Billiards - Chapter 6

[bakemonoremy]

Location: Billiards Parlor

Madara: Mitsuru-san is the type who remembers things better with his own body, right? I’ll show you the move, so observe clooosely.

When you hit the ball with your cue, it’s called a shot, but there’s a lot to how you hold the cue while you do a shot.

For now I’ll teach you the basic one, it’s called a standard bridge.

First, you form a circle with your index finger and thumb. Then, using your thumb and the second joint of your middle finger, you pass the cue through the hole.

While holding the cue like that, you put your hand on the table, aim for the white ball, and… Shot ☆

Mitsuru: Ooh! The white ball hit the yellow one, like *clack*!

Madara: Yep. You see how the ball I hit went into one of the holes in the table? In billiards, we call that move “to pocket” a ball.

There’s a bunch of different ways of playing and rules, but it’s okay if you think of billiards as a game where you need to pocket the balls with the colors and numbers on them.

Mitsuru: Hmm… Mike-chan-senpai, can I try it, too?

Madara: Of course! Do your best, Mitsuru-san, Mama is watching over you~ ♪

Mitsuru: Make a ring with your fingers, then hold the middle finger like this, pass the cue through, and… Shot ☆

Uu~? The colored ball stopped halfway… Hey, hey, how do I get the ball to fall into the hole?

Madara: First, you need to verify the direction you want the colored ball to go in. Then you aim for the white ball so it’ll hit the colored one and make it go into the direction you’re aiming for.

Mitsuru: So it’ll hit it… Shot ☆

Yaaay! Mike-chan-senpai, did you see that? It went in!

Madara: Splendid! Well done, Mitsuru-san!

Mitsuru: I’m someone who can do it if he tries, ahem ☆

I wanna get a lot of colored balls to go into the holes all at once, like Mike-chan-senpai did earlier! How do I do that? Teach me~

Madara: In Mitsuru-san’s case, instead of trying to explain it in words, it might be faster if you try to get the hang of it by playing with all your heart.

Mitsuru: Hmmm… So like in the Track Club?

I’ve got it! I’ll do my best! Until I get the hang of it, I’ll go shot, shot~ ☆

Madara: Hahaha, that’s the spirit! Do your best, do your best...☆

Hm? What’s up, Anzu-san? Ooh, you brought us some tea?

And you sliced the bread Mitsuru-san bought into little pieces so we can eat them with toothpicks.

Like this, we can eat it without getting the furnishings dirty. As expected, Anzu-san is so sensible ♪

Kaoru: Heyhey, why don’t you play some billiards too, Tenkousei-chan? Come here. I’ll give you a lecture ♪

Hm? I see, so Mikejima-kun taught you yesterday, so you know the fundamentals already. Boo~.

Madara: Hm. So you’re having fun just watching? Hahaha! Right, it’s interesting to watch beginners improve.

If I zone out, I’ll be left behind by Mitsuru-san in a flash. Alriiight, I’ll play too. Shot, shot~ ☆

Kaoru: Eh? What’s wrong, Tenkousei-chan? You want me to teach Souma-kun?

Hrr~m, teaching other guys isn’t my hobby, though.

Souma: Hmpf. I find it regrettable too, having to ask someone like you to teach me.

But on top of the fact that I don’t know a thing about “biriyaado”, I find it important to learn the fundamentals.

It cannot be helped. As unsatisfied as I am with it, I have no choice but to ask for your instructions. Is that alright with you, Hakaze-dono?

Kaoru: I’m just as unsatisfied as you are. But since it was Tenkousei-chan of all people who asked me to~, it can’t be helped, I’ll teach you.

Alright, first, let’s prepare the cues and balls.

Souma: “Kyuu”? “Booru”?

Kaoru: Ah, you need me to start my explanation from there? Okay, I’ve got it~

Over there. You see those poles lined up on the wall? Those are called “cues”.

And the orbs on the table are called “balls”. Billiards is a game where you strike the balls with your cue.

Souma: Hm. If I remember right, Mikejima-dono said something similar. Striking the “booru” with the “kyuu”...

When you say “kyuu” you don’t mean “sphere*”, and the “booru” is not the “pole*”? I am confused…

Kaoru: Don’t overthink it. I’ll get the balls ready, so you go and choose whatever cue.

Souma: Whatever? Even if you tell me that, I don’t know which one to choose.

Kaoru: Just whatever’s fine. You’re a beginner, so it doesn’t matter which one you use~

Well, once you go pro you basically only use the cue you’re used to, and most people bring their own.

Souma: Hm, I see... In that case, I choose this one.

Kaoru: Hm~, which one? Er…. Souma-kun, are you holding up your sword because you’re planning to use that as a cue?

Souma: Yes!

Kaoru: Eh~, nope, nope. That’s impossible.

Souma: Why did you one-sidedly decide it’s impossible. “Biriyaado” is a game where you strike “boorus” with a long weapon called a “cue”, right?

I know how to perform a “sword thrust” as it is used in kendo. If I use my beloved sword, I’ll be able to strike the “boorus” even more accurately than with a “kyuu”.

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*Souma is falling for some wordplay here. The word 球 is pronounced “kyuu”, but means “ball”, the word 棒 is pronounced “bou” as in “booru”, but means “pole”.