Without saying anything more, Xiao Chun Miura just walked toward the Class (5) rest area by herself.
Yuzuki Yasuda glanced worriedly at Xiao Chun Miura’s leg and hurried after her.
Yui Hori let out a heavy “tsk,” stomped her foot in frustration, and quickly followed as well.
When they reached their seats, Mio Sato happened to be coming back with drinks; the smile on her face vanished the moment she saw the strange expressions on everyone.
“? What’s wrong, Yui?”
“Listen to me, Mio!”
Prompted by Mio Sato, Yui Hori immediately found an outlet for her frustration and poured out everything that had happened, accusing the Class 1 girls of their dirty tactics.
Mio Sato’s face grew darker the more she listened.
Though she didn’t explode on the spot like Yui Hori, a trace of disgust still flashed in her usually calm eyes.
“Class 1 people…”
She repeated in a low voice, shook her head, and didn’t say more.
Instead, she looked up at Xiao Chun Miura and spoke with concern.
“Xiao Chun, are you hurt? Let’s go to the infirmary together.”
“I’m fine.”
Xiao Chun Miura replied.
“I fell on the grass, so it’s okay.”
“So there’s no need to go to the infirmary. Really, it’s fine.”
“If I’d fallen on the track, that would’ve been bad.”
Yuzuki Yasuda murmured softly at the side.
Mio Sato couldn’t help but frown.
“…This is a bit too much, isn’t it?”
“They did it on purpose! They wanted you to get hurt, Xiao Chun! They wanted to embarrass you in the competition.”
Yui Hori said emotionally.
“No, if the injury was serious, you couldn’t even participate!”
“…Even so, it wouldn’t go that far—”
“No, if you twisted your ankle, you’d probably have to pause for safety reasons or something.”
Yuzuki Yasuda took over and added.
Xiao Chun Miura was speechless for a moment.
It was true, if she’d sprained her ankle…
Just a bit more serious, and she wouldn’t be able to join the Borrowed Item Relay the day after tomorrow.
Eh…?
Would they go that far?
Feeling it might be too much, Xiao Chun Miura couldn’t help but tense up.
After a moment, Xiao Chun Miura’s voice softened.
“At least I’m fine now, and even if I cared a lot, there’s nothing we can do.”
“They could easily claim it was an accident, since we can’t prove they pushed me on purpose.”
“And if we make a scene, it’ll just cause trouble for Kanzaki-kun—”
At the mention of Sou Kanzaki, Xiao Chun Miura’s body trembled slightly.
She remembered the worried eyes of the boy in the stands at noon.
[You have to protect yourself first. Don’t get hurt.]
[You’re my partner. I can’t watch you get into an accident during the competition.]
He’d already warned her.
If her own actions dragged in other students from Class 1 or Class 5, would Sou Kanzaki…
Think she was a bother?
Xiao Chun Miura bit her lip hard, frustration filling her heart.
Did they think this would make her back down?
No.
She had come this far—who would admit defeat now?
After being challenged over and over, even a rabbit would fight back.
Just a fall. It only made her want to win even more.
…
—To truly beat you.
The first day of Sports Day quietly came to an end in the twilight.
Xiao Chun Miura didn’t meet Sou Kanzaki or Kondo Haruka again.
She packed up with Yui Hori and the others, declined her friends’ offer to walk her home, and made her way back alone.
Returning to the empty house, she didn’t even heat up curry as usual.
She tossed her bag at the entrance, changed into indoor shoes, and went straight to her bedroom.
Sitting on the bed, she used the desk lamp’s light to examine her palms and knees.
The sting from her fall was gone, but the red marks on her delicate skin were still there—a reminder of what happened that afternoon.
—Of course, it wasn’t an accident.
Xiao Chun Miura knew that better than anyone.
Whoever was behind it, the person who pushed her did it on purpose.
At the time, she and Yui Hori had just left the track; there was plenty of space behind them.
Yui Hori wasn’t pushed, Yuzuki Yasuda wasn’t pushed—only she was.
Calling it coincidence was just lying to herself.
But as she’d said to her friends, even knowing it was on purpose, she couldn’t confront them or demand an apology.
Now, all she could do was endure and focus on her competition.
If Kondo Haruka’s tactics weren’t about defeating her on the field, but rather striking from the shadows like this…
Then she would show her effort in the area Kondo Haruka was best at.
—Because Sou Kanzaki had said it to her.
He said: [You’re my partner.]
He knew what Kondo Haruka would do, knew she’d be targeted, but he still warned her.
He didn’t try to distance himself—instead, he treated her seriously as a partner.
It was hard to admit, but in this game world, along with the warmth from Yui Hori and the others, Sou Kanzaki had also given her a lot of strength.
She didn’t want to betray those feelings.
Xiao Chun Miura stood up and walked to the dressing mirror.
In the mirror, the girl with round glasses had a flushed face, wide eyes, and tightly pressed lips.
She looked truly angry.
Her eyes behind the lenses stared straight ahead, as if glaring at Kondo Haruka herself.
“I won’t lose.”
“I absolutely—won’t let you win so easily.”
The second day of Sports Day began, and the air was still filled with youthful excitement and tension.
When Xiao Chun Miura arrived at school, Yui Hori and the others were already sitting at yesterday’s seats.
As soon as she entered the Class (5) rest area, the three surrounded her.
“Xiao Chun! Nothing happened on your way home yesterday, right?”
Mio Sato looked worried.
“Yeah, and you didn’t reply to any messages. We didn’t have your phone number… so we could only message you on LIME, but you didn’t reply at all.”
Yui Hori’s face looked pale.
As the person involved, Xiao Chun Miura had a completely “first time hearing it” expression.
Ah… Yesterday, I got too worked up and fell asleep.
“Ah, sorry—I didn’t check my phone yesterday…”
The girl could only smile awkwardly and apologize, quickly pulling out her phone to check.
“Ah—sure enough!”
Her LIME was full of unread messages!
“Eh…? So you really just didn’t see them.”
Yuzuki Yasuda looked half convinced.
“We thought you—”
“Ah, it’s fine as long as you’re okay!”
Mio Sato hurriedly interrupted Yuzuki Yasuda.
Yui Hori also quickly waved her hand.
“Hmm?”
Xiao Chun Miura raised her eyebrows.
Were they about to say something she wasn’t supposed to hear?
“Speaking of which!”
Yui Hori awkwardly changed the subject.
“If those Class 1 jerks dare to—today…”
“Yui, it’s fine. Don’t worry about them.”
Hearing that, Xiao Chun Miura smiled and interrupted the indignant Yui Hori.
“You still have a match today. Don’t think about them.”
“Of course I’ll think about it!”
“Xiao Chun, the three of us will protect you today. We’ll make sure you’re safe in the competition with Kanzaki-kun!”
“That’s right! We’ll be human shields!”
Their voices reached Xiao Chun Miura one after another.
Looking at their serious faces, she felt warmth spread in her heart and nodded.
“Mm.”
Thanks in advance—then, I’ll leave it to you!