score plus-minus zero, then she should have the ability to win as well.
It's kind of a strange feeling...
I've never felt this way playing mahjong before.
What is this feeling?
Is it... that I want to win?
If this girl is truly blessed with incredible luck...
If she does not even know the pressure to win...
It's okay for me to win with this hand, today, right?
Kan.
Another kan from shaa?
Wait, you can't be...
No way...
I can't believe this!
Tsumo. Suuankou.
[Suuankou: four concealed sets and a pair. Yakuman hand.]
Yakuman?
And it was on the draw after a kan again, as well.
A yakuman is 32 000 points, plus the riichi bet gives 33 000.
I can't believe this girl... If you take that 33 000 points and add it to her minus 2800...
She got zero!
This can't be...
I...
This... is the first time I've ever won with a yakuman.
Before now I'd always have broken it up if I got one.
So that was the last hand, then.
But, winning is hard.
I ended up getting plus-minus zero again.
What?! What are you talking about, Saki-chan?
But, didn't Haramura-san win this time?
Huh?
I started with 1000 points, so I came in second.
This is how the final scores ended up, right?
As I figured. It's only because she thought the points ended up like that, that she won with a yakuman.
Miyanaga-san.
I told you to think of it as if you started with 1000 points,
but everyone actually started with 25 000 point just like normal.
Huh?
The final points are actually like this!
If we add the 32 000 from your suuankou
and the 1000 from my riichi bet to your 21 200, Saki-chan, you get 54 200 points!
You ended up +44, a total blowout!
So...
You won.
I won...
I actually...
I guess there's some use for you after all, Saki.
And she did it while trying to score plus-minus zero again, at that.
Saki-chan, you're awesome!
Yup. You did good.
I won.
I...
...won!
Nodo-chan?
Again?
Nodo-chan looked like she had tears in her eyes...
It couldn't be...
Oh, right, Miyanaga-san.
The books I promised are right here.
This is our collection of books for when people are waiting to play.
If you join the mahjong club, you can read them all you want!
Are you worried about Nodoka?
The books won't cry and run away,
so get going.
Right!
Haramura-san.
Haramura-san!
Haramura-san, to me, mahjong is just something I always played with my family.
And it was always accompanied by bad memories.
Whether I won or lost, it was just a formality for them to get angry at me.
And that's all mahjong was to me.
But, today was different.
When I was playing mahjong with you, Haramura-san, for some reason, it made me happy.
"For some reason?" It's because it feels good to win.
No, that's not it.
It's because I was playing against you, Haramura-san!
Since you were there, it was a totally different feeling from when I played my family.
It was really difficult...
And it was...
...fun!
Um, Haramura-san?
For me...
...it's painful.
I love mahjong.
So it's really painful to lose to you.
Because you don't even like mahjong!
Sorry.
I don't like mahjong.
Me?
And, besides me, there are many strong opponents out there.
At the nationals.
Nationals?
President, what are you doing standing over there, acting all cool?
How dare you speak so rudely about the President, you jerk?!
I love mahjong.
So it's really painful to lose to you.
Because you don't even like mahjong!
"Doesn't like," huh?
Saki?
This is rare for you to touch the mahjong table.
Y-Yeah...
Just, you know...
I wonder if I should sell it?
Since, we don't play together as a family anymore, right?
Yeah...
Wait a bit...
Keep it around a little longer, won't you?
I'm sure that Mom and the others will come back.
And then we can all play as a family again.
I wonder about that...
Page 57.
Huh?
This is...
I remember this...
Okay then!
It should be any moment now.
Huh?
Miyanaga-san!
I have a favor to ask.
May I join your club?
Welcome to the mahjong club!
We're happy to have you.
Thank you!
I want to play against you a lot more, Haramura-san!
I want to play more against you, and...
I want to win more, as well!
Please sit down over there.
Today, I will not let you win.
Of course!
All righty! Let's get this party started!
Hey, I'm in too!
I'll begin.
Yes, please do!
Just as you figured, huh?
What might you be talking about?
You never change, do you?
You're always thinking a few turns ahead, you know.
But with this, we can probably aim for the nationals.
Read it and weep!
We've still got a ways to go...
It all starts now.
Next Episode Preview
Confrontation
Haramura-san, tell me your measurements!
What are you asking me all of a sudden?
Osshoi, Osshoi!
Tell me!
N-No!
Yuuki, please don't say weird things and help me out here!
Can't you just start to hear the festival music?
Watch again next week, yay~