Capítulo 18: Chapter 18 : Final Three-way Relay
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The relay race ended with us finishing in second place, and after the competition, I headed towards the red tent while still carrying Arisu. For some reason, there was applause even then, but I didn't have the energy to care about such things anymore.
"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to do something like that all of a sudden."
"...No, it was actually a good experience for me..."
For some reason, Arisu wouldn't look me in the eye and spoke to me with her back turned, though her voice was very quiet.
"By the way, could you thank Hashimoto for me? We managed to get second place thanks to him."
Her reaction to my words was excessive, and it seemed like she understood what I said with her usual intelligence. Her face, which had been completely red before, lost some of its redness and transformed into a wicked smile.
"...I see. I thought it was strange that Hachiman-kun would do something like that. I understand now. I will make sure to give Hashimoto-kun a proper 'thank you.'"
Hmm? It felt like her way of saying things was a bit different, but...
"Thanks. Well, I need to participate in the next event, so I'll be going now."
"Yes. Good luck. Even though you're my opponent, I'm rooting for you."
As I turned to head towards the white tent, I saw Arisu waving at me from behind, so I looked back and then continued on to the white tent.
….
I'm now sitting near Ryūen.
I never thought I'd feel so relieved near Ryūen...
When I returned to the white tent, I was immediately surrounded by a storm of questions. Ishizaki and the others shook me vigorously while shedding tears of blood, and Ibuki gave me a skeptical look with a scowl.
...And then, when I came back, Hiyori greeted me with an unnervingly wide smile, as if it were plastered on her face. However, she just kept smiling and didn't respond to anything I said...
For now, I explained the rules of the relay race to the class, and the situation seems to have calmed down a bit. However, the questions directed at me kept increasing, so I took refuge near Ryūen.
"Don't use me as a shield."
"Well, if you trace it back, it's because you made me participate, so take responsibility and be my shield."
After all, it was his fault from the start. It seems that even the class doesn't have the courage to question me while I'm near Ryūen, and they're just casting glances in my direction.
"...What do you think of the current D class?"
While glancing sideways at the ongoing competition, Ryūen asked me.
"It's... in a pinch, I guess. Your strategy is working well. The most physically capable member, Sudou, is gone now. And even Horikita, who was in a leadership position, is absent. The class's morale is visibly declining."
Indeed, since Sudō's departure, the class hasn't been able to secure high rankings. It seems Hirata is trying to keep things together, but how long that will last is uncertain.
"This time, my strategy is meant to damage the D class going forward. It's designed to create anxiety and disrupt their cohesion in future tests. It takes into account both Sudō's and Suzune's personalities. But…"
Ryūen hesitated there. So far, his strategy is working well. But the final outcome won't be clear until the end. Regardless of the process, whether it ultimately damages D class remains to be seen.
"We don't know how your strategy will turn out, but within the framework of the sports festival, we're currently in a favorable position. Isn't that enough for now?"
The next competition is about to start. Hearing my words, Ryūen seemed to calm down a bit and put on his usual smile.
"Looks like you've returned to your usual self."
"Shut up. The next event is starting soon. Let's go."
Walking alongside Ryūen, who was wearing his usual confident grin, I headed towards the next competition.
…
The final event of the afternoon, the 1200-meter relay that would close out the sports festival, was about to begin. Our class's morale was higher than ever.
"The order is as I told you. Albert will start us off, and Hikigaya is the anchor. This is the last event, so give it everything you've got."
Encouraged by Ryūen's words, the class cheered loudly. It was the true power of Ryūen.
"Being assigned the anchor role is a big responsibility, isn't it?"
Ibuki, who was supposed to pass the baton to me, stood next to me.
"Well, yeah. But since I've been chosen, there's no helping it. I'll give it my all."
This relay had to be set up so that the participants were evenly split between boys and girls. Albert was the first runner, Ryūen was the second with his reliable speed, followed by fast girls from our class including Ibuki, and I was the anchor. We had initially planned to include Kinoshita, but she couldn't participate due to an injury.
"That's unexpected. I thought you'd dislike it."
"True, I do dislike being in the spotlight... but it's just the right fit for me."
"?"
Ibuki seemed confused by my words, but I had to push myself in this event. It was for the sake of the student council president's contract...
"Good luck, Albert! You're our first runner, so give it your all!"
Albert, receiving cheers from the class, entered the track with visible determination. Looking at the first runners of the other classes, it was clear that the third-year students were all girls, which would give them an advantage at the start.
As for Class D, it appeared Sudō had returned, and he was standing firmly as the first runner. It seemed like Class D had managed to recover its momentum.
What was surprising was that Ayanokōji was the anchor. What kind of turn of events had led to this?
Once all the classes from first to third year were lined up, the excitement reached its peak, and the relay finally began.
Amid the cheers from each tent, the signal to start blared. Sudō and Albert made strong starts, but Sudō seemed to have the upper hand in speed, gradually pulling away from Albert.
"Wow. He's fast!"
Shibata was also impressed by the outstanding performance of the two first runners. Although Albert was overtaken by Sudō, he successfully passed the baton to Ryūen, who then pursued Hirata, the second runner for Class D. Ryūen caught up with Hirata, and the baton was passed to the third runners with only a slight lead.
When the baton was handed to the third runners, the third-year students showed their strength. They maintained a lead so far, but the gap between the leading Class D and our class was narrowing. Although we were still in the top positions, it was uncertain how long we could maintain this.
As the baton was passed to the fourth runners, we were overtaken by Class 2-A, and new runners started to sprint one after another.
Eventually, it was just the third-year A class and the second-year A class in the lead. The reactions from around were as expected. However, in sports festivals, unexpected events are part of the excitement. The third-year A class, which was about to pass the baton, stumbled and fell.
As a result, the third-year A class's position dropped, and now it was a solo race for the second-year A class. Our class, having few girls with notable athletic abilities besides Kinoshita and Ibuki, fell to a lower position. The same applied to Class D, with Horikita injured.
"This race is ours, President Horikita. I would have preferred a close contest."
The baton was passed to the fifth runner, and while waiting on the track, the second-year A class's vice president, Nagumo, spoke to Horikita.
"It looks like we'll win the overall points, so I guess this is the dawn of a new era."
"Are you really planning to change this school?"
"The previous student councils were too boring. They were too obsessed with preserving tradition. They preached strict rules while having lenient ones with safety measures. Such things are no longer necessary. I'm here to create new rules—a school based on ultimate meritocracy."
Nagumo said this while starting to walk slowly. He was gearing up to receive the baton. The baton was passed to Nagumo, and it seemed like the third-year A class was slightly ahead of us.
With the student between us are leaving , me and Ayanokoji, found ourselves eye-to-eye with Horikita Manabu.
"To think you two are the anchors."
"I'm a substitute for an injured person. Originally, your sister was supposed to be here."
"I'm here for the contract with you."
"I see. Ayanokōji was unexpected, but Hikigaya... what will you show me here?"
"Well, that depends on you."
I replied, looking directly at Manabu. What is seen, what is felt, depends on Manabu. After a brief stare-off with the student council president, Ayanokōji glanced at me and then back at Manabu.
"Are you interested in seeing what kind of people we are?"
"What?"
Ayanokōji called out to Manabu, who had shifted his gaze toward his approaching teammates after our stare-off.
"If you're interested, Ayanokōji and me could have a race."
"That sounds good. I'm also interested in you."
Reacting to Ayanokōji's words, Manabu looked at me, and I nodded in agreement with Ayanokōji's suggestion.
"You two say interesting things. I thought you hated being in the spotlight and avoided public activities. I expected Ayanokōji to just let this relay pass without making a fuss."
"I'll take it if you're willing to throw away your chances of coming in second and take on the challenge."
"On the other hand, if you want to aim for second place, you should go ahead. Opportunities for first and third-year students to race against each other don't come by often."
Manabu, caught off guard by our unexpected provocation, stopped completely and faced us.
"Interesting."
He responded briefly and didn't try to walk away. The most bewildered person was probably the third-year A class's fifth runner. They had worked hard to pass the baton to the anchor, only to see Manabu stand still and accept the baton.
"Good job."
"Ah, uh, ah..."
The unnamed third-year student, surprised by Manabu's nonchalant attitude, retreated. It was likely an unprecedented baton relay. Most of the spectators who noticed the unusual situation probably turned their gaze to Manabu. The third-year A class, which had been in third place, was quickly overtaken.
Finally, the fifth runners of Ayanokōji and I were closing in on us.
Ibuki also noticed the unusual scene, but was sprinting at full speed, with little difference between her and the fifth runner of Class D, Kushida.
Only a few seconds until the baton pass.
"'Before the race, let me tell you something,'" we said in unison, as if thinking the same thing.
"What is it?"
As we prepared for our sprint, Ayanokōji and I decided to say just one thing.
"'Run with everything you've got.'"
In that brief moment, it seemed like Manabu, disappearing from my view, smiled just a little. Now, the baton was in our hands—Ayanokōji's and mine.
"Hikigaya!"
Receiving the baton from Ibuki, I launched into a full-throttle sprint.
Had I ever truly run with all my might in this vast world before?
It was a completely different experience from running steadily in a sterile room or escaping from it.
I felt the cold wind against me.
I no longer cared about catching up with the previous runners.
At this moment, my entire focus was on competing against the two runners beside me.
We cut through the wind at full speed, closing the gap with the runners ahead.
"Unbelievable!?"
The student's astonished shout as I overtook them was swallowed by the wind.
From then on, cheers were no longer audible.
Strategy and cleverness were irrelevant.
It was simply a race against Horikita Manabu and Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.
We passed the first curve, then the straightaway, and headed into the final curve.
Come on—let's accelerate more!
A roar-like cheer echoed throughout the grounds.
…..
"You're incredibly fast!"
When I returned after the competition, Ibuki looked at me with a suspicious gaze and said.
"Wasn't it just that the other guy was slow?"
"No, no, can you really say that after seeing everyone's reactions?"
"In the end, I beat Ayanokouji, but lost to the student council president, didn't I?"
"Well, that's unavoidable. The guy who was running in front of us fell down."
Due to our trio's astonishing comeback, the runner in front of us panicked and fell, blocking the path for both me and Ayanokouji. We managed to avoid them, but that slight loss was significant, allowing Horikita to move ahead of us. In the end, I crossed the finish line just a bit ahead of Ayanokouji.
If there hadn't been an accident, the result might have been different, but right now, the problem is the attention we attracted with our performance in the final event. Many of the people who finished their races were casting curious glances toward me and Ayanokouji.
"Wow, Hikigaya! I didn't know you were so fast!"
I was praised by Ishizaki, who ran up and slapped me on the back.
"Well, it was just a bit of 'firepower in an emergency.'"
Not only Ishizaki but also others came running toward me.
"Heh, I can't read your philosophy of action. You said you didn't want to stand out, yet you did something like that."
With the appearance of Ryūen, people around us cleared a path and turned their attention toward Ryūen, who was laughing more joyfully than usual. It seems they were more interested in my unusual behavior than in how fast I was.
Unlike Ayanokouji, I had achieved high results in this sports festival. From the time Ryūen told me to participate in all the events, I had decided to make the contract with Horikita in the final relay. I didn't expect Ayanokouji to show up, but things went more or less according to my plan. Although I ended up standing out, it wasn't to the same extent as Ayanokouji. Ayanokouji had only produced mediocre results in the sports festival so far, which is why the final relay was more striking.
In the end, Ayanokouji became the most prominent.
"It looks like the results are about to be announced. Let's go together."
Hiyori, who had been praising me, grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
With the closing ceremony, the results were about to be announced. All the students turned their eyes toward the huge electronic scoreboard.
"Now, we will announce the results of this year's sports festival–––"
The numbers on the electronic scoreboard, divided into the red and white teams, started counting up, indicating the total points earned across all events. The winning team was...
'Red Team Victory' appeared along with the score.
It seemed it had been a very close match, but the AD Alliance had emerged victorious.
"Next, we will announce the overall class scores."
The scoreboard displayed the results divided into three categories by class. We focused on our own grade, ignoring the results of the higher grades.
1st Place: 1st Year Class C
2nd Place: 1st Year Class B
3rd Place: 1st Year Class A
4th Place: 1st Year Class D
"Ugh, 2nd place…"
"Wow!! 2nd place, Ryūen-san!"
I glanced at Ryūen and Ishizaki's contrasting reactions and looked at the displayed results.
It seemed the difference from Class C was very close, but we just missed it. Checking the results for 2nd and 3rd years, it looked like Class A had won by an overwhelming margin.
However, looking at the results, it seemed that all classes had ended up with a negative overall score. Everyone seemed to feel a wave of fatigue. Despite all the effort, the class points were reduced, so it felt unrewarding. Though individual winners could receive assistance, it wasn't entirely wasted.
"Finally, we will announce the best player for each grade."
I wasn't sure about this. Since I placed 2nd in the borrowing race, it wasn't likely to be me. The most likely candidate from my class was Ryūen, who had consistently taken 1st place in all events.
1st Year Best Player: Ryūen Shō
The scoreboard displayed this.
"Just as expected!! Ryūen-san!"
"You're amazing as always!"
As soon as the results were displayed, voices praising Ryūen began to fill the air. While Ryūen was surrounded by admirers, I noticed Ayanokouji being called out by Kamuro. It seemed Arisu had learned about Ayanokouji's presence in the relay today and was probably planning to "greet" him.
"Excuse me, may I have a moment?"
As I was heading back to the school building, I was approached by someone with a familiar hairstyle, tied up in a bun—Tachibana-senpai, who was a close aide to Horikita.
"Here you go…"
Seeing me turn around, she handed me a piece of paper. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be contact information.
"'I've seen your ability. If you need anything, just get in touch,' is a message I was asked to convey from the student council president."
It seemed I had exceeded Horikita's expectations. Using Tachibana-senpai to deliver this message was probably an effort to avoid making me stand out too much. If the student council president had come directly, it would have been too conspicuous.
It looks like I now have the opportunity to make one request of the student council president.
"Received it, thank you, Tachibana-senpai."
"Why do you use honorifics with me but not with the student council president!?"
When I expressed my gratitude to Tachibana-senpai, she seemed unexpectedly surprised. The reason I don't use honorifics with Horikita… was it because of my initial impression?
Despite the minor upheavals at the end, it had been a fruitful sports festival for me.
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