Taichi assesses his karuta skills. His advantages are memorization and adaptation based on what cards have been read. Chihaya has enough speed, however, to take cards even if Taichi reacts first. Chihaya attempts to recruit the second-ranked first year student, Tsutomu Komano, nicknamed Desk-tomu (Tsukue-tomu) by his classmates because he is always studying. Komano is not interested. When Chihaya says that players memorize the positions of all the cards, he does not believe her, but he pauses when he realizes that Taichi, the first-ranked first year student, is in the club. He challenges Chihaya and Taichi to play a game with the cards turned over. Taichi has the advantage with better memorization and wins. After the match, Komano still leaves, saying he has no talent for karuta. Taichi says he also has no talent and keeps losing, but he would rather have someone who works hard and loses than someone who just has talent. Komano decides to join the karuta club.