Hiyori Shiina's Heart Starts Racing

"Trust is something you have to give up yourself. I did this so that the seniors who care about their juniors would understand this."

At this critical juncture when the Student Council President is about to hand over the reins, Miyabi Nagumo unilaterally dismantled the barriers of trust and respect, and issued an even more brutal challenge to Horikita Manabu.

"I fully understand your actions."

"That's great, because this is just the initial battle."

Although Miyabi Nagumo still wore a cold smile and spoke without the slightest hesitation, his heart was actually filled with lingering anger at being deceived and used.

Then again, even if he really decided to defend his victory in this Sports Festival by targeting Horikita Manabu and Class 3-B, he still had many other, more respectable methods.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka quietly listened to the conversation from behind the tree's shadow, then silently left again.

In fact, this was initially just an individual operation by Class 3-B and Class C of the third year under his instructions, but using someone else's name to intimidate others and hide behind the scenes has always been more in line with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's personality.

Since Miyabi Nagumo used two Student Council slots to force Class 1-D to sign a loan agreement, it's no wonder that Class 1-D used this as leverage to shift the blame back onto Nagumo. Moreover, the close cooperation between Class 3-B and Miyabi Nagumo was an open secret among the third-year students.

In a sense, this is one of the drawbacks of an organization that has grown too large and complex. Many people who are not even considered permanent staff members will inevitably have their problems and responsibilities attributed to the leader.

Of course, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka still didn't think Class 2-A could win the final event under such circumstances.

Although Class 3-A was indeed severely weakened and had essentially dropped out of the championship race, both Class 1-D and Class 1-B, to which he belonged, still possessed competitiveness that was no less than theirs.

"When it comes to the actual competition on the track, I might be even faster."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka unconsciously recalled something Kitagawa Ryo had said to him during a training session in the past.

Although they are direct competitors who hold the final baton.

But who knows?

He never considered anyone other than that person as an equal opponent from the very beginning.

Miyabi Nagumo is the same.

Unlike Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had to eagerly check on the results of his plans during lunch break, Kitagawa Ryo rested and slept comfortably on his camping mat before waking up to the school's announcement that the afternoon's competition was about to begin.

Since the first event in the afternoon session was a race with borrowed items, Kitagawa Ryo stretched and opened his eyes to see an opaque box set up by school staff on the track not far away, used to draw 'items'. The students participating in this event would draw prizes randomly there and had to bring the 'item' written on the slip of paper to the referee for verification before they could continue until they reached the finish line.

If a contestant feels it is impossible to get the slip of paper written on it, they can ask the staff for a change, but they will have to wait 30 seconds before they can draw again.

Kitagawa Ryo had signed up for every event he could, so he naturally had to participate in the borrowing contest that afternoon. After stretching his limbs a little, he went to the staff to get his number and casually looked around.

The format remained the same: two students from each class, forming groups of eight. In Class 1-B, besides Kitagawa Ryo, the boy in this group was Yukimura Teruhiko.

After all, the obstacle course race is less of a track and field event and more of a matter of luck. No matter how fast you run, if you can't get three, four, five or six 'items' in a row, you can't compete with someone who can get through in one go.

In this situation, the class would naturally prefer to let students who are not so good at sports participate in this event, which would also save some energy for the top athletes.

Kitagawa Ryo still remembers the Sports Festival they experienced in the last mock competition. Their Class C had the advantage with Hotaru, their cat-like classmate. It's a pity that times have changed now, and his younger sister can only stay quietly in her dormitory room.

"Bang--"

Soon, after the referee fired the starting gun, the eight students near the starting line rushed out together. Although Kitagawa Ryo had a significant head start, he soon had to slow down and stop at the 100-meter mark of the track. Under the referee's watchful eye, he reached into the box in front of him and randomly selected a slip of paper from a dozen or so slips of paper inside.

"The student's left shoe (including socks)."

He drew a rather heavy topic right from the start, but the other students behind him also ran over while he was drawing his paper. Kitagawa Ryo, who was sprinting towards the top scorer, couldn't let go of the current score, so he had no choice but to not change his paper, and just ran off the track with it, quickly running back to his class's camp.

As the focus of attention on the field, Kitagawa Ryo immediately attracted the attention of all the students in Class B as soon as he ran over. Ken Sudō even asked in an urgent tone:

What did you draw? What do you want?

Kitagawa Ryo Ryoki glanced down at Sudo Ken Sudō's oversized sneakers and his white-gray socks, stained yellowish-brown by the dust and sand from the morning's Bo-taoshi, and quickly ran away. After weighing the pros and cons and thinking it over calmly, he went straight to Sakayanagi Arisu, who was relaxing in a secluded spot, having participated in the fewest events and Sakayanagi Arisu the least amount of exercise in the entire Class B.

"Hmm? Did Ryo draw something about being unmarried...?"

Before Sakayanagi Arisu speaking, Kitagawa Ryo had already half-squatted down, supporting the girl's body with one hand to maintain her balance, and with the other hand, he slightly lifted her left foot and quickly began to untie her shoelaces.

"Sorry, I needed the shoes and socks. I'll return them to Arisu in a bit."

Just as fast as his movements were Kitagawa Ryo's speech. After confirming that the shoelaces were completely loose, he reached out and touched Sakayanagi Arisu's instep. He slipped two fingers into the gap between the ankle and the shoe, and with a gentle downward pressure, the shoe was removed.

Then, without any hesitation, Kitagawa Ryo directly touched the edge of the white socks worn by Sakayanagi Arisu with his fingertips. He moved slightly inward and could clearly feel the other's soft ankle. He flipped the sock over to reveal the arch and toes that were covered inside.

"Matsushita, could you help me up? I'll be right back to help Arisu put it on!"

After getting the still-warm shoes and socks, Kitagawa Ryo fled the scene of the accident in a flash. Sakayanagi Arisu was taken over by Matsushita Chiaki, who was standing next to him. It took her a while to realize what had happened. She gritted her teeth with a bit of resentment, determined to take advantage of the opportunity when the other party put the shoes and socks back on her and stomp on him a few times.

Of course, even though she thought that way, Sakayanagi Arisu's body still honestly asked Matsushita Chiaki beside her in a low voice:

"... Hmm, there shouldn't be any sweaty smell, right?"

As she spoke, her small, round toes involuntarily curled inward again, as if she could still feel the warm touch from before, a slightly tingling sensation.

"I can't say."

Matsushita Chiaki remained silent for a moment, but still tried to smooth things over:

"But maybe Kitagawa, like some boys, just likes that kind of thing."

Kitagawa Ryo, of course, couldn't hear what the two were saying. After obtaining the key item to clear the level, he ran back to the competition venue. After showing the referee what was written on the note, he breathed a sigh of relief and crossed the finish line first, clutching Sakayanagi Arisu's shoes and socks.

Ignoring the slightly complicated expressions and strained tones of the other students in the class as they congratulated him, Kitagawa Ryo immediately turned to look at the figure still sitting in that secluded, high seat in the audience.

The golden talent 'Hawkeye' allows Kitagawa Ryo to clearly see everything about his opponent's expressions and movements hundreds of meters away. Sakayanagi Arisu's face clearly shows a look of anticipation and cunning.

Her fair and smooth calf, with her shoes and socks removed, was sticking out there, swaying back and forth.

Chapter 306: Shiina Hiyori's Heart Races

As the saying goes, "If you borrow and repay, it's easy to borrow again."

So even though Kitagawa Ryo could clearly foresee that he would be pranked by Sakayanagi Arisu there with her legs crossed, he still had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk towards the other side of the audience.

Fortunately, as the second group's obstacle course race began, most students' attention was drawn back to the competition, and few noticed his actions and movements.

Although the gazes of those girls already made Kitagawa Ryo feel a bit uneasy, he could even see Horikita Suzune was closest to him, turn her head away slightly in frustration, and unconsciously raise her left foot and tap her toes lightly twice on the grass.

"Now the jade has been returned to its rightful owner intact—"

When Kitagawa Ryo Sakayanagi Arisu, he deliberately used a relaxed tone, as if he intended to turn around and make an excuse to leave as soon as the other party took the item.

Since Japan also has a large number of four-character idioms based on China proverbs, such as 'a peerless national hero,' 'a hundred flowers in full bloom,' and 'swift as the wind and thunder,' and given that Sakayanagi Arisu had no problem reading, she immediately understood Kitagawa Ryo's meaning. She didn't rush to take her shoes and socks, but simply smiled and replied:

"It should be returned in the same condition as when it was borrowed; only then can it be considered a perfect return."

As she spoke, Sakayanagi Arisu slightly raised her left leg and then gestured with her chin toward Kitagawa Ryo, giving him a sly look that said, "You should know what to do."

"Okay, I'll put it back on you, Arisu, alright?"

Thinking of the person who had put shoes on someone last time and eventually became the Marquis of Liu of the Han Dynasty, Kitagawa Ryo could only comfort himself that at least this person wouldn't put the shoes on and take them off repeatedly to torment him. Therefore, he took the initiative to reach out and hold Sakayanagi Arisu's left foot, and clearly felt the other person's body tremble slightly.

Although she had Sakayanagi Arisu's feet on the cruise ship, that was a private occasion with only the two of them. Now, however, they were in the midst of a bustling Sports Festival. Even if most people didn't notice them, the noise of the environment would inevitably cause a subtle change in their mindset.

October weather is already autumnal. Perhaps because he had been exposed to the wind for a while, Kitagawa Ryo could clearly feel the temperature difference between the other person's soles and his own palms.

Just as he took the socks to put them back on Sakayanagi Arisu, she shook her head and made a new request:

"It's a bit chilly from the wind, could you warm me up for a while, and my socks too?"

Thinking of the experience of the person who had helped others by covering their straw sandals last time, which eventually led to them becoming famous, Kitagawa Ryo nodded and patiently helped Sakayanagi Arisu cover, rub, and massage her sandals for a while. Finally, seeing the other person's satisfied expression, he helped her put her left shoe and sock back on, ending this little disturbance caused by the borrowing contest.

Just as you feel cold all over when your feet are cold, and warm feet make you feel warm all over, after being teased by Kitagawa Ryo, Sakayanagi Arisu leaned on his shoulder with a blush on her face. Then, with lightning speed, she raised her hand and suddenly waved twice at a certain corner.

Then, Kitagawa Ryo saw a former school Chairman, disguised, suddenly emerge from the audience. The man had a camera hanging around his neck and was giving him and Arisu an OK sign with a big smile.

"These photos, one by one, record fleeting moments, and when strung together, they form a lifetime."

Until the girls' borrowing competition started, Kitagawa Ryo's mind was still filled with the jokes that Sakayanagi Arisu had made to him, whether true or false, whether it was a joke or not, that he would make these images into emoticons like "I will swear allegiance to you" and post them on the school forum during next year's Student Council President election.

The thought of how Uninhabited Island Horikita Suzune had tricked him into supporting her during the Student Council President election made Kitagawa Ryo feel a headache coming on. He sensed that the situation would become just as tense as it was now Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei.

The last group of First Year boys was competing on the field. To distract himself, Kitagawa Ryo idly turned his gaze to the track, and unexpectedly spotted Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

The other person was currently standing in front of the lottery box. Although his expression remained calm, revealing no emotion, his hesitation to make a further move suggested that he had drawn an 'item' that he couldn't borrow.

After hesitating for a while, Kitagawa Ryo finally saw Ayanokoji Kiyotaka run off the track and start moving. He first jogged over to Class D and pulled up several students, including Katsuragi Kohei, but it seemed that he hadn't gathered enough students yet, so he hesitated and then took the initiative to come to Class B.

Or rather, she walked straight up to him.

"The slip of paper I drew said 'four friends'."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka briefly explained to Kitagawa Ryo, then showed him the slip of paper he had drawn, which indeed had the words 'Four Friends' printed on it, just as Kitagawa had said.

Although no further explanation was given, Kitagawa Ryo understood what the other person meant.

Speaking of which, were he and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka actually friends?

In those brief few seconds, Kitagawa Ryo himself couldn't figure out the question, but he subconsciously recalled the scene before the Sports Festival when the two of them returned together from Tsukishiro's Chairman's Office and then parted ways at the elevator in the dormitory building. The scene of Ayanokoji Kiyotaka being completely swallowed up by the narrow, silvery space still left a strange and deep impression on Kitagawa Ryo.

"Alright, anyway, the top three in this group have already been decided."

Kitagawa Ryo dusted himself off and stood up. In the end, he chose to nonchalantly join Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's group and went with him to check with the school officials.

Just as he said, due to the long delay, not only the top three, but even the top six in this group had already been decided. And just as they were confirming, the only student besides Ayanokoji Kiyotaka who was still looking for items somehow found a large grandfather clock, and, panting heavily, carried it to complete the item requirements on the note, becoming the second to last in the group.

Even though he had fallen to last place, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was still very serious about communicating and confirming with the school's judges, in order to ensure that the contestants were not just random people pulled from the sidelines to make up the numbers.

"He's Kitagawa Ryo from Class 1-B, and he's also my friend."

After the other three, Katsuragi Kohei, Hirata Yosuke, and Kushida Kikyo, had all confirmed their answers, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka nodded slightly in the direction of Kitagawa Ryo.

The staff members next to him cast slightly questioning glances at him.

"Right."

Kitagawa Ryo simply agreed and nodded.

Then, having confirmed his Ayanokoji Kiyotaka ran alone toward the finish line, his shadow stretching long in the sun.

With Ayanokoji Kiyotaka bringing the First Year boys' obstacle course race to a close, the long-awaited First Year girls' race finally took the stage.

Compared to boys who aren't particularly sensitive to or overly concerned about interpersonal relationships, girls almost always manage to create some fun during the obstacle course race at the Sports Festival every year.

To put it simply, if a girl draws a note like Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, which says "four friends," then she has entered into a life-or-death test.

Which four people in your social circle should you ask for help? And which one should you ask first and which one to ask last? These are questions that girls need to pay special attention to, otherwise this matter might be brought up again in a few months as strong evidence that "you have never regarded me as a true friend".

The situation was even more explosive when it came to topics related to emotions, since, just like what Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had just experienced, the topics related to people that were drawn all had to be verbally verified by the judges.

Of course, you could try to trick your crush into bringing them along after drawing the 'person you like' card, but they might just shake their head and deny it with a single question from the referee, completely shattering your girlish fantasy. It's just that this is a part of the annual Sports Festival that Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School has to experience every year.

Although Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami had just exchanged words during their lunch break, they weren't actually the first pair to perform. So they were resting and recharging in the rest area. However, unlike Ichinose Honami, who was resting with her eyes closed and taking deep breaths, Karuizawa Kei couldn't help but look towards the arena.

Because one of the two players from Class C in the first group was Shiina Hiyori.

After all, it's a more entertainment-oriented event that relies heavily on luck. As the purest participant in this Sports Festival, Shiina Hiyori naturally wouldn't miss it. After a midday rest following being fed by Kitagawa Ryo, she looked to be in pretty good shape and was waiting at the starting line for the referee's signal with a relaxed expression.

"Bang--"

About thirty seconds later, with the sound of a starting gun fired by the staff, the eight girls in this group rushed to the vicinity of the lottery box one after another, nervously reaching their hands inside, praying that they could draw a reliable item.

"Heave--"

Shiina Hiyori quickly pulled out a slip of paper that had been folded twice. She unfolded it in a few swift movements, only to find a very brief word written on it:

[Ring].

Ring?

Although Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School does not impose many restrictions on students' daily attire, most high school students still choose earrings, which are accessories that subtly highlight their personality. Necklaces and rings, which seem to be more mature, are only seen on a handful of married teachers.

However, Shiina Hiyori quickly remembered the sports ring that Sakayanagi Arisu always wore. Although it was mainly used to monitor her exercise status and physical condition, it could probably be considered a type of ring?

Thinking of this, Shiina Hiyori subconsciously looked up to find Sakayanagi Arisu's seat. Because of Kitagawa Ryo, although her relationship with him wasn't particularly close, they were at least acquainted, so borrowing his seat for the time being shouldn't be a problem.

But soon, Shiina Hiyori was disappointed again.

Because Sakayanagi Arisu was currently sitting on a rather secluded high platform in the stands, quite a distance away from her, given her limited physical abilities, by the time she ran there and back, the other students in her group would have already finished running.

Just as Shiina Hiyori hesitated about whether to change the note, a detective's intuition suddenly flashed through her mind. She recalled that Sakayanagi Arisu accompanied Kitagawa Ryo every morning when she exercised, and how Kitagawa Ryo wore the ring so conspicuously on the middle finger of his left hand. She suddenly realized that Kitagawa Ryo might also have a matching ring with Sakayanagi Arisu.

Compared to Sakayanagi Arisu, Kitagawa Ryo was much closer to her, and moreover, she had much more motivation to run in that direction. Therefore, Shiina Hiyori did not hesitate any longer, and ran towards Kitagawa Ryo with the paper strip printed with the ring in her hand.

"Hey--Ryo, you should have a sports ring that matches Classmate Sakayanagi's, right? Could I borrow it for a bit? That's what I drew."

Although he had already guessed that Shiina Hiyori would most likely come to borrow something from him, Kitagawa Ryo still subconsciously paused when he heard the other party speak with a slight pant.

Of course, he always carried the matching sports ring that Sakayanagi Arisu. But having experienced the other's inexplicably heavy emotions just over ten minutes ago, Kitagawa Ryo could roughly imagine what he would experience if he were to casually lend that ring, Sakayanagi Arisu Shiina Hiyori, to Shiina Hiyori.

A girl's emotional world is always rich and ever-changing.