Vol 3 Chapter 22 (2/2)

So I said in resignation, ”So it's impossible?”

I could heardepressed

”Well, I didn't exactly say it's impossible As we should still have two aito-san said with a tense expression, ”We won't publish a story just because we've been asked to There are over 50 clubs being represented in the Kanya Festival; there's no e could introduce every one of theive priority to those whose activities really stand out That being said, if you could show us that the Classics Club is engaged in activities that stand out, then we'll write so about it”

It was a strict state a story written

”T-then, what about the contents of the activities?”

”The club activities that we cover are all serious in their contents, so if we find a story request that is worthy of our interest like an ad-balloon, then we'll publish it”

But we haven't got any ad-balloons

A while ago, fukube-san had clearly ein of the teraito-san said he only covers serious club activities Yet besides its name, there wasn't really much in its contents which ”Hyouka” could really be called attractive

I'm sorry, Oreki-san and fukube-san, I also do not kno to face Mayaka-san as well Once again, I found myself unable to be of much help

”I see Sorry for taking your time”

As though trying to cheer aito-san said, ”You can co, I'll see what I can do to help”

I think I nodded, but I wasn't even sure if I had the strength to move

As things were not ress, it seeth But it would not be nice to trudge just because of that, so I tried h I wonder ifthe decorated corridor, not knohere to go next, I heard so out to me

”What's wrong, Eru? You look quite depressed”

Looking up, I saw a small tent set up on top of the staircase To be more precise, it looked more like a Native American teepee The voice came from inside the teepee The inside of the teepee could be seen from the outside

”You were drooping your shoulders and looking disappointed Did so happen?”

Inside of the teepee was a regular classroom desk, and seated on the chair was a person I was familiar with

I smiled at her and said, ”Well, a lot has happened”

”Hmm?”

She tilted her head and s on top of a silk cloth on her des

”Then, how about having your fortune told?”

This person is Juue and rather old shrine called Arekusu Shrine, and Kaho-san is the daughter of its head priest While the Chitanda fa and autumn festival ceremonies aren't held at Arekusu Shrine, as I oftenwell acquainted with each other She was quite an attractive person, with her silky hair and slasses I liked the unique way Kaho-san often looked mature and polite

Kaho-san had liked visiting the library ever since she was little, and so she was very knowledgeable in s which I was unaware of So I was quite surprised when I learned which club she had joined Since Kaho-san wasn't quite good with hanging out with other people

”Having my fortune told? That means”

”Yes, this is the Fortune Telling association stall”

”Where are the other members?”

Upon hearing that, Kaho-san made a rather cynical smile

”Oh, it's just me at the moment”

”Eh, that's unexpected But isn't it supposed to be popular?”

”That would be the Charms association They're the more popular club”

Speaking of which, I do recall seeing such a club being mentioned in the notice board

”Well, how about it?”

As she spoke, Kaho-san began lining up objects on her table

”If the crystal ball isn't to your fancy, then how about bah these are just irounds divination and of course, the standard Tarot cards”

As she ru beside her feet, she suddenly stopped

”Oh, we can't do Tarot cards today”

”Eh? Why's that?”

Hearing Kaho-san sound troubled for once piquedonce discussed Tarot cards back in the su maybe we could have our fortunes told with Tarot cards

Kaho-san saw ht away

”Of course, you've always liked stuff like this Here, have a look at this”

She took out a greeting card frolance at the card she showedthat ritten on it, as it was in a rather large font, which read:

The Fortune Telling association has lost its Wheel of Fortune

Juumoji

”What's this?”

”It's quite a quick job if this is the work of one person I only just left for a bit, and when I came back, someone had taken the 'Wheel of Fortune' card from my Tarot deck and left this”

So it was stolen? But the signature at the end of the card

”It says 'Juumonji'”

”Indeed, I wonder if it's supposed to be addressed to me?”

The Juuht now, only Kaho-san is attending Kah, and I've not heard of any other person called Juumonji in this city besides theh It would be incredible for a thief to use Kaho-san's nas

It's all very strange I decided to ask her so which I had meant to ask just now

”Have you found the card yet?”

Kaho-san smiled bitterly

”I wouldn't have said we couldn't use Tarot cards today if I had found it”

Oh, yes, of course

”That's very worrying”

”Yes, though it's cheap, it's still a fortune-telling tool I really wouldn't want to have to go through the trouble of acquiring another set as a result”

While saying that, instead of ru, Kaho-san took out a small memo paper from her pocket

”But I wouldn't worry too much about that I do wonder what the thief is up to, as this was also left behind,”

It was a memo paper torn from a notebook, on which was scribbled, ”It will be returned after the Cultural Festival” This was indeed a strange thing for a thief to do I do find it very odd Looking at my expression, Kaho-san smiled

”You seem to have cheered up a bit”

”Really?”

”Are you curious about this?”

I tilted my head

”Yes, a bit”

”A bit, huh? Then let ”

Fro which I also had, the ”Kanya Festival Guide,” the official pah School Cultural Festival

Looking at it placed beside the crystal ball, I asked, ”What's special about it?”

Kaho-san opened the pamphlet

”The contents are exactly the sah when I found it, it was open with the card placed on the last page of the club comments”

The participating club coe of the pale line of co club mentioned by the pamphlet

Apart froe or special written on the page

”I wonder what it all means?”

Kaho-san sed her shoulders

”I wonder It's the Cultural Festival, soe ideas, so it's nothing out of the ordinary Personally, I couldn't care less as long as the 'Wheel of Fortune' is returned safely”

019 - ♣07

The finals consist of contestants racing each other in pushi+ng the answer button, first to win seven points wins the race

Though I did say it no longer mattered whether I won this quiz tournament anyood use So it's a waste to just throw it away like that

The Quiz Club president did mention on the radio broadcast that they'd ”prepared questions that not just people who are good at quiz shows could answer,” and now I see why he said that Besides the usual quiz-show like questions involving show business, sports, social matters and trendy stuff, they've also included local topics as well as high school education related questions I ah the academic questions were a bit okay, I knohat you're thinking For questions involving mathematical formulas, I was so pathetically hopeless with theers towards the answer button How on earth did I h all these maths tests all these years?

Of the four contestants, three had taken six points, including irl (While Tani-kun couldn't answer the strange questions, he was rather fast in answering theperson had five points This was quite a fascinating battle; the contestants were all rather capable For the Quiz Club this was no doubt a successful tournament

But now it's ti this last point!

”Now for the next question Please name the president of Kamiyama”

A local question, huh? Concentrate

”High School's Student Council”

I know the answer to this question, but I can't push the button just yet For sheus to na like that instead

”And give his full name please”

Now! At an instant, a light lit up

”Yes, shi+mizu-san?”

What? It's not me?

shi+ayama Muneyoshi+”

””

Miss Announcer, you don't need to gasp, she's correct

After a brief pause, the announcer lifted the girl's right arm and declared, ”Correct! And the winner of Quiz Trial 7 is shi+mizu Noriko-san of Class 3-E!”

Haha Oh well, too bad

Only the winner gets to receive the prizes And as shi+mizu Noriko-san (who didn't even bat an eyelid when answering theperson, I must try and remember her name) received hers wrapped in paper, I had no idea what it was Oh well, I didn't feel bad about losing, and I wasn't interested in the prizes anyway

As the trophy presentation was finished, the Quiz Club president gave his greetings and wrapped up the Quiz Trial tournaan to disperse to all directions of the school campus It sure was fun, not only did I raise the Classics Club's appeal, I also ed to have soo next As I was prepared to return with a smile, someone called out to me

”Hey, fukube”

It was Tani-kun Sreet him

”Hey, too bad we didn't win”

”Indeed Guess it's a draw”

A draw, huh? It's not like I' with Tani-kun Oh well, whatever

”Guess so,” I replied

”Well, you need so?”

”I did say I had so to tell you before ere interrupted”

Co like that, but Iwhat he wanted to say then, thisTani-kun wantsdeal, I decided to hear what he had to say

”See happened with the Go Club?”

Tani-kun nodded satisfyingly

”Yeah, some of our Go stones have been stolen”

”Oh?”

I wasn't exactly thinking ”Is that so?”

”The stones weren't lost but stolen, you say? But what makes you say that?”

”The thief left a note on the Go stone container,”

Tani-kun smiled as he said, ”The note read 'The Go Club has lost its Go stones,' it's all really intriguing, as we have no idea whether any stones were stolen at all As we don't normally use all the stones in the container, so there's no way of knowing if someone were to take away one or two, or even ten stones”

”Why would someone steal the stones?”

”Maybe he wants to play Goe way

While I didn't find it to be a rather high-class joke, I decided to laugh along with hi” story, then he didn't really need to go out of his way to tell me

I said bluntly with a smile, ”Maybe it's a prank by someone from the Go Club?”

Perhaps not happy that I didn't seem interested with his story, Tani-kun looked a bit depressed

”Yeah, maybe”

”Well, I'm off for now”

”No, wait”

He called out to me before I could move

Tani-kun said with a strangely stiff s in other tournaments as well?”

”Yeah”

As I nodded, Tani-kun raised his right arer at me

”I won't lose to you next time It's not over since we only drew this time We'll settle this!”

I was at a loss for words

Together with the silence, I could only give him my usual smile as a reply

Tani-kun looked quite satisfied as he said, ”Good What will you be participating tomorrow?”

Without giving it ht, I replied in a nor Club touess?”

”Okay, then we'll settle this to forward to this!”

Tani-kun waved his ar rather excited

Phew, that sure was a hard to deal with fellow there

A score to settle, huh? It never even crossed my mind I was hardly concerned with how satisfied Tani-kun would be with the outcome anyway

It's true that I often enjoy s Indeed, I would have socoldly at me

But what's most important is for me to experience this personally I see enjoyive-and-take relationshi+p between the provider and receiver of the entertainment This is why I could never be as fanatical in y, asfor me to actually utter it, but his is the first nanificent Mayaka

I's that I like, find interesting or enjoy Using a bookshelf as an example, normally a bookshelf would contain reference books or novels used to kill ti to other people (Though if it's Mayaka, she'd probably want to have a look But it's unlikely she would ever say it out loud) Similarly, my relationshi+p with the provider of entertain it easy as I enjoy myself

So according toscores”

Well, it's inelegant

But this is all trivial, as I had no intention of giving itin tourna in out of his own accord

I meandered to and fro as I left the now rather empty courtyard

By the way, enjoying oneself and worrying about one's friends are totally different ether

I wonder how Houtarou's doing now?

And I wonder if Mayaka is doing fine?

Translator's notes and references

Juusa

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