Nationals Arc

The **Nationals Arc** is the sixth story arc of the Blue Box series by Kouji Miura.

## Summary

After the fireworks festival, nationals is approaching quickly with Chinatsu and Haryu practicing repeatedly in preparation for. Chinatsu finds Taiki fast asleep upstairs and asks him if he is dating Hina as she feels that she was lied to when he claimed that he was just going with some friends. During the morning that Chinatsu leaves for nationals, Taiki cheers her on with Chinatsu calling him a flirt after. Taiki realizes from a conversation with Kyo that it's possible that Chinatsu knows about his date with Hina and feels bad for lying even though it was unintentional. However, Taiki decides to just apologize later after nationals is over.

Going to the badminton nationals, Taiki runs into Karen who is on the phone with Chinatsu. After Chinatsu hangs up when Taiki tries to talk to her, Karen tells him that she knows that he has a crush on Chinatsu and that both him and Chinatsu are living together. Taiki is impressed that Karen and Haryu are able to balance their work and relationship. Karen explains that they knew each other since fifth grade and they both had goals which initially prevented them from going out. However, after Kengo cheered her up after a bad day at work, she confessed on the spot with them deciding that if either of them began slacking off during work or badminton, they would break up. Haryu is able to win his first matches and talks to Hyodo before they begin their match against one another.

Haryu ends up losing the first round against Hyodo due to playing too defensively. Haryu remembers how he met Karen at a swimming class where she was bad at it at the beginning but believed that she couldn't give up just because of that. She asked him to teach her and ended up doing well before quitting the class. As they lived close to one another, they kept in touch and constantly cheered each other on with him not wanting to get in her way which is why he didn't confess first. He wants to show Karen how cool he can be as she is always challenges herself to do better and ends up winning the second round against Hyodo. However, Hyodo ends up edging a win against Haryu and says that their matches have been fun.

Haryu goes out for a jog after his match and Karen comments that seeing someone close try so hard makes her want to try hard as well. Karen asks Taiki if he will confess to Chinatsu and after he says how he wants to be considerate of her, Karen tells him that he shouldn't keep guessing what Chinatsu would think as he would be stuck and never move forward. Haryu tells Karen that he will do better next year and goes to watch some more matches with Taiki.

After Chinatsu and her team win their first game, she gets anxious about the pressure on her as their next game is against Minatozaki Academy High who is last year's champions but gets motivated by Nagisa to continue onward. Hyodo ends up winning nationals with Haryu practicing smash returns back at Eimei High. Taiki tries to make a basketball shot as he thinks about Chinatsu when Hina shows up in the gym and asks him to treat her to taiyaki. Going out together, Hina tells him that she made third place at nationals and Taiki congratulates her. Hanging out in a park, Taiki tells her that Chinatsu's game is currently ongoing so Hina decides to have a shoe throwing contest with the condition that whoever loses must say something embarrassing that they haven't told anyone else before. After Taiki takes his turn, Hina simply drops her shoe right by the swing set and confesses that she's in love with him right as Chinatsu misses the final shot of the basketball game, making Eimei High lose. After confessing, Hina tells Taiki that she doesn't want a response right now as she knows that he likes Chinatsu and leaves.

Taiki finds out from his mom that Chinatsu lost their game and doesn't know he should act around her. The day after, Taiki runs into Hina outside of the gym where he confesses that it is hard to talk to her after her confession to which she is happy that he is so flustered around her. Chinatsu happens to hear when Hina mentions her confession to Taiki.

On August 26th, Chinatsu turns 17 and the basketball team gives her various presents. Hina tells Taiki again that she's okay with him going after Chinatsu and Kyo overhears that, realizing that Hina confessed. Chinatsu becomes the new vice-captain since Yoshitani left the team. After talking with Nagisa and later her mom, Chinatsu decides to send a penguin sticker on her phone to Taiki who is right behind her. She asks him if they can go somewhere, and they arrive at a beach. After playing in the ocean, Taiki gifts her a little cake and wishes her a happy birthday. Due to a sudden downpour and a landslide, Taiki and Chinatsu are forced to stay at an inn for the night with Taiki lying to his mom about a group of people being with him. As they begin playing cards, Chinatsu gets a video call from Nagisa where she tells her that she will support her. After the call ends, Taiki apologizes for technically lying to her about going with friends to the fireworks festival with her following up by apologizing for drawing boundaries with him. They both forgive each other and after playing cards during the night, Chinatsu wakes up to a bright and sunny morning.

## Story Impact

* Chinatsu asks Taiki while he's asleep if he lied about going with Hina to the festival.
* Karen tells Taiki that she knows about his crush on Chinatsu and them living together.
* Karen and Haryu will only stay in their relationship if they don't slack off at work and badminton.
* Haryu wins his first matches and ends up going up against Hyodo before the finals.
* Haryu loses the first round against Hyodo but wins the second round.
* Haryu met Karen at a swimming class and admires her for being so willing to try new things.
* Haryu loses against Hyodo in the third and final round.
* Karen tells Taiki to make his move on Chinatsu.
* Chinatsu and the girls' basketball team win their first game at nationals.
* The Eimei High girls' basketball team loses their game against Minatozaki Academy High.
* Hina confesses her love to Taiki.
* Chinatsu hears Hina talking about her confession with Taiki after she comes back to Eimei High.
* Chinatsu turns 17.
* Chinatsu becomes the new vice-captain of the girls' basketball team.
* Chinatsu goes with Taiki on an excursion to a beach.
* Taiki gifts Chinatsu a little cake for her birthday.
* Taiki and Chinatsu have to stay at an inn due to a downpour and landslide.
* Nagisa tells Chinatsu that she will support her.
* Taiki apologizes to Chinatsu for technically lying to her about the fireworks festival.
* Chinatsu apologizes to Taiki for drawing boundaries with him.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 37
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Chapter 39
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Chapter 40
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chapter 41
5. ↑ Chapter 42
6. ↑ Chapter 43
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Chapter 44
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Chapter 45
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Chapter 46
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Chapter 47