7O3X Fastest Finger First (ナナマル サンバツ)

It's already been a week since then.

Fukami-san has invited me numerous times...

I finally caught you!

Why haven't you been coming here lately?

I've been waiting for you!

It felt great, didn't it?

Did you forget that already?

It was your first time, wasn't it?

Anyone would want to keep doing it more...

after getting a correct answer like that in quiz bowl!

It's not so much quiz bowl...

I haven't really given much thought to any clubs yet.

If you haven't picked one, that's perfect!

You can't just run away now! It's not fair!

Yeah, but...

Koshiyama-kun...

Listen to me, okay?

O-Okay...

Tomorrow is Saturday, and we don't have school.

Will you be free?

Huh? W-Well, if I had to say one way or the other...

I-I'm free, yes.

Then I'll be waiting tomorrow morning at ten,

at the Kawata Station ticket gates.

Huh?! Wh-Wh-Why?!

Fukami-san, you're proposing a date already?

With him?

Huh?

N-No, it's not like that!

There's a quiz meet tomorrow at Sekigaoka High School.

Our quiz bowl circle is going to watch!

Huh?

I want you to watch it with us, even if it's only as a provisional member.

O-Oh, a quiz thing?

I see... A quiz thing...

Um, Fukami-san...

Could I join you for that, too?

Really?

Yes! Please come along, Inoue-kun!

Koshiyama-kun, see you tomorrow!

Uh, yeah. Tomorrow.

Fastest Finger First

Question 2: "A Matter of 0.01 Seconds?!"

I let her talk me into coming,

but doesn't getting here first make me look like I'm trying too hard?

Koshiyama-kun!

I'm so glad! You really came!

I was kind of pushy about it, so I was worried you wouldn't.

Still twenty minutes to go...

Wait, am I alone with Fukami-san right now?

I'm alone with a girl, even though I'm not at school?

Wh-What do I talk about?

Okay, here's a question.

Huh?

Napoleon was famously born on what Mediterranean island in the French domain?

Corsica?

Bingo!

She's quizzing me here?

So you're good with history too, huh?

Y-Yeah, sort of...

Then... how about questions like this?

Here.

The area of exposed skin between the hem of a miniskirt

and the tops of knee-high socks is known by what name?

Th-There's a name for that?

As I suspected.

You like books, but you're not an otaku.

Wh-What's the answer?

Absolute territory.

Absolute... territory?

You know how guys like a teasing hint more than full nudity?

In certain circles, it's one of the most potent aspects of moe culture.

I had no idea...

Absolute territory...

You won't find it.

The way you crave more knowledge makes you even more suited for quiz bowl.

S-Straight to that topic again...

Exchanging quiz questions and answers with others is fun, isn't it?

I played with my friend that way in middle school all the time.

Your friend?

Yeah.

We ended up in different high schools, though.

I hope we can do quiz bowl together again someday.

A friend who shares the same hobby, huh?

Maybe I should've joined the literature club.

Wait!

Don't make that your answer yet!

At least not until after today's meet!

I'll try really hard today, so be sure to watch!

O-Okay.

Koshiyama!

Man, why did you have to get here so early?!

Damn it! I'm too late!

Morning, Inoue-kun.

Oh. He's from "certain circles."

Your skirt length, absolute territory,

and sock length have a ratio of 4 to 1 to 2.4.

That is imperfect, Fukami-kun.

Good morning, Sasajima-senpai.

Incidentally, why are there only two of you here?

I'm certain my speech was perfect.

U-Um...

Oh, you're here?

Um, where are the other circle members?

These are all the members.

The Buzou High School quiz circle only just started up.

If they don't have enough members,

it's no wonder she wants me to join.

Sekigawata Middle School Sekigawata High School

Today's event is a quiz meet hosted by

the Sekigawata quiz circle for new quiz bowl team members.

At other schools,

there may well be students who were interested in quiz bowl before the school year began.

Even if we can't act, you must stay focused.

Um, we're just here to observe, right?

I've entered all of you.

What?!

Sorry!

Listen up!

All those here are both comrades and rivals!

Be especially attentive to the way they all play the game.

Our rivals' life bars seem to have dropped to zero.

Sasajima!

You got enough members. Congrats.

Niina-san.

Thanks for having us today.

Miyaura High School Third-year Ashiya Yousuke

Sekigawata High School Third-year Niina Takumi

Wow, I'm jealous. You have a girl member.

It makes no difference whether you're male or female in quiz bowl.

The reason there are so few girls in quiz bowl

is because most of the schools with strong quiz bowl teams are all boys' schools.

But our quiz bowl team is 100% female.

Asagaoka Girls' High School Third-year Sonohara Chiaki

Welcome, Chiaki-san.

An all-girls school quiz bowl team?

Yukicchi...

Maririn.

I haven't seen you since we graduated.

The Asagaoka uniform looks great on you.

Maririn...

I didn't know Buzou had a quiz bowl team.

That's great.

I'm so glad I get to play quiz bowl with you again.

Yeah. Good luck to us both.

Was that the friend from middle school?

Four Schools Quiz Meet

May the best team win.

It's starting.

Here's our program for today.

The buzzer battle will last three rounds.

Round 1

In round 1, the 16 participants will be split into two groups of eight.

Round 2

The three winners in each group will proceed to round 2.

In round 1, the first to score 5 points wins.

First to 5 Points Wins

There's no penalty for an incorrect answer.

Incorrect Answers: No Penalty

After buzzing in, you'll have five seconds to answer.

Time Limit

Seconds

We'll start with group 1.

Yukicchi...

First, we'll have a buzzer test.

A buzzer test?

Wow, that's kinda cool.

The buzzer test verifies that all the buzzers are working,

and gives the players a feel for the buzzers.

It's an indispensable ritual conducted before every match.

It can also be called the signal to begin the match.

W-Will I be doing that, too?

Question.

In soccer, games played on a team's own field are called "hom—

A few of them buzzed at once!

But...

Sasaki-kun.

Away.

Correct!

Fukami-san was beaten to the buzzer...

Sekigawata Middle School Sasaki

That Sekigawata Middle School first-year is good.

Middle school first-year?!

In combined middle and high schools,

many clubs include members from both school levels.

He has an advantage over people who start in high school.

1R First to 5 Points Group 1

Miyaura High School Mukai

Sekigawata High School Namiki

Sekigawata High School Taguchi

Miyaura High School Maruyama

Sekigawata Middle School Sasaki

Asagaoka Girls' High School Kouzuki

Buzou High School Fukami

Miyaura High School Hamada

Sasaki-kun of Sekigawata Middle School

passes the round with five points!

Fukami-san was buzzing in, but...

Fast buzzing can determine the winner by a margin of 0.01 seconds.

So this is what she meant by a margin of 0.01 seconds.