Notes on the Fifteenth Maria-sama ga Miteru Novel, "Ready, Go!" - Part 5/Final

Maria-sama ga Miteru: Ready, Go!
Part 5/Final

Joker, Anchor


1

The first-years' elective "Obstacle Course Race" was over, the third-years' elective "Dress-Up Relay" was just about to begin when it came to light.

"What happened, Itsue-san.....!" Yoshino-san cried out, which made the students in the Green team area turn around to look. Hearing her unusual tone of voice, the students gathered around Yoshino-san and Itsue-san.

"What is it?"

"Look, here." Yoshino-san took Itsue-san's right foot and instantly it was apparent that she couldn't move it.

"Ah-"

When they saw the bared ankle, no one said a word. The ankle was tight and tense, red and swollen. By the time you reached the instep, her shoes couldn't even be tied.

"...In the club relay?" Yoshino-san inquired. Itsue-san nodded silently. At that moment, large tears fell from her eyes, but the tears weren't from the pain.

"I'm sorry, Yoshino-san. Really, I'm very sorry."

"Don't be silly. You should have said something sooner. Instead of letting it get like this."

"I didn't want to tell you." Itsue-san looked up, her face puffy with tears.

"Am I that much of an ogre?" Yoshino-san smiled bitterly.

"Not at all. I, at the time we were deciding who was going to participate in the relay, I was all full of myself, wasn't I? So, when I sprained my ankle in the club relay, I couldn't bring myself to speak humbly, could I?"

So, basically, that was the "meaning of participation" for Itsue-san. However, when she hurt her foot, she began to brood over her participation. At the time Yumi met her at the water fountain, she was attempting to conceal the affected part.

"That's enough. Can someone please help get Itsue-san to Eiko-sensei at the first aid tent?" Sooner is better than later."

"Ah, right. We'll do it." Two of her classmates lifted Itsue-san to her feet, who shook them off and stepped out in front of them to face Yoshino-san head on.

"Go ahead and blame me, Yoshino-san. Get angry at this good-for-nothing track and field person."

"I have no interest in hurting a wounded classmate."

"Is that pity? It would be better to have your blame." Desperately, Itsue-san spit out reckless remarks, which seemed to click with Yoshino-san.

"Then 'Stop bitching and get over to the First Aid tent.' I'm busy. I have to find a person to replace Itsue-san as a runner, file a participant registration form as per procedure, and more importantly, I still have to run. I don't have time to look after a spoiled child."

After being presented with such a sound argument, Itsue-san was silent; as Yoshino-san had commanded, she headed to the back of the cheering section for medical treatment.

Yumi, who had seen everything from beginning to end, thought that Yoshino-san was pretty cool. She had said what was wanted to be said, and it all felt as if it were tied up tight with her "I'll leave it to you."

That is the Yoshino-san who will handle the Yamayurikai. There's no way to know what the outcome of the Student Council Elections could possibly be, but it definitely seemed to appear that they'd face many hardships together.

"Now then, we need a person to run instead of Itsue-san. Is there a person here who will announce their candidacy, or not?" While speaking, Yoshino-san looked back and forth. "This is a state of emergency, so I'll nominate someone. Uh, Michiyo-san."

Yoshino-san called upon the fleet classmate who had carried their white arrow. However, Michiyo-san when called, neither said "yes", nor "no." This was because she was not there.

"Huh, where's Michiyo-san? She was just sitting here a moment ago."

Yoshino-san turned her head around in every direction looking. Yumi too, because she certainly remembered that Michiyo-san had been there just a little before.

"...No way. She ran away?"

"You're mistaken, Yoshino-san. Michiyo-san followed Itsue-san." One of their classmates instructed.

"Ah, okay."

There was no time for someone to follow, get her and lead her back. The entire situation washed over Yoshino-san's face. Her gaze moved across everyone, as they cast down their eyes.

It was true. No one wanted to go out for the relay. They had already participated in events and weren't ready to run for this one. Even if they had some self-confidence in their running, no one felt that they could take track and field-er Itsue-san's place at all.

"In these circumstances, all you'd have to be able to do is hold on to the baton and run. If you're not fast, it's all right."

From each class, two names, from three years each make six people. And the people who were invited to participate abstained from any vote.

"If it's all right to not be fast..."

"Yes?"

The students of second-year Matsu Group looked at each other hesitantly. Even if Yoshino-san said it was okay, there were the third-years and first-years of Green team, who were even now that probably the important points of this affair were being communicated in the cheering section, were already gathering at the entrance gate, surely intending to win. Just being able to run wasn't what they were thinking.

"Someone, please." No hands went up. A general atmosphere of thought floated about the vicinity.

Bad luck happened to be present in that place. They had just begun to grieve when Tsutako-san turned towards them, the camera shutter clicking and it could be seen that she looked awfully happy about it.

While this was going on, the "Dress-up Relay" hit midpoint. The runner before the anchor, Sachiko-sama, was standing up, getting ready. Wait, there wasn't time to stand here chuckling.

"I understand." Yoshino-san nodded. And for a second grabbed Yumi by the hand.

"W...what?"

"I'm just going to have to use the Joker, there's no helping it. I'm going with Yumi-san."

Going with, she says.

"Ehhhhh-!?"

"Be surprised later. Now, come on."

Okay Yoshino-san, sheesh. Let go of the hand and I'll walk behind you. There was no reason to drag her body behind, banging her hand, Yumi's legs reluctantly following after Yoshino-san.

Halfway, Yoshino-san stopped at the Sports Festival Executive Committee tent HQ, to apply for a participant change.

In place of Karube Itsue, Fukuzawa Yumi.

The procedure was taken care of all too quickly and simply, and eventually Yumi was registered as a member of the relay.

"Yoshino-san, please remember this."

Certainly, Yumi had thought that she would endure many hardships together with Yoshino-san.

However, this was not one of them.


2


Around the back of the entrance gate, when Kanako-chan saw Yumi, she looked at her as if to say "Are you serious?"

"Ah, there was an accident."

"Yeah, but Green team's relay representatives are Rosa Foetida en bouton and Yumi-sama...are you trying to throw away a victory?"

Each time, that detestable mouth. Because it was so vexing, Yumi had to boast a little on her own behalf.

"Because I'm the secret weapon the team was keeping it secret from everyone. Hey, you watch at the beginning when I expose my speed."

"Is that so?" Kanako-chan asked, smiling. "You're the anchor, huh."

"Uh - " Yumi's words were stifled. That's right. Because the switch of participants was done so quickly, the order in which they were to run hadn't been changed. Therefore, as Yumi was to fill the hole left by Itsue-san, even if she were to cry about it, she was about to be the anchor.

"At any rate, I give you a warm welcome on behalf of the Red team.
With this, we'll be able to escape last place."

Between these two teams the spread was 115 points to 100. The Green team led slightly. But the relay, the great bird, was awarded twice the usual points. Fifty points could put a team in first place, and depending on their order of arrival, the places could be changed quite simply.

"A direct confrontation, I'm looking forward to it." Kanako-chan smiled boldly and went to join the tail end of the Red team.

"A direct confrontation...no way."

But it did look like Kanako-chan was the anchor. Before even running, Yumi felt a little tired.

The contestants for the relay were beginning to move onto the track, from the meeting areas, there was the sound of applause and cheers. This event would bring the place order to a final and binding position, so each team put their energy into cheering.

"When I get within 2 meters, begin your dash. At the time of the pass, the sign will be when you turn your head over your shoulder. Take it with your right hand, and once you have it, don't switch hands."

The runner before the anchor, the leader of the Pep Squad, repeated what she had said. At which Yumi realized that she alone had had no practice at taking the baton.

"When I have it, I can't change hands, is that right?" Back in primary school, she had practices for the graduation relay, she was pretty certain that she could switch hands after she took it.

"If you switch, there'll be a loss of time, and there's the danger of dropping it. If you were experienced, or faster, or ran easily, there's lots of differing opinions on this but, since you're the last runner and there's no need to pass it to anyone else, don't switch."

"Okay." She nodded, becoming very uneasy. Really, she was about to do the relay, really.

"It'll be all right." The Squad leader slapped her on the shoulder. "Yumi-chan can see that things have gotten too far to stop. It may be rude to say it, but, no one has any real expectations of you. Since they learned that Itsue-san sprained her ankle and pulled out, everyone has half given up."

It seemed as if she could relax a little, even if she understood that she was just being taken care of. But Yumi nodded obediently.

"Eh, that's no good. Because if you give up from the beginning, there's no way to avoid coming in last. Our aim should be the top."

Although it was 99% impossible, the remaining percent was offered as a prize. There was no easy way to run away.

Running away was the number on thing Sachiko-sama disliked.

"...That's true. It's as Yumi-chan says. Let's give it everything we've got until we drop."

"Yes~" This time she nodded with energy. The first runners moved into position.

For the Yellow team, Rei-sama moved out. For Green team too, it was a third-year.

As she had heard, the first runner was, like the anchor, an important running position. The power comes from the starting dash, and then the second and third legs only have to aim at keeping the lead.

The pistol sounded and all at once they started.

The first leg runners were, not surprisingly, all the type who flew out.

"Rei-sama-" From outside the Yellow team, the sounds of her fans' voices came.

The second leg runners took their positions to take the baton, for the quick Yellow, Purple, Green, White, Pink, Red. In any case, they had eaten into one of the good spots so negligence was forbidden. Still only one person ran at a time and there was no difference for any leg. At which point the second person in this problem, Yoshino-san, appeared.

Yoshino-san who was participating in an event of this kind for the very first time. Her interests were sporting events, but she was still someone who was firmly in the corner with those who did not know how to handle a baton, Yumi suppressed that main point firmly. However, she had come late to the basics of running. For years she had never been in a footrace. How to run, how to run well, she might not even remember. In this case, even though their position was lowered, there wasn't even one complaint from the Green team. It was as the Squad leader had said, everyone had basically been resigned to it. If there hadn't been a penalty game associated with it, then Yumi wondered if she wouldn't care either.

It might be totally different when it came to the fourth runner. With a little switching of the order of the runners at the beginning, which person would grab the baton, the level of the team might be high, and maybe a little savings could have been made, became something that could now be seen.

Yellow team was running alone. After that was Purple team, White team, Pink team followed along like a dumpling, after a little space was Red team and a little further back was Green team.

It was vexing, but the space between first place Yellow and last place Green was just over half the track.

"Ah-"

The Red team player had drawn up next to the person from the White team.

"Ohh - " To the background music of screams and cheers, by just the very tip, the Red team over took them. The order of place changed as Red team sprung into fourth place.

"Yumi-sama, it's by the skin of your neck, isn't it." Kanako-chan smiled.

As they warmed up, the Red team runner increased her speed, this time she had the power to catch the Pink team contestant. And then a moment later, Green team was in last place alone.

"You're saying that before you even see me running." Yumi answered. "You don't really know what will happen when we two run shortly." This was the utmost bravado.

"Saying "us two" when really if it would be "only two" she wondered, or if it would be "two people, but" would be more likely to be the beginning of the sentence. (E: this was impossibly complex concept where Yumi originally used "futari mo", but then thought better and came up with "futari shika" and decided on "futari demo." I did my best to make it sound right, but bleah. Basically she's acknowledging that the will both be running...but not against each other in any way.) With four people separating them, it would be most difficult to keep to the business of the two of them.

But, if she let herself be weak, then she wouldn't be able to run. Therefore, until they run, they wouldn't know, she told herself to bolster her confidence. What if she ran unexpectedly fast.

However, "what could possibly happen" happened.

The baton pass between the Red team fourth and fifth leg failed. There was no way to know whether the mistake was the passer's or the taker's. However, for a moment the baton was in neither's hand, then it fell to the ground and rolled.

It was a repetition of a miss that had happened at lunchtime practice a few days earlier. At this perfect example of the lack of power of concentration, the Pink team somehow got caught in a leak and overtook them as they hurriedly called out.

The fifth leg returned from the dash to pick up the baton, running for the second time with their full power, there was a considerable time loss. While they were running late, the Green team chased them and pulled even with their runner.

"Really," Kanako-chan muttered, standing and looking down the line of the course. The first to go of the anchors, the Yellow team runner was waiting on standby, the diligent anchor of the club relay for the track and field team, "the Cheetah." Full of top runners, the Yellow team fifth leg had widened the space between them and second place. Now the baton was passed to the anchor.

The Yellow team anchor's back quickly became small. Purple team, Pink team's anchors were now returning to the start. Next was White team. And after that, the next to appear was Green team.

At the start of the fifth leg, the Green and Red team were roughly even. Green team took a bright lead. As she had promised, the Squad leader had run with all her power until she had nothing left.

Yumi and Kanako-chan stood inside.

Come on, come on. After another two meters, as the point approaches, mega-dash.

The sound of the Squad leader's footsteps were becoming loud, her own footsteps sounded heavy.

"Yumi-chan-" calling out, she held out her left hand.

She did not turn her head to look back. She could feel it against the palm of her hand, reassured, she grabbed it.

Don't switch hands.

As she remembered the Squad leader's words one by one, she knew the pass had gone smoothly.

Because had been efficient, the dash's speed had not been slowed down. It felt like she was running faster than usual, so that was probably the reason.

But, after all, Yumi had average leg length, and an average time as an anchor. She could run with all her might until she dropped, there was no way she was going to have the speed to catch up to a runner with a long stride.

There was only one person behind Yumi.

There was no mistaking it, that person was Kanako-chan. The sound of the person behind her's footsteps gradually became louder. But the goal was still far away in the distance.

When she passed in front of the Green team's cheering area, her teammates cheering reached her from behind. Maybe they were telling her that the Red team anchor was right behind her. But the voices didn't reach her ears. The only thing she could hear were Kanako-chan's footsteps.

She saw Sachiko-sama.

In the middle of her energetic teammates, one person stood quietly and watched over Yumi.

So, Yumi ran earnestly. Whether Kanako-chan was there or not didn't matter at all.

Just, hold what has been given into your possession and run until the very end. That was the only objective.

She could see Kanako-chan running.

How lovely, she thought.


3


"Okay. What is it that you want me to do?"

When Yumi arrived at the goal, she said to Kanako-chan who still stood there.

Although she was left behind at the end, after finishing running she felt exhilarated. Because of that, she felt that any penalty game was now surmountable.

Yes, she had lost however, she was a little high. She was out of breath, but it felt good.

"Yumi-sama." Kanako-chan walked away together with Yumi. Ah, so she had waited there, she guessed, as she glanced to the side.

"As expected, that went well."

"What did?" She had said the words of congratulations, but the reason hadn't flown out to be understandable.

More than her becoming the relay anchor suddenly because of an accident, Kanako-chan left her behind in the last five meters because of her incredible effort. Given their previous agreement, after something like that, that was not the thing that was likeliest to be heard, "that went well." What on earth, what and how did it go well?

Kanako-chan smiled bitterly. "Shouldn't the person who did not lose, when thinking about the penalty game describe this as auspicious?"

"Eh?"

She understood the words the person who did not lose, but she was asking for a repetition as the words did not reach her ear because of a loud broadcast transmission.

"The scores have been totaled. Will all the participants from every team gather on the grounds, please."

"Later." With a jaunty salutation, Kanako-chan left Yumi. She turned towards the others of the Red team warmly.

"Yumi-san." There was a slap on her shoulder, looking over her shoulder, Yoshino-san stood there.

"Good work. And also...thank you."

"But Kanako-chan left us behind."

"Don't say that. Anyway, I became left behind by three people from that standpoint."

Became, she says.

"From that standpoint, I see."

"Don't say it, here-" Yoshino-san, as if in slow motion, did a relaxed jump. Yumi managed to avoid laughing, but Yoshino-san smiled.

If you give it your all, you can smile in the face of despair. Whether one wins or loses the match, it was possible to think that way.

The team lining up in formation was over, followed closely by the ending ceremony. There were a lot of things in that, and time stretched.

"Now for the announcement of the final results."

Each team's points had been erased from the board. It had been bared at the beginning of the "Color Opposition Relay" because if they had waited until afterwards, anyone could have told who was the winner.

"First, the overall winner is - "

From the brass band, at the announcement of the winner, came the sound of a snare roll, "dorororororo". The broadcasting club member took a deep breath and said, "Yellow Team."

On the board, their points appeared. "275 points."

The mass of Yellow suddenly boiled up. Even if they were considered the favorite by a lot, and left everyone else far behind, even if the victory was decided before the relay, they were still very happy. Yellow headbands were everywhere thrown into the air.

The sound of the drum roll came before the second place.

"The runner-up is the White team. 215 points."

The White team that had the jinx of never being in last place. This year, second place was pretty good.

"Third place, Purple team. 205 points."

As they were announced, one after the other, the points put up on the board.

"Fourth place, Pink team, 190 points."

As they neared it, Yumi thought that there was no need to put the final one up. The top three were okay, but the teams that didn't do too good had a sort of puzzled reaction. And really, what's the difference between fifth and six place. No one wanted to say "Anyway, we're not last place, banzai", so why the points for last place.

"Fifth place, Green team. 115 points."

Hey.

(Fifth place, Green team, they said, whah?)

Looking around her at the atmosphere, her classmates were conservatively delighted. They said that Red team wasn't fifth place, Yumi was confused.

"What, that's surprising. We lost in the relay, how did we get 5th place," Yoshino-san said.

"No way."

"What will you do if it was?"

"But..."

She had said that the points were doubled in the relay, so that there was a possibility of turning things around.

"There was a fifteen point difference. With the five points of the relay doubled into ten, we may have just squeaked by." That seemed like backwards calculation, but then the last points were called.

"And the disappointing last place goes to Red team. 110 points."

"Really..."

The Red team was in last place, but they did not seem too mortified, after having taken down the Green team in the relay. Had they not dropped the baton at that time, they Red team would probably have switched places with them.

Therefore, Green team did not snatch a five point victory by their ability. They were saved by a mistake, could be said. But there was no mistaking it, Green team was one place above Red Team.

Now they would have to listen to the head teacher's complaints, was what they actually felt.

"Phew, thank goodness." A little delayed, she relaxed her chest.

What, at this point, she was pleased, her classmates though she was a cracked as a dry bone, but fine.

She wouldn't have to pay the penalty.

That was the one thing she felt relieved about.



Penalty Game Speculation

1

"It was five points, but a win is a win." Sachiko-sama said with a smile at the Rose Mansion.

It was lunchtime on the Tuesday after a compensatory holiday. The reverberations of the Sports Festival still were left around the school.

"So you say. But fifth place is still a low rank, no matter how you say it." Member of the winning team, Rei-sama, muttered with an amazed face. Written on her face was "ah, a low level dispute."

"Rei, you don't understand." Sachiko-sama lifted her cup, enjoying the fragrance of the red tea. (E: Japanese and Chinese call it red tea. We call it black tea.) Yumi had put in Darjeeling.

"Let's say that Green team had come in second and Red team won, then I would have been feeling full of defeat."

"What, Sachiko, for you "victory" was all about the Red team?" Rei's eyebrows rose as she asked.

"This time, yes that is what I meant." Onee-sama didn't say anything more than that.

However.

Sachiko-sama didn't know about the bet with Kanako-chan, Yumi though. Therefore, why was she only concerned with not losing to the Red team.

Yumi would have to think about this some more.


2


After school on Wednesday.

As promised, Kanako-chan was to come to the Rose Mansion to help out with the School Festival.

Not just Kanako-chan, Touko-chan also was coming along, although the circumstances of her doing so were not clear.

Also from the same class, Noriko-chan inclined her neck. "Touko-chan, what about Theater Club practice?"

"It's all right. Surely I can do both." And she didn't mean just for today, but until the School Festival, it seemed.

"If we don't have enough hands, we can always call upon Touko-chan."

As always, that was enough to set Touko-chan off.

"Kanako-chan, do you have a second," Yumi's voiced called out, leading Kanako-chan out to the hallway.

"What if you have to be alone with Touko-chan? Can you do that?" She asked as they walked, squeak, squeak, down the stairs. If she said that she had no patience and would dislike it, she would need to do some adjustment. As obnoxious as it was, Kanako-chan and Touko-chan were natural enemies.

But Kanako-chan lightly said, "Tight speculation about the penalty game, was there?"

As soon as Yumi heard the words penalty game, Yumi recalled. "That's right, isn't it? If Kanako-chan had won, will you tell me what kind of penalty would you have had me do?"

"Isn't it a good thing that in the end I lost?"

Is it a good thing, she said. The more it was concealed, the more interested she was.

"Be good."

Halfway down the stairs, she could feel a tickle under her arm. Then Kanako-chan shouted, "If I say, will you please stop," she entreated. This was a good hand for a first-year to play.

"Then, what?"

"...photograph."

"Eh?"

"A "two-shot" photograph is what I wanted. ...of Yumi-sama and me," she muttered, fading out on the last words.

"Why such a thing?"

Having imagined great things, this was honestly a little bit of a letdown.

But, if you thought about it, doing this together is Kanako-chan's way of repealing her role as a ghost on the back.

"Mmm, okay."

"Really?" Kanako-chan's eyes glittered. Taking this with her beloved "Yumi-sama" made her happy, she was casting off her skin.

"However, the condition is that you have to help out until the School Festival."

"That's the inducement, huh."

"Of course. I'm the winner, you're the loser." But, by five points. That wasn't much of a difference to win by. Yumi opened the door and resignedly breathed in the outside air.

Having heard her losing companion's wish, she felt thankful.

Because, once again, she was able to spend time with Kanako-chan. She let her thoughts hurry up and slow.

Ready, bang.

In her heart, she could hear the sound of a pistol marking the start
of a new relationship.

The End

***

I had a lot of fun re-reading this as I put up the translations here. I laughed out loud in quite a few places and I cried when Yoshino and Rei ran...again. What a weiner I'm turning out to be. lol In any case, I hope you enjoyed this book as much as I did. :-)

If you can't stand waiting, you can always get the most recent translation/notes/whatever on the Yuricon Mailing List.

I'd like to thank everyone who emailed and commented with their thanks - it means alot to me. :-)

If you are one of those folks who said how much you enjoy all my writing and you haven't already done so, buying a copy of Shoujoai ni Bouken is a really nice way to show your thanks and get a great story to enjoy all at the same time! It makes a terriffic gift too, especially for the budding yuri fan in your crowd. If you are one of those folks who has already got a copy or any of our 100% yuri from ALC, my sincere thanks. :-)

***
Tags: Maria-sama ga Miteru, Marimite, Ready, Go!