Stealing Spree

As the teams finalized their lineups, a wave of energy buzzed throughout the gymnasium. The first match would be the girls of our class and the Class 3 girls led by Maaya.

Ah. Right. Some of the students were confused because there were only four stations set up. Ryouko-san quickly stepped in to clarify and clear up the confusion. The initial runners will be running to the first station. However, there's a small twist inserted to make use of the presence of the helper.

What is it?

The riddle.

This twist was designed by Ryouko-san herself, a clever addition to the activity that made use of the helper's presence from the very start.

She had me pick from the prepared cards for the easiest riddles, creating a small deck of them.

The initial runners had to pick a card from a shuffled deck of riddles. Their helpers, waiting before Station 1, would be tasked with solving the riddle. Only once the riddle was answered correctly could the baton be passed on, allowing the runner to proceed to Station 1 and pass the baton to the next pair.

My girls had already gathered; strategizing and assigning roles.

They worked like a well-oiled machine, throwing around ideas on who would be best suited for each station.

Even though I was just watching from a distance, I couldn't help but feel proud of how naturally they fell into teamwork mode.

Occasionally, they would glance in my direction and put on a proud smile as though saying, 'Watch us properly.'

Likewise, Maaya and Misaki who would compete against them were the same. I could also see Umeda, the Class 3 President helping them get the other girls of Class 3 in line.

"Ruki-kun, your job here is to ensure that none of them will be exhausted. If you see signs of it, act immediately." Ryouko-san whispered to me as we watched my girls' team move to their spots.

Orimura-sensei was in charge of the stopwatch and recording the results, but as the assistant, I'd be more hands-on with the activity.

"I'm sure it won't be exhausting anymore when we also shorten the distance." I smiled and nodded, abating the hint of anxiousness in Ryouko-san's face.

"Still, I trust your judgment."

"Alright. You can count on me, sensei."

After saying that, I walked over to the activity zone. The first runners still have to take their pick of riddle cards.

Meanwhile, the other students who were going to spectate formed a square as they spread out from the activity zone, and along with it, the gymnasium echoed with murmurs of their excitement.

I first approached the initial runner of Class 3 who was someone I interacted with during the camp. She also asked me if I was going to join a team later. Most likely, she's looking forward to my performance.

To her dismay, I shook my head and then presented her the shuffled card.

"Eh... And here I thought I could see you in action, Onoda-kun."

"Sorry, duty calls." I shrugged and then let her take the card.

After that, I moved over to Kushii's side.

Looking at her, the girl had a confident look on her face as she stared ahead at Shimura who was stationed near Station 1 where the obstacle course awaited the second pair.

They were both ready, waiting for the start signal.

I walked over to the slender gyaru who got a little startled at my sudden arrival at her side. She calmed down quickly though as a red tint spread across her face. Possibly embarrassed that she didn't notice me or she just couldn't keep her composure around me..

"Relax, Kushii. I'll be cheering for you."

"... Don't say that. Don't give me hope."

She's being a little dramatic, isn't she? But looking at her eyes, it's her way of casting off her anxiousness.

I smilingly shook my head, "That's not what I'm doing though? Anyway, here. Pick one."

I shuffled the deck in front of her, letting her pick a card with the riddle Shimura would need to solve.

Once she had it, I stepped away to let her regain her composure.

With everything set, Ryouko-san, who was waiting for my signal, gave a few more seconds before calling on the participants and blowing the whistle.

As soon as the sound pierced the air, Kushii and the Class 3 runner darted forward at nearly the same time.

The distance wasn't that far but it wasn't exactly close either.

As cheers erupted from the spectators, the two runners' speed soon showed the clear difference between them.

Kushii reached Shimura a second earlier and perfectly handed the riddle card to the girl.

Shimura furrowed her brow for a moment before confidently calling out the answer, smiling beautifully as she waved her hand at me.

I checked the answer sheet and shouted, "Correct!"

As soon as the riddle was solved, Kushii didn't waste another second as she quickly continued her run to pass the baton to Satsuki, who was waiting to begin the Station 1 obstacle course.

At that point, my attention shifted over to the other side. It's only a few seconds of difference but the Class 3 Girls also got the riddle right.

In my estimate, our team was only around three seconds quicker. It can still be surmounted. However, with Satsuki waiting at Station 1, that lead would probably widen.

And just like I thought, as soon as I turned my attention back to their side, Satsuki had already taken off like an imperceptible arrow in the wind, weaving smoothly through the zig-zag pattern of cones.

Aya, her helper, was stationed at a key point along the course, removing two of the more difficult obstacles to give Satsuki an edge.

Thanks to their coordination, Satsuki maintained the lead, navigating through the remaining cones with ease.

It was too quick that the 2nd runner from Class 3 had just reached the halfway point.

I caught a glimpse of Maaya who was waiting at Station 2 with a fire burning in her eyes. She really liked the challenge.

In any case, once Satsuki finished the course, the baton was immediately passed to Nami, who was ready for the Station 2 memory test.

This was where Nami's sharp mind and memory came into play. She quickly approached the color board and memorized the sequence of colors.

I looked down at the information sheet, confirming the sequence assigned to her.

Red, blue, green, yellow, purple.

Her helper, Hina, was positioned at the end of the station with her own answer sheet, waiting to check Nami's recollection.

Knowing the girl, her help might not be needed. However, it didn't mean Hina's role was useless. She was there to confirm it, after all.

In around thirty seconds, Nami sprinted to Hina and recited the colors in perfect order.

Hina, while beaming in confidence, confirmed the answer and stepped aside so Nami could continue.

With that, the lead bloated once more.

At this point, Maaya had just started running after memorizing the sequence of colors. Misaki was her helper whose energy was sky-high.

Well, as long as they're enjoying the game, I guess?

With a quick high-five, Nami soon passed the baton to the next runner; Chii, who was ready to tackle the next leg at Station 3.

Station 3 was the teamwork challenge.

Hana was also waiting at the station, a ball in her hand.

They had to join hands, balance the ball between them, and carefully carry it to the next station. If they dropped it, they'd have to start from the beginning.

The challenge demanded perfect coordination but thinking about their rekindling friendship,

this was a perfect supplement for it.

The two girls exchanged a quick glance and nodded in sync before starting their careful steps.

At this, the spectators grew quiet as the pair moved and all eyes focused on their every movement.

Looking at the state of their opponent and their impressive performances, if things go well without the two girls needing to do it over, they'll truly win this match with a considerable gap in time.

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