Chapter 368: Preparing for the Marathon
Morning.
After finishing his morning jog and breakfast, Sakurai Saki headed to school.
It had rained yesterday, so preparations for the upcoming marathon had been completely delayed. Today, with clear skies at last, everything could proceed as planned.
The total running distance was 8 kilometers — part of a route commonly used for local marathon events.
Of course, not the full route.
A standard marathon was 42 kilometers — if they made the students run that, half of them would probably end up in the hospital halfway through.
...
"There are a total of three checkpoints, spaced about 2 kilometers apart. You can rest at each one," Shirogane Miyuki said, holding the route map.
The two of them were standing near the school's athletic field, which would soon serve as the starting point.
"Shirogane, are you… good at running?" Sakurai Saki felt his PTSD kicking in.
At this point, if Shirogane Miyuki dared to say "I'm not good at running," he'd be the first to run away himself.
"Hey! I can run, you know!"
"...Shirogane, try marching in place first." Sakurai Saki rested his chin on his hand and gave a thoughtful command.
Shirogane Miyuki handed him the map. "Watch this!"
A few minutes later.
Shirogane Miyuki was lying face-down on the track, his expression filled with disbelief.
Shock — he really didn't know how to march properly!
"As expected… how should I put it, this was within my expectations." Sakurai Saki sighed.
"Damn it! What does this even have to do with running!?" Shirogane Miyuki stood up, brushing the dust off his pants.
Seriously… even Shirogane himself was about ready to give up on his own athletic ability.
Only after a moment did he realize — knowing how to march had absolutely nothing to do with running a marathon.
Nearby, Ishigami Yuu was setting up the tent that would serve as a checkpoint. Seeing the two fooling around, he shouted:
"Sakurai-senpai! Myuu-senpai! Can you guys give me a hand here?"
"Got it! Coming!"
"On our way!"
Soon, the three gathered together.
"Teachers don't have to run the marathon — must be nice," Ishigami Yuu said with envy.
"But it's the teachers who have to handle all the marathon supplies," Shirogane Miyuki replied as he secured the tent frame.
Standing beside them, Sakurai Saki watched the track team practicing.
Yotsuba, dressed in her sportswear, looked quite tired as she ran. Honestly, with the kind of "weight" she was carrying, the fact that she could still lead the girls' track team to victory was almost unbelievable.
In Sakurai Saki's fixed impression, good female runners were usually flat as a board.
"Also, the teachers have to get permission from the police station — that's not something students can do," he added to the conversation.
In short, being a teacher isn't easy either.
Sakurai Saki turned to look at Ishigami Yuu: "Ishigami, can't you run eight kilometers?"
"Eight kilometers? These days, students already feel like dying after just two, let alone eight!" Ishigami Yuu clapped his hands, looking at the newly finished checkpoint, a sense of accomplishment rising within him.
When the time comes, even if he himself doesn't make it to the finish line first, if the person who wins the race crosses it, at least one-third of the credit should be his, right?
"Shirogane, do you think eight kilometers is long?"
"Not really, right? Kei-chan delivers newspapers every morning — even by bicycle, she has to travel about that far."
"Myuu-senpai, physically speaking, this distance isn't long, but running it all in one go isn't easy," Ishigami Yuu explained. If no one were coming to watch this time, he might've thought of just "slacking off and letting it slide."
But since the senpai he liked, Koyasu Tsubame, said she would come to watch, Ishigami Yuu couldn't just give up.
"You can run slower if you want."
"No, I want to run as fast as I can."
...
On the school field.
Nakano Yotsuba had just finished her morning training. She looked toward Sakurai Saki standing not far away, and suddenly recalled what Ichika had said last night.
"Yotsuba, you didn't run very well today, did something happen? You seem down."
Hearing her teammate's question, Yotsuba only smiled faintly to show she was fine.
'Is it really okay to just let things drift along like this?'
When Ichika voiced her own thoughts, Yotsuba had felt a bit jealous.
She couldn't make her own choices.
Someone who only lived to meet others' expectations — she was nothing more than a soulless iron puppet.
"Is that Sakurai-san? And the Student Council President, Shirogane!... Who's that other guy?"
"The treasurer, Ishigami," Yotsuba replied, following the direction her classmate pointed.
She had heard Sakurai Saki mention him before.
"Not that good-looking, huh. Feels like he's dragging down the Student Council's average handsomeness." The girl speaking was clearly obsessed with appearances.
Thanks to the media club's portrayal, the Student Council had been turned into a mysterious organization filled with beautiful boys and girls.
"That's because the general affairs officer, Sakurai, is just too handsome."
Another member spoke up while walking over.
"By the way, Yotsuba, Sakurai-san is your tutor, right? What's he like in real life?"
"He teaches very seriously."
"Is he gentle?"
"U-umu." Nakano Yotsuba said something completely opposite to what she truly thought.
Because of Sakurai Saki's public image as a "bright and approachable guy," Yotsuba had no choice but to temporarily suppress all her personal impressions of him.
'He's not gentle at all! He's super scary! Like a tiger!'
The type that could bite a little rabbit to death in one go!
"How nice, I wish I had a tutor like that."
"Being alone together every day, it wouldn't be surprising if something happened between them, right?"
"Aiyaya, but the general affairs Sakurai already has a girlfriend!"
"Come on, it's just a girlfriend, not a wife. If you know how to seize the chance, stealing him wouldn't be that hard~" one girl said in a tone that sounded like that of someone experienced.
Yotsuba silently listened to their gossip, then quietly withdrew her gaze from Sakurai Saki.
'I really need to find a chance to talk to Sakurai-san about the future.'
...
"Saki-kun, it's time to check the running route!"
Beside the school field, Fujiwara Chika and Shinomiya Kaguya walked over.
The three of them had agreed to inspect the marathon course together. Though it was called an "inspection," in reality, it was just walking along the route to make sure it was clear and safe.
"How are we checking it? By bicycle or by car?"
"Of course we're walking!" Fujiwara Chika replied as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.
Why ride? That would be boring!
Besides, eight kilometers by car would take less than twenty minutes.
Walking would take much longer — and that was the fun part!
"Kaguya, what about you?" Sakurai Saki really didn't feel like walking eight kilometers at all.
It was now May, and the temperature was starting to rise, yet everyone was still wearing their winter uniforms.
Whoever made the rule that students had to wear uniforms to school clearly wasn't thinking straight.
Moreover, Shuchiin wouldn't switch to summer uniforms until June.
Even though they could change early, if they were caught by the Disciplinary Committee, that would be a hassle.
Shinomiya Kaguya lightly lifted her foot: "I'm wearing sneakers today."
So well-prepared, huh!
Sakurai Saki sighed: "We still have to set up two mid-route checkpoints too, are you two sure about this?"
Shirogane Miyuki and Ishigami Yuu both had other things to do, and Miko was busy today as well.
With only the three of them walking at this slow pace, they probably wouldn't be done even by noon.
Just as he finished speaking, Sakurai noticed that Kaguya and Chika had already started walking ahead.
"Kaguya-san, that black cat from yesterday isn't around anymore, huh? Didn't come back today either."
"Umu, I wonder where Edward ran off to."
Seeing that, Sakurai Saki had no choice but to slowly follow after the two.
He took out the map and looked at the route.
'Shopping district, park, seaside, and finally… a slope?'
Quite an interesting course, actually.