Ep. 16 The Basement Strikes Back

Ep. 16 “The Basement Strikes Back” — English script

Page 1

Wake up, Tetsu!! There's a notice!!

October. Sports season. Nashigasaka City Hall, the basement.

Inter-Section Sports Day. For staff health.

Every section is taking part, apparently.

My health is built on naps.

A sports day? How nostalgic.

The basement's opting out. Opting out.

Page 2

...Who's that?

Her tracksuit is brand new.

Himuro, Policy Planning, main building.

I brought your entry form.

The basement can sit this one out, Akamine.

Himuro... Saeko...!!

Page 3

The winning section gets to pick any empty room in the building.

We'll be taking the top floor.

The top floor... a corner room...!?

South-facing windows!! Nap all day!!

A hundred yen commission per win? Then I'm in.

We're in. Basement, every event!!

...Just try not to trip.

Page 4

The basement? Suits you, Akamine.

—The day she was transferred to the basement.

The sports day during new-hire training.

Always, always... I came in second.

This time... I'm the one taking first!!

Yeah. For the corner room.

Your motives are all over the place.

Page 5

Let's check our forces.

Tetsu, thirty-eight. His stamina is the real deal.

Muscles never betray!!

Three push-ups is my limit.

I have to water my bonsai.

"Players must belong to that section"...

"Teams of five per event"...

...Even counting the Chief, we're only four!!

Page 6

Delivery for you~!!

He comes every day... so he's practically in the unit!!

...Is he, though...?

I'm confident in my legs from delivering up hills!!

Then you're a player!!

Player registration form, number one.

Page 7

Mind if I wipe the floor here?

The cleaning lady's practically in the unit too!! A player!!

This bonsai is here every day too!!

Register it!!

Genda. This one doesn't compete.

...Yes, sir.

That makes six!! A team of five, complete!!

The Chief's counted too, I see.

...Huh?

Page 8

Play-by-play from PR!! Commentary from the main building's director!!

The last event is the Upset Tug-of-War!! Last place can challenge first!!

Sunday. Nashigasaka Citizens' Gymnasium.

It's for staff health. Mind you don't get hurt.

...But do win.

Policy Planning. First place in every event.

Facing them: the Basement!! What a colorful lineup!!

The corner room is mine!!

Page 9

Event one: Paper Mountain Relay!!

I sleep on mountains of paper every day... I can tell by smell!!

This one goes right!! This one goes left!!

Moving-in notice: Residents' Section! Pothole: Roads Section!!

Note: In a Japanese city hall, each kind of paperwork has its own section: a moving-in notice goes to the residents' section, road damage to the roads section. Section names and divisions vary by city.

...I want him in my section.

These legs are trained by mopping!!

Event one done. A hundred yen commission.

...Is that lady from the basement too?

Page 10

Event two: Hill Dash!!

A hundred yen, a hundred yen, a hundred yen...

Suzuki from the basement — I can see afterimages!!

Delivery coming through~!!

Ngh...!!

Slow motion

...You're fast.

I deliver up this hill every day.

Page 11

Event three: Counter Smile Showdown!!

...Welcome.

Eek... s-scary...

Event four: Approval Stamp Speed Race!!

Just my usual approval speed.

Quietly... an overwhelming win!!

The basement is thirty points behind first!!

...The basement, getting this far...!?

Page 12

Everyone Relay!! Any number of runners!!

Today this gym is our unit's office!!

Everyone here is a player!!

Let them run!!

Tetsu, wait!? ...B-but first place...!!

Fifty runners. Win and we get commission. No reason to stop.

Team Basement: fifty runners, unbelievable!!

Page 13

The basement takes first in a comeback!!

I can see the corner room!!

Referee!! People who don't belong are running!!

...Let me check.

...The roster, I see.

...Wait, maybe he's got a point...!?

Page 14

In the rules, "belongs to the section" means...

someone listed on the staff roster.

If you come to the office every day, you belong, right!?

Belonging is decided by appointment orders.

Note: In Japanese local governments, the section an employee belongs to is set by a written appointment order (jirei), not by where they show up every day.

The delivery man and the cleaning lady are not city employees.

The paper, hill, and everyone relays are disqualified. Plus a point deduction.

The basement drops to dead last!!

Page 15

Final event: Upset Tug-of-War!! Win and get a hundred points!!

The challenger is... last-place Basement!!

The corner room... my corner room...

Basement has four!! Policy Planning has ten!!

...You can withdraw, you know, Akamine.

I can't even... take second...

I'm sorry... it's because we joined in.

We've caused you trouble, dear...

Page 16

I apologize for dragging you all into this.

...I'll take the very back.

C-Chief!?

In tug-of-war, you don't pull with your arms.

Lean your body back and dig in with your feet.

Note: Basic tug-of-war technique: lean back, set your feet, and put your whole body weight on the rope instead of pulling with your arms. Shoes that don't slip help.

So I just fall backward... Same as a hammock!!

I-it won't budge!! The basement hasn't moved an inch!!

Pull!! Everyone, pull!!

Page 17

We won... we won!!

...You beat me fair and square, Akamine.

A ten-point margin!! The basement wins the title in a reversal!!

Let's add a citizens' division next year.

The top-floor corner room!! This is it!!

...Are you sure that's the one?

Page 18

If he comes every day... he's practically in the unit!!

"Come every day, and you belong." Wasn't that it?

Then, Genda, you'll take the stairs every day. And move all by yourself.

My own logic!?

Why is it just me!!

The elevator is for visitors first.

Round trips from the basement to the top floor, over and over.

Page 19

Hey, working hard, I see.

A week later. Nine o'clock.

Hey, working hard, I see.

Ten o'clock. Eleven o'clock.

Chief... please send me back to the basement...!!

Then you'll go back by the stairs, too.

The basement is the best after all~

The corner room goes to runner-up Policy Planning.

Akamine. Next year, I won't lose.

Hey, the basement's working hard too.

You come all the way down here!?

Your walking route got longer.