Chapter 42

Field Day Fury!

It's field day. The competition is on!

Story 1

Kotori: *Draw* *Draw* There. How about that, Umi? Umi: I like it! You can see the students playing their respective sports, and the illustration even shows the Otonokizaka P.E. uniforms nice and clear. Kotori: Tee-hee. Last but not least, have you thought of a slogan? Umi: This is our path! Let the flames of youth burn! Kotori: Whoa! I should’ve known you’d come up with something really cool! Umi: Thank you. I was trying to come up with something that would appeal to high school girls. Honoka: Hmm? Umi, Kotori, what’re you two up to? Kotori: It’s almost field day, so we’re making posters! Umi: Eli and Nozomi are busy organizing and running things, so we decided we could at least help make the posters. Honoka: Hmm… Honoka: Huh? Honoka: We’re having a field day?! Umi: Whaaaaaaaat?! Eli: For goodness sake, there have been ads in the school paper and notices posted on the bulletin board. Nozomi: You haven’t been keeping up, have you, Honoka? Honoka: I-I’m sorry… Umi: There was even an announcement in homeroom. Honoka, you’d better not have slept through it! Honoka: Eek! Kotori: U-Umi, don’t make such a scary face! You look much prettier when you’re smiling. Umi: Wha- Umi: Ahem. You’re too easy on Honoka, Kotori. Honoka: Hee, hee, hee. Well, now that I know field day is coming up, suddenly I’m really excited! Rin: I’ve been looking forward to field day all year! Hanayo: *Giggle* You even could how many days are left every single morning. Rin: Yup! I just can’t wait for the day to arrive! Maki: That’s all well and good for athletic people like you, Rin. I haven’t exactly been thrilled about the whole thing. Rin: Really? Well then, you just need to practice lots and lots until you like sports too, Maki. Maki: Easy for you to say… Nozomi: Field day is a little tougher for students who aren’t very athletic. Nico: Exactly. I’d be fine if they canceled the whole thing. Rin: How can you say that, Nico?! Playing sports on field day… {[ExclamationPoint}} Nico: Playing sports on field day… {[QuestionMark}} Rin: Means you get to skip a whole day of classes! Nico: *Gasp* Nico: A-A field day every now and then isn’t so bad, I guess. It’s important for school idols to get outside and exercise, after all! Maki: Talk about an ulterior motive… Nozomi: Ah, ha, ha! It doesn’t matter what your motivation is, as long as you have a good time. Honoka: Yeah! Let’s practice hard so we can perform at our best. Nico: Are you paying attention? The biggest key to victory in a scavenger hunt is your brain! Kotori: Brain…? Nico: You need to be able to decide in a split second what it is you’re going to borrow in order to win! Honoka: I see! You’re a genius, Nico. Umi: It can get pretty tough. If there’s not someone or something nearby, you’re out of luck. Kotori: Hmm, I hope I can do this. Nico: Experience is the best teacher. Let’s give it a try! Everyone, go find something red! Honoka: Something red, something red… Okay, I choose that red traffic cone! Umi: I know I saw red begonias in bloom. I’ll go see if any petals have fallen! Kotori: Umm, err… I can’t carry a traffic light, I can’t carry a sunset... Nico: Remember, you’re borrowing something. Think small! Look closely at your surroundings, Kotori. Kotori: Umm… Red and small, red and small… Kotori: Oh, I know! I brought a little hand towel with me today. Nico: You have to borrow it from someone else. You can’t use your personal belongings! Kotori: Oh, that’s right. Ha, ha, ha… So what would you have borrowed, Nico? Nico: Me? L-Let’s see… Nico: Something red… and small. I can’t carry the bright red glow that my heart shines with… Kotori: Ah! You, with the red cap! Can you help me with a scavenger hunt? Nico: Kotori? Hey, Kotori! Wait up! Help me think of something red!

Story 2

Maki: Huff... Huff... Maki: *Sigh* I run every single day, but my time never seems to improve. Eli: Morning, Maki. Maki: Eli? What’re you doing here? Eli: The same thing as you, apparently. I wanted to do a little training before field day. Maki: Hmph. You’re pretty fast already, Eli. Eli: Whether or not I’m faster than everyone else is irrelevant. I think it’s more important to focus on being faster than I was the day before. Maki: I see… Maki: Sometimes you manage to say the right thing, Eli. Eli: Heh, heh. I could’ve done without the “sometimes.” Anyways, enough talk. Let’s run! Maki: Okay! Rin: Hup! Hee, hee. Hurdling is so much fun! Hanayo: You’re incredible, Rin. I can’t jump at all. I just stop when I get confronted with a hurdle. Nozomi: Hanayo, you’re not stopping because you can’t jump. You can’t jump because you keep stopping! Hanayo: Oh, really? Now that you say it, it makes sense. Nozomi: You’re just afraid that you won’t make the jump. Rin: You always try to think ahead because you’re smart. Let’s get you trained in the art of moving before you have time to think! Hanayo: Okay! Hanayo: Oh, but… Nozomi: What now? Hanayo: Rin and I are on different teams for field day. Maybe we shouldn’t be practicing together. Nozomi: Nah, you’re overthinking things again. Just because we’re on different teams, doesn’t make us rivals. Rin: Listen, Hanayo. When you’re playing sports, it doesn’t always have to be about what team you’re on, or whether you win or lose. Hanayo: Hunh… Really? But when we play the team sports, I don’t want to drag everyone else down. Rin: The most important thing in sports is for everyone participating to do the best they can. Rin: Obviously, if you’re aiming for first place, I’ll be there to cheer you on! Rin: But don’t think about the results until after everything is over. Be happy if you win, but don’t be sad if you lose. Hanayo: Don’t be sad if I lose… Rin: If you start telling yourself you’ve gotta perform at a higher level than you’re capable of for the team, you’ll just make yourself even more nervous. Hanayo: Yeah… Even here at practice, I can feel my legs trembling a little right before we start. Rin: Yup. That’s why you shouldn’t worry about the end result right now. Practice hard now, and do your best when it’s game time! Hanayo: Don’t think about performing well to support the team. Just focus on doing whatever it takes to do the best you can! Nozomi: I get it. Wow, Rin. You’re awesome! Rin: Heh, heh! Hanayo, Nozomi, it’s time to practice hurdling! Nozomi: Oh, but I’m not doing the hurdles. Hanayo: Watch me, Nozomi. I’m going to practice extra hard! In fact, I’m heading back to the starting line right now! Nozomi: Wow, Hanayo sure is gung-ho. Maybe I’ll do some hurdle practice after all! Rin: Ha-na-yo! Nozomi! We’re gonna have a blast at this field day! Eli: Certainly. I’ll get back to you once I’ve spoken to everyone else. Eli: Wow… So they’ve been discussing that all along… Umi: What’s going on, Eli? You seem really happy all of the sudden. Eli: Umi! Emergency meeting in the club room! Gather everyone right away! Umi: Right! I’m on it! Eli: So, a growing number of students have been saying that they want to see a µ's live show after all the field day events are over. Kotori: Oh, wow! Rin: A live show after a day of sports. Sounds awesome! Nico: I think it’s a great idea. When you think of Otonokizaka, you think of µ's. And when you think of field day, you think of µ's too! Maki: Is that right? Eli: I said I’d have an answer after I talked with everyone. What do you all think? Nico: I say yes! I mean, who here would ever say no to a live show? Honoka: A live show after field day… Nozomi: Huh? Honoka, you look kinda torn. Honoka: Yeah… But, I mean, if everyone else wants to do it, I guess it’s fine. Umi: Honoka, if you’ve got something on your mind, please tell us. Hanayo: Don’t tell me… you’re against doing a live show at Otonokizaka? Honoka: ………………………

Story 3

Nozomi: So the idea is to have µ's perform a live show after field day is over, but it's up to us whether or not we want to do it. Honoka: Yeah. Nico: It’s not like you to be so unenthusiastic, Honoka. Don’t you want to do a show? Eli: There’s no need to sugarcoat things if you’re opposed. Let’s hear what Honoka has to say. Honoka: It’s not that I’m against it, it’s just… Look. Field day is a big event that every student at Otonokizaka participates in, right? Honoka: Sure, I’d be ecstatic if every student was there to watch us perform… But I think it’d be more fun if everyone was out there playing sports together. Kotori: Ahh, I see. Maki: You can’t really call watching a live show a sport. Rin: What if they could watch the show WHILE playing sports? Umi: That sounds… difficult. Eli: You have a point. Perhaps we should skip field day and perform some other time. Nico: Huh?! But everyone’s itching for a µ's show. It’d be a shame to disappoint them! Hanayo: It would be great if the whole student body could be onstage with us. That wouldn’t actually be µ's, though. Honoka: Ah-ha! Hanayo, say that again! Hanayo: Huh? Umm… I said it’d be great if the whole student body could be onstage with us. Honoka: Yeah… That’s right! Thanks, Hanayo! Honoka: Let’s do it together! Hanayo: Haha! Hup! How’s this? Rin: Ooh, the ribbon’s turning into a circle! Umi: Hanayo! This time, spin the ribbon faster, in smaller arcs. Hanayo: Umm, like this? Kotori: Wow! The ribbon’s spinning! Hanayo: *Giggle* If I can do these moves, I’m sure everyone else will have no trouble at all. Umi: Expanding the stage so that all the students can move with the music was a great idea. Hanayo: It’s not quite a standard µ's show, but if everyone can participate, I’m sure they’ll have lots of fun. Nico: Eli and Nozomi really know how to get things done. The entire student body supports the idea, and the show’s been added to the field day program. Rin: Nico, catch! Nico: Eek! Rin, don’t just randomly chuck a ball at me! Rin: C’mon, Nico! Let’s figure out some choreography that incorporates balls! Nico: All right, all right! How about a throw and a wink, like so? Rin: Does winking count as a dance move? Nozomi: Ooh! I see everyone’s hard work coming up with new choreography. Hanayo: Yup! We’re trying to add lots of sporty elements, so Rin’s been a huge help. Nozomi: I hope you come up with some really cute moves. Maybe something that looks like gymnastics would be good? Umi: Putting Rin and Hanayo in charge of choreography was the right call. Nozomi: Yup, yup! We need to put the same amount of effort into the dance that Maki’s putting into writing the music. Rin: I feel lame leaving everything up to the rest of the group all the time. If nothing else, I want to make a big contribution for my beloved field day! Nico: Field day or not, this is till a school idol show. It better be cute. Rin: *Giggle* I’ve got you to help keep things cute, Nico. Nico: Heh, heh. You’re one smart cookie! Hanayo: We want moves that people will be able to do after a little bit of practice, even if they seem tough at first. Nozomi: If the dance is so easy they get it on the first try, it won’t get much of a response. But if it’s too hard, then it won’t be a school-wide show. Umi: I see. The dance isn’t just for us this time. Umi: We should see if Hideko and the others can do it after we’re done here. Nozomi: *Laughs* Don’t crack the whip too hard, Umi. Maki: Hmm… What kind of song should we go with? Kotori: Well, it’s a sporting event so it should be something upbeat that makes people want to run fast and play hard. Honoka: Sounds good to me. Eli: Hanayo mentioned she wanted the choreography to have a sporty feel, as well. Maki: I see. So, that’s the direction we’re going with. Maki: I’ve got to write a song that will appeal to every student at Otonokizaka, huh? Honoka: You’ll be fine! You’ve never written a bad song, Maki. Kotori: That’s right! Maki: P-Please don’t put so much pressure on me… Eli: Maki, are you feeling differently about writing this song than you normally do? Maki: Of course. I’m not writing a song for µ's this time. This song is supposed to be for the whole student body. Maki: I don’t even know all the kids in my own grade, let alone all the upperclassmen. I’m not sure I’ll be able to write a song EVERYONE will like. Kotori: I see… Sorry if we put too much pressure on you. Eli: I understand how you feel, Maki, but… Maki: But what? Eli: There’s not a single person in this school who doesn’t know µ's. Maki: Huh? I… suppose that’s true… Honoka: Which means that there’s not a single person who doesn’t know you, Maki. Kotori: Oh, I get it. Since everyone knows Maki, everyone’s sure to like her song, right? Maki: I-I wonder… Eli: Heh, heh. I guarantee it. Have faith in your classmates. Maki: All right. Honoka: We’re all gonna practice together, and we’re all gonna take the stage together. This is gonna be incredible! Kotori: We’ve gotta pull out all the stops to make this event fun for the whole school. Eli: Agreed. Let’s keep our noses to the grindstone until field day!

Story 4

Eli: It's time for Otonokizaka High School's field day! Let the games begin! Nozomi: On your marks… Get set… GO! Hanayo: Huff… Huff… Hanayo: Hnngh! Umi: Look! Hanayo’s actually hurdling the hurdles! Rin: Hoo… Haa… Hup! Kotori: Rin crossed the finish line! And now Hanayo’s there! Hanayo: *Pant* *Gasp* Rin! Rin: Hanayo! Hanayo: I came in second in the hurdles! In practice I was always third… I… I actually… Rin: Yup! Rin: You did a great job. Anyone can see you did your absolute very best! Hanayo: Yeah.. Thank you, Rin. Nico: Honoka! I need you for the scavenger hunt. Come with me. Honoka: Sure thing! I’ll help however I can. Nico: Perfect. Now I can cross “Absent-minded Otonokizaka student” off my list. Honoka: A-Absent-minded?! Umi: Congratulations, Eli. Coming in first in the long distance race is very impressive! Eli: Whew… Thank you, Umi! Maki: Hoo… Haa… I’m exhausted. Eli, you’re a speed demon. Eli: You looked pretty speedy yourself, Maki. Definitely a lot faster than the old you. Maki: Really? Faster than my old self… I actually did it, and I have you to thank. Nozomi: Next up is folk dancing. It’s not exactly a sport, but it should still be a root. Eli: *Chuckle* Let’s dance, Nozomi. Nozomi: Dancing in pairs is a blast, and kinda embarrassing at the same time. But that’s what I like about it! Rin: Let’s dance, Hanayo! Hanayo: Tee-Tee. Ready when you are, Rin! Umi: Okay, Honoka. Take my hand! Honoka: Here! Let’s dance our hearts out, Umi. Kotori: Honoka, Umi! You two had better dance with me next! Honoka, Umi: Sure! Okay! Maki: Its just holding hands and rocking back and forth. Why is this part of a sporting event? Nico: Oh, quit complaining and take my hand, already. Maki: Why did I have to pair up with Nico… Nico: Aww! The song’s over already! See? We should’ve just gotten out there and started dancing. Maki: Grrr… Nico: Well, whatever. We’re ending the day with a live show. Come on, let’s hurry. Maki: I don’t need you to tell me to hurry. Umi: All the students of Otonokizaka are in place. Honoka: Unreal… Dancing with everyone in school all at once… It’s like something out of a dream. Eli: Yes… It’s actually… kind of overwhelming. Nozomi: Hey, hey, it’s way too early to be getting emotional. We haven’t even started yet! Kotori: C’mon, c’mon! Let’s take our positions, too. Nico: How shameful would it be if we were late? Honoka: A live show starring every single Otonokizaka student… Eli: Honoka, can you go out there and do a quick intro before the show starts? Honoka: Huh?! B-But I don’t have a speech or anything ready… Kotori: Good luck, Honoka! Umi: Tell everyone exactly what you feel in your heart! Honoka: Okay…! Honoka: Hi everyone! I’m Honoka Kosaka, a sophomore. Today’s µ's live show had been expanded to include all of you as well! Honoka: I want to thank each and every person out there for practicing so hard to learn the dance, even though we didn’t give you a lot of time. You guys are the best! Honoka: This isn’t a µ's show. Today, it’s an Otonokizaka show. All of you are onstage now. Today, you’re the stars! Hanayo: Everyone’s the star, huh? Honoka: Be bright, be cheerful, and have fun! That’s how we’ll make this a great show, and an athletic sport, too! Honoka: I probably sound like a little kid right now… *Laughs* But those are the most important things to remember. Thank you! Eli: That was a great intro, Honoka. Maki: Be bright, be cheerful, and have fun. See? All you had to do was be yourself. Rin: Honoka! The music’s about to start! Honoka: Right! Let’s do this… Honoka: Music start!