April 1, 2016

Last Game [Chapter 53]

Final arc start-!! It is already the new year since that night when Yanagi hugged Kujou and said, “After I finish sorting things up, --will you listen to what I’ll say?” Walking in the streets with Kujou and Tachibana, Fujimoto exclaims that she was able to buy it.

She got to buy a good fukuburo [lucky bag; is a Japanese New Year custom in which merchants make grab bags filled with unknown random contents and sell them for a substantial discount. Source: Wiki] to welcome the New Year. She thanks Kujou for the help. Kujou says that she doesn’t mind but is that really cost-effective.

Fujimoto says that this kind of thing is primary for the festive atmosphere. She comments that lately, Kujou seems to be in good spirits. Kujou is puzzled. Fujimoto ribs her by saying that it is about Yanagi for she got earrings and got hugged.
Tachibana asks if there is already a confession. This surprises Kujou. Fujimoto says that’s right, isn’t what Yanagi wanted to tell her a confession. Kujou asks how can that be, when he already likes someone. Tachibana thinks that she is saying that again.

Fujimoto protests that in a situation wherein one will hug a girl, isn’t that really almost that? Fujimoto shouts, “Con-fess, con-fess” Realizing it only now, Kujou comments that Fujimoto is using her for amusement. Fujimoto denies it.

Kujou says that she doesn’t know and starts to walk away. Fujimoto tells her to wait. Kujou thinks, confess huh.. At Yanagi’s place, Michiyo asks his son to watch a relay race together with her. Writing something on the table, Yanagi exclaims that right now, he doesn’t have time to watch it.
Yanagi curses for he wasted a month’s time before deciding to study abroad. In the end, when he noticed it, the time for the application for studying abroad is already less than a month. He has a lot of necessary documents that he needs to submit. Aghast, he thinks that the significance to those words [to tell Kujou] are already gone..and that is a confession..!!

Kujou arrives in school and thinks that it has been a long time since she came here. She muses that about the confession, she already failed at the hotel, as well as at the railway. And, if she were to think of it in detail, every time, she takes advantage of the exit [/run away from it?]

Perhaps, she must first make a firm resolution to prepare for it so that she relatively won’t easily fail. “In doing anything, one must inevitably have a plan. [<- forever using theory to resolve things.] Even if it is like that, I must properly schedule it in advance with Yanagi..  ..but, after the confession, what will then happen..”
Seeing Yanagi carrying a huge envelope and running towards her, Kujou is about to greet him a good morning when he passes by her. He exclaims, ‘see you’ and rushes off. This puzzles her. The next day, Kujou sees Yanagi by the vending machines. She thinks that this time, she’ll definitely succeed.

Just when she is about to call him, Yanagi is on the phone saying, so he’s saying that he wants him/her to give that data to his father, no, it isn’t that one, not that one that is folded into two..so he’s saying.. Seeing him quite jittery, Kujou decides to come to him again next time. At the library, Kujou spots Yanagi studying on the table.

While Yanagi is sleepy, Kujou quietly sits beside him. She turns and says, “Ah, Yanagi, let me say!” And, he is sound asleep. ^^; Later on, Yanagi wakes up and thinks that he had fallen asleep and besides, he still totally doesn’t have time to talk with Kujou..
While walking, he thinks forget it, it is inevitable, for it is better to wait until everything has been totally done, and there are still all sorts of things that he must prepare.

“After all, this is the personal confession of the great me..! *becoming increasingly arrogant* Generally, Kujou’s tears should warmly flow. Then, at one side, she’ll say, ‘I already like you the most..!’-type of words. And, she’ll pounce on me to hug me tightly..that kind of exceptionally good scene..! *not at all probable* He he he.”

Looking at his documents, Yanagi notices that he forgot to bring the data from his father’s computer. Just then, a woman calls out to him. It is his father’s secretary who was asked by Yanagi’s father to bring these documents to him.
Meanwhile, Kujou thinks that it always feel that Yanagi is very busy when he obviously said that there is something that he’ll tell her. “Could it be that it isn’t something important? *recalls Fujimoto saying that it is like a confession and it is almost that meaning since he hugged her tightly* I cannot treat what Fujimoto said as the truth!...

...But what she said is also right for one cannot just casually hug anyone like that. How should I say it. It is because of that, the person he likes..” From the corner, she is shock to see Yanagi hugging a woman. He says, ah, are you alright and the woman thanks him. <- she also calls him by his name.

Kujou is stunned for it is a sweet pleasant, beautiful and seemingly quiet woman which has the characteristics of Yanagi’s past girlfriends. She didn’t hear a couple of girls saying ah, hugged by a DD. What is a DD? A male college student. That kind of person is unexpectedly very capable. Then, when Kujou can hear things again, she heard one of the girls saying, that’s thoroughly disappointing, can guys stick like glue with a girl he doesn’t like?
The other girl says isn’t guys that kind of creature..really a scum! While waving goodbye to the secretary, Yanagi wonders why he is feeling a chill.. Kujou is thinking that it turns out to be like that..so it is like that..

“So many things that he has to resolve = confess to the person he likes; has something to tell her = introduce his girlfriend to her. *recalls how Yanagi introduced to her his ex-girlfriend/s* So, it is like that..”  <- a very huge misunderstanding. She kept on thinking that it turns out to be like that and for Yanagi, what he wanted to say isn’t a big issue.. And, she becomes very depressed.

At Yanagi’s house, Michiyo congratulates his son for successfully attaining the application. Scratching his head, Yanagi says that it is nothing and it isn’t something that has to be exaggerated. Michiyo happily decides to make a huge meal for celebration. Holding his phone, Yanagi thinks that this is good, he can now contact Kujou.
Kujou has just arrived home. She drops her bag and rests her head on the table [/kotetsu]. She totally doesn’t have the mood to do anything else. Her cellphone is ringing. She looks at it and it is Yanagi. She just stares at it then bows her head. Yanagi is puzzled for unlike before, she should have her cellphone at her side. He decides to call again.

Kujou thinks that it is fortunate that she didn’t confess and it is alright. Teary-eyed, she thinks, “We can be forever friends.” Her cellphone starts ringing again. She got annoyed that she flips it open. She turns off the phone and tosses it away.

On the other side, Yanagi freaks out that Kujou had hanged up on him [<- when flip phone is opened, the phone is being answered] and the cellphone has been turned off. He wonders what she is thinking for it isn’t that she couldn’t answer it but rather, she doesn’t want to answer it. He curses and decides to send her a message.
Yanagi’s father arrives home. Michiyo informs him that Yanagi had successfully attained the application. The father says is that so and congratulates Yanagi. Yanagi thanks him but the time is very pressing. The father says that it doesn’t matter for anyway, he is at ease regarding the things that Yanagi does.

Blushing a bit, Yanagi says is that so. His smiling father says, “Then let us go on our way.” This puzzles Yanagi that he asks go on their way..go where? His father says that didn’t he decided on it earlier that he’s going to the US. While Yanagi is puzzled and shock, his father says that he successfully attained the application so there is already nothing else left that he needs to do.

“After talking about you, my [business] partner’s executive secretary also said that he definitely will personally take care of you. Actually, everything has already been prepared.” His father holds up a luggage and two plane tickets. Yanagi exclaims that isn’t that plane tickets for tomorrow. “No..wait..ah..” The father asks could it be that he still has doubts?
Holding his cellphone tight, Yanagi says no..it isn’t about doubting something. His father seriously tells him that he had already decided to succeed his business, right? “Then, you should clearly know what is the utmost priority. That’s what there is to it, to want to succeed my family business.” Yanagi looks tense. Kujou is still depressed.

The next day, Fujimoto arrives at the club room [I presume] and says that she couldn’t get through on Kujou’s phone. Realizing it, Kujou takes her phone and apologizes to Fujimoto. Kujou has forgotten to turn her cellphone back on. She is shocked to see that she had 6 missed calls and 9 messages.

Sitting down, Fujimoto says that Yanagi also called her and annoyed her about what had happened. “What’s up with you?” Kujou closes her cellphone and says, actually.. Time skip and she says that is what happened. Fujimoto sweatdrops for they are already at this stage yet there is such a foolish misunderstanding.
Fujimoto says but about that.. Kujou says that if she calmly think about it, if she were to have this kind of thinking wherein that person is Yanagi’s girlfriend and he wants to talk so that he can introduce his girlfriend-type..then everything is just a wild goose chase for her [Kujou; it was all in vain].

Fujimoto thinks that she is really so calm. She tells Kujou then, there is no problem at all. Kujou says but.. She thinks that seeing that scene, even if her heart had already accepted this ‘person whom Yanagi likes’, and this time, she had clearly realized that it is true..but..

Fujimoto says that she understands her feelings but could it be that she won’t take action again. [/giving up] Kujou says that she also knows that she cannot always keep this up. She thinks, but in the end, she is still afraid. Souma suddenly flings the door open and calls out to Kujou. This startles the two. Kujou asks what’s up.
Scratching his head, Souma says that it turns out that they didn’t know.. “Mikoto-chan, about that.. I hope that you’ll calm down as you listen to what I have to say.” Kujou asks what? Souma says that just now, because of something regarding the exams, he called Yanagi.

“In the end, he told me that right now, he is on his way to Narita airport.. *this puzzles and surprises Kujou* It seems that he is going to study abroad. He’s going to the US.” This stuns Kujou. Fujimoto tells Souma to wait, she doesn’t understand what he meant, what is going on and Yanagi would suddenly study abroad.

Souma says that he also didn’t know since the signal got bad and it got cut off midway. Fujimoto asks Kujou. Kujou wonders if the phone call yesterday is about telling this to her. “On my own, I misunderstood his meaning. I hurt him and ignored him. So, without saying anything, he’ll just leave?”

Kujou looks at her cellphone. She opens the flip and reads one of the messages. Yanagi wrote, “There’s something that I want to tell you.” Looking flustered, Kujou thinks that she also has something.. “Yanagi, I also have..” To the two’s surprise, Kujou immediately runs off.
Comment: And, you guys have around one month to imagine what will happen next. ^^ Will there be finally, finally be a confession? Who’ll confess first? My bet is it will be both at the same time. What’s yours?

I’m kind of sure that it won’t be like what Yanagi envisioned it. That will be a shoujo cliché and this manga seems to be making a spoof of that..or rather, making fun of shoujo. For the climax for the series, I hope that it will be awesome, different and of course, make us all go ah—sweet, etc and it will be worth all this wait. ^^

Honestly, after first reading this, I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry over this two. ^^; Sometimes, I do wonder if the father is just pulling something. I mean, suddenly Yanagi has to leave after completing his requirements and making him realize his priority as the successor. Is he really serious or he is just giving him some sort of helping hand with Kujou? That was so fast that it seems surreal as if it was intentional whatever the motive is. Hehe, unless the purpose is to lead to the confession.

Nevertheless, this time, Kujou is indeed going to chase after Yanagi. And, for Kujou, it is just a short time compared to the long time that Yanagi gone through what she had gone through. So, definitely within a few months <- if the confession doesn’t happen in the next chapter, we’ll finally get to read/see the most awaited scene we’re always waiting for ^^ Scans by 红莲汉

Quote of the day:
Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent. ~ Marilyn vos Savant

PS. I found this comic strip in the Chinese scanlator’s weibo. This must be from the mangaka’s Twitter. They scanlated it into Chinese and I scanlated it into English. Since this is ending, maybe some of you haven’t read it yet so here it is: The narration of the male lead’s unfruitful ten years of unrequited love story.

36 comments:

  1. Waaaaa. Final arc already? This has been one of the mangas that I have been patiently waiting every month. Omg, I get to experience this feeling of not wanting a manga to end. But I guess, I'll be happy for both of them, especially for Yanagi, if (and I know they will) they will have a happy ending. After such a long wait >.<

    Anyway, I too Kat can't seem to think of what Yanagi's father is scheming. Are we in the situation again of thinking whether his father is pro or against Kujou being Yanagi's girlfriend?

    Also, I bet if Kujou could not meet with Yanagi at the airport, that will be one of her biggest regret. Why girl? Why did you not answer your phone at such an important time? Ugh! All these misunderstandings T_T

    I'll be patiently waiting (again) for the next chapter Kat. Thanks a lot for translating this. You're the best <3 n_n

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    1. Yup, Quennie.

      Hehe, yes, cannot wait to see their reaction ^^

      I'm not inclined to think that he is against Kujou especially since this is the last arc but probably wanted to stop Yanagi from being around the bush/no direction in his life-love life or something. Something like think of the future? Not quite sure actually but there does seem to be a scheme here on his father's part.

      Indeed.

      Thanks for reading and the comment ^-^

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    2. Yah, I think so. I guess his father just want Yanagi to make a firm decision. Well, Yanagi and Kujou can pull through things together. Especially Yanagi, after sll those years of unrequited love. I' m sure he's not inclined into giving up.

      I'm not sure what the ending would be like. Are they going to have an LDR? Or will they experience a 2-year-no-communication-then-Yanagi-comes-back-then-confession thing? Waaaa, I am now imagining things. Hahahahaha. Thank you very much Kat. Keep up the good work. ^_^

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    3. True.

      From what Kujou said what would happen next, I'm not sure they are ready for LDR. Perhaps, it will be the same as before and they can just call each other once in a while as they finish their studies. Then, just resume the relationship afterwards.

      I'm not sure if the confession will happen after college. ^^;; That should already be a proposal =P

      You're welcome and thanks for the comment ^^

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  2. Woooow... finally kojou recognize her own feeling and aware of yanagi exitence. Whahahhaha... i hope those two can see each other before yanagi fly to u.s. maybe they will.agree eaxh other to meet after studying...so this manga come to end???

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  3. Wooww.. Can't wait for the next chapter!! Wish kujou and yanagi confess their own feeling. By the way thanks for writing this summary. ^^

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  4. Ah, the suspense!!!!! I'd also bet both at the same time. I think that would be super cute. But either way is fine as long as their feelings finally would clearly come across. Thanks, Kat! Ugh, one month, huh! Gotta be patient. Hehe!

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    1. Hehe, you, too, Vill? ^^

      Yup and you're welcome ^-^

      =)

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  5. Kujou has been giving Yanagi hell for so many years. It's good for her to do the chasing and take some initiative. The best kind of scene would be her confessing and Yanagi becoming a blubbering, teary and blushing mess.

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    1. Hehe..Lidy..true.

      That would be an interesting sight. ^^

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  6. Leaving suddenly without saying anything after waiting for hellish 10 years.. What rubbish!.. What is he really thinking in his right mind!

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    1. Well, Angelstar, he did try to call her. Though I don't know if those 6 missed calls and 9 messages all happened during the night. He also asked Fujimoto to call Kujou. So, one cannot really say that he didn't try.

      In a way, the trip isn't going to wait anymore..and honestly, it is for the plot =P

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  7. Oh my gosh!!! the final arc?! I can't believe. I am seriously going to miss this manga. I just hope the ending includes some kinds of winning. I really want Yanagi to refer back to the beginning :)

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  8. Having put this on hold around the time of Souma's confession, the announcement that this chapter will start the final arc definitely gave me the push to return to it. Anyway, the last twenty chapters have been very enjoyable, despite the obvious stalling at times. I'm not one that really needs to see lots of Kujou and Yanagi post-confession, since they've basically been courting each other for quite a few chapters now and I'd prefer the story to end without pointless drama.

    This chapter was pretty amusing, especially since it reversed Kujou and Yanagi's roles a bit. Even though I wouldn't usually get my hopes up, I'm expecting some type of confession to happen in the next chapter. I'd prefer it to happen now rather than in the last chapter, since the remaining chapters could progress onward to other developments, such as a marriage proposal (that may be wishful thinking).

    Thanks for the summary :)

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    1. True, Redford. I guess post-confession might have less misunderstandings = less comedy so end the series already?

      Yup..perhaps, the proposal is on the last chapter to cap off the 'last game'.

      Thanks for reading ^-^

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  9. when kujou want to confess, yanagi will stop her and confess first, yanagi will never dare to make kujou lose.. good luck yanagi.

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    1. Is that so, Alfa..I thought he would rather have her confess first though of course, after everything, maybe that has changed.

      Yup.

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  10. Amano Shinobu-sensei, pleaseeee be kind....... for the sake of Yanagi and Kujou...... T___T
    Thank you Kat for the summary :D

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  11. When is the next chapter of last game and 5 to 9 kat??? And ookami no hanayome???...hehehehe

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    1. Diane, LG will probably be next month. 5 to 9..I'm taking my time..not really in the mood to translate the new chapter about 'talk & sex' ^^; OnH..perhaps after two weeks?

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  12. I just started reading this and it is so good! I wonder when the next one will be out. Keep Up the good work Kat!

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    1. Thanks~

      It will be out in Japan on the 24th. But the summary will probably be out later on until the Chinese scanlation is out.

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  13. Heyy :D
    when the next chapter?? *-*

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    1. Hiyo! As I mentioned above your comment, 'It will be out in Japan on the 24th. But the summary will probably be out later on until the Chinese scanlation is out.'

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  14. Pshaw not again....
    I was hoping this was it,
    When I read final arc here, I really did feel my pulse pound quicker, and unfortunately it turned out 'not yet'
    I want the confession already or a kiss
    even an accidental kiss on the cheek will do

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    1. Yup..it wasn't 'it' yet.

      Hehe...well, first things first...we should have a confession first. And since this is the last arc, it won't take a very long time before the kiss to happen..hopefully.

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  15. Hello, when will the next chapter released?

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    1. Elvia, it will be out in Japan on the 24th. Summary will depend on the Chinese scanlator's release.

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    2. Ah I see. I'll wait for the next summary. Does every chapter release every month?

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  16. Oh my.. thanks for the review of this chapter, Kat!
    I'm looking forward for their confession haaaa xD
    But actually, I want to ask if you have some recommendations manga or manhwa with this kind of genre like last game?
    I've been reading ao haru ride, strobe edge, orange, orange marmalade, and so on..
    Can you give me some recommendations? Thanks.. I'm waiting for your answers^^

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    1. Thanks for reading, gianna ^-^

      If it is slow moving romance, there is Hibi Chouchou or Kimi ni Todoke.

      For cute series, there is Rere Hello and Toshishita no Otokonoko.

      Trying to win the childhood friend, try Hatsu Haru.

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