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This is my Christmas present to you, and I’d be really glad if you gifted me back with a review on novelupdates! Incidentally, Reika graduates from primary school soon, so let’s have one chapter every 15 minutes until she does.
On the day of the Athletics Meet, I went around with the teachers greeting the guests, so things were busy from the very start. I get the feeling that the teachers completely used my name as a proud Pivoine and Kisshouin clan member. 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. 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. 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. 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. After checking that there wasn’t any misprint in the programmes and manuscript, I handed it over to an announcer. Besides that, I also did the boring job of moving the point flags for the relays. It looks like I’ll get a lot of use out of the sunscreen that Okaasama plastered me with.
*imouto*
I carried out the odd jobs that the teachers assigned me, and then returned to the tent to finally have a breather. While drinking cold tea, I watched the obstacle relay in a daze. 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. Also I entered the dance, and the foot race, and the ball toss. 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. Just to be safe, I looked over the guests to see who had what items. 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. 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. Please let me draw something simple! 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. 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. Although he didn’t seem to know what was going on, he ran with me. 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. As I recall, Akizawa-kun was in the baton relays. 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. 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. A boy from some other class pulled me and had me run. I’m the item? We ran to the drawing spot once, and then back to the goal. What they announced when we reached there was “a girl with a ribbon in their hair”. Thank goodness. 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. I was wondering if I had made trouble for him, so I was relieved to hear that. 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. Don’t try the impossible.
*imouto*
In the afternoon was more work in the tent. Now that I had the knack of it, it was easier than in the morning. 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. The classes were broken into two teams, and would snatch at each other’s headbands. Boys from my class also formed horseback units and participated, but people said there was a favourite team this year. Kaburagi’s. Naturally he was the rider. There’s no way that guy would be a horse. Kikuno-chan who shared a class with him had told us excitedly, “With this, the cavalry battle will be our class’ win!”. Even though he would probably just fall off right away and get laughed at.
I was a fool for thinking that. The moment the start signal rang, Kaburagi freely moved about on his horse, and snatched headband after headband. 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. Honestly, it was just too huge a difference in power. I bet you lot practised heaps, to play Kaburagi’s horse so perfectly. 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. For those units that ran away scared, the Kaburagi Unit would hunt them down from behind. It was like the hunt of a carnivore. I’ll bet they were scared. 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. Yeah, absolutely no mercy at all.
In the end, only the Kaburagi Unit was left, and they seized a complete victory.
*imouto*
*imouto*
Later on, somebody would compare his gallantry in this battle to the legendary Napoleon, and eventually that turned into an Emperor. It was the start that would cause Kaburagi to gain his famous nickname.
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