On the day of the Athletics Meet, I went around with the teachers greeting the guests, so things were busy from the very start.132Please respect copyright.PENANAdUfGpyVyQh
I get the feeling that the teachers completely used my name as a proud Pivoine and Kisshouin clan member.132Please respect copyright.PENANAIOjNwB11vX
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANA5vAj7Ri1Ze
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAQpXbGIsexD
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAJg26DhuLpx
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANALuvlV2gGuc
After checking that there wasn’t any misprint in the programmes and manuscript, I handed it over to an announcer.132Please respect copyright.PENANAPwbeooRmSr
Besides that, I also did the boring job of moving the point flags for the relays.132Please respect copyright.PENANACv2qp0muKh
It looks like I’ll get a lot of use out of the sunscreen that Okaasama plastered me with.132Please respect copyright.PENANAqz6BPj5vFs
I carried out the odd jobs that the teachers assigned me, and then returned to the tent to finally have a breather.132Please respect copyright.PENANA8UvE8XzkQl
While drinking cold tea, I watched the obstacle relay in a daze.132Please respect copyright.PENANAMSyMfPxfKH
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAp9QnEqoPiU
Also I entered the dance, and the foot race, and the ball toss.132Please respect copyright.PENANAoRchlwtYLV
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAYS7m0BFWPi
Just to be safe, I looked over the guests to see who had what items.132Please respect copyright.PENANAtt2BgIEQcB
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAyvp3Z3HG3R
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAR9Kozq3xYS
Please let me draw something simple!132Please respect copyright.PENANAeD7kYOu6Np
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAqhGsRFln9e
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAXzladMD2By
Although he didn’t seem to know what was going on, he ran with me.132Please respect copyright.PENANAzxnG8rmPIu
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAIVKp8VWiNi
As I recall, Akizawa-kun was in the baton relays.132Please respect copyright.PENANA8HSfOZy5kX
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAIqzeXlbWFJ
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAdRBKhtPcUx
A boy from some other class pulled me and had me run. I’m the item?132Please respect copyright.PENANATRRonS7pGr
We ran to the drawing spot once, and then back to the goal.132Please respect copyright.PENANAItC2l00nsI
What they announced when we reached there was “a girl with a ribbon in their hair”.132Please respect copyright.PENANArzSlhggQDa
Thank goodness.132Please respect copyright.PENANApd6pvgrBq9
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAxMUD2ZqFVI
I was wondering if I had made trouble for him, so I was relieved to hear that.132Please respect copyright.PENANAW0Y7iCmMlr
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAJpcHnFYFqf
Don’t try the impossible.132Please respect copyright.PENANA5t0YWRptFI
In the afternoon was more work in the tent.132Please respect copyright.PENANA5drPhAaxYA
Now that I had the knack of it, it was easier than in the morning.132Please respect copyright.PENANAqOSR2h8XCL
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAGnjgSPjRTm
The classes were broken into two teams, and would snatch at each other’s headbands.132Please respect copyright.PENANA7MrcxWWPCC
Boys from my class also formed horseback units and participated, but people said there was a favourite team this year.132Please respect copyright.PENANAfnjpbaQ57L
Kaburagi’s.132Please respect copyright.PENANAOiIt5XYywH
Naturally he was the rider.132Please respect copyright.PENANAFVT1DxbRWu
There’s no way that guy would be a horse.132Please respect copyright.PENANAwlv1N0rcBm
Kikuno-chan who shared a class with him had told us excitedly, “With this, the cavalry battle will be our class’ win!”.132Please respect copyright.PENANAewziMV2vQr
Even though he would probably just fall off right away and get laughed at.
I was a fool for thinking that.132Please respect copyright.PENANACr2Nk2suoV
The moment the start signal rang, Kaburagi freely moved about on his horse, and snatched headband after headband.132Please respect copyright.PENANAWpFCE7ePwj
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAhhbQ4lRl4j
Honestly, it was just too huge a difference in power.132Please respect copyright.PENANAA3ulROMUcz
I bet you lot practised heaps, to play Kaburagi’s horse so perfectly.132Please respect copyright.PENANAfYdmNQfxGW
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANAAB0s17dtsP
For those units that ran away scared, the Kaburagi Unit would hunt them down from behind.132Please respect copyright.PENANA07xpju6k8U
It was like the hunt of a carnivore.132Please respect copyright.PENANAzcxRNeiU7Y
I’ll bet they were scared.132Please respect copyright.PENANAqUFgcyYE7y
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.132Please respect copyright.PENANA2v3rBJtqwY
Yeah, absolutely no mercy at all.
In the end, only the Kaburagi Unit was left, and they seized a complete victory.132Please respect copyright.PENANAsDydP0S0k5
Later on, somebody would compare his gallantry in this battle to the legendary Napoleon, and eventually that turned into an Emperor.132Please respect copyright.PENANAuhrDH8cWRo
It was the start that would cause Kaburagi to gain his famous nickname.