Chihaya is a girl in the sixth grade, still not old enough to even know the meaning of the word zeal. But one day, she meets Arata, a transfer student from rural Fukui prefecture. Though docile and quiet, he has an unexpected skill: his ability to play competitive karuta, a traditional Japanese card game.Chihaya is struck by his obsession with the game, along with his ability to pick out the right card and swipe it away before any of his opponents. However, Arata is transfixed by her as well, all because of her unbelievable natural talent for the game. Don't miss this story of adolescent lives and emotions playing out in the most dramatic of ways!
Harada, a karuta instructor, is at last able to stamp the ticket allowing him to challenge for the top spot in competitive karuta. Not long after, Chihaya and Taichi find themselves given the opportunity to play practice matches against Hisashi Suou, the current Master. How does Harada respond when Chihaya comes to him with the Master's so-called "weakness" that she grasped during their bout...? Meanwhile, Queen Shinobu Wakamiya is busy polishing her own weapons as much as possible as her own deciding match approaches.