Chapter 36: A Beautiful Girl Takes on the Sports Festival (Part 4)

I sat in the cheering section, sipping some barley tea.

Tea after finishing a task always tastes better. It doesn’t have to be fancy like black tea—plain old barley tea is more than enough.

The cheer battle was finally over. Just thinking about it makes me blush all over again… but it also feels kind of nice, somehow.

They told me I’d be dancing in front of the parents’ seats, but I didn’t realize they meant literally right in front. I ended up performing practically nose-to-nose with the front row.

That alone was embarrassing enough to make me freeze up, but then I spotted my dad behind them, lugging around a camera the size of a bazooka, and it somehow got even worse.

Still, I managed to finish the dance without messing up. Whether I did it well… that’s another story.

When it ended, the sound of all that applause made me blush even harder.

Afterward, the other committee members told me, “You were great!”—and that made me happy. They’d been dancing around me too, and honestly, they were way better than I was.

So now, after wrapping up one big task, I was on break.

Next up was the obstacle race, so I’d already changed into my outfit.

When I gathered near the entry gate, I found the four members of the Cooking Club there for some reason.

“Huh? Why are you guys here?”

I was the only first-year girl participating in the obstacle race.

It’s a fairly long event, so the number of participants is small—each grade only has one race.

Curious, I asked them about it.

“Well, duh! We’re here to cheer for you, Ayumi-chan!”

“Of course we are.”

“R-Really? Thanks!”

Hearing that made me feel all fired up! I smiled brightly and thanked them.

Sakurako-chan and Moeka-chan both turned a little red. Well… getting thanked can be pretty embarrassing too.

“Ryoji and Togo-kun, you came to cheer as well?”

“Yeah.” “That’s right.”

They answered at the same time. Ryoji aside, Togo was part of the cheering squad anyway.

Usually, when there are lots of participants, everyone forms a circle and shouts things like “Go Red Team!” together. But since the girls’ obstacle race only had three participants, each grade’s cheering squad was doing their own thing—cheering, chatting, and helping everyone relax.

Even the second- and third-year runners were chatting with their squad members nearby.

“So, Ayumi—how confident are you feeling?”

“Not at all… I’m basically guaranteed to finish last, so you should place your hopes on the upperclassmen.”

I appreciated their faith in me, but honestly, I didn’t expect much.

We’d done a rehearsal on the Friday before the festival, but it was only to check entrances and exits—not the actual events. So I had no idea what the obstacle race would really involve. Maybe that meant I still had a chance to win… maybe.

As for the equipment checks, those were done by the seniors, so I hadn’t touched any of it myself.

“If you’re gonna do it, go for first place! You’re already number one in cuteness, so if you cross the finish line first, you’ll be unstoppable!”

“That logic makes zero sense, Ryoji. I don’t even know what you’re talking about, haha.”

I couldn’t help giggling at Ryoji’s nonsense.

“Ahh, Ayumi-chan, you’re just too cute! And now you’ve got your hair in twin tails—that’s a total evolution! A super evolution!”

“So this is Ayumi-chan’s second form, huh?”

“She looks like she could transform three more times after this.”

Apparently, the twin tails Mom tied for me this morning were a big hit.

I actually liked them myself—having my hair off my back felt refreshing, and it wasn’t hot around my neck either.

That said, I doubt I’ll keep it up. I don’t really have the time in the morning to comb it out and tie it up neatly on my own.

And no, I cannot transform three more times!

Don’t make it sound like I’m some kind of monster or demon lord. I’m supposed to be a girl, remember?

…Still, since I always just wear my hair straight and down, part of me does want to try something new. Back when I was a guy, there wasn’t much room to experiment, but as a girl, there are so many ways to change things up. Having long hair means so many options—it’s kind of exciting. Maybe I’ll ask Sakurako-chan’s sister, Yoshino-san, for some styling tips next time.

“Still, Ayu-chan, I’m surprised you signed up for the obstacle race. I heard ours is pretty tough.”

“Eh? Really!?”

“Yeah. No hurdles or anything, but apparently it’s like a mash-up of a bunch of different mini events.”

I peeked out toward the track from the entry gate.

Yeah… there’s a huge ball over there. Are we supposed to roll that thing?

“It starts with the giant ball roll, then there’s a bread-eating contest, a scavenger hunt, and finally, you finish the race in costume.”

“Whaaa… that’s way more intense than I imagined…”

I instantly regretted signing up. No wonder it takes so long. Honestly, it sounded like a hassle. Especially the last part—costume running? No thanks. I’d already changed outfits several times today, and now they wanted another one? Ugh. Well, it’s probably something simple since it’s during the race… but still, I had a bad feeling.

“Hey, that’s great for you, Ayumi-chan! You didn’t eat much lunch, right? Now you can have some bread!”

“That’s not the point!”

Come on, Sakurako-chan—bread-eating contests aren’t about eating bread! You don’t even get to enjoy the flavor!

Although, if it’s tasty bread, I guess that’s a bonus.

“If you get ‘lover’ for the scavenger hunt, call me, Ayumu.”

“There’s no way they’d have an item like that. And besides, lying isn’t allowed, so I’d have to retire if that happened.”

“What!? So your love for me was a lie all along!?”

“Ah, looks like it’s starting soon. I’m heading off!”

“Ayumu! Don’t ignore me like that!”

Ugh, noisy.

I don’t have time to deal with him right now—seriously, what a handful.

“Okay, okay, Ryoji-kun, go take a nap in the nurse’s office, alright?”

“Wait, isn’t my treatment getting worse every time!?”

“Ayu-chan, do your best!” “Ayumi-chan, go for it!”

Cheered on by their voices, I headed toward the entry gate.

The moment the event began, I regretted everything.

The giant ball in the ball-rolling event—barely moved.

Why is this thing so heavy!? I thought in frustration, only to look around and see that the other girls were pushing theirs just fine. …Guess I really don’t have much strength after all.

After struggling and finally managing to roll the ball to the finish line, I saw that the other teams were already reaching the bread-eating section. Naturally, I was sitting comfortably in my usual position—dead last.

By the time I reached the bread-eating area, most of the others were already biting into their bread. Some were even about to finish.

Okay, so… what bread’s left for me?

“Y-Yakisoba bread…?”

Who thought this was a good idea!? Why would someone throw such a heavy carb bomb into a speed-eating event!?

I tore off the wrapper and took a bite. The soft, slightly moist roll was packed with stir-fried noodles. I could understand why others avoided it after lunch, but since I hadn’t eaten much earlier, it actually tasted great.

And the roll itself was soft and easy to chew—definitely better than, say, melon bread.

…Or so I thought. Turns out, finishing an entire yakisoba bread really hits your stomach hard.

Whoever decided to make us eat bread after lunch—you’re a menace.

By the time I reached the scavenger hunt section, I was practically fighting the bloated feeling in my gut.

Who even benefits from this kind of event?

Still, I managed to make it to the scavenger hunt zone. Since I’d made up a little ground during the bread-eating part, depending on what item I drew, I might actually catch up.

I pulled one of the remaining slips of paper and read what it said.

"An older or younger sister of a Mikawa High School student."

So close! I thought, running toward the parents’ seating area. If it had said “brother,” I could’ve just dragged my little brother over and finished instantly!

I arrived in front of the stands, pacing back and forth as the parents’ eyes turned toward me. Even if there were little girls or older sisters around, I couldn’t just grab someone silently. Embarrassing as it was, I had to shout it out. Alright—fortitude! Or rather… manly courage!

“E-Excuse me! If there’s anyone here who’s an older or younger sister of a Mikawa High School student, please come with me!”

I didn’t trip over my words! Progress! Though really, it’s not like anyone would just—

“Yes, yes, yes! Me! I’ll go!”

Someone actually answered!? A girl in the back was jumping up and waving both hands energetically. What enthusiasm! But thank goodness!

Pushing through the crowd, she emerged—

“Aika-chan!?”

“Yep! I came today to see you, Ayu-chan, but my sister wouldn’t bring me during lunch, so I thought I’d missed my chance!”

Right—I remembered. Sakurako-chan had an older sister, and Moeka-chan had a younger one. What luck that Aika showed up so fast!

“Let’s go, Ayu-chan! You might still win this!”

“O-Okay!”

I grabbed Aika-chan’s hand, and together we dashed toward the scavenger hunt finish line. If we cleared this, all that was left was the costume run!

It looked like everyone else had drawn similar “bring someone matching the description” slips. The girl ahead of me was running with a small child too—wearing blue, meaning she was from Class B. Right now, Blue was in first, Red in second. If I could pass her here, we’d close the gap a little!

She was keeping pace with the little girl beside her, so I could actually outrun them.

Yes! I cleared the scavenger hunt zone! For the moment, I was in first place, and the Red Team’s cheering section erupted in excitement.

Apparently, you had to keep your “borrowed” person with you until the very end, so Aika-chan was still running beside me as we charged into the costume area.

There was a table set up with five bags laid out, each one concealing its contents, and beyond that were five small booth-like cubicles that looked like changing rooms.

So, you grab one of the bags, then change into whatever’s inside, huh…

Even if it was behind a curtain, changing in front of an entire crowd was mortifying. But there was no time to hesitate now.

I grabbed a bag at random and hurried into a booth.

“Wait here, okay?”

“Want me to help?”

“Wha—!? N-No, I can do it myself!”

Inside the booth, I opened the bag. Out came a frilly white apron, a black dress, a white frilled headband, and matching strap shoes. Which could only mean…

“A maid outfit…”

So this was karma. I’d been laughing earlier at Class B’s cheer squad for wearing maid uniforms—and now the universe had thrown one right back at me.

They even included the shoes! That’s commitment! Who approved this ridiculous budget!?

Well… complaining won’t help. I’ll just have to put it on. Great, another embarrassing outfit added to my growing collection.

I flung open the curtain and stepped out, stuffing my sneakers and gym clothes into the now-empty bag.

A wave of murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“Whoa—!” “She’s so cute!”

D-Don’t look at me!

I’d worried the size wouldn’t fit when I first pulled it out, but it was just a bit loose—nothing unwearable.

Right now, my black hair was tied into twin tails, topped with an adorable frilly headband. The long black dress fit neatly around me, and a white apron full of ruffles completed the look.

“Wow, Ayu-chan, you look so cute! It suits you perfectly!”

“...Yeah, thanks.”

“Honestly, I really wanted you to wear the maid outfit I made myself! Such a shame!”

If possible, I’d like to avoid ever wearing that one. Ever.

Since we finished changing quickly, Aika-chan and I dashed straight toward the goal. The others were still stuck inside the changing booths. We could win this…!

And for the first time in my life, I broke through the finish line in first place!

After crossing the goal, Aika-chan and I sat down in front of the first-place flag. So this is what being first feels like... Even dressed like this, I couldn’t help but feel overjoyed.

“Aika-chan, thank you! We won first because you came out so quickly!”

“Ahhh! Just seeing that radiant smile of yours makes it all worth it! But next time you come over, promise me you’ll wear one of my handmade costumes, okay?”

“Ugh, that’s… I’ll have to think about it.”

“Come on, pleeease?”

We both laughed together, grinning from ear to ear. Seeing us like that, even the girls who finished later smiled too. Maybe this sports festival stuff is actually kind of fun.

After finally parting ways with a reluctant Aika-chan at the exit gate, I started heading toward the changing room—only to be stopped by Sakurako-chan and the others. What’s going on here?

Apparently, they said, “Ayumi-chan looks super cute in that maid outfit, so we want you to cheer us on like that! Please stay dressed like that!”

I mean… this costume is borrowed, you know. Still, compared to that super-revealing cheerleader outfit, this one’s definitely the lesser evil, so I didn’t really object.

Besides, my next event—the three-legged race—was coming up soon anyway, so I’d have to change later no matter what. It was easier to just stay in the maid outfit until then, rather than switching to the cheer outfit and then back to gym clothes again.

The only problem was, ever since I put on this outfit, more people had started talking to me—and asking to take pictures together.

Even when I was wearing the cheerleader outfit, people kept asking for photos, so at this point I’d pretty much given up resisting. Honestly, I’d rather they didn’t take any, but since the requests never stopped coming, I eventually caved. I really wish I could be the kind of person who just says no!

Anyway, there were only a few events left now.

Since the girls’ three-legged race was next, I headed back toward the entrance gate. Once this race was over, only a handful of competitions would remain.

The red team was currently in second place. We’d dropped to third or fourth a few times, but always managed to climb back up. With the point gap between us and the leading blue team, we really needed to win as many events as possible. And with all the other teams so close behind, we couldn’t afford to lose now. The blue team hadn’t fallen below first even once since the start.

The fact that our red team—originally expected to place last—had made it this far was amazing already. But since we’d come this close, we had to aim for the championship. I was sure everyone felt the same way.

The three-legged race didn’t offer many points, but losing badly here would still hurt our chances.

I started feeling nervous. I’d been the one messing up during practice all the time… What if I fail during the real race too? What if we lose because of me?

My face stiffened, and sweat began forming on my palms. Then suddenly, both of my cheeks were pulled to the sides—stretch!

"Hyah!? Wha—what are you doing!?"

My three-legged race partner, Moeka-chan, was smiling as she gently tugged at my cheeks.

"Ayumi-chan, you’re totally nervous, right? Thinking ‘What if we lose? What if I mess up?’"

"H-how did you know!?"

"Ayumi-chan, it’s written all over your face!"

Ugh… Yeah, I can’t deny that. I blush easily, and everything shows right away.

"Don’t worry, no one’s going to blame you if we lose. Instead of worrying about winning, let’s just focus on running together, okay?"

Moeka-chan’s gentle smile eased my nerves. Little by little, the tension melted away.

Yeah, I shouldn’t be obsessed with winning. Especially since during practice, I was the one who kept tripping us up. First things first—let’s just aim to reach the finish line without falling!

After entering the field, we began getting ready for the race.

"Okay, all set!"

My right leg and Moeka-chan’s left leg were tied together—becoming one. Moeka-chan wrapped her arm tightly around my shoulder, and I did the same. Even though we’d practiced plenty of times, touching another girl’s body still made me nervous.

Her warm body heat seeped through my palm resting on her shoulder. Oh no—my hand’s getting sweaty again.

"You really do smell nice, Ayumi-chan."

"No way, I probably just smell like sweat."

"You don’t smell sweaty at all! Just being able to compete alongside you makes me happy. So don’t worry about messing up, okay?"

Her bright, refreshing smile carried those words straight to my heart.

Our turn was drawing near. Standing on the lane, I took a deep breath. Okay. I can do this.

The starter raised the gun and fired into the air—Bang!—and all the teams burst forward at once. Moeka-chan and I matched our breathing and took our first step together.