The 21st century.
The population of mahjong players is now hundreds of millions of people.
The professional mahjong players draw everyone's attention.
There is even a large-scale national tournament held for high school students every year.
And, as the results laid down there can lead directly to the pros,
the members of the high school mahjong clubs battle for the championship!
The top of this is the miracle these girls are aiming for.
Episode 3
Confrontation
Game over
Overall Results Nodocchi Maccho George Yamakin
Nodocchi
Overall results
Maccho
George
Yamakan
Nodoka!
You've been staying up quite late, haven't you?
Yes...
I think you know what I'm about to say,
but you shouldn't be playing around so much.
Yes, Father.
I'll be going now.
Haramura-san!
It's Nishida, from Weekly Mahjong Today!
May I have an interview?
Nice to see you again.
It's been almost a year.
The article on you last year was really well received, Haramura-san.
You're really popular.
Is that so?
Yes. The individual grand champion of the national middle school tournament!
And on top of that, you're beautiful!
And she's got giant boobs.
Um... About the interview?
Ah yes... The prefectural qualifiers for the national high school tournament is in two weeks, right?
Prefectural qualifiers?
Yes, the prefectural qualifiers determine who gets to participate in the national tournament.
And so I want to know if there are any players at the tournament you are paying attention to?
No, there's not.
Oh?
I don't really know much about the past champion schools or players...
As long as I keep to my own style,
it doesn't matter who my opponent is!
If you'll excuse me.
Well, that was a dud...
This year's prefectural qualifier might be rough.
After I asked her my question, she hesitated to respond for an instant.
There is a player that even the genius Haramura Nodoka is conscious of.
Not only that, but she doesn't want to accept it.
I wonder what type of player they could be?
[Cover: Mahjong Today - The Queen's Bride]
Mahjong Club
So, on to the next topic.
About the flea market that is planned for the end of next month...
[Top: Yuuki - Second: Mako - Middle: Hisa - Fuku: ~]
President, do you have any thoughts on the matter?
Oh... Sure, that's fine.
Were you even listening?
It's about time we get going.
Ah, it's time, huh?
Handle the rest, okay, Mr. Vice President.
H-Hey, wait!
Oh yes... Make sure to write "Living things are not allowed" on the flea market flyer.
Later.
Oh, right... Living things are not allowed, yes...
Hey, President!
Profile: Miyanaga Teru(3rd Year) The Taishou of the famous Shiraitodai High School for the spring qualifiers. Aims for her third championship in a row at this year's summer tournament. She showed us some frightfully high scoring hands at the spring qualifiers. "This summer, I'm aiming for the championship"
A
The president of the famous Shiraitodai High School for the spring qualifiers. Aims for her third championship in a row at this year's summer tournament. She showed us some frightfully high scoring hands at the spring qualifiers. "This summer, I'm aiming for the championship"
Rinshan kaihou? What's that?
It's the name of one of the yaku in mahjong.
It means "Flower that blooms on top of the mountain."
Blooms?
That's the same as mine! My name means "bloom!"
That's right, Saki!
Even far above the tree line on the tallest of mountains,
there are pretty little flowers that bloom.
Saki, if you bloom with all your might, just like those flowers...
A dream?
Sis...
Hey, Saki!
Kyou-chan!
You're here again?
It's already been a week since you joined the club.
Have you gotten used to it already?
Yeah, it's fun.
I can play against people other than my family, and it's fun to win.
But...
I wonder if Haramura-san hates me?
Ever since I joined the mahjong club, Haramura-san has hardly spoken with me.
It's complicated.
Complicated?
Nodoka was the middle school champion before she came here.
She was the best player in all Japan for her grade,
and there were a lot of magazine articles calling her a genius and everything.
And when this girl suddenly appeared before her,
who could play to get plus-minus zero, which is even harder than winning,
it's no wonder that she's suffering from it.
You really think so?
I sure do.
And when you told her about how if you won, your family would get mad and stuff,
and gave that lame reason for how you naturally developed that technique...
It's not lame!
Well... At least you know how fun it is to win.
So you don't have to play to get plus-minus zero anymore, right?
R-Right...
That's true, but...
You two over there, halt!
Yuuki-chan!
I'm coming, too!
Why are you munching on a taco up there?
If I run out of tacos, I can no longer maintain my human form.
What do you think you are, exactly?
I will, myself, become the taco!
Yo! You the only one here, Nodo-chan?
Yes.
Help me make the tea, okay?
Sure, fine...
Wh-What are you doing, Haramura-san?
I'm playing all four players with their hands exposed.
Even though I know what's in everyone's hands,
to get plus-minus zero almost every time
is not something that's easy to do.
Tea's ready!
Oh yeah... The President and Someya-senpai said they were busy this afternoon and would be late.
All righty, let's start playin'!
Tacos rock!
Concentrate!
There's also takoyaki...
It's good too 'cause its name sounds like tacos.
You're annoying...
What?
Riichi.
Nodoka's even more into it today than usual.
Nodo-chan's dealer riichi.
What will get by her?
In this case, I'll...
How about this?!
Ron.
18 000.
Man...
Tsumo.
2700 from everyone.
Whoa...
But... But that's my specialty!
Haramura-san really is amazing.
Okay, me too!
A
East 1st Round Second hand
Kan.
Yes... I'll be like that flower blooming on the peak!
Tsumo. Rinshan kaihou.
[Chinitsu: A hand containing tiles of only one numbered suit. Valued 5/6 Han if revealed/concealed.]
Concealed chinitsu.
A baiman?
[Baiman: Limit hand for 8-10 Han. Worth 24 000 / 16 000 points for dealer/nondealer.]
That is 4200/8200 points.
Hello. Are you here as a representative to register your school?
Yes, however it's the first time we've participated.
Then, if you'll just write the school name here...
Right.
We're the Kiyosumi High School Mahjong Club!
It's over!
Over...
I'll leave the rest to you...
Please make sure to feed Kyoutaro four times a day...
I can't go on...
So I'm your pet now?
But, man, Nodoka and Saki are good.
I can't win with the two of them here. This sucks!
Now, now...
You can win next time, okay?
Riichi! I'm back in the saddle!
Ron!
Okay...
She discarded the 5 pin straight after drawing it?
Saki, why did you discard that tile?
[Kokushi musou: A yakuman hand containing all 13 terminal and honour tiles with an arbitrary pair among them. In certain rulesets worth a double yakuman if won on a 13-sided wait to complete the pair.]
Kokushi musou tenpai!?
That seems impossible.
After three turns? Is she human?
No... Why haven't they noticed?
Suga-kun just discarded the 9 pin...
Miyanaga-san discarded the tile she picked up... She didn't change her hand.
That's right... Miyanaga-san passed it up on purpose!
All righty! Let's keep it rolling, just like this!
Ron! 2000 points!
I did it, I won!
Yeah, just by a bit.
And, um, Saki...
Plus-minus zero?
Yeah...
I'm going home.
That's it?
Um...
I'm going too!
Wait, Saki!
What's with those two?
Nodo-chan was angry.
That was her being angry?
I'd know, of course, since we've been together so long.
However...
Now that the children are away, the husband and wife can play. Right, dear?
I don't think so.
Haramura-san!
I'm really happy I joined the mahjong club.
It's fun to play mahjong with you, Haramura-san.
Well, it's not fun for me!
If you continue to play like you did today,
I suggest you leave the club.
Thank you all for waiting. The draw for the prefectural qualifier has now been completed.
Let's see how we drew...
Not bad, don't you think?
At least we avoided having to face anyone that we don't want to until the finals.
That we don't want to face, huh?
First up is...
[Sign: Kazekoshi]
Kazekoshi All-girls School!
That's the Kazekoshi club.
I wonder how they'll do this year?
I think people are looking at us.
Do you think so?
Because we broke our winning streak at the prefectural qualifiers last year...
Don't worry.
Let's win this year!
Right!
So that's Kazekoshi?
They were useless last year,
and we, Imamiya All-girls School, will win this year, they'll see!
They sure will.
As usual, everyone is paying attention to Kazekoshi.
Of course.
And no one is paying attention to us.
Of course.
Of course, other than the past champions,
there are scary teams lurking out there.
That's true...
But it sure is good we don't have to face them until the finals.
[Sign: Ryuumonbuchi]
That's true.
Just you wait until the finals, Ryuumonbuchi High School!
Hey, what's with them?
Where are those girls from?
Yes. Thank you very much.
It seems that the draw for the prefectural qualifiers has been determined.
Our school is the first seed in the A block, Touka-sama.
Draw? It's always so meaningless.
Even though it's already clear that our school, Ryuumonbuchi, will be the winner!
Um... Haramura-san...
I...
Before, why didn't you win with your kokushi musou?
That was... Because Yuuki-chan...
I've been together with Yuuki since middle school.
She's not that weak a person.
I'm unhappy that you'd look down on my friend like that.
I just wanted everyone to have fun...
When you hold back, it's not fun for me.
Please let me have fun as well!
Sure. I'll play all-out from now on.
Exactly. If you don't play your best, we can't make it to the nationals.
Nationals?
Yes...
The prefectural qualifiers will start in two weeks.
Can't make it to the nationals...
The nationals...
Saki, if you bloom with all your might, just like those flowers...
If I go to the nationals, then my sister...
That seems troubling...
It's troubling.
I want to go the nationals!
I see... So your mother and sister are in Tokyo.
Yeah, although mom and dad aren't officially divorced.
I went to see them by myself once.
But not a single thing I said got through to my sister.
I'm sure she's still angry with me.
But, through mahjong...
If it's through mahjong, I feel like I can talk to her!
Talk with mahjong?
Is your sister going to enter the national tournament?
Probably. I read that she's the favorite to win.
It couldn't be...
What's your sister's name, Miyanaga-san?
Her name is Teru.
I've heard of her.
She won both last year's summer and spring tournaments.
Miyanaga Teru!
I guess you have a lot going on, too.
You, too, Haramura-san?
Then...
I'm gonna work harder, okay?
Haramura-san, let's go together.
Let's go together, to the nationals!
Then... no more holding back, okay?
Sure!
Hello?
Yes, right away.
Phone for you.
Oh? What's up?
I see. So it's okay if I go all out...
Sounds like fun.
And that's ron.
Sorry 'bout that. Seems I win again.
Now... the fun begins.
Next Episode
Beat-down
Next Episode Preview
Beat-down
Other than us getting better at mahjong, there's a lot of things we have to do.
Like singing, and dancing, and cosplay...
I'd prefer just being a normal high school girl who's really good at mahjong.
But it's not normal for a high school girl to be good at mahjong...