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ascendance-bookworm · 2 years

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i haven't read the fanbooks, the short story collections, the manga (it has extras, i think?), nor the sequel (hannelore's house of lords, right?) yet. i'd like to think that's going to last me for a while, but the brainworms are too strong and i just KNOW i'm going to finish them all in under two weeks, tops. do you have any aob fic recs? or any other book/light novel/web novel/manga recommendations? PLEAS EI'M NOT READY TO LET GO OF AOB FJEAKFN

I've only read the ones that have been translated and for the most part they are just different POV on what we already know happened in the series, I like them, but not much more story wise. . . I think Hannelore's is set after the series though, I looked at a few on the site and they seem to be after Rozemyne has 'graduated' from school, but I didn't want to read them yet so not completely sure they all are... maybe you can clarify after you read them.

I did try to look into AOB fanfiction, but A LOT of them are spoilerly so often I couldn't follow (as I haven't read all the way to the end) or didn't want to be too spoiled. I'm looking though my AO3 history and I only looked at a few before I decided to just wait, so maybe you or other can add their favorites.

There was one I remember reading and liking was Schlaftraum's Blessing

I admit this is what lead me to finally seeking out the Japanese website and spot reading a few of the chapters. Most fanfiction likes to focus on romance or a romantic moment over telling a story, but this one integrated nicely with the series and had a nice thru arc between all the parts and was written well. I see that the author TheChatteringMagpi has since started a few more AOB stories and they all look interesting, one is AU and the other about Adolphine, so maybe even I can read them without needing to have read everything yet. So if I had to recommend one this is the best I got as I haven't really done a deep dive on AOB fanfiction / Japanese doujinshi.

Would love anyone else with recommendations to add their favorites stories

As for other series... I guess I could write more about this later with a better break down... I actually used to read a lot more when I was younger, but took a break from it, but during Covid I jumped into manga/anime again so I've been playing catchup ever since, it feels like there are more titles than ever now.

Of the ones I've read recently that I'm enjoying:

Historical setting: The Apothecary Diaries, Tearmoon Empire, I Swear I Won’t Bother You Again!, A Bride's Story

Fantasy/Magical World: Witch Hat Atelier, Shadow House, Made in Abyss, Beyond the Clouds, The Country Without Humans, The Girl from the Other Side

Featuring bookworms: The Savior's Book Café Story in Another World, Bibliophile Princess, The Tales of Marielle Clarac (the last 2 are more comical romances)

Isekai gremlins: My Next Life as a Villainess, Uncle from Another World

Isekai/Slice-of-life/Wholesome: By the Grace of the Gods, The Saint's Magic Power is Omnipotent, Culinary Chronicles of the Court Flower, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (I know this has action/fighting, but it often is comes off so wholesome to me overall) Drama/Romance (working hard for their dreams): Chihayafuru and Nadame Cantabile (both have a sorta similar couple dynamic to Roze/Ferd), Welcome to the Ballroom

Comedy/Romance: Skip Beat!, Kodocha, The Wallflower, Wotakoi - Love Is Hard for Otaku

People tell me are good but haven't read them yet - historical fantasy drama romances for the most part (I think): Snow White with the Red Hair, Yona of the Dawn, Dawn of Arcana, Vinland Saga, Seirei Gensouki Spirit Chronicles, Mushoku Tensei - Jobless Reincarnation, Heroic Legend of Arslan

Feel free to recommend your favorites!

#ascendance of a bookworm #honzuki no gekokujou #bookworm ask #bookworm fanfiction

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colleensmangarecs · 8 months

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I watched your Anime tourism-video last night when I couldn't sleep and it made me so sad. I'm so sorry for all the harrasment and bullying you have encountered during your time as a public figure in the animanga community.

But I wanted to come and thank you for your videos. I don't remember which one them was the first that I watched but they sparked my interest to start actively reading manga again and I couldn't be happier. I read Chihayafuru during spring and summer and I loved every page and picture. I also read Haikyuu this spring and summer and finally finished the story that I loved during my late teens. I have written fanfiction about both of them and had so much fun with my own little stories and talking about them with other people on an extra niche Finnish fanfiction forum.

I think I have also learned a lot about myself and I have grown as a person last spring and summer and big part of that process was my rekindled love for manga and anime.

Well, the point was to thank you for your videos. Thank you for making "My Top 15 Manga" -video where I found Chihayafuru so I could read one the most beautiful story that I have ever read.

I hope you can catch my feelings from this message. English is not my first language so it's not my heart's language and I'm not sure if this comes off weird or shallow or something. I don't know how to end this but I have to try my best. I hope that you can feel better about making videos and staying on the internet at some point in time because I like you videos but if you want to stop and leave the internet I understand too.

Thank you for reading.

-Sirri

that's very sweet of you, thank you so much!!! 🥰🥰

always happy to bring another person to Chihayafuru as well

#questions and answers

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ikeepwatchinghelicopters · 1 year

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I was tagged by @cha-melodius. Thank you for the tag! I decided to combine the two tag games into one post. I hope that’s not illegal 😅

tea, coffee, or soda? Tea, though I find myself drinking a lot of coffee these days.

dogs or cats? Dogs.

can you play an instrument? I played classical guitar. And the cello. But I haven’t touched the cello for almost 5 years. So I probably can’t play it anymore. I could maybe manage something on the piano.

what’s your sun sign? Scorpio.

first song lyrics that pop into your head? “And the soldiers march behind me” a line from Blossoms by The Amazing Devil, because that’s the last song I listened to.

do you have any tattoos? Nope.

favorite place you’ve traveled? Japan.

what’s the last movie you watched? I rewatched Cars with my mum.

what languages do you speak? English, Slovak, Czech (well, I can understand more than I can speak), Spanish and I know a few sentences in German and Norwegian.

do you have any hobbies? Fanfic reading and writing. Cooking or baking when the mood strikes me (so, very rarely). Watching trains. I might buy an ukulele soon and try to learn to play it a bit.

you can hang out with one fictional character for an hour, who do you choose? Jaskier’s my current obsession, so I’d chat with him.

compliment yourself: Uhm, I hate complimenting myself. I guess I like how my hands look?

1. Are you named after anyone? I don’t think so.

2. When was the last time you cried? Sometime last week when I re-read the first few chapters of Chihayafuru. But I have teared up and shed a tear or two when reading fanfiction a few times since then. Most recently from The Stillness, The Dancing by giddytf2.

3. Do you have any kids? Nope.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Sometimes. I wouldn’t say it’s a lot.

5. What's the first thing you notice about people? No clue. I’ve never noticed that I notice something in particular.

6. What's your eye color? Brown.

7. Scary movie or happy ending? Happy ending.

8. Any special talents? None that I know of.

9. Where were you born? Slovakia.

10. What are your hobbies? See above, lol.

11. Do you have any pets? Nope.

12. What sports do you play/have played? Tennis, football (when I was a small kid), basketball (but that was mostly just in P.E. in high school). I tried archery for a month.

13. How tall are you? Around 164 cm.

14. Favorite subject in school? Biology, languages, literature. I liked history for a few years, because we had a great teacher.

15. Dream job? Changes depending on the last movie/series I’ve watched 😅 Seriously though, I have a lot of jobs I would like to try but nothing that would qualify as a dream job. Maybe working in a bookstore or a library?

I never know who to tag, so anyone can feel free to answer the questions if they want to.

#tag game #random personal shit #now you know all my secrets #but this was fun #i like talking about myself way too much

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otaku-shipper · 4 years

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A Taichihaya one-shot: because she asked me

Summary: I hated how softly she pleaded and how sure she sounded. It was when she was sure that I almost always ended up wrong.

Taichi and Chihaya finally caught up with each other in Omi Jingu and attempted to talk like calm, normal adults.

As Mount Arima

Sends its rustling winds

Across Ina’s bamboo plain,

I will be just as steadfast

And never will forget you.

____________________________________

The question of the day, as I expected it, was:

"Are you just going to leave?"

I heard it from Chitose-san after I led her back to Kangakukan. Actually, she didn't sound like she was asking rather than reprimanding me and her eyebrows were suspiciously raised, unconvinced at my reason or the lack thereof.

I heard it from Arata, who despite the match he lost, looked composed for the subsequent round. Without telling me anything, I know he had already figured out a way to bring the gold home. As expected, there was nothing else for me to do for someone whose turf is karuta. I think he was going to say something else, the first syllables on his tongue. That's when I knew I didn't want to hear it so I quickly cut him off with my last well-wishes and walked away before he could impose it on me.

Suo-san, who caught me at the exit doors, also asked the same thing after he scolded me for my cheekiness for bringing his aunt and cousin without me asking. At least, he tried to scold me. I was taken aback when I saw a momentary flash of sympathy across his face when he asked me that question. But when I courageously looked him squarely in the face, the sentiment disappeared and I saw his resolve instead. Where others might have seen indifference or had judged him as being too complacent for someone whose title was on the line, I saw a righteous pride that refused to give up. Only those who had sat across from him and saw him not as the Meijin with a nasty karuta but as a human could only see that a lot of his fighting spirit remained. I knew this too out of a first-hand experience because it was how I felt when I was carefully arranging my cards back at my last match in the Meijin Qualifier.

A willing resignation to fight and see it through the end-whether win or lose.

Maybe because I perceived more than he would have liked, he turned sideways and pretended to look at the open hallway expectantly, as if he knew someone else was coming or the Queen match had ended. Because I knew he didn't need me to answer, and I was afraid that someone else might be coming, I wished him good luck. There was nothing to defend here so I turned to leave by the backdoor.

Read more in Fanfiction or AO3 link in notes

#chihayafuru #chihayafuru fanfiction #taichihaya #taichi x chihaya #chihaya ayase #taichi mashima

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mikaaaaaaaaa · 3 years

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I kind of wanted to make a series of anime that are criminally underrated in my pov.

Like you know when you just finished a vv good anime and you can't find fics or nsfw or anything?? Literally not even crumbs😭

Anyways this is the first one (if you find any fics or oneshots about it please tag me and if you write about it I will literally kiss u.)

Chihayafuru is so good?? Even though there isn't much romance but the plot and character development is just *chef kiss* also very good looking characters????

This beautiful man is just hehshshhs he is literally husband material. Just so fucking perfect Taichi's middle name is perfection

The things I would let this man do to me-

Like hello yall sleeping on sudo?? Wattpad writers??? He is literally the perfect candidate for yall fics

There is also watari but I'm suddenly too lazy lol

Idk if anyone is reading this but I love you I hope you had a great day MWAH

Also still working out how to use this app and kinda nervous for posting here

#ao3 #fanfic #fanfiction #hq smut #akatsuki+no+yona+smut #omegaverse+smut #dance+with+devils+imagine #wattpad #chihayafuru #first time #pls help #writers on tumblr

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margarethelstone · 4 years

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so what if I told you I have this multi-chaptered super slow-burn taichihaya/chihayafuru story coming

and with some art to go with it, too

you wouldn't happen to care for it would you

#Our Sleeves Were Wet With Tears #chihayafuru #taichihaya #mashima taichi #ayase chihaya #fanfiction #I really am finishing the first volume guys #yes it does come in volumes I don't make the rules

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worldoshaking · 2 years

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never thought i’d hear my heart beat so loud

> akitohruchinobu, rated T, 2800 words > fluff and polyamory > everyone is autistic

Tohru and Akito run into Chihaya and Shinobu at a karuta meet, and have to confront their feelings for each other and for these charming, enigmatic new acquaintances. A polycule results.

read on AO3

#my fic #akitohru #chinobu #chihayafuru #fruits basket #fruits basket fanfiction #chihayafuru fanfiction

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teannamon · 4 years

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Why Do You Think This Would Work? Ch1 [ Taichihaya ]

They should have known that fake dating never goes according to plan.

In which Mashima Taichi doesn't want to be bothered by his mother's prospects anymore and Ayase Chihaya hates her sister's attempts of finding her a boyfriend.

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Today was an especially stressful day for Mashima Taichi. He was supposed to clock in early from the hospital but as soon as his shift was about to end one of his patients went into cardiac arrest.

‘Ah I can never get used to emergencies like that’ he thought as he laid on his couch.

Just as he was getting comfortable, his cellphone rang which surprised him. He sat back up and picked up the phone from the coffee table next to him.

“Hello?”

“Ah Taichi, didn’t you read my texts?”

He sighed as he heard his mother, Mashima Reiko, on the other end. As tempted as he is to end the call right then and there, he wouldn’t dare get an angry visit from her instead.

“No, I had to attend to an emergency at the hospital a while ago” he explained “I just got home, what is it?”

“Well there’s a charity gala Mr. Ichido is hosting tomorrow night, maybe you could attend with your father and, you know, mingle with the people there at least”

“Why should I? I don’t have any interest in dad’s company, why aren’t you asking Rika?” he inquired, even though he has an idea of what Reiko is hinting at.

“She’s coming, that’s already a given” there was a small pause before she continued “Mr. Ichido’s daughter is coming to the gala, the one who just came back from the states, maybe you can tour her around Tokyo before she goes back after a week”

‘I knew it’ he said to himself. Ever since he graduated from Todai and immediately got a job as a doctor at the University’s same hospital, Reiko thought she wouldn’t need to worry about her son anymore.

To what she thought that her son would settle down with a woman as successful as he is, she slowly grew worried each day her son doesn’t call her to tell her about a doctor or businesswoman he’s going to marry someday. So for a year now, she’s been trying to connect him with the women in the families they’re connected with so it can ease her anxiety at least.

But Mashima Taichi has been a stubborn bastard ever since he was born.

“Not interested,” he answered coldly and Reiko just had enough of him rejecting every prospect she’s practically thrown at him.

"And why not? Again! might I add"

'This is getting really old' he rubbed his temples trying to calm himself down thinking of another half-assed excuse of not being ready. She was not yet finished talking though.

"And here I thought I can leave you alone to your devices after you've made it as a successful doctor, I can't believe you're making me worry over something you're supposed to have done a long time ago. Up until now I feel as if you’re waiting for me to push you into things that are good for you"

Now Taichi had enough, it's one thing for her to be critical of him being the best but for her to basically call him a dependent idiot is another thing.

"Well haven't you considered that maybe I am dating someone already without your approval?!"

She was taken aback and a million thoughts ran through her head, 'When? How? Who is it? Has she met her before?' But before she could get a word in he ended the call.

"If that's all, good night mom"

After that exchange he went back to lying down on his couch when his phone rang again.

"What?!"

"Ah!" The voice on the other end was startled by his loud reply.

Chihaya nearly dropped her phone when Taichi answered it a little too loudly for her delicate ears.

“Is everything ok, Taichi? What happened?”

“Oh Chihaya, sorry about that” he sighed as he relaxed at her voice on the other end, expecting it to be from his mother.

“It’s fine but could you let me in? I’ve been knocking for the last few minutes and you weren’t answering. I even brought you Daddy Bear Ramen and Snowmaru Ice cream on the way here” she whined as she banged her fist on his apartment door one last time.

Taichi opened the door as he pocketed his phone, “Geez you really are still a kid sometimes, you know that?”

Ignoring his comment, Chihaya walked inside the apartment like she owns the place. Ever since she’s gotten the job as a teacher at Mizusawa High last year, right after getting the Queen title, she’s been in and out of his place because, (a) it's the closest place she can stay at after late nights training at the society and (b) Taichi can drive her to school the next day.

He locked the door behind him as he went to the kitchen where Chihaya most definitely headed to.

Sure enough she’s already filled the instant ramen with hot water and is putting the ice cream in his mini fridge.

“So what crazy limited edition food did you manage to grab this time?” he asked while opening his share of the ramen, looking at the silly Daddy Bear artwork plastered on it.

“If you must know, I found these two at the very back of the shelf at the nearby konbini” she gestured to the two cups of ramen on the table “Can you believe how lucky I was!”

At that instant, Taichi checked the label on the cup to make sure it wasn’t expired. “Thank god you actually checked the labels this time before buying”

“Hey! That was one time ok” she retorted.

“Yeah sure it is” he teased as he took in a mouthful of noodles.

“Keep talking like that and I won’t let you near my Snowmaru Vanilla Ice Cream!” she pointed with her chopsticks.

“Which you stored in MY freezer?”

Chihaya groaned and grumpily ate her ramen.

The rest of their dinner went by as usual, Chihaya telling him how the karuta club they started has been doing so far under her care, her school day activities, and how her training at the Shiranami Society went that night.

Taichi almost forgot about his altercation with his mother that early evening until Chihaya brought up a topic that he’s not particularly fond of but listens to anyway.

“I can’t believe she tricked me into another blind date! I was excited to see her new commercial at the mall when she actually invited me into a double date” she said, a little bit frustrated and exhausted.

Ever since she became Queen last year, she’s been the center of attention of some men in the karuta community and even those outside of it. Her sister, Chitose, then saw an opportunity to play matchmaker with her sister so she can see her have a relationship outside of karuta.

And Mashima Taichi was both scared and relieved. Scared to see Chihaya having a relationship with another person and relieved to see her mature enough to finally fully understand what romantic gestures and relationships are.

It is no secret that Taichi always bore feelings for Chihaya, everyone at Shiranami knows, all their friends from their karuta club knows, Wataya Arata knows, his sister knows, except Chihaya.

“At this point, I might just fake date with the next person she throws at me to get it over with” she half-joked while taking another scoop of her ice cream. “Then everybody is happy, right?”

He inwardly panicked, even a fake relationship is risky, especially for someone like her. They might take advantage of her and they don’t know her like he does. It's not like they can keep up with her antics and airheadedness.

Without even thinking he blurted out, “Just pretend you’re dating me then”

Chihaya stopped midway with her scoop of ice cream, and looked like she’s processing what Taichi just said.

She was silent for a while and he realized what he just said, and just as he was about to brush it off as a joke she slammed her hands on the table a little too hard it shook and spilled the melted contents of her small bowl.

“Taichi! You are a genius!”

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NEXT CHAPTER

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First Chihayafuru fic, hehe... uploaded to both AO3 and FFNet, based on a random fake dating prompt I saw and I was instantly thinking “Taichihaya” so yeah here ya goo

#teanammonfics #taichi x chihaya #taichihaya #taichi #ayase chihaya #chihayafuru #fanfiction #whydoyouthinkthiswouldwork #teannamonfics

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sentimental-simp · 3 years

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Memorizing the Moon

Though I was walking home from school with him, my eyes were glued to the cards in my hands, memorizing essential notes for tomorrow’s exam. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a bad student cramming. I’ve been studying for days, hoping my sharp memory would reward me with a perfect score.

“You want to eat out at the café?” He asked, looking at the setting sun and the rising moon.

“The entire place is rented for a party,” I said, never looking at him, though I smiled quite proudly. The waitress told me that about 15 days ago.

He sighed and we continued trotting downhill. “These flowers seem nice,” He pointed out to a house.

I stole a quick glance at the garden and instantly recognized it. “Ah yes, the Amaryllis belladonna. I was reading about it in the library two days ago.”

He again said nothing for a few seconds after my remark. I could hear him fumbling for words. “It looks really nice.”

I raised a brow. “It is quite nice, but it shares a symbiotic relationship with bees. You know I hate insects.” We stopped by an intersection, waiting for the pedestrian light to turn red. “Plus, it’s toxic since it contains alkaloids, causing diarrhea.”

Silence followed. Thank goodness, I need to concentrate on these formulas. Based on how long we’ve traveled, we were getting quite close to my house. Maybe 7 minutes more?

We were now crossing the bridge. I could hear the soft waves and the cars zipping past. The bright light of the moon made it easier for me to read.

“Have you memorized the moon?” He asked me as he leaned on the railing separating the platform and the open space to the sea. His face seemed to be lost looking at the sky.

I stopped walking and tilted my head. “Memorize the moon?” I queried and rolled my eyes. “You mean the history? The elements it’s composed of?” I was about to take out my notes from science class.

Maybe I’ll reach my bed in 10 minutes if we keep standing here.

He laughed heartily at my response. “No, I meant the moon from your eyes only.”

I crinkled my face, even more confused. “There is only one moon, what’s the point? You want me to memorize the placement? It always changes due to your reference frame.”

The boy in front of me simply chuckled. “I don’t know, maybe the color? The shape? The number of stars surrounding it or how its light is shining?” He glanced at the moon. “You know, looking at things once doesn’t mean you need to memorize them.”

I scoffed, craning my neck towards the plain and nearly starless sky. “What’s your point?” I asked.

He was about to say more but he stopped himself. “Never mind,” The boy stuffed his hands on his coat pocket and stood up straight, walking away. “See you,”

His words perplexed me so much. By the time I was snapped back to reality, he was already near the end of the bridge.

“Huh?” I called after him as he still sauntered away. “What do you mean by that?” I chased after him, struggling to keep up because of my uniform.

“Jeez,” I groaned and put my hands on my knees as I doubled over for breath. “Think you’re so cool saying all those riddles, huh?”

He laughed at me and ruffled my hair that earned him a glare. Some strands covered my blushing cheeks.

However.

My mind drifted to the moment he was standing there, trying to figure out what he was trying to tell me. I guess he was telling me to study and appreciate my surroundings more. Well, I have to admit the place looked a little pretty with the bright moon.

A few steps forward and my cheeks reddened more. It wasn’t from the cold though.

The sea, the moon, the night. It looked pretty with him there.

#flashfiction #idk what i did #this is an edit #original story #this was originally a fanfiction for chihayafuru

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worldwithinworld · 4 years

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WWW’s Weekly Winners (March 15-21, 2020)

These are the best things I read, watched, and listened to over the past week. Let me know what you think!

Book: Thunderhead (Arc of a Scythe #2) by Neal Shusterman (This book and series are amazingly good! It has a great concept and thoroughly explores the potential ramifications of that concept. I also love the characters and the surprising moments of humor.)

Movie or TV Show: Chihayafuru (The Valentine’s Day episode was so sweet, and I was pleasantly surprised by how great Sumire was in this one.)

Song: "Dancing on the Waves" by We the Kingdom (pretty, pretty, pretty)

Fanfiction: The Family Man by EllaMariexoxo (FMA AU. Truth gives Ed--or perhaps torments him with--a chance to experience how different his life could have been. I‘m so glad that this bittersweet Ed/Winry fic has started getting new chapters again!)

#wwwww #chihayafuru #arc of a scythe #thunderhead #neal shusterman #dancing on the waves #we the kingdom #fullmetal alchemist #fanfiction #truth #edward elric #winry rockbell

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winterscraps · 5 years

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notes i realize that the manga has moved very quickly and events have already progressed. but my love for this series and the capacity with which these characters have broken my heart isn’t something i can let go just yet. chihayafuru; taichi, chihaya.

It’s so stupid, because Taichi can still find it in himself to pity himself. It’s stupid, because in a world with endless possibilities and the unmoving force that is Taichi’s willpower alone, Chihaya can still only see him.

“But how do I even say it?”

Arata is consulting the wrong person. Taichi is cold; his nose is red and his hands are stuffed so far deep in his pockets that his fingers have begun to peel at the pocket lining. His mother’s not going to like that.

“Taichi,” Arata whines in agony. “I’ve never told a girl I like her before.”

“What, you think that I have?”

Arata squints at him. “Are you kidding me? How many people have confessed to you in your senior year of high school alone? You called me to complain about all the chocolate in your desk.”

“Yeah, but I’ve never liked anyone but Chihaya.”

There. A small, petty jab.

Arata is silent.

Hah, thinks Taichi, take that.

Even after he’s fallen out of love with her, Taichi dreams about Chihaya sometimes. For some reason, she’s always running ahead of him. When he wakes from these dreams he never knows if it’s because he’s unable to forget about her or if it’s that he still hates her a little, for not being able to look his way.

He knows he shouldn’t resent her for it. But it still feels like a joke.

That night, he dreams that Arata confesses to her. Chihaya fumbles with her words. Her hair is tied up but it still looks dishevelled; it’s still untidy, somehow. Her sweatpants are wrinkled where she’s been kneeling on the tatami for hours, trying to memorize the cards. God damn it, Taichi thinks. Couldn’t you manage to look at least semi-appropriate the one time a guy who loves you finally tells you he’s loved you since you were children? Couldn’t you at least do him that courtesy? Stupid, dumb Chihaya.

But before Taichi can convince himself to wake up from this dream, Chihaya catches sight of him. Her eyes widen. Then, she lifts her arm up and her lips curl into a smile.

Her voice is so clear. “Taichi!”

Taichi’s eyes blink open drearily. He rests a hand over his chest and feels it pounding fervently, as though all of the years of loving a stupid, beautiful girl can still move the stillness of his heart.

They don’t speak anymore, he and Chihaya.

But he runs into her, one day, at a bookstore. Of all places. She’s bundled in a thick scarf and got her nose in a thick textbook. For a moment, he panics. He doesn’t know what to say. Taichi takes one hesitant step backwards. And then another.

Is he avoiding her? Does Chihaya know he’s avoiding her?

“Taichi.”

He freezes. Chihaya’s eyes are wide and blinking. She’s a little taller now. Her hair is down, and it looks like it’s been brushed. Seeing her with a textbook in her hand makes her feel foreign to him. He suddenly wonders how she feels, to be seeing him again. “Hey,” he says finally. “What are you doing here?”

It’s probably his imagination, but Chihaya’s shoulders seem to droop. “Oh, I’m just… picking up a book for my sister. Thought I would look around while I was at it. How have you been?”

“Good.” It’s an awkward conversation. “Well, I’m going to head out. It was nice seeing you.” He pretends to check his watch. “Take care, okay?”

“… Sure.” She lowers her gaze. “See you.”

Somehow, it doesn’t feel right. But Taichi gives her a small nod and spins on his heel. He doesn’t think about Chihaya, or how her behaviour has changed. He doesn’t think about what she might be doing now, or how she and Arata must be dating already–

“Wait, Taichi!”

He pauses and turns back around to look at her. The look in her eyes has changed. Taken aback by the difference, he stammers. “Yeah?”

“You don’t… you don’t play karuta anymore, do you?”

It sounds small and sad, coming from her. Chihaya bites her lip as though she’d been afraid to ask, and yet had needed to know.

Taichi is almost sorry to respond honestly. “Yeah, I don’t.”

Chihaya’s eyes are downcast. “Yeah,” she murmurs. “That’s what I thought, too.”

More out of politeness than anything else, he asks her: “Do you?”

Sadness looks both out of place and strange on someone who used to smile and laugh so much. Chihaya looks away from him and says, quietly, “I try to, sometimes.”

“Oh, really?” Still? “Well, good luck with that. See you.”

“… See you.”

Taichi leaves quickly. On his way home, it starts to rain and he curses to himself. He didn’t bring an umbrella with him. He texts his sister on his way to pick her up from cram school and squeezes through a crowd on the subway. He messages his sister again: Going to be late. Sorry.

He shoves his phone back into his pocket. But it vibrates again and Taichi takes it out, only to find that he’s got a new message.

It’s from Chihaya.

Sorry I asked you about karuta. Sorry. It was good to see you, Taichi. Maybe we’ll see each other soon.

Taichi’s face crumples and he lowers his head. What is she apologizing for? Why is she apologizing? Why is she the one to apologize?

“I just thought that as long as we had karuta, we’d always be together, you know?”

He’s dreaming again. He knows it’s a dream again because he’s walking down the familiar path to the same old club room. Only in his dreams does he ever revisit high school. But this dream is weirdly vivid, and he stops to stare at the scenery around him. The cherry blossoms are blooming. A gentle wind blows his way, tousling his hair. Suddenly, the nostalgia is too much for him.

He slides the door open.

“Oh, you’re here.”

Taichi looks up, surprised. Chihaya doesn’t looks up from the cards, even as he slips off his shoes. “You must have freakish ears. How did you know it was me?”

Chihaya purses her lips in concentration. “I always know when it’s you.”

Taichi blinks. Chihaya bursts into movement from her kneeling position and clambers to her feet. Then she spins around and grabs Taichi’s arm.

…Oh.

She grins at him.

“Shall we play?”

#chihayafuru #ayase chihaya #mashima taichi #wataya arata #fanfiction #fanfic

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somedayillbepeterpan · 3 years

Text

The day you became Queen

A Chiharata fanfiction based on Rawaa Eed’s story idea and from Suetsugu’s Couverture series.

I do not own these characters but I do love them.

Hope you enjoy it!

————————

“But if would be a different story if you were playing against Wataya-kun. He’s going to be a Meijin!”

“That makes you the Queen, Ayase-san.”

Chihayafuru, episode 1 (crunchyroll translation).

———————

The memory of him and Chihaya wanting the karuta Meijin/Queen title when they were kids hit Arata hard as he watched Chihaya take her last card from Shinobu making her win the fifth match.

Making her the Queen.

Making him lose the Meijin match.

Chihaya was surrounded by many people congratulating her while his mom, Kuriyama-sensei, and Murao-kun tried their best to come up with words to console him. Arata could hear their voices. He even noticed how his dad was looking sadder that he expected him to be.

He could hear their voices but he could only look at Chihaya.

Didn’t we make this dream together? Why did I lose? Why did I lose?

With feet that felt like lead and heart beating so fast, he approached Chihaya and her group.

“Chihaya…” those big, bright eyes looked up to him. Chihaya, from the moment he’s met her, was very easy to read. He could see it. See the pride and joy that she’s feeling. But she wasn’t smiling as widely as he thought she should be.

“Arata…”

Does she feel pity over me? “I—,” Arata tries to speak but his throat is so dry. “Chihaya, congratulations. I just wanted to say that. I need to go now since everyone is waiting for me but I’m so happy for you. You deserve it. You are a Queen.” My queen.

“Arata…” He loved the way Chihaya says his name but he knows that if he stayed, he would break down. He looks over her shoulder and he sees Chihaya being led out by her parents along with the group of people who supported her. He sees Taichi beside her. He hurried away, wanting to get away from everyone’s expectations. Wanting to get away from that sight.

He got to the shrine’s steps when he heard Taichi calling him. “Arata,” Taichi called. Arata doesn’t face him. Can’t face him. “Taichi,” he says with his back facing him. “Thank you for bringing me here. Take care of Chihaya.” He tried to walk off but was stopped by Taichi.

“You’re not giving up, right? You’re not running away again, right? I’ve never known you to be a coward. You could do it. Nobody else could have done it. You pushed Suo-san to 5-matches. You won fair and square in the beginning. You pushed him to using his voice literally and to realise that he still wanted to be the Meijin. That in itself is something to be proud of. You can’t give up.”

“I don’t know if I can still fight. Not right now when I can’t be at Chihaya’s side. I wanted to be by her side. I wanted to be someone she deserved,” Arata said quietly. Slowly. Trying to hold the tears that’s about to tear his heart out.

“You know that she doesn’t care about all that, you idiot!” Taichi shouted. Arata could feel the deep judgment from Taichi. Arata ran away. Ran away even as he heard Taichi call his name over and over. Even without saying goodbye to Chihaya. Even without seeing her for the last time. Besides, she has Taichi. He doesn’t have a place in her life anymore.

It’s just like when I lost Grampa.

———————-

It’s been a week since the Meijin/Queen tournament. Over the past week, he received so many messages— of encouragement, of lament, of continuing support. But the person who his filled his inbox (and heart) the most was Chihaya.

She has called him 50 times over the week and sent so many messages. She kept saying that if it wasn’t for the entrance exams, she would have come here, in Fukui, in his house to talk to him. His mind and heart kept wondering what she would say.

But she never came. And he never answered back.

—————

The day came for Arata to go to Tokyo. He said goodbye to his parents, his karuta society, karuta school club, and neighbors. Lastly, he said goodbye to his grandfather. Arata wonders one more time why he went ahead with his decision to still study in Tokyo even though he hasn’t seen nor talked to Chihaya for months. She was consistent, tried her hardest to know if he still continued his plans to study in Tokyo but he never answered her.

It’s been 2 years of non-stop juggle between university life and work. Arata had gotten used to it but it was still incredibly taxing. It took all his time and he never had any time for others things.

How did Suo-san did it while being the strongest karuta player in the world? I can’t even join any tournament because of how busy I am. I wonder how Chihaya and Taichi are doing?

Chihaya’s messages had stopped coming but she was still the current Queen. Her and Shinobu have had so many rematches now but unsurprisingly, Chihaya always won.

I wonder if she’s with Taichi now. She probably is. She doesn’t message me anymore anyway.

After school, he went to work as way to support himself and to unburden his parents. He was the one who insisted on coming to Tokyo anyway.

I never even bothered to know where Chihaya ended up in university. I’m such a coward. I’m such a coward. But I want to play karuta with Chihaya again, Arata wished to the stars.

Perhaps, the karuta god was listening to him. Or just perhaps, his longing was so strong because when he came out of work, very late that night, he saw a familiar girl looking up at the stars.

“Chihaya?” Arata says, surprised that her name came out of his mouth.

It felt like a dream. Except it wasn’t a dream. Arata didn’t want it to be anyway. “Chihaya?” he said one more time so he can get back to reality. Chihaya was more beautiful than the last time he saw her. There was a maturity there that was probably influenced by being the Queen (and also being in university). She has been going heights for her dream anyway. Her and Shinobu had successfully become professional karuta players and their rivalry attracted big audiences. It even encouraged a bigger rivalry between the daddy bear and snowmaru characters. Arata never bothered knowing who the current Meijin was but he always watched Chihaya’s matches.

Chihaya still hasn’t said anything but she looked like she’s trying her best not to cry. Arata slowly walked towards her. “Chihaya…I—um…how did you find me?”

“You never messaged me back,” Chihaya said quietly, not looking at him.

Am I dreaming? Is the cheerful, bright Chihaya sound angry and sad? Did I do this to her, Arata thought. “Chihaya, I’m sorry. I was stuck in so many things.” Arata was disgusted at the way he was making vague excuses. How can he face this girl, this woman that he had loved since he was a kid? How could he make excuses to this girl who never stopped fighting for her own dream?

“You didn’t even tell me where you were here in Tokyo. You’ve been in Tokyo for two years! You’ve been near me all this time and yet you haven’t seen nor messaged me,” Chihaya finally bursted in tears.

Arata’s heart was hammering inside his chest since he saw Chihaya but now he felt like his heart will come out of his body. To think that she went all this way just to be express her disappointment in him? How could he ever face himself? How could he even try to chase up his dream again. The dream they had together when he ashamedly behaved this way.

“Arata,” Chihaya is now facing him. Her big, bright eyes filled with tears. “Do you still want to be the Meijin?”

His heart stopped but there was only one answer. “Yes. Of course. Yes.”

“Then why aren’t you in Omi Jingu?”

“Because I don’t deserve it. And I don’t deserve wanting or even dreaming of standing up there with you.”

“Who said that? Who gave that idea to you?”

“You are the Queen. You deserved someone who could support you all the way. You deserved someone strong like Taichi. More than me.”

Arata saw Chihaya’s expression grew even worse. Drowning in his insecurity, he couldn’t help himself and asked, “Where is Taichi, anyway?” trying to make his voice stable.

“Taichi this, Taichi that,” Chihaya snapped. “I’m here for you. I’m the one standing in front of you. Do you see anyone with me? I came here for you!” She was fully crying now, her face red in anger and frustration. “Listen to me, Arata,” Chihaya came near him, fully facing him, just inches away from his face. “I’m here for you. I looked for you for so long. I couldn’t do it after the Queen match and I was carried away with what the title brought and what Shinobu and I’s desire to build good credibility to become professional karuta players. But Arata, I was waiting for you. In every tournament, in the qualifiers, I was waiting for you. I’ve always waited for you.”

Arata felt his heart come back to his chest. Wait for me? Chihaya always waited to for me? “You…always waited for me?”

“I thought that I told you that I wanted to be Queen and then will tell you my answer. Why do you always make me wait for you?”

Arata fell silent. A million thoughts ran through his head. A million excuses.

Because…I thought you didn’t need me. Because I thought I had no place in your life. Because I thought Taichi could take better care of you.

Arata saw how wrong he was about everything. Chihaya knew she was alone in climbing the Mt. Fuji of being Queen. But never once did she waver from wanting that victory. She did it for herself. And she did everything to win that day. And she did it knowing that he was walking parallel to her.

“It was always you,” Chihaya quietly said. “It was always because of you. It was you that I always longed for. It was always you.”

“Chihaya…”

“Let me finish, you idiot! You never gave me the chance to speak after the match. You ran away so fast and disappeared for so long. How could you assume that I didn’t love you back? That I would abandon you when you lost the Meijin match? I became stronger because I always wanted to receive your passion. Loving you and karuta was the only thing I know will never change.”

Upon hearing those words, Arata couldn’t hold back and pulled Chihaya closer to him, giving her a kiss he’s wanted so long to have with her. It felt natural to him that he was kissing this girl, this woman whose heart was always connected to him.

How could he have thought differently?

———————

ARATA: My girlfriend is a karuta freak and the current Karuta Queen. We play almost every day and have romantic breaks in between. She’s helping me become the next Meijin.

——————-

CHIHAYA: My husband is a karuta freak and now had just won his 5th consecutive title to become an eternal Meijin.

#chihayafuru fanfiction Meijin Queen Arachiha Watayaarata Ayasechihaya arata chihaya

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