After the Borrowed Item Relay ended, before long, the sunlight gradually became less warm.
In a few more hours, the sun would set… The thoughts of those boys and girls would be carried into the night, just like the shadows hidden behind them, fading with the disappearing light.
The noisy crowd on the playground slowly dispersed, and the sounds of excitement gradually faded away.
The third day of Sports Day drew to a close amidst the waning laughter.
Melodious music played from the speakers, announcing the end of yet another day.
Everyone in Class (5) was cleaning up the trash under their seats and on the lawn beside the class area, gathering in small groups to excitedly discuss which store to visit in the Shopping Street later.
Among them, only one person was visibly absent-minded.
“There is only one winner in a match, but not every match is won by the same person.”
The words of classmates filled the air around her, but in one girl’s mind, only the voice of that boy echoed repeatedly.
Xiao Chun Miura wandered aimlessly on the grass, almost bumping into a tent pole.
Although she lost today’s Borrowed Item Relay, the “competition” was not over yet.
She wasn’t sure if Kondo Haruka had realized the same thing as herself… But if Haruka had already decided to compete for the balance in Kanzaki Sou’s heart, then that would be too much of a disadvantage for her.
Really, it’s better to be optimistic about it.
For now, let’s assume Kondo Haruka hasn’t noticed and is still focused purely on winning the match and performing in front of Kanzaki Sou.
If that’s the case, then she hadn’t completely left the stage yet—there was still a “match” she could possibly win.
Xiao Chun Miura lifted her head, gazing at the sun moving toward the horizon, her eyes flickering.
There was still the last day of Sports Day tomorrow.
Nothing was over yet.
Like hope rekindling in her heart, Xiao Chun Miura felt strength return to her exhausted legs.
“Xiao Chun, see you tomorrow! Cheer up!”
“We’ll always support you!”
“Don’t dwell on it too much. You did great and worked hard today.”
At the school gate, Yui Hori, Yuzuki Yasuda, and Mio Sato said goodbye to Xiao Chun Miura.
“Mm, thank you, everyone. I’m fine. See you tomorrow.”
“Ah~ Geez, your smile is too forced, Xiao Chun. Anyone can see you have something on your mind.”
“Eh…? Eh? No way, really.”
The long-haired girl adjusted her glasses, her voice weak and lacking confidence.
“Haa~ Sigh, really, don’t let it bother you, Xiao Chun.”
Yui Hori sighed, comforting Xiao Chun Miura.
“If she wants to win, let her win. If she has the guts to dominate every event at Sports Day, let’s see if Kanzaki-kun will agree to be with her.”
“Exactly, if she has the guts to win for a lifetime.”
Yuzuki Yasuda agreed.
The words she had heard countless times today, replaying in her mind, made Xiao Chun Miura pause again when spoken by Yuzuki Yasuda.
“Yeah, I know. I’m really fine. Thank you all.”
Under the concerned gazes of her friends, Xiao Chun Miura forced a smile that looked as natural as possible and waved goodbye.
As she watched them walk toward different crossroads, their figures disappearing at the edge of her vision, and only unfamiliar passersby and the noise of traffic remained, the smile on Xiao Chun Miura’s face vanished like fallen leaves swept away by the wind.
The warmth and sincerity of Yui Hori and the others’ concern was one of the few things in this Game World that let Xiao Chun Miura feel any warmth.
But right now, she couldn’t accept it.
The rush of adrenaline from the match lingered for a while after it ended—but no matter how excited she was, once the field was cleaned up and the students had gone home, it was time to cool down.
And after that impulse faded, all that remained was an emptiness, as if all her strength had been drained.
With her heart cooling down, the harsh reality became more and more apparent, leaving little room for happiness.
Xiao Chun Miura turned at the intersection and started the road home.
Once alone, her mind lost the barrier that blocked out negative emotions.
Regret flooded in from all sides, drowning her.
“……I messed up.”
Xiao Chun Miura lowered her head, watching her shadow stretch in the sunset, and muttered to herself.
What am I even doing?
She had planned it so carefully, decided to play the role of a green tea girl, to use Kondo Haruka’s bullying, to gain Kanzaki Sou’s sympathy through weakness and innocence—to let Kanzaki Sou see with his own eyes the side of his Childhood Friend’s jealousy leading to mistakes, and shake their relationship.
It should have been the most efficient, most likely one-time-success method for her to prevent Kanzaki Sou from entering Kondo Haruka’s Personal Route.
She just needed to go with the flow.
All she had to do was show helplessness and grievance when Kondo Haruka took Kanzaki Sou away.
By doing so, the balance in Kanzaki Sou’s heart would tilt toward her.
But—
… I actually got carried away.
Xiao Chun Miura covered her face, letting out a pained groan.
At that moment, seeing Kanzaki Sou’s back being pulled away and hearing the mocking cheers, she actually threw survival—her top priority—out the window.
Her own competitive spirit, provoked by that word “Partner” from Kanzaki Sou, clouded her mind.
To chase after?
To compete?
To prove herself?
That’s what hot-blooded shounen protagonists do, right?
For a supporting character without even a sprite in the game, why act like a hero here?
….
Great. She vented her emotions, but at what cost?
She didn’t win the match, nor did she successfully gain sympathy.
In Kanzaki Sou’s eyes, she was now a “Partner” who, though lost, was brave.
It sounded nice—she even received his praise and recognition.
But what good was that?
Could this healthy sense of goodwill counter Kondo Haruka’s attack as a Childhood Friend?
If she couldn’t stop the system from judging Kanzaki Sou as having entered Kondo Haruka’s Personal Route, she’d be done for.
The worst part was, because of her final “unwilling to lose” sprint, she actually diminished the severity of Kondo Haruka’s bullying in a way.
If she’d stayed put or even deliberately made contact and fallen when Kondo Haruka got close, with her friends as witnesses, Kondo Haruka’s actions over the past two days would have been clearly spread as outright bullying.
Kanzaki Sou would definitely have reacted.
But because she chased after her, the whole farce turned into “pure competition.”
Kondo Haruka became a “victor whose methods were harsh but whose strength was undeniable”… while she was simply a “regrettable challenger.”
The nature of the event shifted due to its development and outcome.
For someone wanting to break their relationship, it was the worst possible development.
“……Am I an idiot?”
Xiao Chun Miura stopped and stared helplessly at the utility pole by the roadside.
The grinning graffiti drawn by someone looked like it was mocking her in that very moment.