Aoi sora miageru yoko-gao
Tomatta toki no rasen
ltsudemo ijippari de kimochi kakushite iru
Setsunakute (koishikute) Kurushiku naru
Sonna ni tsuyokunai hazu
Hontou wa futari no kyori ni okubyou ni naru
Sawatte hoshii no mai haato
Toumawari shitemo tadoritsukeru no nara
Sutaato rain
Kokoro himotoku sutourii
Namida ni sayonara shite mirai o aruite yukou
Mitsuketa yasashisa mune ni daite yukeru kara
Onegai ima dake wa sono mama de ite
"Suzuka"
Here we go, Miho.
Thanks.
I wonder how Yamato is doing?
He said this is his second meet...
I don't know...
I hope he doesn't do anything foolish that might make him embarrassed...
Right, Goro?
But I'm sure Suzuka will do great!
Because she was the 3rd-place finisher at Inter-high!
Maybe she'll set a great record!
That's right.
I believe Suzuka will do great...
Oh? (a tea stem standing in tea signifies good luck)
"Preparation"
Asahina...
I don't know if I should confess to her or not...
Sorry...
But... I was already rejected once.
It'd be even more painful if I'm rejected twice...
Besides, I haven't changed at all since then...
...and I didn't do anything to make her like me...
I know if I confess to her now, it'll be the same result...
Asahina said we just met each other...
But I know her real reason was...
Kazuki was a year older than Suzuka and was the ace of the track and field club.
He was Suzuka's hero...
Asahina doesn't look at me at all.
She's still...
...still...
Are you stalking Suzuka again?
You'd better get ready now.
It's about time for you to run, isn't it?
I still have some time...
Anyway, why are you here?
Huh? To watch girls, of course!
Wow, that girl is worth 78 points.
And this girl is a 60...
You look like you're enjoying yourself...
Uh-huh... My goal is to win all the cute girls in the world.
What would you want to do that for?
How about you?
Are you enjoying track and field?
Although you can run fast and even have been selected to the relay team,
and everybody makes a fuss over you, you don't look like you enjoy it.
I am enjoying it...
No, you're not. Do you think you can fool me?
I know you joined the club to be near Suzuka... right?
What do you think about that?
I-I don't care about Asahina anymore...
I still like her...
See?
But I can't do anything right now.
Why? Are you scared because you were rejected once?
Not really...
Oh... There you are.
Miyamoto Sempai...
Akitsuki, you'd better warm up now.
Ah, yeah.
Oh, Sempai, you became captain starting with this meet, right?
Congratulations!
Yeah. But that title is embarrassing.
Well, you sure don't look like a captain.
You don't spare your words, huh?
But it's true... I think Kazuki Tsuda should be the captain.
Huh? Tsuda...
I guess you guys don't know who he was...
He went to the same junior high as Asahina and myself...
But he passed away in a traffic accident two years ago.
He was stupid, overconfident and irresponsible,
and he always fought with Asahina.
But no one was more serious about track and field than he was.
In his last meet, he set the record in Japan for the 100-meter run.
Wow, it sounds like he was amazing.
Yeah, maybe Tsuda's presence encouraged me and Asahina after all.
I wonder if Suzuka liked him.
Well... she probably liked him.
She visits his graveyard sometimes even now...
I think Asahina still hasn't been able to get over Kazuki...
Well, I'm going ahead, Akitsuki.
Don't be late for the final call, okay?
O-Okay.
I see...
You feel you're below Tsuda,
and you think you'll be rejected again if you confess to her.
Shut up.
Well, I guess it's true.
He's reliable and serious for track and field...
In addition, he was the nation's number one athlete...
No matter how you compare yourself to him, you are...
Shut up!
Shut up!!
Shut up!!!
W-What's that?
Someone is screaming over there.
Hey, is he all right?
Which school's jersey is he wearing?
Y-Yamato!
W-What is he doing there?!
It's so embarrassing!
What's wrong with you all of a sudden?
I know all that!
I know Asahina still likes Tsuda...
I know I'm inferior to him, no matter what...
That's why I'm in a dilemma.
About what I should do!
So? Do you have any good ideas?
I'm not so hesitant anymore!
I'm going to become the number one sprinter in Japan!
What are you saying this time?
Are you all right?
Shut up!
I don't know why, but I feel that I have to do that!
Akitsuki!
Are you wearing a uniform underneath? Let me see.
Don't worry about it!
You didn't forget your spikes, did you?
Kinugasa, he's not a kid...
No, this guy did it once before!
U-Umm, Akitsuki, do your best...
You're the ace of our team, so be aware of that!
I-I'm hearing that for the first time now!
Okay! Go out and do your best!
Akitsuki...
In this meet, seven or eight people can hit the 11-second mark.
So just make sure...
I know!
Okay, that's good...
Hey, can you stop acting weird?
It's so embarrassing.
I was trying to lift my spirits.
Well, don't overdo it.
I'm going to do my best!
I have to win at all costs!
That's ridiculous...
What's wrong? You look irritated.
You should have more calcium, you know?
About Akitsuki and Suzuka...
They seem to have made up completely...
Huh? That's good.
Are you getting jealous?
N-No way!
You know, I've been thinking of various scenarios.
Like Suzuka hates Akitsuki more and more... and then what do I do?
But... It looks like it was so easy...
I feel I'm so stupid.
I was the only one to worry too much...
Now I'm tired...
You're a nice person, but nothing you did helped after all.
That's why I told you to just leave them alone.
Shut up! Anyway, why are you here?
Because I like Yamato so much!
It's fun watching him.
He always does something surprising.
Let's see what he'll do this time...
Hey, is that Emerson?
Right.
Arima Emerson...
That's right...
He's in this district...
His best 100-meter time is 10.46 seconds.
You're so annoying, so just get out of here... now.
I have to beat him to become number one in Japan...
I don't know that I can do that...
Akitsuki! Do your best!
Let's see what he does this time!
He seems to be really nervous, though...
I wonder if he gets really nervous...
On your marks!
I practiced for two months without stopping,
but what would I do if I lost easily?
If I confess to her, I'll probably be rejected again...
But... I like Asahina, after all.
Get set!
So I'm not going to worry about such stupid things anymore!
Right now, all I can do is... run my best!
Good start!
First place, number 136.
10.81 seconds!
Okay!
Wow! He did the right thing this time.
10 seconds... and 81...
Hmm... he can run faster than Tsuda at least...
Sempai, I did it! I came in first place!
I ran 10.81 seconds! That's my best record!
Ah, yeah...
Huh? What?
Oh, great, great.
I hope you'll do the same thing at the relay race.
Sasaki Sempai...
What?
I was running slow? No wonder...
We know you can run fast, Yamato.
I told you "Don't overdo it," right?
Miyamoto Sempai told you that only 7 or 8 can run 11 seconds in this meet.
Ah, yeah.
Twenty-four runners will advance to the semifinals.
That means if you can finish in the latter stages of 11 seconds,
you could easily pass the preliminaries, you know?!
I see...
You can run fast, so you should put more thought into how you run!
Otherwise, your stamina won't last for the semifinals and relay race.
I worked really hard...
W-Well, it's okay.
You were really fast, Akitsuki!
Wow!
Arima is so good.
Even though he slowed down in the second half...
First place, number 91!
11.09 seconds!
Arima's best time is 10.46 seconds...
On the other hand, my best is 10.81, which I achieved today.
It's a difference of only 0.35 seconds.
It's not easy to catch up...
We won't be the same group in the semifinals.
But I'll probably compete with him in the finals...
Ah... Akitsuki...
Umm... are you thirsty?
What am I saying?
You already have something to drink.
Yeah...
What's wrong?
N-No, nothing!
Well, good luck!
Akitsuki... I feel he's so distant now...
Even though we were so close just a while ago...
Huh? What did you say?
We go by time for 100-meter run finals.
That means you don't need to run.
The top eight runners in the semifinals
automatically qualify for the metropolitan meet.
They will be ranked based on their times, and that'll be it.
In other words, the semifinals will practically be the finals.
So, I won't compete with Arima this time...
I'm sure you thought you'd run in the finals, too, didn't you?
Y-Yeah...
Man, you should learn how track meets are run at least!
Let's go, Akitsuki!
O-Okay!
Sasaki is still a difficult guy, isn't he?
I guess he's kind of stoic,
and he hates people who are not serious about track and field.
That's why he can't decide
whether Akitsuki is serious or not about track and field...
After all, I won't face Arima in this meet.
But I'll compete with him based on time.
10.46 seconds!
It's impossible for me to achieve that time right now.
Hey, what's wrong?
You look so gloomy.
Are you getting nervous before your first semifinals?
Sempai, I don't have any confidence.
Don't be so weak-kneed before you've even started running!
Are you all right?
Not that way...
I don't have any confidence that I will save my energy for the relay race.
Oh boy... That's why I didn't want you to be on the team.
So, at least finish first in the 100-meter run, and make me satisfied.
And beat Emerson.
Of course, I'll try to do that.
Don't miss your start by straining yourself, okay?
I know...
I'll absolutely beat him.
I'll run at least 0.01 seconds faster than Arima...
And then I'll become number one in Japan in front of Asahina!
It's already started... the semifinals...
Suzuka!
What are you doing here?!
Akitsuki has already finish running.
Yeah...
And... how did he do?
Guess what?
He finished in 10.68 seconds and is currently in first place with a huge lead!
And on top on that,
he broke Arima's record from this year's Inter-high,
and is ranked number one for the year!
I see.
He's awesome!
I knew Akitsuki was the guy to accomplish something like this!
Why are you putting on airs and acting depressed for?
Why don't you celebrate more?
You're number one for the year.
It was just for a moment.
Look...
"Name, Ranking, Arima Emerson Yamato Akitsuki"
S-Second place...
"Name, Ranking, Arima Emerson Yamato Akitsuki" My time was 10.68 seconds.
"Name, Ranking, Arima Emerson Yamato Akitsuki" Emerson's time was 10.50 seconds.
He drew away from me easily, that bastard.
But you're still awesome!
You'd have finished second at Inter-high.
And you even qualified for the metropolitan meet...
Second or third place means nothing.
Huh?
I... really want to be first!
Hey, can you tell me what's wrong with my running?
My start should be better now,
and I think my form is not too bad when I'm at top speed...
But I feel I'm losing speed after 20 meters of the second half...
Umm... I can't help in those technical areas...
Sorry...
I see... That's right.
You're a high jumper, so...
Then I'll ask Kinugasa Sempai.
Sorry for asking you the wrong questions...
I-It's okay...
See you later!
Why is he getting so serious all of a sudden...
furimukeba sugu tonari ni
itsumo no hohoemi ga aru no
chikasugite mienakatta
itsumo hitori mayotteita
sukoshizutsu hodokete irozuiteyuku
kimi no na wo yonda dake de
shiawasena kimochi ni naru
issho ni iru koto de
tsuyoku naru
yasashiku nareru
kimi to ite mitsumeaeba
eien no imi ga wakaru
futari de goal wo sagasou
Ah, are you doing self-training, too?
Good luck, Asahina!
Huh?
Do you have the time to cheer up other people?
If you change your running style so quickly,
you'll return to your old ways after all.
"Next Episode: Encouragement" you'll return to your old ways after all.
"Next Episode: Encouragement" Huh... I really don't get it...
"Next Episode: Encouragement" What did I do to her?