Chapter 74
Five days after the selection round, the three judges meet at a restaurant to discuss the event. A staff member remarks that the selection round was apparently a major success and thanks them for lending their expertise. Gakumon then admits that Ikken’s recommendation surprised him: the only contestant Ikken put forward for promotion to futatsume was the young man who performed first.
Ikken explains that he cannot recommend one of his own pupils. He also believes that departing from custom to promote an apprentice in only their second year would invite opposition from other figures in the rakugo world, particularly members of the Rakugo Federation. He insists that anyone receiving something exceptional must first produce results worthy of it. When Gakumon asks whether finishing second or third should be enough, Ikken answers that receiving special treatment is a privilege reserved for the winner.
The restaurant staff member notes that the decision was therefore based simply on the performers’ careers and demonstrated ability. Gakumon acknowledges that the other two performers under discussion already possess enough skill to become futatsume and will likely earn the rank sooner or later. He nevertheless finds Ikken’s position unusually conservative for someone from the Arakawa school, but Ikken replies that he merely dislikes taking unnecessary risks.
Gakumon then turns the conversation toward Akane, saying that her performance at the end of the selection round genuinely startled him. Her rakugo reminded him of an artistic style that even Issho was unable to inherit when he was younger, before Issho grew into the dominant figure he is now. For a brief moment, Gakumon believes he caught a glimpse of what he calls the “Art of Shi-no-Ji” in Akane’s performance. He predicts that a rakugoka like her could bring unruly and turbulent times back to the Arakawa school.
Gakumon gets up to leave, telling Ikken that he is free to disregard the opinion as nothing more than commentary from one of the “other folks” Ikken had mentioned. However, Gakumon adds that if Ikken is unwilling to celebrate a good performance, he will do so himself. Before departing, he tells Ikken that if he feels like joining the festivities, he should come to Osaka Tenmangu Shrine the following day.
Akane arrives in Tenjin-chō while members of the Shiguma school and local residents prepare for a large neighborhood festival. She is surprised by the number of stalls and people involved, admitting that she did not realize the event was so extensive because she missed the previous year’s festival due to her school athletics day.
Guriko explains that the Shikisai Festival, scheduled for the following day, was created through a collaboration between the Shiguma school and the surrounding Tenjin-chō neighborhood. He says its popularity is unsurprising because Tenjin-chō is also the nickname traditionally associated with Master Shiguma.
Guriko explains that famous rakugo masters were once commonly identified by the neighborhoods where they lived, with names such as Mejiro, Kashiwagi, and Kuromon-chō serving as shorthand among fans. Although that custom eventually gave way to the modern title of the Arakawa Arch Four, many longtime followers still refer to Shiguma as “Tenjin-chō.” Akane understands that this connection between her master and the neighborhood is why the school plays such a major role in the festival.
While looking around at the different stalls, Akane assumes that the apprentices’ responsibility will be to entertain the visitors with rakugo. Guriko agrees that, as apprentices of Tenjin-chō, they must help make the festival a success, but immediately tells her that performing rakugo alone will not be enough. He asks her what truly makes a Japanese festival come alive.
Guriko answers his own question: the essential attraction is the food stalls. He declares that they will operate a traditional yakisoba stand and abruptly orders Akane to begin chopping cabbage. Akane protests that she did not realize his repeated use of “we” included her, but Guriko offers her no way out of the work.
Koguma then arrives, and Akane is relieved to see him, quickly explaining Guriko’s plan. Koguma remarks that Guriko never learns, while Akane adds that yakisoba feels like an overly predictable choice. Rather than merely criticizing the idea, Koguma begins applying his usual research-based thinking to the problem. He considers the history of festival-stall culture originating in postwar black markets, the products offered by competing vendors, the growing importance of visual appeal, and the nostalgia attached to familiar summer-festival foods, preparing to determine what their stall should actually sell.
Koguma rejects Guriko’s yakisoba plan and declares that candied apples are the only sensible choice, even setting up a stall called “Candied Kogumapples.” Guriko objects that Koguma dismissed the yakisoba without even tasting it, while Akane tries to stop both of them from turning the preparations into a competition. Their argument is interrupted by the dramatic arrival of another challenger devoted entirely to grilled chicken skewers.
Kyoji appears with two workers from Izakaya Umi and introduces himself as “Yakitori Kyoji.” His intense speech presents grilling chicken as the result of years of dedication to skewers and poultry, leaving Akane bewildered by how seriously everyone is treating their stalls. She then learns that this competitiveness is intentional: during the Shikisai Festival, the Shiguma-school apprentices traditionally run separate stands and compete to see who can earn the most money.
Maikeru then makes his own theatrical entrance and announces that he will operate an entertainment stand. Correcting Akane when she calls him Maikeru, he jokingly claims that he is now “Michael,” proprietor of the Maikeru-tei Exhibition Sideshow. He shows her photographs of the elaborate attraction he ran the previous year, prompting Akane to wonder what kind of operation he has created.
Maikeru notices that Akane is still affected by her loss in the selection round and asks how long she intends to remain in that state. His challenge reminds her of earlier advice that an entertainer must commit fully to both enjoying herself and creating enjoyment for others. Accepting that she cannot remain discouraged forever, Akane responds by telling the others to bring it on.
The Shiguma-school apprentices prepare to compete with yakisoba, candied apples, yakitori, and Maikeru’s exhibition attraction. Akane joins their determination, declaring that if they are participating, they should compete seriously and aim to win. The chapter ends by setting up the festival’s full-scale stand battle.
Chapter 75
The chapter opens with the Shikisai Festival in full swing. The streets around the shrine are packed with visitors, lanterns, food stalls, and festival noise, shifting the story away from the tense selection round and into a lively neighborhood celebration.
At Guriko’s yakisoba stand, Akane has already finished chopping all the cabbage. Guriko is shocked by how quickly she completed the work, while Akane treats it like no big deal and asks whether he is impressed. Guriko admits that he can at least compliment her tenacity, though he also worries that she may be pushing herself too hard.
Akane is fully determined to win the festival’s sales competition and immediately offers to cut the meat too. Guriko stops her before she can take on more work, telling her that they are still before peak hours and he can run the stand by himself for now. Since Akane has never properly experienced this festival before, he tells her to go enjoy the sights for a while.
While walking around, Akane finds Koguma at his candied apple stand, but he is completely exhausted. He explains that he has been running the stand, but has already passed his daily limit for interacting with strangers. Akane panics because Koguma’s stall depends on customer service, while Koguma himself is barely able to keep speaking to customers.
Hakushu Kashiwaya then appears and casually takes over the situation. He tells them not to worry and begins selling the candied apples with smooth, confident customer service. Rather than simply calling them tasty, he pitches them through nutrition facts, explaining that apples contain vitamin C, calcium, fiber, and other nutrients, and that each candied apple has about as many calories as a bowl of rice.
Akane is stunned by Hakushu’s transformation, realizing that he seems like a completely different person when he is in performance mode. Hakushu cheerfully says that there is always more to learn and apply, turning customer service itself into another kind of performance. Kyoji then approaches Akane and asks whether she has time to run an errand.
Kyoji sends Akane to deliver change to his yakitori stand. When she arrives, the workers there warmly recognize her and joke that she has come by to see them, while she holds the envelope of money meant for Koguma’s stall. The festival section continues to show Akane moving between the Shiguma apprentices’ different stands and seeing how each of them applies their own personality to entertaining people.
Akane arrives at Kyoji’s yakitori stand to deliver change and is greeted warmly by the workers there. Kyoji, however, is completely absorbed in grilling and tells her not to stare at the chicken for too long before thanking her for the help. His intensity surprises Akane, and one of the workers explains that Kyoji has to watch the charcoal constantly because the flames change with humidity and can affect the smoothness of the grilling. Akane realizes that Kyoji’s stand is being run with far more seriousness than she expected from a festival stall.
The situation suddenly falls apart when Kyoji collapses. Akane panics, calling out to him, while the workers ask Miss Hiiragi what she gave him. She explains that it was only alcohol-flavored chocolate, with no actual alcohol in it, but the others immediately understand the problem: Kyoji is so weak to alcohol that even something alcohol-flavored can affect him. Since he can no longer keep working, the workers tell Akane to take him somewhere he can rest while they manage the yakitori stand without him.
Akane hauls Kyoji away, and a doctor checks him over. The doctor says there is nothing wrong with him, while the surrounding men tease Kyoji by calling him a dummy and a bozo. Akane thanks the doctor for handling him, then hears a loud noise coming from nearby. She follows the sound and finds herself in front of the Maikeru-tei Exhibition Sideshow, Maikeru’s festival attraction.
Inside the sideshow, Maikeru is fully performing for a packed crowd. He dramatically spins a parasol while adding wooden cups on top of it, drawing cheers and laughter from the audience. Akane is disturbed by how strange the act is, but rather than get involved, she decides to pretend she did not see anything and return to her work at the festival.
Before she can leave, Shiguma appears at the festival wearing a happi coat with the character “shi” on the back, meaning aspiration. Akane is shocked to see her master dressed that way and asks what is going on. Shiguma recognizes her immediately and calmly asks whether it is Akane, while she can only stare at him in disbelief.
Akane asks why Shiguma is dressed like that, but he brushes off her surprise and tells her not to be a baby. When he tells her to “tighten up your loincloth,” Akane protests that he cannot mean it literally, but Shiguma clarifies that he means emotionally. He tells her that if she wants to lighten up and empty her head, she needs the proper mindset first.
After Shiguma tells Akane to “tighten the loincloth of her heart,” Akane tries to interpret what he means. She thinks that he wants her to empty her head, but she is still caught up in treating the festival like work. Since the apprentices are competing to earn the most sales, she feels that winning should be the entire point.
As Akane walks through the festival, she sees the crowds enjoying themselves under the lanterns. People are eating, laughing, browsing the stalls, and taking part in the festival atmosphere. Watching them, Akane realizes that she has been the one missing the point. She was so focused on the sales contest that she forgot the festival is supposed to be about enjoyment.
Akane returns to Guriko’s yakisoba stand, where the others welcome her back. Guriko is about to ask her to help with the stall again, but Akane stops him and says she wants to try something quickly. She takes out her fan and snaps it open, shifting into performance mode.
Akane gathers the attention of the passing crowd and begins a lively sales pitch for Guriko’s yakisoba. She calls out to the “good people” of the festival and invites anyone without urgent business to stop and listen. Then she describes the yakisoba like a rakugo performance: the heat rising from the griddle, the smell of the noodles, the sizzling meat, the sound of the cabbage, bean sprouts, and beef, and the rich brown sauce coating everything.
Rather than simply trying to sell food, Akane turns the stall into part of the festival entertainment. She presents the yakisoba as an authentic festival experience made by Guriko, apprentice of Shiguma Arakawa, and urges the crowd to savor the flavor, scent, and atmosphere while it is still fresh. Her pitch shows that she has finally started applying Shiguma’s advice: if she wants to win people over, she has to enjoy herself and make the people in front of her enjoy themselves too.
Akane’s rakugo-style sales pitch immediately succeeds. Customers begin gathering at Guriko’s yakisoba stand, drawn in by her energetic description and the smell of the food. Several people call out that they want some, with one customer ordering two servings at once. Akane has stopped treating the stand as only a sales contest and has started turning the work itself into entertainment.
Guriko notices the change in her right away. He asks what happened because Akane seems completely different from before she left. Akane smiles and says that she only “tightened her loincloth a little,” referring back to Shiguma’s advice about changing her mindset. Guriko does not fully understand what she means, but he drops the subject and returns to working the stand with her.
Akane and Guriko then work together enthusiastically, calling out to festivalgoers and preparing more yakisoba. Akane’s mood has shifted from tense determination to genuine enjoyment, and Guriko joins her rhythm as they serve the customers. Their stand becomes lively not simply because of the food, but because the two of them are now entertaining the crowd while they cook.
The chapter ends by revealing the next event at the festival: Shikisai Festival Rakugo, opening at 6:00 PM and starting at 6:30 PM. The performance order lists zenza Akane Arakawa first, followed by futatsume Guriko Arakawa, setting up Akane’s next stage appearance after the festival-stall competition.
Chapter 76
The chapter opens with a flashback to Guriko’s early days as a zenza apprentice. On April 5, only three days after Guriko began, Shinta helps guide him through backstage duties. Shinta tells him to let their master’s tea steam a little longer before serving it, and when Guriko answers too casually, Shinta corrects him by reminding him to say “yes, sir.” The moment shows Shinta acting as a patient senior apprentice who teaches Guriko the small details of zenza work.
Guriko remembers that Shinta was more than a dozen years older than him, but still spoke to him like an ordinary person instead of looking down on him. Shinta was always watching out for Guriko and trying to help him adjust to the school. However, that same September, Shinta was expelled, cutting short the time Guriko had with the senior apprentice who had been guiding him.
Five months after Shinta’s expulsion, in the following February, young Akane appears before Shiguma and declares her decision. She says she is going to become a shin’uchi and prove that her father’s rakugo was great. The narration notes that there was only a ten-month gap between when Guriko started and when Akane began, tying Guriko’s own apprenticeship directly to the aftermath of Shinta’s expulsion and Akane’s resolve.
The scene then returns to the present at the Shikisai Festival. The final results of the Shiguma school entertainer-stand competition are announced, and the number-one earner is revealed to be Guriko and Akane’s yakisoba stand. Guriko and Akane celebrate loudly, confirming that Akane’s change in mindset and her rakugo-style sales pitch helped them win the festival sales contest.
The festival stand competition officially ends with Guriko and Akane’s yakisoba stand taking first place. The others react to the final rankings in their own ways: Koguma’s side reflects on how their sales could have gone better, Kyoji’s yakitori stand is excluded because Kyoji needed medical help, and Maikeru reveals that although his sideshow attracted a huge crowd, he spent all the money treating women, leaving him with no actual profit. Akane points out that the “most sales” competition was Maikeru’s idea in the first place.
Afterward, the others notice how intensely everyone had been performing their roles during the festival. One of them admits that he stayed in “performance mode” for too long, while another comments that Akane has really gotten into the swing of things. Even though she is still recovering emotionally from the selection round, Akane’s work at the yakisoba stand has shown that she can redirect her energy into entertaining the people in front of her.
Two rakugoka then discuss Akane’s current reputation. Since the previous summer, she has been the center of attention for better or worse. Among the rakugoka who watched the recent selection round, many ranked Akane’s skill even higher than Hikaru’s, despite Hikaru being the one who won. This causes one of them to compare Akane to Rokuro, suggesting that there are performers whose talent and growth attract attention even when they do not follow a smooth or conventional path.
The focus shifts to the Shikisai Festival Shiguma School Apprentice Stage, where Akane performs before a large festival audience. Her opening draws strong laughter and applause, showing that she has successfully warmed up the crowd. In the wings, Guriko watches her closely and thinks about how people like Akane can seem to skip steps as they rapidly climb the stairs of life.
Guriko knows better than most how much Akane has grown. He remembers watching her practice and improve from close range, so his concern is not simple jealousy or dismissal. As Akane finishes warming up the audience and tells him she has prepared the room for him, Guriko examines his hand and prepares himself before stepping onto the stage.
Guriko takes his place on the cushion with the audience already lively from Akane’s opener. Rather than shrinking from the challenge, he gathers his focus and declares that he is ready to do it, setting up his own performance after Akane’s successful opening act.
Guriko begins his Shikisai Festival rakugo performance by explaining that rakugo has a stock character defined by carelessness. He introduces “The Careless Nail,” a humorous kokkei-banashi about a married couple who have moved into a new home. In the story, the wife asks her husband to put up a nail so she can hang a broom on it, since they do not want spiders and webs spreading through the house.
The careless husband takes up the task and starts hammering with enthusiasm, but he immediately hits his own finger. The audience laughs as Guriko plays the pain and embarrassment, turning the man’s simple household job into slapstick.
The joke then escalates when the husband realizes he was mistaken about which hand he hit. This “careless” mistake confirms the story’s character type, and Guriko thinks that “The Careless Nail” is perfectly matched to Ani-san’s nin. The husband then makes another mistake by hammering the nail all the way into the wall.
After the performance, Akane is called over by Miss Yoshino from the rakugo café. Yoshino says she came to watch Akane perform and praises how much Akane’s rakugo has improved. She also greets Guriko warmly as “Guri-chan,” showing that she remembers both of them from the café.
Miss Yoshino then compliments Guriko’s yakisoba, saying it was simply delicious. She asks Akane and Guriko to come back and perform at the café sometime. Guriko is briefly unsettled when she directs attention toward Akane, wondering whether Akane will be all right and whether Shiguma must have had some reason for sending her, but he accepts the situation outwardly.
Guriko tries to laugh off the moment by telling himself that he must have made the yakisoba a little too delicious. Later, as the festival atmosphere settles into the night, Guriko calls out to “Ani-san” near the shrine grounds.
The person Guriko finds is Maikeru, who casually greets him as “Guririn.” Maikeru tells Guriko that this is the best place to watch the fireworks and invites him to sit with him. As they sit together, Guriko notices Maikeru drinking and relaxing, then says that he finally understands what Maikeru meant.
During the fireworks, Guriko explains what he meant when he said he finally understood Maikeru’s point. When Maikeru told him to watch Akane’s performance, Guriko realized that he knows better than anyone how much Akane has grown. Because he started only ten months before her, he has watched her progress from a very close distance rather than as a distant senior or outsider.
Guriko’s thoughts connect the present festival to the earlier flashbacks from April and February. The chapter visually compares his own start as an apprentice with Akane’s later entrance into rakugo, using the stone steps and a janken step-climbing game to show the small gap between them. Although Guriko began first, Akane’s rapid growth now makes it feel as though she has climbed past him.
As the fireworks continue overhead, Guriko finally says aloud what has been weighing on him. Addressing Maikeru as “Ani-san,” he admits that he is not as good as Akane. The chapter ends on that quiet confession, contrasting the bright festival fireworks with Guriko’s private realization about his own position beside Akane.
Chapter 77
The chapter opens with Guriko reflecting on the three senior apprentices he has always admired. Maikeru is a charismatic entertainer whom everyone naturally likes, Koguma possesses enough knowledge of rakugo to overwhelm even experienced masters, and Kyoji is respected for the honesty and compassion in his storytelling. To Guriko, all three represented the kind of rakugoka and senior apprentice he wanted to become.
Because they served as role models for him, Guriko decided that he also wanted to become someone others could admire. He threw himself into performing whenever possible, even accepting poorly paid work because gaining stage experience mattered more to him than the money. His goal was to inspire younger performers in the same way Maikeru, Koguma, and Kyoji had inspired him.
Returning to his conversation with Maikeru beneath the fireworks, Guriko repeats the admission he made at the end of the previous chapter: he is not as good as Akane. The confession is difficult for him because Akane is his junior apprentice, while he believes that his position as her senior should place him ahead of her.
Guriko explains that he has watched Akane closely ever since her first public performance. Her rate of improvement is on an entirely different level, and a single experience can completely transform her style of rakugo. He accepts that Akane is simply built differently from him and is painfully aware that he does not possess the same extraordinary ability. Maikeru listens quietly and places a reassuring hand on his back.
Even after acknowledging the gap between them, Guriko refuses to give up on himself. He admits that his feelings may amount to pointless pride, but he still wants to become like the senior apprentices he admires. More immediately, he wants to improve enough to stay ahead of Akane and become the kind of older brother apprentice she can genuinely look up to.
Guriko passionately asks Maikeru to help him improve. Maikeru asks whether he has a specific plan in mind, and after hearing Guriko’s idea, says that he likes it. He tells Guriko that he knows exactly the right person and will put them in contact, although what happens afterward will depend on Guriko himself. Guriko thanks him, while Maikeru praises both Guriko and “Akaneru” for taking their rakugo so seriously.
Inspired by Guriko and Akane’s determination to advance, Maikeru decides that he should also take the next step in his own career. As Guriko bows deeply after asking for his help, Maikeru thinks that the time has come for him to pursue promotion to shin’uchi.
Elsewhere, Kyoji wakes after collapsing during the festival. The doctor reassures him that he is physically fine and says he was only suffering from mental exhaustion, since he merely believed that he had consumed alcohol. Kyoji is embarrassed by what happened and can remember little beyond his undignified behavior. His phone then rings, and he loudly demands to know who is calling.
Kyoji immediately recognizes the caller as Master Miroku. Miroku says he has something intended for Kyoji’s ears alone and asks whether he is currently by himself. Afterward, Kyoji walks away from the festival crowd, apparently separating himself from the others so they can speak privately.
While watching the fireworks, Akane asks Koguma whether Kyoji is all right. Koguma assures her that he will be fine because he only thought he had consumed alcohol. Koguma then brings up the upcoming four-person event and tells Akane not to feel bad for him because she failed to qualify. Akane misunderstands his concern and instead remembers how socially overwhelmed Koguma can become around unfamiliar zenza, causing her to blurt out an urgent plea for him to win.
Koguma remarks that Akane’s reaction makes him feel foolish for worrying about her emotional state. Akane apologizes and sincerely wishes him luck in the four-person event, and Koguma quietly thanks her. The event has attracted significantly greater public interest following the excitement generated by the selection round, with tickets now selling at premium prices.
Koguma recognizes that performing at such a highly anticipated event may be the greatest opportunity he will ever have to establish his name, and he intends to take full advantage of it. He then asks Akane whether the clouds hanging over her have finally lifted. Akane answers that the selection round taught her something important: in rakugo, weakness can also become a weapon. However, she trails off before fully explaining what still troubles her.
Under the festival fireworks, Akane tells Koguma that weakness and inexperience are not the same thing. She now understands that the wavering emotions during her performance and her defeat in the selection round came from her lack of experience, not from the kind of human weakness she discovered within Shinta’s rakugo. Rather than remaining discouraged, Akane says the clouds over her have completely lifted and that she is now burning with motivation.
Since the selection round, Akane has realized that she wants to polish her skills much further. She says she will do anything she can to improve, and that if she wants to catch up to Koguma, she needs to advance beyond the zenza rank. Akane therefore announces her next major objective: becoming a futatsume.
Elsewhere at the festival, Urara visits Miroku Kashiwaya while dressed in a yukata. Miroku remarks on how unusual it is for her to visit him and teasingly asks whether she came specifically to see him. Urara denies it, claiming that she was merely in the mood to wear a yukata.
Urara explains that Rokuro, the Kashiwaya school’s “Wonder Child,” recently approached her with questions about Shiguma’s art. She assumes Rokuro considered her the easiest person to ask and says she found that rather insulting. When Miroku asks whether she gave Rokuro the information he wanted, Urara says she did not; instead, she invented a believable excuse and deliberately left him without an answer. She admits that helping others does not suit her, which does not surprise Miroku.
Miroku says that the Urara he knows would never have told Rokuro the answer. Their conversation then turns toward the way people change. Although people may not fundamentally change very much, Miroku observes that they themselves, as well as the world around them, have changed considerably. The festival crowd beneath the fireworks reflects how much time has passed and how a younger generation of rakugoka is beginning to move forward.
Miroku reflects that everyone stands upon a different axis, so their paths may eventually separate. Even so, they have no choice but to continue advancing, because they will never reach anything if they stop moving. As Akane, Guriko, Kyoji, Koguma, and the other rakugoka pursue their respective goals, the chapter ends with each of them facing a different road forward.
Five days after the selection round, the three judges meet at a restaurant to discuss the event. A staff member remarks that the selection round was apparently a major success and thanks them for lending their expertise. Gakumon then admits that Ikken’s recommendation surprised him: the only contestant Ikken put forward for promotion to futatsume was the young man who performed first.
Ikken explains that he cannot recommend one of his own pupils. He also believes that departing from custom to promote an apprentice in only their second year would invite opposition from other figures in the rakugo world, particularly members of the Rakugo Federation. He insists that anyone receiving something exceptional must first produce results worthy of it. When Gakumon asks whether finishing second or third should be enough, Ikken answers that receiving special treatment is a privilege reserved for the winner.
The restaurant staff member notes that the decision was therefore based simply on the performers’ careers and demonstrated ability. Gakumon acknowledges that the other two performers under discussion already possess enough skill to become futatsume and will likely earn the rank sooner or later. He nevertheless finds Ikken’s position unusually conservative for someone from the Arakawa school, but Ikken replies that he merely dislikes taking unnecessary risks.
Gakumon then turns the conversation toward Akane, saying that her performance at the end of the selection round genuinely startled him. Her rakugo reminded him of an artistic style that even Issho was unable to inherit when he was younger, before Issho grew into the dominant figure he is now. For a brief moment, Gakumon believes he caught a glimpse of what he calls the “Art of Shi-no-Ji” in Akane’s performance. He predicts that a rakugoka like her could bring unruly and turbulent times back to the Arakawa school.
Gakumon gets up to leave, telling Ikken that he is free to disregard the opinion as nothing more than commentary from one of the “other folks” Ikken had mentioned. However, Gakumon adds that if Ikken is unwilling to celebrate a good performance, he will do so himself. Before departing, he tells Ikken that if he feels like joining the festivities, he should come to Osaka Tenmangu Shrine the following day.
Akane arrives in Tenjin-chō while members of the Shiguma school and local residents prepare for a large neighborhood festival. She is surprised by the number of stalls and people involved, admitting that she did not realize the event was so extensive because she missed the previous year’s festival due to her school athletics day.
Guriko explains that the Shikisai Festival, scheduled for the following day, was created through a collaboration between the Shiguma school and the surrounding Tenjin-chō neighborhood. He says its popularity is unsurprising because Tenjin-chō is also the nickname traditionally associated with Master Shiguma.
Guriko explains that famous rakugo masters were once commonly identified by the neighborhoods where they lived, with names such as Mejiro, Kashiwagi, and Kuromon-chō serving as shorthand among fans. Although that custom eventually gave way to the modern title of the Arakawa Arch Four, many longtime followers still refer to Shiguma as “Tenjin-chō.” Akane understands that this connection between her master and the neighborhood is why the school plays such a major role in the festival.
While looking around at the different stalls, Akane assumes that the apprentices’ responsibility will be to entertain the visitors with rakugo. Guriko agrees that, as apprentices of Tenjin-chō, they must help make the festival a success, but immediately tells her that performing rakugo alone will not be enough. He asks her what truly makes a Japanese festival come alive.
Guriko answers his own question: the essential attraction is the food stalls. He declares that they will operate a traditional yakisoba stand and abruptly orders Akane to begin chopping cabbage. Akane protests that she did not realize his repeated use of “we” included her, but Guriko offers her no way out of the work.
Koguma then arrives, and Akane is relieved to see him, quickly explaining Guriko’s plan. Koguma remarks that Guriko never learns, while Akane adds that yakisoba feels like an overly predictable choice. Rather than merely criticizing the idea, Koguma begins applying his usual research-based thinking to the problem. He considers the history of festival-stall culture originating in postwar black markets, the products offered by competing vendors, the growing importance of visual appeal, and the nostalgia attached to familiar summer-festival foods, preparing to determine what their stall should actually sell.
Koguma rejects Guriko’s yakisoba plan and declares that candied apples are the only sensible choice, even setting up a stall called “Candied Kogumapples.” Guriko objects that Koguma dismissed the yakisoba without even tasting it, while Akane tries to stop both of them from turning the preparations into a competition. Their argument is interrupted by the dramatic arrival of another challenger devoted entirely to grilled chicken skewers.
Kyoji appears with two workers from Izakaya Umi and introduces himself as “Yakitori Kyoji.” His intense speech presents grilling chicken as the result of years of dedication to skewers and poultry, leaving Akane bewildered by how seriously everyone is treating their stalls. She then learns that this competitiveness is intentional: during the Shikisai Festival, the Shiguma-school apprentices traditionally run separate stands and compete to see who can earn the most money.
Maikeru then makes his own theatrical entrance and announces that he will operate an entertainment stand. Correcting Akane when she calls him Maikeru, he jokingly claims that he is now “Michael,” proprietor of the Maikeru-tei Exhibition Sideshow. He shows her photographs of the elaborate attraction he ran the previous year, prompting Akane to wonder what kind of operation he has created.
Maikeru notices that Akane is still affected by her loss in the selection round and asks how long she intends to remain in that state. His challenge reminds her of earlier advice that an entertainer must commit fully to both enjoying herself and creating enjoyment for others. Accepting that she cannot remain discouraged forever, Akane responds by telling the others to bring it on.
The Shiguma-school apprentices prepare to compete with yakisoba, candied apples, yakitori, and Maikeru’s exhibition attraction. Akane joins their determination, declaring that if they are participating, they should compete seriously and aim to win. The chapter ends by setting up the festival’s full-scale stand battle.
Chapter 75
The chapter opens with the Shikisai Festival in full swing. The streets around the shrine are packed with visitors, lanterns, food stalls, and festival noise, shifting the story away from the tense selection round and into a lively neighborhood celebration.
At Guriko’s yakisoba stand, Akane has already finished chopping all the cabbage. Guriko is shocked by how quickly she completed the work, while Akane treats it like no big deal and asks whether he is impressed. Guriko admits that he can at least compliment her tenacity, though he also worries that she may be pushing herself too hard.
Akane is fully determined to win the festival’s sales competition and immediately offers to cut the meat too. Guriko stops her before she can take on more work, telling her that they are still before peak hours and he can run the stand by himself for now. Since Akane has never properly experienced this festival before, he tells her to go enjoy the sights for a while.
While walking around, Akane finds Koguma at his candied apple stand, but he is completely exhausted. He explains that he has been running the stand, but has already passed his daily limit for interacting with strangers. Akane panics because Koguma’s stall depends on customer service, while Koguma himself is barely able to keep speaking to customers.
Hakushu Kashiwaya then appears and casually takes over the situation. He tells them not to worry and begins selling the candied apples with smooth, confident customer service. Rather than simply calling them tasty, he pitches them through nutrition facts, explaining that apples contain vitamin C, calcium, fiber, and other nutrients, and that each candied apple has about as many calories as a bowl of rice.
Akane is stunned by Hakushu’s transformation, realizing that he seems like a completely different person when he is in performance mode. Hakushu cheerfully says that there is always more to learn and apply, turning customer service itself into another kind of performance. Kyoji then approaches Akane and asks whether she has time to run an errand.
Kyoji sends Akane to deliver change to his yakitori stand. When she arrives, the workers there warmly recognize her and joke that she has come by to see them, while she holds the envelope of money meant for Koguma’s stall. The festival section continues to show Akane moving between the Shiguma apprentices’ different stands and seeing how each of them applies their own personality to entertaining people.
Akane arrives at Kyoji’s yakitori stand to deliver change and is greeted warmly by the workers there. Kyoji, however, is completely absorbed in grilling and tells her not to stare at the chicken for too long before thanking her for the help. His intensity surprises Akane, and one of the workers explains that Kyoji has to watch the charcoal constantly because the flames change with humidity and can affect the smoothness of the grilling. Akane realizes that Kyoji’s stand is being run with far more seriousness than she expected from a festival stall.
The situation suddenly falls apart when Kyoji collapses. Akane panics, calling out to him, while the workers ask Miss Hiiragi what she gave him. She explains that it was only alcohol-flavored chocolate, with no actual alcohol in it, but the others immediately understand the problem: Kyoji is so weak to alcohol that even something alcohol-flavored can affect him. Since he can no longer keep working, the workers tell Akane to take him somewhere he can rest while they manage the yakitori stand without him.
Akane hauls Kyoji away, and a doctor checks him over. The doctor says there is nothing wrong with him, while the surrounding men tease Kyoji by calling him a dummy and a bozo. Akane thanks the doctor for handling him, then hears a loud noise coming from nearby. She follows the sound and finds herself in front of the Maikeru-tei Exhibition Sideshow, Maikeru’s festival attraction.
Inside the sideshow, Maikeru is fully performing for a packed crowd. He dramatically spins a parasol while adding wooden cups on top of it, drawing cheers and laughter from the audience. Akane is disturbed by how strange the act is, but rather than get involved, she decides to pretend she did not see anything and return to her work at the festival.
Before she can leave, Shiguma appears at the festival wearing a happi coat with the character “shi” on the back, meaning aspiration. Akane is shocked to see her master dressed that way and asks what is going on. Shiguma recognizes her immediately and calmly asks whether it is Akane, while she can only stare at him in disbelief.
Akane asks why Shiguma is dressed like that, but he brushes off her surprise and tells her not to be a baby. When he tells her to “tighten up your loincloth,” Akane protests that he cannot mean it literally, but Shiguma clarifies that he means emotionally. He tells her that if she wants to lighten up and empty her head, she needs the proper mindset first.
After Shiguma tells Akane to “tighten the loincloth of her heart,” Akane tries to interpret what he means. She thinks that he wants her to empty her head, but she is still caught up in treating the festival like work. Since the apprentices are competing to earn the most sales, she feels that winning should be the entire point.
As Akane walks through the festival, she sees the crowds enjoying themselves under the lanterns. People are eating, laughing, browsing the stalls, and taking part in the festival atmosphere. Watching them, Akane realizes that she has been the one missing the point. She was so focused on the sales contest that she forgot the festival is supposed to be about enjoyment.
Akane returns to Guriko’s yakisoba stand, where the others welcome her back. Guriko is about to ask her to help with the stall again, but Akane stops him and says she wants to try something quickly. She takes out her fan and snaps it open, shifting into performance mode.
Akane gathers the attention of the passing crowd and begins a lively sales pitch for Guriko’s yakisoba. She calls out to the “good people” of the festival and invites anyone without urgent business to stop and listen. Then she describes the yakisoba like a rakugo performance: the heat rising from the griddle, the smell of the noodles, the sizzling meat, the sound of the cabbage, bean sprouts, and beef, and the rich brown sauce coating everything.
Rather than simply trying to sell food, Akane turns the stall into part of the festival entertainment. She presents the yakisoba as an authentic festival experience made by Guriko, apprentice of Shiguma Arakawa, and urges the crowd to savor the flavor, scent, and atmosphere while it is still fresh. Her pitch shows that she has finally started applying Shiguma’s advice: if she wants to win people over, she has to enjoy herself and make the people in front of her enjoy themselves too.
Akane’s rakugo-style sales pitch immediately succeeds. Customers begin gathering at Guriko’s yakisoba stand, drawn in by her energetic description and the smell of the food. Several people call out that they want some, with one customer ordering two servings at once. Akane has stopped treating the stand as only a sales contest and has started turning the work itself into entertainment.
Guriko notices the change in her right away. He asks what happened because Akane seems completely different from before she left. Akane smiles and says that she only “tightened her loincloth a little,” referring back to Shiguma’s advice about changing her mindset. Guriko does not fully understand what she means, but he drops the subject and returns to working the stand with her.
Akane and Guriko then work together enthusiastically, calling out to festivalgoers and preparing more yakisoba. Akane’s mood has shifted from tense determination to genuine enjoyment, and Guriko joins her rhythm as they serve the customers. Their stand becomes lively not simply because of the food, but because the two of them are now entertaining the crowd while they cook.
The chapter ends by revealing the next event at the festival: Shikisai Festival Rakugo, opening at 6:00 PM and starting at 6:30 PM. The performance order lists zenza Akane Arakawa first, followed by futatsume Guriko Arakawa, setting up Akane’s next stage appearance after the festival-stall competition.
Chapter 76
The chapter opens with a flashback to Guriko’s early days as a zenza apprentice. On April 5, only three days after Guriko began, Shinta helps guide him through backstage duties. Shinta tells him to let their master’s tea steam a little longer before serving it, and when Guriko answers too casually, Shinta corrects him by reminding him to say “yes, sir.” The moment shows Shinta acting as a patient senior apprentice who teaches Guriko the small details of zenza work.
Guriko remembers that Shinta was more than a dozen years older than him, but still spoke to him like an ordinary person instead of looking down on him. Shinta was always watching out for Guriko and trying to help him adjust to the school. However, that same September, Shinta was expelled, cutting short the time Guriko had with the senior apprentice who had been guiding him.
Five months after Shinta’s expulsion, in the following February, young Akane appears before Shiguma and declares her decision. She says she is going to become a shin’uchi and prove that her father’s rakugo was great. The narration notes that there was only a ten-month gap between when Guriko started and when Akane began, tying Guriko’s own apprenticeship directly to the aftermath of Shinta’s expulsion and Akane’s resolve.
The scene then returns to the present at the Shikisai Festival. The final results of the Shiguma school entertainer-stand competition are announced, and the number-one earner is revealed to be Guriko and Akane’s yakisoba stand. Guriko and Akane celebrate loudly, confirming that Akane’s change in mindset and her rakugo-style sales pitch helped them win the festival sales contest.
The festival stand competition officially ends with Guriko and Akane’s yakisoba stand taking first place. The others react to the final rankings in their own ways: Koguma’s side reflects on how their sales could have gone better, Kyoji’s yakitori stand is excluded because Kyoji needed medical help, and Maikeru reveals that although his sideshow attracted a huge crowd, he spent all the money treating women, leaving him with no actual profit. Akane points out that the “most sales” competition was Maikeru’s idea in the first place.
Afterward, the others notice how intensely everyone had been performing their roles during the festival. One of them admits that he stayed in “performance mode” for too long, while another comments that Akane has really gotten into the swing of things. Even though she is still recovering emotionally from the selection round, Akane’s work at the yakisoba stand has shown that she can redirect her energy into entertaining the people in front of her.
Two rakugoka then discuss Akane’s current reputation. Since the previous summer, she has been the center of attention for better or worse. Among the rakugoka who watched the recent selection round, many ranked Akane’s skill even higher than Hikaru’s, despite Hikaru being the one who won. This causes one of them to compare Akane to Rokuro, suggesting that there are performers whose talent and growth attract attention even when they do not follow a smooth or conventional path.
The focus shifts to the Shikisai Festival Shiguma School Apprentice Stage, where Akane performs before a large festival audience. Her opening draws strong laughter and applause, showing that she has successfully warmed up the crowd. In the wings, Guriko watches her closely and thinks about how people like Akane can seem to skip steps as they rapidly climb the stairs of life.
Guriko knows better than most how much Akane has grown. He remembers watching her practice and improve from close range, so his concern is not simple jealousy or dismissal. As Akane finishes warming up the audience and tells him she has prepared the room for him, Guriko examines his hand and prepares himself before stepping onto the stage.
Guriko takes his place on the cushion with the audience already lively from Akane’s opener. Rather than shrinking from the challenge, he gathers his focus and declares that he is ready to do it, setting up his own performance after Akane’s successful opening act.
Guriko begins his Shikisai Festival rakugo performance by explaining that rakugo has a stock character defined by carelessness. He introduces “The Careless Nail,” a humorous kokkei-banashi about a married couple who have moved into a new home. In the story, the wife asks her husband to put up a nail so she can hang a broom on it, since they do not want spiders and webs spreading through the house.
The careless husband takes up the task and starts hammering with enthusiasm, but he immediately hits his own finger. The audience laughs as Guriko plays the pain and embarrassment, turning the man’s simple household job into slapstick.
The joke then escalates when the husband realizes he was mistaken about which hand he hit. This “careless” mistake confirms the story’s character type, and Guriko thinks that “The Careless Nail” is perfectly matched to Ani-san’s nin. The husband then makes another mistake by hammering the nail all the way into the wall.
After the performance, Akane is called over by Miss Yoshino from the rakugo café. Yoshino says she came to watch Akane perform and praises how much Akane’s rakugo has improved. She also greets Guriko warmly as “Guri-chan,” showing that she remembers both of them from the café.
Miss Yoshino then compliments Guriko’s yakisoba, saying it was simply delicious. She asks Akane and Guriko to come back and perform at the café sometime. Guriko is briefly unsettled when she directs attention toward Akane, wondering whether Akane will be all right and whether Shiguma must have had some reason for sending her, but he accepts the situation outwardly.
Guriko tries to laugh off the moment by telling himself that he must have made the yakisoba a little too delicious. Later, as the festival atmosphere settles into the night, Guriko calls out to “Ani-san” near the shrine grounds.
The person Guriko finds is Maikeru, who casually greets him as “Guririn.” Maikeru tells Guriko that this is the best place to watch the fireworks and invites him to sit with him. As they sit together, Guriko notices Maikeru drinking and relaxing, then says that he finally understands what Maikeru meant.
During the fireworks, Guriko explains what he meant when he said he finally understood Maikeru’s point. When Maikeru told him to watch Akane’s performance, Guriko realized that he knows better than anyone how much Akane has grown. Because he started only ten months before her, he has watched her progress from a very close distance rather than as a distant senior or outsider.
Guriko’s thoughts connect the present festival to the earlier flashbacks from April and February. The chapter visually compares his own start as an apprentice with Akane’s later entrance into rakugo, using the stone steps and a janken step-climbing game to show the small gap between them. Although Guriko began first, Akane’s rapid growth now makes it feel as though she has climbed past him.
As the fireworks continue overhead, Guriko finally says aloud what has been weighing on him. Addressing Maikeru as “Ani-san,” he admits that he is not as good as Akane. The chapter ends on that quiet confession, contrasting the bright festival fireworks with Guriko’s private realization about his own position beside Akane.
Chapter 77
The chapter opens with Guriko reflecting on the three senior apprentices he has always admired. Maikeru is a charismatic entertainer whom everyone naturally likes, Koguma possesses enough knowledge of rakugo to overwhelm even experienced masters, and Kyoji is respected for the honesty and compassion in his storytelling. To Guriko, all three represented the kind of rakugoka and senior apprentice he wanted to become.
Because they served as role models for him, Guriko decided that he also wanted to become someone others could admire. He threw himself into performing whenever possible, even accepting poorly paid work because gaining stage experience mattered more to him than the money. His goal was to inspire younger performers in the same way Maikeru, Koguma, and Kyoji had inspired him.
Returning to his conversation with Maikeru beneath the fireworks, Guriko repeats the admission he made at the end of the previous chapter: he is not as good as Akane. The confession is difficult for him because Akane is his junior apprentice, while he believes that his position as her senior should place him ahead of her.
Guriko explains that he has watched Akane closely ever since her first public performance. Her rate of improvement is on an entirely different level, and a single experience can completely transform her style of rakugo. He accepts that Akane is simply built differently from him and is painfully aware that he does not possess the same extraordinary ability. Maikeru listens quietly and places a reassuring hand on his back.
Even after acknowledging the gap between them, Guriko refuses to give up on himself. He admits that his feelings may amount to pointless pride, but he still wants to become like the senior apprentices he admires. More immediately, he wants to improve enough to stay ahead of Akane and become the kind of older brother apprentice she can genuinely look up to.
Guriko passionately asks Maikeru to help him improve. Maikeru asks whether he has a specific plan in mind, and after hearing Guriko’s idea, says that he likes it. He tells Guriko that he knows exactly the right person and will put them in contact, although what happens afterward will depend on Guriko himself. Guriko thanks him, while Maikeru praises both Guriko and “Akaneru” for taking their rakugo so seriously.
Inspired by Guriko and Akane’s determination to advance, Maikeru decides that he should also take the next step in his own career. As Guriko bows deeply after asking for his help, Maikeru thinks that the time has come for him to pursue promotion to shin’uchi.
Elsewhere, Kyoji wakes after collapsing during the festival. The doctor reassures him that he is physically fine and says he was only suffering from mental exhaustion, since he merely believed that he had consumed alcohol. Kyoji is embarrassed by what happened and can remember little beyond his undignified behavior. His phone then rings, and he loudly demands to know who is calling.
Kyoji immediately recognizes the caller as Master Miroku. Miroku says he has something intended for Kyoji’s ears alone and asks whether he is currently by himself. Afterward, Kyoji walks away from the festival crowd, apparently separating himself from the others so they can speak privately.
While watching the fireworks, Akane asks Koguma whether Kyoji is all right. Koguma assures her that he will be fine because he only thought he had consumed alcohol. Koguma then brings up the upcoming four-person event and tells Akane not to feel bad for him because she failed to qualify. Akane misunderstands his concern and instead remembers how socially overwhelmed Koguma can become around unfamiliar zenza, causing her to blurt out an urgent plea for him to win.
Koguma remarks that Akane’s reaction makes him feel foolish for worrying about her emotional state. Akane apologizes and sincerely wishes him luck in the four-person event, and Koguma quietly thanks her. The event has attracted significantly greater public interest following the excitement generated by the selection round, with tickets now selling at premium prices.
Koguma recognizes that performing at such a highly anticipated event may be the greatest opportunity he will ever have to establish his name, and he intends to take full advantage of it. He then asks Akane whether the clouds hanging over her have finally lifted. Akane answers that the selection round taught her something important: in rakugo, weakness can also become a weapon. However, she trails off before fully explaining what still troubles her.
Under the festival fireworks, Akane tells Koguma that weakness and inexperience are not the same thing. She now understands that the wavering emotions during her performance and her defeat in the selection round came from her lack of experience, not from the kind of human weakness she discovered within Shinta’s rakugo. Rather than remaining discouraged, Akane says the clouds over her have completely lifted and that she is now burning with motivation.
Since the selection round, Akane has realized that she wants to polish her skills much further. She says she will do anything she can to improve, and that if she wants to catch up to Koguma, she needs to advance beyond the zenza rank. Akane therefore announces her next major objective: becoming a futatsume.
Elsewhere at the festival, Urara visits Miroku Kashiwaya while dressed in a yukata. Miroku remarks on how unusual it is for her to visit him and teasingly asks whether she came specifically to see him. Urara denies it, claiming that she was merely in the mood to wear a yukata.
Urara explains that Rokuro, the Kashiwaya school’s “Wonder Child,” recently approached her with questions about Shiguma’s art. She assumes Rokuro considered her the easiest person to ask and says she found that rather insulting. When Miroku asks whether she gave Rokuro the information he wanted, Urara says she did not; instead, she invented a believable excuse and deliberately left him without an answer. She admits that helping others does not suit her, which does not surprise Miroku.
Miroku says that the Urara he knows would never have told Rokuro the answer. Their conversation then turns toward the way people change. Although people may not fundamentally change very much, Miroku observes that they themselves, as well as the world around them, have changed considerably. The festival crowd beneath the fireworks reflects how much time has passed and how a younger generation of rakugoka is beginning to move forward.
Miroku reflects that everyone stands upon a different axis, so their paths may eventually separate. Even so, they have no choice but to continue advancing, because they will never reach anything if they stop moving. As Akane, Guriko, Kyoji, Koguma, and the other rakugoka pursue their respective goals, the chapter ends with each of them facing a different road forward.
Last edited: