Sixth grade was when Ayase Chihaya met Wataya Arata, the transfer student from Fukui. The shy and quiet Arata was hiding a surprising talent. He knew how to play the competitive karuta version of Ogura's Hundred Poets. Chihaya is stunned by the intensity Arata displays when playing karuta.

Chihaya, Taichi, and Arata visit the local Shiranami Karuta Society and meet the chairman, Harada, and a member who's their age, Kinashi Hiro (Retro-kun). When Harada sees them playing against Retro-kun in a team Genpei match, he realizes Chihaya's talent and invites her to join. After Harada tells Chihaya that learning the poems is like making 100 new friends, she begins to realize her own dream.

Everybody is shocked after hearing that Master Suo plays karuta with 28 one-syllable cards. Chihaya, Arata, Taichi, and the other karuta club members do some soul searching as they attempt to move forward.

A new school year has started and the Karuta club must get new members or face penalties. Discussing the goals of the club, Chihaya discovers the team is not as unified as she thought.

A look back on season 2.

With winners and losers riding emotional waves, Chihaya is sent a video of the Class A final, and while watching, it stirs of memories of playing Karuta with Arata.

Im Juli hat der Karuta-Club der Mizusawa-Oberschule zum ersten Mal den Teamwettkampf des Nationalturniers gewonnen. Doch es geht ohne Verschnaufpause weiter: Chihaya und Taichi haben sich vorgenommen, am Trainingscamp der Fujisaki-Schule teilzunehmen.