(A/N Notes: Hello, here's the delayed release of what was supposed to be last week's chapter. Due to my computer deciding to have essentially a week long crashing loop, which made me unable to write it, or feel safe to write without losing progress from the computer suddenly deciding to panic out of nowhere.)
If there is one way to describe Takeru's physical capabilities, it would be that he is a sprinter—in other words, he is really good at running fast or exerting a lot of force for a short period of time. Put more simply, he lacked stamina.
On top of that, Takeru is also pretty bad at making sharp turns while running, so he's either forced to stop and quickly pivot, or make wide turns to avoid losing too much speed.
This was something his friends—and a certain cousin of his—were very good at exploiting whenever they needed to escape from his retribution, usually after doing something stupid, though harmless, and more often than not embarrassing for Takeru.
And how does that matter in the current situation? Well…
"Haa! Haa! Haa!" Looks behind "?!"
Takeru was running as fast as he could, on the verge of gasping for air, desperately trying to escape from Haruka, who was chasing after him at top speed without breaking a sweat. She was closing the distance faster and faster, while Takeru, having already burned through most of his stamina, was slowing down. Still, he forced himself to keep running through sheer willpower—and a bit of fear.
But with his body already at its limit, Takeru knew he had to quickly find a way out of Haruka's pursuit. Realizing he couldn't outrun her, he decided instead to try and outmaneuver her. His chance appeared when he noticed he was approaching the garden Yuriko had shown him earlier.
Taking a big gulp of air, Takeru abruptly stopped in his tracks, nearly losing his balance, before changing direction and dashing into the garden. He hoped he could outsmart Haruka by slipping away through one of the other entrances.
But his hopes were immediately shattered when he saw Haruka perform nothing less than a drift and continue chasing him. And now, because he had sacrificed so much speed to make that turn, Haruka had gotten even closer—far too close.
"!" Jumps forward
"Guah!"
So close that Haruka felt confident enough to lunge Takeru and grab hold of him, sending the two rolling across the green grass until they finally stopped.
"Kuku, I caught you, Tanaka-san."
"…"
Haruka lifted herself slightly, looking down on Takeru as she pinned him firmly to the ground, giving him no chance to escape. Unconsciously, she wore a rather frightening smirk—like a predator that had just captured its prey. Takeru, on the other hand, could only remain silent, his cheeks faintly red from both the compromising position he was in and the overwhelming stimulation touching his chest.
"Now, you will be punished for breaking your promise not to run away, Tanaka-san."
"Huh?!"
"…"
Right after declaring that she would punish him, Haruka began to ponder, her face showing clear signs of deep thought as she struggled to find an idea that balanced her opposing goals. That's when she remembered a certain manga scene—one where a strict female character gave a "lesson" to a delinquent.
With no other references coming to mind, and seeing Takeru turn his flushed face away, Haruka couldn't help but think that the idea might just work. And with no one around to stop her, she went through with it.
"…"
"!"
Without a word, Haruka leaned closer to Takeru's face, making his distress grow at what she might be planning. Then, before he realized it, he felt a soft sensation brush against his left cheek. For a moment, his mind went blank. But as he snapped back to his senses, his entire face burned red, and he burst out–
"W-W-W-What are you doing!?"
"Giving you your punishment for breaking your promise not to run away, Tanaka-san. And if you do it again, you'll receive the same punishment."
"Eh!?"
Hearing that he would be kissed on the cheek again if he tried to run away, Takeru could only feel his embarrassment rising. He could vividly imagine her doing it again—after all, she had just done so. However, before either of them could say anything further—
School bell ringing
"Ah… The entrance ceremony is about to start…" Nods
Hearing the school bell signaling that their time was up, Haruka stood up and offered her hand to help Takeru. Flustered, he accepted, but just as he thought she was about to let go, she tightened her grip and spoke again.
"Tanaka-san, this matter is not yet finished. We shall meet here again during lunchtime."
"Eh? D-Do I really have to?"
"Yes. And if you don't…" pauses, then smirks "I… hmm… Ah! I will hug and kiss you at the school's main gate after lessons."
"Please, anything but that!!!"
"Then you must come here during lunchtime, Tanaka-san."
"… Fine…"
Realizing that the consequences of having to return to the garden for Haruka's sermon were far less mortifying than the thought of her hugging and kissing him in public, Takeru regretfully gave in.
"Good. Now, shall we go to the gymnasium?"
"Fine… Huh? Uwah?!"
Before Takeru could properly react, Haruka had suddenly picked him up in a princess carry… or was it a prince carry, in this case? Either way, the effect was the same: Takeru's face turned beet red as he panicked at being put in such a shameful position.
"W-W-What are you doing!?"
"Just making sure you won't try to skip today's entrance ceremony or your lessons just to avoid meeting me at lunchtime."
"But I already said I'd come back here!!!"
"And you also said you wouldn't run away from me, Tanaka-san. And what did you do?"
"… T-That's a completely s-separate matter…"
"Is it?"
"… Yes… S-So p-please, c-could you p-put me down?"
"Fine."
And with that, Haruka finally set him back down on the ground, much to Takeru's relief. However, that relief was short-lived as he quickly noticed something important.
"… Erm… Kurosawa-san, w-why are you still holding my hand?"
"Because I only agreed to put you down, not to let go of you, Tanaka-san. Now, shall we get going before we're late for the entrance ceremony?"
"… C-Could you a-at least l-let go of my hand?"
"No. Because the moment I do, you'll definitely try to run away again."
"N-No, I would not…"
Yes, he would.
Unable to come up with any argument against Haruka, Takeru was forced to accept his fate—walking hand in hand with her all the way to the gymnasium.
Luckily for him, by the time they arrived, no other students were around to see them. Thanks to the time they had lost during the chase—and the back-and-forth arguments after Haruka had captured him again—he was spared from the embarrassment of being spotted together like that.
"Here we are, Tanaka-san. Now please, go inside."
"Fine…"
The two stood in front of the gymnasium's main entrance. At last, Haruka let go of Takeru's hand. But unlike before, when he would have immediately tried to run away, this time he had no chance. Haruka deliberately kept just enough distance to block every possible escape route. Under her watchful eyes, Takeru had no choice but to enter.
"…" Glances at Haruka
Trying to stall for as much time as possible, Takeru crept toward the doors at a snail's pace, secretly hoping that Haruka would leave once it looked like he was going in. But when he glanced back, he saw her still standing right behind him, wearing that same blank expression paired with a sharp, piercing glare.
Realizing there was no other way out, Takeru was finally forced to accept his fate: he would have to attend the entrance ceremony properly.
"… See you later, Tanaka-san."
"Ah… Yes, see you later as well, Kurosawa-san…"
With a heavy sigh, he opened the doors as quietly as he could and slipped inside, doing his best to avoid drawing any attention.
Much to his relief, no one seemed to notice him. The other students were either chatting amongst themselves, glued to their phones, or wandering around in search of open seats.
But instead of feeling reassured, Takeru's thoughts immediately went back to Haruka. The fact that she wasn't coming inside only made things worse. What was she doing now?
Was she standing guard outside to make sure he didn't try to escape? Or maybe she planned to enter later, silently keeping watch from the back of the gymnasium like some kind of warden?
Either way, Takeru knew he couldn't just stand frozen by the door. That would only attract unnecessary attention—something he absolutely wanted to avoid. So, with his shoulders slumped in resignation, he decided the only thing left to do was find a free seat.
.
.
.
Meanwhile
"…" Nods "Homu, that should suffice in regards to Tanaka-san."
After seeing Takeru off at the gymnasium, Haruka walked away from the main entrance and circled around the building until she reached another set of doors—the back entrance.
Without wasting a second, she opened it and stepped inside, drawing a few curious glances from the Student Council and Public Morals Committee members waiting backstage for the entrance ceremony to begin.
But once they realized it was Haruka, most quickly looked away, each for their own reasons—intimidation, bashfulness, or simple fear. Only one person continued to look at her without hesitation.
That person, of course, was Yuriko, who greeted Haruka with her usual friendly smile as the latter approached.
"Nanami-kaichou, I apologize for my tardiness to the opening ceremony."
"Fufu, you don't need to worry about that, Kurosawa-kanchou. You've arrived right on time. We still have a few minutes before it begins."
"I see."
Relieved, Haruka felt a portion of her worries ease. Meanwhile, Yuriko noticed something subtle: Haruka's atmosphere seemed softer compared to their last conversation.
"Hmm… Kurosawa-kanchou, did something good happen to you earlier, by any chance?"
"Huh? Something good?"
"Yes. Like some good news—or perhaps meeting someone?"
"Meeting someone? … Hm. Nods Yes, you could say so, Nanami-kaichou. I happened to meet a new student who had gotten lost."
"Ah! I see, I see. And I suppose they were quite cute as well?"
"…"
Haruka paused, a thoughtful look crossing her face as she recalled everything that had just happened with Takeru.
"Hmm… Yes, you could say so. They were also rather shy—like a stray cat."
"Ara, I understand exactly what you mean, Kurosawa-kanchou. I also met a rather cute, cat-like kouhai earlier. Fufu~ their embarrassment was truly endearing."
"…"
As the two talked, one of the teachers entered and raised their voice to address everyone backstage.
"Everyone, all preparations are finished! Get ready to come up on stage when your name is called!"
" "Yes!" "
All the students backstage responded in unison.
"I suppose we'll have to stop here, Kurosawa-kanchou."
"I suppose so, Nanami-kaichou."
"Fufu. Ah, that's right—how about we have lunch together later, so we can continue this talk?"
"I must apologize, Nanami-kaichou. But I already have plans for lunchtime which I cannot skip."
"Ah, I see… Then good luck with that, Haruka-kanchou."
With her smile slightly dimmed, Yuriko walked away, preparing herself to step onto the stage as soon as the principal—already in the middle of his opening speech—called her name.