I've always been bad at playing.
Come on, give me your hand!
W-Wait for me!
I couldn't really figure out what I find to be "fun."
So maybe I was just waiting for this.
Miki.
Miki-chan!
Yes, waiting to meet someone who can help me find what "fun" is.
"Episode 1: A New World"
The usual morning, the usual classroom...
"Class 1-3" The usual morning, the usual classroom...
"Class 1-3" "One year ago" The usual morning, the usual classroom...
"Class 1-3" "One year ago" That place has the best pancakes...
"One year ago" What kind of school rule is that?! Kyoto is over the top!
That's how it works here in Kamogawa North High School!
--This moment before homeroom is the busiest, noisiest moment of the day.
--You're not allowed to enter cafés and other entertainment establishments --This moment before homeroom is the busiest, noisiest moment of the day.
on weekdays after 6 PM! Don't forget, Takayashiki-san.
What's taking the teacher so long?
Takekasa-san.
Y-Yes, what is it, Class Rep?
We were planning to go karaoke this Sunday.
A girls' get-together for the class. You're coming, right?
Sorry... I have plans on Sunday.
I'm uncomfortable with things other people enjoy...
I can't get interested in things that interest everyone...
I don't like places with lots of people.
That's why I take the road by the river when I go home.
Taking a deep breath near Kamogawa River helps me refresh the air in my body...
Out of the way, out of the way!
Oh, no... Can someone...
Hey, sorry about that! You okay?
I'm not the one who needs attention...
That was scary! The brakes just suddenly stopped working!
I guess that's what I get for getting the cheap rent-a-bike!
Thanks for watching out for me.
D-Don't mention it!
Oh, wow, I'm soaked down to my panties! Well, off they go then.
Please hurry, before someone shows up!
Oh, a Kyoto accent? Are you from around here?
I just moved here recently.
You're always alone, so I figured you're from a different area, too.
Your name... Taka... Taka...
Aya Takayashiki from your class! Nice to meet you!
I'm Miki Takekasa.
P-Pleased to meet you, too...
You're lucky you had a change of clothes with you.
I just moved to the area, so I wanted to do some Kyoto sightseeing after school.
I'm glad I had extra clothes!
Though it's a bit breezy without panties!
Hey, do you have some spare time?
Huh? Oh, um, yes, but...
Cool! Can you show me around Kyoto?
I don't really get out of the house much...
I don't know the city at all...
Don't worry about that!
"Okazaki Loop"
Okay! Let's go then!
Um... Go where...?
Who cares? Just wherever our feet take us!
What?! We'd get lost if we did that!
Lost...
Yeah! Good one, Miki-chan!
Huh...?
Let's get lost today!
Get lost...?
Um, Takayashiki-san!
Yeah?
We've gone kind of deep into the hills... Are we okay...?
Hey, Miki-chan, look at that!
What is this, a type of Jizo?
A duck!
--Um, I mean, hey...
--It has babies! --Um, I mean, hey...
Baby ducks are so cute!
L-Listen to me!
Y-You've never been out here, right?
You don't know where we are, you don't have a map...
If we walk around randomly like this, we're really going to get lost...
There, there, don't cry.
Miki-chan, I guess you lack skill.
Skill...? What kind of skill?
Playing.
Huh?
Do you remember where we're headed?
Where? Nowhere...
Exactly! That, Miki-chan, is key!
In order to get lost, one must first have a goal.
Huh...?
Like, a shop you wanted to go to.
Getting lost means there's some destination we're failing to reach, right?
In that case, we can never get lost!
Because we don't have a destination!
I... I guess you're right...?
Yes, I just revealed a universal truth to you!
Thus, we are not lost. We're just pretend-lost!
Pretend-lost?
Yes! Pretend, therefore play. Since we're just playing,
what you should be doing now is not worrying about how to get home.
These unknown roads, views,
colors, sounds, smells...
Just enjoy them all!
Enjoy...
Come on, let's go.
Okay.
Cool! What is this?!
I think it's an old water bridge.
Wow, really?
Yes, I saw it in a textbook.
Look, Takayashiki-san.
So pretty... I didn't know about this place at all.
I've lived in Kyoto all my life...
That's right, Miki-chan!
Huh?
The world has many more fun things you don't know about!
It's what my dad always says.
I thought there was nothing fun around me.
But this made me think I could be wrong.
Because, at that moment, I was smiling.
"Kyoto Station via Shijo-Kawaramachi and Shijo-Karasuma"
See? Wasn't that fun, getting pretend-lost?
Yes.
Let's do it again some time!
Oh...
Huh?
Isn't that our class rep?
Yeah, Ono-san...
"Itamae Nigiri Ginbei"
We're in the amusement area, right...?
Yeah...
That walking rulebook class rep, here...?
You're not allowed to enter cafés and other entertainment establishments
on weekdays after 6 PM! Don't forget!
It's already past six o'clock!
Let's find out where she's going! Hurry!
Such a random building in a back alley...
"No smoking" "Mind the door"
Let's go, Miki-chan!
Okay...
"Please refrain from smoking"
"Saikoro Club"
Saikoro Club...?
She's in here, right?
Wow, what is this?! So pretty!
I can't read this... What language is this?
It's German.
Hello, welcome to the Saikoro Club.
Hey, wait, um...
Manager, I told you not to talk to customers from behind!
You're face is too scary!
Huh?!
Class Rep!
What...
You two...?
Takekasa-san and Takayashiki-san... What are you doing here?
Well, we saw you outside, and...
That's not fair, Class Rep!
You told me not to break the rules, but here you are at this hour!
All alone with this suspicious person!
What?!
I just work here!
As long as I have the proper permission from school, I can work after six.
You two need to leave, though! It's against the rules to be here!
It doesn't make any sense!
How? I think the logic is perfect.
Come on, relax, Midori-chan. It's not like your friends visit you here often.
They're just my classmates.
Since you're here, why don't the two of you stay and have some fun?
Fun? Fun how?
You're in a game store. What else would we do for fun?
Games? Wait, are you saying...
...all of these are games?!
Wait, you came in without knowing that?
This shop is dedicated to analog games.
These are all games...?
We focus mainly on European board games, mostly from Germany.
That sounds cool!
It totally is cool. Wanna try?
Yes! Let's try!
Right, then...
Hey, Manager!
Let's try this one. Marrakech.
Hey, Class Rep, let's play!
This is one of your favorite games, isn't it?
No thank you.
Oh, well, the three of us can play then.
Okay!
Thank you.
One of the most important things when playing a board game is imagination.
Marrakech is the name of a city in Morocco.
The board represents the market of Marrakech.
The goal of the game is to become the best rug salesperson in this market.
Midori-chan, can you explain the rules?
Why me?
The player decides which way the merchant, Mr. Assam, moves,
and rolls the die.
By the way, this die only has values from one to four.
Two and three both have two faces each.
Mr. Assam moves the number of spaces indicated by the die roll.
Then, place a rug on a tile adjacent to where Mr. Assam lands.
The rug can face in any direction, but it can't completely cover another rug.
If Mr. Assam lands on another player's rug,
the player must pay one dirham per square of connected tile.
Repeat this process, and the player with the most money at the end wins.
I see... So you put down lots of rugs and get people to stop on them to make money.
Yes, in a nutshell. Any questions?
Yes!
Why don't you speak in a Kyoto accent?
What kind of question is that?
Are you from the Kanto area?
No, I was born and raised in Kyoto.
Then why?
The Kyoto dialect traditionally includes many vague expressions.
It's not suited for logical thinking.
That's why I try to speak standard Japanese.
Satisfied?
Oh, um... I see...
Okay! Let's get started then. Choose a rug color that you like.
Yes.
Now we rock-paper-scissors to decide who goes first.
Come on, one or four, one or four...
Please! Go!
No!
You landed on my rug, so you owe me three dirhams.
Why always me...
Manager, go easy on us please. It's our first time.
Takayashiki-san, was it?
Every game I play, I play for real.
Even if my opponent is a child or a high school girl,
I don't hold back!
Now, Takekasa-san, decide which way Mr. Assam should go.
What's wrong? Come on, hurry!
O-Ono-san?
Cut it out, Manager. It doesn't come off as a joke when you say things like that.
Go that way, it's safer. Roll now.
Um, yes...
Midori-chan, that's against the rules.
No chiming in on other people's games. That's the rule here at Saikoro Club.
You of all people wouldn't break a rule, now would you?
You're right.
Wait!
I really... I've never played these types of games before.
I don't know what to do.
So, um, um...
Takekasa-san...
Manager.
Hmm?
I think I'll join the game after all.
As her teammate!
I'm not chiming in on another person's game,
I'm just discussing strategy with a teammate. That's not a problem, is it?
You're always so good at finding loopholes, aren't you?
Thank you, Ono-san!
It's okay, I can't say no to someone with that expression.
But maybe it's too late...
Mr. Manager has too big of a lead.
Yes, it's a bit tough...
But the rug layout isn't too bad. We still have a fighting chance.
Really...?
Yes, I will make you the number one rug salesperson in Marrakech!
--Hey, no fair! Help me, too, Class Rep! I'm going to lose!
--No, you're a rival merchant. You're on your own. --Hey, no fair! Help me, too, Class Rep! I'm going to lose!
Come on! Class Rep!
You need to be able to see how the future plays out in order to win in this game.
How would your rug placement affect the choices that other players make?
What are the other players trying to lure you towards?
Let's choose a different direction...
We should target bigger profits, not avoid short-term expenditure.
Our time to shine will come soon.
Here, roll the die.
Yes...!
Now what do you want to do, Midori-chan?
Good move, Manager...
Ono-san, isn't that the manager's...
I know. But we have to take a risk here.
But if we land on his rug, we'll have to pay...
...one, two, three, four, five, six... seven dirhams!
Paying seven dirhams to the manager now would be certain defeat.
But if we can roll a three or four here, this risk can turn into an opportunity.
Turn a risk into an opportunity...?
If we keep running from the risk, we just let the manager win.
Now is the time to push forward.
Push... forward.
Takekasa-san, I'm counting on your luck!
Y-Yes...
Here.
Good luck, Miki-chan!
Yes... Thank you.
Here I come!
Three or four... Please... Three or four!
A four! Good job, Miki-chan!
Good job, Takekasa-san!
How's that, Manager?
No matter which direction I go, I have to roll a four or pay 11 dirhams...
Come on, Manager.
A two...!
So...
Yes!
We beat him!
Wow! Awesome! Ono-san, did we just win?
That's right! All thanks to you, Takekasa-san!
No fair! I wanna join, too!
You're the enemy!
--Hey, come on! --Don't be mean! Let's enjoy together!
--I didn't know Midori-chan had friends like this. --Stop clinging to me!
--I didn't know Midori-chan had friends like this. --No I won't!
I had so much fun today!
I want to try playing those types of games again...
Yeah, for sure.
Hey, Class Rep! Can we visit you again?
Today, I'm willing to overlook this because the manager invited you.
Huh?
But if I catch you loitering around at this hour again,
it is my duty as class rep to report it to the school. You have been warned.
What?!
But if you want to play again...
Weekends and holidays aren't part of that rule...
Ono-san...
I-I honestly don't care either way!
Just saying, if you want to play again...
Yes! Let's play again!
Hey, stop clinging!
Come on, why not?
Because I said so!
By the way, I noticed, your Kyoto accent comes out when you're excited.
No it doesn't!
What? But it did back then!
I said it doesn't!
"Heart, play. Shijo"
She's right. The world might have a lot of fun things
"Heart, play. Shijo" I don't know about.
"Heart, play. Shijo"
Miki-chan, hurry!
That day, I found someone who can look for "fun" with me.
"Next Episode: This is a Cockroach!"
We've decided to play a game with Tanoue-kun, a boy Ono-san grew up with.
"Next Episode: This is a Cockroach!" Do I see something odd, though...? Could it be...?