Episode 75: Sports Day (2)

The day of the sports day.

I reckon our class is really getting into the spirit of things.
Some are forming a circle, others are tying each other’s hair in a show of determination, and still others are practising for their events.

I just couldn’t quite keep up with the atmosphere in the class.

To be honest, I might be more nervous than I am about a basketball match. I don’t mind people having expectations of me, but when they expect too much, it feels like something’s stuck in my throat and it’s suffocating.

All I can think about is: ‘What if I don’t perform well and they’re disappointed in me?’

Every year, I feel like this at the Sports Day, so I don’t remember ever really enjoying it.

‘Endo-san, you’re looking pale. Are you alright?’

Takisawa peered at me with concern.

　Seeing Takisawa’s face calmed me a little, and the anxiety I’d been feeling just a moment ago eased slightly.

At the sports day, each class was assigned a different coloured headband, and ours was blue.

There’s a strange tradition at this school where, after the sports day is over, you swap headbands with your boyfriend or the person you like. I wasn’t going to follow that rule, but I found myself wanting a headband with Takisawa’s name on it.

‘Endo, are you nervous?’
‘Yeah.’
‘You’re fine just as you are, Endo-san.’

Takisawa was being unusually kind. I’d recently learnt that the best way to get her attention was to act a bit spoiled when she was like that.

‘If I manage to stick it out until the end of the sports day, can I have your headband, Takisawa?’

I didn’t think she’d give it to me, but it didn’t cost anything to ask, so I decided to give it a go. The moment I said it, a frown creased Takisawa’s brow.

‘Why?’
‘Because it’ll give me the motivation to keep going.’

　I felt embarrassed by what I’d said and looked down, and Takisawa gave my head a gentle pat.

“If you’re going to enjoy yourself rather than just trying hard, I might consider it.”

With that, Takisawa walked off somewhere.

The spot where Takisawa had patted me began to throb with warmth.

Takisawa hadn’t said ‘do your best’ but ‘enjoy yourself’.

　And apparently, if I managed to enjoy myself, Takisawa would give me a headband.

At those words, the anxiety I’d been feeling until just a moment ago vanished, and I felt ready to give my all to the event ahead.

I was determined to do my best………….

Takisawa standing right in front of me was just too cute; I couldn’t focus on anything else.

I couldn’t even speak.

Our class had chosen animals as the theme for the fancy dress relay. Mai was a monkey, and since Mai and Takisawa both said I looked like a dog, I ended up dressing as one.

I was the only one feeling embarrassed, so right up until the day of the event, I’d been begging Takisawa to please dress up as a polar bear, my absolute favourite.

I realised that hard work really does pay off.

There’s a polar bear right in front of me.

‘C-cute…’

This is unfair.
I didn’t ask for this.
　I never imagined Takisawa would actually dress up as a polar bear…

Takisawa is wearing a fluffy white outfit with a white, round-eared headpiece.

“Cute Sora!”

Mai immediately threw herself into Takisawa’s arms, so I hurriedly pulled her away from her.

“We’ll never see Takisawa like this again, so let’s take a photo.”

　When I said that to Mai, she agreed, and the two of us started snapping away at Takisawa. As we did, Takisawa looked incredibly angry.

“Stop it, both of you. Delete the photos.”
“Sorry, sorry.”

　I apologised, but there was no way I was deleting the photos.

“Endo-san, if you don’t delete them, I’ll get angry.”

　It seemed Takisawa simply wouldn’t rest until they were deleted. Being a bit of a schemer, I chose words that would leave Takisawa speechless.

‘Thanks to this photo, I feel a lot better.’

I told Takisawa that in a way only we would understand. I’d told her I wasn’t good at sports days. Takisawa’s clever, so she’d surely understand what I meant.

‘You’re such an idiot, Endo.’
‘Come on, come on, it’s fine. Let’s enjoy the sports day!’

Thanks to Mai’s cheerful remark, we managed to get through that moment. I’d somehow managed to get my hands on a photo of Takisawa looking like a polar bear.

The fancy dress relay was over, and the sports day was finally getting underway.

Next up after the centipede relay was Takisawa’s bread-eating race. I decided to get my camera ready and take some photos of Takisawa.

Whilst everyone else was desperately trying to catch the wobbling bread, Takisawa caught a cream bun in one go and took first place with flying colours.

　Takisawa returned with the bun, a slight smile on her face.

‘Sora, you’ve discovered a new talent.’
‘Shut up.’

Mai was being told off, which was unusual. Or rather, perhaps she’s always being told off. But when it goes that far, I really do think it’s a talent. It was so funny I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘It’s annoying that even you’re making fun of me, Endo-san.’
“Sorry, sorry.”

Following Mai, I ended up getting told off too. But I found this year’s sports day rather fun. Just having Takisawa by my side made the sports day, which had been so dreary, start to come alive.

Takisawa really is amazing.

I’m struck by just how important Takisawa is to me.

Next, it was Mai’s turn to compete in the obstacle course.

　Mai breezed through the events, but then something unexpected happened. She seemed to have lost her balance on the balance beam and twisted her ankle.

Takisawa and I rushed over.

Takisawa hoisted Mai onto her back and carried her to the infirmary. As Mai is slender and petite, it didn’t look like it was much of a struggle for her.
Even though Mai was injured, I found myself feeling a bit annoyed about it.

‘Ouch, ouch. It’s not that bad, but I don’t think I can compete today…’

Mai, who’s usually so full of energy, was speaking in a very gloomy tone, so it must be quite painful. We decided to let Mai rest in the infirmary and headed back to the school grounds.

When we returned to the venue, my class was in an uproar.

‘Hina-chan, it’s looking like Mai-chan really can’t participate after all?’
‘Yeah…’
“We’ve got to find someone to do the three-legged race with you instead of Mai-chan, someone who’s about the same speed as you would be best…”

No one would meet my gaze. I’d known this would happen the moment Mai got injured.

Everyone was silent, the atmosphere making it clear they didn’t want to do it.

Faced with that reality, I felt a bit breathless and my breathing grew shallow.

“I’ll do it.”

Whilst everyone looked taken aback, and in the middle of it all, Takisawa grabbed my hand somewhat forcefully and brought me around to the back of the school building.

“Endo-san, what are you spacing out for?”

Her voice snaps me back to reality.

“Don’t you hate standing out, Takisawa?”
“I can’t afford to worry about that. Cleaning up Mai’s messes — I’ve been used to that since first year.”

　Saying that, Takisawa tied our legs together with a cloth band.

‘I’m slow, and it’s my first time doing a three-legged race, so I might fall…’

For once, Takisawa looked very anxious.
Why is she agreeing to do this with me when she’s so worried? Questions I couldn’t answer kept popping into my head.

However, Takisawa seemed determined to go through with the three-legged race with me. I pondered what words might cheer her up and chose my words carefully.

“If you fall, I’ll carry you in my arms and keep running.”
“You’d better do that, then.”

Takisawa gave a sly grin.
Lately, I’ve felt that Takisawa has been joking around and acting a bit silly a little more often.

Seeing that expression, the suffocating feeling I’d had until just a moment ago vanished somewhere, and I could feel the heart pounding in my chest begin to settle.

　It’s always like that.

She always helps me like that.

We only managed to practise for about fifteen minutes before it was time for the actual race. Standing at the starting line, I felt nervous and my grip tightened around Takisawa’s arm.

‘Endo-san, do you remember your promise?’
‘Of course.’

Perhaps satisfied with my answer, Takisawa said nothing and looked straight ahead.

Bang!

At the starting signal, we set off.

To be honest, it’s easier to run this way than with Mai.

I wonder if there’s such a thing as a ‘good match’ for three-legged races, or if we’re just too well-suited to each other. I decided to just go with the idea that we’re too well-suited.

As we neared the finish line, Takisawa and I started to lose our rhythm a little. Just as I tried to slow down to keep pace with her, she gripped my shoulder tightly.

‘I’m fine, just keep running.’

I thought I heard her say that.

We carried on sprinting and crossed the finish line in third place. Just past the line, our legs got tangled up and Takisawa fell on top of me.

‘Endo-san, I’m so s—’

I ignored Takisawa’s words and just held her tight.

“Takisawa, that’s amazing! We came third?!”

I’m so happy.

It was so much fun whilst we were running.

Just having Takisawa by my side makes the sports day this much more enjoyable.

“Endo-san, everyone’s watching, so let go.”

Since Takisawa and I are still tangled up, she can’t pull away straight away like usual and looks flustered.

　I found myself wishing our legs would just stay stuck together like this. I wanted a reason for Takisawa to be unable to leave me.

Of course, such a wish would never come true, so I reluctantly let go of Takisawa and untied the cloth band around our legs.

I brushed the sand off and stood up.

“Takisawa, thank you.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Thank you.”

“Shut up.”

　Takisawa simply strode off towards the school building. I hurried after her.

I called out to Takisawa in a spot where no one else was around.

‘Takisawa, I want your headband right now.’

‘If I give it to you now, I won’t have one left for myself.’

‘Can we swap?’

Takisawa looked sulky. I knew I was being a nuisance, but I couldn’t bring myself to hold back my selfishness.

“The three-legged race was fun. I want to enjoy the final relay and give it my all.”

“And what’s the point of swapping headbands?”

“I can have fun and do my best when you’re right next to me. I want you to be close by for the final one too.”

What I was saying now was pretty stupid and embarrassing; if I wasn’t careful, Takisawa might even think I was creepy.

But I wanted to feel Takisawa close by right until the very end.

　Takisawa looked stern, but she smoothly took the headband from around her own head and placed it in my hand. I took mine off and handed it to Takisawa.

‘Enjoy it right to the end.’

　Takisawa simply walked off somewhere.

　I tied the headband Takisawa had given me and headed for the venue.

　Every year, I’ve hated the class relay.

I hate it so much I’d almost rather skip school because of it.

The pressure is immense, and there’s nothing fun about it.

But today, it’s fun.

Perhaps it’s because Takisawa gave me those magic words, telling me to enjoy myself.

Even though I can’t possibly use magic, I feel a surge of strength coming from the headband wrapped around my head.

　I hope they think I look cool…

I take the baton, look ahead, and start running.

I don’t know where Takisawa is watching from, or perhaps she isn’t watching at all.

But the headband she gave me is giving me a boost.

The sky is blue again today.

Like a horse running freely across a meadow, I was running beneath the blue sky, enjoying myself more than anyone else.