Exactly one month after the field trip, the school dropped the next chaos bomb:
Sports Day.
The announcement was made during morning assembly, and half the school cheered while the rest immediately pretended to have back problems.
I was somewhere in between
until I checked the team list.
Red Team: Kuroyuki Kenyu, Aizawa Rei
Blue Team: Shinbou Ryusei, Hinata Shoyo
"Oh, no," I muttered.
"Oh, yes," Hinata grinned, peeking over my shoulder. "Opposing teams, bestie. May the stronger friendship survive."
"You're on his team?"
"Yup. We're about to be the power duo of chaos."
---
Rei appeared beside me, already reading the chart like he had expected fate to go his way.
"Looks like we're teammates, Yuki."
I sighed. "Still with the nickname?"
"Still with the charm."
Meanwhile, Shinbou walked past behind us with Hinata.
He glanced at the list, then at Rei.
Didn't say a word.
Just raised an eyebrow and kept walking.
---
Turns out, my events were:
Cheerleading duty during relays, and
High jump (because of one lucky jump in PE class three weeks ago that I deeply regretted now)
The girls' cheer squad was already designing ribbons and chant routines by lunch.
"You'll be fine," Rei said as we reviewed the event plan.
"You say that like you've ever cheered in your life."
"I haven't. But you'll look adorable."
I blinked. "This is a school competition, not a dating sim."
---
On the day of the event, the school ground was split in half.
Red tents on one side.
Blue tents on the other.
And banners flying like we were in a medieval anime war.
I was wearing the red team's bandana and trying to stretch without looking like I was about to fall over.
"Yuki," Rei called, tossing me a water bottle. "Don't forget to hydrate. I need my high jumper alive."
"You're way too into this," I muttered, catching it.
"Maybe. Or maybe I just like watching you try so hard."
From across the field, I saw Shinbou staring at us.
No expression.
But his hand tightened on the baton he was holding for his relay.
---
Then came the high jump event.
I was last in the lineup for our team.
Nerves bouncing harder than the crowd's cheers.
As I stepped up to the mark, I could hear the red team shouting my name mostly Rei, who was dramatically loud for no reason.
"You got this, Yuki!"
I almost tripped just from hearing it.
From the opposite side, Hinata yelled, "KILL IT, KENYU! SHOW HIM WHO'S BOSS!"
Shinbou didn't cheer.
But when I looked his way, I saw him watching silently… closely.
---
The bar was high.
Not impossible, but just high enough to make my heart stutter.
I ran.
Leaped.
And…
Cleared it.
The red side erupted in cheers.
Rei clapped way too hard. "That's my partner!"
Hinata shrieked like she was watching a telenovela.
And Shinbou?
Still didn't say anything.
But I saw it — a tiny smirk.
Barely there.
But it was for me.
I knew it.
---
As I walked back to the tent, breathless and red-faced, Rei offered a high five.
"You were incredible."
"Thanks," I said, trying not to collapse.
"You should be proud. But also…" He leaned closer. "Be ready. I think Shinbou's taking this whole rivalry thing very seriously."
I glanced toward the blue side.
Shinbou was tying his shoes like he was preparing for war.