The first trimester is ending soon...
I have to admit, I was kind of depressed at the beginning...
But now that I think about it, it was over in a flash.
Thanks to my friends, who I spend a lot of fun times with...
Miki-chan!
Let's eat lunch on the balcony today!
Sure, but isn't it hot up there?
Hmm, good point...
Hey, Midori-chan!
Midori-chan!
Sorry, I have work to do after school.
Come on, can't you make an exception for me, Midori?
That's the... student council vice-chair.
I'm sorry I couldn't assist.
If that's all, I will excuse myself.
Oh...
Come on, let's go.
Huh? Oh... Okay.
"Student Council room"
"Episode 4: Midori's Dream" Okay! As we discussed before, we're trying to make this year's school festival
truly unique and memorable, so I've asked you all to come up with some ideas.
What have you come up with?
Well, we did jot some stuff down, but...
We couldn't really come up with anything that unique or memorable.
It's okay! Let's just lay it all out!
If we put our heads together I'm sure we can think of something.
What is this...? It's all so common and overdone...
Hot dog eating contest...? Who came up with such a dumb idea...?
Um... you did, Vice-Chair...
Ugh...
I don't think we can pull off something completely new.
We should just play it safe, like the previous years.
No!
If we do that, what's the point of me taking over
for the chairperson who's still in the hospital after the accident?!
Chairperson! Please get well soon.
We're all waiting for you...
I'm sorry, Shibusawa. I need you to cover for me.
I, Ren Shibusawa, will make this the best school festival ever!
I've taken on the task. Now I have to deliver!
Aoshima-senpai...
It was when I first joined the student council...
--Moving on to the next subject...
--Oh. --Moving on to the next subject...
Kimura, so you're a humanities-type, huh? You don't look that way.
Yes, but to be honest, I'm terrible at it. It's just that math and science are worse.
Hey, Chairperson! And Kimura-kun! Are you listening?!
I am, I am. You're taking your job quite seriously, First-Year Vice-Chair!
We're in a meeting right now. Please refrain from talking out of order.
Gotcha.
My first impression of Aoshima-senpai was that he was tall and took nothing seriously.
But still, somehow he was popular with both male and female students.
I hated him.
Senpai, so...
Why did you run for student council chairperson?
What's this all of a sudden?
The student council board members need to be an example to all students.
But you're never on time and you bend the rules.
How do you expect other students to behave well if you don't take this seriously?
Wow, I'm impressed, Shibusawa!
Huh?
Well, I've never put any thought into being an example and behaving and stuff.
I knew it...
People just voted for him because he's popular and fun!
Why am I stuck working under someone like him...?
But there is a reason why I ran for student council chairperson.
I love seeing everyone smile.
The student council is a good place to achieve that.
Here.
The overview of next year's budget that you asked Kimura to finish.
What? It's done already? Kimura-kun is better than he says!
No, Tanaka took care of that.
Tanaka is more detail-oriented. He's better at this type of stuff.
On the other hand, Kimura took care of the negotiations with the sports clubs
that you asked Tanaka to do. He's got better people skills.
Shibusawa, you can do anything on your own.
But you're just one small person. There's a limit to how much you can do by yourself.
Relax, Shibusawa.
He saw through everything...
He seemed like he didn't care, but no, he actually understood everyone.
Since then, I've followed his lead and tried to get others to help me.
But this time...
...I really need her!
Wow, so you were the student council chairperson in middle school?
Wow... Impressive, Midori-chan.
It's really not. I just got pulled in by a senpai who was good at convincing people
and couldn't find a way out after that.
Aren't you going to join the student council here in high school?
No. I've got other things I want to do.
What other things?!
Senpai? What are you doing here?
The student council keeps track of all the places where students work!
Hey, Midori. Can you help me prepare the school festival? I need your help!
Um, I was meaning to ask, what exactly is your relationship...?
We went to middle school together.
We were a team back then. We ran every event in the entire school!
So this is the "senpai who is good at convincing people."
Come on! If you lend me a hand, I will make sure you win the next election.
Then the two of us can run this school like we did before!
I've already turned down that offer before.
I'm too preoccupied with personal matters.
I don't have time to work for the student council.
I don't know what it is you want to do, but you can do part-time work in college!
Don't waste your time trying to make some quick cash.
Let's do something you can only do now!
Come on!
Money isn't the only reason I work here.
Huh? Not for money? Then why?
For... my dream.
Dream...?
What's your dream?
I want to make games. My dream is to become a board game author.
Board games...?
You have to be kidding! I was expecting anything, but board games...?
What's wrong with that?
Huh? Of course, there's so much wrong with that!
Board games are totally outdated. Who even plays those anymore?
Midori, what's gotten into you?
Just drop that worthless thing and come join me! I promise you'll do well.
It's not worthless!
Miki...
What's your deal?
Board games... aren't worthless...
I'm talking to Midori right now. Can you stay out of it, outsider?
We're not outsiders! We're friends!
Like Miki-chan said, board games aren't worthless, and they're not outdated!
They're really, really fun!
Miki... Aya...
Heh! I have no interest in how "fun" it might be!
Games in general aren't necessary in life; you can take them or leave them.
That's what I mean by worthless!
Midori has real talents; they should be used to do something with actual value!
She and I ruled over middle school together. I know her best!
I...
I'm in the student council because I want to see everyone smile!
Midori! I thought you felt the same way, too!
Value is determined differently from person to person.
What could be trash to someone might be a treasure to others.
Forcing those value judgments on others will never help us reach an answer.
Yes... this is it.
Not budging at all to a senpai's pressure.
Perfect composure, control, and decision-making maintained, even when taunted...
She has to be the one to take over after me!
I'll let you know, I'm not leaving until you say yes!
That could be an issue... It's around the time things get busy here.
Tell you what, Senpai. Why don't we play for this?
Play?
We can play a game together. If you can beat me, I will obey you.
But if you lose, you have to give up on me.
Fine, whatever you say.
So what game are we playing?
6 Nimmt!
I'll take you on in this game, Senpai!
6 Nimmt is a simple game.
First, we shuffle a deck of cards with the numbers 1 through 104 on them.
We deal ten cards to each player and leave the rest in a deck.
Draw four cards from the deck and place them faceup on the table.
Next, how to play.
Every player chooses a card from their hand and puts it facedown.
When everyone is ready, reveal the cards at the same time.
Starting from the smallest number, line the cards up next to the cards on the table.
You have to put each card after the number it is closest to.
So in this example, the cards are laid out like...
...this.
Oh, I see.
And then?
This process is repeated until we play every card in our hand, but...
...the key is the sixth card.
"Sixth card" The person who plays the sixth card in a row must take the five other cards.
The card that was played gets placed at the front.
What happens when you get a card?
Do you see the cow symbols on the card?
Oh, yeah!
After playing all ten cards, the person with the largest number of cows loses.
Huh? The person who gets the cows loses?
Yes. This game is not about taking cows, it's about forcing cows on other people.
Forcing cows on people?
One more thing. If the card you play is smaller than all other cards in play,
you pick a row of your choice and take all the cards in that row.
You can choose any row?
Yes. So in most cases you want to choose the row with the least cows.
That's all?
Yes, those are the rules.
Huh, what a simple game. So you'll really do as I say if I win?
Yes, I promise.
Fine then, let's do this!
Yes! Let's play!
Okay, everyone choose a card and place it facedown...
Flip at the same time, go!
If we lay these out in order...
Wow, it's quite unbalanced.
Because there are only four players, the first turn is always safe.
Second turn and onwards is where it really begins.
Ready? Here we go!
Wow, row two is already one card away!
You're right!
This is super easy.
There's a 48 on the table, so this is 100 percent safe...
All that talk about dreams from Midori kind of got my expectations up, but...
What's so fun about this simple number game?
Midori, I'll beat you and wake you up to the real world!
Ready? Here we go!
So I'll put this 49 behind the 48...
Wait, Senpai.
Huh?
I played a seven. It's smaller than all the other numbers, so I'll take a row.
What...?
So I'll take this 48...
What?! So my 49 is...
Oh, look, Senpai, your card is the sixth one.
Please take the other five.
What the heck?!
Failing hard on a card you thought was completely safe...
...that dramatic turn of events is what makes 6 Nimmt so exciting, Senpai.
Midori-chan isn't pulling any punches...
Yeah...
She got me... That was supposed to be completely safe...
I didn't know such a move was possible...
Okay, next move.
What is this...? All of a sudden it feels like no card is safe at all...
This game is scary!
Come on, Senpai, hurry!
But... it's fun!
The fourth row is... still safe. I can do this!
Ready, go!
Wait, what?
Yes, here.
Senpai, your 74 is the sixth. You fail again.
Um, I'm sorry...
Don't apologize. It's just the way this game is played.
Ready, go!
What?! Again?!
Ready, go!
--Oh, no! Now I failed! --Yes!
I got... two cows.
I got seven. What about you, Miki-chan?
I got four cows...
So, Senpai, what was your score?
Heh! So what?
Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever, I lose!
I, Ren Shibusawa, won't hide the fact that I've lost.
I also admit that this is a fun game.
But still!
Why should you, Midori, have to be the one making these games?!
Games...
Games are a bridge that connect people across borders and generations.
Those are the words of Kramer, the person who made 6 Nimmt.
Games have a long history, longer than books.
Since ancient times, games have connected, excited, and brought happiness to people.
I believe games are very precious-- something inseparable from humanity.
Senpai, you asked me earlier...
I'm in the student council because I want to see everyone smile!
Midori! I thought you felt the same way, too!
I want to make everyone smile through games!
--Midori-chan! --Midori-chan!
I'm never going to give up!
Midori, you idiot! Idiot! Idiot!
She took off... Were we mean to her?
Is she going to be okay, Midori-chan?
It's fine. It'll take a lot more than that to really bring her down.
Rather, it might ignite her passion and help her succeed with the festival.
That's the kind of person she is.
Hey, did she come back?
Oh, Manager...
Don't scare us like that!
Seriously? That totally wasn't my fault...
Fine, Midori! If that's what you want, then so be it!
I can do this without you. I can make this festival a massive success!
"Saikoro Club"
Ugh, I forgot to get light bulbs for the restroom.
Shall I go get some?
Yeah, thanks.
I guess we should get going, too, then...
Yeah, let's go home! We played a lot.
Midori-chan, you want to be a game author?
I don't know if I can, but yeah.
Since when?
It was when I was in sixth grade...
My brother brought me along...
Hey, Manager!
Hey, Ono-kun. And...
Who's the young lady?
She's my little sister.
We were playing Catan together, and she got hooked.
She insisted on coming here and wouldn't shut up about it, so I brought her.
Hmm, Catan, at her age? Impressive. Perhaps gaming runs in your family.
Welcome, young lady.
Take your time!
Come on, say hi.
Thank you, sir, for looking after my idiot brother all the time.
My name is Midori Ono. Your shop is lovely.
Wait, so...
...that's how you met the manager?
Yes.
From such a young age...
After that, I went to the shop a few more times with my brother,
and the three of us played a lot of games.
Then, one time...
Gotcha! I win, Manager!
Yeah...
Hmm? Hey, young lady. Didn't you enjoy Beat the Buzzard?
Oh, I certainly did!
The rules are so simple, but I've never played a game where I had to think so much.
Who came up with this game?
The person who made this game must be a real genius!
In Germany, people who design games are referred to as authors.
See how each game box features the name of the author?
Like people who write novels and manga, game authors take pride in their creations.
Game author...
But this isn't a long-standing tradition or anything like that.
In the past, game authors were just one craftsman in a game company.
The person who worked hard to improve the visibility of game authors
and win many rights for them is the author of this game, Alex Randolph.
He is the first person who put the name of the author on the game's box.
It later on became a convention in German games.
Getting your name printed on a box...
Do you know what that means?
From that moment on, games became not just products manufactured by a company--
they became works of art by an author.
From products to art... That's nice!
I know, right? That's when I decided...
...to become a game author myself!
That's my dream!
Is it weird?
No! It's great!
Midori-chan, I know you can make a great game!
Thanks. I always thought, "once I get into high school,
I should work on pursuing this dream and make it a reality."
Game... author...
"Next Episode: A Message for You"
We went to Kanazawa during summer break.
"Next Episode: A Message for You" We found this game at the inn.
"Next Episode: A Message for You" I feel like I've played this game before...