She was the only person who stood directly in my way.
Facing such strength, I forgot to keep my right eye closed, which I never show to others.
Your eye...
Your right eye is... pretty.
Did you know?
Blue sapphires and red rubies are made from the same element.
What could she have been trying to tell me?
I decided to ask her the next time we met.
The next time we meet, I'd definitely ask her.
[Ueno Hisa - Disqualified]
Maybe she'll tell me my right eye is pretty once again...
If I meet her again...
I'll definitely...
Hand 12
Awakening
The first hanchan of the 3rd round is over, and it's almost like the teams are back where they started!
The points are now evenly distributed among the four competing schools.
It's an unbelievably fierce battle with the four schools' scores separated by less than 10 000 points!
Captain...
Bundou-san.
Because... Because of me, all the points you...
Don't worry. It's not your fault.
Calm down, and stay strong.
I'm so jealous!
There are always times when things don't go your way.
Don't be so down on yourself, and try having more fun.
And if you have to blame someone, blame me.
D-Don't say that!
Can I give you a bit of advice?
Sure...
I just know I've seen Kazekoshi's captain somewhere before...
Of course I believed in her! Hajime can get things done, indeed!
Uh, sure, right, whatever you say.
In the first half of the round, Kiyosumi's Takei won four times, and Ryuumonbuchi's Hajime won four times.
If things continue this way, those two schools will break out of the field.
Koromo!
Where have you been all this time?
And besides which, why are you crying?
Touka...
What happened?
The penguin was...
Isn't that... Haramura Nodoka's penguin?
It tore real bad...
Hagiyoshi!
M'lady.
Where did he...
I am quite well versed, Touka-ojousama.
Simply...
Stupendous!
It is finished.
Hagiyoshi, it's simply stupendous!
The penguin has returned from Hades!
There are still a few places left where you can feel the stitches, unfortunately.
Okay! I'm going to return this to Haramura!
As you wish.
But why does Koromo have Haramura Nodoka's penguin?
I was with her until we got to the entrance hall, however we got separated and something must have happened.
And are we sure it's okay to let her run off again like that?
True...
Hagiyoshi!
M'lady.
Disappeared.
Haramura!
Where are you?
Etopen!
You're Haramura Nonoka, right?
I heard that your boobs were big, so I recognized you immediately!
Ah...
And, well, about that penguin...
It's been fixed!
Those two who stole it came to apologize to me.
They said when they tried to grab it back from some girl, it tore into pieces.
Those two?
But this...
Yeah.
It's really a beautiful job.
Isn't it?
Touka's butler fixed it!
Ten day sheep?
His name is Hagiyoshi!
In any case, thank you for returning him to me.
All right!
Um... Haramura Nonoka...
Yes?
Um... Could you be my fr-
The second half of the third round will begin shortly.
Sorry, I have to go.
Thank you very much!
Now then, the second half of this round has begun!
The points are currently almost even among the four schools!
A
3rd Round 2nd Hanchan East 1st Round
Which school will break out from the rest?
Will it be Ryuumonbuchi or Kazekoshi? Or perhaps Kiyosumi, or even Tsuruga?
I've returned!
Nodo-chan!
Howdy!
Have a good sleep?
Yes. I feel quite a bit better.
Sleep?
Nodo-chan and Saki-chan took a nap together!
A nap?!
You mean...
I see... A nap...
Nodoka, here, take this banana.
Banana?!
What exactly are you...
Banana...
It's from the President!
We've got milk, too!
They say if you drink dairy products and eat a banana, it'll help your brain function better!
So that's what the banana is for.
Speaking of which, where's Saki?
When I left just before, she hadn't woken up yet.
Please go and wake her around when my match is ending.
Righto.
I wish that she could watch me play, though.
Things have really evened up, haven't they?
The President really came through!
The President did?
She's gotten back all the points I lost thanks to my mistakes.
Definitely impressive.
And of course it was full speed ahead with her bad waits.
Is that so?
After this match is over, it'll be my turn. It's only natural to get nervous...
Her name...
I forgot to ask that girl's name!
[Kazekoshi All-girls High School Waiting Room]
It'll be okay, Captain. I'm going to make a comeback in the final round!
A
3rd Round 2nd Hanchan South 2nd Round
Now that it's the second half, everyone's just discarding tiles on the table.
It's gotten a lot harder to win off of someone else.
But there might just be a way to use that to my advantage...
If you sense that Kiyosumi has reached tenpai first, discard a tile someone else's discarded already.
And if you want to go for it, discard a tile that's not been seen yet.
Right, Captain.
All that's left is that 4-6-8.
[Suji: The tiles on either side of a 2-sided wait. E.g. 1 and 4; 3 and 6; 4 and 7]
It's bad to discard a tile and wait for the other suji, but I guess I have no choice.
Riichi!
A dealer riichi huh?
Kazekoshi isn't giving it up like she did before,
and Kiyosumi hasn't done anything shocking like in the first half...
If I can just win with this now...
I'm getting a bad feeling there's some big hands out there.
7 sou, now?
If I'm getting this tile now, then that means...
Riichi!
Kiyosumi High School's Takei Hisa!
I thought she would have discarded the 7 sou she picked up and lost to Ryuumonbuchi,
but she threw away her sanshoku and followed up one riichi with her own!
And... not only that...
There are already three 4 man discarded, so she can't win.
It's an empty riichi!
Even bad waits have their limits!
If she called riichi, suji or honors don't even matter anymore!
So she's not scared of my East riichi, and is waiting for the hit, huh?
This riichi wasn't for the purpose of winning.
It's capitalizing on the surreal wins I got in the first half. It's intimidation!
I got a riichi on my left, and now a riichi on my right, sheesh...
I came this far, but I'm still gonna end up one away from tenpai, aren't I?
The 7 sou is a suji for Ryuumonbuchi so... But I'm really scared of Kiyosumi...
Guess I just have to play it safe here.
A draw!
3rd Round 2nd Hanchan South 2nd Round
The south second round is an draw!
Tenpai.
Not only did she keep my winning tile, but she called an empty riichi?!
Did she not even consider winning herself to stop me, or that I might win on the draw?
She really is just a complete fool, isn't she?
Or could it be that she's...
Whichever.
She's quite the interesting fellow.
[When there's a draw, if the dealer is in tenpai, the seats do not rotate]
It's the continuance of the second south round.
Kiyosumi sitting West may have succeeded in intimidating the other players last hand, but what about now?
Is she really the same as Koromo?
You can't be serious...
You're really making me wear these clothes, and locking me in these chains?
I told you about the restraints and that you'd be my maid when we met, correct?
Now, come with me.
Don't I have a say in this?
I'll give you a chance.
I'll have you play mahjong now, and if you win, I'll set you free.
Your name is Touka, right?
So I just need to beat you, Touka?
No.
Your opponent will be over there.
A different building?
My cousin lives there.
Or rather, is confined there.
I would like for you to play with her.
Confined there?
She is the same age as us.
Four years ago, both her parents died, and we Ryuumonbuchi have taken custody of her.
My father told me these words back then:
"Do not get close to that Amae girl. That is something far beyond comprehension."
For heaven's sake, what a joke!
Father has it in his head that the accident that killed her parents was her fault.
But when it comes to what she does when playing mahjong...
Even I have begun to be a bit frightened.
Koromo!
I brought you a new toy to play with!
Toy?
Is it truly indestructible this time?
So, will you become my sworn comrade?
My sacrifice?
Or the empress's meal?
No.
This person isn't Koromo.
This situation is nothing when compared to that night.
That's right. Because that Koromo...
...is our taishou now!
We're into the final stretch of the second half now.
And the third round is over!
The leaderboard is now almost completely flipped from how it was when the third round began!
A
Kazekoshi All-girls
Ryuumonbuchi High School
Tsuruga Academy
Kiyosumi High School
The first and last places have swapped!
The play of Kiyosumi High School's Takei Hisa is especially noteworthy!
She sure did it!
We're in first!
Where are you going?
We're going to meet up with the President!
And I'm... Oh, never mind.
I'm going... I'm going to head over there, starting now.
After a ten minute break, the second to last round will begin.
Captain, I'm sorry.
No, don't cry.
You really gave it your all.
Nice goin'!
President!
Oh, what's this?
Aren't you happy that your cute first-years are coming to meet you?
Yup, yup. Thanks.
It's Nodo-chan's turn next.
Captain?
L-Let's go back.
Okay...
Hey, Nodo-chan!
You came, too?
Thank you for your hard work.
Get some good sleep?
Yes!
I was so nervous, I'm beat.
I'll leave the rest up to you first years, okay?
Yes!
I'm sorry, I couldn't make a comeback.
On the contrary, it's perfectly satisfactory.
I'll beat that first place Haramura Nodoka magnificently!
Then I'll stand out all the more!
Could it be you planned this from the start?
Well, that would be clever but...
But, you really did well.
It might be about time for you to graduate from those chains...
No...
I like it this way.
Why is that?
I feel like we'd move apart if I let go of these chains, Touka...
B-But, you take them off every day at the house, right?
Well, you're always right beside me when that happens.
After all, I'm your personal maid, Touka.
Although Koromo is there sometimes, too.
R-Right, Koromo!
It's almost time for my match! Where in the world is that girl?
Hagiyoshi-san went to search for her, so I'm sure she'll be back in time for the final round.
Win, Touka.
That goes without saying!
Touka-ojousama...
Huh? Haramura-san?
The second to last round!
The nation high school mahjong tournament!
The finals of the prefectural qualifiers!
We're finally headed to the second to last round!
The top school going into the third round was crushed and is now incredibly in last place!
Can she mount a counter attack?
From the perennial Kazekoshi All-girls, the second year Fukabori Sumiyo!
They may be in third place, but are only a few points from the lead!
From the unknown school putting up a good fight, Tsuruga Academy, the first year Touyoko Momoko!
And then, moving into second place, will they start showing up their strength?
From last year's winner of the prefectural qualifiers,
Ryuumonbuchi High School, the second year Ryuumonbuchi Touka!
We made it!
Look at that, Maho!
It's Haramura-senpai!
It really is!
Senpai, good luck!
And now, in the lead, from Kiyosumi High School,
comes the winner of last year's national middle school tournament!
The first year, Haramura Nodoka!
Will her skills make the grade in high school?
Haramura-san, it's finally the finals! Are you enthusiastic about the match?
Enthusiastic?
Not really.
"I'm just going to give it my all, as usual."
...is what she said.
So just gonna fake it?
I haven't played in this room since the individuals of the middle school nationals last year.
Miyanaga-san didn't wake up in the end, did she?
Let's go to the nationals together!
I can't believe she wouldn't watch me play after we made a promise like that.
Haramura-san!
Miyanaga-san!
Good luck, Haramura-san!
Haramura-san, how about your enthusiasm now?
That's right...
You bet...
I'm going to win!
Next Episode
Mild Fever
Haramura-san, you're beautiful, almost like an angel.
A-An angel?
What are you saying?
Nodoka as an angel...
Kyo-chan, what're are you daydreaming about?
Kyoutaro's delusions run deeper, even than our own reality!