From Miyu's Side, The World Felt A Little Louder Than Usual. The Courtyard, Now Turned Into A Field Of Lines And Poles, Was Ringing With Cheers And Laughter. It Was Strange How Quickly The Morning Calm Of Breakfast Had Shifted Into Frenzied Energy.
Her Team Was Doing Well So Far. Daichi's Legs Moved Like They Were Built For Running, His Careless Energy Suddenly Useful. Kana Followed Next, Steady And Balanced, Her Strides Clean. Even Riku, Who Had Looked Nervous At First, Pushed Through His Laps With Determination.
Miyu Had Run Just Before Ren—her Pace Smooth, Measured, Almost Habitual. She Wasn't The Fastest, But She Focused On Keeping Form And Passing The Baton With Care. When She Reached Ren, Her Fingers Brushed His Briefly During The Handoff. He Took It Without A Word, Without Even Meeting Her Eyes, And Then—he Ran.
Miyu Found Herself Watching Closely.
Ren's Style Was Different. Not Rushed, Not Reckless. His Stride Was Even, His Breathing Controlled. He Didn't Look Like Someone Fighting For A Win, But Someone Who Simply Refused To Stop Once He Started. And Somehow, That Made Everyone Around Him Cheer Louder.
"Go, Third Year!" Someone Shouted From Another Group.
Miyu's Lips Curved Before She Could Stop Them. She Clapped Along With The Others, Though Quietly, Keeping Her Composure. Inside, She Was Surprised By How Natural It Felt To Watch Him Like This—someone Who Usually Blended Into The Background Now Standing Out, Even If Just A Little.
When Ren Crossed The Finish Line, Their Team Had Placed Second Overall. Not Bad. Not First, But Enough To Pull Everyone Together In Shared Relief. Sora Cheered So Loudly His Voice Cracked.
—
Across The Field, The Other Groups Were Gathering Too.
Chika's Team Had Won First Place. She Was Practically Glowing As She Threw Both Arms Into The Air. "See? Told You We'd Crush It!" Her Teammates Laughed And Lifted Her Arm Like A Champion, Though She Insisted It Was A Team Effort.
Kaito's Team… Had Come Dead Last. He Collapsed Dramatically On The Grass, Groaning Loud Enough For Even The Teachers To Roll Their Eyes. "I'm Not Built For This…"
"Maybe If You Didn't Complain Halfway Through, We'd Have Done Better," One Of His Teammates Snapped, Though They Were Laughing Too.
From A Distance, Vicky And Mahito's Voices Carried Clear. Vicky Was Boasting Loudly About Being The Fastest In His Team, While Mahito Just Shook His Head And Pointed Out That He'd Nearly Tripped Twice.
—
Back In Her Own Circle, Miyu Folded Her Hands Lightly In Front Of Her. Their Team Was Catching Their Breath, Joking, Talking About The Next Event. But Her Eyes Drifted For A Moment Toward Ren.
He Was Sitting On The Grass, Shoulders Relaxed, Breathing A Little Heavier Than Usual But Not Strained. He Didn't Look Proud Of Himself, But He Didn't Look Indifferent Either. Just… Calm.
Miyu Looked Away Quickly Before Anyone Noticed. Still, The Thought Stayed With Her—he Wasn't Trying To Stand Out, Yet Somehow, He Did.
—
The Relay Ended With A Final Whistle. Teachers Collected Scores, Announcing Them With A Mix Of Seriousness And Light Humor. The Students, However, Paid More Attention To Each Other's Laughter Than The Numbers.
Teams Slowly Drifted Toward The Shade, Water Bottles Being Passed Around, Jackets Tugged Off Shoulders.
Miyu Sat With Her Team Beneath The Same Tree They Had Started Under. Kana Was Wiping Sweat From Her Forehead, Smiling Even As She Caught Her Breath.
"Second Place Isn't Bad," Kana Said, Her Voice Bright. "Next Event, We'll Take First."
Sora Nodded Furiously Beside Her. "Yeah! If We Work Together, No One Can Beat Us!" His Confidence Was So Pure It Almost Made Miyu Smile. Almost.
Daichi, On The Other Hand, Was Lying Flat On His Back, Arms Sprawled Wide. "Wake Me Up When It's Lunch."
Riku Shook His Head, But His Quiet Chuckle Betrayed Amusement.
Miyu's Gaze Wandered. Across The Field, She Could See Chika Laughing With Her Team, Her Energy Filling Whatever Space She Was In. Kaito, Meanwhile, Was Still Complaining, Sitting Cross-Legged And Gesturing Wildly As If Explaining To His Juniors How The Sun Was His True Enemy.
Ren Was Sitting A Little Apart From The Others, Pulling The Cap Of His Water Bottle On And Off Without Drinking.
Miyu Looked At Him Briefly, Then Looked Away When Kana's Voice Pulled Her Back.
"What About You Two?" Kana Asked, Glancing Between Ren And Miyu. "You're Both Third-Years, Right? Got Any Tips For Us?"
Miyu Stilled. She Hadn't Expected To Be Asked So Directly.
Ren Lifted His Head Slightly, As If To Say don't look at me.
But The Expectant Faces Around Her Made It Impossible To Stay Silent. She Drew A Quiet Breath. "It's… Important To Pace Yourself. Not Just In Running, But In School Too. If You Burn Out Too Fast, You'll Lose Sight Of What's Ahead."
Her Words Were Calm, Even, But She Saw The Way Sora Nodded Thoughtfully. Kana Too, Tilting Her Head Like She Was Filing It Away For Later.
"Wow, That's… Actually Good Advice," Daichi Said, Still Flat On The Grass.
Kana Elbowed Him. "And What Would You Know About Pacing?"
The Laughter Rolled Naturally Between Them.
Miyu Lowered Her Eyes To Her Hands. She Wasn't Used To Speaking Like That—openly, Directly. But The Quiet Warmth From The Younger Students Wasn't Unpleasant.
When She Lifted Her Head Again, She Found Ren Watching Her. Just For A Second. Then He Looked Away, Taking A Sip Of His Water As If Nothing Happened.
—
Meanwhile, Across The Field—
Chika's Team Was Still Buzzing. One Of The First-Years Had Asked How She Managed To Stay So Energetic. "Lots Of Talking," She Replied Instantly, Grinning. "And Lots Of Snacks. You'll Learn." Her Juniors Laughed, Half-Bewildered, Half-Charmed.
Kaito's Team Had A Different Vibe. His Second-Year Teammate Finally Sighed, "Senpai, Do You Ever not Complain?"
Kaito Placed A Hand Over His Heart. "This Is How I Express Myself."
The First-Years Looked At Each Other, Unsure Whether To Laugh Or Not. Mahito, Watching From Another Team, Shouted, "Don't Listen To Him—he's Always Like That!"
The Entire Courtyard Seemed To Brighten With Noise, Bits Of Banter Crossing From One Group To Another.
And Slowly, The Teachers Began Setting Up The Next Challenge.
—
The Teachers Gathered Everyone Back Toward The Middle Of The Courtyard. Wooden Tables Had Been Pulled Out, Each With A Set Of Boxes And Papers Spread Across Them. It Didn't Look Like A Game Of Running Or Jumping This Time.
One Teacher Cleared Her Throat. "For The Next Challenge, It's Not About Speed Or Strength. It's About Thinking Together." She Lifted A Paper. "Each Team Will Get A Puzzle—some Riddles, Some Logic Problems, And A Small Task To Solve. You'll Need Everyone's Help To Finish. Remember, This Is About Communication."
Groans And Whispers Rippled Across The Students.
"School Even On A Trip?" Kaito Cried Dramatically From His Side.
"Shh," Chika Hissed, Though She Was Grinning.
The Teams Scattered To Their Assigned Tables.
—
Ren's Group Gathered Around A Stack Of Papers And A Wooden Box With Locks. A Classic Puzzle Challenge.
Sora's Eyes Lit Up. "This Is Like Those Escape Room Games!"
Daichi Pointed At The Lock. "We Break This, Right?"
"No Breaking," Kana Said Immediately. "It's About Solving."
Miyu Picked Up The First Sheet. A Riddle About Numbers, Hidden Patterns. She Lowered Her Voice, Reading It Out Carefully. "If Three Students Share Six Books Equally, How Many Pages—"
"Math?" Daichi Groaned. "I Came To Run, Not To Think."
"Pages Are Just Numbers," Riku Said Quietly. "We Can Split It." His Tone Was Nervous But Firm. He Began Scribbling On The Corner Of The Paper.
Ren Leaned Closer, Peering At The Work. "You Put The Numbers Wrong," He Said Flatly. "It's Like This." He Adjusted The Equation With Two Quick Strokes Of The Pen.
Riku Blinked At Him. Then His Face Brightened. "Oh—yeah. That Makes Sense."
Sora Pumped His Fist. "See? We Got This!"
As They Continued, Miyu Noticed Something Strange—Ren Was Actually Talking. Not Much, Not Loud, But Enough To Guide The Others Through The Steps. And The Juniors Were Listening, Really Listening.
Kana Smiled At Him. "You're Smarter Than You Look."
Ren Gave Her A Blank Look. "Thanks… I Think."
Laughter Erupted Around The Table.
Piece By Piece, They Worked Through The Problems. Sora Provided Wild Guesses, Riku Checked Carefully, Kana Kept Everyone On Track, Daichi Distracted Them With Bad Jokes, And Ren Quietly Corrected Mistakes While Miyu Organized The Flow.
At One Point, Daichi Looked At Miyu And Asked, "Senpai, How Do You Stay So Calm When Everyone's Talking At Once?"
Miyu Paused. She Wanted To Say, Because I've Trained Myself To Be Calm, Even When I Don't Want To Be. Instead, She Said, "If You Panic, The Puzzle Gets Harder. Calm Helps You See More Clearly."
Daichi Nodded Slowly, As If He Was Actually Filing That Away.
Finally, With A Click, The Lock Opened. Their Box Fell Apart Into Smaller Compartments—inside, A Little Note Card That Said: Congratulations, You Worked As One.
Sora Held It High Like A Trophy. "We Did It!"
Miyu Allowed Herself A Small Smile. It Was Just A Game, But Watching Them Work Together—watching Ren Help Others, Even Without Realizing He Was Doing It—left A Quiet Warmth In Her Chest.
—
Elsewhere—
Chika's Team Solved Their Puzzle With So Much Noise That The Teachers Had To Remind Them Three Times Not To Shout Answers Across The Courtyard.
Kaito's Team… Got Stuck On The Very First Riddle. After A Full Minute Of Silence, One Of The First-Years Finally Said, "Senpai, Maybe You Could Focus Instead Of Complaining?"
Mahito, From Nearby, Laughed So Hard He Nearly Fell Over.
Kaito Grumbled But Eventually Leaned In, And To Everyone's Surprise, Gave A Correct Answer. "See? Genius At Work."
His Juniors Just Stared At Him.
—
When All The Teams Finished, The Teachers Gathered The Cards, Smiling. "Good. This Is What We Wanted—see How Each Of You Brings Something Different? That's How You'll Need To Approach School, Too. Some Things You Can't Do Alone."
The Students Murmured, Some Thoughtful, Some Already Joking Again.
Miyu, Standing Beside Ren As They Walked Away From The Table, Felt That Line Sink Deeper Than She Expected. Some Things You Can't Do Alone.
She Didn't Look At Him. But For The First Time In A While, She Wondered If She'd Been Carrying Too Much Alone Herself.
—
The Courtyard Slowly Shifted From Competition To Comfort. The Teachers Announced A Break, And Students Scattered Toward The Long Benches And Picnic Mats Spread Out Near The Lodge. Lunch Boxes Were Handed Out—simple Meals Of Rice, Vegetables, And Fried Chicken That Somehow Tasted Better Outdoors.
Ren's Group Settled Under A Wide Tree Again. Sora Was The First To Tear Open His Box. "I Earned This," He Said Through A Mouthful Of Rice.
"You Barely Solved Anything," Kana Teased, Flicking His Forehead With Her Chopsticks.
"I Gave The Vibes," Sora Defended.
Daichi Pointed His Chopsticks Dramatically At Him. "And You Gave terrible Vibes."
The Younger Students Laughed, Their Voices Bright Against The Warm Noon Air.
Miyu Ate Quietly At First, Watching Them. She Wasn't Used To This Type Of Noise—chaotic But Harmless, Messy But Genuine. It Felt… Different From The Polite Conversations She Usually Floated Through At School.
Beside Her, Ren Picked Through His Food Without Hurry. At Some Point, Kana Turned To Him. "Senpai, You Were Cool Back There. Explaining Stuff So Fast."
Ren Blinked Slowly. "Cool?"
"Yeah!" Sora Nodded With Rice Still On His Cheek. "Like, You Didn't Even Panic."
Ren Looked Down At His Food. "…I Just Don't Like Wasting Time."
The Juniors Burst Into Laughter, Even Though His Tone Was Serious. Miyu Suppressed A Smile Behind Her Chopsticks.
—
Meanwhile, Chika Had Somehow Ended Up In The Middle Of Another Group's Mat, Loudly Arguing About Who Had The Best Side Dish. "No Way, This Fried Chicken Is The Champion. Look At This Golden Crisp!"
Her Juniors Were Laughing So Hard They Nearly Dropped Their Food.
Kaito, A Few Benches Away, Had Stolen Half Of Mahito's Pickled Vegetables Without Asking. Mahito Smacked His Hand. "Buy Your Own!"
"This Is Communal Sharing!" Kaito Declared.
"Communal? You Took Everything!"
The Argument Drew More Laughter From Passing Students, Even Some Of The Teachers Who Pretended Not To Notice.
—
Back Under The Tree, Riku Sat Cross-Legged Beside Miyu. He Spoke Quietly, Hesitant At First. "Senpai… You Said Earlier That Pacing Yourself Helps. I Think I Rushed Too Much Last Term And… It Didn't Go Well."
Miyu Looked At Him, Surprised By His Honesty. Then She Nodded Softly. "That Happens. It's Not A Failure To Slow Down And Start Again."
Riku's Shoulders Relaxed, Just A Little. "Thanks."
Sora, Overhearing, Immediately Pointed At Him. "See? Even Miyu-Senpai Agrees With Me—don't Stress So Much!"
"You Stress Over Everything," Kana Shot Back.
The Teasing Spiraled Again, Filling The Shade With Noise.
Miyu Lowered Her Gaze To Her Lunch. She Could Feel The Warmth Of It All Curling Around Her—this Mixture Of Jokes, Arguments, And Honest Questions. For The First Time In A While, She Didn't Feel Like She Was Just Performing A Role. She Was Simply there.
When She Lifted Her Eyes Briefly, She Saw Ren Looking Out Toward The Field, His Expression As Quiet As Always. But The Corner Of His Mouth Carried The Smallest Hint Of A Curve.
To Be Continued....