MarathonTournament!



School princiapal:I want to give a warm welcome back to all the students of Sakuragaoka high school. The long summer vacation is now over and the new school term is once again upon us. I hope that each and every one of you had a busy and productive summer. It gives me no end of joy to see all your tanned energetic faces here once again. The experiences that you gain in high school are irreplaceable and are crucial to your development and your productive sense.

Yui:[yawns]

——OP——


Yui:
Summer vacation went by way too fast this year..

Ritsu:
It’s not like you didn’t have a lot of fun.

Yui:
Huh? Yeah well I suppose, but...

Mio:
How could you spend the time goofing off? How about college exams!?

Yui:
Aw..

Tsumugi:
We did managed to make a lot of wonderful memories, though.

Yui:
Natsu Fest, and the summer festival!

Tsumugi:
Going to that dagashi store.

Azusa:
Good morning!
Hi everyone! The second term is starting, isn’t it exciting!?

Yui:
Ahh.

Ritsu:
I’m blind!

Azusa:
Second term means the big school festival! And our live show!

Ritsu:
Ah. So that’s what you've got yourself warmed up about.

Mio:
We have to work hard to get ready for it.

Tsumugi:
Ah.. but first we’ve got this.

All:
Hmm?

Yui:
A marathon!?

Ritsu:
Has its hour at last come again this year!?

Yui:
That’s it! I’ve decided that I’m going to a college that doesn’t have marathons ever!

Mio:
Actually, your average college doesn’t have marathons.

Yui:
Hm?

— SIDE A —

Yui:
I’m off to school!

Granny:
Oh. Hi, Yui-chan. Good morning.

Yui:
Good morning.

Granny:
Take care of yourself today.

Yui:
Okay. I’m cutting it kinda close so I have to go!

Granma:
You have a good day.




Yui:
It’s time to eat!

Mio:
Huh? Mugi, you’re having eel and rice for lunch?

Tsumugi:
I’m trying to build up my stamina to get ready for the marathon.

Ritsu:
Yeah, you’re pretty strong alright, but you’ve never really had much in the way of stamina, you know?

Mio:
That’s great. You’re trying to overcome your shortcomings. Good for you, Mugi.

Yui:
Yeah! And I’ve been training hard by sprinting a top speed from home to school every morning!

Mio:
That’s not training, Yui! That’s just you oversleeping every day.

Yui:
Aha, I guess you pretty much caught me there.
I don’t understand, why do we have to run a whole 42.195 kilo meters?? Ugh.

Azusa:
You realise it’s not a full marathon. It’s 4.5 kilo meters.

Yui:
It involves the whole bunch of running either way so it’s basically the same thing..

Sawako:
If you really hate running that much why not consider wearing one of these to make it more fun for you? The rest of you too.

Mio:
Never gonna happen.

Ritsu:
Those would be harder to run in.

Azusa:
If the entire student body run around town wearing stuff like that, this would be the last year the marathon is ever held.

Yui:
Yes, that’s it! You’re right, Azunyan, that’s a really great idea!

Sawako:
What are you talking about, I was kidding, it was a joke.

Tsumugi:
Your tea is ready, Sawa-chan.

Sawako:
Just what I’ve been waiting for.

Yui:
It’s black.

Sawako:
Is it black sesame? Unique flavour. What’s this invigorating frequence wafting through my mouth that’s so xx ing to the sea.

Tsumugi:
To prepare for the marathon, I thought we should build up our iron resource to help fight anemia, so I brought blancmange made with kelp and hijiki.

Sawako:
Perhaps the normal kind might be better next time.



Ui:
Sis! This pair looks really comfortable to run in, doesn’t it?

Yui:
Wow Ui-chan, you’re right!
I’m not sure I wanna spend my whole allowance.

Yui:
Huh? AH! It’s Sawachan!
Whoa, after all this time, I finally get to ride in your car!

Ui:
Ma’am, were you off doing your shopping too?

Sawako:
No, I was buying something that the school needs for the marathon. We teachers are splitting up all the work.

Yui:
Sports drinks and lots of paper cups.

Ui:
If you’re working, is it okay to give us a lift?

Sawako:
Yes, it’s fine. I was just about to head back to school while driving over the marathon course so I could check it out.

Yui:
Uh? Mochi and Azuki beans?

Sawako:
After the marathon, we’ll be making oshiruko red bean soup in the school yard.

Yui:
Red bean soup!?

Sawako:
You wouldn’t believe the work that goes into this marathon. There’re shopping to do, checking the race course, filling preferment with the police. Back when I was a student at the high school, I thought the teachers had it so easy because they didn’t have to run in that.

Yui:
Maybe I can run on my way through if there is gonna be red bean soup happy end.

Sawako:
Well, we made the course a lot tougher than last year, so I’m pretty sure you’re gonna hate this all for it.


You start here in the business district. There’ll be pastry shops with their sweet smells. Clothing boutiques with their vibrant colours, and general stores with their shelfs full of cute items. You have to overcome the temptation to window shop to put the bus route behind you. You'll cross the bridge, pass the residential district and find a vast expanse of the rural district. It’s a leisurely one way road with heads of rice heavily laden with seeds. But after that, looming up ahead is heart-break hill, a demoralising monster of living hell coming or going. A little of heart-breaker, a battle against your own limitations. But if you’re not victorious or will be lost, then you’ll never reach the finish line! As soon as you conquer this trial and cross the hill, you’re be greeted by the site of the check-point at this park! You’ll need a little strength you have left for the final stretch! The finish line is so close you can taste it!! …It’s like that.

Yui:Mmm..

Ui:Look! We’re close to my house!

Yui:She doesn’t have to be that eager about it.

Ui:It’s not that she’s eager, it’s that you’ve already given up.Ah!

Yui:What’s wrong, Ui?

Ui:One of those mochi got mixed in with our stuff.




Yui:[sighs] I can’t believe the race is tomorrow..

Ritsu:Hey, how many snacks are we allowed to bring?

Mio:A marathon isn’t a school hike, you know!

Yui:Well I’d feel a lot more motivated about the race, if they just let us take some snack with us.

Nodoka:We can’t have snacks, but the teachers will have red bean soup ready and waiting for us after the race.

Yui:As much as I love red bean soup, it stinks that we have to run all that way and make it all the way to the finish line in order to get any.

Tsumugi:You’re eating mochi with your rice?

Ritsu:Please tell me you don’t think eating sticky stretchy thing will make you tough and tenacious!

Yui:Of course not! Sawa-chan gave it to me yesterday. When I tried to return it she said go ahead and eat it and do my best! [bites] It’s real hard!

Tsumugi:You know the race will have to be called off if it were to rain tomorrow.

Yui:Ha! That’s it! That’s what will do! The marathon will be cancelled and we’ll have red bean soup contest instead!

whether forecast:There’s a zero percent chance of rain tomorrow everywhere. It’ll be a beautiful day. Perfect weather for hanging the laundry outside..

Ui:What are you doing there, big sis?

Yui:I’m making a string of upside-down teru bozu weather dolls. Granny told me from next door that if I did this, it’ll be sure to rain.

Yui:[groans] Why..? Aww.






Nodoka:On behalf of all athletes, we hereby pledge to follow the rules of good sportsmanship. And we’ll see this race through to the very end in a fair and open manner. Student council president, Nodoka Manabe, year three, class two.

Teacher:All right everyone. On your marks, get set.

Ritsu:Wow, they are all taking this pretty seriously.

Nodoka:I’m going on ahead, okay?

Yui:Hah. everyone here is trying way to hard.. Even Nodoka-chan.

Ritsu:Yeah, and it’s not like there’s a big prize or anything for the winner. The way these things normally go, you’d have a bet going with judo club and the winner would get the loser’s clubroom for the rest of the year.

Tsumugi:Really?

Mio:No, nothing like that happens.

Yui:Ah! It’s a nice day out so let’s just think of it as a class hike! ..Even though there’s no snacks.

Mio:But if we run really slowly and finish dead last then… I don’t want that kind of attention!All right, come on people, put some effort into it!


Yui:Oh, not you too..?

Ritsu:Hm? Still, it’s kind of nice to leave campus on a school day and not get into any trouble for doing it.

Tsumugi:And the weather is nice.

Yui:Huh? You know, you’re right!






Jun:Wait..!

Azusa&Ui:Huh?

Jun:Let’s run.. a little.. slower please..

Ui:Sorry.

Azusa:Mio-sempai.

Jun:Huh?

Ui:I thought you’re running with my sister and the others.

Mio:They’re for the back in the pack.

Ui:Was my sister actually running when you saw her?

Mio:Well, I wouldn’t exactly call it running. But she’s with the other girls so I’m sure she will be alright.

Jun:Mio-sempai! Why don’t you and I run together!

MioEr, sure.

Ui:Well you’re full of energy all of a sudden.

Azusa:You were at death's door a second ago.

Jun:No, I wasn’t! I-I was adjusting my pace, that’s all. Let’s move!

Ui:You know, there’re something really fun about being outside in fresh air when we normally being in a classroom having lessons.

Azusa:And the weather is nice, too.

Jun:Yeah. Hey, that bag is cute.

Azusa:Let’s come here and check it out on Sunday.






Yui:Ha! Look at that cake! It looks.. delicious..

Tsumugi:Huh?

Yui:Woa! Catty![smiles at a boy]

Yui:Woo, I’ve never seen that kind of juice before. It’s brand new? And it’s only one dollar!

Beverage vending machine:How may I help you?

Yui:That bin talked.

Ritsu:Even if she had all the strength and stamina and endurance in the world, would there be a girl less cut out for running a marathon?

Yui:AH!

Tsumugi:Hm? Mio-chan!

Yui:I’m so glad you waited for us! Thank you Mio-chan! Thank you!

- -— SIDE B ——

Sawako:Drink up. The finish line is just a stone's away now. Hang in there.

Nodoka:Thank you very much, ma’am.

UI:We’re almost at the checkpoint, Jun-chan.

Jun:I’m sorry, I can’t go any further. Go on without me.

Azusa:Huh?

Yui:I'm so pooped.

Ritsu:You shouldn't be wiped out this fast.

Yui:Arts and culture club like ours, is that a big.. disadvantage.. in this race.. We're no match.. for the track and field club, or softball or the judo club.

Mio:Come on, the light music club has its own way of doing things. Why don’t we just act like we’re light music club and try running to a rhythm.

Ritsu:Hey, you’re right. We should run this marathon while singing a song!

All:Hm!

Yui:Ohh.

Ritsu:Whenever look at you I feel my heart go doki-doki. I get so giggly and wiggle like..

Yui:You’re going too fast!

Ritsu:Huh? Fuwa-Fuwa Time is too tough for you? How about we try My Love Is a Stapler?

Yui:Why is it this way, are nights like this my mind.. begin..

Tsumugi:My mind begin.. to stray..I can’t run and sing at the same time!

Ritsu:Mugi's down for the count, too?

Mio:I guess we could just sing in our head.

Ritsu:Yeah, that’s it!

Yui:Ah!

Ritsu:What’s up?

Yui:I forgot all the lyrics.

Ritsu:You what!? The single “lalala” is whatever you need to fake it!

Yui:Ah, I can’t..! Sing your songs, don’t worry about me! Leave me, it’s okay just go, oh survive..!

Mio:Forget about singing then. Why don’t you try thinking of something else you really like while you’re running.

Yui:Oh! I think I might be able to do that!

Yui:Oh Yui, I can't possibly eat another..

Ritsu:What the heck is she imagining?

Tsumugi:Something pleasant, something pleasant..

Ritsu:And she’s trying too hard.

Tsumugi:Ah! I've got it! What if we sing a song!?

Ritsu:We’re back to square one!Oh, w-what’s the matter, Mio?

Mio:Some lyrics just came to me.

All:Oh!

Mio:Heart break run my heart just shatters. Pound so hard it’ll soon be tattered. Is it because you that my heart is gone?

Ritsu:Oh, is this that runner’s high that we’ve ever heard about?

Mio:Or is it all because of the marathon?

All:Fight on!!

Ritsu:Hang in there, Mugi. We’ve officially conquered heart-break hill. It’s level roads from here on in.

Ritsu:Heeeey!!

Jun:Huh?

Ritsu:Oh you’re Azusa’s friend. Erm, don’t tell me.. it’s Sasaki, right?

Mio:Suzuki, dummy.

Ritsu:Yeah, yeah. You’re Jun-chan.

Jun:That’s right. So you chose to stick with the rest of the light music club, Mio-sempai? Hm? Hey eh- where is Yui sempai?

All:Eh? Ah..

Mio:She’s vanished!?

Ritsu:She's lost at sea?

Mio:How do we get lost at sea in the road?

Ritsu:Yeah well I hate to say it but with Yui, it's entirely possible.

Mio:Ahh.

Jun:Ma’am! There’s an emergency!

Sawako:What’s wrong?

Ritsu:Yui! Are you around here?

Tsumugi:She couldn't have simply wandered this far off the main road, could she?

Ritsu:I doubt that even Yui would mistake a tiny game trail on the dense forest for the marathon course. Wait a minute, where are we!?

Tsumugi:Ergh! Have we gotten ourselves lost at sea, too!?

Ritsu:Did we underestimate the perils of a race? But nobody needs to worry! I’ve got a survival needs covered! There are edible mushrooms there, see? Now look right there, those really pretty ones with the red and white polka dots, those are ones that are highly poisonous.

Sawako:Hey, you three. What are you girls doing up there.

Ritsu:Ehehe.

Sawako:Have you found Yui yet?

Tsumugi:No, not yet. Up until right around here, we were running together singing a song to keep us in good sprit.


Ritsu:What’s she said, and that’s when miss Akiyama here begin composing a bunch of lyrics in her head.

Mio:I couldn’t help it. Great lyrics were just coming to me.

Sawako:Anyway, we better split up and look for her. I’ll look over there, now get going.

Ui:Jun-chan is taking a long time.

Azusa:Wonder what’s keeping the light music club.

Nodoka:Good work, you guys. There’s red bean soup waiting over there. You should go and get some before it’s all gone.

Ui:Sure. Should we go ahead and eat without them?

Azusa:I guess so.

Nodoka:Oh, and just one mochi each, alright?

Azusa, Ui:Right.

Ui:Jun-chan! Over here!

Jun:Something is happened..! Yui sempai vanished somewhere along the course!

Ui, Azusa:What!?

Ritsu:Yui!!!

Mio:It’s no use. There’s no sign of her.

Student A:You know, now that you mentioned it, there happen a lot of UFO sightings in this area.

Student B:Hey, why don’t we use that as a research topic for the school festival?

Ritsu, Tsumugi, Mio:Huh..

Ritsu:You don’t think you got herself abducted by aliens, do you!?

Mio:[gasps]

Ui:Hey everyone! Excuse me!

Tsumugi:Ui-chan.

Ui:Have you guys found my sister yet?

Tsumugi:No. I’m afraid not.

Mio:We’ve looked everywhere and can’t find her.

Ui:Jun-chan told me what happened. She disappeared right before you got to the park check point?

Ritsu:Yeah. At least that’s when we all first realised that she was missing.

Ui:Then I think we’ll find her hanging around somewhere in that area.




Yui:Whoa..! It’s standing!

Granny:Your tea stem is standing upright. That means something good will come your way today.

Yui:Really? But you know that the teru bozu weather dolls that you told me about didn’t worked the way you said it would.

Granny:Oh, it didn’t?

Yui:Wha! I really should get going now.

Granny:Yes, I suppose you should. In that case, eat this before you take off. You need energy to run your hardest.

Yui:Hm. Oh?

Granny:Oh, another visitor?

Ritsu:Do you have any idea how worried we all were!? And here you are, eating chestnut jelly cake without caring the world!

Yui:I’m sorry! I tripped and skinned my knee just as granny was passing by. And she cleaned it up and put a bandage on it. And then, she invited me in for tea so I took a.. little break..

Ui:Oh, were you hurt badly?

Yui:Nah, it’s just a little scrape.

Tsumugi:Thank goodness, it wasn’t anything serious.

Mio:I’m just amazed that you newed a look for her here.

Ui:The course passed my neighbourhood, so I thought there was a good chance she might be here. I’m sorry for the trouble she caused. I’ll go ahead to the school now and let everyone know that she’s okay and that nothing really bad happened to her. You guys just take your time finishing the race, okay?

Ritsu:That's one level-headed girl.

Yui:Let’s take her up on her offer and take our time until the finish line!

Mio:And one that’s screwed up.

Ritsu:We’re gonna be dead last now that’s for sure.

Tsumugi:Oh that doesn’t bother me.

Mio:No way.. They’ll all stare at us and I'll die of embarrassment.

Ritsu:What’s this I see? You tripping and getting even more fans?

Mio:[gasps] Spare me the twisted rejection!

Ritsu:Ahhh!






Azusa:It’s great news that Yui sempai is okay.

Ui:Yeah, it really is.

Jun:Hey, look the back!

Ui:Hm?

Mio:I know everyone’s watching us.

Tsumugi:It’s okay. Let’s just focus on crossing the finish line together.

Azusa:Sempai!! If you don’t hurry they are gonna run out of mochi for the red bean soup!

Ritsu:What’s up, Yui?

Yui:Omochi..? It’s that mochi!

Ritsu:Huh?

Yui:I ate that mochi with my lunch so that means there’s gonna be one short for the red bean soup! And that means the person that finishes last won’t be getting a mochi...

Ritsu:What!?

Yui:MOCHIIII!!

Ritsu:Hey! Wait for us!

Tsumugi:There’s a one getting no mochi?

Mio:I don’t wanna finish last!!

Ritsu:Wait!!

Nodoka:They are all running faster all of a sudden.

Ui:Wonder why.

Mio:Where is she getting all this power from!?

Yui:Mochiiiii!!!!

Ritsu:Mochi really means that much to you!?

Mio:I am not going to finish laaaaaaast!!!

Mio:Uh-oh.

Student:Hey, are you all right?

Mio:I drew attention to myself..

Yui:Let’s thank they had enough mochi even for the person who finish last, right?

Ritsu:Well of course, that makes perfect sense! They wouldn’t have bought the exact same number of mochi as there are students now, would they?

Mio:[sighs]

Ritsu:Hm?

Mio:Thanks to Yui's crazy idea, I ended up..

Ritsu:My prediction came true.

Yui:I’m sorry, Mio-chan.

Tsumugi:Still, it was kind of fun, wasn’t it?

Yui:Yeah, I could get used to running marathons.

Mio, Ritsu:Hey, speak for yourself!

Yui:I’m really sorry. Hey, does anyone wanna have seconds of soup? There are still plenty of mochi left.

Ritsu:The ones that are left are for the teachers.

Tsumugi:Ah, speaking of teachers, where is Sawa-chan?

Mio, Ritsu, Yui:Huh?

Sawako:Hey Yui, are you there? Where are you? There isn’t gonna be any soup left. [sighs] I’m so hungry..