Chapter 96: A Sharp Downturn in the Common Route

Xiao Chun Miura, who was being pulled by Yui Hori as they ran towards Kondo Haruka, happened to see the scene of Kondo Haruka borrowing a school uniform just before they reached her.

Kondo Haruka was already preparing to start running.

Xiao Chun Miura’s brows moved slightly.

With Kondo Haruka’s speed, once she really started sprinting, even though the distance was close, it was definitely not something she and Yui Hori could catch up to.

Was she going to watch her run ahead again?

“–Koharu! Don’t let go! Hold on tight!”

Xiao Chun Miura was still thinking when Yui Hori’s voice forcefully pulled her wandering mind back to the competition and the track.

The grip on her hand tightened, and Yui Hori’s speed increased as she pulled her along.

“Ugh…!”

Xiao Chun Miura hurried to take a few more steps, adjusting her pace to keep up with Yui Hori’s movements.

–The scene of training with Kanzaki Sou in the setting sun flashed through her mind at that moment.

[Your steps have to match your breathing. One, two, one, two…]

…So, it was as if her body remembered.

***

Originally not good at this, Xiao Chun Miura was now able to keep up with Yui Hori’s speed.

Barely… she could still keep up.

As long as she didn’t fall, as long as she could still move her legs.

Xiao Chun Miura was moving forward relying only on her sense of balance.

–At that moment, the thought of overtaking Kondo Haruka before she started sprinting

…Or even, the thought of winning against her in this competition

also flashed through Xiao Chun Miura’s mind.

However.

At the instant when Yui Hori and Xiao Chun Miura were about to run side by side with Kondo Haruka, Kondo Haruka’s originally straight step, as if guided by some strange force–

Moved outward… that is, into the lane where Yui Hori was.

This step wasn’t big.

But on a track with people running, this one step affected too many things.

Yui Hori and Xiao Chun Miura were both running at full speed, there was no time to stop, not even time to change direction.

“Eh–?!”

Yui Hori, running in front and holding Xiao Chun Miura’s hand, widened her eyes in terror as she watched Kondo Haruka’s body move into their lane.

“Boom–!!!”

The dull sound of bodies colliding was especially clear on the noisy sports field.

It wasn’t like in movies, where two people crash and fly away in slow motion.

Because Kondo Haruka hadn’t fully straightened up yet, she was still in a low starting position, while Yui Hori was leaning forward at high speed.

The force was mutual–it resulted in the most appropriate outcome for such a collision.

Kondo Haruka, who hadn’t yet reached full speed, was slammed hard from the side by the sprinting Yui Hori.

“Ah–!”

Kondo Haruka let out a short, pained cry.

She completely lost her balance, like a leaf swept up by a fierce wind, and fell heavily onto the red rubber track.

The boys’ uniform jacket she had managed to borrow flew out of her grasp, landing alone on the distant grass.

“Whoa!”

Yui Hori also lost her balance from the recoil, her steps staggering as she fell to the other side.

“Yui!”

Xiao Chun Miura, who was holding her hand, cried out in shock and instinctively tried to grab her.

Fortunately, Yui Hori’s core strength was strong, and at the edge of falling, she managed to stay upright with her impressive sense of balance.

But she still had to stop.

“…It hurts…”

A painful groan came from behind.

Yui Hori and Xiao Chun Miura turned around.

They saw Kondo Haruka curled up on the track, hands tightly clutching her right ankle.

The pretty face that was always full of pride and energy was now twisted in pain, with cold sweat pouring down her forehead.

“…Haruka?!”

Kanzaki Sou, who had been waiting not far away, rushed over the moment the collision happened.

The gentle expression on his face disappeared, replaced by rare anxiety.

He crossed a few steps to Kondo Haruka’s side, kneeling on one knee.

He reached out, wanting to check her injury, but didn’t dare to touch her easily.

“Don’t move! Don’t move yet!”

Kanzaki Sou’s voice was tense.

“Where does it hurt? Where did you hit?”

“My foot…my ankle…it hurts…”

Kondo Haruka said with a trembling voice, tears welling up in her eyes.

The crowd that had been cheering around them instantly fell silent, then broke into commotion.

“Someone crashed!”

“Oh no, that was a bad fall!”

“Was it that girl from Class (5) who hit her?”

Whispers buzzed around like mosquitoes.

Yui Hori finally came back to her senses.

She rubbed her aching shoulder, looked at Kondo Haruka lying on the ground, and her face first showed shock, then anger.

“Hey! It was you who…”

She was about to shout that it was Kondo Haruka who suddenly changed lanes and caused the crash, but when she saw Kanzaki Sou’s serious back and Kondo Haruka’s painful expression, the words stuck in her throat and wouldn’t come out.

Saying these things now would only make it seem like she was shirking responsibility.

Xiao Chun Miura stood frozen, her hands and feet cold.

Was this… an accident?

Was this the price of the “revenge” Yui Hori talked about?

Even though she knew it wasn’t Yui Hori’s fault, that it was a reckless move by Kondo Haruka to block them, resulting in this disaster.

But to outsiders, it was just a violent collision incident.

And the one hurt was Kondo Haruka.

The tennis club’s star, famous throughout the school.

Kanzaki Sou’s childhood friend.

“Are you okay?”

Mio Sato and Yuzuki Yasuda also rushed over from the sidelines, looking at Yui Hori and Xiao Chun Miura with worried faces.

“I’m okay…

But she…”

Yui Hori bit her lip, pointing at Kondo Haruka on the ground, her expression complicated.

Soon, the school nurse in charge of medical care and several PE teachers arrived.

After a quick check, the school nurse’s expression turned grim.

“It might be a ligament sprain, or even a bone injury. We can’t handle it here. She needs to be taken to the infirmary for further examination, or straight to the hospital.”

“I’ll carry her.”

Without a word, Kanzaki Sou carefully helped Kondo Haruka up.

“Sou…”

Kondo Haruka’s face was pale from pain, but she instinctively clung to Kanzaki Sou’s sleeve, as if it was the last straw she could grasp.

Kanzaki Sou didn’t say anything.

He just pressed his lips together, crouched down, and let Kondo Haruka lean onto his back.

Then, under the gaze of the crowd, he steadily lifted her and walked quickly toward the infirmary.

As he passed by Xiao Chun Miura, his steps never paused.

He didn’t even glance at her.

That figure looked so anxious, so focused, as if the whole world only had the girl on his back.

Xiao Chun Miura felt like her heart was being crushed by an invisible hand.

Even though reason told her that saving someone was the priority in this situation, and Kanzaki Sou’s reaction was normal.

But

That feeling of being completely ignored, completely shut out, still made her feel suffocated with despair.

Competition?

Who would care about finishing the competition at a time like this.

Yui Hori and her partner weren’t disqualified, but clearly had no mood to keep running.

They finally staggered across the finish line and ended up near the bottom.

But no one cared about that result.

All eyes, all discussions, were focused on that accident, and on Kondo Haruka being carried away by Kanzaki Sou.

The sports festival continued, the speakers still blasting stirring music, other competitions lively in progress.

But to Xiao Chun Miura, it felt like the world had stopped.