Megumu Ousaka

Megumu is reserved and understated, rarely displaying the kind of obvious emotional intensity associated with Chihaya. Her calm demeanor can make her ambitions seem less urgent than they actually are.

She is bemused by the male classmates who enthusiastically photograph and support her at tournaments. Their attention becomes a recognizable feature of her appearances even though she does not cultivate the celebrity-like treatment herself.

Megumu takes karuta seriously and has the persistence necessary to pursue the Queen qualification route repeatedly. Her subdued personality therefore contrasts with considerable competitive ambition.

Megumu is a Class A player and one of the strongest competitors of her high-school generation. She possesses the refined memorization, timing, positioning and match awareness expected of a player capable of competing deep into elite tournaments.

Her game is controlled rather than visibly explosive. She can adapt to pressure and sustain her level through demanding matches, making her dangerous in both school and individual competition.

Megumu wins the western Queen qualifier in consecutive years, demonstrating that her ability extends beyond high-school competition and into a field containing experienced adult Class A players.

Megumu first appears within the wider Class A competitive scene before becoming particularly important during Akashi First Girls' run at the national high-school championship.

Akashi reaches the semifinal against Mizusawa. Chihaya wants to play Megumu directly, but the demands of team strategy complicate the expected ace-versus-ace confrontation and force Mizusawa to prioritize the overall result over Chihaya's individual wishes.

Megumu's Queen ambitions continue beyond school competition. She again emerges from the western qualifying field and reaches the challenger-deciding match, placing herself within a best-of-three series of earning the right to challenge the reigning Queen.

Chihaya Ayase sees Megumu as both a formidable high-school competitor and another young Class A player pursuing the Queen title. Their paths repeatedly overlap as Chihaya Ayase and Megumu advance into stronger competition.

Nene Hayasaka is one of Megumu's Akashi teammates during the national championship, competing alongside her as part of a team strong enough to challenge Mizusawa deep into the tournament.

Haruka Inokuma becomes a major opponent on Megumu's route toward the Queen title. Their competition determines which player advances from the East-West challenger playoff to the Queen match.