Chapter 669 Congratulations, You Win
"Next song..."
Hanyu Kusunoki stood tall on the stage, drew a karuta from the deck, and flipped it between his fingertips. The moment his eyes touched the card, he raised his eyebrows slightly, and a hint of barely perceptible interest flashed in his eyes.
It is a certain girl's trump card.
Offstage, Ooka Hongye's slender fingers gently brushed the edge of the card array, and her red lips curled up in a confident smile: "Xiaoye, you have been staring at the card in the lower left corner, right?"
He Ye's fingers trembled slightly.
"Starting from the third round, your eyes will sweep over there every five seconds." Hongye's voice carried the elegant accent unique to the nobles, "It's '风をいたみ rock うつ波の おのれのみ くだけてものを 思ふ瀋な', right?"
He Ye's ears turned red after his thoughts were exposed, but he raised his chin stubbornly: "So what?"
Compared to the cards she chose in the original novel, this time, the girl's mood is different when she meets the person she truly loves.
She used to be reserved, but now the love in her heart is like a surging tide that she can no longer hide, nor does she want to hide it.
She is no longer the shy girl who is "missing her love but can't hide it", but...
"'The wind is strong and the waves are surging, splashing against the rocks'——"
Hanyu Kusunoki recited the next waka poem at the right time, his voice as clear as spring water.
Two figures jumped up from the tatami almost at the same time.
"Snapped!"
Two palms slapped the target card at the same time, and Kazuha and Hongye's fingertips collided above the card, making a crisp sound.
The second half of the poem was written on that karuta card.
"Looking back with regret, I still love you"
It represents the girl's passionate love for her lover.
There were exclamations from the audience at the game venue.
"Who should be the winner?" Xiaolan widened her eyes.
Suzuki Ayako narrowed her eyes: "The rules of competitive karuta allow reasonable physical contact, but in this case..."
"It's so exciting!" Sonoko shouted while holding up a cheering stick that came from nowhere, and the hair accessories on her head swayed with her movements, "Go, Kazuha-chan! Fight for love!"
Xiao Ai sat aside and calmly tapped the keyboard: "Hehe, two guys who are blinded by love."
……
The competition continues in full swing.
"The weeds are thick and dense, and the deep courtyard is deserted"——"
"Snapped!"
"Kaifang Academy, Toyama Kazuha, get your cards!"
"'I tried to cross Yura Gorge, but there was no boat anywhere'——"
"Snapped!"
"Izumi-shin Academy, Ooka Momiji, score!"
As Hanyu Kusunoki read the cards, the two girls' movements became faster and faster. The number of karuta on the deck decreased one by one, and the scores rose alternately. The battle was so intense that all the spectators held their breath.
Before we knew it, the competition had entered its final stage.
Both teams now have only one winning card left in their decks.
The entire Gaoyue Hall was so quiet that it seemed as if time had stood still. You could hear a pin drop, and even the sound of breathing was unusually clear.
The hem of Ooka Momiji's kimono was slightly wet with sweat, but her eyes were still firm and sharp; Momiji's bangs stuck to her sweaty forehead, but her unyielding spirit was not diminished at all.
The two men placed their hands firmly on the tatami, their bodies slightly bent, like an arrow about to leave a bow, ready to be launched.
"We have entered a battle of destiny!"
Hanyu Kusunoki's voice broke the silence. He picked up the final karuta, his eyes wandering between the two girls, and said gently, "No matter what the result is, you have already proved yourselves."
He Ye and Hong Ye looked at each other and saw the same determination in each other's eyes. Then they took a deep breath at the same time and prepared for the final showdown.
Just when the situation became extremely tense, something unexpected happened.
Perhaps due to the aftereffects of the previous explosion and fire, the tall tower supporting Gaoyue Hall suddenly shook violently.
"boom!"
With a loud bang, a thick beam suddenly broke through the ceiling, unable to bear the weight, and fell straight into the center of the card array.
At the critical moment, Hanyu Kusunoki snapped his fingers, and the karuta in his hand turned into white light and shot out, nailing the fallen wood to the pillar three meters away, making a "buzzing" sound.
"The game continues."
He drew out a new card calmly, as if he had just dusted off his sleeve.
The audience swallowed collectively as they watched the karuta inserted on the pillars vibrating and buzzing on the big screen.
Special effects? This must be a special effect, right?
Who is the good guy using karuta as shuriken?
Xiao Ai rolled her eyes silently: "...you just know how to act cool."
"The winning card."
Hanyu Kusunoki raised the last karuta card.
"'If we hadn't met at the beginning, how could I have been moved by you?'——"
As the clear reading voice ended, Ooka Momiji almost immediately reached out to press the last karuta. As a delicate girl, every strand of her hair had been cared for, and even her fingernails had maple leaf patterns specially tattooed on them.
Her chestnut brown curly hair swayed with her movements. As a noble lady from a prominent family, every move she made was elegant.
But He Ye is faster than her——
The girl's high ponytail tied with a yellow ribbon drew an arc in the air, and her palm pressed on the karuta card accurately.
The two hands overlapped again.
Ooka Momiji's slender and well-maintained fingers were tightly clasped with Kazuha's youthful and energetic hands, and both of them were breathing slightly rapidly due to nervousness and excitement.
Looking at the karuta that was being held down by the two men, Hongye panted slightly and said, her chest rising and falling due to the intense competition: "I think I should be faster."
He Ye retorted: "No, I should be the one who was one step ahead!"
Whether it's karuta or Nan's heart!
She added in her mind.
The girl who bravely moves forward for love is full of vigor and vitality at this moment. She looks directly into Hongye's eyes without fear and speaks word by word: "Who should be quick? You should be the one who knows best!"
Ooka Hongye was stunned.
After a moment, she slowly withdrew her hand, "What is this move called?"
"The first of the first in Aikido!"
He Ye said with pride: "The ancestors started, and the ancestors arrived."
It means taking action before your opponent does, reacting in advance by anticipation, and thus defending or counterattacking before your opponent launches an attack.
This technique is one of the highest levels pursued by Aikido masters, but after being improved by Ikenami Shizuka and Kazuha over the past few days, it can also be applied to competitive karuta.
She kept this trick until the end.
Just for this decisive moment.
After saying that, He Ye relaxed his tense breath and slumped to the ground, breathing heavily, but his face was filled with joy: "Win, win...!"
Ooka Hongye knelt quietly on the spot, and unexpectedly, a relieved smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"Congratulations." She held out her hand to He Ye, "You win."
He Ye was stunned for a moment and held her hand: "Thank you, thank you..."
At this moment, the smoke of war between the two girls seemed to have completely dissipated, leaving only admiration for each other.
Watching this scene, Hanyu Kusunoki on the reading stand put down the karuta in her hand, smiled slightly, and announced to the camera:
"Kaifang Academy, Toyama Kazuha, wins!"
"The champion of this year's Gaoyue Cup - Toyama Kazuha!"
The audience burst into thunderous applause.
Xiaolan and Sonoko hugged each other and cheered; Mingmei patted her sister with a smile; Ikenami Shizuka smiled and said, "This child... is really patient and hid until the end."