Chapter 45
The fragrance of the fragrant rhinoceros has faded and the temperature has become more comfortable.
All the students gathered in the schoolyard in their jerseys, listening to their teachers and Mr. Tanaka, the head of the sports committee, talk about the event.
My heart was racing as I felt the atmosphere of the school, which was different from usual from the morning, and I couldn't stop being nervous that this day had finally arrived.
I swallowed desperately as my heart was about to leave my mouth.
How many times did I look at the third graders as I listened to the principal standing in front of the entire school and greeting them?
I couldn't see Toraga from where I was standing in line; I could barely see his head, but I was happy just to be able to see him at a time when I normally couldn't. I was standing in the same schoolyard, in the same space, and I was looking at the same students.
I can't tell you how happy I am to stand in the same schoolyard, to be in the same space, and to have the same gymnastics festival.
I was moved to tears, but I held it in and looked at Mashiro-chan, who was standing nearby.
Mashiro-chan looked nervous, even to my eyes. Her face was pale, and I could see her classmates nearby calling out to her in concern.
After the speeches were over, each class headed to their assigned place, but the people around them quickly moved to their favorite places to watch the gymnastics festival. I went to Mashiro-chan's place as well as everyone else's, and she was just on her way to mine.
Mr. Honda is a member of the student council, so the members of the broadcasting committee and athletic committee were gathered under the tent talking about something. Both Mr. Tanaka and Mr. Honda seem to be busy today.
I saw Rei-chan heading to Ms. Murasaki's place, while Suzuki-senpai was gathering with Natsuki, Ichika, and Ichinose.
Inevitably, Mashiro-chan and I were alone, so for now we headed near where the third-year students were assigned and watched Toramasa and Ki-kun from afar.
“Mariko-chan help me …… already, I can't ……”
I'm okay, Mashiro-chan! It's going to be okay!”
'I know, right ……! But I'm so scared.
“How are you?”
I tried my best to comfort Mashiro-chan, who turned pale and went crazy as she wandered around the place, writing the character for “person” on her palm and making her drink it over and over again.
No matter how much I drink, I can't stop myself from getting nervous! I'll be fine!” he repeatedly said to Mashiro-chan, who complained about her palm. I am sorry that I can only reply with words like that.
I felt bad that I could only reply with such words.
I'm sure Rei-chan or Tanaka-senpai could have said something more comforting to Mashiro-chan. ……
I'm sure that Rei-chan or Tanaka-senpai could have said something more comforting to Mashiro. Because I'm a good example, right? So you'll be fine too, Mashiro-chan! You'll be fine, Mashiro-chan!”
Mariko-chan,…… I'll do my best, so watch me.”
I'm watching you. I'm watching you. I'm watching you!
The first thing to do is to make sure that you have the right tools and the right people to help you. The first thing you need to do is to make sure that you have a good understanding of what you are doing and how to do it.
Will they end up as friends or become lovers? That's why Mashiro-chan is so anxious.
I crouched there with a face that looked like it was about to start crying, smiled at Mashiro who was looking at me and repeatedly said, “It's going to be okay.
Two figures appeared in front of us.
Mashiro-chan, what's wrong? Are you okay? Are you sick?”
The one who was talking to Mashiro with her hands on her shoulders, kneeling down so that she was at the same eye level as Mashiro, was the one who was now filling her head with worry.
Ki-kun looked at Mashira-chan with a worried expression on his face, and Mashira-chan replied, “It's my first gymnastics festival, so I'm a little nervous,” and gave a weak smile.
Ki-kun looked at Mashiro-chan and wrinkled his brow anxiously.
You may think I'm crazy for saying this, but the two of them looked like a picture in a still, and yet, in my eyes, they looked like two lovers themselves.
The color gradually returned to Mashiro-chan's blue face. I thought it was because Ki-kun was there that her cheeks turned red, not because she had lost her nervousness.
Ki-kun would take care of Mashiro-chan.
With that thought, I stood up, brushed the dirt off my knees, and turned my attention to Toramasa, who was a little further away.
Toramasa's eyes were on Ki-kun and Mashiro-chan, but as soon as I looked at Toramasa, his gaze turned to me.
Toramasa's eyes caught mine straight away, and I felt that the slightly tense and angry expression on his face, different from the one I usually see at Toramasa's house, softened just a little.
The lips that call my name when we meet alone are now tightly closed.
It is an unspoken agreement not to talk to me at school where other people are around, so Toramasa never speaks to me.
But even without …… a voice, even without being able to touch him, I was so happy to be able to look at him and be by his side that I naturally put a smile on my mouth.
The most important thing to remember is that you can't just take a look at the world around you. The most important thing to remember is that you can't be too careful when it comes to your health.
The dark blue jerseys are also probably the most suitable for you and you wear them better than anyone else.
I think Toramasa is the only one who can wear the school's jersey so well. It's so cool. I like it.
Why is he so good looking? I see Toramasa almost every day, but his coolness increases day by day, and I see a cool Toramasa that I don't know.
Toramasa's coolness has infinite possibilities. I knew this, but I was reminded of it. To be able to live in the same world, go to the same school, and be lovers with such a cool person …… makes me so happy.
The time I spent staring at Toraga seemed as if time had stopped.
I could hear the students around me talking, but it didn't enter my head.
Every morning I see Toramasa in the classroom, but now that I am in a different place than usual, and I am in a high mood because of the sports festival, a feeling of love akin to excitement wells up in me, and I know that my feelings for Toramasa will never stop.
–I want to tell Toraga how I feel right now.
When I was about to tell him “I love you” with just a movement of my lips, Toraya's lips moved a little faster than mine and he told me “I love you” with a movement of his lips.
At that moment, I felt a hot feeling rising up from the depths of my heart, which turned into tears, tears that I could no longer hold back with my eyes.
It was only for a moment.
The words that I had always been telling him were now being conveyed through Toramasa's lips. I was so happy, so happy, so happy, that I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and told him “I know” with my lips, and then continued the movement of my lips, “I love you.
I am sure that no one will be able to see what I am doing now because I am standing at the edge of the room with my back to the other students, and they probably won't even know that I am crying.
However, Mashiro-chan and Ki-kun were in front of me, so they saw me.
When I went to Mashiro-chan's side, who was beckoning me, she said in my ear, “Mariko's crying face was so cute.
I calmed down and Mashiro-chan and I watched the first-year students running alongside each other at the edge of the schoolyard, with Toramasa, Ki-kun, Mashiro-chan, and myself standing side by side in that order.
If it weren't for Mashiro-chan and Ki-kun, I probably wouldn't have been able to watch with Toramasa, so I was very grateful to them. At the same time, I felt sorry.
If I hadn't been there, Mashiro-chan would have been able to see the show with Ki-kun.
Even so, I stayed there, taking advantage of Mashiro's smiling face as she talked to me and Ki-kun's kindness as he talked to Toramasa. I'm sorry.
The next event in the Broadcasting Committee's broadcast will be the second grade event.
A short distance run in which everyone participates. Mashiro-chan and I went back to the second graders' place, and after the event was over, we went back to where we were.
Then it was the third graders' turn.
Mashiro and I were so moved by the sight of Toramasa and Ki-kun running that we were moved to tears again, and we lost our vocabulary and spent time saying nothing but “cool.
Toramasa running was cool. I was greedy and watched from a spot near the finish line, but my heart was pounding painfully as Toramasa came straight at me.
I then went to my own event and cheered for Rei-chan, Tanaka-san, and the others.
I thought Rei-chan and Tanaka-san looked fast, but they were fast. They both came in first place.
By the way, Mashiro-chan, Toraga, and Ki-kun were also in first place. Let's not talk about how happy I was that I didn't get to go to the competition. You get the idea.
I didn't think last year's gymnastics festival would be this much fun.
It was fun, but now that I know how much fun it was with Toraga and everyone else, I feel a little sad thinking that next year's festival will be a little tasteless.
I put such loneliness away in the back of my mind and live the time I feel happy now as much as I can.
But the more fun I have, the faster time flies by, and before I know it, it's time for the last event of the day, the highlight of the festival, the scavenger hunt.
Mashiro's nervousness was showing again in her complexion.
It seemed that everyone else was the same, too, and their anxiety and nervousness brought them to us one after the other to comfort each other.
Rei-chan's smile was tight because of her nervousness, Tanaka-san looked anxious, Suzuki-senpai looked like she was about to cry, and Honda-san repeatedly took deep breaths with a serious face.
Toramasa and Ki-kun looked at us as if they were wondering what was going on, but said nothing.
The four of us who prepared the paper in advance were the only ones other than Mr. Suzuki and myself.
It may sound devious, but if we miss this event now, it will be our last. There is no other chance, so please forgive me.
I also wanted to rent Toraga since it was the last event, but I must not be so extravagant.
I couldn't let my selfishness get in the way of Toramasa's plans, and I made up my mind to see everyone else through to the end.
Mariko, if I don't make it, lend me your chest.
Maririn, lend us yours.
“I want you to lend me yours, too.”
Me too, please.
I'd be happy to lend you my breasts, if you don't mind.
The first time I saw her, I thought she was going to tackle me, but she hugged me so tightly that I couldn't help but let out a strange sound like a frog being crushed.
Mashiro-chan …… flying ……
I was so hard that I couldn't help but make a funny sound like a frog being crushed by my tits.
That's not something you can say with a sharp look on your face.”
The most important thing to remember is that you can't just go out and buy a new pair of jeans and a new pair of jeans.
I wondered the same thing about Rei-chan, but why does everyone smell so good? Are they wearing perfume? Or is it body odor? Is it because they are built differently as human beings? I envy them.
All the students gather around the center of the schoolyard.
With the help of Rei-chan, Toraga, and Ki-kun, we were able to get a spot near the goal, so we decided to watch everyone there. I really appreciate it.
Everyone looked at Tanaka-senpai, since it was the first year students to start.
It's not like in the game, and since I'm not the heroine, it's almost impossible to get a loan, but still, it's natural to want to be loaned to someone you like.
Then there is the school's athletic festival, which is a bit unique. Each student writes a theme for the scavenger hunt on a piece of paper, and each student brings one from home.
The person I admire, the person I like, my homeroom teacher. What did you write? I try to bring things from home that might be on loan.
The one I wrote was “Frog figurine,” so I brought a small frog figurine from home.
Mashiro-chan was an oxygen tank, so it caught my awesome eye.
We started a scavenger hunt filled with tension and anxiety as we laughed at Mashiri-chan, who sometimes breathed oxygen next to me, and also at the fact that she lent it to everyone else.
The sound of a pistol rings out and several first-year students run in unison.
As soon as they picked up a piece of paper that had fallen, they all began shouting out their respective borrowed items.
“Anybody, anybody have a spaghetti food sample!
Snake shells, please!
Bath salts! Where are the bath salts!
I thought the same thing last year, but the borrowing was so bad.
Most of the borrowed items were not at school, so everyone was desperately looking for the person who had written down their own borrowing request.
Then, one of the students would say, “Here are the bath salts! I've got the Bible! I've got the Bible!
Ah, so those are the people who wrote the borrowed items. I thought to myself, cheering on the first-year students who were trying their best, but I was anxious to see what my subject would be.
If you are shy about shouting, you can use megaphones or loudspeakers, or you can ask someone with a loud voice to do it for you.
One after another, first-year students ran to borrow something indescribable.
On the way, Mashiro-chan heard the voice of oxygen cylinder and ran to a first-year student and handed him an oxygen cylinder by hand.
And next to run was Momo-kun, Tanaka-senpai's favorite person.
She looked as cute as a girl, and when I saw her standing there with her hands playing with her pink fluffy hair, I looked at Tanaka-senpai and saw her crying and worshipping him.
I didn't touch her because I knew how she felt so painfully, but when the sound of the pistol rang out, her appearance changed drastically, and she wiped her tears with the back of her hand and shouted loudly, “Go, Momo-kun! he shouted loudly.
Tanaka Senpai, however, shed tears even as he cheered. He wiped his tears again and again with the back of his hand.
That's right. The world before I could only see him on the screen and could not hear my own cheering. But now, I can send my support to the people I love. Their voices are heard.
It makes you happy, doesn't it? I understand that very well. I was almost crying along with Tanaka-senpai.
I caught Momo-kun picking up a piece of paper out of the corner of my eye, and as I was thinking that, Momo-kun came running straight toward us with a smile on his face.
No, rather than us, Momo-kun was running toward Tanaka-senpai.
Yayo-chan!”
Momo-kun called out to Tanaka-senpai in a high voice for a man, and Tanaka-senpai ran straight to Momo-kun through our circle, and the two of them cut the goal tape together.
We looked at each other after Momo-kun received the first place flag from the athletic committee.
Everyone looked surprised. I am sure I had the same look on my face as everyone else.
Because Momo-kun had called Tanaka-senpai and finished first!
That means, if it were a game, we would be confirmed to go the lover's route!
Yayoi!
Tanaka-senpai!”
Tanaka-senpai, whose face was wet with tears, said, “Momo-kun gave me this,” and showed us a piece of paper.
What was written on the paper was “the person I love.
When we understood the words on the paper, we all let out a cry of surprise, but soon after, tears welled up in our eyes as we were filled with various thoughts and feelings.
We were all surprised when we understood the words on the paper, but soon after, tears filled our eyes.
I was so happy, I was so happy,” I said to her, and I lent my chest as I declared until she stopped crying.
Congratulations, Tanaka-senpai. ……
Thank you.”
The first-year students' turn to comfort Tanaka was over and it was our turn to take the second-year students' turn.
Taking Mashiro-chan's and Honda-san's hands, which were shaking with nervousness, we lined up in the second-year line and listened to the sound of the pistol, which signaled the beginning of the event, while keeping our hearts aching with nervousness.
Mashiro-chan was the first to take her turn. Mashiro-chan came first, followed by me, and finally Mr. Honda.
As I watched Mashiro-chan's group A from behind, I saw Natsuki, Suzuki-senpai's favorite boy, calling to Suzuki-senpai, “Ai-chan! I saw Natsuki, the man Suzuki-senpai likes, calling out to Suzuki-senpai, “Ai-chan!
Not only Momo-kun, but also Natsuki-kun …….
I watched from afar as Suzuki-senpai's face turned bright red and she headed for the goal, crying, and I almost cried again.
Even though it's not like a game,…… no, maybe there is a game-like force at work.
If so, I thought, that would be a very happy thing. I hoped it would be so. Because surely everyone wants to reach the goal of being borrowed by someone they love. ……
Before the afterglow of Natsuki and Suzuki had cooled down, it was finally Mashiro's turn.
As I watched Mashiro-chan's back while cheering her on in my heart, she picked up the paper and ran in a straight line to Ki-kun.
I watched as she grabbed Ki-kun's arm and finished first, and my heart ached even more as I thought about my turn next….
What in the world kind of borrowing is this ……? I hope it's a decent borrow, but probably not a decent one. While I was thinking that, it was my turn.
I could see Toraga and the others in the distance. As I watched them and heard the sound of the pistol, I started to run.
I picked up the paper on my lane, quickly checked the subject, and stopped there in surprise.
I look at the paper and see Toramasa in the distance.
While the people around me shouted the name of the borrower, I couldn't shout out my own borrowing and just ran slowly toward the goal, thinking that I still had to move my body.
But what about this?
I am sure everyone is wondering why I am staring at the paper and not saying anything.
Or maybe some of them even noticed.
It is immediately obvious to anyone with good intuition that I can't say what I owe out loud.
I looked at the words “someone I like” written on the paper and thought hard about what to do.
Of course, the person I like does not have to be someone I like as a member of the opposite sex. It could be someone I like as a friend, or anyone I think I like.
I could have called Mashiro or Ichika, but that's not the case with the person I like, there is only one person I like, so even if it's a school event, the only person I like is Toraga, and I don't want to lie about this thought. …… I'm not going to lie about this thought. ……
I went to Rei-chan and the others, repeating the unanswered questions in circles.
Everyone peeked at my paper and their gazes turned to Toraga.
As Toramasa and Ki-kun looked at the paper I was holding in my hands while feeling everyone's eyes on me, they understood my words and their gazes turned to my eyes and they opened their mouths, “Are you sure?” I opened my mouth.
Shaking his head, Toramasa left the circle and walked to my side, heading for the nearby finish line.
A few people had already crossed the finish line, and the tape was gone. I was so happy to have won the prize of borrowing the person I loved, and to be able to finish the race with Toraga at my side, that I didn't care about the order of finish.
When I crossed the finish line, I was supposed to show the PE committee the piece of paper I had borrowed, and Toramasa told the PE committee that I was the tallest guy in the third grade.
Yes, indeed, Toramasa is the tallest guy in the whole school, not just the third year.
Perhaps it was because he was the one who said it, or perhaps he was satisfied with what he was borrowing, but the P.E. committee member did not pursue the matter too deeply.
Soon after that, Toramasa left my place, and as I watched his back as he left, I thought to myself, “I like him. I mumbled something natural in my brain as I watched his back as he walked away.
I saw Mr. Honda borrowing Mr. Ao without incident and we returned to everyone.
Then it was the turn of the third graders.
Toramasa, Ki-kun, Rei-chan, Tanaka-senpai, and Suzuki-senpai moved to replace us second-year students.
I wonder why. One year of a student's life makes a huge difference. The third-year students have a more mature atmosphere than the first- and second-year students, and I thought they looked cool as I watched their backs as they gathered around.
The air in the schoolyard was different from ours, and everyone's eyes were on the third graders.
Then, with the sound of a pistol, the third graders' scavenger hunt began.
Toraga and his classmates were in Class B. So it was not yet Toraga's turn.
That's why it was not yet Toramasa's turn. That's why I waited for Toramasa's turn, wishing I could borrow something from him, and wishing Toramasa could borrow the same thing from me.
It is not only me. Mashiro and Honda-san were also watching the third graders with the same feeling.
After Class A finished, it was the turn of Class B. Toramasa was the first to run.
Toramasa seemed to be the first to run, and I stared at him as he stood at the front of the pack and listened to the sound of his pistol, ignoring my nagging heart.
My heart jumped loudly when Toraya picked up a piece of paper as he ran. I wonder what Toraya owes me. If possible, …… if possible, I hope it's me. ……
It seems that God heard my wishful thinking.
The sight of Toramasa coming straight toward me looked as if in slow motion.
He looked at me, took my hand, and without saying a word, cut the tape to the finish line.
It was as if all sound had disappeared from the world during that time. I couldn't hear the voices of the people who had been making so much noise, or rather, I couldn't hear them even though I could hear them, and even though it was a short distance to the finish line, it felt like a very long time.
My arms were hot, my heart was hot, my face was hot, my eyes were hot, and I found myself at the edge of the schoolyard, hugged by Suzuki-senpai.
Mariko, this is from Kurotetsu-san.
I was hugged and hugged by Suzuki and found myself at the edge of the schoolyard.
I looked at the paper over and over again, stifled my voice and cried.
I'm sure the other students looked at me funny, but I didn't care.
They might think that something is going on between me and Toraga, and it might bother Toraga, but for now, let me forget about it.
Because Toramasa chose me.
He chose me in front of the whole school and gave me the first place.
As I couldn't stop crying, another Mashiro-chan, who was holding back tears, appeared by my side, accompanied by Ki-kun.
Ki-kun went back and when Mashiro-chan was alone, the tears she had been holding back spilled out and she showed us a piece of paper she had been holding in her hand.
What was written on it was “My precious person.
That's right, when Ki-kun borrows something, it's an important person, isn't it?
Not someone you like, but someone important. It's because it's Ki-kun that it's borrowed. It's just like a game.
'I think Kii-kun might have found out about my feelings for you,……, but I'm more than that, I'm so happy, I can't stop crying.
But I can't stay crying all the time. After the third grade, the teachers' scavenger hunt would begin, and I would have to see Rei-chan. As I tried my best to stop my tears, I blurted out what I was thinking.
'I was wondering why I had to be first in the game, but I guess I had to be first.'
Mashiro-chan opened her mouth to follow my words.
I was thinking that I had to be first in the game,” she said.
If you're fast, you'll find what you owe right away, that's why it was important to be fast.”
I didn't know that off the screen.
I could only understand it because I was living it now and feeling it myself.
After a while, the third grade scavenger hunt was over and it was the teachers' turn.
On the paper in Rei-chan's hand was written the same thing as Mashiro's: “My special someone.
The first and last gymnastic festival that I can spend with the person I love will never come back.
It's not like a game, so there's no way you can start over from where you saved.
That's why we all welcomed this sports festival with a lot of thoughts and feelings.
It may not be like a game. Just because you won first place, it may not mean that it will happen for sure.
Even so, there were no sad tears shed today. There were only tears of joy.
After the gymnastics festival, love begins to develop in the game. It's only a game story, but even I, who don't have enough brain power, somehow understood that it was a chance for something to change in the real world as well.
