Chapter 123: Sports day (2)

“[Attention everyone! We will now begin the girls’ relay race. Please gather around. This is a repeat announcement. The girls’ relay race is about to begin…]”

I took a deep breath, loosening my tense muscles, and stood at the starting line. Mizuki waved and winked at me.

“Rina-tan, ready?”
“Yeah, I’m definitely winning this.”

Another first-year student from the White Team stood to my right. Mizuki and her teammate on the Blue Team also looked nervous. Each lane had a designated baton, which we would pass to our teammates.

“[Ready… set…!]”

We crouched down, ready to sprint.

“[Go—!]”

The starting pistol fired, and Mizuki shot forward, her long legs and powerful strides giving her an immediate lead. She was a force to be reckoned with, just like in the novel, her initial acceleration explosive.

‘I can’t beat her with pure strength!’

I kept my posture low, focusing on maintaining my pace. Mizuki was ahead, but after the 50-meter mark, I started to catch up.

‘This is my part of the race.’

As I hit my stride, my legs moved effortlessly. Sweat trickled down my forehead, but I ignored it.

“Rina-tan, you’re fast…!”

I chuckled at Mizuki’s words and pushed myself harder, just barely managing to pass the baton to our third-year senpai a fraction of a second before Mizuki.

“Go, White Team! Fighting!”
“Blue Team, catch up!”

The cheers and chants from the stands were deafening.

“Whew… It’s pretty much a tie now, huh?”
“No way, our team’s going to win.”
“Ugh… They have Kasumi-chan.”
“Heh, we have Yurika~”
“Well… let’s go back to the booth and rest.”
“Okay.”

Mizuki and I had finished our part of the race. We’d handed off the baton with almost a 20-meter lead, a significant advantage.

The third-year senpai who received my baton – the blue baton for the White Team – was a renowned athlete, a track and field star who’d won a prefectural competition. She lived up to the expectations, widening the gap between our team and the Blue Team. Victory seemed within reach.

“Yeah—White Team is the best!”
“Ashi-senpai, you’re the best!”

But the situation changed dramatically when the baton was passed to the next runners. The second-year student who received Mizuki’s baton – the red baton for the Blue Team – was incredibly fast. She quickly closed the 10-meter gap and then overtook our runner.

The tension in the stands was palpable.

“Blue Team is catching up!”
“White Team, please catch up!”

The situation didn’t improve during the middle school portion of the race. The Blue Team continued to widen their lead, and by the time the baton reached the final runner, Kasumi, the gap was almost 30 meters.

“Ah… I’m sorry I couldn’t widen the gap…!”

I muttered anxiously.
Then Kasumi, receiving the baton, looked up, her eyes gleaming.

“No way…?”

Just as the crowd began to resign themselves to the White Team’s defeat, Kasumi, like a being from another world, narrowed her eyes, pushed off the ground, and shot forward.

The stands fell silent. Everyone watched, holding their breath.

“She’s… fast…!”
“How can she run that fast?!”

With each stride, she closed the distance. 20 meters, 15 meters, 10 meters… Kasumi, her face devoid of any emotion, focused solely on the finish line.

By the time she reached the final corner, the gap had almost disappeared.

“Waaaa!”
“Kasumi! Kasumi! Eternal Center! White Team, fight!”

Amidst the deafening cheers, Kasumi finally caught up to the Blue Team runner. And then she overtook her. The Blue Team runner tried desperately to catch up, but Kasumi, running with all her might, pulled further and further ahead.

As she crossed the finish line, the field erupted in cheers and applause.

“The White Team wins!”

It was a dramatic come-from-behind victory, straight out of a novel, with Kasumi finishing almost half a lap ahead of the second-place runner. I couldn’t contain my excitement and ran onto the field, hugging my teammates and cheering.

‘This is the Sapphire Diva…!’

Kasumi, catching her breath, looked radiant.
She was always captivating as the center of an idol group, but today, with her long, light blue hair flowing in the wind, she was breathtaking.

“Kasumi~! You did great!”
“Hehe… Did I do well?”
“Yeah! You were amazing!”

I interlocked my fingers with Kasumi’s and jumped up and down excitedly. I’d refrained from hugging her since she was an idol… but a sudden chill ran down my spine.
I turned around, and there was Aya, watching me, her arms crossed.

****

The student council booth, located next to the stage, was the center of attention. And at the heart of it all was Yukikawa Aya, one of Takamari’s Four Beauties, a student council representative, and a strong contender for student council president.

But despite being in such a prominent position, Aya’s gaze was fixed on Rina, who was sitting beside her.

“…”
“…”

Rina was starting to feel uncomfortable under Aya’s intense gaze. She’d tried to signal with her eyes, ‘Stop staring!’, but Aya didn’t seem to care. This cute Rina, if left unattended, might forget the meaning of the promise ring on her finger and be swept away by another girl.

Aya didn’t understand when or why she started feeling this way. Was it after the incident with Arisu, when Rina, despite showing some interest in Arisu, ultimately returned to her? That day, Aya realized that Rina, whom she’d vaguely considered “hers,” could be taken away from her.

Of course, Rina loved Aya and only had eyes for her. But Aya couldn’t ignore Rina’s natural charm, the way she effortlessly drew people in.

‘This feeling… I’ve never felt this way before…’

Aya, who always valued composure and emotional restraint, was starting to feel like a stranger to herself. Whenever Rina seemed close to someone else, a pang of jealousy, so intense it was almost unbearable, would pierce her heart.

“Rina.”
“Y-Yes…?”

Rina glanced up at Aya. She could read Aya’s emotions, and Aya knew it.

What emotion was written on Aya’s face right now?
Only Rina knew.

“Rina, you’re really… kind to everyone, aren’t you?”
“Eh… What do you mean all of a sudden?”

Aya leaned closer, her face close to Rina’s ear.

“You seemed so happy earlier. Holding hands with Kasumi-san… You looked so close.”

Aya’s warm breath tickled Rina’s neck. Rina flinched involuntarily.

“Th-That’s because our team won. I was just excited…”

Aya tilted her head slightly and murmured,

“Excited…? Is that all it was?”

She paused and took a deep breath. The words rising from deep within her surprised even herself.

“I thought I was very patient…”

Rina froze. Was this the same calm and elegant Aya, the Aya who only showed a hint of vulnerability around her? There was a strange tremor in her voice, a hint of tension.

“Aya…?”
“Whenever you’re close to other people… Honestly, it’s becoming harder and harder for me to bear.”

Aya gently took Rina’s hand. It was a soft, sweet gesture, almost childish, but Rina felt a strange pressure, unable to move.

“So please, don’t make me feel so lonely. Okay?”

Aya slowly traced the back of Rina’s hand with her fingertip. Rina felt her breath catch in her throat and nodded weakly.

“O-Okay… I’ll do whatever you want, Aya…”

“Good girl, Rina.”

Aya smiled, satisfied, and returned to her seat, resuming her role as the elegant and composed student council representative. She picked up the microphone.

“[The boys’ relay race has reached the final runner. Let’s give them a big round of applause!]”

Rina quietly watched Aya’s profile. Even with so many students watching, Aya had shown her true feelings so openly. At least until the student council election was over, they had to be careful. Even if societal views on same-s*x relationships were changing, such rumors could jeopardize Aya’s chances of winning.