As the starting pistol went off, 12 students burst forward. The starting positions were arranged by grade, from third-years to first-years, and by class, from Class A to Class D, so the outside lanes were for the third-year A-Class and the inside lanes for the first-year D-Class.
That put Sudo at the very back, but with his overwhelming acceleration, he passed all the other students at once. He maintained a powerful stride as he entered the straightaway.
"He's amazing, Sudo-kun. He's made such a big gap," Horikita muttered in admiration. That kind of comeback was definitely impressive.
"The strategy was a huge success. Sudo's patience wasn't for nothing."
While the other students were getting tangled up on the curve, he maintained a 15-meter lead as he entered the straightaway. I guess not many classes put their top runners at the start. Since overtaking people results in a lot of time loss, getting first place here was a big advantage.
Sudo had wanted to be the anchor or the fifth runner, but he reluctantly agreed. I'll treat him to a meal later.
"You're up next. Do your best."
"Don't have to tell me."
I spoke to Horikita, who had entered the track and was getting ready. She gave me a very reliable, Horikita-like response.
She probably wanted to race her brother, but her prioritizing the class's victory was a testament to her leadership.
"Whoa! He passed it to her in first place!"
"Let's cheer, everyone! This is where the race begins!"
From the front of the D-Class cheering section, Ike yelled excitedly, and Hirata rallied everyone. With that, all the D-Class students started cheering.
However, even though Onodera was good at sports, she was at a disadvantage against the second and third-year boys, and her lead began to shrink.
"Horikita-san!"
Just 50 meters before the finish line, she was overtaken by a third-year A-Class student and a second-year A-Class student. She passed the baton to Horikita in third place.
"Ha... ha... The seniors are so fast. I got passed by two of them."
"Good job. I think you did a good job of keeping it to just two. Leave the rest to me."
I said that to Onodera, who was mumbling in frustration, and headed for the track.
Horikita was now in fourth place after being passed by a first-year B-Class student. Since the rule was that the fastest runners would wait in the inner lanes, I was waiting in the fourth lane.
"Hey, Ayanokoji! I won't forgive you if you lose!" Ike yelled.
I raised my hand in response and watched as Maezono, who was keeping the distance between her and the runners in front of her, entered the straightaway. She was about 10 meters behind the two students from 3-A and 2-A. If things went smoothly, a victory was assured.
---------
But then, with about 50 meters left, Maezono tripped and fell.
She got up right away, but she was passed by two, three, and then more runners. By the time she started running again, she was in last place. The gap between her and the first-place 3-A team was more than 50 meters.
"Oh..." A voice came from the D-Class section.
But I had no intention of giving up.
"Don't give up!"
I think I shouted with a volume that even surprised me. It was guaranteed that Horikita and Tsugumi would tease me about it later, but I wasn't going to worry about that now.
"Ugh... Ayanokoji-kun!"
Her beautiful running form was gone, replaced by a desperate scramble to move forward. She reached out her hand with the baton, her face on the verge of tears.
The baton was now in my hand.
---------
The baton in my right hand was more than just a tool for a relay race. It was filled with emotion.
The passion of Sudo, who sometimes clashed with his classmates because of his fiery nature. But he never gave up, and he gave his all for Tsugumi and Horikita, who never abandoned him.
The feelings of Horikita, who must have had a difficult time leading the disorganized D-Class as their leader. Still, she never complained and persevered this far to support Tsugumi's dream.
And my own gratitude to Tsugumi, Horikita, and the other D-Class students who never gave up on me, even when I had lost my heart during my time in the White Room.
"Ayanokoji-kun!"
In my slow-motion world, only her voice came through clearly.
As I took the baton and looked back, I saw Sakura, the only one of my classmates who was still leaning forward and cheering me on, even though everyone else had given up hope.
"Do your best!"
I was about to pass on these feelings to Tsugumi, my benefactor and my best friend. If that was the case...
"You got it."
---------
...I wouldn't look cool unless we won, would I?
---------
"Whoa, Kiyotaka is so fast."
When Maezono-san fell, I wondered what would happen, but Kiyotaka-kun's monstrous speed allowed him to pass the others and bring us back to third place.
"But the gap between our class and Nagumo's class isn't something that can be closed so easily. I can wait for Ayanokoji to get here."
"Don't underestimate us, President. If you don't give it your all, I'll be mad."
"Is that so? Then I won't hold back. Don't go back on your word."
"Of course not."
He already thought he had won. I mean, as fast as Kiyotaka-kun was, the gap between him and the president's class was only about 10 meters when he arrived. That was a fatal gap between two people with such similar abilities. It wasn't something that could be easily overcome.
But there was one way to overcome this desperate situation.
"Kiyotaka!"
There were 30 meters left until Kiyotaka-kun arrived. The gap between him and the two runners in front of him was about 10 meters.
In that situation, I yelled at Kiyotaka-kun. There was no guarantee he would hear me. But I was sure Kiyotaka-kun would be okay.
"Run! Trust me!"
At the same time, the third-year student yelled and passed the baton to the president. The second-year A-Class student also got the baton at almost the same time.
---------
And the moment they started running, at almost the exact same time, I took my first step forward.
---------
"What's he doing?! He hasn't even gotten the baton yet!"
"Maybe he got nervous..."
At the same time, Ike yelled in a panic, and Kushida watched anxiously.
Saito had definitely started running before he got the baton from Ayanokoji. This would force him to stop and receive the baton again, causing unnecessary time loss.
"...No. He did that on purpose. Look."
Hirata, who was well-versed in sports, broke their worries. Although it wasn't his main event, he knew that a "hand-off" like this was possible.
"Huh? Why is he next to them?"
Where Hirata was pointing, Saito was chasing about 1 meter behind the two runners. The 10-meter gap had almost disappeared.
If he had caught up just by running faster, Saito would have been in the lead by now. But that wasn't the case.
"He's amazing for doing that on the spot! I bet you've seen this before, Ike-kun? That's a baton pass that professional athletes use in competitions!"
That's right. It would have been impossible for even Saito, one of the fastest runners in the grade, to catch up from a 10-meter deficit and then pass them from the outside.
So, Saito made an all-or-nothing gamble.
---------
Saito used a technique that is used in world track and field competitions, where a runner starts running before the baton arrives and receives it at full acceleration.
This technique requires months of meticulous practice, and even professional runners who have dedicated their lives to running can make mistakes. But the two of them succeeded with their natural talent and trust in each other.
Given their body types, a mistake could have caused a serious injury. But Saito had a "conviction" that they would succeed.
"I don't get what's going on, but I think we can win! Yeah! Let's cheer!"
Ike didn't understand what Hirata was saying, but he understood that they had done something amazing. With the possibility of victory in sight, he got excited and started cheering.
And at almost the same time, all three of them crossed the finish line. A little while later, all the other runners arrived at the finish line.
The electronic scoreboard showed the team records and rankings. For the first, second, and third-place teams, it said "Currently Being Judged."
"Hey! Who won?!" Ike yelled impatiently.
Although the other students didn't say anything, they were thinking the same thing.
"The results of the video review are in! First place...
...is first-year D-Class! Second place..."
"YESSSS!" Ike yelled, not waiting for the rest of the rankings to be announced.
The biggest cheer of the day erupted on the field, and a dozen students surrounded Saito, the anchor.
"You're amazing! And Ayanokoji was so fast too!"
"I know! I really thought we were done for!"
"What was that baton pass?! Did you guys practice that?"
Saito gave a wry smile to his classmates, who were throwing questions and exclamations of joy at him.
"Haha... Let's calm down a little, okay? The teachers are watching. But... we won, everyone!"
"UOOOOOHHHH!"
============
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