“Ladies and gentlemen,” Mr. Tachibana said loudly, to get everyone’s attention again. “Come and get your ribbons. Remember, your job is to both secure your own ribbon as well as steal as many ribbons from the other teams as you can to win the game.”
Akira raised her hand as if she were a student. “Tachibana-sensei?” she asked.
“Yes, Akira.” Mr. Tachibana turned his attention to her. “What is it?”
“We can secure the ribbon anywhere on our body and however we like, right?”
Mr. Tachibana nodded in the positive. “That’s right. As long as it is secured and everyone can see it. You can tie the ribbon around your head, your wrist, or your waist. You can even wear it around your neck or across your body like a beauty pageant sash.”
“Yeah!” Tristan said. “That’s me, the pageant queen.”
Everyone laughed, even the adults.
“You have one minute to organize your teams and plan your strategy,” Mr. Tachibana said. “And your one minute starts now.”
Each team huddled up and began planning their strategies. At this point, Sakura found herself interested in Team Superhero, the weakest amongst the five. Strength-wise, they obviously couldn’t compete with the others, which mostly contained strong men who were over six feet tall and had muscular builds. Then again, Sakura had a feeling that Akira must have something up her sleeve, because otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked Mr. Tachibana about securing the ribbons.
Sure enough, she could hear what their plans were from where she sat. Suddenly, she wanted to chuckle with amusement because, well, their tactic might just work out.
Akira, Jane, and Michael were huddled together at a spot a good distance away from the rest of the teams, closer to where Sakura was sitting. Michael looked rather worried, and Akira decided to explain her scheme to the team as soon as possible to ease Michael’s concern.
She said, “Listen here. I have a plan.”
“You have a plan?” Michael asked.
She nodded.
Jane said, “Okay. What is it? Try not to be last place? Try at least to keep our ribbons intact?”
Akira chuckled. “Jane, don’t be so pessimistic.”
At this, Jane blushed.
Michael said, “Well, that is the most we can do, right?”
Akira shook her head. “You two, snap out of it. Michael, what happened to your winning attitude? Only twenty minutes ago, you were boasting to Sakura how awesome you were.”
Michael said bluntly, “I lost my confidence when I found out Nicolas wasn’t on my team.”
Akira couldn’t help but smile at the boy.
So, he knows his weakness, eh?
She said, “Michael, you’re small, so you can dodge those lousy big men, right?”
Michael looked surprised, as if he’d just realized that. “Yeah,” he said. “I can dodge and slip away fine. I’m real good at that. My movement and agility is really quick. I’m really good at dodgeball, you know.”
Akira nodded. “So, you’ll be on the left. I’ll be on the right, and Jane will be in the middle.”
Jane asked, “Why am I in the middle?”
“Because you’re timid and won’t be able to do certain things,” Akira explained.
“That’s true,” Jane admitted with a grin.
Akira nodded. “And as for you and me, Jane, here’s how we’re going to wear our ribbons. We’re going to have them around our necks and the ends tucked securely under our bras.”
Jane blinked. “Come again?”
Akira said, “We’re going to secure the ends of the ribbons under our bras, and when anyone tries to steal our ribbons, we’ll puff out our chests because those men aren’t going to touch our breasts, right?”
It was then Jane understood what Akira’s plan was. “Oh, yes. I see. That sounds like it might just work.”
Akira nodded. “And you, Michael, while everyone is busy targeting Jane and me, here’s what you’re going to do.”
Michael leaned in and listened carefully to Akira’s whispering.
“All right, everyone,” Mr. Tachibana said to grab the crowd’s attention. “Your one minute is up. Now please come into the perimeter of the court. There’s the finish line.” He pointed to the end of the garden where there was a mark indicating the finish line.
“Once you think you’ve stolen enough ribbons, run, hop, crawl, walk—do whatever you can to get to the finish line, because otherwise, you’re not qualified for the points. Now, come and get your legs tied up with your team members.”
There was a lot of movement and preparing after that, and some two to three minutes later, the participants were ready.
“Oi! Michael!” Tristan shouted. “We’re coming for you first.”
Michael poked out his tongue at Team Thunder and even waved his green ribbon around. “Come and get it, Team Thunder-less. But it’s only ten points. Just so you know, Akira has the yellow ribbon and Jane has the red.”
“Oi! Michael!” Mary shouted from the sidelines. “You’re not supposed to tell your opponent that. You’re giving them an advantage. Are you that eager to lose? Sakura’s lips are on the line here. Do you want Team Thunder-lessto kiss Sakura?”
At this, the spectators laughed, while Sakura blushed.
Michael shrugged now that his baiting the other teams had been done to perfection. And then it was time to begin the game.
“On your mark,” Mr. Tachibana said. “Get set…and go!”
From where Sakura sat, she could see there was a lot of hustle and bustle as everyone moved about the field. Of course, it was rather hard because it was a four-legged race with ribbons to steal. Some of them were stumbling and falling because they couldn’t coordinate the steps.
As promised, Sakura saw that Team Thunder charged straight toward Team Superhero. Tristan and Logan, who were on the left and right respectively, while Ms. Ruka was in the middle, stormed straight at Michael.
Michael streaked as he dodged low, but he wasn’t fast enough. He was literally attached to Jane by the leg and Jane to Akira. This made his movement awkward and slower than he expected. Tristan caught him by the arm and managed to grab the green ribbon from the boy’s neck, thus stealing ten points from Team Superhero.
“Score!” the man shouted. “It’s green. That’s ten extra points for us.”
“It’s not fair!” Michael shouted. “You’re too big and too strong.”
Logan said, “Sorry, little brat, but that’s the law of nature. It’s Darwin’s theory. Survival of the fittest.” He turned to Akira and said, “Now it’s your turn.” He stretched his hand out toward her as he chuckled in an evil manner.
Instantly, Akira puffed her chest out and even went so far as to thrust her mounds toward his hands.
“Eee!” Logan squeaked in surprise, withdrawing his hands as he jumped back at the same time. He demanded, “What are you doing, woman? Put those beautiful babies away! And where are the ends of the ribbons?”
Akira smiled with glee. “Inside my bra. If you want it, come and get it.”
Logan said, “Hey, that’s not fair. Who said you could hide the ends of the ribbons under there?”
Akira raised her head proudly at her smart tactic and said, “Darwin’s theory, sweetheart. Survival of the fittest.”
Logan said, “Darwin’s theory, my ass! I don’t care. I want to kiss Sakura, and your beautiful boobies are no threat to me.” With that, he boldly came forward with his hands outstretched in a leering way.
Akira thrust her chest out even more this time, daring him to touch her.
Tristan encouraged his brother. “You can do it, Logan. Be a man!”
While Team Thunder was concentrating on getting Akira’s and Jane’s ribbons, Michael went about doing his designated job, which was to silently and sneakily steal the other team’s ribbons. Of course, it was a piece of cake for him because all three were wearing their ribbons in the pageant style, with the ends of the ribbons knotted together loosely at the side of their waists.
It was good, too, that no one was paying him any attention, except for the spectators who were trying their hardest to hide their giggling and amusement. Mary, Katherine, and Beth were dying to shout out words of encouragement to Michael while at the same time yelling at Tristan, Logan, and Ms. Ruka for being so blind to the thief right under their very fine noses. But of course, since they wanted the underdog to win, they didn’t want the other teams to find out what was up Team Superhero’s sleeve. They even drew attention away from Michael by bullying and harassing Logan.
Mary shouted, “Logan, that’s sexual harassment. It’s not allowed in the game.”
Katherine nodded, while Beth booed him. Meanwhile, both Brenda and Haruka couldn’t control themselves as they laughed away merrily. Daddy James was chuckling so loudly that his stomach began to hurt. Mr. Tachibana, on the other hand, was busy commentating on Team SOS, Team Mother Earth, and Team Peter Pan, who were currently going on about a three-way four-legged war.
At this point, when Logan’s hands were merely inches from Akira’s boobs, Sakura shouted, “Someone please save Akira from Logan.”
Suddenly, Logan and his teammates were overthrown to the side by a bull-like charge. All three fell sideways onto the ground, sprawling against one another.
It was Team Mother Earth who carried out the assault, with Nicolas as the leader.
“No sexual harassment in the game, Logan,” Nicolas said.
Tristan glared at his brother. “You charged at us because Logan was about to touch your girlfriend’s boobies, didn’t you?”
Nicolas said firmly, “I said no sexual harassment.”
Tristan brushed aside his warning. He turned to Sebastian and Darcy. “And, you two, you charged because it was Sakura who called out asking for help, didn’t you?”
The brothers managed to look guilty at this allegation.
It was then that Michael did a soft cough to draw Akira’s and Jane’s attention. When the two noted that their mission had been completed, they all nodded at each other in understanding and slowly started to move back.
Akira said, “It’s nice playing with you all.” With that, she, Jane, and Michael four-legged ran toward the finish line.
Team Thunder noticed them trying to escape and scrambled to get up. Tristan shouted, “Hey, we haven’t stolen all your ribbons yet.”
Team Superhero wasn’t listening, though. They half ran, half hopped with their four legs across the field like the devil was chasing after them.
“You won’t get away!” Logan shouted after them.
Team Thunder was about to go after Team Superhero when Team Mother Earth stopped them in their tracks.
Nicolas said, “You’re not going anywhere. Now give us the ribbons.”
Tristan barked a sarcastic laugh. “Over Ms. Ruka’s living body.”
Ms. Ruka said, “Over my body? That would be my pleasure.” She even giggled with delight.
Tristan said, “Now, Ms. Ruka, thrust out your chest and show them your boobies.”
Ms. Ruka found this attention rather exciting and indeed thrust out her chest.
Logan said, “Before we go after Team Superhero, we’ll steal all of Team Mother Earth’s ribbons.”
Tristan and Ms. Ruka nodded in unison. Thus, the two teams started tricking one another to figure out where their ribbons were hidden.
When neither team found the other’s, Darcy finally said, “Where the hell are your ribbons?”
Ms. Ruka replied, “We can say the same about yours. Where are they?”
It was then the crowd cheered loudly. “Go Team Superhero. You can do it!”
Mr. Tachibana, the commentator, said, “Team Superhero is about to make it, everyone. If they pass the finish line, it’s all over. That’s right. It’s going to be all over with one hundred and eighty points. Now, which team will be able to stop these underdogs from reaching the finish line?”
Tristan shouted, “What the hell?”
Sebastian chuckled with amusement. “They stole all of our ribbons.”
Logan yelled, “Quick! After them!”
In an instant, every other team turned their attention to Team Superhero, including Team Peter Pan and Team SOS.
Michael shouted in annoyance at Mr. Tachibana, “Tachibana-sensei, you weren’t supposed to reveal our points to everyone. Now look at what you’ve done.”
Jane screamed her head off, as they were being chased around like a bunch of criminals.
Akira managed to say, in between her laughter, “Quick! To the finish line.”
Jane puffed out, “I’m doing my best.”
“We’re almost there!” Michael shouted.
Tristan barked out warnings. “You won’t get away, you little rascals!”
Sakura and the rest of the spectators shouted, “Go, Team Superhero! Go!”
Only a little more to go, Sakura thought and prayed for their safe finish. Suddenly, Team Mother Earth was right behind them. Nicolas, who was on the left, caught hold of Akira by wrapping his strong arm around her middle and pulled her down with him as his team fell to the ground.