The day of the marathon had arrived.
The event didn’t start at the school itself, but at an athletics track some distance away.
From there, the course followed the river, looped around the surrounding area, and returned to the track.
Early in the morning, Yuzuru sat with Arisa, Soichiro, Ayaka, and the others on a picnic sheet spread out over the grass near the edge of the venue, idly chatting.
“Looks like the girls run first, and then the boys.”
Ayaka said that brightly.
She was athletic, so the marathon probably wasn’t much of a burden for her.
“It’s supposed to end in the morning, so it’s basically a half day! Want to go hang out afterwards?”
Chiharu chimed in cheerfully.
She, too, didn’t seem particularly bothered by the marathon.
“Do what you like, but count me out… just let me rest.”
Soichiro sighed.
He was being sandwiched between Ayaka and Chiharu, both of whom were eagerly trying to drag him along.
A few of the boys nearby shot him resentful looks.
That said, Yuzuru—who had known them since childhood—understood that keeping up with Ayaka and Chiharu when they were in high spirits required a great deal of stamina and willpower.
So he didn’t envy him much.
If anything, he felt sorry for him.
That aside… he also reaffirmed that juggling two girls like this still made Soichiro a scumbag.
“Seven kilometres isn’t exactly a short distance. Wouldn’t it be better to rest? …I think that’s why we don’t have classes in the afternoon.”
Arisa said that with a small smile.
“See? Even Yukishiro-san says so,” Soichiro added, using her words to scold Ayaka and Chiharu.
“Speaking of resting, Arisa… how are you feeling?”
Yuzuru asked.
It had been over a week since she’d fully recovered from her cold.
So her condition shouldn’t be bad—
But whether she was ready to run a long distance was another matter.
Her stamina had probably dropped a little.
“Yes, I’m fine. …Thanks to you, Yuzuru-san.”
Arisa said that, her cheeks faintly tinged red.
Seeing that, Yuzuru found himself recalling when he’d nursed her back to health.
Her pale back had been… rather alluring.
“R-right… that’s good to hear.”
A slightly awkward atmosphere settled between them.
Ah, something definitely happened there—
The others watched them with warm, knowing looks.
“I-I’m fine, really… b-but what about Amaka-san? Are you alright?”
Arisa hastily changed the subject, offering Amaka up as a sacrifice.
And the unfortunate target looked… less than well.
“You okay?”
“…Physically, I suppose I’m fine.”
Amaka answered Hijiri, then let out a sigh.
“Mentally, I feel awful, though… I have a request for all of you. Would that be alright?”
When they nodded, she continued—
“Please… don’t cheer for me. No welcoming me at the finish line, no applause.”
Ah, right—there was that custom of applauding the last-place runner.
Yuzuru tilted his head slightly.
What was the reasoning behind that, anyway?
For the person in last place, it would only draw more attention—surely humiliating.
Yuzuru had never come last, but he could imagine that much.
And if he could imagine it, others probably could too.
Of course, not everyone who applauded did so out of malice.
(…Maybe it’s because not cheering the last runner feels cold.)
Silently greeting them would be awkward.
So people clap instead.
It might not be great for the one being greeted—but it makes those doing the greeting feel better.
“Want me to cheer you on with a megaphone?”
“Go ahead. I’ll curse you.”
Amaka shot Hijiri a glare at his teasing.
Given that she was the heir to a religious family, that “curse” felt oddly believable.
“By the way, Yuzuru—you remember our deal, right?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.”
Soichiro and Hijiri both looked at him.
Yuzuru tilted his head for a moment.
He remembered the plan to have a massage session with Arisa afterwards—but he definitely hadn’t agreed to anything as disturbing as massaging those two.
“…Ah, the meal.”
Then it clicked.
Whoever came last would treat the other two to a meal.
“Of course I remember. I’m looking forward to it.”
Yuzuru was confident in his stamina.
If it was a competition, he had no intention of losing.
And more than that—he wanted to win, to feel refreshed and satisfied, and then spend time with Arisa in that state.
So he would win.
“Oh?”
“You said it.”
Naturally, Soichiro and Hijiri had no intention of losing either.
Sparks practically flew between the three of them—
And Amaka let out an exaggerated sigh.
“You lot look like you’re having fun… isn’t there some kind of trick to make it easier?”
At that, Chiharu responded.
“I go ‘hee-hoo, hee-hoo’ with my breathing. It kind of makes it feel easier.”
“…Isn’t that for childbirth? Does it even help?”
Arisa looked doubtful.
Chiharu shrugged.
“Who knows? But if it helps with childbirth, a long-distance run should be easy, right?”
“…I’m going to believe you, Chiharu-san.”
Amaka decided to trust her.
Yuzuru thought she really shouldn’t—but Chiharu puffed out her chest confidently and gave a thumbs-up.
“Leave it to me. I am a living deity, you know?”
“All hail Chiharu-sama, god among us.”
Ayaka laughed.
At the very least, she didn’t seem to believe in “God Chiharu”.
Just then, a signal called them to assemble.
They would gather by class, do group warm-ups, and then split into boys and girls for the run.
Yuzuru and Arisa walked side by side towards their classmates.
…Given they had just been with Ayaka and the others, it wasn’t unnatural for them to head over together.
Of course, people would notice how close they’d become—
But for them, this was an important step in preparation.
“…Yuzuru-san.”
“What is it?”
“You remember what comes after this, right?”
After this—
In other words, after the marathon.
Yuzuru gave a firm nod.
“Of course… so let’s both do our best.”
“…Yes.”
They smiled at each other.
