Azumanga Rumble
Chapter 5
(Blue Team 12, Red Team 7, after four events)
Next Event: Swimming
As the others dried off, the remaining competitors prepare for the swimming event. Hanai, Karasuma, and Mikoto will man the Blue Team, while Sakaki, Chihiro, and Kaorin (who's fresh off of the pummeling towards Imadori) take the Red Team.
The group entered the starting line and were about to be ready. Karasuma will be the third person to swim, since he's wearing the kappa suit.
"Why on earth is he wearing that thing?" Mikoto snuffed, "He surely cannot swim in it."
Hanai smiled, "Rest easy, Suo! We'll have this event licked!"
"You may be right," she responded, "We do have the lead, after all."
Meanwhile, at the Red Team's side, Sakaki was stretching for the race. Kaorin and Chihiro agreed that they'll let Sakaki go last.
"So, Miss Sakaki will go last," Chihiro said, "It's going to be strategic. We are down by five."
Kaorin was pumped, "All we need is to win the remaining eight, and we'll be home free. Miss Sakaki is surely strong."
Chihiro smiled, "We got this easy! Allow me to go first!"
Kaorin blushed, "You mean… go before Sakaki?"
She nodded and went to the starting line.
XXXXX
At the starting line, they have received the rules of the swimming event:
This is a relay swim meet. One swimmer must swim to the colored team's buoy and back, at about twenty meters. After you swim there and back, you tag in your partner. The team who crosses first will receive three points.
Hanai and Chihiro were at the starting line.
"This is a long swim," she said to him, "But I hope this won't affect our friendship."
"Nonsense," Hanai bellowed, "We laugh at danger. It's time to prove who can swim really fast!"
Chihiro bowed, "It'll be an honor."
As the race was about to start, Harima then looked at Tenma, who was drying off, following the canoe race. He was nervous that he's going to say it.
"I hope this will be the summer moment that I dreamed of," he thought, "I have to get close to her and-."
"READY!" Minamo cried out.
She fired the pistol and Harima stammered around. He fell to his knees, gasping for air. Tenma saw him and giggled.
"Oh, Harima, you're so surprising!" She snickered.
Harima blushed and felt weak.
Meanwhile, in the red team camp, Chiyo-Chan and Osaka peered from behind and saw what transpired.
"I see…" Chiyo whispered, "Tenma has a thing for the boy in the shades."
She was wrong. It was the other way around.
At the lake, Hanai and Chihiro were swimming frantically and with precision-like moves. Hanai swam faster than Chihiro, who was gasping heavily. Hanai kept going, until he made it to the buoy.
"This is for Yakumo!" He thought, "I cannot lose this event, not after that canoe race we had."
Hanai turned around and swam back, going past Chihiro, who made it to the buoy.
"Go, Chihiro!" Kaorin cried, "Go for gold!"
"Come on, Hanai!" Mikoto called out.
Hanai made it to the starting line, tagging in Mikoto. She swam off, as Chihiro made it to the starting line. Kaorin swam off, knowing that Sakaki will win it for the others. However, Mikoto was a strong swimmer, despite the fact that she couldn't swim. She made it to the buoy and swam back, halfway past Kaorin, who was swimming her heart out.
"I must win," she thought, "The respect of the Red Team is on the line! Miss Sakaki will win for us!"
Kaorin made it to the buoy, as Sakaki was getting set. Mikoto made it to the starting point, tagging in Karasuma, who was in his kappa costume. He swam off, very slowly. As they say: Slow and steady wins the race, since the Red Team is lagging behind, thanks to Hanai and Mikoto's speed. But as Karasuma swam halfway, the others in the Blue Team were confused.
Akira said, "He's swimming very slowly."
Eri stated, "He needs to pick up the pace."
Tenma cheered on, as Chiyo stared at her. She turned to Osaka and said, "Seems she has some followers, Miss Osaka. What we need to do is take out the allies on the team."
Osaka asked, "How about we take Harima first? Karasuma seems like a nice guy. Maybe he's more spacey as me."
Chiyo bonked her on her head, "Shut up, Osaka! The next event, we'll take out Harima, by sabotage."
They watched on, as Sakaki swam off, after the tag. Karasuma made it to the buoy; except… he swam past it.
"KARASUMA!" Tenma screamed, "Turn around!"
Mikoto screamed, "HEY! Karasuma!"
"Where are you going?" Hanai shouted.
All of the Blue Team, except Yakumo and Akira, shouted from far away, calling to Karasuma. Sadly, he swam off… straight away. The Blue Team sighed in disappointment, as Sakaki made it to the buoy. And ten meters later, the Red Team won the event. Karasuma swam off, without turning back.
Blue Team 12, Red Team 10; after five events
"What an idiot…" Eri snuffed.
Tenma watched on, with a tear in her eye.
"Oh, Karasuma," she thought, "Swim free. Free as the winds. You shall return someday, noble water imp."
He eventually returned to the camp in about one hour, after realizing what happened.
XXXXX
That dusky afternoon, the entire teams were at the kitchen, getting ready for the next event. Minamo Kurosawa stated that there will be a cooking exhibition, and the entire group must cook their dishes. They drew cards and picked who will cook for which dish.
"Hey, Miss Kurosawa," Osaka asked, "What is the task for?"
"You'll see," she said, "Just make sure that it is a quick cooking dish. Also, make sure to keep your dishes confidential, especially to your own teammates. When it is done, please return to the dining hall when you are finished with your dish. Mister Nakamura and Maid Masaru will take it from here."
Everyone nodded, as they went to the supply of food in the fridge and pantry.
They had their roles for cooking:
Appetizers: Hanai, Akira, & Mikoto; Chihiro, Kaorin, & Kagura
Main Course: Harima, Karasuma, & Yakumo; Yomi, Osaka, & Sakaki
Dessert: Tenma & Eri; Chiyo & Tomo
What will they make? Only one way to find out…
XXXXX
At the right side of the kitchen, the Blue Team began to cook their respective dishes, even though Tenma and Eri are masters of culinary disasters. Unbeknownst to them, Chiyo-Chan, so small, she snuck behind Tenma and placed a brown bag by her bowl. What was in the bag? Chiyo left the Blue Team's side and returned to the red side. She returned to Osaka, who was whisking the air with a wooden spoon. She was curious that if air was an ingredient.
"Miss Osaka," she whispered, "I've finally done it. I know a way to defeat Tenma and Yakumo."
Osaka asked, "How do we do that?"
"Simple," she whispered, "I snuck in and placed a surprise bag for Tenma's culinary treats. She's really good at dessert… so, I figured that she needed a little kick in the stomach for her boyfriend."
She thought wrong.
"Hey, Chiyo-Chan," Osaka asked, "Can you help me make my dish? I'm thinking of making (CENSORED)."
We cannot tell you what they're making.
She bonked her head and snapped, "You idiot! You weren't supposed to tell me your dish!"
"Oh, okay," she moaned, "I'll make another dish. But is Miss Kurosawa supposed to have help?"
"I guess that was part of the challenge," she said, "We have to make the dishes secretly."
Chiyo and Osaka left to their respective spots, as Yomi was concerned.
"I wonder what Chiyo-Chan is up to?" She thought.
Tomo jeered, "Who knows? Maybe she's curious about your cooking, since you'll eat it-."
Yomi double chopped Tomo on the head and shouted, "Back to your post!"
On the Blue Team's side, Yakumo began to chop some peppers and radishes, while Tenma began to make some dough for dessert. Yakumo then asked where she had a brown bag.
"I don't know," she said, "I'll bet someone was giving it to me for some help."
Yakumo smiled and said, "You need any help?"
Tenma shook her head and replied, "I'll bet P.E. Teacher made us did it for a challenge. You heard what she said: we cannot have help. Now, I cannot make rice balls, since Harima ate all of them, I'm trying a newer dessert!"
Yaukmo was completely baffled, as Tenma poured the surprise bag's components into her dough.
"I wonder what she is making." She thought.
On the same side, Harima was busy cooking his main course dish. It is, however, he did the same cooking he did, back when he went camping with Hanai and the girls.
Kagura and Mikoto prepared their main appetizer dishes, without the use of the stove. They finished, and closed the lid on their dish.
Karasuma was in the finishing touches of his curry. (Obviously…) He took a sip and said, "Hmm… needs more cayenne pepper."
Yomi, working on her main dish, set up a huge plate of pasta, after boiling some. She then made the sauce. Was it Italian or Fettuccini? Who knows? In the next chapter, you'll know. But for now, we'll continue on.
As for Eri and Tenma, they were making the same dish. Eri then asked Tenma if she can use that ingredient she used in her dish.
"Sure," Tenma smiled, as she gave her the bag.
However, Eri saw that the bag was empty.
"Tenma!" Eri snapped.
"Sorry…" she smiled, "I forgot I used it all."
"Well," Eri stated, "As long as you keep it away from Whiskers. You and I make good rice balls, but this time, it's different."
Tenma let out a thumbs-up and grinned.
She scooped some of her dough into Eri's dough.
"Hey, thanks," Eri smiled.
Tenma chuckled, "No problem! I do owe you for it."
As for Tomo, she finished with her dish and popped it into the freezer. Could be ice cream cake, right? Well, no…
Sakaki then shaped her dish in the form of a cat. She then blushed and whispered, "You look good enough to eat. But maybe they won't eat you."
For about an hour or three, they all finished their respective plates and left to the main dining hall for the next challenge.
Tune in next time on "Iron Anime Chef", jk, or "Azumanga Rumble", and see what our sweet and stable sixteen have simply sweltered, or baked.
"Sweet and stable sixteen have simply sweltered". Say that three times fast…