Chihaya Furu - Volume 1 - Chapter 2.3

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MIDDLE SCHOOL EDITION – VOLUME 1
chihaya’s chapter – 3

chihaya’s chapter
waga mi hitotsu no aki ni wa
(autumn for me alone)

3 – ima wa tada (the only thing now)

Autumn had settled in.

‘And then Seki-sensei scolded the second-year who said Inaba-senpai could come back as the manager.’

Chihaya and Michiru were chatting by the window in the classroom during break. Michiru was telling Chihaya what had happened in the track and field club recently.

'He said, “Would you be able to cheer with a real smile on your face when you saw everyone running like normal while you couldn’t if you were in Inaba’s position?” If you could, you’d be a wonderful person, but it’s not that simple. It’d be material for a manga or a TV show.’

'Yeah,’ said Chihaya with a nod.

'Then Yamabe-senpai said, “She’s found something else she likes, so I’ll cheer Nao on,” and Seki-sensei agreed. Yamabe-senpai looked like she was going to cry again, but she said that clearly, took a deep breath and then smiled.’

Michiru patted Chihaya on the shoulder.

'Chihaya-chan, we’ll leave Inaba-senpai to you.’

'Yueah! I’ve been thinking about what I can do to help Inaba-senpai, see.’

Chihaya took out the big bag that she had forced into her locker.

'I borrowed this from Harada-sensei at the Shiranami Society.’

Michiru’s eyes went wide in surprise, but Chihaya continued emptying the bag regardless.

'A tatami tablecloth. If we put this on the desk, the cards won’t slip. Harada-sensei said they used this when they had a karuta performance overseas.’

'That’s called a rush mat, not a tablecloth, right?’

'But it’s got things to stop it from moving on the bottom.’

Chihaya flipped it over to show the bottom, which had tape on it to stop it from moving, like with bathmats.

'And since standing’s better than sitting, I was thinking about big, tall tables that wouldn’t flip. There’s a dressmaking table in the home ec room which you use to lay out cloth to cut while standing, right? I decided to use that room. And it’d be tough for Inaba-senpai to stand the whole time, so there’s something like a crutch or a chair – a stand. It’s collapsible. It’s like a crutch, but if you do this, you can rest on it.’

When Chihaya sat down on it as an example, Michiru smiled.

After school that day, Chihaya briskly invited Inaba and went to the home economics room.

Chihaya laid the tablecloth on the dressmaking table. Then, Inaba showed her the book she had been hiding behind her – The Book for Winning Hyakunin Isshu Karuta Competitions. Inaba laughed at Chihaya’s wide eyes.

'I studied a bit with this book and these ones too.’

Inaba kept taking more books out of her bag. She opened one and showed Chihaya a page.

'Forty-three of the hundred poems in the Hyakunin Isshu are love poems.’

Inaba took a handwritten list out from the book.

'Look. I don’t want to hand over cards like this. All of them feel like they were written from the heart. Like this one:

(Even the life that
I’d not have been sorry to lose
just to meet you once,
now, having met, I think:
'I want it to last forever!’)

'How wonderful!’

’“Just to meet you once”? Why?’

'This author was really, really handsome and a son from a very noble family, so he could get anything he wanted. Because of that, he looked down on the whole world and didn’t care about his life before he fell in love, but he met his beloved and started to want to live longer for that person… But he died at twenty-one because of a prevalent disease, leaving his newborn baby boy and his lover behind. Even though he wanted to live, he only lived until twenty-one!’

'Eh, is that so? That’s so sad.’

'Isn’t it? It makes you want to protect the card, doesn’t it?’

'Yup, I feel like I understand. Then let’s use these forty-three cards and seven more to think about a strategy.’

Chihaya took out cards using the list and thought about a strategy. She didn’t worry about placing according to the kimariji – she decided to put the cards Inaba liked in front of her first.

'OK, the bottom row… the cards right in front of you. Protect them well, OK? I’ll attack without holding back.’

'OK, I won’t lose!’

After fifteen minutes to memorise, Chihaya took the CD player remote controller.

'Inaba-senpai, it’s time. Let’s begin. I’ll play it at random today.’

The first poem was read.

<ai>

(It’s 'ai mite no’. Right in front of Senpai!)

Inaba responded. It looked like she had remembered the kimariji for the cards in front of her, at least. Her hand moved. Chihaya’s hand moved too.

(I can’t sweep them away. I’ll press the card. Press it. Press it lightly.)

Chihaya pressed the card closest to Inaba. She stopped herself from forcefully brushing it away. It was one of the things that Chihaya had decided she would be able to do to make it easier for Inaba to take cards.

Their hands overlapped. Inaba’s was on top. At times like this, the person whose hand was on the bottom took the card.

'Ah, too bad. This doesn’t count as the same time, right? If it’s the same time, the person whose row it belongs to can take it.’

'It doesn’t count. If I’m too easy on you, Senpai, you won’t become stronger.’

Chihaya said the same thing that she had been told at the karuta society, since she thought it was right.

'So strict! But I need to become stronger to protect the cards I like.’

'Somehow, that sounds like a line from some guy in a manga.’

'Yup, I’ll protect these princesses. These lovely and graceful princesses who yearn for love.’

Inaba stuck out her chest.

'So cool!’

The two of them laughed. Chihaya sent Inaba a card. Chihaya’s speciality, “chihayaburu”, though it wasn’t a love poem. With a brave smile, Chihaya played the next song.

<araza>

(Senpai’s again!)

Inaba was faster this time. Chihaya hit Inaba’s right hand.

“Ah!’

'Are you all right, Senpai?”

'I’m fine. Izumi Shikibu is mine. I protected her!’

Inaba hugged the card dramatically with pink cheeks.

'This is it, isn’t it? The “interestingness” you talked about, Chihaya-san.’

'Y-yes!’

It got through. Chihaya was moved. The interesting nature of karuta had reached Inaba, who was entranced by the romance of love poems.

(I wanted to play karuta like this with a friend. Karuta that I could use to show how interesting karuta is to a friend. Just like somebody showed me.)

'Let’s keep going, Chihaya-san.’

'Yes, here’s the next one.’

A chain of three karafuda –

'It’s mine!’

Inaba pressed down the card closest to her right hand. Even though 'wasure’ was on Chihaya’s side, Inaba had pressed down her card without any hesitation before 'ra’ could even be heard clearly.

'I… I lost. Senpai, your strategy worked. If you had been wrong, you would have taken the wrong card, right?’

'Eh? This is a strategy? Ah, right, there was “wasure” too.’

'They’re called tomofuda – cards that sound similar. Strategy is necessary here.’

'I see. It’s fine though. “wasuraruru” is a card I like, so I’ll protect it whatever I have to sacrifice. That’s what the poem means, after all!’

Inaba realised she was getting ahead of herself and calmed down to ask, 'Is it boring? Playing with me… I mean, I just keep talking about the things I like…’

'Not at all! It’s fun hearing about the things people like! It’s really fun for me too.’

Those were Chihaya’s true feelings. She liked it most when she and everyone around her were engrossed in karuta.

'I’m glad… I feel like I finally understand why you looked like you were having so much fun the first time we played karuta, Chihaya-san.’

When Inaba looked at Chihaya, it made her heart feel warm.

Like this, Chihaya and Inaba played karuta in the home economics room every day as the short autumn days passed. Karuta with only cards with love poems.

Chihaya taught Inaba, who had started to be able to protect her cards more frequently, one skill at a time, such as how to attack her opponent’s cards and how to draw back her hand after attacking.

Through teaching, Chihaya herself could see the match objectively and felt like she could become stronger and win in the next karuta society practice match. It was strange.

Every day, Inaba took one card and explained the meaning of the love poem before they started to play karuta. Chihaya just responded right then. The meaning didn’t really stay with her. If she had to stay, she was just itching to take cards more quickly. Still, the time she spent with Inaba engraved itself deeply into her heart, along with Inaba’s warm voice.

* * *

The cherry blossom leaves in the courtyard were a lovely colour. The main road’s zelkova trees, the symbol of the town, were dyed beautifully as well. The gingko trees were turning yellow too.

After school, Chihaya always went to class 3-4 to pick up Inaba. Yamabe would reluctantly leave the classroom with Inaba and say, 'Chihaya, be careful,’ with a stony face.

'The truth is Nonoka’s thankful to you too, Chihaya-san,’ said Inaba with a smile.

Yamabe turned red. 'It’s because Nao’s started smiling like she did before. Nothing more, nothing less.’

After mumbling that quickly, Yamabe said, 'I have club,’ and ran off.

Chihaya and Inaba played karuta with love poems… The relaxing days continued.

'Chihaya-san, don’t take it!’ said Inaba. Chihaya was vigilantly aiming for <koi zo tsumori de / fuchi to naru nuru> (so my longing has collected / and turned into deep pools).

'Eh? But I’ll lose if I don’t take it.’

'Lose every once in a while. I can only protect five or six cards from you. That’s right – I don’t mind letting you have this card if you understand the meaning of this poem.’

Inaba pointed at <konu hito wo> (for the man who doesn’t come).

'Please don’t make fun of me,’ said Chihaya with a pout. Then, the two burst out laughing.

In the end, Chihaya won with a twelve-card difference.

'Once more. Let’s play once more today,’ said Inaba, full of vigour.

'You won’t be tired? The day’s short.’

'It’s fine. Let’s play once more today. And there’s something I want to say.’

Inaba started to mix the cards.

'But… Look, the sun’s going to set. Walking in the dark is dangerous.’

Inaba looked out the window. She squinted at the sun peeking through the clouds and sighed, sounding reluctant.

'Let’s play tomorrow, OK, Senpai?’

'OK… Chihaya-san, the thing I want to say… Thank you for everything up until now. I’m thinking of putting an end to karuta soon. I’ve learnt how to protect the poems I like, and I’ll research techniques on my own after.’

Put an end to karuta? Chihaya couldn’t believe her eyes.

’… Eh? You weren’t going… to keep going? To keep playing karuta with me…’

Chihaya had thought that she would at least be able to play karuta like this until Inaba’s graduation. Her head went blank.

'Don’t look like that… I’m in third-year, right? I have to start seriously studying for entrance exams soon. Chihaya-san, I’m really grateful from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.’

Inaba bowed her head politely.

’… You won’t keep playing with me…’

Inaba looked apologetic as Chihaya showed her depression.

'Sorry, but my parents and granny both said that I won’t be able to get into a high school nearby that I can get to easily with my legs if I don’t study more. I think the same way.’

'But that’s… That’s just…’

Chihaya had tears in her eyes, so Inaba hurriedly opened the The Book for Winning Hyakunin Isshu Karuta Competitions book and flipped through the pages.

'It’s not like I hate karuta now. I’ll keep studying from this book after entering high school. There are strategies that you haven’t taught me yet. See here? I need to think about splitting okurifuda and tomofuda right? I need to remember all the cards too – karuta’s for smart people, isn’t it? Chihaya-san, you’re so smart.’

Since Chihaya was so engrossed in karuta that she didn’t study, her marks weren’t that good. Inaba didn’t know that when she spoke, so Chihaya felt even more depressed.

'So Chihaya-san, tomorrow, since it’s the last time, please play a serious match with me without giving any advice.’

'A serious… match…’

'I think that’s the most I can do in thanks. Sorry to be selfish. Sorry for only playing with love poems… Poems about seasons are important to the people who wrote them too, but… I realised that while reading these karuta books, but I still like love poems the most. Let’s compete with love poems.’

’… N… no. I don’t want to play a match like that… Playing a match to say goodbye is so sad.’

'Someday, when I get stronger, I’ll play with you again, Chihaya-san. I promise.’

'I’m sick of promises to play matches later!’

Chihaya snatched the cards from Inaba and put them in the box. A vein was pulsing on her forehead. Chihaya felt so hot that her whole body might burn. Maybe it was because the setting sun was just peeking through the window.

She hadn’t felt this way since the day she said goodbye to Arata… No, since Taichi said goodbye to her.

'It’s fine. I am very thankful too.’

'Chihaya-san… Sorry. It was really fun for me. That isn’t a lie, and I thought we’d be able to see each other again come spring…’

'It’s not that simple… Seeing each other again isn’t that simple…’

Then, Chihaya clutched her knees on the floor. Inaba kept apologizing, but then she left, like she couldn’t bear to be there.

Chihaya couldn’t even cry. Her hot body suddenly froze over.

It had become dark.

She noticed that the home economics room door had opened.

'Chihaya-chan? I heard you were still here… from Inaba-senpai.’

It was Michiru’s voice. She came in and crouched in front of Chihaya, who had her face buried in her knees.

'Chihaya-chan… you’ve been doing your best. It’s amazing.’

Michiru sat down next to Chihaya and placed a soft hand on top of hers..

'Eh…?’

Chihaya looked up without thinking and saw Michiru smiling there.

'Can I call you Chii-chan too?’

Chii-chan. That had been her nickname among the female friends she had in elementary school, but because Chihaya kept inviting people to play karuta, they stopped calling her that.

'Horikawa-san…’

'Chii-chan.’

'Hori… Michiru… chan.’

'Chii-chan.’

'Michiru-chan!’

Chihaya hugged Michiru tightly.

'Michiru-chan, I can’t play karuta any more… I can’t play karuta with Inaba-senpai any more…’

Chihaya’s tears wouldn’t stop. She burst into tears, sobbing loudly.

* * *

After school the next day, Chihaya nervously pressed the doorbell outside Inaba’s home.

She had asked for Inaba’s address. The residential area had more greenery than Chihaya’s, with roads surrounded by flowers and trees and city parks. Inaba’s house was a Japanese style one which looked like it had originally been a farm. There were places in the city that still had fields.

When the first ring didn’t get a response, Chihaya was about to press the bell once more when –

'Yes?’

The gentle voice of an elderly woman came through the sliding door.

'My name is Ayase Chihaya. I’m from Higashi-Oosato middle School. Could you please let me meet Inaba Nao – ’

The sliding door opened. A small-framed and gentle-looking woman probably in her late sixties stood there. Her almond eyes were just like Inaba’s, so Chihaya decided that this was her grandmother.

'Chihaya-san? I’ve heard about you. Come in.’

'Chihaya-san!’

Inaba and Yamabe appeared from behind Inaba’s grandmother. Both looked confused. Inaba got a hold of herself quickly.

'You’ll play a serious match with me then? Thank you!’

Chihaya nodded.

'I… I’m the one who should say thank you! You wouldn’t want to play a serious match at the end if you didn’t enjoy playing karuta with me, right?’ asked Chihaya, a bit lacking in confidence.

Inaba’s hands with in fists as she responded, 'Exactly!’

Inaba had gone forward with so much force that she fell forward towards Chihaya, and the two of them ended up hugging. Yamabe burst into laughter, unable to help herself.

'Nao, you’ve become a bit like Chihaya somehow.’

Chihaya suggested karuta with only forty-three cards – the love poems. Chihaya took thirty and Inaba took thirteen – a seventeen-card handicap. Inaba was allowed to choose the thirteen she wanted.

'You can think of this as fifty-fifty. A competition to see who will win.’

'OK.’

Chihaya put the tatami tablecloth that she had brought on the dining table and the two of them sat opposite each other. Yamabe and Inaba’s grandmother watched the match.

'Then I’ll give these to you, Chihaya-san.’

The thirty cards Inaba gave Chihaya included the ones that Inaba always protected in front of her.

'Eh? Is this OK? Aren’t these the ones you want to protect…’

'It’s my strategy.’

With a smile, Inaba looked towards her grandmother.

'I practised this way with my granny. Each time, she changed the position of her cards. Just trying to protect cards will only get me halfway, right? I planned on having a match with you once I was confident in attacking… though it ended up being now.’

'You got me… OK, I’ll take that challenge!’

Chihaya pondered over how to place the thirty cards. Since Inaba always just pressed down one card without knocking any away, maybe it would be better to place the cards she liked most separately. Then, Chihaya thought about what to expect – a different position and different attacking style than usual.

'Let’s begin the match.’

Yamabe used the music player for them.

<michi>

Chihaya had that card. She pressed it down quickly. Inaba’s hand went on top of Chihaya’s.

'First card!’

'Ah, you got it! This is frustrating.’

Two karafuda, and then –

'lt;chigiriki>

That card was in front of Inaba. Chihaya got this card too.

'This time I’ll get it!’

Inaba’s hand reached out at the 'ma’ sound and hovered over the 'ima wa’ card in Chihaya’s top row.

'Eh…’

Chihaya’s strategy had been to sweep up the tomofuda together, but Inaba, who didn’t like being rough with the cards, didn’t do it. Chihaya had let her guard down.

'I said a serious match, didn’t I? I’ve already done what you’re thinking.’

Inaba smiled happily and sent the <arima yama> card to Chihaya.

'This is a poem that means, “No, I will not forget you.”’

Inaba’s eyes told Chihaya that Inaba had wanted to send this card no matter what.

The match reached its climax. Chihaya had one card left, while Inaba had three. At points like this, the match was often up to luck depending on which card was read first.

Chihaya was waiting for <nageki tsutsu>. Inaba had <nageki tsutsu>’s tomofuda, <nageke tote>, <se wo hayami,> with a one-syllable kimariji, and <yura no to wo>, which had become a one-syllable kimariji since the other <yu> card had been read.

(If <na> is read, what will Senpai do? She’ll probably wait for three syllables to be read. I’ll reach out and get it on the way back if I need to.)

<na>

That moment, Inaba took Chihaya’s <nageki tsutsu> without any hesitation, crossing chihaya’s hand, which was reaching for Inaba’s cards.

<geki>

Inaba’s gut had been correct.

'I got it! I thought it wouldn’t be mine. Michitsuna’s mother can’t wait any longer – she’s been waiting for her husband for so many days, and he doesn’t come back often. I felt like a priest would be able to wait.’

'That’s…’

Inaba put out <se wo hayami>.

'It means, “Even if we part, let’s meet again.”’

Chihaya noticed now that each card Inaba sent her had been filled with meaning. they were a message to Chihaya. Chihaya’s heart felt warm.

'I’ll send you a card too.’

'Eh? Why? It’s my turn to give you an okurifuda – ’

Chihaya placed a handwritten card that she had been hiding in front of Inaba.

She gave Yamabe the same card. The extra white cards that had always been in the bottom of box were now torifuda for Inaba and Yamabe.

(if I hear you pine for me
I will return straightaway to you.)

That was the card.

'I was thinking of giving it to you after the match.’

'The Inaba Mountain poem…’

Before, in the home economics room, Chihaya had said that she thought the “chihayaburu” card was her own.

'Senpai, yours is “tachiwakare / inaba no yama no”.’

After Chihaya said that, Inaba explained the meaning of the poem.

'I’m waiting! To hear that you got into high school. Here, charms.’

Inaba and Yamabe lost to Chihaya’s energy and took the cards.

'After you pass, please come back to play karuta. Even after you graduate, wherever you go, please play karuta. Autumn and winter are cold for everyone… not just me. In order to be happy in the spring, I have to be a bit lonely first. I don’t like it, but I’ll bear with it to become really happy.’

’“tsuki mireba
chiji ni mono koso
kanashi kere
waga mi hitotsu no
aki ni wa aranedo”

(When I look at the moon,
I am overcome by the sadness
of a thousand, thousand things –
even though it is not fall
for me alone.)

“yamazato wa
fuyu zo sabishisa
masari keru
hitome mo kusa mo
karenu to omoeba”

(In the mountain village,
it is in winter that my loneliness
increases most,
when I think how both have dried up,
the grasses and people’s visits.)

'Those are the poems, right?’ said Inaba’s grandmother with a smile. 'You really do know a lot, Chihaya-san. I can’t believe you know the meaning of the poems too.’

Eh? Chihaya shook her head furiously, which made Inaba and Yamabe burst out laughing. Chihaya’s words and the poems had just happened to match up – it looked like they knew.

'Thank you… No, this isn’t fair, I can’t see now. This strategy is unfair, I’m so happy…’

Inaba pressed her hands against the corners of her eyes. Yamabe was crying and smiling as she rubbed Chihaya’s head.

'Making Nao cry? This is what you get… Don’t make me cry too, Chihaya!’

The first of the remaining cards to be read after the karafuda was <se wo hayami>. Chihaya took it, determining the match’s outcome.

Inaba kept thanking her, and Chihaya did the same. Yamabe and Inaba’s grandmother joined in and then soon everyone was in tears.

(I don’t want to leave. I want to think that I’ll be able to play karuta like this again tomorrow… My chest hurts. But…)

Chihaya, who felt longing, took in a deep breath and stood up from the table.

'Then I’ll be leaving now…’

Chihaya turned around. Yamabe called out to her.

'Chihaya, are you really OK?’

'Yup. I’ll look for friends to play karuta with me again. I won’t give up.’

'You really do like karuta. I kept thinking it, but you really do like it, don’t you, Chihaya-san?’ murmured Inaba.

Chihaya turned around.

'There’s somebody I want to see again no matter what. I won’t be able to meet this person unless I become stronger. This person taught me how fun karuta was.’

That’s why I’ll be fine! Chihaya smiled and bid farewell to the other two.

When Chihaya reached the road, she saw that the leaves of the maple trees by the road had started to turn read. She looked up at the sky through the branches.

(I wonder which way Fukui is…)

Stars illuminated the western sky. The dry north wind was cold, making Chihaya’s hands sting, she stuck them into her skirt pockets.

Then, she suddenly spoke in a loud voice.

'Ah! I have to give them the Daddy Bear erasers today!’

She had found them this morning. The ones she had missed the chance to give earlier. Chihaya ran back.