Chapter 124: Sports day(3)

The sports festival continued. Three whole days of it. Some might wonder why it needed to be so long, but the second day, Sunday, was packed with events.

As if to flaunt its status as an elite academy, today’s events were far more specialized and extravagant than what you’d see at a typical school sports festival.

Horseback riding, fencing, polo, even ballroom dancing. It felt more like a high-society gathering than a school event. The baseball game, one of the main events, was held concurrently.

“There’s so much to see today…”

Since these specialized events were managed and commentated on by external professionals, the student council didn’t have much to do.
So, I had the chance to relax and walk around with Aya. Essentially, it was a date.

But perhaps because of Aya’s possessiveness at the student council booth yesterday, holding her hand today felt… difficult. She seemed self-conscious about the other students and parents watching us.

When I didn’t take her hand, Aya looked at me, her expression unreadable.

“Aya.”

‘I’ve grown, haven’t I…!’

I thought to myself, remembering the Arisu incident and how much misunderstanding could arise from unspoken words.

‘I need to ask her directly!’

I lowered my voice, just loud enough for Aya to hear.

“Aya… Don’t you think we should be… more careful for a while…?”
“Careful about what?”

Aya tilted her head, looking at me curiously.

“Well… about us dating. If rumors spread, it might affect the student council election, right? Maybe we should just… act like the Trinity for a while…”

Aya smiled faintly at my words.

“Why should we hide it? It doesn’t matter if people know.”
“Aya…?”

I was taken aback by her unexpected response. Aya stepped closer and spoke clearly, without hesitation,

“Rina, I don’t want to hide the fact that I like you anymore.”

Aya’s gaze was steady, as if she wasn’t concerned about the people around us. It was her usual gentle smile, but somehow… it felt… different.

“A-Aya… But us dating… well… between girls…”

I fumbled with my words, my fingers fidgeting nervously. Aya raised an eyebrow.

“What about it?”
“W-Well… Our school, Takamari Academy, is… conservative, and… People might think it’s… homosexual… if they see us… like this…”

I mumbled, my voice lacking confidence. Aya looked at me intently, her voice firm and resolute.

“Is that all? If that’s your concern, I’ll crush them all.”
“…Whoa.”
“So you don’t want to hold my hand?”

Aya held out her hand again.

“N-No, it’s not like that… I like holding your hand, but…”

I mumbled, looking down, embarrassed. Aya smiled, gently took my hand, and slowly interlaced her fingers with mine.

“Eh… Aya?”

I was flustered, but Aya didn’t seem to care. She slowly, deliberately, caressed my palm with hers, her fingertips gently tracing the lines of my hand.

Sh-She knew what she was doing…!

“Aya…”

I moaned softly, and Aya smiled, her eyes fixed on me.

‘Everyone’s watching…!’

Well, they were glancing at us, but it was enough to start rumors…
We were both blushing… well, I was blushing, and Aya was smiling knowingly as we held hands, our fingers intertwined.

Two girls… in school uniforms…
This was something I could never have imagined, in either of my lives. But a nagging doubt lingered in my mind.

‘Is this really okay?’

Me, a mob character, holding hands with Aya, the elegant and admired student of Takamari Academy. Some might see it as beautiful and special, but others would surely whisper and judge. Times were changing, but same-s*x relationships weren’t fully accepted yet. And knowing that made me anxious.

‘Why isn’t Aya afraid?’

Being with Aya made me happy and excited, but the thought of our relationship becoming public knowledge was daunting.

My friends, my family… Would Aya’s family accept us?

“Rina?”
“…Ah, it’s nothing.”

Every time Aya’s fingertips brushed against my skin, a shiver ran through me. Was it because of the others watching, or was it just me?

“I understand why you’re worried.”
“Yeah…”

“Because you’re precious to me, and I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to be afraid anymore. There’s nothing more important to me than you, Rina.”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. This was why… I was falling deeper and deeper for Aya.

“Aya… I really like you too. But… are you sure it’s okay? Doesn’t it feel… burdensome?”
“It’s not a burden. I’m prepared for anything, Rina, because I like you.”

Perhaps… trusting Aya and following her lead… wouldn’t be so bad.

****

We walked towards the equestrian field. The main event, the baseball game, was in full swing in the center of the field, but neither Aya nor I were interested in baseball, so we naturally gravitated towards other events.

The equestrian field, set apart from the main field, was enclosed by a wooden fence and had neatly arranged spectator stands, giving it an air of exclusivity, fitting for an elite academy.

As we sat down, I leaned slightly against Aya. She naturally put her arm around my waist. We usually just held hands, but after our earlier conversation, our physical intimacy had escalated.

‘Heehee… we’re really like a couple.’

I snuggled closer to Aya, enjoying the warmth of her embrace. She was soft and comforting, a stark contrast to her usual elegant and composed image. It felt special, knowing this softer side of Aya was something only I got to experience.

“They don’t seem to care about us…” I murmured.

“Yeah, I guess they’re too focused on the competition.”

We sat there, enjoying each other’s warmth as if we were the only two people in the world, watching the competition. Students in elegant white riding outfits skillfully controlled their horses, drawing applause and gasps from the audience every time they cleared a jump.

“Wow… They cleared it so easily. That’s amazing.”

I murmured in awe, and Aya, leaning closer, whispered in my ear,

“Want to ride a horse?”

My heart skipped a beat. Aya’s warm breath and sweet voice against my ear… But all I could imagine was Aya riding the horse and me sitting behind her…

My face flushed crimson, and I shook my head frantically.

“N-No! I’m good!”

Aya smiled, amused by my reaction.

“Hmm… Why not? I’d like to ride with you.”
“Th-That’s… Well, it would look… weird…”

I stammered, unable to articulate my thoughts. Aya chuckled and gently pinched my cheek.

“Eek!”

“Cute.”

Embarrassed, I turned away.

But nestled in her warm embrace, the embarrassment faded, and a happy smile spread across my face.

Could I… really be this happy?

****

After the equestrian competition, we watched fencing, polo, and other elite sports. They were all unfamiliar to me at first, but Aya, a true blue blood, explained everything in detail, and I quickly became engrossed in the competitions.

Finally, we arrived at the indoor gymnasium for the ballroom dancing competition. The gymnasium had been transformed into a grand ballroom, with a dance floor for students and parents. Dance music filled the air, and many people were already dancing.

“Rina, shall we dance?”

Aya smiled and held out her hand. I blushed, flustered, but couldn’t refuse her invitation.

“I’m not a very good dancer… Are you sure?”

“It’s okay. I’ll teach you.”

Aya said confidently. She pulled me closer, placed her hand on my waist, and took my hand. I trembled, but Aya’s smile calmed me down.

“So, you gently step forward like this…”

Aya whispered the instructions in my ear, her warm breath tickling my skin. I nodded, trying to follow her instructions.

“Like this?”

I stumbled slightly, and Aya tightened her grip, guiding me.

“Yes, like that. Just follow my lead, and relax.”

Aya’s whispered instructions made my heart race. My face flushed, but I followed her lead as she corrected my awkward movements, and soon, we were moving gracefully across the dance floor.

It felt like a dream… and I didn’t want to wake up.