Last Game [Chapter 38]

On the day before the Autumn Cultural festival, the astronomy club is preparing their yakisoba [chow mein] booth. Shiori gives a paper to Yanagi to type-set. Yanagi apologizes for not being able to help much. Shiori says that it is okay, for he was solely preoccupied at that side, and the tennis club will hate her. There is a scene of the tennis club members grabbing Yanagi and telling Shiori to give Yanagi to them this autumn. Shiori[/Yanagi] says that they are already harboring resentment. Patting Souma’s back, Shiori says that anyway, there is Souma here, he’ll do Yanagi’s share in catching the girls [for their booth]. Souma grumbles that thinking that he’s Yanagi’s replacement makes him lose his enthusiasm. Then, Kujou tells Yanagi that the ones from the tennis club are calling him. Before Yanagi leaves, he sees the cellphone strap of her phone. He comments that she is using it and she says ya. Seeing Kujou’s reaction, Souma wonders, is it possible that..? Souma is then called by Yoshida to help him bring the paint. And finally the festival day arrived. Everyone is told to have fun. Wearing a kimono, Yanagi asks what does a kimono got to do with yakitori [chicken barbecue]. Giving him a sign board, the male club members tell him that being exquisite is an eye-catching way of recruiting customers.

The other member mutters that Yanagi is already good looking but look at him..a ninja [<- hiding face] The tennis club members tease Yanagi for being handsome. The girl member gives a Yanagi his schedule and tells him to come back to the booth after two hours. Yanagi is shock that they are making him work non-stop by alternating with recruiting and watching the store every two hours. He wonders if this is something from some sinister companyYanagi tries to protest about it being over the top but the two members are darkly laughing for they got a deficit during the spring festival, and they are going to leave everything to him so go earn his share for the spring festival. Yanagi is aghast for they look serious. Yanagi sighs for he wasn’t able to stroll around the booths during spring with Kujou, and he thought that this time.. He mutters that that being handsome is a loss [/setback]. Ninja asks believe it or not, he wants to hit him. Back at the yakisoba booth, Kujou has finished giving a customer her order when Shiori and Miyabe come to take her place. After taking the apron from Kujou, Shiori suggests for her to stroll around the booths for there are a lot of them around. Kujou wonders if Yanagi is watching the [yakitori] store. Miyabe takes over for Souma in recruiting the customers.

After Kujou greeted Souma, he asks her where she plans to go. While Kujou struggles to say something, he says that if she is alone, then..would she want to stroll around with him. While Kujou continues to struggle to say something, Souma says that he’s kidding, and don’t look at him like that for he is actually also busy. He bids her goodbye and left. Kujou remembers Tachibana telling her to quickly make Souma give up. Kujou plans to tell him after the festival for she must tell him clearly. While walking away, Souma sighs and mutters that he is probably a loser [/guy with no future]. Somewhere else, ninja tries to get a couple of girls to accompany them to their booth but they decline by saying that they have already eaten. Yanagi tells the two not to say that, for it is really delicious at their place. He smiles and they are charmed enough to go and check it out. Ninja mutters about having low self-esteem now so can Yanagi let him hit him especially on the face. Yanagi refuses.

Then, ninja gives Yanagi a badge that he forgot to give him earlier. It is a joint activity of the students and visitors. Even if people can freely join but they are compulsorily asked to wear the badge. If he finds the person with the same number, the boy and girl will sign up their names and get to have a couple of tickets to a theme park. Looking at the badge, Yanagi says that he got number 6. Yanagi says that the organizer’s intention is... Then, he sees Souma and calls out to him if he wants to go to their yakitori store. Souma tells him not to make profit from him. He thinks that Yanagi is the one whom he really doesn’t want to see right now. He already knows the ending but even so, he wanted to tell Kujou for him to be content but ‘anyway, no matter what, he couldn’t compare to Yanagi’. Souma holds his head and thinks that is enough for that is really awful. Then, Yanagi asks if Souma is also number 6. Yanagi starts saying it is obvious that the motive is to be a matchmaker to increase the sales of the stores even if it is no big deal. To confirm the number the staff’s number, one must go around the stores. But then, there are those who took the bait. Fujimoto suddenly comes out and exclaims that Kujou is also number 6.

Yanagi is surprised by that. He suddenly grabs Souma and demands that he give his badge to him. [<- Yanagi has totally taken the bait] Fujimoto tries to stop Yanagi for it is unsightly for aside from Souma, there are others who got number 6. Yanagi says that he doesn’t care about the others, only Souma cannot have it. She tells him that he’s excited which Yanagi denies for he is giving his all. Souma thinks that is enough, Yanagi obviously already had so many things, really awful. He teases Yanagi that those two tickets are not bad so he go find Kujou, so let’s just wait and see who’ll get those tickets. Yanagi tries to stop him but ninja tells him to seriously recruit customers. All fired up, Yanagi says that he only have to do his best and get as much customers so that this duty would be over, right? So, while wondering what Kujou is doing, he tries to get a girl to go to their store. The girl isn’t that into yakitori so he starts to kneel down and ask for her help. The girl is moved and decides to go. Yanagi thinks that he must grab the opportunities [to get customers] so wait for him, Kujou. <- guy who has abandoned his honor. Meanwhile, Kujou goes to the yakitori store but Yanagi isn’t there. The guy recognizes her as the one avoiding Yanagi. Kujou just bought some yakitori.

The guy asks if she wants to leave a message for Yanagi but recalling that there are many booths around, she says no need, compared to that, she wants to stroll around first. The two tennis members feel sorry for Yanagi because compared to stores, Yanagi is.. Kujou passes by a huge group of people who are passing the message about a handsome guy using kneeling, pulling one’s hand and even princess carry to bring them to their store. Soon, male tennis member praises exhausted Yanagi for the customers that he brought. Then, he informs Yanagi that black haired girl came to look for him but after buying yakitori, she went to some other place. Yanagi falls on the ground and mentally calls for Kujou. He decides to call her on her cellphone but she isn’t answering. He grumbles that Kujou still doesn’t know how to use her cellphone. Kujou’s phone is deep inside her bag. Yanagi runs off thinking that at this point, he can only depend on himself to find her. Somewhere else, Tachibana’s friend asks her about that handsome guy who came to their festival before isn’t around. Tachibana says that he is probably at the tennis club. While they look at the map where their booth is, Tachibana diverts their attention by telling them that there is a handsome guy there. Her friends go to the handsome guy to ask him to show them the way. Tachibana thinks that this is so-called ‘birds of a feather flock together’.

Recalling someone [Yanagi?] saying that appearance is not related to the decision, someone bumps into him. It is Yanagi. Yanagi apologizes and mentions about looking for Kujou. Before Yanagi can leave, Tachibana says that she is going to suddenly say some strange things but if before, she is very fat, how would he view her. He smiles and tells her that even if he doesn’t know what she meant but through hard work, she became cute, right and he thinks that it is very amazing. Tachibana recalls Kujou saying the same thing. She sadly smiles and says that she saw Kujou by the fountain. Yanagi thanks her and leaves. Tachibana just smiles and says, ya.. While running to find Kujou, Souma thinks that from the start, he already knows the conclusion and even if he knew earlier on, even if it is like that, for him to struggle to run until the end, isn’t that also very amazing. Even if it is unsightly and embarrassing, it is no big deal for him to eat this defeat, and what of it. And by the fountain, both guys ‘find’ Kujou at the same time. The two argue to let go for ‘he’ found her first. Then, Yanagi grabs Kujou’s hand and calls Souma stupid for the one who goes to the reception area first is the winner. At the reception area, Yanagi is shock to learn that his badge is number 9 because of the mark below the number so it isn’t 6. Souma laughs his head off at Yanagi who tries to protest. While Souma gets the tickets, Kujou is puzzled over the fuss. Souma holds out the tickets to Kujou and says that they go together. Kujou looks somewhat surprised. Thinking that he should start concluding this love, Souma asks Kujou that she got something to tell him, right?

Comment: Souma gets his last hurrah when Yanagi lost this match due to a technicality. So, the rejection is going to happen in the next chapter unless something else delays it. ^^; Of course, Yanagi is there so he might hear Kujou’s reason ^^ He might be nice like what Tachibana did in this chapter, and give them the tickets. Even if Tachibana says that she won’t help, she did. It is amusing though how Souma viewed Yanagi for having everything but still doing his best for something. Of course, Yanagi doesn’t know that he already got Kujou. It just makes me think that Souma didn’t know how long and hard Yanagi has been pursuing Kujou and the latest ‘scares’ he got so he can be very desperate now. Well, desperate enough to do those things in getting female customers so that he can find her. ^^; Desperate enough to get rivals away while he waits for Kujou. ^^;; In a way, it is obvious that Yanagi loves Kujou more than she does..for now. After all, it has been years and that is really something. Back to what I was saying, just like the ninja and Souma, sometimes we don’t know the problems and ‘inside story’ of a person and presumes that ‘s/he got it all’ when everyone has their own problems and flaws. Yanagi also has bad luck =P Also, it is nice to point out that the other ‘lesson’ here is to do your best even if it is futile so that there will be no regrets and ah..have fun at it while one can? ^^;; Hehe, I guess it depends on the situation for that 'lesson' to apply =P Scans by 红莲汉化组

Quote of the day:

I do the very best I know how, the very best I can, and I mean to keep on doing so until the end. ~ Abraham Lincoln