And so the conducting competition starts. There is some ongoing joke about Chiaki's bed-head and various characters keep asking him whether he's a late sleeper or sleeps a lot (the translation to English is a little unclear here). Some musical stuff happens and since I'm not very familiar with musical terminology, it's not clear to me what a lot the translated Japanese means. Anyhow, the first round of competition seems like the contestants choose from a box two pieces to conduct. They study the song and then get up in front of the orchestra and tell them how to play it and then the orchestra plays while the the contestant conducts. Chiaki, Jean, and Kitahira pass the first round. The second round looks like it involves the contestants taking the same two songs, studying them for 15-minutes in a solitary room and then coming out to tell the orchestra how to play the piece and then conducting the piece as the orchestra plays. At the end of this round the judges and the musicians in the orchestra converse about Jean and Chiaki, saying that Jean is very colorful (expressive perhaps) and Chiaki is solid and dignified. The next day Chiaki and Kitahira encounter each other in the morning. Kitahira is shocked that Chiaki is calmly having breakfast and asks Chiaki if he's going to watch the other competitors during the third round. Chiaki informs Kitihira that his turn is the next day in the evening. After thinking about it a little, Chiaki decides that he will watch the other competitors with Kitahira.
Before the third round, Nodame tells Frank that she's worried about Chiaki and is going to the 3rd round. Frank accompanies her. She kisses a poster of Chiaki, much to the embarrassment of Frank. The first part of the third round doesn't go well for Chiaki. Displeased with the performance, he stops the orchestra in the middle of the piece and tells them to start over from the beginning. After the performance, Nodame parts ways with Frank, explaining to him that she needs to talk to Chiaki. So she goes to Chiaki's hotel, and Chiaki is in a really bad funk and says he doesn't want to see her. She manages to go to his room anyway. She gives Chiaki a pep talk, telling him that nothing has been decided yet and that he should be like her and not give up. Chiaki asks her if she's come to rub salt in his wound with that lame speech. Nodame then suggests they go eat. At the restaurant, they encounter Jean and Youko. Youko rubs in Chiaki's poor performance and sets Nodame off. Jean stops the ensuing cat-fight by telling Youko's he's tired and wants to leave, despite the fact that they have ordered dessert. They leave and Nodame takes their dessert (so Nodame-like).
Chiaki and Nodame leave the restaurant drunk and Nodame says she has to go back to where she's staying with Frank. Chiaki informs her that the trains have stopped for the night and then grabs her hand and invites her to sleep in his hotel room. Nodame asks if it's okay, and frets about not having a change of underwear. Nodame ends up sleeping on the sofa and she looks quite uncomfortable, disappointed, and angry about her situation. In the morning, Nodame has to wake the heavily sleeping Chiaki, reminding him that the competitor is still going on. (I guess Chiaki is a sleepy-head.) Nodame and Chiaki go to the competiton to watch the other competitors. It's Kitihira's turn and he's so taken by the music that he appears to fly off the podium. Chiaki worries about himself, but then reassures himself that this is his chance. End of Volume 10.
