(Hi guys! Ryu07 Here! A lot of things in my life are happening recently that's why I wasn't able to update this series frequently. But rest assured that this series still goes on! Cheers to more chapters!)
Volume 6, Chapter 5: The Anchor
*****
...
Running with all our might towards the designated place for where the Relay Race will be held, we eventually came to where our classmates was
"Ryu!"
"Oh! Shun!"
I looked at Ryu from top to bottom...only to see him fine and without any noticeable injuries
"I...huh...?"
"? What's with the worried look on your face?"
"I thought...something happened to you"
"*huff*...so...do I...*puff*"
Kana senpai eventually caught up to me while catching her breath
"What do you mean? I'm completely fine as you can see, but those seniors really are tough! Did you see it?!"
"Tough? It looked like you were toying with them the whole time though- Wait, no! Now's not the time for that! I came here because Mi- Hoshizawa san told us there was an emergency!"
I almost called my girlfriend by her first name in front of my classmates! I hope it wasn't too loud...
"Emergency? Oh! You mean that girl over there!"
"That girl...?"
I looked to where Ryu was pointing at...
...only to see Marika, the girl who was inviting me to join the relay before, enduring the pain from her foot
"Marika san!"
Said Miu, who was hurriedly rushing over to her side
"Hoshizawa san...thank you for bringing him here..."
"Ah...was the reason you made me and Kana senpai go here is because...?"
"..."
Miu stood up and looked at me with seriousness in her eyes
"Shun, please join the relay race in Marika san's place instead!"
"..."
The air around us became stagnant, making it awkward for me to respond...
...especially since Kana senpai was here...
"...Shun...?"
"Amagasa kun! I know that you said that you already made up your mind, but please! Just this once!"
"..."
But my promise to Kana senpai...
...I looked at Kana senpai once more, she gave me a worried look on her face as a response
...
...Suddenly, my worries was replaced by something that I heard just now
"Wait...did Hoshizawa san called Amagasa kun by his first name...?"
"Hm! Yeah! I heard it too!"
"But what does that mean?"
"Ah-um-uh! G-Girls!"
Now Miu's troubled by it! I know that calling me by my first name was just an accident, but because she accidentally said it, the situation was moved into this!
AGGGGHHHH! WHAT SHOULD I DO?! THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME!
"...Shun..."
"?!"
Suddenly, Kana senpai called me from behind
"...Join the relay race..."
"But I promised-"
"...And you did it, now promise me to join the relay race now..."
What? I did...?
...
...oh...the promise was I would help her out...
It was never about me not joining the relay race...
...
"Alright, I'll do it!"
"!"
Marika, Miu, and Kana senpai was relieved to hear about my decision afterwards
"Hoshizawa san! The golden coupon!"
"!"
"Hoshizawa san...?"
"...I don't have the coupon"
"Eh?! Who has it then?"
"The Class President, Risa"
"B-But! She's not here!"
"Ryu, where's Risa?"
"She was one of the girls who volunteered to help those from our class who participated in the potato sack race to aid them in the nurse's office, something about them hurting their butt I think?"
They did win...but at what cost?
...Their butt...
"Hoshizawa san! Without Risa san, We can't use the Golden Coupon!"
"And without the Golden Coupon...we can't substitute Shun- Amagasa kun..."
You almost slipped again Miu!
"...Are you forgetting something...?"
They all looked at Kana senpai, who was waiting for them to connect two and two together
...
"AH! THE STUDENT COUNCIL SECRETARY!"
"Can you overlook this? Just this once? Kana senpai?"
"...You don't need to tell me twice...that was my intention from the start..."
"Then that means...!"
Ryu and the others looked at me, as if to tell me that I'm officially substituted for Marika in the relay race
"...I'll go ahead and notify the organizers..."
"Please do! Aikawa senpai!"
Kana senpai then drove off hurriedly to where the organizers are
"You can tell that Kana senpai also wants to see you play in the relay race, *chuckles*"
"She should be! My man Shun here is a different beast when he's in the zone!"
"Ahaha...by the way, what position is Marika san in?"
"Anchor"
"What a coincidence huh Shun? You get to show off your girlfriend what you can do in the best position you can play on!"
"Although middle school relay race and high school relay race are different, I'll still do my best"
"Humble as ever!"
I'm not being humble, I just don't want to underestimate my enemies...
"Even if you end up in last place..."
"...?"
"I will still root for you! Because I know you will be doing everything that you can!"
"Hoshizawa san-"
She gave me a stern look, almost as if I said something wrong...
...I immediately caught up to what she was referring to. I whispered at her to not let the others hear us
"...Miu"
Her stern look shifted to a smile, as if I nailed on what she was hinting at
...
After a few minutes, Kana senpai came back with a worried look on her face
"I assume something bad happened?"
"...Yeah...they allowed the last minute change...but..."
"But...?"
"...You can't move for 5 seconds when its your turn..."
"What?!"
"Isn't that unfair?!"
Miu and Ryu stated their frustration at Kana senpai, who also couldn't believe it
"...It was a last minute decision by the teachers, or rather, our organizers, they think its a proper condition for a last minute change..."
"Aw shucks, Amagasa can't win now"
"I guess there's no hope for us then"
"If only Marika san didn't hurt her foot"
"Amagasa kun..."
"..."
Marika san, alongside with my classmates, was unsure of whether I could be able to pull off such a disadvantage made by the organizers
"Hey man...5 seconds is kinda an unfair deal if you ask me...but what do you think...?"
"...I don't know..."
Depending on how fast our enemies are...I probably wouldn't get the first place...let alone second...
"You don't need to be first!"
"Eh...?"
I looked at Miu, who shouted those words at me
"Sh- Amagasa kun, You don't need to aim for first place! As long as we know you did your best, that's fine!"
"!"
Because of her sudden declaration, our classmates rode along
"We hate your guts, but this time, we're rooting for you Amagasa!"
"Its as the Goddess said, do your very best!"
"Heck go for the opposite! go for the last place!"
"Amagasa kun! Just have fun!"
"Everyone..."
With Marika san and my classmates' support, I felt like I shouldn't betray their expectations...
...Just have fun...huh...?
"Shun...I'll ask you again, do you think you can win in a 5 second delay disadvantage?"
I looked at Ryu with certainty on my face
"Who do you think I am Ryu?"
"You...now I'm looking forward to this!"
"...Shun...I'm sorry that it has come to this..."
"5 Seconds is nothing to me, Kana senpai"
"...Eh...?"
"You might think he's lying, but when it comes to competitions, my man Shun never lies"
"..."
I looked at Miu, who raised up her hand and smiled at me, as if to say "good luck, I'll be rooting for you no matter what" in an expression...
...
*****
*(Miu's Perspective 1)*
"ALL RIGHT FOLKS! ARE YOU READY?! IT IS TIME FOR THE LONG AWAITED RELAY RACE!"
My classmates and I, alongside with Ryu and Marika san, who was injured, watched alongside the crowd, to where the relay race is about to be held...
"Here it is..."
"Where's Shun..?"
"There he is...and as expected...he really used his ability to zone himself"
"Zone...?"
I looked at Shun once more to know what Ito kun was talking about...
...
"?!"
"Surprised huh?"
"Is...something wrong...?"
"Oh no, no, that's how he is whenever he's seriously focused into something. He gets quiet, and intimidating to look at"
"..."
"You never seen this side of him before huh?"
"...No"
"Well...I think its because he thinks that you'll dislike that side of him, maybe"
"Dislike...?"
...
I would never dislike any side of him...no matter what it is...
...because he never disliked the other side of me...
Whatever side he shows to me, I would still love him no matter what...
"Do you think...Shun will lose...?"
"That guy? Probably if he wasn't in the zone, but since he's the zone now..."
"...?"
"Well, just watch and see what happens, its a guaranteed win"
"..."
Is Ito kun saying all of it just to make me feel at ease?
...
...or is it because Shun will definitely win even with a disadvantage...?
...
...Either way, I want to believe in my boyfriend! I know he can do this!
...
*(End of Miu's Perspective 1)*
*****
...
My senses right now are in the right condition...
...my breathing is also stabilized, I just need to keep it at pace when I start running...
...I also need to maintain my form as well as utilize how I will start to run...
...
There's a lot of things to keep in, but what matters the most is how I will give it my all...
...I just need to focus...
...
Now that I think about it, I think I heard from Kana senpai that there will be a twist in the relay race also?
...I wonder what it would be...
...
I'm getting distracted again! Focus Shun, Focus!
*Bang!*
As soon as I heard that sound, I knew it was time for the first position to start running...
I looked behind me, and saw my teammate, being the last to run
...Guess not off to a great start huh...?
...
He then was able to pass it on to our second runner, who was faster than him, but only was able to overcome the second to the last position...
...
She then gave the baton to our third runner, who was evenly good, but wasn't able to overcome any position...
...She's almost out of her breath, but she has the will to pass on the baton to me...
...I waited for her to arrive as I prepare myself to launch off
...
Finally, as she about to give it to me, she said-
"Please, win!"
I was slightly surprised, but nodded at her with a smile as I waited for my 5 second delay disadvantage to start...
...5
...4
...in the middle of my concentration...I could hear the footsteps of my enemies, slowly getting fainter and fainter...indicating that they're already far ahead of me...
...3
...2
...but that didn't break my focus!
...1
...Alright, lets do this!
*Whoosh!*
Without any further ado, I quickly ran off with an explosive start on my end, eventually catching up to the other runners in front of me...
...until I was the one who was in front of them...
...
...I couldn't hear very much what the audiences are saying since I was focusing too hard, but what matters the most right now is for me to be able to finish the race with all my might!
...
As I was about to reach the finish line, there before me, was the obstacle, the twist that Kana senpai mentioned...
...It was some sort of a scavenger hunt. I quickly pull out a piece of paper from the box, and read about what I need in order to finish...
...
"...?!"
...I looked to where Miu, Kana senpai, Ryu, and the others are, they also looked at me in surprise...
...But I can't just take-?!
...
Alright...
...
I quickly went over to where they are with the paper in my hand...
...Miu was surprised by my sudden appearance...
...but I was in a state of total concentration...
...Hence why...
"Sorry, but I need you"
"...?!"
"?!"
I took and carry Kana senpai over to where the organizers are...
...
I then quickly gave my paper to them to confirm...
...
"Ho...? Mind we asking why you brought her?"
"Because I am proud to be her friend!"
"?!"
Kana senpai showed a hint of surprise and embarrassment, but stood firm in front of the organizers. They then smiled at each other and gave their verdict
"THE RELAY RACE IS OVER! THE WINNERS ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF CLASS A-3!!!"
My classmates, who was in a state of shock on what had just happened, suddenly was replaced with applauds and cheers that was echoing around the place...
...Well...almost everyone...
...
...Except for Miu...who was staring with me...
...
...with lifeless eyes...?
*****
End of Chapter 5
