"Class dismissed, students."
The bell rang as their white-haired teacher closed his textbook and shuffled out of the classroom.
"Let's go, basketball next period!"
"Count me in! I swear I won't mess up this time."
"Didn't you say that last time too?"
"Ugh, boys and their dumb ball games. They just come back drenched in sweat."
"Right? And they call it some kind of manly scent. Please—it's just body odor."
The classroom burst into chatter before the teacher had even stepped outside.
Akira Miyamura looked up from his desk. His classmate was already bouncing with excitement, ready to drag him along.
"…No, maybe next time." Akira smiled apologetically and shook his head.
Since last semester, he'd sometimes played with them, sometimes not.
"Alright, suit yourself." The boy waved him off and dashed out with his friends.
"Akira, why aren't you going with them?" Shouko asked curiously from across the room.
"Because we've got club after school," Akira replied, slipping his books into his bag. "I don't want to show up drenched in sweat."
Just then, Atsuya Ayumi appeared, waving her hand. "Shouko, Takagi, let's change for P.E.!"
Shouko and Takagi rose together.
"Akira, I'll go ahead."
Shouko flashed him a soft smile before leaving with the other two girls.
"Miyamura, let's get changed too." Nishikata stood up, glancing once at Takagi's retreating back before turning to him.
"So troublesome…" Akira grumbled, pulling his P.E. bag from his schoolbag.
"There's nothing we can do about it." Nishikata gave a wry smile.
The boys' changing room filled quickly with chatter and rustling fabric.
Akira slipped into the standard kit: a loose white short-sleeved shirt with "1-2" stitched on the chest in gold thread, and dark blue shorts with an elastic waistband.
Nishikata clapped his shoulder. "Done? Let's head out."
Akira glanced once at his outfit, smirking. "Thought I spotted something off, but never mind. Let's go."
Inside the gymnasium, Akira's eyes immediately found Shouko.
She sat cross-legged on the maple floor, chatting with Ayumi and Takagi. As though sensing his gaze, she looked up. Their eyes met instantly.
Takagi and Ayumi followed her line of sight, both catching the quiet exchange.
Akira swallowed, feeling that familiar flutter in his chest. Shouko's P.E clothes—simple white shirt with a boat-neck collar and dark blue shorts—made her look even more delicate and adorable.
It's a crime how cute she looks in that outfit…
A sharp whistle shattered the air.
"Mr. Sakai, too loud!" someone complained, covering their ears.
The P.E. teacher ignored them. "Assemble!"
Students scrambled into line.
Akira reached out his hand. She smiled faintly, letting him pull her to her feet.
Nishikata hesitated, then offered his hand to Takagi. To his relief, she accepted with a quiet smile.
"…Really?" Ayumi muttered, standing by herself with a roll of her eyes.
Within minutes, thirty students stood in four lines.
Another whistle cut through the chatter, and silence followed. Mr. Sakai grinned broadly.
"Alright, today's just a quick running test. Two hundred meters each. After that, free play."
He clipped a record sheet onto his board and handed it to Ayumi. "Class Monitor, handle the lineup. I'll set the marks."
With Sakai gone, chatter resumed until the lines were finally arranged.
"…Figures." Akira sighed when he saw his name listed at the very end of the boys' line.
But his annoyance quickly vanished—Shouko had also been placed at the end of the girls' line. The source of this content ɪs novel{f}ire.net
Mr. Sakai hadn't forgotten her condition; she rarely participated in strenuous exercise. With Ayumi's quiet help, she'd been allowed to run last.
"Akira, good luck later! I'll be cheering for you!" Shouko clenched her fists and grinned at him.
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