Michiru panicked when she heard that Inaba had stopped playing karuta with Chihaya. Chihaya worked so hard to create this relationship. Had gone through so many hardships just to play Inuaba. For it to end now might be too much for Chihaya to bear.
Michiru's seacch for karuta friends started with Dr. Harada's naming her as Chihaya's friiend. Michiru had takenthe commission out of a sense of day. Later, the school has assigned her to watch over Chihaya as a troublemaker due to her placing illegal karuta invitations. All part of her duty as class representative.
Michiru did know someone who played karuta. Inaba was a 9th grader who was also a member of the track and field club which MIchiru was a member. Inaba had suffered a leg injury and was unable to run. The perfect fit with Chihaya.
Except Chihaya ran into her first. The confrontation in the hallway almost destroyed Michiru's plan Chihaya saved the day by retrieving Inaba's crutch from a tree where it had blown. Chihaya revealed the true tomboy she was
Inaba's gratefulness and Chihaya's genuineness brought the two of them together. It gave Inaba something to do and filled Chihaya's need to play karuta. It seemed like a win/win but the results went from bad to worse in a very short period of time.
Inaba wanted to play with only the love poems which were her favorites. Because of her leg she could only play on table not the floor. Chihaya's use of her sweeps caused the table to fall on Inaba breaking her leg and sending her to the hospital.
Chihaya's actions angered Inaba's friend Yamabe who was also a member of the track and field team. In her view it was Chihaya's fault that Inaba was injured She tried to exclude Chihaya from seeing Inaba. It was only when Chihaya was able to tie Yamabe in the 200 meter dash that Yamabe acknowledged Chihaya and allowed Inaba to retire from track and field and play with Chihaya again.
Now that was all over. The precious karuta friends that Chihaya has recruited could no longer play with her Inaba and Yamabe as 9th graders had to prepare for High School entrance exams. Chihaya would again be left alone no one with whom to play karuta.
Michiru reached the classroom that Inaba and Yamabe just left Michiru found Chihaya crying on the desk. The tears touched the karuta cards which were still spread out on the table. Michiru had no doubt in her mind what she should do.
In the beginning Chihaya had been a duty. First delivering printouts. Then taking down her placards from the bulletin board. She became a friend. Someone whom Chihaya could go shopping with and do all the none karuta things that friends did.
She tried to accommodate Chihaya's need for karuta by finding her karuta friends from her own track and field team. Chihaya literally ran with that idea. Bending over backwords to accommodate Inaba's needs and wants Even if meant competing with the best in the track team to show Yamabe that she was truly sorry for what happened to Inaba.
All that was in the past Yamabe and Inaba were gone. Chihaya was alone again. Michiru felt a sudden tug. Chihaya was not alone. Michiru was her friend. Even though Michiru did not play karuta she could everything that a friend did for another friend.
Michiru walked over to Chihaya and pulled her into her arms. Chihaya began to cry on Michiru's shoulder. Michiru burst into tears. She began to say "Chi-chan Chi-chan Chi-chanas she hugged Chihaya.
Chihaya looked at her. No one had called her Chi-chan since she left elementary school. In those days she had lots of friends. It reiminded her of happier days. Even though Michiru was her only friend and did not play karuta, Chihaya was filled with warmth as long as she had Michiru she would never be alone again.