Ever since I’d heard about the existence of that beautiful returnee underclassman, Nozomi Himesaki, my head had been filled with nothing but impure thoughts. Despite the distractions, we finally managed to make our way inside the stadium.
Our seats were tucked away in a corner of the first-tier main stands. Since we were in the shade, it was a godsend for a loner like me—and Tanaka, too.
The seating order was Tanaka on the far right, followed by me, Airi, and Yuria. From there, we watched the athletes on the track below. I hadn’t spent much time in stadiums before, but this place was massive, even for the Kanto region. It was incredibly vast.
"Kuroki-san is competing in two events today: the 100-meter and the 4x100-meter relay. It looks like the 200-meter isn't until the day after tomorrow."
The school had likely picked the day Rui was most active to schedule the cheering section. At this point, it felt less like we were supporting the track and field club and more like we were here specifically for Rui Kuroki.
"Wait, I didn't think Rui’s talent alone would be enough for a relay... How are the others?" I asked.
"Well, Natsuhama Chuo is a public school, but we have special recommendation slots for track and baseball," Yuria explained. "So they’re actually pretty strong, aren't they?"
"What?! There are recommendations for that?!" Airi cried out. "No fair! I wanted a recommendation too!"
"Getting in on a recommendation is way harder, though. It’s actually easier to just study," Yuria countered.
"Muu..." Airi puffed out her cheeks.
I mean, if there were such a thing as a 'Huge-Bust Scholarship,' Airi would’ve been top in the prefecture. She would've had an acceptance letter in the mail within seconds. Thus, the birth of the breast-scholarship student, Airi Miyama.
"Oh, it's almost time for the 100-meter final."
The 100-meter dash took place on the straight track right in front of the main stands. The girls who had fought their way to the finals finished their warm-ups and began lining up at the starting blocks.
"There's Rui-chan!"
Rui Kuroki stood there, clad in the Natsuhama Chuo uniform. She looked much like she did in the sweaty selfies she always sent me after practice—her long black hair tied back in a ponytail. But seeing her in person was different. The uniform left her midriff exposed, and this was the first time I’d ever seen Rui’s bare navel in her track gear. God, it was a beautiful sight.
"Ah, I have to make sure to get a photo of the finish line. One with Rui-chan crossing it in first place, of course!" Airi said.
Since we were in the corner of the stands near the finish line, we should have a perfect view of her final sprint.
"Look, Ryouta-kun," Tanaka said, her voice unusually grave. "Those girls lined up down there have reached the national stage by staking their very 'lives'—their youth—on a flowery path that lasts a mere hundred meters."
"Why are you getting so fired up, Tanaka? You're just a loner like me."
"Do your best, Rui-chan!" Airi shouted, staring at the track as if in prayer.
The 100-meter dash would be over in an instant. Even so, Rui had lured me here, making me expect some kind of perverted SM play, just to make sure I saw this. Knowing her, she probably wanted me to watch her win a landslide victory so she could give a smiling interview afterward. That would be just like the perfect beauty I knew.
"On your marks..."
The athletes, Rui included, set their feet firmly against the starting blocks and lowered their bodies. I didn't know much about track, but I recognized the crouching start.
"Set...!"
The runners tensed at the command. The moment the starter pistol fired, they all burst forward simultaneously.
Rui took off with an explosive power that seemed impossible for her slender frame. She cut through an invisible wind, her feet pounding the track with a force that sent a thrill through the entire stadium. Her form was beautiful, every muscle in her body working in visible, powerful harmony.
Her expression was one of pure desperation.
What Rui was showing me now wasn't her usual cool mask, nor the gentle gaze she had when she was relaxed, nor the icy stare she gave when she was angry. With her teeth gritted and her face contorted in a fierce scowl, her eyes were wide and focused as she pushed herself forward, step by agonizing step.
It was a face of total obsession—a drive for victory, a challenge toward perfection. This was her true, raw self.
I realized then that a landslide victory wasn't what Rui wanted to show me at all. What she wanted me to see was a girl named Rui Kuroki giving everything she had to seize her own version of perfection.
The race was only a hundred meters—yet the intensity made it feel so much longer. As Tanaka had said, these girls were the best in the country, and they weren't giving Rui an inch.
The summer sun was scorching and blindingly bright, but I couldn't look away. I was completely transfixed.
Finally, the first runner crossed the finish line...