Open your eyes. You'll get in an accident.
Everyone's here.
Today, we'll try running to the river in Tamagawa.
I want to determine everyone's level,
so I can plan your practice schedules for the future.
Keep that in mind.
There won't be a future.
After all that, you're still participating.
Just for today.
You're some kind of freak, aren't you?
Nothing beats eating after a run.
Let's go.
Wait.
Wait!
Tamagawa? That Tamagawa?
Why
Yeah, that Tamagawa.
Isn't that five kilometers away?
Wow! You're really familiar with the local geography.
Let's go.
Wait, wait, wait!
That's five kilometers.
Five kilometers one way means ten kilometers round trip.
Ten kilometers first thing in the morning?!
If you can shout that much after waking up, you'll make it.
Come on.
What?
He's fast.
Start at your own pace.
Come on. Go.
Where is your dignity?
Where has your human dignity gone?
We're allowing ourselves to be forced to run without objection.
Can we really call ourselves people?
Go.
Run with the Wind
Yay. I won.
What? It was a tie.
I beat you by a hair.
I'm impressed.
This is the first time I've wanted to go back to my home country.
The theory will come later.
First, your body needs to experience firsthand how far five kilometers is.
Then, you'll surely...
B-Butterfly...
You'll surely be able to run it.
Okay, let's head back.
What's wrong? Breakfast is waiting.
I'm going back as a butterfly.
What are you talking about? You're not making any sense.
Hey, look.
Huh?
It's Kakeru.
Is he ever going to stop running?
Your body gets cold if you just wait.
Yeah.
Do you understand now just how stupid your idea is?
They just ran a mere five kilometers.
Every section of the Hakone Ekiden is at least 20 kilometers.
That's more than quadruple.
We'll have to race that distance against runners who have endured intense training.
We could practice for ten years and still be behind.
Just how insane is his body?
He's not wrong.
Don't worry. It won't take ten years.
After all, there's less than ten months until the race.
A Single Flower
At universities that participate in the Hakone Ekiden,
everyone runs 5,000 meters in less than about 14:30 minutes.
We'll consider that one of our goals.
I have no idea what that looks like.
The simple calculation is less than three minutes per kilometer.
What?!
One kilometer in the time it takes to prepare cup noodles?
That makes it harder to understand.
He means it's inhumanly fast.
I bet there are lots of guys like that where you're from, Musa.
More prejudice.
My high school's long distance race was only three kilometers.
Well, that's how it is.
Thanks for the food.
You're right that it's not an easy speed to achieve.
But if you don't know what your goals are, you can't aim for them.
Knowing's not enough.
If you do the required training, it's different.
We'll limit our focus to Hakone.
That dramatically improves our chances.
On what basis?
On what basis are you making those claims?
You don't want breakfast?
I don't want to owe any favors.
Day 2
They ran.
I'm going to wake them.
Yuki never came home.
Huh?
He went clubbing as usual.
Clubbing sounds nice.
I bet there are lots of cute girls.
We'll have to ask him to take us with him.
Give me a minute.
Huh? Hey!
Kurahara!
Whoa!
Huh?
Whoa...
Haven't done that since grade school.
Are you a Kansei Uni student?
Yeah.
On the Kansei Uni track and field team?
Uh...
Haiji.
Are you familiar with Kiyose Haiji?
Huh?
Hey!
Hey.
Haiji!
What about school?
After this.
I came first thing, but no one was here.
We're still slow.
Who is that?
I asked him if he was on the track and field team.
I didn't see anyone else who could be.
I was right.
I couldn't ignore her.
It's the Yaokatsu girl.
What?
Yaokatsu. She's the daughter of the vegetable vendor in the shopping center.
What? Are they dating?
I doubt it.
A high school girl's a little too young.
Sorry. Let's get back to it.
Guys.
Practice hard.
We will!
Oh, wow! Then your future is secure.
Really? I'll have to call you for help if I'm ever on trial.
I'd totally be down.
You might be on trial?
You never know.
Can I get your number, then?
It'd be hilarious if this were a scam.
Of course it isn't.
Then maybe I'll get your number, too.
Huh?
Are you crazy?!
What?!
Sorry. My ears.
It's amazing. I don't know how you can stay in there for so long.
You're wasting your time!
What?
You're wasting your time!
I don't have any reason to run or anything to gain from it!
I don't need to create memories or network with you guys!
This year of freedom is my well-deserved reward!
I deserve to savor this vacation from life!
You're wasting your time by trying to convince me!
It's a total waste!
I have a reason.
I can't run in the Hakone Ekiden without ten members.
I don't exist for your purposes!
You're right.
Naturally, I don't intend to unilaterally impose my will on you, Yuki.
Then—
I'll be back tomorrow.
What?
I'll come with you.
After all, it's not fair to just make you accompany me.
It's very important for teammates to respect and understand one another.
Day 3
Damn it. I'm finding a way out of this.
Good morning.
She's Yaokatsu's daughter, Katsuta Hanako.
She'll be helping us sometimes.
I've got school,
so I can only help out early in the morning and late at night.
It's nice to meet you.
Hey!
Why
It's a grand sight when everyone's here.
Wait, Kurahara.
I want to time everyone's finish. Help me.
Why me?
There's no need to go crazy just because I'm timing you.
I just want data to plan our practices.
That's why I'm timing today's run.
Don't hold back.
I'll tell Hana to keep an eye out for that.
Is that Haiji's girlfriend?
The details are unclear.
Being forced to run is already a human rights violation,
and now he's showing off his girlfriend?
Just how much does he intend to toy with us?
But it's clear now that King has some hidden potential.
It's sad, though.
Yeah, no matter how you look at it.
Well? I wasn't lying, was I?
About what?
The girl.
Work hard, and women will approach you.
It only took three days.
If you keep getting stronger and attract more attention...
Haiji, we're sorry.
We doubted you.
We thought you were tricking us.
But it was true!
It's only Yaokatsu's Hana so far, but as long as we work hard...
That's right. Look!
On the other side of the road are more women than you can count!
I'm so glad...
We decided to attend college...
They've been fooled.
They sure have.
Okay! Let's aim for the top!
What? What if we actually win?
Well, my boy...
You'll have your hands full.
The mountains of Hakone are the steepest in the world!
I don't know what that means!
But it's so intense!
The mountains of Hakone are?
The steepest in the world!
The mountains of Hakone are?
The steepest in the world!
Musa.
What?
I'm thinking about continuing a while longer.
Huh?
How dare they be fooled so easily?!
What about you? I thought you were going to make him give up.
Don't tell me you're on board now.
Yeah, right.
Why
Prince can't even finish properly.
No one would believe him.
Right.
So why is he so confident?
Let's head back! Time for breakfast!
Yaokatsu
Did I do good this morning?
Yeah, it was plenty.
Athletes perform better in front of an audience.
Huh. It really was fun, though.
That's good.
It's effective, even if all you're doing is watching.
I hope your dream comes true.
It will.
Huh?
He's been waiting four years.
You've got some good members, right?
I heard she couldn't keep up on her bike.
Yeah. He was amazing.
Is Kurahara famous?
I'm not sure.
Either way, I'm excited.
Let me know if there's anything we can do to help.
Thank you.
Tsuru-no-yu
What? Qualifier?
Joji, your bubbles.
Most people only know about the actual race.
I just learned about it today.
Of the twenty schools that participate in the Hakone Ekiden,
aside from the ten seeded teams that qualify the previous year,
they have to participate in a preliminary qualifier.
Really?
Then we'll race in that first.
All right!
We still don't know if we'll be racing.
How many schools participate in the qualifier?
About fifty.
So only the top fifth qualify.
I bet we can do it if we try.
Yeah. Haiji said we're just getting started.
We can do it as long as we practice hard.
It's not that easy.
How hard do you think they practice to be in the top fifth?
And not everyone can participate in the qualifier.
Each athlete needs an official record of finishing 5,000 meters in less than 16:30
or 10,000 in 30:00.
Those are astronomical figures.
You have to achieve those records before the qualifier.
It doesn't matter if you have a couple of fast guys.
Everyone has to be running at a high level.
An amateur who can't even finish ten kilometers shouldn't be aiming for that.
Don't you understand how reckless he's being?
Kinda.
Then stop wasting your efforts.
Actually,
What's your deal, Kakeru?
What?
Yeah. What are you afraid of?
You're fast.
What?!
Maybe you're worried about us,
but we're the ones doing the work, so who cares?
Run with us.
I don't work well with others.
Where's Kurahara?
He left already.
We only ran together for one day.
Maybe he's mad.
Run with us.
I knew it.
It's been a while, Kurahara.
Next time: "Shadows That Don't Fade."
Next Time: Shadows That Don't Fade