10 - No room for comebacks

Student council president Nakamura stood on stage behind the microphone. The end of his speech would mark the start of the sports festival. With everything that had happened over the past couple of days, I didn’t think I could get excited about anything, let alone a day filled with sports.

Ever since Komiya-kun visited, I’ve been feeling a lot better. Still, the moment I arrived at school earlier, it’s getting worse again.

On instinct, I reached for my hat, to pull it lower over my face, forgetting that I wasn’t wearing it.

I had to shake off the sorrow before it was written all over my face, because both my mother and sister said they were coming.

“—That leaves me with one final thing to say; may the best team win.”

Some classes cheered, but none as loud as Class D. Komiya-kun at the centre of it left me pondering what he’s scheming.

“Do you hear them roar?” Satou asked the class. “That’s our team blue ally, let’s match their energy!”

Instead of submitting to the hype created in our group, I stared through my camera’s lens at Komiya-kun giving a team talk—with his entire class closely listening in.

I stopped filming when a teacher went up the microphone, “First years, gather on the sports fields for tug of war. Second years, gather inside for—”

I stopped listening when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

“You look unwell, is something wrong?” Suzumi-chan asked.

“I’m fine, I’m fine heehee… Let’s cheer Class D on.”

Once we were at the sports fields, Class D stood in a criss-cross formation. All of them steadily planted their feet into the ground, held the rope close to their body and when the whistle was blown, they leaned backward and pulled to their rhythm.

“Heave!” “Ho!” it sounded for seconds before they pulverised the first group of Class A, the red team.

The second group of five got to the rope, all girls against girls this time, Miori amongst them—not that I really felt like cheering her on, even in silence. In the same formation, with the same motions, Class D scored yet another point.

“Way to go!” Satou yelled.

A, “Team blue!” chant was repeatedly yelled until the next group of five got ready. Perhaps the most intense five as both class captains stood as the first man on the rope.

Yuma looked toward our cheer squad and directed a peace sign at Suzumi-chan, most likely. Since last time in class, we hadn’t talked any further about boys, so I wondered what was going on with them. Next to her sat Watanabe with a troubled expression.

Dead silence fell over the crowd.

“Let’s cheer him on,” Suzumi-chan whispered as she tapped on Satou’s shoulder. When she leaned into me, she whispered, “This could be some good footage of our class.”

I turned my camera toward our cheer squad, but before they got going—

“Awooooh!!” Komiya-kun howled like a wolf.

“Ko-mi-ya! Ko-mi-ya! Ko-mi-ya!” all of Class D yelled, before Suzumi-chan on our end joined in, followed by the rest of our cheer squad.

Neither of the previous matches were close calls, which made this one all the more tense. In the end, Class D’s synchronised movements got the rope over their side.

Probably the most popular first year, Yuma, who provoked us by flirting with his opposition, got dusted by a boy who howled like a wolf in his face—for everyone to see. If this was Komiya-kun’s plan of taking centre stage, it’s going pretty well.

Seeing how he was embraced by his classmates, you would never guess he was known as the school’s creep just a few weeks ago.

Somewhere along the way, I forgot to record, or even pay attention and all tug of war games had ended.

“Ishiwata-san?” Suzumi-chan brought me back to planet Earth.

“Sorry, I was lost in thought for a second. What’s the score?”

“Team blue won by four against both team red and white!”

Winning all games without dropping one… I had heard that Class D was really motivated by their class captain, but I still wondered just how he did it.

After all years finished their games, the total scores were revealed with team blue unsurprisingly in the lead, at least for now.

Next game, it was our turn. Extreme tag, it’s called. One on one tag in an obstacle course. When the whistle is blown, one competitor tries to tag the other within thirty seconds, if they’re successful, they earn their team a point. Then the roles are reversed.

Team white started off against team red, with Suzumi-chan as the referee.

The games were quickly paced when team red was on the offence, seeing victory with a score of five to three.

When it was our turn, Class D fell silent, not returning the favour of our cheer squad at all—as if they forgot we’re on the same team.

Two to two was the score when our captain stepped in. Easily evading the tagger all game by using sudden bursts of speed. Using her acceleration as her weapon on the offence saw her tagging her opponent within five seconds, the fastest game of the day.

Instead of returning to our class, she ran towards Class D, Komiya-kun in particular. I couldn’t make out what she was saying, but she was really animated about it, returning with big swings of her arms and an even bigger pout.

“They’re such meanies! I told captain Komi to get his act straight!”

And they did. Overpowering any and every other sound made on our school grounds, they helped us overcome team white, but losing a close game to team red.

The last thing before lunchbreak was the three-legged race.

All gathered on the track field, Komiya-kun hurried his way over to our class.

“Captain Satou!”

“Komiya-captain?”

He pointed backward with his thumb, “We need a runner, my partner is stuck on the toilet. Do you have anyone confident in three legged racing?”

She placed her fingertips on her chest, “Look no further than the end of your nose, Captain K! Count me in!”

In that swift manner, acting overly familiar, they formed a pair. Satou handed me the folder every captain carries where the sports and events are written down, along with who will be competing and where on the school grounds it takes place.

This one was supposed to be a Class D sport, but when someone gets injured or falls ill, anyone on the team is free to fill in. A little curious as to who got stuck on the toilet, I opened the folder and looked for the sheet with the three legged race on it.

Pair three: Komiya Tomomi and Tomomi Komiya…

I don’t think their homeroom teacher checked this. Raising my head to the ongoing contest, I saw Satou excitedly bouncing up and down. I couldn’t help but think this was yet another one of his ploys; pairing himself up with our fastest runner.

Team red won the first race, a pair consisting of the captain. Team blue came in second and white didn’t reach the finish line with their pair eating dirt at the start signal.

Getting my camera ready for the third round, I missed the second one, still knowing team blue won by the immense cheers from Class D.

Lens focused on the main character, he howled like a wolf once more. Getting captured by the hype of the moment, Satou joined in to the utmost amusement of Class D.

When the whistle was blown, all pairs got left in the dust by the blue captains. To make up for the height difference, Satou forced her strides as wide as she could while maintaining top speed—top as far as three-legged races are concerned.

Reaching the finish line well before the others, Satou jumped with a victory punch to the air, forgetting she was still tied to Komiya-kun. When he lost his balance, she lost her footing when landing. He caught her in an airborne turn, hitting his head on the ground while breaking Satou’s fall.

I launched off the ground, but quickly sat down again when I saw the big grin spread on his face.

Him playing the hero wasn’t the problem, but—

“—don’t get me all worried,” I sighed.

The realisation that I said those words out loud kicked in when Suzumi-chan giggled beside me, “He hasn’t changed in that regard.”

“In what regard?”

Resting her chin on the palms of her hands paired with a nostalgic smile, she said, “He always puts others before himself, not that he gets much credit for it. If you ask me, that makes him even more admirable.”

My head, only turned halfway, slowly reached a full stretch as the puzzle pieces in my brain fell into place. I am a blind idiot. How else could I explain not noticing any sooner?

“You think so? I thought they just fell over,” Watanabe joked.

“See, no credit,” she poked back.

I placed my hand on my stomach as I felt it turning.

Meanwhile, Satou sprinted our way.

“Emergency! I’m going to bring the Class D captain to the nurse for a quick check. I’m counting on you to cheer the last racers on, alright?”

Her fiery gaze was directed at me, which I deflected, “You heard her, Suzumi-chan.”

“Alright.” She seemed pumped up, raising her fists.

Like earlier, I paid no attention to the race when my thoughts began racing. A race with a single competitor, and yet somehow I was losing. Satou has always been quick to make friends. It wasn’t against the odds that she’d take a liking to Komiya-kun… and yet my chest tightened and my stomach turned anew.

I had to flip my mood around swiftly, because I’d be eating lunch with my mother and sister soon.

“Another win!” Suzumi-chan hugged me from the side, getting caught up in the excitement. “We should be far in the lead now. Let’s go all out in the scavenger hunt together!”

Trying to mimic her pepped up state, I determinedly stated, “Yeah, let’s leave no room for comebacks!”