Side Story 4. One heart field day (5)

Tables were not provided; instead, silver mats that dazzlingly reflected the sunlight were neatly spread on the ground. At his team members' urging, Yoo Tae-kyung took a seat in Team 2's circle.

"Well, it's nice to do this once in a while, isn't it, Team Leader?"

"Don't get too worked up. You're not kids, and I won't give you time off if you get injured over something like this."

However, even he, who had been the most cynical about the field day among the dispatched hunters, already had dirt smudges here and there on his black suit.

Meanwhile, Team 7, the Flight Team, huddled on the mat with serious faces. In reality, only two were serious, while the third person was born with a naturally serious demeanor.

"Ugh, this is really worrying."

Certainly, as they went through various events, teams with larger numbers started coming up with all sorts of clever strategies. As a result, Teams 1, 2, and 7, essentially considered the ace teams of the headquarters, began to slip down the rankings.

"It's hard to just enjoy this when my competitive spirit is rising. Plus, it's even more frustrating to fall behind after being in first place!"

Team 7 had fallen all the way to 4th place. While there had been individual competitions under the name of public training before, this kind of team competition was a first. And these weren't just any teams, but teams with comrades who had fought together risking their lives. Other hunters too had thrown away their initial awkward attitudes and started giving it their all. The Flight Team leader, who was the first to get caught up in the competition and was still caught up, had greatly contributed to erasing others' sense of shame.

"We can't let this happen when I promised the Director we'd keep first place."

The kimbap was mashed in Soram's mouth.

"Tae-un oppa, don't you have any strategies?"

"That's right! Han Tae-un, rack that good brain of yours."

"..."

Receiving desperate looks, Tae-un raised his gaze to look around at the other six teams, then pulled his gaze back to his team members.

"Then shall we properly set up a strategy from the next round?"

***

After lunch break, the games resumed.

"That event was created because of those two from the Flight Team who attend the same university."

A hunter muttered, recalling a video that had caused a stir on various sites with explosive views around late spring.

7TH MATCH – Arm Wrestling

"Kim–Ga–eul! Kim–Ga–eul!"

As soon as the event was announced, screams of cheers erupted from Team 1. The shortest member among them turned her shoulders with a smug expression.

If a world arm wrestling championship were held and its result were to determine the fate of nations, there was only one person who would represent South Korea.

It was Kim Ga-eul, who boasted the strongest power and superhuman strength in Korea, and thus was the confident winner of this match. While other teams had naturally gifted strong individuals, and even the Flight Team had Han Tae-un, a rising star in the power lineage, there was still no one who could beat Kim Ga-eul.

For this match, even other teams seemed to prepare with the attitude of "Well, let's see how much more terrifying Ga-eul has become."

The competition was a tournament style with randomly assigned groups. Before the representative players came out, the match-ups were made on the electronic display board.

"Wow."

"My goodness, it's turned out like this again."

Round 1.

Team 1 VS Team 7

Seeing the two teams matched up in the preliminaries, other teams cheered with expectation and relief.

Kim Ga-eul, the long-standing No. 1 in the power ranking, versus Han Tae-un, rising at a terrifying speed. Though it was a preliminary match, it was essentially the final.

Ga-eul, having confirmed her opponent, confidently walked to the side of the match table and shouted towards Team 7.

"Han Tae-un, come out! I've been wanting to face you anyway!"

Then Tae-un stepped out from the tent. Ga-eul's gaze full of fighting spirit and Tae-un's stoic gaze met in mid-air. Even some hunters still sitting on the mats came forward, seeing the exciting atmosphere.

Tae-un, taking heavy steps of challenge towards the No. 1, suddenly stopped his feet at the point where the tent's shadow ended. Then he slowly turned his head to the side.

Passing by Tae-un's side, Team 7's real representative approached Ga-eul step by step.

"Woof!"

The giant dog, drawing many gazes, pushed aside the chair in front of the match table and sat down in its place. A moist triangular nose approached Ga-eul's face.

–Uh..., ah, Team 7's representative, the dog Lee Aila!

Aila, who had come out to the arena, extended one front paw onto the table. As Ga-eul grabbed that hand in bewilderment, soft fur sprouted between her fingers and her palm sank into warm pink jelly. It was an ecstatic sensation that gave her goosebumps on her right arm.

"Hey, y-you, you cowardly Flight Team..."

"Match start!"

While she was intoxicated by the softness in her palm, the match began. Ga-eul barely gathered her wits.

'No, Kim Ga-eul, calm down. Our team is currently competing for 1st and 2nd place from last place. Aila's power doesn't seem that strong, I'll just lightly push it over and...'

"Lee Aila, special move!"

Soram shouted from afar. Aila opened its mouth slightly.

"Keeung..."

Soon, eyes like wet obsidian spoke to her.

'Ga-eul...'

"Uh, huh?"

'Are you going to ruthlessly break my chubby and soft jelly paw...?'

"Ah, no, that's not..."

'Don't put too much strength on the front paws, small dogs often have knee problems...'

"You, didn't all your chronic illnesses get cured when you awakened with Ayoung! I came out as our team's representative so I have no choice, ah, ah..."

"Keem, keum...?"

"..."

"Woof!"

Kim Ga-eul suffered a crushing defeat. Returning to Team 1 with the result of elimination from the preliminaries, she faced her team members with narrowed eyes and disappeared, leaving behind a pitiful "I'm a person before I'm a chief!"

Aila instantly climbed through all the tournaments, bringing first place to the Flight Team.

"Woof! Woof!"

Thus, the Flight Team scored their first 1st place points.

People shuddered as they watched Soram laughing evilly like a demon lord. Among them, the one with the most intense gaze was Ga-eul, who had returned wiping her tears. Only Ayoung, who uniquely knew that this strategy came from Tae-un's mind rather than Soram's, was looking at Tae-un with an incredulous face.

After fierce competitions that spared nothing, the final round finally arrived.

LAST MATCH – Obstacle Race (Group)

The finale of the field day was, of course, the relay race. It was allocated the most time and had enough points at stake to allow for a reversal. In other words, it was today's main event.

–But we're hunters after all, so just running wouldn't be fun, right?

This time, the hunters knew what traps were lurking even before hearing the explanation. It was because a survey had come during lunchtime a few hours ago.

<Each team suggested one obstacle that would be advantageous to their own team but disadvantageous to others>

When this scene is broadcast, a caption like this will probably be attached at the bottom.

The start and finish points of the relay course were at the baseball field where the field day had begun. However, the notable point was that the course went far out of the baseball field and came back. Given that hunters could jump over two or three building widths in one leap if there were no obstacles, it was expected that the course would not be short at all.

―Now, has each team decided on their five relay runners and their order? Hmm, good!

Agency Director Park Jae-seon, who had been out as a safety officer, returned to Team 7, making up the five with four people and one animal for the Flight Team.

"Since it's the last match, we should take it seriously."

The Flight Team's first runner was Director Park Jae-seon. Other teams, thinking it was important to create a distance in the early stages, also assigned 1st-grade or the fastest hunters.

Among the seven runners standing at the starting line, one person in particular received glares. It was current Director Shin, who came out as the first runner representing Team 3. It was the result of accommodating complaints like "Even the Director who was a team leader long ago came out to support, how can a person who was a team leader until a few months ago not come out to support!" In fact, it seemed he wanted to put down the host's microphone and join in because it looked fun.

-On your marks, get set.

Instead of the excited voice heard until now, Deputy Director Kwon Jung-oh's voice flowed from the speakers.

Bang!

Before the sound of the blank gun could echo off the collapsed building walls, the hunters' bodies sprang forward.

In an instant, they passed through the baseball stadium exit and ran following the signs set up along the road.