Pole toppling was the next competition. This competition was for the boys only. For the girls, they would compete in Tamaire.

The rule was simple. The team which could topple 2 poles first would win.

Hirata stood before the alliance between class B and C, checking for the last time.

"Please remember. For the first round, class C would attack and class B would protect the pole. Then, we will swap. any question?...No, Yamauchi-Kun, you can't use your bat. And no, you can't use the arrow, Miyake-Kun. Alright, everyone. Let's fight!"

We roared with exhilaration and walked to our pole. We looked at our opponents to estimate their force. Class A wasn't our problem. Except for Kito who Onodera warned that he was good at fighting. Katsuragi was weaker than I was expected. Ryuji won him perfectly in a 100m race.

However, class D was different. Ryuen had an atmosphere of the fighter. Ishizaki, Kondo, and Komiya had fought with Sudo once. Ishizaki was ruffian when he was in the mid-school. Kondo and Komiya were in the basketball club. They also had Albert Yamada, who was half Japanese, half African-American. So he was bigger and stronger than the average Japanese.

At least, our army was filled by the sportsmen like Sudo, Shibata, or Ryuji. We didn't disadvantage that much.

"Hm? Ayanokouji. You join the team too. " Ike asked when he saw me.

"Yeah. If I won't join, I will lose the scores."

"But...it's dangerous though. If you got injured."

"I'm impressed by your worrying. But I will find. I won't be that unlucky. " I told him.

Yes. I had never been unlucky.

The game started. Class C ran to the battlefield. I thought the opponent use the same strategy. They send class D to attack our pole while class A was protecting theirs.

"Charge!!!!" Hirata yelled. Yamauchi blew the horn that he took into the battlefield for some reason.

We ran into each other. Sudo did his job very well. He broke through class A's battlefront into their back. No one could stop him.

Katsuragi, Kito, and Yahiko flung to Sudo. They needed to use all of their power to stop him. Sudo didn't show any expression on his face. And it made him scarier.

Sudo's unit was stopped. But it demanded half of class A's force. Hirata took advantage.

"Miyake-Kun attacks the left! Ike-Kun attacks the right!" He commanded before turning to Doc. "Sotomura-Kun! How is our pole?"

"Our ally still protect it, sir! Yamada-Dono was fighting with Shibata-Dono and Kanzaki-Dono. I don't think they will hold it for a long time."

Doc reported.

"Um. So we need to hurry up. Everyone! Charge!!!!"

"Yes, sir!" We screamed.

The strongest student in class A was fighting with Sudo. They couldn't retreat to protect their pole because if they did, Sudo would pass them and reached the pole anyway.

Akito and Ike reached the pole. They were surprised because there was only a man named Satonaka.

We all knew him. He was the most handsome boy in year 1, according to the poll.

He looked weaker than I thought and he wrapped his face by the gauze, causing him to look like the mummy.

"Finally. It's time to crush the Riajuu! I heard that he changed the girl every week!" Ike grinned.

But before Ike stepped forward. He bogged down.

"Stop!" Satonaka shouted. "If you step closer, I will take off the gauze. "

Ike opened his eyes wide. There was a legend in this school. If someone looked at Satonaka's handsome face, they would destroy their eyes because there was nothing worth looking at anymore.

If Satonaka revealed his eyes right now in front of 500 people, it would become a big tragedy for the whole school.

"You don't dare. " Ike mumbled.

"Let's see it. " Satonaka said and touched his gauze. Ike closed his eyes suddenly. "I can see you are a fast learner. Now, step back. If I see someone come any step closer, you will lose your eyes!"

Class C halted. They couldn't go closer to the pole. Satonaka was looking at them. Class A spread their army into the human wall. No one could pass it.

Yahiko grinned. "Now, wait until Ryuen can topple that damn pole..."

Suddenly, class A shouted with shock and ran away from that area. Because their pole was falling.

Yahiko opened his eyes widely. "What happened!?"

Then, he saw me standing next to the fallen pole.

Since I was disabled. None of class A noticed me while I walked slowly crossed the battlefield into their back without someone stopping me. While Satonako was threatening Ike, I stood behind his back. Luckily, he was interested only in the thing in front of him. Therefore, his back was careless.

I just touched the pole softly. Then, it fell.

I was the expert about falling anywhere.

"And the first round!!!! The white teams win!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Fujimaki announced excitedly.

...

The second round began as we were the protect team. The red team still used the same formation. Class A protected, class D attacked.

While we were waiting around the pole. I could feel the glare of maliciousness from class D. Later, I heard that Ryuen aimed at three people and told his classmates to beat them down first. These three were me, Sudo, and Hirata. I could understand why it was me. Ryuen believed that I was the mastermind behind our victory in the Zodiac test.

I sighed and hoped that class D wouldn't hurt the handicap.

...

It isn't a competition anymore.

It is a war.

I never want to join the pole toppling. I even considered about pretend to get diarrhea and hiding in the toilet.

However, I was there, confronting class D.

When Albert Yamada runs toward our lines, I and Onizuka are the first group that fights with him. That Hafu pushes me. It's softer than I expect from a big man like him. But it's still strong enough to make me fall to the floor. It's lucky compared to how Onizuka walks for the rest month. Yamada smashes him very hard.

I stood up and try to stop him again. With the cooperation from my classmate. We can seal the giant's movement. However, class D didn't just have Yamada. Ryuen and Ishizaki come through our gaps.

Our wall is broken.

At the other side of the yards. Class B and Class A are fighting each other. We still can't drill their lines.

The dust spreads around, causing my teardrops. I can see nothing behind the dust curtain. I heard people screaming, crying, roaring. I'm sure I was punched three times. But I can't find the culprit. In this chaotic situation, even the commentator can't see what happens. The rules can't be used anymore.

While I dropped into the hopeless. I took my dear picture out of my shirt.

Toilet-Chan.

When I see her white skin and wonderful curves. I know that she is my only power now.

"Toilet-Chan. I will come back to see----"

Onizuka shuts my mouth. "Beware. " He warned. "You are making a red flag."

I noticed that and put the picture into my pocket again.

"What should we do?" I ask him.

"Do our best. " Onizuka said and ran toward Yamada again.

Onizuka is the tough guy. He never gives up.

I'm a coward for all of my life. But when I look at Onizuka's back. I feel something.

It is called brave?

I don't know. The only thing I know is I have to stand up and kick class D's ass.

I ran through a lot of bodies, some is my classmates, some is my opponents, some is sent to the floor by my fist.

In the right of me, Sudo is collapsing on the floor. Ishizaki and Kondo are hurting him. Ryuen grins and steps on Sudo's bag.

"Oh!" Sudo screamed. "Harder!!"

Ryuen flinched. "W--What did you said, Kuku?"

"Step on me, baby!!!" Sudo completely lost his mind. Ryuen opened his eyes wide and tried to run away. But Sudo grabbed his foot.

"I said to step on me your bastard!!!" He roared.

"W--What the Kuku!? Ishizaki! Help me, Kuku!"

But Ishizaki pretends to not see.

"Ryuen-San! Stop Sudo! I will deal with the pole!!" He said and ran to the pole, leaving his moaning boss.

At the pole, only one person is standing there. It's Ayanokouji.

He is hugging the pole with his cane. Although he got a disability. He still protects the pole with his straight face. It looked like he doesn't have any emotion. He always does like this. He never shows happiness when he broke the swimming world record or got 100 scores in the exam.

This monster is too scary! He doesn't ever show his fear when Ishizaki, Kondo, and Komiya surround him.

He has no fear.

...

AH! They are coming! Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me!

It was what Ayanokouji Kiyotaka thinking.

...

He has no fear!

Ishizaki tries to kick him. But Ayanokouji can dodge it, causing him to kick the pole instead.

"Argh!! My leg!!!" Ishizaki groaned.

If you don't know, the pole is made from metal.

Komiya and Kondo grits their teeth and releases their fist at the same time. Ayanokouji moved his head so Komiya and Kondo's fist didn't hurt him. It crushes each other faces and collapses to the floor.

I look at him with an impression.

If he can fight three ruffians, I can fight Yamada too!

I roared and flung to Yamada. "You bastard! I will send you to eat the sand!"

The next thing I know is Yamada grabbing my shirt and throwing me across the yard.

And it is the last thing I know too.

I wake up three days later. Onizuka is sitting beside my bed.

"Good morning, Hero. " He said smiley.

"What happened?" I asked him.

It turns out that when Yamada threw me, I flew across the yard and crushed to the red team's pole, causing it's falling down. So we win in the pole toppling. I become the team's hero!

I'm happy for a while before realizing something.

"I have to go! I'm the representative in joint 1200 m relay!"

Onizuka shook his head. "The competition is ended. You don't have to worry."

"B--But how?"

"Someone took your place. " Onizuka said. "And it's a legend."

...

We just finished poll toppling. But we needed to prepare for tug of wars. We had the time to rest only while the girls were competing Tamaire. All I could do was to pray for them.

Our situation was in a good term. However, we couldn't be careless. We lost Hondo and we knew that Ryuen would do anything for victory.

After watching the girls do their jobs very well in Tamaire. It was our time. Class A and C waited for us at the other side of the rope. But there seemed to be trouble among class A.

Katsuragi was trying to manage the order of line but suddenly, someone was speaking.

"Maybe, Katsuragi-Kun should stop portending."

"What do you mean Hashimoto?"

I remembered him now. He was Machida's friend who betrayed him.

"Come on. Because you used class D's strategy in the last game. It caused us defeating, did it? Are you sure this strategy will make us win?"

Hashimoto said without any stress. Actually, it looked like he was fun with this situation.

At the sideline, I saw Sakayanagi looking at her classmate, grinning with satisfaction.

Class D seemed to be worried about their ally too. Before Katsuragi would respond to Hashimoto. Ryuen spoke out.

"Are you saying my strategy is bad? Kuku?"

Hashimoto raised his eyebrow. "I didn't want to say that. Ryuen-Kun."

"So shut the Kuku up. And start making your line. Cooperating with me is the best strategy that this Johny Sin can think of. Kuku."

Hashimoto decided to not have trouble with Ryuen. He stepped back to his group but he didn't listen to Katsuragi's command anyway.

I turned back to my class. I shouldn't mind about other teams' problems. Ours was bad enough. I couldn't pull the rug while holding my cane and without my cane, I couldn't stand. So we would have one fewer person than our opponents.

"I guess we can do nothing about this. " Cho said as giving up.

"Oi! Ayanokouji! It's your fault!" Yamauchi suddenly blamed me. I decided to say nothing since he was right.

"It's just another game. Everything is nothing anyway. Let's go to the yard and finish this. " Sudo said but before he was gone. Hirata called him.

"Everyone! Wait!"

They turned to him. "What's wrong?"

"Oh-Kun. Have something to say. "

Hirata pointed to a student who looked like 80 years-old man beside him.

"Who is he?" I whispered to Doc.

"Oh! Oh-Dono is our classmate, sir. I don't surprise that you don't know him. Normally, he is silent and says nothing. And he comes from Korean, sir."

"South Korean?"

"North Korean, sir."

"I see."

I should guess it from his hair.

"What did he say, Hirata?" Ryuji asked.

"He says he always play tug of war when he was a child. So he has a technique to win it."

"What technique?"

Hirata nodded at Oh-Kun.

He spoke with a weird accent.

"The leader of the group is important. He has to stand in the front and keep his eyes on how another team is performing. In the first ten seconds, you have to hold your ground and lean back, practically lying down. Make your back be parallel with the ground and make your head face the sky. Point your feet toward. Hold in this position for ten seconds. The other team won't be able to pull it. When until their rhythms break. At that moment, pull the rug as hard as you can."

Hirata looked at Cho for asking his opinion.

"We have nothing to lose anyway. " He shrugged his shoulder.

"Why do I feel so familiar?" Yukimura mumbled.

Our men walked to the yard. Suddenly, Fujimaki announced.

"Since this is the 40th sports festival. We have something special for you all!"

The yard is opened. And then, the big pool with the mud appeared in the middle of the yard. The guillotine was over the middle of the rope.

"You will win when you can pull the rope until your opponent falls into the mud pool! The blade will cut the rope and you will be safe from being dragged down with your enemy!!"

What the fuck?

Is this the octopus game or something?

...

With Oh-Kun's strategy. We could win the tug of war, making the AD ally eat the mud. The girls' team won with the same strategy.

The next competition was the obstacle course. This was out of my ability. Even my poonya helped nothing. But at least, I gave 4 points to our class.

Sudo could take the first place as always. But---

"Ah! Ken is too lucky! He meets Nomura and Suzuki again!" Ike moaned. "And why I always meet Komiya!?"

Nomura and Suzuki were the worst athletic man in class D. But they competed in the same round with Sudo for the third time. Meanwhile, Ike had to fight with Komiya for the third time too.

For Sudo, the only inspiration was winning first place. So he could call Horikita with her first name. It was good for meeting the weak opponents.

But I felt like there was something wrong.

After I finished my competition, I went to the toilet for a while. When I came back, the girls' competition was already started. Horikita was in the first group, she might finish it.

But when I walked to the tents. I found Horikita sitting on the chair with the wound around her body. Shinohara was checking her legs.

"Yabai. Horikita-San. Your leg is injured so hard."

"I can continue competing..."

Before Horikita would finish her lines. I used my cane to touch her legs.

"Ugh!"

"Is this what a person who can continue competing should react to?" I sat beside her and asked. "What happened?"

Hirata walked toward me and talked with Shinohara. "Shinohara-San. Yamauchi-Kun's leg is injured. Can you go look at him?"

Shinohara nodded and walked away. Hirata explained the situation to me instead.

"Horikita-San competed with Kinoshita-San again. She can lead in the first half. But then---Kinoshita-San come closer to her and---"

"Crash her?"

"No. Suddenly, Horikita-San ran out of the lane, causing her crush with Kinoshita-San on the next lane." Hirata turned his head to Horikita.

"It isn't my fault. " Horikita insisted. "And I'm sure that Kinoshita-San wants it to happen. While we are running. She kept calling my name, causing me to turn back to look at her. I don't know why she did that. But it isn't good at all."

"Oh. I see. I wonder why you kept turning back---But it doesn't explain why you ran out of the lane."

Horikita sighed. "I see someone holding the Moonshine's waffles at the sideline. I can't control myself...After I stand up again, I didn't see her anymore."

I and Hirata looked at each other. We understood others' minds. Moonshine closed today for coming to cheer Horikita. It meant someone who held Moonshine's waffles buying it since yesterday. Moonshine was the most delicious when it was fresh from the oven. No one would leave it past a day.

I didn't have to be Inogashira but I could tell someone who held that waffles wanted to distract Horikita and make the incident happen.

"Do you know her? The one who held the waffles."

"Hirata-Kun. I have something to talk about with Ayanokouji-Kun. Privately."

Hirata understood immediately. He stood up and walked away, leaving me with Horikita.

"Ok. Who is the culprit?" I asked Horikita.

"Promise to me. Don't tell anyone yet. I'm not sure what I really saw and the last thing we want now is the broken harmony."

When she said this, I could know the name before she told me.