Once the rather shocking 200m race concluded, the staff moved quickly to set up props for the obstacle race, which Yuji was competing in. Despite the lingering tension from the earlier accident, the athletes maintained their formation as they entered the field.
After the entry was complete and everyone except the first heat at the starting line had taken a seat, an announcement crackled from the headquarters tent.
“To all athletes participating in the obstacle race. Unfortunately, a violent accident occurred during the previous 200m race. While the student involved fortunately escaped major injury, unforeseen accidents can happen at any time. Please do not push yourselves beyond your limits. Take sufficient care to avoid injury. That is all.”
Was this meant as a deterrent to stop people from getting too competitive and attempting dangerous overtakes? I could understand the sentiment after watching that crash earlier, but telling people not to push themselves during a sports festival... Wouldn’t that just kill what little motivation the students had left?
Indeed, just as I’d feared, the volume of cheers from the stands seemed to drop significantly the moment the announcement ended.
“Well, this is a mess...”
From the school’s perspective, it was a necessary caution to prevent serious injuries. But from the students' perspective, it served only to throw cold water on the excitement that had finally been building up.
It was a classic trade-off where you couldn’t satisfy one side without alienating the other.
“On your marks. Get set... Go!”
The starting signal rang out, and the first heat of runners dashed off. Judging by their pace, the first group consisted of non-explorer students. Probably a smart move; if the explorers ran first, the non-explorers would look like they were standing still by comparison.
The first obstacle was the classic balance beam. The athletes leaped onto them in unison and crossed without much trouble. For high schoolers, a balance beam on its own isn't much of a challenge. It really needed some extra flair—like having people throw balls at them while they crossed—to be a real obstacle.
I watched the athletes clear the beam without a hint of danger, offering that internal critique as I did.
“The next obstacle is... the net crawl.”
The runners dove into nets held down at the corners by the staff. This was where the gap began to widen. Limbs got tangled, and several athletes were delayed as they struggled to free themselves. Those lucky enough to slip through quickly moved on to the next challenge.
“You look like you're bored.”
“Hm?”
I was watching the race with a detached air when someone called out to me from the side. I turned to find Hiiragi-san standing there.
“...Oh, Hiiragi-san. That was fast. You're back already?”
“Yes. They dismissed us immediately after we left the track, so I wasn't held up at all.”
“I see.”
Hiiragi-san, who had been standing in the aisle, sat down in the seat next to mine—Yuji's seat. Since many people were away preparing for their own events, the area was sparse, but... this was the boys' side. Was she really okay sitting here?
Well, she didn't seem to mind, so I figured I shouldn't either.
“Anyway, that was quite a scene earlier.”
“Earlier? Oh, the accident.”
“Yeah. It was a pretty spectacular fall. Did they say anything to you guys afterward?”
“We were given a warning. Just a word before being dismissed to not do anything too reckless.”
A slightly troubled expression flickered across Hiiragi-san’s face. So, it was the same message as the announcement. I couldn't tell if the school wanted to hype things up or shut them down.
I looked down, rubbing the bridge of my nose, feeling a bit uneasy about how the rest of this festival would go.
“Ah, look, Kokonoe-kun. It looks like they’re reaching the finish.”
Hiiragi-san pointed toward a section of the course. I followed her finger with my gaze. About fifteen meters before the finish line, I spotted a student with their forehead pressed against a bat, spinning in a blur.
“...The dizzy bat? So that’s the final obstacle.”
“It... seems so. That definitely leaves room for a comeback, no matter how much of a lead someone has.”
The first athlete to reach the dizzy bat zone finished their ten high-speed rotations and dashed toward the goal, only to have their legs give out. They crumpled instantly. The runner immediately behind them did the same, tangling their own feet and rolling across the dirt.
The stands erupted in laughter, and the cheers finally regained some of their energy.
“Well, if you spin that fast, of course your head is going to go haywire...”
“True. Unless you’re a figure skater who practices high-speed rotations regularly, that’s bound to happen.”
Hiiragi-san and I watched the dizzy runners struggle, feeling a bit exasperated that they hadn't just spun a little slower.
While the leaders were struggling and practically crawling toward the finish, the second group—who had reached the bats later and spun at a more measured pace—managed to overtake the frontrunners and cross the line without their legs buckling, even if they were a bit wobbly.
“A total reversal... The dizzy bat really is the kingmaker here.”
“Spin too fast and you lose your balance, but spin too slow and you can’t catch up. It’s all about the balance.”
Once the first group finished, the second heat moved to the line, and the runners dashed off at the signal.
After watching the start, Hiiragi-san turned back to me with a more serious expression.
“By the way, Kokonoe-kun. Mika-chan asked me about it earlier, but what was that 'consultation' regarding the club activity appeal? I played along to cover for you, but... I haven't heard a word about this, you know?”
“Yesterday's consultation... Oh, that.”
I lightly clapped my hands, finally realizing why Hiiragi-san had come all the way over to the boys' section. I hadn't had a chance to fill her in this morning because of the hectic rehearsal schedule.
“Sorry, Hiiragi-san. The timing was off so I couldn't tell you, but to cover for what we were actually doing yesterday, I told Mika we met up to talk about the club activity appeal.”
I apologized in a low voice and explained the situation.
“So, what exactly did you tell her?”
“That we were discussing how far we should go during today's rehearsal.”
“...How far?”
“Today is just a run-through, so I thought they'd just have us check our positions. But if we actually have to perform, we can't just stand there. At the same time, we don't have our costumes or props, so we can't do the real performance, right?”
“True. Without the equipment, the performance wouldn't make any sense.”
“Right. So, I told her we were meeting to decide on a substitute routine for the rehearsal.”
“I see...”
Once I explained, Hiiragi-san gave a small sigh of understanding.
“If that was the case, you could have at least sent me a quick email last night...”
“Sorry, sorry.”
I gave her a small, sheepish bow.
“Well, whatever. So, what did you decide? Looking at you and Hirose-kun this morning, I assume you’ve reached a conclusion?”
“Ah, yeah. We figured we'd just do a light spar to fill the time.”
“I see... That’s a safe choice. So, is it just going to be you and Hirose-kun?”
“Well... that would work, but then you and Mika and Saori wouldn't have anything to do. Do you want to join in?”
Hiiragi-san’s lips curled into a slight smirk as she nodded.
“Yes. Of course I do.”
“Alright. Then—”
“I'll spar with Hirose-kun, so Kokonoe-kun, you can look after Mika-chan and Saori-chan.”
“Wait, what?”
“If we want to make an impression without standing out too much, wouldn't a mixed-gender match be more interesting than just two guys?”
“Eh? Ah... you might be right.”
She had a point. If we wanted to draw the right kind of attention with just a light exhibition, a male-female pairing would have a much stronger visual impact.
“See? It's a better plan, right?”
“Yeah, alright. I'll tell Yuji when he gets back.”
“Please do. Well, I should get back to my section.”
With that, Hiiragi-san stood up and returned to the girls' side.
Yuji and Hiiragi-san sparring? I wonder how that’ll go...
Once Yuji returned from his event, I relayed the plan. His eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but he ultimately agreed to the spar with Hiiragi-san. Having settled that, I headed toward the Entrance Gate for my own event, the 800m race.
There, I saw that problematic repeater, Goto, lining up in the first-year row. So that guy is in this too?
“We’re entering soon. Keep your ranks tight and move to your assigned positions.”
As the previous event cleared out, the teacher by the gate barked orders.
The announcement for our race rang out, and the line began to move. Once everyone was in place, the first heat stepped up to the line.
“...He’s in the first group.”
I frowned at the sight of Goto at the starting line, but he looked completely relaxed, radiating an air of smug composure.
At the signal, the first heat took off. Everyone seemed to be pacing themselves until the first corner, running in a tight pack. However, the moment they cleared the turn, Goto made his move. He burst out from the group, accelerating with explosive speed. The other runners tried to give chase, but they simply couldn't keep up. He pulled away with every stride.
“Hmm. As expected, in sports where pure physical ability is everything, the level difference is impossible to hide...”
Goto continued to widen the gap, and by the time he finished the second lap, he was in a league of his own. Letting a guy like that compete in the first-year bracket was just unfair.
In the end, Goto maintained his massive lead and crossed the line more than half a lap ahead of the runner in second place.
“Yeah, being that much better than the rest of the grade is definitely going to give him influence.”
I watched as Goto waved broadly toward the stands, turning his finish into a victory lap. Groups of students in the stands were shouting his name. Those must be the first-year explorers Mika mentioned he’d recruited. There were more than I expected.
After a long-winded display of arrogance, Goto was finally scolded by a teacher and told to sit down. He moved to the finishers' area with a sullen, dissatisfied look.
“Sigh... Can't be helped. During the actual sports festival, I'll have to take this a bit more seriously.”
Watching Goto’s performance, I decided I’d have to put in some effort during the main event to serve as a deterrent. Since we were in different grades, I couldn't challenge him directly, but finishing with a significantly faster time than him would send a clear message.
I’d stand out, but you can’t act as a deterrent if no one notices you.
Once the individual events and group performances were done, it was time for the final event of the morning: the club activity introduction. The representatives of the various clubs gathered in front of the Entrance Gate. There were a little over ten clubs participating.
The teacher at the gate informed us that there would be a dedicated "appeal time" during the rehearsal. While several clubs complained that they didn't have their props ready, the teacher ignored them and told everyone to just figure something out.
“Sigh... It’s fine. I figured it would come to this. We’ll just do the light spar we talked about and call it a day.”
“Right,” Yuji agreed.
The five of us huddled together for a final check.
“Okay, here's the plan. Yuji and Hiiragi-san will handle the main exhibition. Mika, Saori—I’ll be your opponent.”
“Ehh? Onii-chan is my opponent?”
“What is it, Mika? You don't want to spar with me?”
“Hmm, it's not that, but... the spar is bare-handed, right?”
“Yeah, we don't have wooden swords or spears today. Also, I won't be attacking. You two just come at me with everything you’ve got.”
“Wait, really?”
“Yeah. You can both come at me at once if you want.”
Even though Mika and Saori had been training under Juzo-san, they were still beginners. With the massive gap in our levels and experience, I could handle their attacks in my sleep.
However, my casual confidence seemed to hit a nerve. Mika puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
“Saori-chan! We are definitely going to take Onii-chan down!”
“Eh?! M-Mika-chan?!”
“Right?!”
“Y-Yeah...”
Uh oh, I think I just stepped on a landmine. I tried to say something to soothe her before things got out of hand, but the athletes' entry began before I could open my mouth.
Mika grabbed Saori’s hand and marched through the Entrance Gate with heavy, determined steps. Yuji and Hiiragi-san followed behind them, both wearing wry smiles.
Now I’ve gone and made things complicated.