Chapter 59: Eriri's Race
Because this year's sports day coincided with the 30th-anniversary school festival, it included an element of competition: the Red versus White competition.
In each grade, classes A, C, and E formed the Red Team, while classes B, D, and F formed the White Team. The two sides would compete based on their results in the sports day events, and the side with the highest total ranking points would win.
After gathering on the field, listening to the principal deliver a lengthy school festival address and thank the attending parents, today's sports day was about to begin.
"Ah... it's so hot..."
Looking up at the especially bright sunshine today, Takasu Ryuji patted Kaede beside him and said, "Asakura, let's find somewhere to hang out. Our events don't start until ten o'clock anyway."
Like Kaede, Takasu Ryuji had also been dragged by Kitamura Yusaku into signing up for the 200-meter sprint and the relay.
Glancing at the weather and the crowds of people, Kaede said without hesitation, "Sure, let's go buy a bottle of water, and then hang out at the Art Club for a bit. By the way, isn't your aunt coming today?"
"She said she would come, but she's still sleeping right now. She'll be here this afternoon."
Takasu Ryuji recalled the agreement he made with his mother yesterday and chuckled, saying, "I hope she gets lost and can't find anyone when she arrives this afternoon. She's always so unreliable and spacey."
She can get lost? That's impressive.
That guy Kitamura Yusaku had successfully joined the Student Council after the Midterm Exams and was now starting his first job for the Student Council. So the two of them didn't go looking for him. Without delay, they went to the commissary, bought a bottle of water, and arrived at the Art Club.
He was about to take out his key, but Kaede saw that the door wasn't locked and immediately understood.
"That club president, he wouldn't be here again, would he?"
Pushing the door open, sure enough, the club president was resting on the sofa just like always. The only difference was that today, he wasn't wearing his school uniform but sportswear.
Hearing the door open, the Club President also opened his eyes, looked at the doorway, and said, "Oh, it's you guys. Are you here to slack off too?"
"Please don't lump us in with you, Club President. The time for our events hasn't arrived yet; we just came here to escape the sun."
"Isn't that pretty much the same as me? I also came over because it was too hot outside."
While speaking, the Club President flipped over on the sofa and pulled out his phone.
"Oh right, Usami and Sawamura have a competition later. Asakura, aren't you going to watch?"
"9:30, right? It's still early, no rush. I don't want to go join the crowds this early."
After sitting down with Takasu Ryuji, Kaede picked up his phone to ask Eriri, then said, "Eriri is with Usami right now, hiding somewhere. She said there are too many people outside. By the way, Club President, you didn't happen to sign up for zero events, did you?"
"I can't help it. My physical fitness is mediocre, so I won't participate in this kind of event." Stretching, the Club President said with a smile, "For the school festival, I already spent a lot of time drawing with you guys. My exercise volume is already a bit excessive."
Takasu Ryuji, who had been silent on the side, couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed hearing the Club President's words.
Although he had witnessed the character of this Club President once when he first came to the Art Club at the start of the school year, he hadn't expected him to be lazy to this extent.
After resting until 9:15, Kaede and Takasu Ryuji finally left the Art Club and arrived at the sports field.
In the Red Team's cheering section, the students from Class C had saved seats for the two of them. After sitting down, Kaede looked toward the sports ground, trying to find Eriri, who should have gone there to prepare, but there were simply too many people, and he couldn't find her.
Having no choice, he could only take out his phone first and call his mother.
After the call connected, his mother Asakura Reiko's voice came through: "Kaede, what's wrong?"
Hearing the noise on the other end of the phone, Kaede knew his mother had arrived at Toyosaki, so he asked, "Mom, where are you? Do you want me to come find you?"
"No need, I'm already seated in the parents' section, just waiting to watch the matches. I'll take pictures of you, Kaede. Good luck!"
"Emmm... alright."
Putting down his phone, Kaede looked toward the distant parents' stands, realizing he still couldn't find his mother. There were simply too many people, so he could only shift his attention to the sports field.
Soon, 9:30 arrived, and the sports festival's Three-Legged Race began, starting with the women's division.
Once the athletes paired up and lined up at the starting line, Kaede finally spotted Eriri. For the competition, Eriri had tied her twin tails into a single ponytail, making her look even more energetic.
Usami, who was standing with Eriri, looked at the other students lined up on the starting line and whispered, "Eriri, do you think we can win?"
"It depends on luck."
Eriri had absolutely no confidence in placing. Not only was she not good at running, but she also had little experience with a game like the Three-Legged Race.
Moreover, looking around, many participants were from sports clubs. Their speed would definitely be much faster than the two of them, who had only practiced twice.
But regardless of their confidence, the competition began with the sound of the referee's starting pistol.
"Go! Go! Go!"
Everyone rushed forward recklessly, and then several pairs who hadn't practiced enough charged too aggressively and immediately fell down.
Seeing this happen, Eriri immediately said to Usami, who was linked arm-in-arm with her, "Mizuki, slow down. Stick to our previous pace."
Usami called out the rhythm: "1, 2, 1, 2..."
Usami called out the beat, and the two of them moved forward at a very steady pace.
In the stands, Sawamura Sayuri spotted her daughter and immediately said to Asakura Reiko beside her, "Reiko, did you see her? Eriri is over there!"
Asakura Reiko smiled and nodded.
Asakura Reiko smiled and nodded. Seeing Eriri cautiously moving forward in her line of sight, she said, "She really is cute."
"Right? Right?" Sawamura Sayuri was very happy that her daughter was being praised, but then she started complaining, "That child is good in every way, except her personality is too different from mine. If I didn't know she came out of my own belly, I'd suspect something went wrong somewhere."
Asakura Reiko had heard Sawamura Sayuri's complaints more than once, but she didn't find anything wrong with it. At least based on what she knew so far, she really liked the child Eriri.
Soon, the Three-Legged Race ended. Although Eriri and Usami tried hard throughout and made no mistakes, they were still quite slow, ultimately finishing in fifth place.
"Ah, it really was difficult."
After crossing the finish line and untying the binding on her feet, Usami said with emotion.
Eriri, on the other hand, was quite satisfied with the result: "It's already very good. At least we didn't embarrass ourselves."
"Hehe, that's true."
Kaede walked over at this moment and handed them bottled water.
"That was hard work. Have some water."
Eriri took it with a smile: "Thank you!"
Just as she unscrewed the cap and took a sip, she suddenly saw her mother walking toward her in her line of sight, and she nearly spat the water out.