On the day of the Athletics Meet, I went around with the teachers greeting the guests, so things were busy from the very start.122Please respect copyright.PENANAw1jNe9NcRT
I get the feeling that the teachers completely used my name as a proud Pivoine and Kisshouin clan member.122Please respect copyright.PENANA2aBRgUPZB5
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANASRQ9faheqw
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAVMtAAJwMdG
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAPhKUQUPIS5
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANA1KLXS6jumo
After checking that there wasn’t any misprint in the programmes and manuscript, I handed it over to an announcer.122Please respect copyright.PENANAjwCmAxHiXa
Besides that, I also did the boring job of moving the point flags for the relays.122Please respect copyright.PENANAlVXrZMnE0W
It looks like I’ll get a lot of use out of the sunscreen that Okaasama plastered me with.122Please respect copyright.PENANAthgDqEOoO5
I carried out the odd jobs that the teachers assigned me, and then returned to the tent to finally have a breather.122Please respect copyright.PENANAfCiRdXV4TJ
While drinking cold tea, I watched the obstacle relay in a daze.122Please respect copyright.PENANAqmlKic4F0L
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAGVHpaVNyZY
Also I entered the dance, and the foot race, and the ball toss.122Please respect copyright.PENANAuJZEtSi7Ap
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANABJ5UHRJZGS
Just to be safe, I looked over the guests to see who had what items.122Please respect copyright.PENANAUf3Fl99BeP
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANA4TXh97COkQ
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANA9lFfQJK5eC
Please let me draw something simple!122Please respect copyright.PENANAJTXaBbKRhF
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAzz01RCfuqQ
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAI9Xy0qiz7y
Although he didn’t seem to know what was going on, he ran with me.122Please respect copyright.PENANAB418dz84fN
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAbsA7G7yOhB
As I recall, Akizawa-kun was in the baton relays.122Please respect copyright.PENANAY4JAN9hQEF
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANA4LmaOhlGUZ
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAYwkOnrLquK
A boy from some other class pulled me and had me run. I’m the item?122Please respect copyright.PENANAU5NZas1rzC
We ran to the drawing spot once, and then back to the goal.122Please respect copyright.PENANA2Ftws7y3jR
What they announced when we reached there was “a girl with a ribbon in their hair”.122Please respect copyright.PENANAfxCM5PPW4c
Thank goodness.122Please respect copyright.PENANAM6HUi9rERO
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAmZJPBPcATq
I was wondering if I had made trouble for him, so I was relieved to hear that.122Please respect copyright.PENANABV9KrlZ2yv
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAovc2R5wAjd
Don’t try the impossible.122Please respect copyright.PENANAJsO8Y9RXvM
In the afternoon was more work in the tent.122Please respect copyright.PENANAssOXH9tTs5
Now that I had the knack of it, it was easier than in the morning.122Please respect copyright.PENANAS0lNYKGuxE
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAVh0V6nJ3KY
The classes were broken into two teams, and would snatch at each other’s headbands.122Please respect copyright.PENANASPu8b3mXKZ
Boys from my class also formed horseback units and participated, but people said there was a favourite team this year.122Please respect copyright.PENANAXmtLO6YXg4
Kaburagi’s.122Please respect copyright.PENANA1DtYNF4oqY
Naturally he was the rider.122Please respect copyright.PENANAHKgBAwoMWj
There’s no way that guy would be a horse.122Please respect copyright.PENANAwkADpNdqn5
Kikuno-chan who shared a class with him had told us excitedly, “With this, the cavalry battle will be our class’ win!”.122Please respect copyright.PENANAZrXBYglRl4
Even though he would probably just fall off right away and get laughed at.
I was a fool for thinking that.122Please respect copyright.PENANAomnHGYQGQH
The moment the start signal rang, Kaburagi freely moved about on his horse, and snatched headband after headband.122Please respect copyright.PENANA9Q3yKoeDNh
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAVZHkARobbt
Honestly, it was just too huge a difference in power.122Please respect copyright.PENANAhZjRvTj9Bp
I bet you lot practised heaps, to play Kaburagi’s horse so perfectly.122Please respect copyright.PENANAxIf77W5G5N
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAOmYYxeTODr
For those units that ran away scared, the Kaburagi Unit would hunt them down from behind.122Please respect copyright.PENANAvNSg7jVJWf
It was like the hunt of a carnivore.122Please respect copyright.PENANANTPJwX1Ynh
I’ll bet they were scared.122Please respect copyright.PENANA6KlZdjcmHp
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.122Please respect copyright.PENANAADQVNQX3ei
Yeah, absolutely no mercy at all.
In the end, only the Kaburagi Unit was left, and they seized a complete victory.122Please respect copyright.PENANABQZPfdcdFu
Later on, somebody would compare his gallantry in this battle to the legendary Napoleon, and eventually that turned into an Emperor.122Please respect copyright.PENANAHZSagtBRUc
It was the start that would cause Kaburagi to gain his famous nickname.