Episode 74: Sports Day (1)

Mid-May

There’s one event in my high school life that I’d rank among the things I dislike the most.

Sports Day…

“Ugh…”
“Takizawa, why are you sighing so heavily?”

Endo-san, sitting next to me, looks at me with concern.

“I’m just dreading the sports festival..”

Our next lesson is a full hour of homeroom, set aside for deciding which events we’ll take part in.

“What! Come on, let’s all have fun together!”

Mai is excitedly chattering away. It’s the sort of event she’d love.

“What events do you two want to do?”

Since they’re both so athletic, they’d probably come top in any event. I was a bit curious to know what they’d choose, so I asked.

“I’d be happy just to do the obstacle course!”

It was surprising to hear Mai say that. She seems more like the type who’d prefer a relay race, and she’d be well-suited to it.

‘I’m happy with anything, really. Every year, I’ve just entered whatever was left over.’
That’s a typical answer from Endo-san, who’s so good at going along with others. I think she should just enter whatever she wants to.

‘What about Hoshizora? Is there anything you’d like to do?’
‘Mai-san, asking me that is just mean, isn’t it?’
‘Ahaha. But how about a bread-eating race or something!’

That was the only event I’d ever thought I might actually be able to take part in.

　I’m actually quite fond of sweet bread.
Even when I wasn’t particularly interested in food, I could still enjoy sweet bread.

“A bread-eating race sounds just like Takizawa.”

Endo-san chuckled, sounding rather mocking.

“Endo-san, you’re annoying.”
“Why?! Mai said the same thing.”
“I just find you annoying for some reason…”
‘Right, right, stop getting all lovey-dovey.’
‘We aren’t!’ ‘We aren’t!’

My voice ended up in unison with Endo-san’s.
Why is it that whenever the three of us are together, my own rhythm gets thrown off like this?

‘You two really are close, aren’t you?’

Mai patted our heads gently and grinned.

Lately, just like Endo-san, Mai has started treating me like a child too. Convinced it was entirely Endo’s fault, I ended up glaring at her for a while.

Endo looked at me, and after a startled expression, I thought I saw a hint of remorse on her face.

The Sports Day events include the representative relay, bucket relay, three-legged race, bread-eating race, obstacle course, ball toss, centipede relay, and a fancy dress relay where the whole class dresses up and takes part.

　Including the fancy dress relay, which everyone is required to take part in, each person has to compete in two or three events.

In the end, I ended up entering the fancy dress relay and the bread-eating race. I thought, ‘Well, if I get to eat sweet bread, that’s fine,’ and I found myself looking forward to this year’s sports day just a little bit.

Mai is doing the obstacle course, the three-legged race and the fancy dress relay. Endo-san is doing the relay race, the three-legged race and the fancy dress relay.

　Apparently, Endo-san and Mai are doing the three-legged race together. There’s nothing strange about it, and it’s perfectly normal, but I felt a flutter in my chest.

　Perhaps because I’ve ended up in the bread-eating race, Endo-san has been grinning at me the whole time.

　I thought about pulling her cheeks until they split, but I decided to ignore her, as doing that would probably just give Mai another chance to tease me.

　After school, Endo and I studied together as usual.

‘Ugh.’
‘Do you really hate the sports day that much?’
‘Of course I do. No matter which event I enter, I’ll stand out.’

I wouldn’t say I’m particularly athletic, but I’m not exactly unathletic either, I’m somewhere in between. Besides, entering the bread-eating race just because I fancied some bread might have been a mistake.

It’s probably quite a high-profile event.

　As expected, Endo-san was laughing at what I’d said.

“The bread-eating race is really conspicuous, isn’t it? But I realised during PE, Takizawa, you’re actually quicker on your feet than I thought.”

Endo-san had just said something incredibly rude to me.

‘Shut up. It’s easy for you, Endo, since you’re good at sports.’
‘I’m rubbish at sports days too.’
‘Eh?’

I’d assumed she liked it because she was naturally athletic.

‘Why?’
‘Well, just because I’m in the basketball club, people automatically assume I’m good at sports. Third-years especially aim to win, so every class works really hard, don’t they? It’s a bit of a burden having people have these weird expectations and being put in events where high scores are expected.”

Endo-san is laughing, saying ‘ahaha’, but perhaps it’s actually hard for her.

I’m just the same as everyone else in the class.

I’d assumed, without thinking, that Endo-san enjoyed the sports day because she’s good at sports, and I’d been forcing that view on her.

‘I just assumed you liked the sports day.’

A deep sense of remorse welled up inside me.

I deeply regret having pushed the conversation forward based on my own assumptions, without even knowing how she felt.

Perhaps because I looked so downcast, Endo-san said something to cheer me up.

‘Don’t worry about it.’

Endo-san replied, looking as though she was forcing a smile.
I don’t like that expression, so I decided to pull her cheeks.

“Takizawa—my cheek’s coming off!”
“Well then, stop making that fake smile.”
“Sorry, it’s a habit.”

Since she seemed to be reflecting on her behaviour, I let go of her cheek.

Then, for some reason, Endo-san pulled on my cheek instead.

It hurts…

“Endo, that hurts.”
“Payback. Takizawa’s cheeks are so smooth and soft, aren’t they?”

Endo kissed the cheek she was still holding. Remembering what had happened during Golden Week, my face flushed.

“Don’t do that, you kiss-monster. Pervert.”
“Calling me a kiss-monster is rude.”
“But it’s the truth.”
“Right, I’ll hold back then.”

　Endo-san looked dejected, like a dog that’s been told off. It looked as though the tail she couldn’t possibly have was drooping.

“Anyway, let’s get back to studying.”

Endo-san, who had looked so sad just a moment ago, went back to studying as if nothing had happened.

Lately, things with Endo-san have been like this all the time.

I have absolutely no idea what she’s thinking.

The Sports Day was about to begin, and I was still feeling anxious about all sorts of things.