On the day of the Athletics Meet, I went around with the teachers greeting the guests, so things were busy from the very start.129Please respect copyright.PENANACeIVv8IBCn
I get the feeling that the teachers completely used my name as a proud Pivoine and Kisshouin clan member.129Please respect copyright.PENANAXHzhnG0OIP
And I think it was the same for Enjou who was standing next to me.
Immediately after that, I returned to the executive tent to be stationed as the person in charge of announcements.129Please respect copyright.PENANAcTV1tDXrrE
I had thought that people in the broadcasting committee would be doing this, but they’re in charge of the music for the event, and don’t have a mic.129Please respect copyright.PENANAAWkqrqUtm3
The role of announcer is passed to whoever isn’t participating in a current event. People who aren’t good at the more ostentatious roles take a role in the background.129Please respect copyright.PENANAoG9wW8codQ
Of course, I wanted to work behind the scenes as well. I’ve got stage fright, so when I was doing announcements my voice was totally trembling.129Please respect copyright.PENANAYbYvPMLc9d
After checking that there wasn’t any misprint in the programmes and manuscript, I handed it over to an announcer.129Please respect copyright.PENANAkUVxlLzhk6
Besides that, I also did the boring job of moving the point flags for the relays.129Please respect copyright.PENANAtUXPMkkg9a
It looks like I’ll get a lot of use out of the sunscreen that Okaasama plastered me with.129Please respect copyright.PENANAwlJGPkiH8A
I carried out the odd jobs that the teachers assigned me, and then returned to the tent to finally have a breather.129Please respect copyright.PENANA7HxfLOsn6M
While drinking cold tea, I watched the obstacle relay in a daze.129Please respect copyright.PENANAD686nYoslM
As you’d expect, they don’t have bread eating competitions in this school, huh~ Even though I would’ve totally gone if they had anpan.
“You’ve done a great job, Kisshouin-san.”
A teacher called out to me.
“You think so? Thank you very much.”
“You’ve been working all morning, right? In the afternoon, leave it to others, and rest a little. Which events are you participating in?”
“The borrowing race.”
I thought that it was a pretty safe game to enter, since it was more reliant on luck than physical ability.129Please respect copyright.PENANAgb9CAarVes
Also I entered the dance, and the foot race, and the ball toss.129Please respect copyright.PENANArht5DhSnol
I’m sure not looking forward to the race~ At least let me get into the top three somehow.
It was time for the borrowing race now, so I returned to my class.
It’d be great if I didn’t get some weird item. Just glasses or something would be good.129Please respect copyright.PENANAamIWZXbWtm
Just to be safe, I looked over the guests to see who had what items.129Please respect copyright.PENANAxuCJecrG24
At the very least, I don’t want to show something shameful like panic.
The other kids who were entering said things like “Let’s do our best, okay?” to cheer each other up.129Please respect copyright.PENANA4qUYRijMrG
Uuu, my heart is pounding.
The borrowing race began, and the participants all ran this way and that to look for their items and people after drawing their cards.129Please respect copyright.PENANAbBKjfyrbul
Please let me draw something simple!129Please respect copyright.PENANAgzCRcUVFqO
My turn came up, and what I drew was ‘a fast-running friend’.
Who the heck is that?
Faster than my head could turn, my body ended up moving.129Please respect copyright.PENANAuGrlXwe4SI
There’s only one friend I know that runs fast.
“Akizawa-kun! Come with me!”
I pulled on the arm of the surprised Akizawa-kun and aimed for the goal.129Please respect copyright.PENANA2wg44zuQNv
Although he didn’t seem to know what was going on, he ran with me.129Please respect copyright.PENANAwTAJnr9iHQ
The boys who had been with Akizawa-kun were making a fuss. Don’t misunderstand, damnit.
When I reached the goal and handed the paper over to the attendants, they read it aloud.129Please respect copyright.PENANAQLXDDKz2qm
As I recall, Akizawa-kun was in the baton relays.129Please respect copyright.PENANALREcILgpTZ
It looks like I somehow managed to contribute to my class.
“A fast-running friend, huh~? I sure was surprised.”
“Mn, sorry about that.”
He was the only one I could think of! If it was ‘fast-running person’ and not ‘fast-running friend’, then I might have found a number of people though.
“Everyone might get angry at me for helping another class.”
As he said that, Akizawa-kun smiled.129Please respect copyright.PENANA32jFcSRJ7a
I might have gotten him wrapped up in something troublesome. I’m reflecting.
“If anybody says anything like that, please do tell me. I shall deal with it.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
After that, while I was standing at the goal, somebody came to get me.129Please respect copyright.PENANAmGsfw9ZApw
A boy from some other class pulled me and had me run. I’m the item?129Please respect copyright.PENANA39tdtrXLff
We ran to the drawing spot once, and then back to the goal.129Please respect copyright.PENANAsYFDFOYqiz
What they announced when we reached there was “a girl with a ribbon in their hair”.129Please respect copyright.PENANAZu0rhqhwCh
Thank goodness.129Please respect copyright.PENANASVORu9myhV
It wasn’t “a girl with drill hair”.
Because many of the slips this time had things related to people, there weren’t any particular rumours about Akizawa-kun.129Please respect copyright.PENANAlbDEozGYlJ
I was wondering if I had made trouble for him, so I was relieved to hear that.129Please respect copyright.PENANAXd1G1EOgCS
Incidentally, a slip that read ‘person you like’ appeared, and a girl was reckless enough to call out to Kaburagi, resulting in a splendid rejection.129Please respect copyright.PENANAGgN2ekpJcH
Don’t try the impossible.129Please respect copyright.PENANAcWOO40ZSPC
In the afternoon was more work in the tent.129Please respect copyright.PENANAm88eQrlCwC
Now that I had the knack of it, it was easier than in the morning.129Please respect copyright.PENANAROirkFLnr3
Right now I was sitting on a metal folding chair, and watching the events.
Besides the baton relays, there was also the main event of the Athletics Meet; the cavalry battle with the Year 5 and 6 boys.129Please respect copyright.PENANACc7y2uw5kB
The classes were broken into two teams, and would snatch at each other’s headbands.129Please respect copyright.PENANA6YOitFsSAH
Boys from my class also formed horseback units and participated, but people said there was a favourite team this year.129Please respect copyright.PENANAxF1vxTPNWB
Kaburagi’s.129Please respect copyright.PENANAqOJPzNCm3o
Naturally he was the rider.129Please respect copyright.PENANAI02EgW1raF
There’s no way that guy would be a horse.129Please respect copyright.PENANA5eCX3nwIXj
Kikuno-chan who shared a class with him had told us excitedly, “With this, the cavalry battle will be our class’ win!”.129Please respect copyright.PENANAzqDK4KIMwG
Even though he would probably just fall off right away and get laughed at.
I was a fool for thinking that.129Please respect copyright.PENANAH6pSDRiqmt
The moment the start signal rang, Kaburagi freely moved about on his horse, and snatched headband after headband.129Please respect copyright.PENANANkl4Skh3aK
There were units that resolutely faced him down, but they would be rammed, have their arms twisted by Kaburagi, and sent tumbling from their horse free of their headbands.129Please respect copyright.PENANA8Ukpapgn8U
Honestly, it was just too huge a difference in power.129Please respect copyright.PENANA23kAFxVsEn
I bet you lot practised heaps, to play Kaburagi’s horse so perfectly.129Please respect copyright.PENANAsxzcPAwVD6
From their point of view, they’d make heaps of enemies if they let Kaburagi fall, so I’ll bet they practised like their lives depended on it.129Please respect copyright.PENANAOzWBgzcIU6
For those units that ran away scared, the Kaburagi Unit would hunt them down from behind.129Please respect copyright.PENANAAAxt9HDs4l
It was like the hunt of a carnivore.129Please respect copyright.PENANAUV72pzG5K0
I’ll bet they were scared.129Please respect copyright.PENANApIp397tRO6
Before long at all, the units from my class were done. No, no, I think you guys put up a pretty brave fight.
“Aa~ah, Masaya has no mercy at all, does he.”
Enjou smiled wryly from his seat behind me.129Please respect copyright.PENANAO0ON1XKoKB
Yeah, absolutely no mercy at all.
In the end, only the Kaburagi Unit was left, and they seized a complete victory.129Please respect copyright.PENANAJ8zzQGVmBC
Later on, somebody would compare his gallantry in this battle to the legendary Napoleon, and eventually that turned into an Emperor.129Please respect copyright.PENANAunWkeZIpBU
It was the start that would cause Kaburagi to gain his famous nickname.