Chapter 1
Naniwa-zu ni sakuya kono hana fuyu-gomori
Ima o haru-be to sakuya kono hana
Ima o haru-be to sakuya kono hana
A small girl was sitting quietly in seiza at the corner of the room. She has straight long black hair and captivating purple eyes.
Arata first noticed her halfway through the match when his card flew to her direction. He didn't remember seeing her there before the start of the competition. Which was strange since she was very noticeable because of her beautiful navy blue kimono.
With her straight cut bangs and expressionless pretty face, she looked just like a doll. She's also so still and quiet for a young child. Well, Arata can't speak against that considering he too was a quiet kid. Come to think of it, his current opponent, Wakamiya-san, was also of the same temperament. Maybe kids playing competitive karuta are just like that?
"Shi-"
The moment as the sound 'shi' could be heard, Wakamiya-san immediately covered the card which had 'Mono ya omou to hito no tou made' written on it in hiragana.
"-noburedo iro ni ide ni keri waga koi wa"
Arata was surprised because 'Shinoburedo' is a two-syllable card and the girl opposite him took the card at the first syllable.
'Focus! Wakamiya-san was always matched against me these days and she never won but I can't underestimate her.'
After that, Arata didn't look again at the corner of the room. The match ended with a five-card difference and Arata's victory.
Wakamiya-san kept looking in regret at the cards in his hands that he's required to return to the record keeper as the winner. Arata was glad to see that regret because it means that she feels strongly for karuta so he shyly smiled and said in a hokuriku dialect "Let's play again next time Wakamiya-san."
She stared at him for a while then gave a sharp smile "Call me Shinobu, Arata."
"Shi-shinobu-chan..?" Arata blushed while saying and Shinobu-chan just continued the smile that seems to hide contempt behind it.
They then parted ways and Arata went to the official managing the records to report the score.
Arata was just about to drink some water when suddenly, a hand tapped his back twice. He looked back and saw that it was the girl in kimono that he noticed before.
"Hai?"
"…" the girl just gazed at him expressionlessly.
Arata sweatdropped. 'Did she mistook me for someone?'
"A-ano…" Arata was about to ask if she needed help when the girl opened her mouth.
"…Can you…see?"
"Hai?" Arata was bewildered. The girl didn't seem to be joking. In fact, she was so blank that he can't get a read on her. "Uhm… Yes, I can see…"
Her eyes then looked a bit alive. "…What colors?"
Arata became more confused. "What do you mean?"
Just then, a young man in a simple beige kimono came up to them "There you are Yuki-sama. The masters already finished their business so we need to go back now."
The girl, Yuki-san, didn't even look to the young man and continued to speak with Arata.
"…Fast… Like you…hear the colors… I wanted to…other girl…left already." Yuki-san, with her quiet voice and silences in between sentences, was struggling to say what she wanted. The young man observed the two children and sighed. He then faced Arata.
"Yuki-sama was complimenting your fast reflexes. In the match earlier, she must have seen the sounds at the same time you took the cards." the young man paused for a bit in hesitation then continued. "Yuki-sama is a synesthete. She can see colors when she hear sounds. Yuki-sama was wondering if maybe you can 'hear the colors' too. She also wanted to talk to the other player because she looked like she's predicting the future but she seems to have already left."
Yuki-san nodded twice and stared at Arata with expectation. In Arata's mind: 'Did she really wanted to say all that? He must be psychic.'
"I'm sorry but I can't see the colors like you. I just take the cards when I hear the decisive syllables. It's easy for poems with unique first syllables. Then I just have to concentrate for the multiple syllable cards. There are a lot of techniques you can use…" Arata trailed off when he saw that Yuki-san can't follow the sudden lecture. Arata then blushed when he realized how excited he became.
The young man watched the girl for a moment and sighed again. "Yuki-sama, we can hire some tutors if you want to learn how to play karuta. The masters are waiting so we must go now."
Yuki-san shook her head and then grabbed the bottom of Arata's shirt. She stared at Arata with her beautiful purple eyes filled with pleading and Arata turned to stone. He doesn't know what to do. Yuki-san's expressionless face paired with the emotional eyes looked cute.
"Wo-would you like to visit our karuta society? If you join, we can then play together." Arata passionately invited her thinking that it will be fun to have another kid of the same age to play with.
Yuki-san gazed at him blankly for a while and then a small smile appeared at her face.
"Asakura Yuki." she pointed to herself.
"Ah! I'm Wataya Arata." Arata bowed. "I belong to Nagumo Karuta Society situated in the Fukui City. Ah…but if you live far away…"
It was the young man who answered "Yuki-sama lives in Echizen so it's not that far. We will contact you in the future when permission for Yuki-sama to go is granted." He then turned to Yuki-san. "I apologize Yuki-sama but we really need to leave now."
This time, Yuki-san finally looked at the young man and nodded slowly. She faced Arata and bowed which Arata reciprocated. Yuki-san then took the hand offered by the young man and they left together.
Arata still have another match but his mind was wandering. 'Hear the colors…'
Arata felt like a fire was ignited inside him and smiled. 'I look forward to playing with you.'