"The tug-of-war match that the Class Monitor and Takagi signed up for is about to start. Aren't you going over to cheer them on?"
Tsuna's gaze fell on the two people heading from the spectator stands to gather at the center of the field, and he asked casually.
Shouko first rescued Yuzuru from Shizuka's arms before slowly responding:
"Yes, I've been cheering for them in my heart, and non-participants can only cheer from the spectator stands. Isn't that pretty much the same as what I'm doing?"
As she finished speaking, Shouko waved her hand casually.
"..." Tsuna withdrew his gaze. While what she said was true, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off...
"Look over there." At that moment, Shizuka interjected into their conversation.
After the two followed the direction she pointed, Shizuka continued, asking in confusion:
"Doesn't that person look like Ishida Shoya's mother, your classmate from sixth grade?"
She still had some impression of Ishida Miyako, mainly because of the trouble her son had caused, which had forced her to remember the person.
However, it had been nearly a year since she last saw her, so she wasn't sure if the person causing a commotion in the distance was her.
"Looks like it." Tsuna squinted in the direction she pointed. It was a bit far, and he couldn't see clearly either.
"It seems like Ishida Auntie and another parent are arguing about something, and there are faint signs that they might come to blows."
The clever Shouko picked up the camera hanging around Yuzuru's neck, aimed it in that direction, zoomed in on the image, and explained her guess.
"..." Yuzuru, who suddenly felt her neck being constricted, wasn't sure whether she should ask her sister if there was a problem with her...
Hearing this, Shizuka also did as Shouko did, but she took out her phone to zoom in and take a look:
"It really looks like it. The other parent seems to be Shimada's mother, your classmate from sixth grade."
When the parent-teacher meeting was held back then, she also had some impression of this person, but unlike Ishida Miyako, she distinctly remembered Shimada's mother.
"Should we go over and take a look then?" The speechless Tsuna rescued Yuzuru from her sister's grasp and asked casually.
He had no interest whatsoever in why the two people in the distance were arguing.
"No, if we go over to join the commotion, we might even get hit, and it's none of our business anyway. Just watching like this is fine."
Shizuka's gossipy heart was instantly piqued by the scene the two people in the distance were causing, but it really wasn't good to go over.
At the same time, she was a little envious of the parents over there who could watch up close and even hear clearly.
This scene naturally attracted the attention of the parents around them, and some students even ran to call a teacher.
Tsuna also followed suit, raising his phone and pointing it in that direction. Compared to the arguing parents, he was more focused on the expressionless Shoya and the seemingly smiling Shimada beside them.
He also roughly guessed the reason for the two parents' argument. It was likely initiated by Ishida Miyako.
As time passed, the parents in the spectator stands were all drawn to the actions of these four people. Looking in the direction they were watching, they naturally saw that gossipy scene.
Faced with sudden gossip and their own children's competition, most parents decisively chose the former. They would have two more years to watch the competition later.
But gossip is different; once it's gone, it's gone.
"They're fighting, they're fighting."
It was unclear who in the spectator stands shouted this excitedly, but their words captivated the remaining small portion of people.
Tsuna, who was still watching, heard this and withdrew his gaze with a bewildered expression. Wasn't it just a tug-of-war match? How could they be fighting?
He decisively looked at the center of the field and found that the match was still proceeding as usual, and his class had the advantage. They should be able to win soon.
It was then that his peripheral vision noticed the direction the surrounding parents were looking.
"..." The speechless Tsuna was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to describe it.
Sure enough, sudden gossip was much more appealing than the competition.
By the time he shifted his gaze back to the two parents in the distance, he only saw that the two parents, who had been pulling each other's hair, had already been separated by teachers.
Before long, the two parents were escorted away by the teachers who had stepped forward to intervene, followed by Shimada and Shōya.
"How inexplicable, truly inexplicable." Shizuka shook her head, smacked her lips, and withdrew her gaze.
She had already made up her mind that once the sports day was over, she would use her connections as a housewife to inquire about the full story.
At this point, the first-year tug-of-war match also ended, followed by the second and third years.
Shouko and the others discussed the recent incident, while Tsuna ignored the surrounding noise and read the novel saved on his phone.
He had no interest whatsoever in the sports day competitions, except for the class fun competition that Shouko spontaneously signed up for later, which had a bit of appeal.
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"Next is the class fun competition. First-year students who have signed up for the fun obstacle race, please gather at the starting line of the track."
The sweet voice of the announcer echoed from the speakers around the field, broadcasting three times before stopping.
"It's my turn. Remember to cheer for me, Tsuna."
Shouko leaned in to whisper something in his ear, then stood up and quickly left the spectator stands with Shizuka and Yuzuru cheering her on.
Tsuna stared at her retreating back, and the scene from that physical education class, where Mr. Sakai explained the rules and process of the obstacle race, couldn't help but flash through his mind:
"At least two students from each class must sign up for the obstacle race." Mr. Sakai stood at the front of the line and held up two fingers to the people below:
"Participants must first run a short 50-meter race to a designated spot in the center of the field.
Upon arrival, participants need to randomly draw a slip of paper. The paper will have a description of an item or person that needs to be 'borrowed.'
Then, participants must quickly find the corresponding item or person at the sports day venue based on the hint.
They can ask for help from spectators, teachers, or other students, or even temporarily borrow clothing or props.
After successfully borrowing the target, participants must complete the race with the item or person. The first one to reach the finish line wins. This is the detailed process for the obstacle race."
As he finished speaking, he ignored the noisy students below, instead picking up a water cup from the side and taking a small sip, mainly because it was hot...
"Mr. Sakai, who wrote the slips of paper? Will the things we need to borrow be very tricky?"
Ajitani at the front of the line raised her left hand high and asked impatiently.
Mr. Sakai raised his hand and pressed it down. The noisy line instantly quieted down, but there was still some whispering, which he chose to ignore:
"According to previous years, the slips are written by the student council. Some are tricky, and some are relatively ordinary. It all depends on individual luck.
This mainly tests the participants' on-the-spot reactions and interpersonal skills."
As soon as he finished speaking, he followed up with a question: "Class Monitor, have you thought of anyone to sign up?"
Ajitani paused upon hearing this, then slowly shook her head. She thought this event was quite interesting and wanted to sign up too.
But unfortunately, she had already signed up for five events. It was better to leave this opportunity for someone else...
"Tsuna, what do you do if you draw something strange in this obstacle race? Like 'the Principal's dentures' or something..."
Shouko, who was at the back of the line, heard what Mr. Sakai said earlier, thought for a moment, and still couldn't help but ask Tsuna, who was standing in front of her.
"If it were me, I would decisively choose to withdraw." Tsuna answered without hesitation.
He stated that any student who could write something like that on a slip of paper was definitely not a normal student, disgusting!
"Dong… dong… dong…!"
"Class Monitor, remember to give me the list of sports day participants before the day after tomorrow. Dismissed." Mr. Sakai mentioned, then turned and left the gymnasium.
The line dispersed in a rush, and the group of five also returned to the classroom.
"Shoko-chan, I remember you didn't sign up for any events, right?" Ajitani pulled up an empty chair, sat down, and sidled closer to Shouko with a smile:
"What do you think of the obstacle race? It doesn't involve too much physical exertion, and the main point is that it's relaxed and interesting."
Takagi, who was sitting in the seats behind the two, chimed in.
Tsuna, who was beside them, twirled his pen and listened silently, ignoring Shouko's pleading gaze. He didn't want to interfere with Shouko's decision.
At this time, he could only remain silent. He felt that if he said even one more word, it would interfere with Shouko's decision.
"Shouko-chan, look, everyone in the class has signed up. You don't want to be the exception, right?"
"Ajitani-chan, wait until after school, and I'll give you an answer." Shouko pushed away her face that was leaning in.
"Alright then."
At this moment, the bell for the last class rang, and Ajitani had nothing more to say. She stood up and returned to her seat.
————————
The memory was interrupted here by Yuzuru's cheering. There was no need to recall whether Shouko signed up later, and the obstacle race was about to begin anyway.
Tsuna's gaze was fixed on Shouko on the second track. He ignored the students around him.
The scorching sun heated the plastic track of the field. The sound of whistles mixed with the rising and falling cheers surged into the air.
She shot out like an arrow from a bow, being the first to cross the starting line, but due to her lack of exercise over the years, she quickly fell behind the other students.
A total of 12 first-year students signed up for this event. She was the fifth to reach the spot in the center of the field to draw a slip of paper.
"Student, here, you can only draw one, no changing." The sports festival student council assistant pointed to the plastic box on the wooden table beside him.
"Okay."
Shouko nodded, stepped forward, reached into the only opening, and without hesitation, took out the first slip of paper she touched.
When she saw the content on it, she was immediately stunned.
The slip for the obstacle race clearly read: "The person you want to hug most right now."
Tricky?
Regarding this content, she suddenly felt it was tricky, but also perhaps not that tricky.
She subconsciously looked up at the shaded spectator stands for parents at the edge of the field.
Tsuna was holding Yuzuru's camera, half-squatting at the very front of the spectator stands, the lens aimed directly at her figure.
His school uniform shirt billowed in the wind, and the fringe on his forehead stuck messily to his face, yet he stubbornly adjusted the focus, trying to capture Shouko's every expression in the shimmering sunlight.
"Shouko-chan! Stop looking! The last person who drew their slip has already started looking!" Ajitani's scream pierced her eardrums and pulled her back to her senses.
She suddenly clutched the slip tightly and dashed toward him. The sound of her sneakers grinding against the sandy ground startled the sparrows on the shelter roof.
Tsuna hurriedly put down the camera and stood up, only to be knocked back by the girl rushing into him, his lower back hitting the cold iron railing.
Shouko's breath was hot against the side of his neck. As her arms wrapped around him, the scent of gardenia-scented laundry detergent, mixed with her unique body fragrance, filled his nostrils.
"I bet your slip isn't about kidnapping someone of the opposite sex, is it?" Tsuna ignored the catcalls from the boys in the class's spectator stands.
Shouko tilted her head back, ignoring Auntie, who was frantically taking pictures behind her, and shook the crumpled slip of paper, a smile tugging at the corner of her eye.
"I drew 'The person you want to hug most right now'."
Sunlight pierced through the wisps of hair curling by her ear, casting a golden edge onto the slip of paper, like some kind of secret contract.
At this moment, the sports day marching song played over the broadcast in the distance, mixed with Ajitani's anxious shouts:
"Shouko-chan! Stop hugging! The rule is to take the item or person to the finish line! Not to hug them and stay put!"
Shouko came to her senses. As she grabbed Tsuna's hand and sprinted toward the finish line, the bracelet on his wrist, engraved with 'Rope＆Glass', clinked together.
That was something he had snatched from Yuzuru back then. Now, it was tracing a silver arc with her flying hair.
The two of them ultimately arrived second to last at the finish line. As for last place, it was because Tsuna had actually drawn the 'Principal's dentures slip'.
When he ran to borrow it, he was miserably refused. Not wanting to give up, he tried to forcibly take it but was then escorted back to the spectator stands by student council members, essentially putting him in last place and eliminating him.
After the obstacle race ended, Shouko also chose not to return that slip of paper. When Tsuna asked for the reason, he didn't get the answer he wanted.
It wasn't until later, after graduating from middle school, that he accidentally discovered that crumpled slip of paper in the interlayer of Shouko's graduation yearbook.
An extra line of small text was on the back: "The person I wanted to hug most was already waiting for me at the finish line."
——————————
"Order whatever you want, just don't waste food."
During the midday break, Shizuka took the three of them outside, found a random restaurant, went in, took the menu from the waitress, and placed it between the three of them across the table.
Shouko and Yuzuru didn't stand on ceremony with her, but they didn't order anything expensive either—just a few simple home-style dishes.
Tsuna took a glance and then withdrew his gaze, letting the sisters beside him order. He looked towards the far left of the restaurant, where a mother and son were sitting at one table.
It was Ishida Miyako and Ishida Shoya.
Earlier, when Shizuka brought the three of them in, she had also seen Ishida Miyako, nodded to her, greeted her, and then paid no further attention.
Now, Miyako was incessantly talking about something, while Shoya, across from her, had his head down, making it impossible to see his expression.
Later, the two of them finished lunch before Tsuna and the others and left the restaurant.
"Stop looking, they've already left. You should eat quickly too, and good luck with the afternoon matches," Shizuka reminded him.
"Okay, okay." Hearing this, Tsuna said nothing more, withdrew his gaze, and ate in silence.
But unlike him, Shouko couldn't suppress her curiosity and asked aloud:
"Godmother, did you find out why Ishida Auntie was arguing with that other parent earlier?"
Why did she ask this? Because after her obstacle race ended, the two of them had no more events in the morning, and Shizuka was bored.
So, she started asking the parents in the spectator stands where Ishida Miyako had been sitting.
"Hmm... let me think..." Shizuka recalled the accounts she had gathered from those people and began to organize her words.