Too Many Losing Heroines! - Volume 7 - Chapter SS3

Melonbooks Special

Intermission: Bounitsuki and Inoshikacho

*The following short story contains spoilers, so please read it after the main story.

After school, in the student council room.

The weather turned bad this afternoon, and now the only sound outside the window is the steady patter of rain.

The kouhais have gone home already. Only the two third-year students, Yumeko Shikiya and Hibari Hokobaru, remained in the room.

They are sitting across each other at a small table, each holding a set of cards as they play.

This is a version of "karuta" known as "hanafuda". It's a card game that, for a time in the past, had been banned because it was associated with gambling.

Hokobaru drew a card, matched it with one on the table, and then added it to her hand.

"Are you sure this is okay? Just playing a game as payment for covering the study tour for me this weekend?"

"Yes, this is…fine…"

Shikiya flipped through the deck and drew a card with a blue ribbon design with her delicate fingers.

Tilting her head slightly, she placed it on the table, and Hokobaru placed a card with a ribbon and a peony on top of it.

"Aotan. I get 5 points."

"...You're…really good at this, Hibari…"

"Yeah, I was trained strictly by my grandfather in shogi, go, and hanafuda. And whenever I was short on pocket money, I would play with my grandfather and uncle."

"Gambling…isn't good…"

"Don't worry about it. It's just my way of being a good kid to the elders."

Hokobaru smiled as she shuffled the deck.

While dealing the cards, Hokobaru casually asked-

"So, how was the wedding venue tour?"

"It was…kind of interesting…"

Shikiya said thoughtfully as she looked at her cards.

Hokobaru nodded and then drew a card.

"Shikiya, it's rare to see you so taken with someone. You seem to like that boy a lot."

Shikiya's hand paused as she was about to play a card.

"That boy…feels kind of like…Koto-san…"

She said, placing a "Bounitsuki" card on the table.

"He's…interesting…"

"Interesting, huh? I can see that."

Hokobaru picked up the card on the table and nodded slightly.

"Well, let's go for another round of koi-koi?" [TL: Hanafuda with 2 people.]

Facing Hokobaru's confident smile, Shikiya drew a card and then turned over another from the deck. 

She drew "Sakuranimaku".

Shikiya swayed slightly and then placed the card down with a snap.

"Ameshiko. I…win…"

Hokobaru sighed deeply, her fingers still hovering over her cards.

"I lost. I guess greed doesn't pay off after all."

She smiled wryly and placed her cards on the table.

"It's not over yet, right? How about another round?"

"Fine by me…"

The sports clubs have ended their training early due to the rain, leaving the school unusually quiet.

-The student council's term is nearly over.

They won't have moments like this anymore once they begin preparing for entrance exams.

And both of them are fully aware of this.

With the sound of rain behind them, Hokobaru and Shikiya quietly took turns playing their cards as if they were reminiscing.

[TL: I've barely heard of hanafuda, and there aren't really English terms to describe the cards and combos used, so I'm keeping the original Japanese ones. I guess the game's point system is kind of like riichi mahjong's, but honestly, you should definitely Google this if you're curious.]