"Izumi-chan's started running! I need to focus the camera!" Mai Sakurajima said, holding up her phone and recording with wide eyes, not wanting to miss even a second.

"Kotomi won't run that fast, just taking pictures should be fine," Utaha Kasumigaoka replied—but as soon as she finished her sentence, her entire expression froze. She... she had just seen a white blur streak past.

"W-What just flew by?!"

"I think it was Izumi-chan..." Mai stared dumbfounded at the track. That white silhouette was already far ahead, leading the pack.

"You call that being bad at sports?!" Kisara Tendo's lips twitched. Kotomi Izumi's speed was freakish, leaving the seven Sports Department students completely in the dust.

Even the referee was stunned. He had just fired the starting pistol a moment ago, and already one of the students was nearly done with a full lap?

The referee was confused, the teachers were confused, and so were the students.

As Kotomi raced down the track, she found herself gradually enjoying the sensation of sprinting like the wind. No wonder some athletes get addicted to running—now she understood why it could feel so good.

She could have gone even faster, actually. But to avoid becoming tomorrow's front-page headline in the sports section, Kotomi deliberately held back, keeping her speed within somewhat believable limits.

She also wanted to save face for the Sports Department students. After all, getting completely outclassed by a girl who didn't even train in athletics... they might just collapse in despair after the race.

One lap down.

For the 800-meter race, only one lap remained!

Lane 8 was the hardest to run and the longest in distance, yet it was Kotomi in Lane 8 who was far and away in first place.

The seven girls from the Sports Department gritted their teeth, pushing themselves harder in an attempt to catch up to Kotomi. But as they stared at her distant figure, they could only fall into stunned silence.

If they weren't worried that shouting would throw off their breathing and ruin their pace, the seven of them would definitely have let out cries of disbelief by now.

Among the seven, the fastest runner had been carefully observing Kotomi's form the entire time. And what she saw shocked her—Kotomi's running posture was textbook perfect, like someone who had undergone professional training. The stride of her legs, the way her forearms swung, her breathing in sync with each step—all flawless. You could easily mistake her for a pro.

The only thing that might make someone question it was how young she looked.

If Kotomi had been a third-year Sports Department student, no one would have been that surprised. There were plenty of strong upperclassmen there. In that case, Kotomi would simply be the best among them.

But Kotomi wasn't from the Sports Department. She was just a first-year—a freshman—someone you could only call kouhai or classmate!

The seven girls, panting hard as they ran, were mentally in shambles. Their jaws nearly dropped as Kotomi overtook them by an entire lap.

Should we even keep running...?

That same thought surfaced in all seven minds.

"Kotomi, you're running a little too fast. You've left those other seven girls a whole lap behind," Kazumi warned.

"Huh? But I was holding back! You can check the playback later if you don't believe me."

"This isn't the Olympics—what playback?!"

"Isn't Mai-senpai recording me on her phone?" Even while sprinting, Kotomi had noticed the three senpais—one taking photos, one watching through binoculars, and one recording video.

"You really pay attention to everything, huh..." Kazumi glanced over at Class 2-B's section, and sure enough, it was just as Kotomi said.

"Say, when I run past them in a bit, should I raise both arms over my head and make a heart for the senpais?"

"Making a heart is fine, but you'd better not do it toward the senpais," Kazumi warned. "Unless you want blackened Megumi to come at you with a kitchen knife. Don't forget—Megumi Kato and the others are watching you race too."

"Then I'll do it twice?" Kotomi replied, still not realizing what was wrong with that logic.

Kazumi sighed silently. Sometimes, she truly didn't know whether Kotomi was just pretending to be clueless or genuinely a bit dense.

Kotomi let out a sheepish chuckle. "Relax, I was joking. Though I did kinda want to make a heart while running, but now... why do my legs feel a bit heavy all of a sudden?"

"Eh?" Kazumi blinked in surprise. The Queen of All Females trait was clearly still active—why did Kotomi suddenly look like she was running out of stamina?

A glance at the system interface gave Kazumi the answer. With a wry look, she said, "Kotomi... there's a server bug. The stamina boost from the Queen of All Females trait... only has one minute left."

"And after one minute...?" Kotomi swallowed nervously, a little flustered.

"The stamina buff disappears..." Even though Kotomi was still running, Kazumi had already raised both hands to shield her head—afraid that Kotomi would get so mad she'd stop mid-run just to whack her.

"Kazumi, I swear I want to supermarket you!" Kotomi roared internally, gritting her teeth as she charged toward the finish line.

Shizuka Hiratsuka, standing nearby and watching Kotomi run, was just about to cheer her on. But before she could call out, she noticed something was off—Kotomi's face looked strained, like she was on the verge of collapsing.

Shizuka didn't have time to think. Catching up to Kotomi was impossible now, as she was getting closer and closer to the finish line. The best move was to head there first and wait.

"What the heck is going on with this little witch?!" Shizuka sprinted toward the finish line using the shortest possible path—thankfully, she'd worn sneakers today.

If I run this hard and just collapse the moment I cross the finish line, people are definitely going to suspect something. I need a believable reason for falling right after the race ends. Kotomi thought frantically. But even as she approached the finish line—just one step away—she still hadn't come up with anything.

In the end, she gritted her teeth and made a snap decision.

Screw it!

The moment she crossed the finish line, she twisted her left foot sideways—crack! A sharp sound followed. She had deliberately sprained her own ankle. The intense pain hit her instantly, and yet Kotomi still managed a small smile as she collapsed sideways.

Ugh... the stamina boost is gone. Thank goodness I made it across the finish line in time. Ran too fast and accidentally sprained my ankle, then fell—sounds like a perfect excuse, Kotomi told herself. She figured she would now hit the ground hard. Even though it was a rubber track, it would definitely hurt.

Thump.

But she didn't feel any pain. Nor did she feel the cold, hard ground. All she felt...

Was a warm embrace that filled her with comfort.

The stamina buff had vanished, and fatigue swept over her. Struggling to stay conscious, Kotomi looked up, only to find herself not on the ground—but in Shizuka Hiratsuka's arms.

"Shi... Shizuka-sensei..." Her vision started to blur. Was it just her imagination? Kotomi felt like Shizuka's face was slowly morphing, becoming more and more like another person.

That summer fireworks festival...

"Onee-san... are you the one who found me...? I missed you so much... I really did eat well and grow up just like I promised..."

In a voice so weak only she could hear it, Kotomi whispered the words—and then blacked out from exhaustion, fainting in Shizuka Hiratsuka's arms.

...

A beauty in one's arms—the sensation like soft jade—makes it hard not to hold her tightly.

Especially when locking eyes with Kotomi, seeing those beautiful eyes tinged with weakness, and the blush on her face—whether from shyness or from physical exertion—that perfect blend of cute and stunning... it was like a glass of intoxicating wine. You knew one sip would leave you dizzy, and yet you drank it anyway, completely enraptured.

A gentle breeze stirred, lightly lifting Kotomi's hair, and Shizuka Hiratsuka's heart was anything but calm.

"What happened?" the referee asked, rushing over at the sight of an incident.

"Looks like a twisted ankle. I'll take her to the infirmary," Shizuka replied.

"O-Oh, alright."

Seeing that it wasn't anything serious, the referee didn't press further. He simply recorded Kotomi's time and turned to leave.

Shizuka was just about to lift Kotomi up, planning to carry her like one would a child, but the moment she moved, Kotomi frowned. Shizuka assumed she disliked physical contact and loosened her grip slightly.

But the moment she did, even while still unconscious, Kotomi leaned in closer again, leaving Shizuka speechless.

"You really are one troublesome little witch."

In the end, Shizuka opted for a princess carry, scooping Kotomi up horizontally in her arms. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Megumi Kato and the others running toward her.

"What are you all doing here? Get back to your seats," Shizuka said sternly.

"Shizuka-sensei, what happened to Kotomi?!"

"We saw her stumble the moment she crossed the finish line."

"Kotomi, can you hear me?!"

"She looks exhausted..."

Seeing Yukino Yukinoshita, Yui Yuigahama, Megumi Kato, and Mashiro Shiina all rushing over, Shizuka sighed in resignation.

"She's fine. Just ran too fast, burned through her stamina, and accidentally twisted her ankle. I'm taking her to the infirmary now. You all go back."

"I want to go with you," Megumi insisted.

"Enough. Don't be difficult! Let Shizuka-sensei get Kotomi to the infirmary quickly!" came a sudden voice.

Arisu Sakayanagi had somehow approached without anyone noticing, leaning on her cane as she walked over, exuding a pressure that made it feel like her word was law.

"All of you, return to your seats," Shizuka added, not questioning why Arisu had shown up. After a brief instruction, she carried Kotomi off the track.

"Why did you stop me?" Megumi demanded, locking eyes with Arisu.

"Calm down. Kotomi's fine. If anything really happens to her, I'll be the one buried with her," Arisu said in her usual flat tone. But her words made all the girls' hearts tighten slightly.

Her statement made one thing clear: Arisu Sakayanagi's relationship with Kotomi was anything but ordinary.

A provocation?

Or perhaps... a declaration of war.

"She doesn't need you buried with her," Megumi said coldly.

"Think what you want," Arisu replied, stepping forward until she was uncomfortably close. With a cold smirk, she added, "Your little love game with Kotomi ends here. Before long, I'll be visiting the Izumi family to propose."

"What did you just say?!"

It wasn't just the words. Seeing Arisu's upturned, triumphant smile, only one phrase came to Megumi's mind: a ruthless victor. Her back tensed with a chill.

Arisu, who had originally turned to leave, suddenly stopped, looked back at Megumi, and began lightly tapping her cane, as though trying to contain a laugh too joyous to hold back. Word by word, she said:

"I wanted to tell you—I'm going to marry Kotomi," Arisu Sakayanagi said. "You'll definitely get a wedding invitation. I hope you attend and sit far away in the back, eyes wide open, watching Kotomi walk down the aisle in her wedding dress."

"She'll be the most beautiful bride in the world. Burn that image into your mind. Remember it forever."

"On our wedding night... Kotomi, dressed in her white silk gown, will lie in bed, and I will savor every moment."

"If you beg me nicely, I might even send you a short clip of her sweet voice. You can cling to it like some pitiful creature, listening to Kotomi's voice while you... hehe~ Goodbye."

"N-No way..."

With that, Arisu Sakayanagi turned and left, cane tapping softly. Her parting words were like knives, stabbing into Megumi Kato's flesh and piercing through her bones. Bloodless but agonizing, they left her wrapped in an icy chill.

"Megumi, what did Sakayanagi-san just say to you?" Yui Yuigahama asked. Arisu's earlier smile had been unnerving, and she had spoken so quietly that only Megumi had heard her.

"It's nothing. Let's just go back."

Megumi tried to steady herself. But if she had a knife in her hand right now... she wouldn't hesitate to rush over and stab it straight through Arisu Sakayanagi.

...

Shizuka Hiratsuka carried Kotomi to the infirmary. The female doctor on duty had just been preparing to leave, but upon seeing a student brought in, she put down her bag and asked, "What happened to her?"

"She overexerted herself during the 800-meter run and twisted her ankle."

"Alright, let's get her on the bed," the doctor said as she drew back the curtain.

Once Shizuka laid Kotomi down, the doctor gently examined her left ankle. After a careful check, she finally relaxed.

"Thankfully, the bone isn't damaged. It's just a mild sprain. I'll treat her ankle and she'll recover with some rest. She's not suffering from fatigue—she just ran too fast without pacing herself. Let her sleep it off. Are you her homeroom teacher?"

"Yes, I'm Hiratsuka, homeroom teacher of Class 1-F."

"Alright, Ms. Hiratsuka, I'll leave you a key to the infirmary. This girl likely won't wake up anytime soon—she needs a few hours of rest. I have something urgent, so I need to leave. Could I trouble you to stay with her? Lock up when she wakes and leaves."

The doctor added, "Of course, if it's inconvenient, I can stay. I do have things to take care of, but I can ask the kindergarten teacher to watch my son for a bit."

She had been in a rush to pick up her son from preschool.

"I'll stay. She's my student. You go pick up your child. Is it okay if I return the key tomorrow?"

"Perfect, thank you. Here's my number—call me if anything comes up." The doctor handed over both the key and a business card.

School infirmary staff often carried cards with their contact info, mainly for students and teachers.

Shizuka accepted it.

Once the doctor left, only Shizuka and Kotomi remained in the quiet infirmary.

Shizuka tucked the blanket over Kotomi, then pulled up a chair and sat quietly beside the bed, silently keeping her company.

"When Kotomi was about to faint... did she just call me... Onee-san?"

Looking at Kotomi's cheeks, Shizuka felt an emotion surge up—something familiar, like a memory returning after many years apart.

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