When I stopped my alarm and went down to the living room, rubbing my bleary eyes, I found Mika already there. Usually, she woke up later than me, but today she greeted me with high energy.
"Good morning, Onii-chan!"
"...Yeah, morning."
Seeing her awake before me was such a rarity that it actually helped clear the sleep from my head. She was certainly energetic this early in the morning.
"It’s unusual for you to be up before me, Mika. What time did you wake up?"
"Hmm, around six? I guess I was just wide awake..."
Mika answered with a bashful smile.
She was like an elementary schooler on the morning of a field trip. I suppose she was looking forward to the sports festival—or perhaps she was just anxious.
"I see... Well, don’t push yourself too hard."
"...Yeah."
At my words of concern, Mika’s expression stiffened slightly as she gave a small nod. As I thought, she was probably nervous.
"Oh, you're up, Daiki? Breakfast is almost ready, so go wash your face quickly."
"Okay."
Admonished by Mother as she peeked out from the kitchen, I gave Mika a small wave and headed to the washroom.
Well then, time to do my best today.
After finishing breakfast, Mika and I returned to our rooms to pack our bags and finish getting ready. That said, since today was the sports festival, we didn't have much to carry besides our gym clothes, lunch boxes, and water bottles.
I quickly changed into my uniform and turned my gaze toward the drawer where I had installed the lock stopper I’d bought at the home center on the way back from school yesterday.
"It’s just fixed with double-sided tape, but it seems to hold quite well..."
I lightly pulled the handle to check the strength of the adhesive. The instructions on the box had specified that the surface needed to be degreased and then left for twenty-four hours before applying any load to ensure a strong bond. Even after just one night, it felt sufficiently secure.
"It still feels a bit flimsy, but for now, I'll consider this the bare minimum of security."
I let go of the handle and left the room, grabbing my bag with my change of clothes. When I went downstairs and entered the living room, I saw Mika packing her lunch box and water bottle.
"Oh? You're down already, Daiki?"
"Yeah."
Mother, who was taking a breather on the sofa with Father, called out with a look of surprise because I had come down earlier than usual. She pointed to the lunch box and water bottle sitting on the table.
"Daiki, that's your lunch over there."
"Thanks, Mother."
After thanking her, I swapped places with Mika and began putting my things into my bag. As I did, I heard Mika and Mother talking over by the sofa.
"By the way, Father, Mother. You're both coming to watch the sports festival today, right?"
"Hmm? Oh, that’s the plan."
"Yes. We’re looking forward to seeing you two work hard."
"I see... Then I guess I'll have to give it my all."
In response to Father and Mother, Mika scratched her cheek, looking away bashfully. I suppose there was something a bit embarrassing about having parents come to watch a high school sports festival.
I remembered feeling that same embarrassment during last year's festival, only to realize I was actually happy once they showed up.
"Alright. Preparations complete... Hey, Mika."
"Nn? What is it, Onii-chan?"
Having finished packing, I checked the clock in the corner of the TV screen. It was fifteen minutes before we usually left the house.
"If we leave at the usual time, the dressing rooms might be packed like they were yesterday. Do you want to head out early?"
"Ah, right. Thinking about yesterday, it might be better to leave a little early today."
"Right?"
"Yeah. Then let's head out, Onii-chan."
Mika stood up from the sofa and picked up her bag.
"Well then, Father, Mother. We're heading to school now."
"We're off!"
"Yeah, have a safe trip."
"Be careful. We'll be at the school before the opening ceremony starts."
"Okay. See you later, then."
After saying goodbye to Father and Mother, I left the house with Mika earlier than usual.
Now then, time to see what this sports festival has in store.
We arrived at school ahead of our usual schedule, but it seemed everyone had the same idea, as a significant number of students were already there. I parted ways with Mika at the entrance and headed to the classroom. Several classmates had already changed into their gym clothes, and school bags were scattered across many of the desks. I needed to get changed quickly too. I took the bag with my gym clothes out of my school bag and hurried toward the Audio-Visual Room, which was designated as the dressing room.
Once I had finished changing and returned to the classroom, about half of the seats were filled with students in their gym clothes.
"Yo, Daiki. You came early too, huh?"
"Nn? Oh, Shigemori... morning. Yeah, after how crowded the dressing room was yesterday, I figured it was better to beat the rush."
"Well, that's true. Yesterday, I was bumping elbows with the guy next to me while I was trying to pull my shirt on..."
As I tucked the bag containing my uniform into my school bag, I chatted with Shigemori while venting about the morning congestion.
After a few minutes, I noticed a third-year male student speaking to a girl sitting near the front entrance. Wait, wasn't that Vice President Jojima from the Student Council?
"Ah, excuse me, but has Kokonoe-kun, Hirose-kun, or Hiiragi-san arrived yet?"
"Um... oh."
The girl Jojima-senpai had asked looked around the room in confusion until she spotted me chatting with Shigemori and called out.
"Kokonoe-kun, you have a visitor!"
"Nn? Ah, yes! Sorry, Shigemori, I'll be right back."
"Yeah, don't worry about it."
After a quick word to Shigemori, I headed over to Jojima-senpai, who was standing at the front entrance. Along the way, I raised a hand to the girl who had relayed the message to thank her.
"Good morning, Jojima-senpai. What brings you here so early?"
"Ah, morning. Actually, about that matter from yesterday..."
"Is that what it's about? It’s fine, leave it to us. We’ll do whatever we can."
When I told him to leave it to us, Jojima-senpai looked sheepish and spoke with a hint of discomfort. What had happened?
"Ah, no, well... how do I put this? Actually, after we asked for your cooperation, we received a certain notice from the school. The matter I asked about yesterday is no longer necessary."
"...Huh?"
Hearing that our help was no longer needed, I wore a puzzled expression. Jojima-senpai apologized with a look and voice that suggested he was genuinely sorry.
"...The school administration decided to handle the safety measures themselves. I’m sorry it turned out like this after we made such a sudden request."
"I... see..."
"I'm sorry. If the Student Council had communicated more thoroughly with the school side, we wouldn't have put you through all this trouble..."
"N-no. If that’s the decision, I understand."
As I accepted the cancellation, Jojima-senpai gave a slight bow. An awkward atmosphere lingered, so I tried to break it by bringing up a lighter topic.
"Still, Jojima-senpai, if the school is handling it, does that mean they managed to arrange for shock-absorbing equipment? They did well to get enough on such short notice."
"..."
I had brought it up to clear the air, but Jojima-senpai fell silent, his cheek twitching. Oh? Could this reaction mean...? I felt my own cheek twitching just like Jojima-senpai’s as we reached a wordless understanding through eye contact alone. So, that was it.
For a moment, a heavy silence hung between us.
"Ah, well... I'm sorry, Kokonoe-kun, but could you pass this information along to Hirose-kun and Hiiragi-san as well?"
"Ah, yes. Of course. I’ll make sure to explain everything to them."
"I see, thank you. Well, I'll leave it to you."
"Yes."
With the tension broken, we exchanged parting greetings with stiff smiles.
Sigh... I wonder what’s actually going to happen at today’s sports festival.
After telling Yuji and Hiiragi-san about Jojima-senpai's visit once they returned from changing, it was time to head to the grounds. I grabbed my water bottle and towel and left the classroom with the rest of the class.
When we stepped onto the field, early-bird spectators had already claimed their spots in the parents' seating area.
"Heh. There’s still about twenty minutes until the opening ceremony, but quite a few people are already here."
"Yeah."
Yuji and I set our belongings down at our seats and watched the crowd filling the sections to the left and right of the main tent.
"By the way, Yuji, is anyone coming to watch from your family?"
"Nn? Oh, the Old Man said he might come for a bit."
"Eh? Juzo-san is coming?"
"Yeah. My parents are out in the countryside right now, so they can't make it. So the Old Man said he'd come check on things instead."
"Heh."
So Juzo-san was coming... In that case, I'd better work hard during the demonstration for the club activity introduction.
"What about your place, Daiki?"
"Both my parents are coming. It's Mika’s first high school event, after all."
"Ah, makes sense."
After leaving our gear, we went down to the field and lined up in our class rows. However, since the official command to fall in hadn't been given yet, the formations were loose, and everyone was chatting with their friends. Yuji and I were no different.
"Still, even though they suddenly told us this morning that yesterday's plan was off... I don't see any sign of cushioning materials being prepared..."
"Yeah. And it doesn't look like they've brought in any outside help, either."
Yuji and I scanned the area around the tents, thinking about the canceled request. After a moment, we both arrived at the same realization.
"Hey, Yuji? Could it be that this is..."
"...Yeah, that's highly likely."
"Right..."
Yuji and I looked at each other and let out heavy sighs of exhaustion.
The time for the opening ceremony arrived, and a command to line up echoed across the field through the PA system. The chatter died down as everyone hurried to their positions. In less than a minute, the formation was complete.
"We will now begin the 49th sports festival."
The Vice Principal, standing next to the podium with a microphone, declared the start of the event, and applause erupted from the spectators. The program proceeded as scheduled until the Principal's address began.
"Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning!"
When the Principal ascended the podium and gave his greeting, the students responded in a loud unison. The Principal nodded slightly in satisfaction and continued.
"We are blessed with good weather today, and I am very pleased that we can hold this sports festival without issue. Furthermore..."
The Principal's typical greeting went on for a while. However, as he reached a transition in his speech, his expression flickered for a fraction of a second, and he paused. Then, looking as though he had made up his mind, he continued.
"Everyone, I have one major announcement regarding this sports festival."
At those words, a stir of murmurs rose across the entire field. Both the students and the parents directed anxious gazes toward the podium. The Principal took a shallow breath and made his announcement.
"The major announcement is... that all relay-type events in this sports festival have been canceled."
When the Principal delivered the news, a heavy, stinging silence spread across the grounds. Then, following that instant of quiet, cries of shock erupted from both students and parents.
"...Ehhh?!"
The voices of teachers trying to calm the crowd went unheard as waves of agitation and confusion spread among the students. The reality of the sudden cancellation of the relay events was starting to sink in.
"Hah... As I thought, so that's how it is."
Ignoring my agitated classmates, I cast a look of pity toward the Principal, who wore a deeply apologetic expression on the podium.