Kushida didn't show the slightest hint of anger on the surface, but she secretly pinched Kaoru's arm—not too hard, likely as a warning.
"Ahaha, Mei, let's give it a try too," she said, releasing Kaoru and quickly untying the rope.
"Mitoma-kun's rhythm earlier was really good. We can use it as a reference."
"Um, should we try chanting like the others? It seems like they sync up better when they do," Mei yu Wang hesitated, glancing at the rope in Kushida's hand.
She knew she wouldn't fall now, but girls were always a little nervous about these things.
"Sure! Let's count 'one, two, three,' then move forward, forward, and stop, then…" Kushida paused mid-sentence, as if covering something up, before smiling sweetly.
"Anyway, with Mitoma-kun as our guide, let's try again."
She definitely knew how to coordinate in a three-legged race—at the very least, she had her own experience.
After all, this girl had probably been participating in group activities since elementary school.
Kaoru watched as the two crouched on the ground, the girls' calves pressing against their soft thighs, tracing a faintly adorable curve.
The slight lift of their shorts-clad rear ends was especially noticeable, making him itch to give one a playful pat.
Before Kushida could notice, he tactfully averted his gaze—only to realize Kamuro was nowhere in sight.
Only Sakayanagi remained in the rest area.
Strange, did she leave already?
Since they'd already had a P.E. class earlier that day and were now practicing intensively in the afternoon, some students in the class couldn't keep up with the pace.
Katsuragi had allowed them to stay for a while before leaving if needed.
Besides, some still had club activities to attend.
Kaoru surveyed the students of Class D. Some of them were slacking off too—either outright giving up or pretending to put in effort.
Among them, Hasebe Haruka stood out the most to him.
She appeared enthusiastic, participating in every practice session, but she only did each exercise once before sitting on the floor as if to rest, pulling out her phone to play games.
In contrast, another girl's stamina was genuinely lacking.
Kaoru had witnessed Airi Sakura finish a 100-meter dash, only to collapse afterward, her face flushed red as she gasped for breath.
Seeing her like this, he even wondered if the weight on her chest was too much of a burden, creating excessive wind resistance while running.
Still, judging by Class D's overall performance, Airi could easily rank in the top three among her peers.
Yet in the eyes of others, her plain, outdated fashion made her seem like an invisible girl—as if she had no presence at all.
While this style might help her avoid attention, trouble always had a way of finding her.
Right now, Haruki Yamauchi was boldly sidling up to Sakura, saying something with an ingratiating smile while she fidgeted awkwardly, clearly unsure how to respond.
"Keep practicing, I'll take a quick walk around and be right back," Kaoru called out to Kushida, who was still practicing, before heading straight towards Sakura.
Kushida instinctively opened her mouth to ask where he was going, but upon seeing his destination, she couldn't help but purse her lips.
Of course.
What a pervert.
Remembering how Kaoru kept sneaking glances at Mei yu Wang, Kushida's mood soured even further.
Whether it's the big ones or the small ones, you cant help yourself, huh?
Kaoru had no idea she was silently criticizing him behind his back.
Just as he walked up beside Haruki Yamauchi, he heard the other boy pressuring her with a question.
"Hey, Sakura want to practice the three-legged race with me?"
Airi Sakura had been at a loss for what to do, but the moment she saw Kaoru's figure, her eyes lit up as if all her confidence had suddenly returned.
Mustering her courage, she refused, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't sign up for the assigned competitions, so... so I can't practice with you."
Haruki Yamauchi, unaware someone had approached from behind, pressed urgently.
"I know, but we can still sign up together for the assigned competitions. Don't you want the prizes, Sakura?"
"Eh, p-prizes? I probably wouldn't win any..." Sakura's face flushed slightly.
Her physical abilities were poor, and admitting this in front of Kaoru felt embarrassing.
"Of course you can win! With me here, there's no problem at all!" Yamauchi raised his voice a little in his agitation.
He'd thought this quiet girl would be easy to win over—why was someone intercepting his plans?
Sakura blinked in surprise, then heard him continue boastfully.
"I'm actually pretty amazing, you know? In elementary school, I made it to the national table tennis championships. In middle school, I was the ace pitcher for the baseball team with the number 4 on my back. If you team up with me, you'll definitely win lots of prizes!"
'Is he really that impressive?'
Kaoru hesitated momentarily.
He'd observed Class D's situation—Haruki Yamauchi's physical abilities weren't exactly terrible, but they could hardly be called outstanding either.
"Besides, think about it—even if you don't join the assigned competitions, you'll still have to participate in the three-legged race with your group, right?" Yamauchi thumped his chest.
"You haven't had anyone to practice with lately, have you? I can totally practice with you. How about it? Pretty good deal, huh?"
Sakura instinctively cast a pleading glance toward Kaoru, who sighed lightly before patting Yamauchi on the shoulder.
"Wait, this is a crucial moment—don't interrupt me!" Yamauchi seemed to have misunderstood something and shook off Kaoru's hand impatiently.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just have something to say to Sakura-san."
In an instant, Yamauchi froze completely, mechanically turning his head to see Kaoru standing calmly behind him.
"Mitoma-kun." Airi quickly moved behind Kaoru, like a rabbit retreating to its burrow when encountering danger outside.
"Y-you were practicing the three-legged race with Kikyo-chan, weren't you?" Yamauchi's face flushed red.
It was precisely because he'd seen Kaoru with Kushida Kikyo that he'd mustered what he thought was courage to take his first step toward Sakura.
"Why are you paying attention to me?" Kaoru found this strange.
"Do you... know me?"
From the start of school until now, the two had rarely crossed paths, let alone gotten to know each other.
Yamauchi looked at Sakura, but the girl wasn't looking at him at all—instead, she was hiding behind Kaoru, her fingers lightly clutching at his sleeve.
At that moment, Yamauchi heard the sound of his dreams shattering.
He'd been cuckolded!
For just a moment, his entire body turned cold.
The afternoon sun seemed too intense, making him dizzy.
His arms, which should have been raised, now hung limply at his sides.
His Adam's apple bobbed up and down as his heart pounded heavily in his chest, a sour taste spreading in his mouth.
Haruki Yamauchi tried to force himself to stay calm, but it was as if he had lost control of his muscles.
He could only manage a trembling smile, feeling utterly pathetic inside.
Airi Sakura was supposed to be an unnoticed girl he had his eyes on—no one should have been competing for her attention.
With just a little effort, she should have fallen for him.
Why... why had things turned out like this?
The more Haruki Yamauchi thought about it, the angrier he became.
Yet, he didn't have the courage to act recklessly in front of the other person—their statuses were completely different.
"Don't believe this bastard, Sakura!"
After uttering those words, Haruki Yamauchi used up almost all his strength and immediately bolted.
Kaoru froze for a moment.
He had expected Haruki Yamauchi to charge at him for a confrontation, or at the very least, lash out in frustration.
And he just... ran away?
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