A Pretty Girl Has Her First Kiss Stolen By an Equally Handsome Classmate - Episode 3.4

August 10 (Wednesday)

At last, practice for the sports festival events had begun.

“This is insane… Three in a row?”

Wakamatsu was speechless.

Each event had its designated practice area, and students moved from one location to another every hour with short breaks in between. Wakamatsu had three individual events to participate in, meaning there was no time to rest before heading to the next practice.

“Hahaha! Do your best, Wakamatsu!”

“See you after practice, Kaede!”

Parting ways with Masuda and Wakumura, Wakamatsu headed to the field.

Under the blazing sun, the first practice was for the pole pull event.

At the signal, everyone sprinted toward the pole placed in the center. The first goal was to grab it before the opponent.

“Put more strength into your stance, Wakamatsu!”

“Yes!”

A third-year team leader shouted orders as Wakamatsu pulled on the pole with all his might. The pressure twisted the skin on his palms as he clung to the wooden pole.

The signal rang again. Next was the cavalry battle practice in the gym.

Like the pole pull, the cavalry battle required teamwork.

Although the gym was slightly better than being outside, the heat still built up, and sweat wouldn’t stop pouring.

“Try getting on the rider’s position.”

“Y-Yes!”

Wakamatsu climbed onto the back of a classmate who was more solidly built. They repeatedly adjusted their formation, trying to create a quick and agile cavalry team.

Just as they settled on a strategy, the next transition signal rang.

Wakamatsu found himself back under the scorching sun.

On the ground, students selected from each grade and block for the relay race were gathering. The first practice was a full run-through to understand the flow.

“…I have to run 400 meters now?”

He instinctively looked up at the sky.

“Wakamatsu, head to your position after stretching!”

“Oh, right! Got it!”

This was the final event of the sports festival—the block relay race.

A 400-meter, four-person relay. Wakamatsu was the second runner.

Gripping the baton, he took off with all his strength.

But no matter how much he pushed his legs, runners from behind steadily passed him. His body wasn’t moving the way he wanted.

“Damn it…”

Frustration welled up inside him. He could run faster—he had to run faster.

Gritting his teeth, he powered through the lap and passed the baton to the third runner.

Out of breath, he stood there, watching his teammates race ahead.

“Kaede, good job! Now, let’s go!”

Before he could even catch his breath, Chisato Wakumura dragged him away.

Ahead, Masuda and Ariyoshi were already waiting, having finished their practice for the day.

Without changing out of his gym clothes, Wakamatsu was taken outside the school. He was shoved onto a train, carried several stops away, and dropped off at Round One.

They played tennis and basketball until their legs literally shook from exhaustion.

“You’re getting slow, Wakamatsu!”

“Shut up!”

“Ahaha! Keep going, keep going!”

Before he knew it, it was past 8 PM. After parting with them and having dinner at home, he collapsed into a deep sleep.

“Kaede!”

The next day, after practice, Wakumura was waiting for him again.

This time, he was dragged to the city gym with members of the badminton club.

For some reason, he found himself playing badminton with everything he had. His arms felt like they might fly off.

By the end, his shoulders ached so much he couldn’t lift them. That night, he once again blacked out from exhaustion.

“Let’s go, Kaede!”

“Ugh…”

On Friday, as soon as practice ended, he was taken away yet again.

This time, Masuda, Ariyoshi, Yamamoto, and Hasegawa from the neighboring class joined them at a family restaurant.

“I’m going to die… I can’t keep going…”

“Here, eat this too, Wakamatsu!”

While Wakamatsu sat slumped in exhaustion, the others—including Wakumura—were still full of energy, laughing and chatting.

After dinner, they didn’t let him go home. Instead, they dragged him to a bowling alley.

After a game, they took things even further—heading to a nearby karaoke for an all-nighter.

“Masuda’s singing is still unbearable as ever.”

“You’re gonna pay for that, Wakamatsu!”

Until around 3 AM, Masuda and the others were still partying.

But one by one, they started succumbing to sleepiness.

Whenever Wakamatsu even tried to close his eyes, Wakumura stopped him.

“No sleeping, Kaede!”

“You’re way too strict…”

By 6 AM, he was downing cola like water, but his eyelids felt like lead, and his vision was starting to blur.

“So? Do you feel a little better now?”

“Huh…?”

He stared blankly at Wakumura.

“Ah…”

Wakamatsu was stunned.

Despite how much he’d been brooding before, he had completely forgotten about Shizuku Mizuhara these past few days.

The realization shocked him awake.

“…I forgot. This is who I am.”

From Wednesday to Friday, he had been constantly busy, constantly surrounded by friends.

He had completely erased Mizuhara from his thoughts.

That should have made him happy.

But for some reason, his heart felt heavy.

He looked down.

“…Was it really not that big of a deal after all?”

“Something so easy to forget, just like that?”

“Was it just… a feeling that didn’t matter?”

It felt like he was betraying the time he had spent with Mizuhara.

His chest ached.

He wanted to forget, but at the same time, he didn’t want to forget.

His emotions tangled in contradictions.

“Of course, you’ll forget a little. That’s just how life is.”

“No matter how painful something is, time moves on, and we forget some things.”

“But just because you forgot for a bit doesn’t mean it wasn’t important.”

As Wakumura rubbed his back, Wakamatsu felt his shoulders loosen.

“People with kind hearts sometimes feel guilty about that.”

“Guilty…”

“People who feel like they have to carry everything.”

Wakamatsu thought about Mizuhara.

What about her?

“These past three days were tough, but they were fun, right?”

Wakumura’s words brought him back to the present.

Wakamatsu looked straight at her.

She had planned all of this—for his sake.

His chest felt warm.

That warmth reached his eyes, and tears welled up.

“…Sorry, Wakumura. I made you worry.”

“Don’t be. We just did what we wanted.”

“We” probably meant Masuda and Ariyoshi too.

Something inside Wakamatsu overflowed.

He couldn’t hold it back anymore.

Tears fell, soaking into his pants.

Wakumura gently pulled him into a hug.

“Let’s hang out again. Right now, I think this is the best thing for you.”

As she stroked his back and patted his head, the tension drained from his body.

After crying his heart out, Wakamatsu finally succumbed to the three days of exhaustion and drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep.