nhp: (Default)
Nhi ([personal profile] nhp) wrote2017-11-18 07:45 pm

Scout! Coloured Flower Cards, Chapter 7

Writer: Akira

Season: Summer

Characters: Souma Kanzaki, Keito Hasumi, Kurou Kiryuu, Shinobu Sengoku

Location: Martial Arts Hall

T/L notes:
  • 'Momiji' cards are the maple leaves one for the October suit in Hanafuda
  • 'Hana' means flower, and 'Hanafuda' is literally 'flower cards'
  • 'Manjuu' is a traditional Japanese confection derived (and is similar to) mochi (wikipedia link)
  • 'Kenka-mikoshi' is the type of mikoshi (wikipedia link) where you play-fight other ones to try and topple over the opponent
  • 'Five light cards' refer to the crane, camp curtain, full moon, rainman, and Chinese phoenix cards


Superficial Dreaming - Epilogue 1
 
Shinobu: Whoo hoo! I’m gonna play all I want now that the meeting has wrapped up quickly de gozaru~ ☆

Souma:
Yes. It is our job to sleep well and play often while we are still children
 
Come, come, everybody—reveal your high-scoring hand!
 
Shinobu: What do you mean by ‘high-scoring hand’? Kanzaki-dono~ I’m not that good with understanding the rules for Hanafuda de gozaru!

Souma:
Ah, rest assured, I shall properly explain it as we go along

“Hachi-Hachi” is a game played with three people, so only I and Sengoku and Anzu-dono can play. I apologise but the other two will have to sit this one out

Kurou:
I don’t mind. I don’t really get the rules behind Hanafuda either so it’s hard for me to participate and all. I’ll enjoy myself by just watching you all play

Souma:
Is that so? …… Fufun, I unknowingly end up collecting the momiji* cards. It resembles Autumn and is like that of “Akatsuki”

Shinobu:
Aah, is this momiji de gozaru? I have a bit of knowledge here and there de gozaru, but are the Hanafuda cards drawn using flowers corresponding to the twelve months of the year?

Souma:
Yes. Whether that is why it is called Hana*fuda…… I do not know. But there are a range of ones that do not really give off the impression of flowers such as the paulownia, willow, and susuki grass

Well, the plants more or less produce flowers
 
Shinobu: Now that you mention it, the ‘hana’ part of the momiji isn’t the flower but the leaves de gozaru……

Nihihi, it’s got the same shape as the momiji manjuu* that I made you let me eat outside earlier de gozaru~ ♪

Souma:
There are leftovers stuck on your cheek, Sengoku. Do not move, I shall get it for you
 
Keito: Haha. You look like siblings who get along well when you do that

Souma:
Hmmm…… Perhaps it is because Sengoku is like a child, but no matter what, I end up treating him like I do with my little brother who is still very young

Even though in reality, Sengoku is not that different in age from me

Kurou:
Aah, so you have a little brother, that’s right. Too bad it’s not a little sister huh, Kanzaki
 
Souma: No, I do not think it to be an unfortunate thing or anything…… Little brothers are great too. Though mine is at the prime age of mischief so watching him makes me anxious

Keito:
I see. We also get anxious when we look at you

Souma:
Hngh. It is somewhat regrettable to be thought of as like my little brother. I would be glad if I was treated as a reliable comrade that charges through the battlefield alongside you
 
Keito: Aah, of course…… Sorry, I didn’t mean to be looking down on you

Comrades, huh. If that’s the case, then it’s probably also best that you know

Kanzaki. It’s fine if you listen while playing Hanafuda, but hear me out

Souma:
Okay…… However, it may be a little late to ask, but is it really fine to be playing? I am having fun, but—

Keito:
Yeah. The meeting was brief and the course of action for the “small job” has also been decided after all

No matter what, we are “Akatsuki”. 'It’s fine to stick to our usual programme' is the conclusion that was reached

There’s no need to deliberately make a display of ourselves. That isn’t a part of our roles. Of course, it’s necessary to have all sorts of considerations and adjustments so that we can try and pique the interest of the examinees

Souma:
Yes. For me, the great victory from “Quarrel Festival” is still fresh in my memory…… So I would also like to perform a programme having been that original, but certainly without a loincloth

Keito:
Give up on that loincloth talk. How incorrigible

…… “Quarrel Festival” was a large-scale event that got other “Units” dragged in as well, so it’s probably difficult to do time and again

The examinees would be taken aback if we made our entrance using a kenka-mikoshi* after all
 
We’re fine with what we do always

It seems like you’re interested in Hanafuda regardless anyway, so it might be a good idea to make use of the particulars of the designs and such, similar to “Quarrel Festival”
 
Souma: Yes. In Hanafuda, in addition to the Ino-Shika-Chou, there are many combinations with significance by collecting the three cards of the Red Ribbon, Poetry Ribbon, or Purple Ribbon

I believe there are still more various elements that our three-man team of “Akatsuki” can make use of

In the same way, “Ryuuseitai” may also be able to theme their stage after Hanafuda, you know…… Sengoku. See, because the highest scoring hand in Hanafuda is the collection of the five light cards*
 
Shinobu: Ooh, because when the five lights become one, it’s “Ryuuseitai” right de gozaru! Ahaha, even the designs that are all over the place at first glance are like us…… ♪

It might be good to even try and suggest that plan to everyone whenever the opportunity arises de gozaru…… No, well, it’s a forward move for a first-year student like me de gozaru

But seeing as Taichou-dono rather incessantly comes asking, “Is there anything you wanna be doing?” he likely won’t really get mad if I put out that proposal de gozaru

Keito:
I see. That’s true—previously, the circumstances were difficult if you wanted to do something after all……
 
Morisawa probably doesn’t want you all to have a taste of that same suffering of his

In the past, Yumenosaki Academy’s environment was a lot harder to breathe in than now. We desperately struggled because we wanted to change around that sort of situation

Of course, it’s not as if everything we did was correct
 
So that everyone could have their dreams come true—no…… So that at the very least, everyone would not give up on their dreams was the sort of end situation that we wanted. But in that process, we ended up snatching away a number of dreams

We of “Akatsuki” are not the first ones to make the concept of a Japanese style into a criterion
 
You probably don’t know because it was a period of time when you still had yet to become a member, Kanzaki, but—

Because of our coming into power, another Idol with a Japanese style gradually did a turnabout and disappeared……

This one missing Hanafuda card is something left behind by that Idol
 
They abandoned their props and such, and ended up quitting school
 
It’d be a waste to throw out and all too, and because they never came to retrieve it, we were safekeeping it

Their dreams were crushed and they completely left the scene. It’s our fault, we chased them out—thinking things like that is probably arrogant of me, but—

As I thought, I always end up being bothered by it

I would’ve been glad to be able to write a script whereby no one would suffer misfortunes, but I didn’t have that kind of ability in me


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