"...What are you trying to do?"
Majima Tomoya didn't scold him. Instead, he couldn't help asking.
Was he trying to push his limits?
Or did he simply find running with the main group too boring?
Kazehara Tetsu finally turned his head and glanced at his homeroom teacher.
"I want to check the back."
"Check the back?"
Majima Tomoya repeated the phrase.
"That's right. Since I've become this so-called person in charge..."
"Then..."
Kazehara Tetsu looked in the direction where the main group had disappeared.
"I should at least take care of the basics."
"Even though we've split into groups and stressed that everyone should stay together, accidents have never played by the rules."
"What if someone really sprains an ankle along the way, and their companion can't handle it? Or they run too fast and don't notice..."
"If I'm at the very front or somewhere in the middle, I won't see any of that."
"Only by staying at the very back can I make sure..."
"I don't want anyone falling behind."
"Since I'm in charge, this is my 'job.'"
"As for the time..."
"Thirty minutes is enough for me."
That was his reason.
At those words, Majima Tomoya paused slightly.
If this boy led Class A...
After a long silence,
"...That's a good point."
Majima Tomoya finally spoke.
He wasn't going to try to stop him anymore, nor would he use some high-minded lecture about "safety first" to force him to comply.
"As the person in charge, having the resolve to cover everyone's backs is a rare and admirable quality."
"But..."
"Even you have to know your limits."
"If you injure yourself at the very end, that'll be the greatest loss for the entire group."
That was the teacher's final piece of advice.
"I'll be careful."
Kazehara Tetsu gave a