The Sports Festival - Part1

The autumn morning sun illuminated the school grounds as students gathered for the annual sports festival. The tug-of-war rope gleamed in the morning light, and the air was filled with an excited buzz that only special occasions could bring.

"Good morning! I'm so excited for today♪"

Sora entered the classroom, her black twin tails swaying gently. Her red team gym uniform made her fair skin glow even more radiantly, and the morning sun seemed to create a halo around her. Her innocent smile cast a bright spell over the entire classroom, making everyone feel the promise of a wonderful day ahead.

In the corner of the room, Takashi was preparing his camera with determination. "Sora-chan! Today, we, your Imperial Guard, will document everything!"

"Oh, thank you! But shouldn't you focus more on the competitions rather than taking photos?♪" Sora replied with a slight laugh. Her classmates couldn't help but smile at the exchange.

Suddenly, a small grey shadow appeared at her feet. "Meow!" Ten, the cat, rubbed against Sora's legs.

"Ah, Ten! You came to see us today?" Sora happily picked up the cat, who immediately snuggled into her arms. The cat sniffed her hand before nuzzling closer, drawing delighted squeals from the girls in the classroom.

"How dare you... a mere stray cat interrupting my grand entrance..." Ren appeared, scowling. But before he could finish his complaint, Ten suddenly leaped at his designer tracksuit. "Wah! G-Get off!"

The sight of the usually pompous Ren running from a small cat sent the classroom into fits of laughter.

"Oh my, could it be that Ren is disliked by this little one?" Ume teased with a grin.

"Want to be a model with me, Ten?♪" Sora innocently suggested.

"W-Who would do such a thing!" Ume exclaimed, though her cheeks were slightly flushed.

---

"Alright, alright, the opening ceremony is about to start," the teacher called out, bringing order to the chaos.

The first event was the class relay race. Class 3-B had decided to make Sora their anchor runner. Taking a deep breath, she stood ready with a gentle smile, carrying the hopes of her teammates.

"Sora! The baton's coming to you!"

The moment she received the baton from Yuta, Sora took off like the wind. Her running was as graceful as a ballerina's dance, yet possessed incredible speed. With each stride, small clouds of sand rose from the track, and beads of sweat sparkled on her fair skin in the sunlight. The spectators gasped in awe, especially the boys who couldn't take their eyes off her graceful form.

"Amazing... like the wind itself..." "No, look at the divine radiance of Sora-sama's sweat!"

"You guys, we must record Sora-chan's beauty with all our might!" Takashi shouted excitedly, frantically clicking his camera.

"Just watch her run properly!" Yuta called out to them from the spectator stands.

As Sora approached the finish line, she suddenly slowed down and looked back. There, she saw a boy from another class who had fallen and scraped his knee, grimacing in pain. While other runners and spectators rushed toward the finish line, only Sora unhesitatingly stopped and turned back.

"Are you alright? Does it hurt?" Sora knelt beside the boy, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. A cool, comforting warmth seemed to flow from her touch, and her peaceful expression seemed to instantly ease his anxiety. Her eyes held deep compassion, as if she were taking his pain as her own.

The boy looked up at her with a mix of surprise and confusion. He had never experienced such pure kindness directed at him before, and a strange warmth and peace began to spread through his heart. While Sora was usually known for her bright and innocent presence that brought cheer to those around her, this gentle gaze directed solely at him felt special, and his cheeks flushed red.

"Th-Thank you..."

Sora gave him a soft smile. Her smile held an inexplicable power that seemed to wrap around him, making the pain feel distant for a moment. That smile had a mysterious quality that seemed to gently erase pain and sadness, if only briefly.

"Let's finish together, shall we?♪"

She took his hand firmly, and together they began walking toward the finish line. As they walked, spontaneous applause broke out from the spectator stands, and their teammates were drawn into watching this scene unfold. The sight of the two walking hand in hand toward the goal seemed to teach everyone present something important beyond winning and losing, becoming a memory of the sports festival that would be deeply etched in their hearts.

"What is she thinking...!" Ren fumed, crossing his arms in frustration from the spectator stands. "We could've won! This is unacceptable!"

"Now, now, don't get so worked up," Ume patted Ren's shoulder, offering a gentle smile. "That's just who Sora is, isn't it?"

Ren frowned but softened his expression slightly. "...I suppose you're right."

"As expected of Sora-chan! Her kindness is also perfect!" Takashi exclaimed with tears in his eyes, still holding his camera.

Returning to the spectator stands after finishing the relay, Yuta smiled gently despite his slight exasperation at his friends' antics.

"But we could have won..." someone muttered, to which Yuta quietly responded: "No, this was right. It's just like Sora. Not many people can see what's more important than winning."

The other students looked at Yuta with slight surprise. It was rare for the usually competitive Yuta to speak this way. Yet Yuta's heart was truly filled with warmth. Sora's pure and kind actions had taught everyone present something precious.

(To be continued in Part 2)