As we hurried back to our original positions, preparations for the first race began immediately. In this rehearsal, only the first runner of each race would actually run, so there were six columns starting from the far right. As each club’s name was called, the students lined up at the front took their starting positions, cheered on by their clubmates.
The first race featured the athletic heavyweights: the Baseball Club, Soccer Club, Basketball Club, Table Tennis Club, Track and Field Club, and Swimming Club.
“...Everyone’s really fired up.”
I watched from my own starting position, impressed by how the club members were grandly waving and making appeals to the crowd before the start. They seemed to have recovered quickly from the shock we had delivered earlier. They were fast at switching gears.
Hearing my murmur, Yuji, who was sitting in front of me, looked back with a half-lidded gaze and spoke.
“Well, that’s to be expected. Clubs that have athletes competing in individual events like swimming or track are still barely managing to stay active, but most other athletic clubs are on the verge of suspension because they don't have enough members. If they don’t make a strong impression here and recruit the freshmen who haven't earned their Armed Exploration Permits yet, they might actually face abolition...”
“Abolished, huh…”
I agreed with Yuji's assessment. It made sense. Several athletic clubs had already been disbanded last year after their membership dropped to zero.
“That’s right. If they can’t participate in official external tournaments for more than a year, the remaining members might just lose hope and quit,” Hiiragi-san added, turning around to join the conversation.
“Probably. Our school doesn’t offer sports scholarships, after all. If the remaining members want to quit, there's nothing really holding them back.”
Just as Hiiragi-san said, if the members currently making desperate recruitment appeals were to quit, those clubs would head straight for the chopping block. If they had entered the school through a sports scholarship system, they might feel obligated to stay, but our school doesn't place much emphasis on sports. The remaining members were all just regular students.
“So, that intense display they’re putting on... it might be their final stand.”
“Most likely. If they can’t secure new members this time... some of them will probably just walk away.”
If one person quit, it would likely trigger a chain reaction.
While we were whispering among ourselves, the preparations for the first race were completed. The teacher standing beside the start line raised the arm holding the starter pistol.
“On your marks. Get set... Go!”
The moment the pistol cracked, the first runners burst forward. I’d like to say they were neck and neck, but the Track and Field Club immediately leaped into the lead. Executing a brilliant start dash, they maintained the top spot as they dove into the first corner, gradually widening the gap between them and second place.
“The Track and Field Club really knows how to accelerate at the start.”
“Yeah, no kidding.”
The Track and Field runner held their lead through the corner and accelerated sharply on the straightaway. Following them, the Swimming Club and Soccer Club vied for second place, overtaking each other back and forth, followed by the Baseball Club, Basketball Club, and Table Tennis Club in that order.
In the end, the Track and Field Club finished first, leaving the rest of the field far behind. The Soccer Club took second by a narrow margin, while the Swimming Club unfortunately came in third. Fourth was the Basketball Club, and fifth was the Table Tennis Club. The Baseball Club finished last in sixth because their runner took a tumble at the second corner.
“That’s too bad for the Baseball Club...”
“Yeah. If that runner hadn’t tripped there, they probably could’ve taken fourth.”
“But thanks to him falling at the corner, the cheers from the stands were louder for the Baseball Club than for the Track and Field Club, didn’t you notice?”
“That might be true.”
Nodding at Hiiragi-san’s observation, I scratched my cheek as I watched the runners return to their respective rows.
The Baseball Club had essentially put their bodies on the line to grab attention and a few laughs. The proof was that the Baseball Club members weren’t blaming the runner who fell and finished last; they were praising him. The other clubs were looking at them with expressions that seemed to say, "They played the crowd well."
“This inter-club relay is less about the ranking and more about how much attention you can grab from the stands. From that perspective, the Track and Field Club won the race, but they lost the contest to the Baseball Club. If this were the actual event tomorrow, the Track and Field and Soccer clubs would have a final race, so it would be a draw in terms of impact, but...”
“Since today is just a rehearsal, there’s no final race. For today, it’s a tactical victory for the Baseball Club.”
“True.”
While we discussed the first race, the runners for the second heat were already lining up. The six participants in the second race were the Judo Club, Dance Club, Art Club, Light Music Club, Brass Band Club, and Tea Ceremony Club. It was an odd mix of two athletic clubs and four cultural clubs.
However, the runners for the athletic clubs were non-explorers, while the runners for the cultural clubs were explorers. The two athletic club members didn't stand a chance. It might have been unavoidable due to how the heats were split, but it felt a bit cruel.
“In last year’s sports festival relay, the athletic clubs would have crushed the competition with this lineup...”
“Well, this year will likely be the opposite. The athletic club members who aren't explorers won't stand a chance.”
“Explorers are discouraged from joining athletic clubs, but there are no such restrictions for cultural clubs,” Hiiragi-san noted.
She was right. Explorer students in athletic clubs had quit one after another upon learning they couldn't participate in official tournaments, but there was no ban on explorer members of cultural clubs participating in their own official events.
Because of that, some explorers who had quit athletic clubs had transferred to cultural clubs and found new ways to enjoy their school life.
“Which means some of the people standing at the starting line right now might be former athletic club members.”
“The possibility is definitely there.”
We watched the runners at the starting line, trying to gauge their backgrounds.
Ignoring our scrutiny, the second race began.
“On your marks... Get set... Go!”
The runners took off at the sound of the pistol. However, the race shifted dramatically right at the start. The moment the first step was taken, the Judo and Dance clubs were left in the dust.
In just one step—a single step—the Judo and Dance clubs were trailing more than three meters behind the leading Art, Light Music, Brass Band, and Tea Ceremony clubs.
“That much of a gap in just one step...”
“Well, that’s what happens when explorers and non-explorers start a race together...”
“The gap is just getting wider and wider...”
Only a few seconds had passed since the start, yet there was already a desperate divide between the cultural and athletic clubs. While the Judo and Dance clubs were only halfway through the first corner, the Art, Light Music, Brass Band, and Tea Ceremony clubs had already crossed the half-lap mark, vying for the lead as they overtook one another. Since the gap was continuously widening, it was virtually impossible for the Judo or Dance clubs to catch up.
“Oh, the Tea Ceremony Club is making a move.”
“The other clubs seem to be following suit and sprinting in a panic, but that Tea Ceremony Club member... looks like their level is a few points higher than the other runners.”
“You’re right. The gap is widening, albeit slowly.”
The Tea Ceremony runner timed their move perfectly, breaking away from the pack that had been bunched together until the exit of the second corner. They pulled ahead and burst across the finish line, followed closely by the Brass Band, Art, and Light Music clubs in that order.
But...
“The leaders have finished, and the Judo and Dance clubs are only at the halfway point... You really shouldn’t have explorers and non-explorers running together.”
“Seriously. Those runners are giving it their all, but you can practically feel the atmosphere of helplessness radiating from them.”
“It would make the heats more crowded, but it would be better to group all the athletic clubs together in the first race,” Hiiragi-san suggested.
“I agree...”
Even after the cultural clubs finished, encouraging cheers of “Don’t give up!” echoed from the stands for the Judo and Dance clubs still rounding the course. There was a massive gap—beyond massive, really—but the runners didn't give up, pushed forward by the cheers of their peers.
Ten-odd seconds after the cultural clubs had finished, the Dance Club and Judo Club crossed the line in that order, ending the second race.
With the second race over, it was finally our turn. Saori-chan was the one running in today’s rehearsal. Originally, one of the three of us was going to run, but since we felt we had overdone it a bit during the appeal time, we had made a last-minute change.
“Well, I’m off.”
“Good luck, Saori-chan!” Mika cheered.
“I'll do my best.”
As Saori-chan stood up to head to the starting line, Mika offered her encouragement. She didn't seem unusually nervous, so she looked like she’d be fine.
Still, I decided to offer a word of my own.
“Saori-chan, don’t push yourself too hard.”
“You haven’t been an explorer for very long. Don’t worry even if you fall behind the others,” Yuji added.
“That’s right, Saori-chan. Most of the other runners are upperclassmen. Just make sure you don't trip by pushing yourself too much,” Hiiragi-san said.
“Yes!”
Hearing our mix of consolation and encouragement, Saori-chan gave a spirited reply and moved to the starting line.
The runners for each club assembled, and preparations for the third race were complete. The participants in the third race were our circle, the Computer Circle, the Drama Club, the Handicrafts Club, the Broadcasting Club, and the Cooking Club.
“I wonder if Saori-chan will be okay...”
Mika watched with a worried gaze as Saori-chan stood alone as a freshman among a line of mostly second and third-year runners.
“Hmm, it might be tough for Saori-chan to win against that lineup.”
“Well, Saori-chan has only been an explorer for about a month. Her technical skills are fine, but her base level isn't high enough yet...”
“True... The other runners are likely around level 20. For Saori-chan, who is still in the single digits, just keeping up will be the best she can do,” Hiiragi-san noted.
“Eh...”
Hearing our whispers, Mika looked disgruntled, yet also somewhat understanding. She probably realized herself that Saori-chan was unlikely to win, but she clearly didn't like the fact that we were counting her out from the start.
Just as Mika was about to voice a protest with a pout, the teacher’s voice rang out from the starting line.
“On your marks... Get set... Go!”
The pistol cracked, the runners burst forward, and the third race began.
As expected, Saori-chan began to fall behind the pack after clearing the first corner. If they were fighting in a mock battle, Saori-chan would likely win with her superior skills even against higher-level opponents. But in a pure test of speed like this, the difference in levels was painfully obvious.
“Go for it, Saori-chan!”
Watching Mika desperately cheer for her friend, I made a mental note to help those two raise their levels sooner rather than later.
As the race progressed, the Cooking Club surged to the front of the pack before entering the second corner, pulling away from the others. I had expected the Drama Club to be the favorite given their activity level, but an unexpected contender had emerged.
“The Cooking Club is in the lead... That’s surprising.”
“Is it? I think it’s a pretty reasonable result,” Yuji remarked.
“Reasonable?”
“Yeah. Those guys probably go into the dungeons themselves to source the ingredients they use for their club activities.”
“Ah...”
I let out a small gasp and looked at Hiiragi-san. Right, it wouldn't be strange at all for the Cooking Club to venture into dungeons to hunt for ingredients. That was Hiiragi-san’s original reason for diving into dungeons, after all.
Still, a Cooking Club where the members go on-site to source their own ingredients... that was one hell of an active club.
“The runners in this relay are probably the ones in charge of ingredient procurement. If they’re former athletic club members, they’d be more mobile than someone who was in the Cooking Club from the start. Plus, if they’re diving into dungeons regularly to get ingredients, their levels would naturally go up.”
“Oh, I see...”
So, they couldn't participate in sports anymore, so they focused on their appetites? It made sense. In the beginning, restaurants that served dungeon ingredients were mostly high-end places. They weren't affordable enough for an average high school student to enjoy.
As we were talking, Hiiragi-san clapped her hands together as she remembered something.
“Come to think of it... our school’s Cooking Club has won awards in national cooking competitions.”
“Which means if you just bring in the ingredients, you can eat food that’s restaurant-quality... That’s bound to be popular.”
“Definitely.”
By winning over the stomachs of ravenous high schoolers, they had managed to recruit capable ingredient hunters from the former athletic clubs.
The race ended with the Cooking Club in first place, followed by the Drama Club, Broadcasting Club, Handicrafts Club, Computer Circle, and our circle in last.
“Good work!”
“Nice job, Saori-chan.”
We offered words of praise to Saori-chan as she finished and returned to the row.
“Thank you. But I’m sorry... I ended up in last place...”
“Like I said before, don’t worry about the result. It’s not like we were desperately needing a win here anyway,” I reassured her.
“Yes.”
With the third race over, the inter-club relay rehearsal concluded. Normally, there would be a final race featuring the top two groups from each heat, but since it was just a rehearsal, that was skipped. We were instructed to exit the field. While I felt like we might have overdone things during the demonstration, I think we managed to strike a decent balance in the later races... or so I hoped.
With that thought, I took a final glance at the stands and left the ground through the exit gate, following the announcement's instructions.