CH 81

I was standing at the top of the lane. Just as the third girl, a senior, started to run, I saw my step sister standing at the top of the lane on the other side of the track. I also saw Nanase excitedly preparing next to her.

She’s going to overtake.

At this point, I was convinced of that. Right now, the 3rd year class 1 was leading the race and gradually widening the gap, but once that girl came out, the situation would change drastically. There were other students like Kisaragi and Shinkai. And the very last one.

“……”

Yukihana Hisui, who is now standing next to me, staring at me intently. The baton will soon be passed to him. I wonder if the current me has the physical strength to catch up with him…….

And then

“Hey you, rabbit.”

“……”

“What do you mean by this?”

He spoke to me in a quarrelsome manner. In his hand was a sheet of paper fluttering in the wind, and when I turned around, he crumpled it. Apparently, he didn’t like it. But this gave me a chance.

“……You better remember this.”

The sight of Yukihana Hisui entering his own world after saying that was like a wolf about to go on a hunt.

Solitary. The word “solitary” comes to mind, but the essence of his solitary is different from mine. Unlike me, who never chooses my own means, I always carry out my own self. It’s a completely different way of life from mine. There may be multiple reasons why he became like this, and I can’t imagine them, but I do know one thing.

His sister…..Yukihana Ruri, is the one thing I do know. This guy always puts his sister first and doesn’t care what happens to anything else. I guess that’s how he lived his life, and as a result, he’s settled into the personality he has now.

In contrast, the old me tried to be close to everything that came into my eyes. I know it was stupid of me, but I can’t help but think. What if I had a real family? What if I had brothers and sisters to grow up with and walk shoulder to shoulder with? I wonder what would have happened to me…….

(It’s too late for that.)

I know there’s no point in thinking about that, but somehow it clings to my mind. What my life could have been. The world of IFs branching infinitely.

But I was not allowed to choose. No, I had taken too many cheap contracts. I was pushed around by the convenience of adults from an early age, and in the end, I destroyed myself……

“Tch, that stupid bitch. What’s she getting so excited about?”

I looked across the lane and saw the baton had just been passed to my step sister. She was coming towards me with all her might, and she even looked somewhat fierce.

Nanase, who had not yet received the baton, was also looking forward to running, jumping vertically like a degraded version of the Masai tribe, her eyes shining as she waited for the baton. She’s probably fantasizing about catching up with her seniors. Well, that will definitely become a reality.

And the moment the baton is passed to Nanase, the crowd cheers. After all, she’s a star in this school, so she stands out even just for being a star, and she’s probably the fastest girl in the school. I’m sure she has a new fan at this very moment.

(I mean……)

I just noticed that Yukihana’s brother is also good friends with Nanase. If you think about it calmly, it’s an unlikely pairing personality-wise, but I get the vibe from him that he’s somehow waiting for his partner.

(He has a sister and a friend who’s like a sidekick……just like someone.)

But that someone didn’t open his heart to his sister who cared for him, and ended up hurting his partner-like friend. Totally ironic.

While I was thinking about that, I heard footsteps coming from right behind me. I turned around to check and sure enough, it was Nanase, who had overtaken my step sister and jumped into the lead.

My step sister is also running hard, so the gap isn’t that wide. She looked more desperate than ever since she met me. I didn’t know she could make a face like that.

“Hurry up, you stupid !”

“Shut up, you stupid Hisui !”

On the other hand, next to me, Yukihana was rushing Nanase, and Nanase, hearing that, was cursing him out loud as if she was in her rebellion phase. But they seemed to know each other so well.

However, this may have helped to set the tone, and Yukihana got off to a good start. It was a rocket start, a full-throttle sprint that eliminated the process of running to the finish line. A climax from start to finish, yeah?

And then

“Haa……haa……”

My step sister came running to me. The distance was about 3 meters. I can hear her breathing heavily even at this distance, as if she was exerting all her strength. I saw that and I turned forward and started to run. I wave my hand behind me and take a light step forward.

I try to enter my own world. I used to close my eyes like this before accomplishing something. I shut out all outside information and enter a state of extreme concentration. During this time, I don’t feel the voices of the noisy audience or their eyes on me. It was a time for me to simply face myself.

But at that moment, I heard something for sure.

“Win !”

A fragile yet powerful, dignified voice conveying wishes and thoughts.

And finally, a small voice that no one but me could hear.

“Kanata !”

Usually there’s some time lag in the passing of the baton. Even Yukihana and Nanase earlier had adjusted their positions, albeit only momentarily. However, there’s no time lag between me and my step sister when she was passing the baton. In my left hand, the baton that was full of wish was handed from my step sister’s right hand.

“!”

At that moment, I started running.

The chairman? Sports festival hidden facts? My true identity? I had been thinking about so many things at once that my head was about to explode, but at this moment, I was no longer thinking about those things. I feel like I’ve been freed from all the ties that bind me. My body feels….extremely light.

Buzz……

The moment I started to run, the crowd started to get noisy, but I didn’t notice it. Because I was surprised at my own body.

I had been worried that my body would break down from the strain of minimal movement over the past few years, but now my body was on fire. No, it was as if energy was overflowing from deep within, as if it had been building up over the years. It’s partly because I’ve been doing minimal muscle training, but it’s the first time in a while that I’ve been on the big stage. Maybe I’m soaring deep down inside.

[Come on, more !]

The voice that usually rings in my ears is pleasant just at this moment. It was like a tailwind that was beating at my back and propelling me forward.

I ran, and ran, and ran. I’m not a professional runner, nor am I an athlete. But back then, I used to run around from morning till night. I really miss it.

“……You’re joking, right !?”

That voice came from behind me. Apparently I had overtaken Yukihana Hisui without even realizing it. But I kept going, not knowing where to stop. As if to prove to myself that I’m free. Or as if I don’t want to be bound by any more silly ties.

“……Amazing.”

“That’s the guy they call the representative, right?”

“Can a human being run like that?”

And the gap between me and Yukihana keeps widening. The sound of kicking dirt could be heard, and at the same time, the whole school audience, who were at first surprised and puzzled, started cheering for me at once. As if in response to their cheers, I accelerate my speed.

“Wait, hey, hey, hey, hey !”

“Is this for real !?”

“That Yukihana is losing?”

What I just heard was probably the voice of Yukihana and his friends from the 1st year class 2. They had been watching from a height because they were convinced that they had won, but now they looked as if their blood had drained from their veins and they were stunned.

And nearby, I could see the members of my class, the 2nd year 1st class, too. They probably didn’t realize that it was me, but it made me feel a little better to see their stunned faces. Childish, isn’t it? But I don’t care. Just for today, I’m going to take my own weight off.

I want to show my step sister. I want to show her what I look like now. I’m serious.

Now, let’s turn it up a notch. More……more !

[The relay winner is, the 3rd year class 1 !　They showed us a wonderful match, with comeback after comeback !]

The result of the relay is victory. Winning that battle meant that they had won the first round, and after that it was the finals, but I disappeared at that time. I was convinced that the potential of that class was high and that they could win in the finals with a lot of time to spare. At that time, I asked Miura to participate instead, saying that he had recovered from his injury. Although my step sister, who had given her all in the first round, seemed to be suffering in various ways.

“……My body, I don’t see any problem with it.”

I returned the rabbit mask to the equipment room and checked my body.

I was prepared for muscle pain, but I’m grateful that my body was stronger than I thought.

After that, I naturally joined my own class at the end of the relay finals and waited until the results were announced. As I did so, members of my class who had participated in the relay also returned. Apparently, even after being eliminated, they were watching the final of the relay from a close distance. Kisaragi, for example, was puffing her cheeks out and groaning the whole time.

“Geez, I don’t understand what was going on ! What’s with that guy?”

“I thought he must be great since he was Miura senpai’s representative, but I didn’t know there was someone like that. I wonder what kind of senior he is?”

“……”

Of course, they were talking about me. I mean, it was talked about here and there when I was on standby earlier. At any rate, I promised myself to be careful when I move from now on. On that evidence

“……Traitor.”

Yukihana (the sister) said so in a voice only I could hear. Apparently, she had come to the conclusion that the rabbit-faced man she had just met was me. I could deny it, but in the end she would not believe it.

But she didn’t seem to try to question me.

“……Well, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Hisui’s pretty face, so I’ll keep quiet.”

She said something like this. It seems that she was pleased that she could see her brother’s rare appearance. I couldn’t see his expression, but he sounded surprised. I was getting curious too. I mean, seeing her brother lose makes her heart flutter, and I can’t help but think that her propensity is a little too peculiar. Is this the kind of bond these guys have? At least, I don’t think I can understand it.

“Ugh, we tried our best.”

“We did our best. Let’s do our best again next year.”

“No, we still have the MVP and all that, let’s hope for that.”

The class is polarized into those that have given up and those that may still have a chance. I doubt very much if there’s a chance for MVP in this class that has never won a single match, but since we are free to have dreams, I will not think anything of it.

And then

[Thank you for your patience. We have just finished tallying the results and will announce the results of the sports competition.]

An announcement rang out, reporting that the results had been tallied. Apparently, they included the MVPs and others, and they were going to announce them at the same time. The 2nd year 1st class, who knew halfway through that they were losing, listened quietly.

[Now then, I will announce the winning class. The winner is…..]