11 - Because I Love Badminton

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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
[00:06] aya
    What have I...
[00:11] (Flashback) aya
    Mom...
[00:13] (Flashback) aya
    Don't go...
[00:15] aya
    ...been playing badminton for?
[00:26] nagi
    What am I playing badminton for?
SIGN    The prodigy raised by the queen finally takes her crown
SIGN    In a distant foreign country
[02:16] cho
    You both have such healthy appetites.
SIGN    #11 "Because I Love Badminton"
[02:20] cho
    But then, you're so active, and
    you're in your growth spurt.
[02:23] uchi
    Oh, no. My growth has stopped!
[02:26] cho
    You'll always be a child to me, Uchika-shan.
[02:31] aya
    I'm done.
[02:33] uchi
    Oh, there's cake in the fridge!
[02:38] cho
    You two aren't speaking at all, are you?
[02:42] uchi
    No, but...
[02:44] uchi
    Well, she does have a match coming up.
[02:47] uchi
    Thank you for the meal!
[02:54] uchi
    Can I come in?
[03:03] uchi
    Before, you wanted my acknowledgment.
[03:07] uchi
    You wanted to be with me.
[03:09] uchi
    That's why you played badminton.
[03:12] uchi
    But now you can play badminton without me.
[03:17] uchi
    That's why I came back.
[03:29] yu
    She seems pretty on edge.
[03:31] riko
    Well, it's only three days to the finals.
[03:34] yu
    That's true.
[03:36] yu
    After all, she's playing...
[03:39] yu
    Ayanon's been spacing out
     a lot these days...
[03:43] ri
    Yeah. I've seen her like that several times.
[03:50] yu
    What's she thinking about?
[03:53] hay
    'Sup!
[03:55] yu
    Hayama-senpai?!
[03:56] hay
    H-Hey...
[03:58] yu
    And Gaku-senpai!
[04:01] yu
    Don't you need to study for entrance exams?
[04:04] hay
    Well... Izumi would need to study, too!
[04:07] riko
    Well, that's true.
[04:09] riko
    I was just hoping I could help out
[04:11] riko
    as a practice partner or something.
[04:13] hay
    I guess that's sorta why we're here, too.
[04:16] hay
    Right?
[04:17] riko
    Well, Isehara's smart enough to be
    in the class top ten anyway, so...
[04:23] sora
    What about Hayama-senpai?
[04:25] riko
    R-Right...
[04:30] yu
    Is he that bad?
[04:32] riko
    W-Well...
[04:34] riko
    You wouldn't be in the bottom ten, right?
[04:36] hay
    Of course not!
[04:38] sora
    Then, would you be in the bottom twenty?
[04:46] hay
    Shut up!
[04:47] hay
    I do it because I love it, okay?
[04:49] aya
    Hey!
[04:51] aya
    Would you play me?
[04:53] hay
    Me?
[05:02] yu
    Hayama-senpai seems more in-the-groove
    than he was during his match.
[05:06] sora
    He does.
[05:07] sora
    But even more than that, Ayanon's defense...
[05:11] riko
    She was trained by Shindo Uchika,
[05:14] riko
    the ten-time-straight
    national champion, after all.
[05:28] sora
    21-5.
[05:35] aya
    Huh?
[05:36] aya
    You don't want to play the second set?
[05:39] nagi
    You've done enough, Hanesaki.
[05:43] aya
    Aw, but he said he came
    here to play badminton.
[05:49] aya
    Well, do you wanna play me
     instead, Nagisa-chan?
[05:54] nagi
    Let's save it for the finals.
[06:00] aya
    You sound more relaxed about it.
SIGN    Two days to the finals!
[07:14] yu
    Sora-chan! You always put
    yours backward, huh?
[07:23] riko
    It's tomorrow already, huh?
[07:25] riko
    Both of you, get a lot of rest today, okay?
[07:29] aya
    'Kay!
[07:31] aya
    Though I doubt we're gonna
    get to three sets, anyway...
[07:35] nagi
    See you.
[07:44] riko
    Hey!
[07:45] riko
    I told you to rest!
[07:48] nagi
    Riko?
[07:49] taka
    Boobs!
[07:50] yu
    So big!
[07:52] kita
    I want a piggy-back ride!
[07:53] riko
    Stop it, Masako! Takako! Kitaro!
[07:53] kita
    I want to ride!
[07:58] riko
    A grasshopper!
[08:00] riko
    It went that way!
[08:02] riko
    Catch it!
[08:03] riko
    Wait for me, guys!
[08:10] riko
    Almost time for the finals, huh?
[08:15] riko
    I'm rooting for you. Do your best.
[08:18] nagi
    Yeah.
[08:18] yu
    Big Sis! Hurry!
[08:24] nagi
    Listen, Riko...
[08:27] nagi
    I...
[08:30] nagi
    Never mind.
[08:32] nagi
    I'm off!
[08:37] taka
    Big Sis!
[08:38] taka
    Mako fell asleep!
[08:45] ri
    Let's go home.
[09:13] aya
    What have I...
[09:27] aya
    ...been playing badminton for?
[09:34] uchi
    We sure played a lot together, didn't we?
[09:37] uchi
    The rule was that when
    it lands, it's over.
[09:39] uchi
    But you'd shout, "One more time!"
    and start crying.
[09:42] uchi
    Takes you back, doesn't it?
[09:43] aya
    What have you been playing badminton for?
[09:46] uchi
    Me?
[09:49] uchi
    I play badminton because I love it.
[09:54] aya
    Ah.
SIGN    VS Konan High School
[10:04] ump
    On my right, Hanesaki Ayano.
[10:07] ump
    On my left, Serigaya Kaoruko.
[10:10] ump
    Serigaya to serve.
[10:12] ump
    Love-all. Play!
SIGN    2018 All Japan High School Athletics Tournament Kanagawa Prefecture Preliminaries Finals Badminton Girls Singles Venue
[10:53] yu
    There are more people here than I expected.
[10:55] riko
    The finals are the only thing left.
[10:58] yuu
    Riko.
[10:59] ri
    Yuka!
[11:01] ri
    You came!
[11:03] yuu
    They wouldn't stop nagging me
     to come cheer her on.
[11:06] tomo
    Hey! That's not fair!
[11:08] megu
    Yeah! All we did was
    mention the day and time!
[11:15] yuu
    By the way, I heard Nagisa's opponent
    is a new student at our school.
[11:20] ay
    Heya!
[11:21] yuu
    Um...
[11:23] aya
    I'm Hanesaki Ayano, and I'll
    be playing Nagisa-chan.
[11:26] aya
    Nice to meet you!
[11:28] yuu
    I don't know about calling
    your club senpai "-chan."
[11:32] yuu
    Where is she, anyway?
[11:57] miya
    I really messed up!
[12:00] miya
    I should've gotten iced coffee instead.
[12:02] miya
    It's almost August, after all.
[12:05] miya
    Did you ever imagine a
    finals pairing like this?
[12:09] tachi
    No. I genuinely didn't expect
    Aragaki to come this far so easily.
[12:16] miya
    I really am glad I asked
    you to coach, Kentaro-kun!
[12:20] tachi
    Well, it's not about me.
[12:22] tachi
    She's really worked hard.
[12:25] tachi
    In these three months,
[12:27] tachi
    she's gotten so much stronger
    than I could have imagined.
[12:30] miya
    You mean, her game's gotten better?
[12:33] tachi
    That's part of it, but...
[12:36] tachi
    I mainly mean her mental state.
[12:38] tachi
    Lately, I feel how high her capacity is.
[12:46] miya
    What about Ayano-chan?
[12:50] tachi
    I had a feeling she'd make it this far.
[12:53] tachi
    And she's certainly throwing
    herself into the game...
[12:57] tachi
    I guess she really does have a special gift.
[13:02] miya
    Kentaro-kun.
[13:04] miya
    You're always focused on
    how you should work hard,
[13:07] miya
    but it's odd how you don't
     do the same to others.
[13:11] miya
    You've coached Nagisa-chan with
    that hard-work approach.
[13:18] miya
    But you need to coach
    Ayano-chan the same way.
[13:22] miya
    No one's good at badminton from
    the moment they pick up a racket.
[13:27] miya
    You can't draw such a hard line
    between effort and talent.
[13:33] miya
    The Ayano-chan we see today has put in
    the effort she needs, day after day,
[13:38] miya
    in order to do what she does.
[13:41] miya
    In that way, she's just like Nagisa-chan.
[13:50] yu
    Ayanon.
[13:51] yu
    Want to play me?
[13:53] aya
    No, thanks.
[13:57] ri
    Want to move on to smashes?
[14:00] nagi
    No, I'm done for now.
[14:03] nagi
    I don't want to show her too much.
[14:10] riko
    Both of you, do your best, okay?
[14:12] nagi
    Sure.
[14:14] yu
    You work hard, too, Ayanon!
[14:16] aya
    I don't need your concern.
[14:17] yu
    Um, I didn't really mean it like...
[14:20] aya
    It's not like encouragement
    makes you play any better.
[14:23] aya
    Wait. Will encouragement
    help cheer up Nagisa-chan?
[14:28] aya
    Then I guess you'd all better encourage her!
[14:33] aya
    At least then, she might give me a decent—
[14:35] ele
    Ayano, come here a minute.
[14:44] ele
    Why are you saying those things?
[14:45] ele
    They're trying to encourage you.
[14:47] ele
    Why can't you be gracious and accept it?
[14:50] aya
    I hate that stuff.
[14:52] aya
    The whole "we're all buddies" act.
[14:56] ele
    Are you having fun playing
    badminton this way?
[15:03] ele
    Ayano, what are you fighting for?
[15:07] aya
    My mom's come home.
[15:11] aya
    She said the reason she abandoned
    me was to make me better!
[15:16] aya
    Isn't that funny?
[15:18] aya
    I feel so silly about
    withdrawing like I did.
[15:21] aya
    Now that I think of it, I'm so glad
    I kept playing badminton!
[15:25] aya
    Because back then, Mom abandoned me,
[15:29] aya
    But this time, I can abandon Mom.
[15:35] ele
    It's my fault.
[15:38] ele
    Because I brought you to the badminton club.
SIGN    Kanagawa Prefecture Preliminaries A summer of challenge in shining wind
[16:03] riko
    Nagisa? It's time.
[16:05] nagi
    I'm going to win.
[16:08] nagi
    I'm going to defeat myself.
[16:18] riko
    Nagisa...
[16:20] riko
    You're no longer the person
    you were back then.
[16:41] nagi
    You had that same expression
    back then, didn't you?
[16:46] aya
    Why do you play badminton, Nagisa-chan?
[16:50] nagi
    Because—
[16:50] aya
    Because you love badminton, right?
[16:56] aya
    You people, I swear...
[17:01] ann
    The Kanagawa Prefecture Girls'
    Singles Finals will now commence.
[17:06] ann
    From Kitakomachi High School,
    first-year Hanesaki Ayano-san.
[17:10] ann
    Also from Kitakomachi High School,
    third-year Aragaki Nagisa-san.
[17:16] nagi
    Hanesaki.
[17:19] nagi
    Let's have some fun.
[17:33] riko
    Don't push it too hard, okay?
[17:41] ump
    Players to the court.
[17:42] miya
    Is something wrong?
[17:43] ele
    No.
[17:45] ump
    On my right,
[17:46] ump
    Hanesaki Ayano, Kitakomachi High School.
[17:49] ump
    On my left,
[17:50] ump
    Aragaki Nagisa, Kitakomachi High School.
[17:53] ump
    Hanesaki to serve.
[18:03] nagi
    Back then, it wasn't just
    that you were strong.
[18:08] nagi
    I was too weak...
[18:11] nagi
    ...in spirit!
[18:13] ump
    Love-all. Play!
[18:22] nagi
    First, she'll make me
    pick up some low shots,
[18:24] nagi
    reading the trajectory from
    the angle of my racket.
[18:27] kao
    Hanesaki-san, the master of condescension,
    is playing cautiously.
[18:33] kao
    She'll start by using lobs to send
    her opponent to the rear court.
[18:36] kao
    That will even out the rally's initiative.
[18:40] nagi
    It's okay. I'm staying calm.
[18:42] nagi
    I see it.
[18:44] nagi
    The entire court...
[18:45] nagi
    I feel it!
[18:51] ump
    1-love.
[18:54] hay
    A really quiet start, huh?
[18:57] gaku
    But scoring that first point is
    significant, psychologically.
[19:01] kao
    She'd grown uncertain.
[19:03] kao
    Hanesaki-san is the type who plans out
    her match while observing her opponent.
[19:08] kao
    She was probably hoping for a game
    against an aggressive Aragaki-san.
[19:13] kao
    But Aragaki-san realized that.
[19:17] nagi
    That should put the idea of
    diagonal shots into her head.
[19:22] nagi
    I want to get as far as
    I can without using smashes.
[19:27] nagi
    The minute her eyes adjust to my smashes,
[19:31] nagi
    the game is basically over.
[19:33] nagi
    So...
[19:34] yu
    A smash?!
[19:37] sora
    No.
[19:37] yu
    A cut?!
[19:38] nagi
    I'll use cuts and drops to
    constantly keep her off-balance!
[19:42] kao
    She likely wants to keep
    Hanesaki in the rear court.
[19:47] nagi
    She's on her guard...
[19:49] nagi
    ...for a smash at point-blank range.
[19:52] nagi
    The more she drives her opponent
    back while she moves forward,
[19:55] nagi
    the more Hanesaki-san is in control.
[19:57] nagi
    The more they maintain a
    back-and-forth from the midcourt,
[20:01] nagi
    the more Aragaki-san is in control.
[20:03] nagi
    From Hanesaki-san's point of view,
[20:05] nagi
    the main question is when to move forward.
[20:08] nagi
    A simple arrangement would
    be a series of repeated shots
[20:11] nagi
    to the rear court to focus her
    opponent's attention there,
[20:14] nagi
    then use a cut presented as a smash...
[20:17] nagi
    ...to catch her off guard, paralyzing her.
[20:20] nagi
    That would be ideal.
[20:21] nagi
    She would get perfectly good
    ace shots that way,
[20:24] nagi
    and by making her opponent lift up low shots,
[20:26] nagi
    Hanesaki-san can create a
    match where she's in control.
[20:29] nagi
    But you can't go with the
    simple arrangement, can you?
[20:32] nagi
    Because you never know when
    I'll throw in a smash.
[20:36] nagi
    So your mind has started
    making the game complicated.
[20:39] nagi
    It's filling up with more
    options than you need!
[20:43] aya
    A smash!
[20:45] aya
    She threw me off...
[20:46] nagi
    And what's producing all those options...
[20:49] nagi
    ...is your uncertainty!
[20:50] aya
    A smash?
[20:51] aya
    A cut?
[20:58] nagi
    Yes!
[21:01] ump
    2-love.
[21:02] hay
    That was completely unexpected.
[21:04] gaku
    Yeah.
[21:33] ele
    It's been a while.
[21:35] uchi
    Um...
[21:36] ele
    I'm Fujisawa Elena.
[21:38] ele
    I've been Ayano's friend since kindergarten.
[21:41] uchi
    Oh!
[21:43] uchi
    Elena-chan, it has been a while!
[21:49] ele
    Um... It might seem a little weird,
    me coming to you now...
[22:00] ele
    I want to talk to you about Ayano.
[22:09] nagi
    That went great.
[22:10] nagi
    But those first two had
    the element of surprise.
[22:13] nagi
    The real trouble is yet to come.
[22:18] aya
    I didn't expect such sneaky
    badminton from you, Nagisa-chan.
[22:25] aya
    You don't want me to see your smash?