“Haah?!”
Xiao Chun Miura was completely dumbfounded.
“But… wasn’t that spot already decided a long time ago? And besides, aren’t you still running in the Relay Race?”
“Didn’t Suzuki, who originally signed up, sprain her ankle yesterday?”
Yui Hori declared righteously.
“So I just filled in! Anyway, the times don’t overlap, and my stamina’s great, so running two races is no problem at all!”
“But… why?”
Xiao Chun Miura couldn’t comprehend at all.
“Why do something so troublesome and thankless…”
“To get revenge for you!”
Yui Hori clenched her fist, speaking through gritted teeth.
“Yesterday, that group from Class 1, and that Kondo Haruka, were way too much! They pushed you down, and then acted like that in the competition—I can’t stand it!”
“If you can’t participate, then I’ll do it in your place!”
“I want to defeat Kondo Haruka fair and square on the field! Let her know our Class (5) isn’t to be trifled with! Let her taste the cost of bullying you!”
Yui Hori’s voice was powerful, each word landing like a hammer on Xiao Chun Miura’s heart.
She looked at the short-haired girl in front of her.
Yui Hori’s cheeks were flushed with emotion, her eyes pure, holding only anger and the will to defend her friend.
That was… for her.
For herself, who was always timid, always wanting to run away, and had even hidden so many truths from them—a “liar”.
“Yui…”
Xiao Chun Miura felt something blocking her throat, her eyes growing hot.
“So, Xiao Chun.”
Yui Hori’s tone softened.
She bent down, staring straight into Xiao Chun Miura’s eyes.
“You don’t have to look at Kanzaki Sou, and you don’t have to look at Kondo Haruka either.”
“But you must watch my match.”
“I want you to see that even those arrogant people can be defeated.”
“I’m running for your sake. If you don’t cheer for me, wouldn’t I lose all my face?”
Xiao Chun Miura looked at her, then at Mio Sato and Yuzuki Yasuda beside her, who both nodded silently with the same determination.
She couldn’t say any words of refusal no matter what.
If it were for Kanzaki Sou, she might really choose to run away.
But this was for her friends.
For the friends who gave her real warmth in this fake world.
If she refused even this, then she’d truly be pathetic.
“Okay.”
Xiao Chun Miura sniffed, then nodded firmly.
“I’ll go.”
“I’ll go cheer for you, Yui.”
“That’s more like it!”
Yui Hori instantly went from angry to happy, throwing her arm around Xiao Chun Miura’s shoulder.
“Come on, come on, let’s go refuel first. This afternoon, I’m going to dominate the field!”
The afternoon sun was even fiercer than yesterday, scorching the asphalt track until it shimmered with heat.
As one of the grand finale events of the sports festival, the Class Group Borrowed Item Relay naturally attracted immense attention.
Both sides of the track were already packed with people, and the cheers from various classes rose and fell, blending into a wave of excitement that assaulted everyone’s eardrums.
Xiao Chun Miura was wedged between Mio Sato and Yuzuki Yasuda, standing at a bend in the track.
The view here wasn’t as open as the finish line, but it was close enough to clearly see the expressions of the runners.
“So nervous…”
Yuzuki Yasuda clutched Xiao Chun Miura’s arm, her palm slick with sweat.
“Yui will be okay, right?”
“She’ll be fine.”
Mio Sato said so, but her gaze was fixed tightly on the starting point.
“Yui’s got great explosive power, as long as the topic she draws isn’t too weird…”
Xiao Chun Miura didn’t speak.
Her eyes traveled through the crowd, landing on the group of runners at the starting point.
Yui Hori was standing on Class (5)’s track, doing warm-up exercises.
She looked full of fighting spirit, occasionally waving in their direction as if to say, “Watch me!”
And not far away, on Class 1’s track—
Kanzaki Sou and Kondo Haruka stood side by side.
They wore matching class T-shirts.
Kanzaki Sou was bending down to tie his shoelaces, while Kondo Haruka stood beside him, holding a bottle of water and talking about something.
The scene was so harmonious it almost hurt to look at.
They seemed like a pair destined for victory, with the surrounding commotion having nothing to do with them.
Kondo Haruka would occasionally lift her head, her gaze sweeping across the field with the composure and confidence of a strong competitor.
When her eyes seemed to pass vaguely in Xiao Chun Miura’s direction, the corner of her mouth curved into a meaningful smile.
Xiao Chun Miura instinctively shrank her neck.
“Don’t be scared, Xiao Chun.”
Mio Sato seemed to notice her reaction and gently squeezed her hand.
“We’re all here.”
Xiao Chun Miura took a deep breath, forcing herself to pull her gaze away from Kanzaki Sou and the others, focusing again on Yui Hori.
Can’t look.
Can’t think.
She came today to cheer for Yui.
As long as she looked at Yui, as long as Yui could win—even if it was just beating Kondo Haruka by a tiny bit—it might ease the bitterness in her heart.
Even though she knew it was tough.
Kondo Haruka’s athletic ability was recognized school-wide, and Kanzaki Sou was all-around strong.
Such a pair was practically cheating in a Borrowed Item Relay.
Yui Hori’s explosive power was good, but her partner was a usually gloomy guy, and their teamwork was… worrying.
“All class participants, please get ready!”
The Referee’s voice echoed through the loudspeakers.
Instantly, tension stretched across the track.
Yui Hori dropped her joking demeanor and took a starting pose.
Kanzaki Sou straightened up, his expression turning serious.
Kondo Haruka stood behind him as the second runner—the borrower—her eyes shining with determination.
“Bang–!”
The starting gun fired.
The first runners shot forward like arrows.
The rules for the class group differed slightly from the Committee group: the first runner sprinted to the Borrowed Item box to draw a slip, then ran back and handed it to the second runner, who would go borrow the item and race to the finish.
Yui Hori’s partner had an explosive start, almost immediately reaching the front of the pack.
“Go!!”
Yuzuki Yasuda screamed in excitement.
Xiao Chun Miura couldn’t help but clench her fists, silently cheering in her heart: Go for it!
Kanzaki Sou’s speed was also impressive.
He kept a steady rhythm behind the leaders.
For him, it seemed almost like a warm-up.
Soon, the runners reached the Borrowed Item box and scrambled to grab their slips.
Yui Hori moved quickly, snatching a slip and spinning around.
Kanzaki Sou also picked up his slip and turned back.
The return dash was even more intense.
Yui Hori’s partner gritted his teeth, pumping his arms desperately to increase the gap.
Kanzaki Sou remained unhurried but relentless, gradually narrowing the distance.
The two nearly crossed the starting point at the same time.
“Here!”
Yui Hori’s partner gasped, shoving the slip into her hand.
“Yao!”
Kanzaki Sou also handed the slip to Kondo Haruka, who had been waiting.
Next came the critical moment that would determine victory—the borrowing.
Kondo Haruka fumbled to open the slip.
She glanced at it, her expression turning strange.