#204

After the scavenger hunt was over, other individual events were held.

Yuuto was the main scorer for us, and we moved on to the next group event, leaving the other classes behind, if only by a few points.

The next event was the three-legged race in which Shizuku and I competed.

Since it is an inter-class competition, the distribution of points is large, and if you are aiming for the overall championship, you will want to aim for the top ranks in this event.

The rule is that it is done in male-female pairs, so there are usually many students in every class who participate in both men’s and women’s club activities.

The track and field club has many classes that are especially packed with students who are at the top.

Among them, we, the third class, chose the pair of Shinra and Kanazaki as the first runners.

There are several reasons for this, but to put it simply, we wanted to make sure that they would not stumble at the beginning.

We accepted Yuuto’s idea to choose the pair that we could trust the most from the start to the finish line.
While each of the runners’ feet were tied with hand towels brought by their friends, we asked Kirasaka to tie mine and Shizuku’s.

“It hurts!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, it was on purpose.”

“…”

The cloth was tied tightly around Shizuku’s thin, white legs, and Kirasaka did not hide it, but instead said it out proudly.

The knot was a little tight for my legs, but I felt something akin to killing intent coming from the gaze I exchanged with her as I returned from my kneeling position.

A chill ran down my spine.

Just between you and me, when the student council elections were over and the competition was officially under consideration, the only event Kirasaka showed any interest in competing in was the tripod.

However, as a rule, it is forbidden for the same student to run twice.

Temporary substitutions are allowed when a student scheduled to compete is injured, but since Kirasaka’s request was to compete in a pair with me, which was difficult to achieve.

Kirasaka reluctantly agreed, and this time Shizuku was given priority, but even now, on the day of the event, she still seems to be holding on to her roots a little.

“Why should I be helping you?”

“The rules forbid them from tying the knot themselves.”

The spectacle of Shizuku reprimanding Kirasaka, who complained unusually, spread out, but I turned my gaze to the students in the other class next to me.

I looked at the students in the other classes lined up next to me.

If you look at my athletic ability alone, our predicted ranking would be low because of me lagging behind.

It might be better to aim for the middle of the pack and make sure to advance, rather than aiming for first place or the top of the class.

As I was looking at the situation, Kirasaka started to talk about it.

“In a three-legged race, three things are important: speed, timing, and stride. Well, as far as you guys are concerned, the only problem is speed.”

“Why…?”

The fact is, I haven’t practiced much and I don’t have any illusions that I’m going to suddenly do well in the real thing…

But, Shizuku also nodded her head in agreement with Kirasaka’s words.

“The timing goes without saying since you’ve known each other since childhood, and even your stride is always on your mind, Shinra-kun.”

“When you walk with us, you always walk with a smaller stride than usual.”

Oh …that’s what she means.
You guys are paying closer attention than I thought.

I’m not saying that I was hiding the fact that I was adjusting to the girls, or that I was paying attention to them.

I was just slowing down because I couldn’t help but go ahead of one of them.

I was a little embarrassed and turned away from her gaze when Shizuku, who was standing a fist’s distance away from me, looked up at me with an upward glance.

Kirasaka went on with her story.

“The first step is to start with the opposite leg, which is not tied, and the speed and timing of the run should be constant, at a speed that the two of you decide is right for each other.”

“I understand.”

After saying this, Kirasaka smiled and turned backwards.
She returned to the student council tent, and not the cheering area.

…I was wondering whether to tell her that she shouldn’t go back since she was the reserve, but I shouldn’t do that because it would only make the atmosphere worse.

While the teachers were checking the course and the running order, the first runners lined up at the starting line.

Me and Shizuku also stood shoulder to shoulder.

“Hmmm… I didn’t expect Minato-kun to run with me.”

“You were the one who asked me, weren’t you?”

I said with a sigh to Shizuku, who smiled happily.
I’m not sure what she was talking about when she was the one to invite me.

It might be out of place to ask this just before the start, but there was something I wanted to ask Shizuku.

“Do you want to take the first place?”

It’s natural to want to win first place in a competition.
But, when she’s paired with me, it’s almost as if she’s abandoning her goal to be number one.

I am not worried about it, but she also hates to lose.

I was honored that she chose me as a pair, but I honestly wondered if I was the right choice.

“Of course! However, it is more important for me to compete with Minato-kun. The result comes next.”

Shizuku, who told me without a pause in response to my question, smiled with satisfaction.

There was no lie in what she just said.

She was not seeking for the result because she was focused on competing in the same event at the sports festival.

When someone tells me with real intention and without hesitation, it makes me want to be a little presentable, too.

“Then, shall we do our best…?”

“Yes!”

Soon the teachers finished their verification work, and an announcement was made.

All eyes of the entire school were on the starting line, and many voices of men and women cheering for Shizuku reached our ears.

The ten students representing the five classes lined up and waited for the signal.

Our bodies were so close to each other that I could almost hear Shizuku’s heartbeat through her shoulders.

Perhaps the same was true for Shizuku.
When I glanced at her profile, I saw that her cheeks were slightly reddish.

Even though we’ve known each other since childhood, it was embarrassing to have our bodies pressed against each other at such a distance.

However, soon that expression changed to a serious one.

A faculty member raised their arm vertically.

Without anyone giving them any instructions, the bustling situation on the ground changed to a quiet one.

And on signal, I am sure they will become more rowdy than ever.

It is not that I had thought about it before.
However, just before the start of the event, a single word had slipped out of my mouth.

“Thank you for everything…”

At that moment, I felt the body of the girl standing next to me tense up.
Her strength is put into the shoulder she grips.

It didn’t change anything.

However, I have learned through this student council that the constant presence of Shizuku and Kirasaka by my side served as a great support.

I took a moment to express my gratitude for all she has done and will do for me in the future.

For the first time, I was able to express my gratitude honestly without hesitation or deception.

I may never be able to express my gratitude so honestly in the future.

So, because Shizuku knew this from our long relationship, a small teardrop escaped from her eye.

Then she looked up at me with a big smile on her face.

Our gazes meet for a moment, and then, as we look forward and take our positions, the signal for the start rings out.

With a shout, the pairs from each class were about to start running, but Shizuku and I took our first steps without exchanging a word.

We took our first steps ahead of all the other pairs, although only by a small margin.

One of the reasons was that we had discussed this with Kirasaka beforehand, but more than anything else, the first step we took without the need to synchronize our breathing made a big difference.

Although we were running shoulder to shoulder, there was no sense that we were dragging each other down.

We ran at the maximum speed we could match without speaking to each other.

We started in front of the student council tent and ran a half-lap around the track for 150 meters.

We turned around a gentle corner and entered the final stretch.

I was so focused on the race that I didn’t even bother to check how much of a lead I had built up just after the start.

I moved my legs as hard as I could, conscious only of the information in front of me and the breathing of my partner next to me.

I saw one of the boys, one of the next runners I had seen in the distance, reaching behind me.

I was holding the yellow sash which was around my neck in my left hand and thrusting it forward as far as I could.

The sash I handed over with rough breathing was certainly grasped by the male student’s hand, and the next runners started.

Shizuku and I moved our bodies down the track as if we were falling down, and it was there that I checked the situation behind us for the first time.

There were four groups behind us.

That meant we were able to hold on to our lead and pass on to the next group in first place.

Shizuku understood this at the same time and immediately clung to my arm with a look of joy on her face.

Normally, I would have refused to act so boldly in front of the students.

But now, I don’t feel the slightest cold stare from those around me.

The surroundings were filled with the enthusiasm of the race, especially the students of the same yellow class, who were throwing words of praise at me.

So… perhaps because of such a situation, I had never expressed my feelings with my body in my short life, but unconsciously I was thrusting my fist toward Kirasaka and the president in the Student Council tent, and toward Yuuto, who was standing in line in front of the tent as the anchor.

Then I quickly came to myself, and my expression, which had been elated by the embarrassment of my actions, returned to normal.

I lowered my outstretched arm and looked down at the Shizuku next to me.

“…Shall we go cheer them up?”

“Yes! …But before that.”

Shizuku pulls herself up and removes the cloth from around her feet.
Indeed, I had forgotten that there was no longer any need to move around as it was.

When the cloth that was tying us together was gone, the feeling of freedom was amazing.

It was so liberating that I felt as if I could already fly.

After lightly turning the ankles that had been restrained, I stood up.

I turned my body toward where Shizuku was to proceed in the opposite direction, which was both the starting point and the finish line.

Then I see a close-up of Shizuku from the front.

By the time I realized that she had jumped onto me, I wasn’t in a position where I could avoid it.

I caught her body with as little impact as possible and suppressed the momentum by turning my body to recoil.

I spun around and lightly smacked the head of the happy looking Shizuku when I held it back with my arms so as not to knock her off.

“It’s dangerous.”

“I’m so …happy.”

…What is this exchange of words.

I was trying to hold in Minato-kun’s brain grand rush of ‘Is this a romantic comedy or is this a youth romantic comedy?’.

The people around you must definitely think it’s a romantic comedy development.

Maybe there is even a sniper hiding in the woods nearby, sniping at me.

Just to be sure, I checked my surroundings and walked to the finish line with Shizuku, who still didn’t seem to leave my arms.

As a result, we, the third class of the second year, maintained our first-place position and carried our sash to Yuuto’s pair.

From there, there was no need to worry.

Yuuto, who had perfectly matched the movements of the girls in the sports club, cut the finishing tape, and the tripod ended with the third pair in first place.

And what awaited us was not only the praise …but also the jealous glances, mainly from the male students, for Shizuku’s daring behavior afterwards.

By now, it had passed the point of being a large portion, and was directed at the level of a special portion.

But, if I had to say that, it was within the scope of my expectations, and what I didn’t expect was Kirasaka’s unusually sharp gaze towards Shizuku.

In contrast, Shizuku was also puffing out her chest as if she was proud of that look, and needless to say, it took the sacrifice of a student named Yuuto Ogiwara to calm the situation down.

Thank you very much, Yuuto Ogiwara.

There is a lesson to be learned.
Never, ever, step into a inconsolable situation in front of others.

With the three-legged race finished, the morning competition came to an end.

Lunch break was announced, and the students moved to their lunch areas.

Some ate with their families, some with friends, and some went to the cafeteria.

As expected, Yuuto and Shizuku were caught by the students and had to eat with their classmates today.

Kirasaka also said it was too hot outside and went back inside, so I bought some onigiri and ate them in the shade of the schoolyard.

On the way there, as I passed the back gate, I saw a familiar figure and changed the direction of my steps.

“…What are you doing here?”

I called out to the person who was looking at the ground in front of the back gate because he was not supposed to be here.

The person, my father, Shinra Yuichi, was at the back gate.

Archived Comments

crisiscore38 (on 2022-08-27 23:13:14):

He’s readily assuming she will help him in the future but he won’t thank her… ^^’ Thanks for the chapter.