Imaizumi Keita unscrewed the cap of a sports drink and handed it to Shioyaki Lemon.
"Thanks."
Shioyaki Lemon didn't stand on ceremony, taking it and gulping down several large mouthfuls. The flush on her face seemed to fade slightly from the hydration.
She wiped the water from the corner of her mouth and turned her head to look at Imaizumi Keita beside her with a face full of admiration.
"Imai-chan, your stamina is truly a mystery," she lamented. "You always look so lazy, yet you're so amazing when you run."
"Maybe it's because I'm young."
Imaizumi Keita took a sip of water and replied in a half-joking tone.
"Tch, you make it sound like I'm old."
Shioyaki Lemon puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction, but soon laughed again. "But seriously, with talent like yours, it's a real shame you don't join our Track and Field Club."
"I'm not really interested in activities like the Track and Field Club."
Imaizumi Keita's answer remained blunt.
Seeing Shioyaki Lemon's surprised expression, he naturally offered a compliment: "However, Lemon, the way you stick to the things you love is actually pretty cool."
"Eh? Why the sudden compliment?"
"Because before, whether it was at the Underground Science Museum or now on the track,"
Imaizumi Keita's gaze drifted into the distance as he continued in a flat tone.
"You can always express your thoughts and devote yourself purely to what you like. I think that's a remarkable talent."
Shioyaki Lemon listened blankly, feeling her cheeks heat up at an alarming rate.
"...I, it's not like that."
Shioyaki Lemon turned her face away, stammering, her heart overflowing with joy. "I just... I just feel like doing whatever I want to do..."
"That's why I said you're amazing." Imaizumi Keita looked at her reddened earlobes and smiled. "That 'do it if you want to' drive isn't something everyone has."
Hearing his successive compliments, Shioyaki Lemon felt like she was floating on air.
The heart in her chest was thumping wildly, almost ready to jump out of her throat.
So... so that's how Imai-chan sees me?
So in his eyes, the traits Mitsuki considered 'airheaded' and 'brash' were actually 'cool' and a 'remarkable talent'...
The two sat in silence for a while longer. Once they had rested enough, they stood up to leave.
Shioyaki Lemon followed behind Imaizumi Keita, watching his back as a thought emerged.
She wanted to confirm something one more time.
Upon reaching the exit of the Sports Field, Shioyaki Lemon mustered her courage and called out to the person walking ahead.
"Um... Imai-chan."
"Hmm?"
Imaizumi Keita stopped and turned around to look at her in confusion.
Under Imaizumi Keita's gaze, Shioyaki Lemon felt the courage she had finally gathered drain away by half.
"I... in all my years, I've never... held hands with a boy."
She paused there, slightly clenching her fists as if to cheer herself on before requesting:
"So... um... could you, cooperate with me for a bit?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Shioyaki Lemon felt her cheeks begin to burn again.
This request sounded way too strange!
Would he think she was some kind of weird woman?
Would he think she was taking advantage of him?
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through her mind, making her so nervous that her palms began to sweat.
However, Imaizumi Keita just looked at her quietly for a few seconds.
Under Shioyaki Lemon's anxious gaze, he said nothing, but silently reached out his right hand toward her.
His palm was broad, his fingers long, and his knuckles well-defined.
At this point, Shioyaki Lemon didn't quite understand Imaizumi Keita's intention.
She looked up at Imaizumi Keita, then at that hand, before it finally clicked.
He... he agreed?
Shioyaki Lemon lifted her own hand and carefully placed it into his palm.
Imaizumi Keita naturally closed his fingers, completely enveloping her small hand within his own.
His hand was warmer and drier than she had imagined, carrying a reassuring strength.
Shioyaki Lemon lowered her head, feeling the unfamiliar temperature and texture coming from her palm, feeling as if her entire self was about to catch fire.
The two walked toward the school exit hand-in-hand, silent all the way.
She tilted her head, stealing a glance at the profile of the boy beside her.
All the blurred emotions, all the wavering guesses, became crystal clear at this moment.
So,
That sourness she felt when she saw him getting close to Anna wasn't just a friend's possessiveness.
That sweetness that welled up when he complimented her wasn't just simple happiness.
That impulse to have more contact with him was called...
Love.
Shioyaki Lemon's footsteps faltered slightly before she caught up again, her hand held by him involuntarily tightening a bit.
Ah...
So that's how it is.
I think I've really fallen for Imai-chan.
Eight chapters left, I feel like I won't finish catching up, I'm getting a bit dizzy.
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