Episode 4 begins with our trio visiting a golf equipment store called Victoria Golf so that Haruka can pick up a new driving iron she ordered in advance. Curiously, there’s a brief scene where Minami eyes a cyan outfit, the same one she wears in the OP and briefly wore for the modeling gig last episode. I figured then that this episode is where Minami would buy the outfit for herself and the others would follow suit but the plot instead shifts over to a utility iron that catches Minami’s attention. Funnily enough, this is actually the one golf club that Haruka did not give to Minami. How convenient for the plot of this episode! And yes, Minami does indeed say the thing…or at least half of it.
The manager of the store offers Minami a 20% discount on the utility iron but even with that price drop, it would still cost her 30,000 yen. Understandably, Minami mulls it over for a couple of scenes. I’m a little worried how Minami sort of uses gacha logic to eventually justify her purchase. As in, it’s a-okay to burn lots of money so long as you get what you want. Haruka and Ayaka might want to keep her away from any casinos. Joking aside, I get that the utility iron is the first golf-related/non-gaming related item she wants so the desire to have it is understandably very high.
By the time the girls return to the store, they discover that the utility iron is no longer on sale and it’s more expensive than it was before. Ayaka and Haruka offer to pitch in but Minami declines, arguing that a purchase this monumental must be paid out of her own pocket. Impressed with Minami’s resolve, the manager gathers his staff and challenges the girls to a three round game. If the girls win undefeated, then the manager will reinstate the 20% discount he offered earlier. Why the manager doesn’t just offer the discount again is beyond me but this game ends up being a lot of fun so I ain’t complaining. Seeing as it’s three rounds, Minami argues that that the discount should really be 30%, which the manager accepts. I’m noticing that Minami is obsessed with numbers that just feel right with her, like with the “perfect” 100 score from earlier. That said, good on her for negotiating a better deal for herself.
Each of the three rounds have a different set of rules. The first round has Haruka and her opponent each hit three golf balls and whoever has the highest total yardage wins. The second round has Ayaka compete in a pitching showdown; whoever gets the ball the closest to the hole is the victor. In the third and final round, Minami and the manager try to get the ball into the hole first. Curiously, the first two rounds are done with a virtual simulator. I half-expected someone on either team to bring up the potential margin for error but given the skill levels of everyone, I guess there isn’t much to question. Knowing Haruka and Ayaka’s abilities, it’s kind of hard to imagine either of them losing their respective rounds. Unsurprisingly then, those rounds go without a cinch. I suppose Minami has plot armor but even so, her round is really the only time where you’d think the girls don’t have it in the bag.
Fortunately for the girls, and this is what makes the game entertaining, it turns out that the store crew kind of sucks at golf. Haruka’s opponent makes the mistake of using his arms to get good distance with his swings, only for Haruka to then demonstrate that the lower body matters more. Ayaka’s opponent accidentally puts too much spin with his pitch, which suits his flamboyance but it nevertheless costs him the round. The manager pulls out the fanciest golf club in the store and even then, he and Minami get stuck in a prolonged game of trial and error. For all I know, the three old guys at the driving range who keep breaking their backs are better at golf. I wasn’t expecting any of these three guys to be as good as Haruka but you’d think they’d put up more of a fight. Imagine my disbelief as the show hilariously proves me otherwise. The episode kind of makes a lesson out of it by having the store crew agree that they should practice more but it’s a very brief message. I’m more inclined to think this was simply done for giggles and to the show’s credit, it works.
After managing to go undefeated, the manager honors the deal and sells the utility iron to Minami at a 30% discount. He even throws a couple more freebies for her, which is nice. I chuckle how in the very last scene, Minami is sleeping with the club like it’s a stuffed animal. I don’t know, that seems a teeny bit uncomfortable to me. But hey, whatever floats her boat. I imagine the girls will be back to the store to get their eventual uniforms. Hopefully by then, the manager and his employees have gotten a little bit better at golf.
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