Billiards - Chapter 4

[bakemonoremy]

Location: Grounds

Souma: Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred!

(Yes, I’ve raised my concentration quite well. Sword-swinging practice is good, after all.)

(After being scolded by Hasumi-dono for practicing my sword-swinging indoors a few days ago, I’ve resigned myself to only doing it outdoors from now on. Taking in the fresh atmosphere here, my condition is at its peak.)

(Physical strength is indispensable for an “aidoru”. For that sake, I won’t go over my limits.)

Madara: Excuse meeeeeee!!

Souma: Chesuto...!

Madara: Wh-....oops. Phew, that was dangerous! That was truly by a hair’s breadth!

Souma: Oh my, it’s Mikejima-dono!? I apologize. I reacted to your movement without thinking.

Madara: Noo, it’s my fault for charging at you, Souma-san! I’m sorry! Look, we’ve both apologized, so let’s drop it here!

Souma: Very well. In any case, is there something you require of me, Mikejima-dono?

Mitsuru: Sou-chan-senpai, I’m here, too!

Souma: Hm? Ooh, it’s Tenma. By the way, for what reason exactly is Tenma perched on top of Mikejima-dono?

Mitsuru: Hehe, Mike-chan-senpai is giving me a ride on his shoulders!

Ju~mp! Rolling, rolling, and landing! ...A perfect score ☆

Souma: Ooh, just like a cat. How splendid ♪

Madara: By the way, Souma-san, do you have any plans after school today?

Souma: Today? Today, I’ve been given the important job of feeding the fish at the Marine Biology Club by Buchou-dono ♪

Madara: I see, anything else?

Souma: Aside from that… Hmm, nothing in particular.

Madara: That’s good. Souma-san, would you like to play billiards with us?

Souma: “Biriyaado”? I think I’ve heard of that somewhere before…

Madara: It’s a game where you strike balls with a cue. It’s fun ☆

Souma: “Booru” with a “kyuu”? What on earth…?

Mitsuru: I’ve never done it before either so I don’t really know anything about it, but let’s play together! As they say, “You’ll get scolded less for 100 points than for 1 point!”* ♪

Madara: Hahaha! I think you mean “Seeing is believing”.

Mitsuru: Mike-chan-senpai said billiards is a good game to become better friends with someone.

I wanna become better friends with Sou-chan-senpai~!

Souma: Fufu, I see. But I don’t even have a rough idea of what this situation is. Is it really okay for me to come?

Madara: Of course! Everyone starts out as a beginner. I’ll teach you with hand, foot and sword** ☆

Souma: I wish you’d let me keep my sword at least, but I appreciate your offer to instruct me. I shall dare to attempt this “biriyaado”!

Mitsuru: Yaaay, we did it~☆ Mike-chan-senpai, is that everyone we need?

Madara: Yep! Playing billiards with five people will surely be a lot of fun ♪

Souma: Five people? Who else is coming?

Madara: Anzu-san and Kaoru-san.

Souma: Kaoru-san… Are you by any chance referring to Hakaze-dono?

Madara: Yeah? I’m talking about Hakaze Kaoru-san.

Mitsuru: Sou-chan-senpai, you look like you dislike that~?

Souma: I by no means dislike it, but… That guy is the disgrace of the Marine Biology Club. Therefore, depending on his words and actions, I might have to slice him into two pieces with a single stroke.

Madara: Hahaha! I’ll tell Kaoru-san to be careful!

Location: School Gates

- After School -

Mitsuru: He~y, Mike-chan-senpai!

Madara: Over here, Mitsuru-san! I’ve been waiting!

Kaoru: Hmm, so that kid is Tenma-kun, huh. Huh, I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before…

I remember. You’re in the same unit as Nazuna-kun, right? The kid who always goes “jump, jump”.

Mitsuru: Not “jump, jump” but “dash, dash”! Hmpf!

Kaoru: Aah, that’s what it was? Sorry, sorry, I just had the feeling you always say something like that~.

By the way, you’re a first year, right? Are you a friend of Mikejima-kun’s?

Madara: Mitsuru-san is my kouhai from the Track Club. We also appeared in a DreamFes called “Wisteria Festival” together.

Kaoru: Hmm. So you two are pretty close, huh?

Mitsuru: No, it’s not like we’re close or anything.

Madara: Yep, yep, that’s why we’re gonna become closer from now on. Let’s start with a hug! Come on, jump into Mama’s arms ☆

Mitsuru: As I keep saying, you’re not my Mama~...

I’ve got it! If you wanna become a Mama, why not become Hakaze-senpai’s Mama?

Kaoru: Eeh, why’d it come to this? Even I’d like you to spare me from having Mikejima-kun as my mother~?

Madara: Hahaha! No need to force yourself to go along with that, I am everyone’s Mama! All of humanity are siblings! I am Mitsuru-san’s Mama, and Kaoru-san’s Mama as well...☆

Oh, coming from over there, that’s… Heeey! Anzu-san! Anzu-saaaaaaaaaan!!!

Mitsuru: Big sis Anzu is dashing over here!

Kaoru: She’s running over here because she’s so embarrassed about her name being called in such a loud voice. She’s so cute when she’s out of breath ♪ ...Huh?

Souma: …………

Kaoru: Huuuh, is it just my imagination or is there the ghost of a samurai emitting an incredible bloodthirst standing behind Tenkousei-chan?

Souma: I’m not a ghost. There’s no chance I’ll point my sword towards Tenkousei-dono, either. I won’t be provoked by you.

Kaoru: Geez, seems my joke didn’t work out. By the way, why did Souma-kun and Tenkousei-chan come here together?

Souma: Tenkousei-dono helped me with the feeding at the Marine Biology Club. I’m grateful, since she isn’t even a club member.

Kaoru: Eh~, if I’d known Tenkousei-chan would be there I would’ve gone to the club room, too. And then, instead of billiards, we’d have a date by ourselves…

Souma: Tenkousei-dono, stand back! As expected, I’ll have to smite this playboy right here and now!

Kaoru: It’s a joke, a joke I tell you! Souma-kun, can you please not pull out that sword of yours!? Look, everyone’s gathered now. Let’s go already, okay?

Madara: Yeah! Over here, everyone follow Mama~ ☆

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* Mitsuru is back at it again with the entirely misremembered proverbs. I’m gonna give him credit for getting 2 kanji right out of the whole thing. What he says is “百点は一点より叱れず” (Hyakuten wa itten yori shikarezu), while trying to repeat what Madara said last chapter, “百聞は一見にしかず (Hyakubun wa ikken ni shikazu). It also ties in somewhat with how he awarded himself full points for his landing earlier in the chapter (“百点満点” Hyakuten Manten).

**Madara makes a pun here that I couldn’t find a good way to translate, so I’ll explain it here. He says “手取り足取り刀取り” in which the first part, “手取り足取り” is an expression that means “to teach someone with great attention to detail”. “刀” means katana, so he basically adds to the expression by referring to Souma’s sword. The verb “取る” means to take/steal something, which is what Souma refers to in his next line.