The Himesaka girls has started to play their piece, Three Variation [/Adaptation]. Chika and others look tense over the music. Kazusa and others are in total concentration in playing their piece perfectly. Chika and others felt being pulled back by the music’s force.
Tsukagi wonders if this is for real because these guys are not only playing sixteenth notes but it is also flowing [/smooth and easy] and clearly distinct. “Obviously, the number of people [in their group] are a lot yet controlling [/pressing] the note as well as the tuning are not even disorderly to the slightest degree since it is all adjusted to uniformity..!!”
Sane, Michi and Kouta are tense as they wonder how they [Himesaka] are moving their hands. Hiro thinks that they are playing so fast yet how come no one had knocked down [/break] the bridge [of the koto]. Watching backstage with the adviser, Hozumi thinks that everyone is so amazing. She mentally cheers them on, gambatte, gambatte.
The adviser glances at Hozumi and recalls that time. Flashback: Hozumi told the adviser that she wants to be in the logistics. She said that during the Nationals, the non-performing members would help out at the side so she wants to also help everyone like that during the preliminaries.
Looking somewhat surprised, the adviser said that even if it is alright and perhaps, it is best that she can come to help. Then, the adviser asked if she isn’t forcing herself after all, she was the one who dropped her off [from the performance] so it is possible that she isn’t suited to ask this but, if she feels bad..
Hozumi admitted she feels bad..feels very bad but after two days from the announcement of the selection results.. Flashback 2: Hozumi is hesitant to open the door to the club. She is surprised when Rui suddenly put her arms around Hozumi and greeted her a good morning. Rui asked if she heard that starting today, the practice time has greatly increased.
“That is because of Kazusa and Wakaba, those two whose relationship is quite bad. Yesterday, they directly went to find sensei to talk it over.” Hozumi said is that so..those two.. Entering in the club room, Rui told Hozumi not to let her hands’ feeling become too rusty [/out of practice]. “We will still play together during the Nationals.” Hozumi is surprised as her friends smiled at her. End flashback 2.
Hozumi said, “In the end, I’ll definitely regret it if I only have those feelings of disappointment while passing this period of time until the end of the preliminaries. I also have comrades who are able to say that kind of words to me. I also want to be with everyone in doing their utmost best during this time.” End flashback.
The adviser looks back at the performance and thinks that no matter what, she also wants to make these children participate in the Nationals, please. Suzuka thinks that always until now, there is no trace of it being disorderly. Yamamoto thinks that it’s so amazing. Satowa thinks that it is almost the start of the third part—
The Himesaka girls strum their koto at the same time. Everyone is shock by the force of their music again. Tsukaji thinks that on top of the string breaking sixteenth notes, there are irregular pressing of half notes or perhaps whole notes. “And all at the same time, with so many people, are they humans!!?”
Komaki asks what is this..the koto..playing it quite amazingly.. Kinoshita looks really aghast as she wonders that for them to play this..they are high school students like them, right..? “And, they are playing the same musical instrument like ours, right..?” Hozumi is teary-eyed over the performance.
Looking really determined, Kazusa thinks, “Won’t say again BECAUSE WE ARE HIMESAKA and lower our guard. IT IS BECAUSE WE ARE HIMESAKA SO WE’LL WIN!!!” As Chika’s group watches, Chika thinks, “..so amazing. ..ah, this is.. yes, I also understand. This is the timbre that can be played due to ‘not knowing how many ten thousand times I’ve practiced this’.”
And, Himesaka finishes playing. Nene and everyone applaud. Sou [judge] comments that no wonder it is.. Kazusa looks at Wakaba who smiles back at her. Kazusa sees Hozumi with their adviser clapping. Seeing Hozumi’s smiling expression made Kazusa smile.
After clapping, Satowa[?] thinks that even if this group played quite meticulously on top of it being very uniform but they unexpectedly practiced up to this point-- Chika says that until now, he once dislike their [Himesaka] performance but the performance just now is really good! The others look surprised at his comment.
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Sane, Michi and Kouta tearfully scold Chika for being an idiot for what’s up that he’ll suddenly approve of the opponent and approving of them is equal to losing!! Chika shouts for them to shut up, good is good! “But our performance is better!!” Suzuka lets out a laugh. This irked Chika that he asks what is Suzuka laughing for.
Suzuka says that it is nothing, ya, he felt that part of Chika is really good. Michi says that it is the part of being too frank to the point of being stupid. Sane says an optimistic idiot. Kouta says that he also likes that part of Chika. Boink. Boink. Boink. With bumps on their head, the three shouts that they were obviously praising him.
Takezou shouts where Chika is going. Chika angrily shouts, toilet!! Someone tells him to quickly come back for the next one will start soon. Chika shouts he knows already!! Satowa just thinks, geez.. Looking nervous, Tsukaji mutters that Kanagawa’s king is really impressive.
While Komaki is raving over how cool koto is, Tsukaji thinks that merely losing once can arouse the king up to this degree. “‘Three Variation’ demands a pair to match each other. It is already quite difficult but unexpectedly a group of high school students can perfectly play it using that many people. Surveying the Nationals, it is also estimated that one couldn’t find a second group [like this]...
...Even if one cannot say ‘playing orderly’ is the whole performance but to be able to uniformly deduce it up to this level, it cannot be helped for people to be become amazed [by it]. It is impossible that there is still a high school that can surpass them!!” Fujimoto stands up from his seat. Kinoshita is still aghast for she couldn’t believe that the level of the preliminaries is this high.
“Even if I saw the DVD of the previous preliminaries at the club room..but it is totally different when it is heard onsite and no wonder it is the timbre and resolution.” She snaps out of it when Fujimoto calls out to her and says that it is almost time for them to prepare so they should go.
Kinoshita says yes. Then, she looks surprised. She looks at her trembling legs. She wonders what to do for her legs are trembling and she couldn’t muster up her strength [to stand up]. Kinoshita apologizes to Fujimoto and asks him to please go ahead. This irks Fujimoto and asks she shouldn’t be going all stage fright after reaching this point.
“What kind of joke is this. Isn’t it because you said that no matter what you wanted to appear onstage in a tournament. That is why I came along with you. *Kinoshita looks surprised* Geez..let’s go, Kagari.” Kagari asks if they are going, what about Kinoshita. Fujimoto shouts who cares about her. Kagari asks, huh-?
Kinoshita thinks, “Ever since from the start, my name is always bypassed. *the teacher scratched his head and said, strange, who else didn’t he call [during roll call] and Kinoshita raised up her hand to timidly say, ah..* When dividing into groups, there is also no one who’ll think of me. *other girls ignore her*...
...I’m always a dispensable existence. I already really hated the me who is like this. People who are engrossed over something *a girl painting* people whose members [of the team] mutually helping and working together. *guy with his basketball teammates* In my view, these people are quite dazzling and they make me envious...
...*the adviser said, ‘ah, you want to join the Nationals preliminaries. Is that so? That exam study leave. Ah, you guys also didn’t participate in some club activity. In the end, it is very good to join one.’* -Wrong *Fujimoto complained that the tournament is very annoying and Kagari asked if it is that kind of ‘holding a club activity’ feeling’* I--”
Kinoshita starts slouching and lowering her head down. Then, she sees Chika’s face. Startled, she immediately sits up. Chika asks where she is feeling uncomfortable. This puzzles her. Chika explains that he saw her always lowering her head and she is quite listless. She says no, she is okay and she doesn’t feel uncomfortable anywhere..sorry..
Standing up, Chika says okay, then that’s good, he’ll go to the toilet. Before he leaves, he notices Kinoshita trembling. He asks where are her school mates, aren’t they around. She tells him that they went ahead to the tuning room. He asks her if she doesn’t plan on going and isn’t she going onstage.
She says, ah..she..right now, she is very scared and her performance is really awful so..her legs won’t listen to her..she couldn’t stand up. She wonders what she is saying for obviously, he is someone whom she met for the first time--.. To her surprise, Chika grabs her arm and pulls her up. He says that she’s standing already. Surprised Kinoshita says ah, yes!!
Chika asks if she wants him to carry her to the tuning room. Kinoshita assures him that she is alright. Turning around to leave, Chika says ah, is that so. She calls out to him. He turns to ask, ha? She is surprised that she would call him. She struggles to say..ah..that is..no..nothing..sorry..thank you..
Chika tells her, “In the performance later on, let us do our best.” She says eh. He already left. Recalling him telling her ‘let us do our best’, Kinoshita becomes teary-eyed for it is the first time someone said those words to her. Then, she notices that her legs are no longer trembling. She takes her bag and goes upstairs.
At the hallway, Chika wonders what’s with that ‘let us do our best’ and is it the first time he said those words. He blushes for he suddenly feels a bit embarrassed. Recalling the time when they were so nervous and Kinoshita saying ‘legs won’t listen’, Chika thinks that everyone is like that.
Soon, fourth group, Kanagawa Kisa High’s ‘Spring Poetry Anthology’ is being performed. Kinoshita joins her club members. Irked Fujimoto asks what, he thought that she was so afraid that she run back home. “Can you properly play?” Kinoshita says yes, she’s truly sorry. Fujimoto says okay, quickly get ready.
Recalling what Chika told her, Kinoshita calls out to the two and says, “In the performance later on... let us do our best... After all, this is the last opportunity when all three of us can play onstage..” She is surprised when Fujimoto asks what she is saying.
“I’m really disgusted with that- such insincere lines. Do you feel that no matter what you have to first say some nice words? Forget about that kind of words and quickly get ready!” Kagari tells her what’s the use of saying ‘do your best’ but rather, it would be better to hurry and finish this so that they can go home because there is a television drama that she wants to watch.
Kinoshita becomes downcast. She thinks, “‘Let us do our best’ –ah ah, as matters stand.. what am I still expecting. ..really like an idiot. As matters stand, I’m still dreaming.” At Houdzuki residence, Akira is hurriedly walking through the hallway. She didn’t think that the practice time would drag so long and she has to quickly go to the venue.
Akira notices her grandmother coming out of the room. Doujima quickly goes back in. Akira wonders if she is still angry although, this is inevitable.. Then, she looks at the other room. In her room, Chiharu has just received Satowa’s letter. She starts to read it.
Comment: And, Himesaka is the school to beat. Not only the students but also the adults are all amazed by their performance that seems to surpass human level. It turns out that be a very complicated and fast piece that I guess it is really amazing that they played it without any mistakes.
It made me think that no matter how the competition ends, they can have a career in playing koto. Actually, to be this dedicated and hardworking to achieve this feat, they can become successful people in the future.
Hozumi’s attitude after not being selected is also quite good. She doesn’t want to sulk and be jealous but rather, she makes it to a point to be part of the team. It helps a lot that the others will make sure they’ll get to the Nationals where she can join and play with them again. She would to repay that touching gesture.
As usual, Chika is being cute with his comments. He’s really quite optimistic to the point of being a naïve idiot. Of course, that is good in a way rather than become like Kinoshita. Kinoshita is in such an awful group. They just want to do it and get it over with. It cannot even be called a group like the others are. She does long to have friends and that is probably why she joined a club. She hopes that their relationship will become better because of the competition but as shown later on, they aren’t into that kind of things.
So, I’m wondering is the mangaka just showing that not all groups are like Chika’s and the others’? There are groups that who aren’t really into competing and aren’t really close to each other. I would think that their music will reflect on that. Hm..I wonder if this is Kinoshita’s last opportunity to play because if it isn’t, I’m thinking that she might want to transfer school to Tokize.
As for the mother, I’m not sure if she’ll still be stubborn and won’t go see the performance. Also, will Akira urge her to go? Maybe force her to go? I think the next chapter will start with whatever is written on the letter. Scans by 二次元秘店汉化
Quote of the day:
The words you write or speak to others can leave a huge impact and create a lasting memory--either good or bad--so it's super important to choose them wisely. ~ Peter Economy