Azumanga Rumble

Part 2

"I have been known as a background character. I was known as the character with NO basis whatsoever. Sadly, I never get a chance to show up in my own chapter. I feel like I am unnoticeable. But now, I want to be recognized… and it starts this summer."

-Chihiro

XX-XX (Red Team: 5; Blue Team: 2) XX-XX

The following hour, Chihiro was getting rested up for the next event: the three-legged race.

"Gee… I hope I can win the upcoming event next… I mean, everyone is so wonderful," she thought, "I wish I would be such a great person, then everyone will recognize me."

Just then, Kaorin appeared and gave her a can of juice.

"Hey, Chihiro," she greeted, "How come you're blue?"

"Because… I was hoping I'd be a recognizable person, but I feel like I've been left out," she said in sadness, "Now the three-legged race is next, and well, I haven't forgotten what happened back at the Sports Fest years ago."

"Oh, that's because you were side-lined with a sprained ankle; you had no choice but to be replaced. Besides, you finished in 12th place in the first event."

"Yeah, but it's not enough," Chihiro stated, "I may have surpassed the famous Tsukamoto Sisters, but I need to be like Sakaki & Kagura!"

"Oh, no!" Kaorin demanded, "You stay away from them!"

"No, I mean, in athletic spirit; I mean there is Hanai, Suo, & Sawachika to surpass; and they're on the blue team."

"Oh, is that so?" Kaorin thought, "We'll see about going past those losers."

She then turned to Chihiro, "I'll make it up to you; you & me will be in heat 2 in the three-legged race event. Sakaki & Kagura will anchor the 3rd heat."

"Really?" she cheered, "That'll make up for our time in the Sports Fest!"

Chihiro & Kaorin leave to get ready for the event.

XXXXX

At the race, the first heat was about to begin; Tomo & Yomi were first for the red team, while Akira & Mikoto represented the blue team.

"Here are the rules to the three-legged race event," Miss Itoko called, "There will be 4 heats; every race won will be 1 point, while the team with 3 wins will get two points."

Harima was about to ask Tenma to race with him, but was too nervous. He then thought that after the race, he'll ask her when she's available.

"GO!" Itoko called.

Mikoto & Akira rushed in a left-right movement, while Tomo & Yomi started to shake a bit trying to move really fast.

"Move your left leg, moron!" Yomi screamed, "Move your left leg!"

"I'm trying!" Tomo cried.

Tomo & Yomi got to moving and went past the blue team. However, Tomo started to twist her right leg and slip. They both fell face-first. Akira & Mikoto managed to reach the finish line, however, Imadori jumped in front of her and hugged her in the chest.

"Oh, Miko! Go D Team!" He cried in joy.

Mikoto punched him off in anger, "IT'S RED TEAM, YOU PERVERT!"

But as Imadori landed on the ground, Tomo & Yomi crossed the finish line to win.

"We lost," Akira said.

"Damn that Imadori! Why can't she go after Sakaki?" Mikoto growled.

"We won! We won!" Tomo cheered and then jeered at Mikoto, "HA! Losers! Losers! We win! You suck!"

"Tomo, stop showing some unsportsmanlike conduct at our adversaries!" Yomi scowled.

But then, a fatigued Imadori groped at Yomi's chest.

"AH! D! D! D! D is for Daioh!" He grinned, nuzzling at Yomi's breasts.

Tomo dived in and gave Imadori a flying sobat kick, sending him flying to the bench.

"Get ya hands off my BFF, you leech warmer!" She screamed.

Yomi blushed and thought, "Idiot… she didn't have to save me."

XXXXX

The 2nd het was about to begin; Harima then asked Tenma if she could race with him.

"So, what do you say? You want to, uh, race with me in the next heat?" Harima asked nervously.

Tenma was about to answer when Eri grabbed him by the ear.

"Let's go, Whiskers," she scoffed, "We got a race to win."

"Oh, I guess you cannot race with me, Harima!" She called to him, "I'll see if I can race with Karasuma!"

Harima then thought aloud, "Why? Why am I cursed with unlucky love? Damn you, Rich Girl! And damn you, Karasuma!"

As Eri dragged Harima to the back area, Chiyo-Chan & Osaka had a meeting behind the bushes.

"All right, Osaka, listen up," she said, "I want you to hold your feet up and do as I tell you."

She then massaged her feet, hoping she'll be more relaxed.

"Uh, what should we do?" Osaka asked.

"Simple; we're going to race in the final heat of the event. Tenma will be in the final heat; and you & I are the slowest people in this team."

"Why are you rubbing my feet?"

"It's a technique I learned back when I went to Kenya; it helps produce 10 percent speed in the feet and legs. They said it helps the Kenyans to win the gold medal in an Olympic event."

"Does it work?"

"Yes… but it has never succeeded; that's why I have to be super-duper careful and give you extra speed."

Osaka started to blush and moan a bit.

"Chiyo-Chan, you can be my masseuse any day," she sighed.

Chiyo-Chan cricked her foot a bit in anger, which didn't hurt.

"Shut up, Osaka! Just be patient and calm, and you'll be able to run really fast."

"Oh, boy! I cannot wait! I hope I can run really fast."

Chiyo-Chan then thought, "I hope this massage trick with boost up the world's slowest runner."

XXXXX

As Chiyo & Osaka were in a massage therapy, Heat 2 was about to begin. Hanai tried to ask Yakumo if she could be in the race with her, but she kept going past him, without a passing glance. Hanai was upset by it; however Karasuma approach him and said, "You can race with me. Miss Tsukamoto is pairing with her sister in Heat 3."

"OH? Uh, okay," Hanai coughed, "But follow my lead and we'll be on easy street!"

He & Karasuma went to the starting point, where Chihiro & Kaorin are by the starting line.

"This is it," Chihiro thought, "I can do this… I can do this…"

"My darling, Yakumo," Hanai thought, "I have to win this for you!"

"GO!" Itoko called out, firing the pistol.

Hanai & Karasuma rushed in a very steady speed, while Chihiro & Kaorin shakily ran.

"Steady! Steady, Chihiro!" Kaorin cried, as they wobbled together.

"Shake a leg, Karasuma!" Hanai shouted, as he & Karasuma picked up the pace.

At the last leg, both teams were neck and neck, but in the end…

"Miss Sakaki!" Kaorin screamed as she crossed the finish line, likewise Karasuma, who was very calm.

"Blue Team wins!" Itoko called out.

She then held up a photo, showing the results of the race.

It turns out… Karasuma crossed first, by a nose. So now, the blue team and the red team have a point each.

"I cannot believe we lost," Chihiro cried, "I failed as a student of our school!"

"No, you've proved your worth," Kaorin stated, "It's my fault; I was too careless. Besides, I wanted to race with you just once. I wanted to race with Sakaki; but it was fun to race with you."

Chihiro wiped her tears and said, "Kaorin…"

XXXXX

Next up in the 3rd heat, Sakaki & Kaorin were in the starting line with Tenma & Yakumo.

"Hey, big breasted girls," Tenma jeered, "Don't let your big bazookas get in your way!"

"Sis, please," Yakumo pleaded, "Don't embarrass them."

Sakaki blushed in embarrassment, while Kagura was angry.

"HA! We'll see who is big breasted, pigtails!" She shouted.

"GO!" Itoko called out.

Tenma & Yakumo got off to a fast start… but it seems they were very slow. Sakaki & Kagura were like a well-oiled machine with ample chests (Pun unintended). Mikoto & Eri restrained Imadori, who was hypnotized by Sakaki & Kagura's movement.

"If he's loose, we're dead!" Eri cried, risking disqualification if Imadori breaks free.

Tenma & Yakumo caught up to the girls, but tripped to the ground several times. Tenma started to bleed as Yakumo tried to get up.

"Wow… they suck," Tomo quietly said.

"This race is ours!" Kagura cheered, as she & Sakaki crossed the finish line.

Tenma got up and started to pound the ground with her fist. Yakumo comfort her.

"Why? Why is my P.E. failure grade catching up to me?" She whimpered.

"Aw, sis," Yakumo said, "This isn't the Sports Fest."

Meanwhile, Chiyo-Chan & Osaka were heading to the starting line for the final leg of the three-legged race. Chiyo-Chan was focused at the finish line, without looking. She realized that she has Tenma at her own game.

"With Tenma's low qualities as an athlete, Osaka's enhanced foot speed will give me the win!" She thought, knowing that if they win, the Red Team will get three points.

But, what she didn't know is that beside her and Osaka, were the Blue Team's remaining participants: Eri Sawachika & Kenji Harima.

"Uh, Chiyo-Chan…"

"Shush, Miss Osaka!"

"GO!"

Chiyo-Chan's methods were working. Their foot speed led them to 3 kilometers ahead of Eri & Harima.

"Eat my dust, you pigtailed wannabe!" She thought aloud.

Eri and Harima were desperate; they tried to cooperate, but they still have bad beef with each other.

"Move correctly, Whiskers!"

"I'm doing the best I can, Rich Girl! Quit bugging me!"

Chiyo-Chan, who was still in pace, heard those voices.

"Rich Girl? Whiskers? Wait… they don't sound like Tenma!"

She & Osaka slowed down a bit and saw Eri & Harima going past them.

"AHH! You're NOT Tenma!" She shrieked.

They started to slow down a bit.

"Miss Osaka, pick it up! We have to go past those fakers!" She cried.

"I… I cannot! My feet are aching!" Osaka cried.

They started to slow down to turtle pace.

"Miss Osaka! GO! HURRY! RUN WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT!"

Osaka started to grow tired.

"Chiyo-Chan…" she said in a winded-down voice, "I can… not… move… another… steeeeee…"

They collapse to the ground. All that massage work Chiyo-Chan did paid off; but for a while, at least.

"MISS OSAKA!" She screamed.

Eri & Harima crossed the finish line together, since the last heat lasted a minute, pitting the slowest team of girls against the most dysfunctional couple ever.

"We won!" Tenma screamed.

"I knew they could do it," Akira added.

"Aw, damn it!" Tomo screamed.

"Worthless to the very end," Yomi muttered.

Miss Itoko held up the scores for the race: 2-2. Both teams were tied for a win each.

"Since there is no clear cut winner," she said, "I'll decide who gets the point… in a tiebreaker."

She then pointed at Sakaki & Kagura; and then at Eri & Harima.

"You two. You'll decide on the tiebreaker race. And it better be a great race."

All four players were exhausted. They went to the starting line and prepped themselves up.

XX-XX (Red Team 7, Blue Team 4; 2nd event in progress) XX-XX

To be continued…