Kaoru returned to the track field alone.
Sakayanagi was already seated on a folding chair, seemingly with no intention of going back to the spectator stands.
"She didn't come back with you?"
"Probably waiting until the last event. Aren't you going back to the stands?"
"Fufufu, I should be the one asking—do you still need me to keep score?"
"No."
Soon, the afternoon's assigned competitions were about to begin.
The first event was the scavenger hunt.
Kaoru used his last "Lucky Dice," quadrupling his luck.
[The person you like.]
Kaoru thought for a moment, then put the slip back.
Following the rules, he requested a redraw.
[Your favorite food.]
Who wrote this prompt?
It seemed the second-year executives had planned the scavenger hunt.
He had underestimated things—he hadn't expected Nagumo to set a trap here.
[A classmate's socks.]
Were these prompts for real?
If he hadn't used the "Lucky Dice," would his fate have been even worse?
Kaoru's expression remained dark throughout, and due to the excessive time wasted, he only managed to secure third place.
However, when he picked up Sakayanagi's socks, the entire crowd fell into silence.
As time passed, the events concluded one after another.
"Disgusting foot fetishist."
On the three-legged race track, Kamuro Masumi tied the rope while shooting Kaoru a look of undisguised disdain.
"If you hadn't been participating, I definitely would have taken your socks," Kaoru explained himself.
"Even creepier," Kamuro rolled her eyes—this guy wasn't even denying being a foot fetishist anymore.
"Once we start running later, let's coordinate better," Kaoru paused. "Our final practice went really well, which means we already have good chemistry."
"To think a perverted foot freak like you can be so serious about this."
"..."
Though Kamuro acted disgusted, she still took things seriously when she needed to.
The two stood together at the starting line, just like during their recent practice, waiting for the referee's whistle.
At first, they had stumbled plenty of times, but after continuous practice, they definitely wouldn't fall now.
Whoosh—
Seeing the two return panting heavily, Sakayanagi smiled sweetly.
"Taking first place in the three-legged race—Mitoma-kun and Kamuro-san really do make a great team."
"No one has better chemistry than you two," Kamuro retorted irritably.
"The moment he crouched in front of you, you willingly stuck out your foot for him."
Kaoru's face darkened.
Did she really have to badmouth him in front of everyone like this?
"In that situation, it was either the shoes or the socks, right?" Sakayanagi blinked. "If I refused, Mitoma-kun might blame me—saying my rejection caused Class A to lose, then forcing me to apologize."
"Who in their right mind would let a guy take off their socks?!" Kamuro stared at her in disbelief, while others nearby gave them strange looks.
"Exactly. Why did Mitoma-kun choose me, of all people?" Sakayanagi asked seriously, her gaze fixed on Kaoru.
"Because you weren't competing, so taking off your socks wouldn't be a problem, right?"
"That may be true, but could you return my sock now?"
"Oh, right. Almost forgot."
Kaoru pulled the girl's sock from his pocket.
Indeed, she was currently barefoot on one side, her pale toes curled against her shoe.
Just as he was about to put the sock back on for her, Kamuro suddenly snatched it from his hand.
"Honestly, you two are unbelievable—one's a perverted foot freak, the other's shameless."
Grumbling, Kamuro crouched in front of Sakayanagi and helped her put the sock back on.
"I can't believe you actually tried to keep it, you creep!"
Kaoru wanted to argue—collecting socks was just one of his wishes, not something he'd actually do.
It was just that the opportunity had presented itself, so he figured he might as well fulfill one of his fantasies.
"Pervert," Sakayanagi giggled, joining in on the teasing.
And so, Kaoru gave up on defending himself.
Fine, he was a pervert.
Once Kamuro finished helping Sakayanagi put her shoe back on, the latter thanked her before turning to Kaoru.
"The final relay won't change the outcome either way. There was something I wanted to say to you, but... never mind. It can wait until after the race."
With that, Sakayanagi smiled softly at both Kaoru and Kamuro.
"Hehehe... Let this deadweight cheer you on for now, at least."
Kaoru remained silent, his gaze shifting toward the second-year students.
Nagumo Miyabi's face was dark with anger, while Class 2-A students appeared timid and hesitant.
Meanwhile, Class 2-B was eager and ready, their participants practically vibrating with anticipation.
On the other side, the third-years were equally prepared.
Class 3-B was hot on the heels of Class 3-A, with Tachibana Akane muttering something under her breath, her expression flickering with unease.
Just before the race officially began, Horikita Suzune and Sudou finally returned.
Whatever they had discussed in private, they immediately huddled with Hirata Yosuke and others to finalize their strategy.
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