On the day of the Athletics Meet, I went around with the teachers greeting the guests, so things were busy from the very start.131Please respect copyright.PENANA8x0ZZYyhdr
I get the feeling that the teachers completely used my name as a proud Pivoine and Kisshouin clan member.131Please respect copyright.PENANAkLOPP9sQoL
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAlUCkdBHW2c
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAPtO6TnwVLL
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANALIDBfYz8y2
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAqGGORR3gPg
After checking that there wasn’t any misprint in the programmes and manuscript, I handed it over to an announcer.131Please respect copyright.PENANAZuZzNFVKOi
Besides that, I also did the boring job of moving the point flags for the relays.131Please respect copyright.PENANA3BvJ9LCZ5h
It looks like I’ll get a lot of use out of the sunscreen that Okaasama plastered me with.131Please respect copyright.PENANAglstw5b3dQ
I carried out the odd jobs that the teachers assigned me, and then returned to the tent to finally have a breather.131Please respect copyright.PENANA3IJ0jr8IoF
While drinking cold tea, I watched the obstacle relay in a daze.131Please respect copyright.PENANA2fDXbrXCzX
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAw3vwAjxfOV
Also I entered the dance, and the foot race, and the ball toss.131Please respect copyright.PENANApKrYAWP4Ht
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAsZqaQX3nwU
Just to be safe, I looked over the guests to see who had what items.131Please respect copyright.PENANA4vL2huRMqs
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAKWCpk8ahV2
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAuKcXi8kmSC
Please let me draw something simple!131Please respect copyright.PENANAHo1TK2BwGO
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAScniXX6ipN
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANA0wcELtU478
Although he didn’t seem to know what was going on, he ran with me.131Please respect copyright.PENANA9ioHkpI6iW
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANA4ATMdyRd7H
As I recall, Akizawa-kun was in the baton relays.131Please respect copyright.PENANAyBBHGNWHs1
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAUrKkYmqStK
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAsHUkCVc3L2
A boy from some other class pulled me and had me run. I’m the item?131Please respect copyright.PENANAnT8ZIY7Ecn
We ran to the drawing spot once, and then back to the goal.131Please respect copyright.PENANAPKNAu0hsFK
What they announced when we reached there was “a girl with a ribbon in their hair”.131Please respect copyright.PENANA0iL8e5N4jv
Thank goodness.131Please respect copyright.PENANALQTSOiVvVb
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAYyYFXso3FA
I was wondering if I had made trouble for him, so I was relieved to hear that.131Please respect copyright.PENANAxWEayL01cd
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAWoNnEQVbyh
Don’t try the impossible.131Please respect copyright.PENANANmKLHkVp4G
In the afternoon was more work in the tent.131Please respect copyright.PENANAxoRrK65ph8
Now that I had the knack of it, it was easier than in the morning.131Please respect copyright.PENANANTf92Dspnb
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAxGIpWl2xKr
The classes were broken into two teams, and would snatch at each other’s headbands.131Please respect copyright.PENANALWL4XaKQ92
Boys from my class also formed horseback units and participated, but people said there was a favourite team this year.131Please respect copyright.PENANAPxoQWEJQ9T
Kaburagi’s.131Please respect copyright.PENANA42Rj956YvD
Naturally he was the rider.131Please respect copyright.PENANAafU8oOSyfU
There’s no way that guy would be a horse.131Please respect copyright.PENANAQyIVlP28Xt
Kikuno-chan who shared a class with him had told us excitedly, “With this, the cavalry battle will be our class’ win!”.131Please respect copyright.PENANAOa23Pw9hCh
Even though he would probably just fall off right away and get laughed at.
I was a fool for thinking that.131Please respect copyright.PENANAsHrhReim8m
The moment the start signal rang, Kaburagi freely moved about on his horse, and snatched headband after headband.131Please respect copyright.PENANArwvgVIvEKl
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANA1i4c4CTzld
Honestly, it was just too huge a difference in power.131Please respect copyright.PENANAsr9GlsMq2m
I bet you lot practised heaps, to play Kaburagi’s horse so perfectly.131Please respect copyright.PENANA8BbbI34Gg7
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANAvLkA5Ghv4K
For those units that ran away scared, the Kaburagi Unit would hunt them down from behind.131Please respect copyright.PENANAH7ZdaN2DlA
It was like the hunt of a carnivore.131Please respect copyright.PENANAsieN92XwGt
I’ll bet they were scared.131Please respect copyright.PENANA4nIBxCg5lI
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.131Please respect copyright.PENANA7yOpBN3JKt
Yeah, absolutely no mercy at all.
In the end, only the Kaburagi Unit was left, and they seized a complete victory.131Please respect copyright.PENANA6GTGahm4Dd
Later on, somebody would compare his gallantry in this battle to the legendary Napoleon, and eventually that turned into an Emperor.131Please respect copyright.PENANAO9SwKFHxsM
It was the start that would cause Kaburagi to gain his famous nickname.