“There’s nothing good about it.”
Xiao Chun Miura retorted helplessly.
The accusations Yuzuki Yasuda made were completely baseless—Xiao Chun Miura knew those things didn’t apply to her at all.
So she just assumed the girls were teasing her for fun.
“Roar~! Still saying there’s nothing?”
Yui Hori pointed at her exaggeratedly.
“You don’t treat us as friends anymore, huh? Keeping pink little secrets from us too.”
“Koharu, we all know~”
Mio Sato said.
“…Huh?”
Xiao Chun Miura froze.
“What? What is it that you know?”
That’s not right.
Up until now, Xiao Chun Miura had thought the trio was just playing around with her… After all, whether it was Yui Hori or Yuzuki Yasuda, one was lively and mischievous, and the other was always talking nonsense.
…Even if most things were made up, it was still possible they just wanted to tease her for fun.
But Mio Sato was different from the other two in personality.
Compared to them, even though she was also a gossip-loving girl, Mio Sato was obviously more mature and reliable.
Within the trio, she was the ‘brake’ type who stopped the other two from getting too wild.
If even Mio Sato was involved in the topic, at the very least it meant they weren’t speaking out of thin air—they must really know something to be saying all this.
Xiao Chun Miura fell silent for a moment.
Mio Sato said, “We all know.”
— What is it they know?
“Roar, she’s starting to think about how to explain it~!”
Yui Hori clapped her hands excitedly.
“Hmph, fine, I’ll give you time to think, Koharu.”
“Before we say it ourselves, you can still try to stubbornly defend yourself, okay? Roar roar roar~”
“Yui, there you go again, scaring her for no reason.”
Mio Sato tugged her helplessly, but then turned to Xiao Chun Miura too, her eyes behind the glasses shining with pure curiosity.
“But, Koharu, seriously, it’s about that Kanzaki Sou, isn’t it?”
“Pff—cough cough!”
Xiao Chun Miura had just scooped a mouthful of rice, and nearly choked at Mio Sato’s words.
“Whoa, Koharu, slow down!”
Mio Sato hurriedly handed over the disposable water cup from the edge of the tray.
“—What?! How did this get tied to Kanzaki?”
Xiao Chun Miura’s face flushed as she choked, coughing and retorting at the same time. The hurried tone and red face made her look almost embarrassed.
“We’re just ordinary… coworkers! I don’t think we even count as friends!”
“Coworkers’~?”
Yui Hori dragged out the word.
“We’ve learned a lot these past few days, you know?”
“That explanation doesn’t fit what we found out, does it?”
“No… So what exactly did you guys learn?”
“Hmm~”
Yui Hori hummed, pretending to keep the secret, like she was dangling bait in front of Xiao Chun Miura.
“Come on, just say it. If you don’t, I won’t say anything either, Yui.”
“Huh~?”
Yui Hori opened her eyes wide.
“Hey, I’m the one with the information advantage here! Why are you trying to take control of the conversation, Koharu?”
“If you want to regain control, you have to show how much information you’ve got!”
Xiao Chun Miura decided to join in.
Anyway, the fact that she signed up for the Borrowed Item Relay with Kanzaki Sou was still a secret no one else knew about, so there was no way Yui Hori could say anything too specific. Xiao Chun Miura felt at ease.
“Umm~!”
“Koharu, you’ve become so strong!”
Suddenly, Yui Hori spoke with a deeper meaning.
“Wow, you’re even strong enough now to sign up for Sports Day with Kanzaki. Um um um??—”
The short-haired girl couldn’t finish her sentence.
Because the moment ‘Sports Day’ popped out of her mouth, Xiao Chun Miura had already rushed over to cover her mouth.
Xiao Chun Miura’s eyes widened.
“How do you know, Yui??”
Having her secret suddenly exposed by an unexpected person, Xiao Chun Miura was shocked.
She immediately realized the deeper truth of the situation, and looked at Yuzuki Yasuda and Mio Sato.
“You two know too? Yuzuki, Mio?”
“Eh?”
“We know! It’s about Kanzaki—um um um—?!”
This time, Xiao Chun Miura jumped over and covered Yuzuki Yasuda’s mouth before she could even say ‘Sports Day’.
The bob-haired girl quieted under her hand, and Xiao Chun Miura looked over at Yui Hori and Mio Sato, and the four fell into a strange silence.
“…Um, Koharu. It’s true, the three of us already know.”
In the end, it was Mio Sato who broke the silence.
“Haah…”
Leaving the cafeteria and walking back to the classroom, Xiao Chun Miura drooped her head, discouraged.
After that, she had Yui Hori and the others explain how they’d found out, and perhaps overwhelmed by her intense aura, Yui Hori didn’t try to play around anymore. She honestly explained everything about how they’d learned the information.
To sum it up, they had a friend in the Athletics Committee.
That person had seen the committee’s sign-up list, which had Kanzaki Sou’s name, and beside it, a female name she didn’t know.
Originally, this committee member had just gossiped about it to Yui Hori and the others.
But when she mentioned the girl partnered with Kanzaki Sou was Xiao Chun Miura, Yui Hori and the others got excited.
…And so came the scene of several people rushing to find Xiao Chun Miura in the cafeteria.
Ah, I should have realized it sooner.
Xiao Chun Miura was filled with regret.
She should have realized it.
Even if the application form was handed to Sakura-sensei, the registration info would ultimately be recorded in the Athletics Committee’s data.
Last time Yui Hori and the others mentioned the Athletics Committee, they’d already discussed gossip about the committee in detail.
Like how the Sports Committee Chairperson liked a girl on the committee, that girl liked the Vice Chairperson, and the Vice Chairperson liked the Cultural Club President…
They’d already revealed back then that there were people in the committee whom Yui Hori and the others knew.
Now it was bad.
She’d thought that registering for the competition with Kanzaki Sou would be a secret.
But now there was a way for it to leak.
Although she’d made Yui Hori and the others swear not to tell anyone…
She still trusted those girls.
But if it ever got out, there was nothing she could do.
After all, the committee girl had gossiped about it too.
…Oh, heavens.
Just thinking that Kondo Haruka might find out made Xiao Chun Miura shiver.
However, perhaps because Yui Hori and the others had warned the committee girl, things remained peaceful around Xiao Chun Miura for several days after.
There were no signs of information leaking.
Only then did Xiao Chun Miura relax.
And so, they were finally able to start training for the Borrowed Item Relay.
To improve their coordination for the competition, Kanzaki Sou suggested that they needed some “pre-competition practice.”
“Even if it’s just to give it a try, I want us to do our best.”
“So, let’s practice. Don’t worry, I’ll help you.”
With those words, the practice between Kanzaki Sou and Xiao Chun Miura began.
“The key to the Borrowed Item Relay is teamwork and efficiency.”
He said seriously to Xiao Chun Miura, in a forgotten corner of the library prepared for the Sports Day.
“We’re partners, but we’re not in sync yet. Starting tomorrow, let’s practice together after school.”
Kanzaki Sou took a brand new Red Cloth Band from his bag.
“For example, the basic Three-Legged Race. It’s the best way to build rhythm and synchronization.”
So, in the days that followed, every afternoon after school, two somewhat clumsy figures would appear in a quiet corner by the campus track.
A Red Cloth Band tied their ankles tightly together.
“…M-Miura-san, keep the rhythm! Left foot, left foot!”
“Ah! S-sorry!”
“Lean your weight more towards me, don’t be afraid to fall.”
“Uu…”
At first, Xiao Chun Miura always moved the same hand and foot, either stepping on Kanzaki Sou’s foot or being dragged into a stumble by him, almost falling several times.
Whenever that happened, Kanzaki Sou would always react quickly, pulling her into his arms to steady her.
The refreshing scent of soap on the boy, and the warmth passing through thin clothes, made Xiao Chun Miura’s heart race and her cheeks burn every time.
She didn’t dare look up into his eyes, only burying her face against his chest, passively feeling his strong heartbeat and her own drumming wildly together.
“Are you okay?”
His voice would always sound above her head, with a helpless smile and an almost imperceptible gentleness.
“I-I’m fine…”
She could only reply in a muffled voice.
As practice continued, their teamwork grew more seamless.
From struggling at first, they soon moved so smoothly that they could even jog together with their ankles tied.
The setting sun stretched their shadows long and far, the two figures leaning close together on the empty field, creating a scene as beautiful as a youth film.
After practice, they’d sit side by side on the steps beside the track, sharing a bottle of water and chatting.
Their conversations became more varied.
From other Sports Day events to books and movies they’d recently read, to funny childhood stories.
Kanzaki Sou was no longer just the distant “male lead.” He became more real, more tangible.
Xiao Chun Miura also gradually lowered her guard, sometimes forgetting her original purpose, simply enjoying this light and pleasant time.
She discovered that Kanzaki Sou had a slight cat tongue and couldn’t eat hot foods.
And despite seeming like he could do anything, his drawing skills were actually…in need of improvement.
The distance between them narrowed quickly with each practice and every casual chat.
Xiao Chun Miura even developed the illusion that she was just an ordinary high school girl, spending a sweet and awkward time with a boy she liked.
Until the day before Sports Day, after their final practice.
“Miura-san.”
Kanzaki Sou suddenly spoke.
“Yeah?”
“Let’s do our best tomorrow too!”
He looked at her, the afterglow of sunset shining in his clear eyes, shimmering with gentle light.
–Just like always, and yet somehow, a little different.