Beneath a sky that blazed with the heat of midsummer, the morning's equally heated competitions concluded in a flash, bringing us to our lunch break.
We stepped away from the bustling grounds to cool off in the shade of a tree, where we all settled in to eat together.
Sora-san, who had come to document Umi's and my athletic endeavors, had graciously prepared a bento for us. It was meant to be for three people, including herself, but Umi's quick thinking to invite Amami-san and Nitta-san saved us from being completely overwhelmed. (Nozomu, meanwhile, was off preparing for the cheering competition that would kick off the afternoon session.)
In other words, the bento was massive.
"──Alright, everyone, great work so far! Cheers!" Amami-san declared, raising her drink.
"Isn't it a bit early for that, Yuu-chin?" Nitta-san teased. "Though I guess we did work pretty hard this morning."
She was right. Between my three-legged race with Umi and Nitta-san and Amami-san's centipede race, we had fought hard. As it stood, Blue Team was in second place. While there was a bit of a point gap with Red Team who was in first, we were still putting up a solid fight.
The chilled barley tea was a godsend in this heat.
"Maki-kun, I was watching from the stands. You were incredibly fast in the three-legged race!" Sora-san said, her eyes sparkling. "Your coordination with Umi was perfect. Oh, here, I got a picture."
"Ah, thank you… very much," I managed, taking the camera she offered.
The shot was taken just moments before we crossed the finish line. On the small screen, Umi and I were frozen in motion, lips bitten in concentration as we strained to overtake the runners ahead.
It's still embarrassing to see myself so objectively, I thought, but out of all the pictures taken so far, this one might be the coolest… or at least, it's not half bad.
"Maki, let me see," Umi chimed in, leaning over. "…Heh. Not bad for Mom, I guess."
"Oh my, Umi, don't be rude," Sora-san chided gently. "Even I can take a decent shot if I try enough times. Though, I have my new digital camera to thank for this one."
"Eh? Sora-san, you got a new camera?"
"I did. It was a little pricey, but I figured I'd be using it for a long, long time, so I went for it."
"I-I see…"
The camera had felt surprisingly light and new in my hands, but… was it really okay for me to be one of the first subjects for this commemorative purchase, even if I was with her daughter?
"By the way, Yuu-chan, is Eri-san not here today? I was hoping we could cheer together," Sora-san asked.
"Ah, I'm sorry, obasan. My mom had a rare errand she couldn't miss. She really wanted to come, but she's meeting someone she was indebted to from her old job. Dad's away on a business trip, too."
"Oh, is that right? What a shame. Well, I'll just have to take tons of pictures of your heroic moments to show her later. …So, to start, here's one of you enjoying that onigiri."
"Mmph? Mmph-mmph?" Amami-san mumbled, her mouth full.
"…Yuu, pick one: eat the onigiri or do a peace sign," Umi said flatly.
The lighthearted banter filled the air, making our little gathering feel even brighter.
If only I didn't have this other thing weighing on my mind, it would have been perfect.
Sora-san's bento was delicious. After we'd devoured every last bit of the side dishes and onigiri from the tiered box, we thanked her, said our goodbyes, and made our way to the stands a bit early to prepare for the afternoon session.
After getting our respective panels from Yamashita-san of the props committee, I was about to head back to my seat when someone called out to me.
"──Ah, excuse me, do you have a moment?"
"? Yes." I turned to find a pair of male students standing there.
The embroidery on their gym uniforms marked them as first-years. It took me a second to place them, but then I realized they were the duo from our team in the three-legged race.
"…Um, what's up? Did you need something?"
"No, it's nothing major… We just wanted to thank you for covering for us during the race. Right?"
"Yeah. We started off strong, but we tripped halfway through… Thanks to you senpais catching up, we didn't get as much flak for it."
"Did someone give you a hard time? Like, 'If you guys hadn't messed up…'"
""…"" The two of them nodded in silent unison.
Thanks to the combined efforts of Umi and me, followed by Nakamura-san and an incredible anchor run by Takizawa-kun, we managed to tie for first place with the Red Team in the three-legged race. It was the most excitement the Blue Team's stands had seen all morning, but apparently, some people still found a reason to complain.
"Don't worry about it," I told them. "Sure, we might have shaved off a little more time, but there's no guarantee we would've secured first place for ourselves."
Even if our entire team had run a flawless race, it would have been meaningless if our rivals did the same. There are no 'what-ifs' in competition.
"We all did our best, and we ended up with a tie for first. …I think that's more than enough to be proud of."
"I see… You're right."
"Sorry for bothering you with something so trivial."
"No, it's fine. It's been tough, but let's give it our all in the afternoon session too."
""…Yes!"" they replied in chorus.
My calm response seemed to put them at ease, and the two boys returned to their seats looking relieved.
"Hey, that senpai's a really nice guy, huh?"
"Yeah. He doesn't seem to be faking it. Kinda jealous of his harem, though."
"Haha. All the girl senpais around him are super cute, after all."
A little jealousy was to be expected, and honestly, this level of it felt more normal than anything… not a problem at all.
"That's great, Maki," Umi said, smiling.
"Yeah. It just goes to show that if you work hard, people will notice."
The number might still be small, but we just had to keep doing what we were doing. Those two had just reminded me of that simple truth.
My mood lifted by the unexpected encouragement, the chime signaling the start of the afternoon session rang out at the perfect moment.
The first event was the cheering competition. Just then, the cheering squads from each team emerged, all changed into their school-run uniforms.
And from our Blue Team, the one receiving the loudest cheers was, of course, Arae-san.
"Arae-senpai, you're so cool~!"
"Look over here, please~!"
"Just one picture, please~!"
Arae-san sighed, a "give me a break" expression on her face, but it was no surprise. Her fan base, which had been a tiny fraction of first-years just a few days ago, had now swelled to the size of an entire class.
Admittedly, the flashy school-run uniform and the sarashi wrapped around her chest, combined with her natural height, made her look as dashing as any guy. Still, I never imagined she'd capture the hearts of the underclassman girls to this extent.
Amami-san was popular with the boys, but when it came to the girls, Arae-san's popularity was overwhelming.
"Nfufu~ Nagisa-chan, you've become quite the celebrity, haven't you?"
"…Tch, I'm never doing this again."
"This is our last time, so it's fine~ Oh, and don't take that off when you're done. We're taking a picture with Yama-chan later, the three of us."
"Why do you get to decide that…? Ahh, fine. It's hot, so make it quick. Five minutes, tops."
"! Un, thanks! I love you, Nagisa-chan!"
"Ahh, jeez…! This thing is hot, so stop using every excuse to hug me…!"
Just a few months ago, there was a hostile tension between them, but now… this. Given Amami-san's immense charm, I wouldn't be surprised if they went from 'friends' to 'best friends' in another six months.
"Amami, it's almost our turn. Let's go. …Also, Maehara."
"Eh? Me?"
"Who else? You're the only Maehara, idiot."
"That's a horrible thing to say… So, what's up?"
"It's about that image. When the sports festival cleanup is over, come to the student council room with Amami and the others. …Make sure you're there."
"?? The student council room, why… ah, wait, Arae-san──"
But she was already gone, running towards the entrance gate to prepare for her turn without waiting for my reaction.
"Wh-what's her problem, calling my precious boyfriend an idiot… Maki, you can just ignore her."
"Well, my bad habit slipped out… Anyway, why the student council room? It's definitely a private place, I guess."
Using the student council room meant Arae-san must have cleared it with either Takizawa-kun or Nakamura-san. I wanted to ask Takizawa-kun about it right away, but he was likely busy in the administration tent. And with our own cheering competition preparations, all we could do was wait.
"…Let's just focus on what's in front of us for now. For Arae-san to call me out, especially when she should be avoiding us, it must be something important."
"Probably," Umi agreed. "…Knowing her, she's probably figured out who's responsible and plans to drag them to the student council room by force."
"You think so…? I guess that does sound like something Arae-san would do…"
Arae-san's approach to problem-solving was definitely more direct than ours. The possibility of a forced confrontation after school with the person who spread that photo and the rumors was high.
Just thinking about it made me restless.
"Well, Arae-cchi did say 'the others,' so we should be fine if we go as a group. If it's after cleanup, I bet Seki will come if we ask him," Nitta-san chimed in.
Five of us crowding into the small student council room might be a bit much, but it was better to be prepared for any 'what-ifs.' With Nozomu, Takizawa-kun, and Arae-san there, things probably wouldn't get out of hand.
"See? No need to look so worried, Yuu-chin. If worst comes to worst, Asanagi will protect you."
"Me?" Umi blinked. "…Well, I'll definitely protect Yuu if something happens. I'll use Nina as a shield."
"Hey, protect me too!"
The familiar banter broke the tension. I have to respect Nitta-san's ability to lighten the mood.
"Fufu, honestly, Nina-chi… But thanks. I feel a little better now."
"Oh? Well, that's good."
"Yeah. It is. Ehehe, well then, I'm off too."
"…You guys are all subtly copying me again."
With things feeling normal again, we resolved to focus on the afternoon's events.
Everything else would be settled after.
The afternoon session flew by in a blur of excitement, starting with the cheering competition and followed by the club relay, the all-out tug-of-war, the pole-toppling, and the cavalry battle. Students scrambled across the grounds in a chaotic frenzy, and soon enough, we were down to the final event: the team relay race.
This was a showdown between six runners—one boy and one girl from each grade—and it was an event famous for dramatic, last-minute upsets.
"And now, the race is in its final leg, with only the sixth runner, the anchor, remaining! Which team will be the first to break the tape and claim victory!"
By the time the fifth runner took off, the order was Red, White, Yellow, with our Blue Team in fourth. A baton-passing mistake at the start had set us back, but thanks to strong runs from Amami-san and Takizawa-kun, we were still in a tight pack, even in last place.
"Go, go everyone…" I whispered, watching with bated breath as the baton was passed to the final runner.
Most teams put their third-years in the anchor position, but the Red Team had a second-year.
…It was Nozomu.
"Seki, trip! Or drop the baton!"
"Seki, please. Just let us have this one."
"Seki-shi, have you ever heard of 'reading the room'?"
"…"
The girls from the Blue Team stands bombarded Nozomu with heckles, but knowing him, he wouldn't hold back. Of course, the jeers were mostly in jest.
"──Hup!"
Nozomu's textbook baton pass and explosive start drew a collective sigh from every stand except the Red Team's.
"The Red Team is just too strong! They've got track and field, soccer, rugby, and to top it all off, the ace of the baseball team! We can only hope for a more balanced team division next year! The other three teams fought valiantly!"
With that commentary from the broadcasting booth, the relay—and the sports festival—concluded with a complete victory for the Red Team.
In the end, despite the point difference with first place, the Blue Team held onto our morning ranking and finished second. We couldn't win, but it was still a great result, wasn't it?
"We ended up second after all… But it was fun, right, Maki?"
"Yeah. Exhausting, though. …Yawn. Wow, I'm suddenly feeling sleepy."
"I'm pretty wiped out too."
It had been several weeks since I'd agreed to run the three-legged race with Umi. We had practiced almost every day since mid-summer vacation without a break, but it had all been worth it.
My stamina had improved, my body felt more toned… and most importantly, my coordination with Umi was better than ever. I felt like our bond had deepened.
It was my 'first' sports festival, and I was truly glad I had taken it seriously.
"…To all students, thank you for your hard work. Please rest up on tomorrow's compensatory holiday and come back ready for classes next week. …With that, you are dismissed!"
The closing declaration from the student council vice president, Takizawa-kun, marked the official end of the sports festival we had spent a month preparing for.
As this was my first and last high school sports festival, I wanted to savor the afterglow a little longer. But even after the grounds were cleaned up, our own business was far from finished.
"Maki-kun, um…" Amami-san began hesitantly.
"Amami-san… Yeah, I know. Let's all go together."
Once the contractors had completely removed the backboards and stands, and the school returned to its familiar state, we headed to the student council room, just as Arae-san had instructed.
Although most students were still on campus, the area around the student council room was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the clamor that had filled the grounds just moments before. It felt like another world.
It really does seem like a place where you could get away with raising your voice… No, we were just here to talk. We had to stay calm.
Knock, knock. I rapped gently on the door, and Nakamura-san's voice answered from within.
"──Yes?"
"Nakamura-san, it's Maehara. …Arae-san from our class told us to come here."
"Come in. …Ah, don't worry, it's just me for now. I've heard the story from Souji."
"Excuse us."
"Well, well, the whole gang's here."
When I opened the door, Nakamura-san greeted us. She had already changed back into her uniform and appeared to be working on the next event. What a tough job.
"I'm heading out before Souji and that wheat-colored gyaru… um, Arae Nagisa, was it? Call me when it's over. I'll be in the library."
"Sorry about this, Nakamura-san. First the class tournament, and now this."
"It's fine. Dating Souji means this probably won't be the last time something like this happens. It's a good chance to analyze trends and plan countermeasures. …Ah, should I move the desks aside?"
"We're not planning on getting violent… so you can leave them."
"Roger that. Well then, take your time."
Tucking a file under her arm, Nakamura-san left the room.
The stage was set. All that was left was to wait for Arae-san, Takizawa-kun, or both of them to arrive.
"…Yuu, I'm telling you this now, don't get emotional," Umi whispered. "If you get angry and can't hold it back, just grab the hem of my shirt. Got it?"
"It's okay. I won't do what I did during the class tournament. …But if something happens, you've got my back, right?"
"Yeah, leave it to me. Nina, I'm counting on you too."
"Got it~ I was kinda caught in the crossfire this time too, so I might be the one who says too much."
Even though it hadn't been a long time, the situation had made all of us uncomfortable. We all had a mountain of things we wanted to say to the culprit. Spreading lies is instantaneous, but restoring a tarnished reputation and silencing the whispers takes time. We had to make them understand that what they considered a prank had placed a heavy burden on us.
…Assuming they were capable of understanding.
After a few minutes of quiet waiting, the frosted glass of the door revealed the silhouettes of several people approaching.
"──Maehara-senpai, are you in there?"
"Takizawa-kun… Yeah, we're here."
"Understood. Then…"
After a knock, Takizawa-kun and Arae-san entered first. As expected, Arae-san had been working on this with him.
"Maehara, Amami, Nitta, and… tch, you brought the whole crew. Isn't that a bit overprotective?"
"It's fine, isn't it? We were all affected by this."
"Hmph… not my problem. Do what you want. Vice president, I'll leave the rest to you."
"Understood. Before I explain, let's all have a seat. …That includes you. Ooyama-senpai."
"…"
The person who entered behind them, positioned between them as if to block any escape, was…
"Ooyama-kun."
"…Hey."
The small male student who muttered without once meeting my or Amami-san's gaze was Ooyama-kun, a classmate of mine since first year.
The fact that Takizawa-kun and Arae-san had brought him here could only mean one thing.
"Um… Ooyama-kun, were you the one who took that picture of me and Maki-kun?" Amami-san asked quietly.
"Yeah, well. I just took the picture. It was one of my friends who did a crappy edit and spread it to the first-years."
"A friend, huh… So, who is this friend? They don't seem to be here."
"…He sold me out and ran. They already have his grade, name, contact info, even his address, but he's still putting up a pathetic struggle. They're idiots, all of them."
Head down, Ooyama-kun answered my questions in a self-deprecating tone. If his story was true, he had only taken the picture, and someone else was responsible for spreading the rumors.
…This was going to take a while if we questioned him ourselves.
"Um, Takizawa-kun, could you take it from here?"
"Yes. I'll explain the circumstances."
Why were Takizawa-kun and Arae-san working together? And how did they finger Ooyama-kun? I had so many questions, but first, we needed to hear the details.
According to Takizawa-kun, he and Arae-san hadn't started out as a team. They had each been investigating separately, approaching the group of first-year girls believed to be the source of the rumors. Takizawa-kun had used his looks and charm to his advantage, while Arae-san had enlisted the help of her newly acquired fan club.
They had, at almost the same time, zeroed in on the same first-year girl who had information about the source. She was cute and apparently popular with some of the boys, but her tendency to gossip about her acquaintances' private lives had made her disliked among the girls in her grade.
According to Arae-san, 'she confessed as soon as I was a little friendly with her.' Her loose lips were a problem, but thanks to them, we were able to quickly identify the culprits—Ooyama-kun and his so-called friends. In a way, it was a blessing.
The rest of the story unfolded just as Ooyama-kun had confessed. He insisted on calling them his 'friends,' but I wouldn't use that word to describe people who would throw someone under the bus to save themselves. Even if they were running now, they'd have to face the consequences eventually. But for now, the problem was the person sitting in front of me.
"Ooyama-kun, um…"
Why was he there? Why did he secretly take a picture? Why give it to his friends? Was this a coincidence, or was it intentional? If it was intentional, what was the motive?
I had a mountain of questions but couldn't decide where to begin.
"…Well, if you have something to ask, just say it. I'm not going to lie to save my own skin at this point. To be honest, Maehara-kun, that hesitant part of you has been getting on my nerves for a while now."
"…Ooyama-kun."
From the way he was glaring at me, I could guess what was coming. But with Takizawa-kun and Arae-san here, I needed to hear him confess properly.
"Alright then, I'll ask."
"Go ahead."
"Why did you do this?"
"…To put it simply, jealousy. As for the picture, that was a coincidence. I just took it on the spur of the moment."
"So, everything else was intentional?"
"Pretty much. I was the one who showed my friends, like, 'Hey, look at this picture I got.' But I never thought he'd go so far as to edit it and spread rumors for fun… To be honest, even I was put off by that."
Shrugging as if in resignation, Ooyama-kun began to open up. He was about the same build as me, but cowering between Arae-san and Takizawa-kun, he looked a size smaller.
"I felt a little bad for Maehara-kun and Amami-san, but my conscience didn't really hurt. In fact, it was kind of refreshing. They're having such a great time, they deserve to feel some pain for once… or something like that."
"…That's so gross," Nitta-san muttered, her face twisted in disgust as she looked at him.
It was a harsh thing to say, but I had to agree with her. The rest of us were probably thinking the same thing, even if we didn't say it out loud.
"Until last year, I didn't care about you at all, Maehara-kun. You were always alone, impossible to read, and comically bad at picking up social cues. Our seats were close, so I only talked to you when I had to. The class sort of lumped us together, and I was always thinking, 'Don't put me in the same category as him.' I never let it show, but I was pissed."
At the time, I had felt a strange kinship with him, but it seems that had only wounded his pride. Even if our builds, speech patterns, and social standing in the class were similar, our inner selves were completely different. That was probably why we never became friends, despite being classmates for two years straight.
"I was on the 'lower' end of the social ladder, but I always believed I wasn't at the 'bottom.' There was always someone 'lower' than me—you, Maehara-kun. My high school life is pretty miserable, I'll admit, but I wasn't lonely. I even had some fun now and then."
"But that all changed after last year's cultural festival, right?"
"…That's right. Wow. I guess I've been jealous of you for almost a year now, huh?"
It had been nearly a year since Umi and I became 'friends.' From that day forward, my once-dull life had exploded into color. My circle, which started with just Umi, grew to include Amami-san and then Nitta-san. After the cultural festival came Christmas, and I became friends with Nozomu. Christmas, the first shrine visit of the New Year, Valentine's Day, Umi's birthday—the past year had been a whirlwind of firsts, each one etched deeply into my memory.
Countless sparkling moments that filled me with warmth.
But while my life was changing so dramatically, Ooyama-kun's was not.
"It's my own fault things turned out this way. I tried to forget about you, Maehara-kun, so many times. When you talked to me, I'd brush you off, ignore you as much as possible… but every time I did, it was like you were taunting me. Your world just kept getting brighter and livelier."
One person's life dramatically improving, while the other's remained miserably stagnant. Because I was always surrounded by popular people like Nozomu and Amami-san, the contrast must have seemed even starker.
I could understand his pent-up frustration, his unplaceable irritation and jealousy… but that didn't mean I was nice enough to forgive what he did.
"Seriously, how did the gap between us get so wide? We're not that different… In fact, as of last year, your situation was way worse than mine. If things had gone just a little differently, I'm sure I'd be──"
"No, you're wrong."
I couldn't just stand there and let him say whatever he wanted.
"I can't say 'absolutely,' but I can tell you that for you, as you are now, it would be difficult, Ooyama-kun. I'm sorry, but that's the truth."
"Why? You can't know unless you try──"
His voice trailed off as he saw the reactions of everyone else in the room.
"Seriously, this glasses guy…"
"When it comes to Maki, I know I'm biased, but I'm still a better judge of character than you."
"Ooyama-kun, um, I'm really sorry, but…"
"…This is so cringe I might have to beg you to stop."
I was angry, but the displeasure radiating from Umi and the other four was palpable. I don't know what Ooyama-kun was misunderstanding, but if he thought I was part of this group out of pity, he was dead wrong.
It's true that my encounters since last autumn were largely thanks to luck. If Umi hadn't spoken to me that day, my life would have continued on its lonely trajectory.
But that's not what happened.
"You might not know this, Ooyama-kun, but I tried my best. I went through a lot of embarrassing moments, laid bare feelings I never wanted to share, and cried in front of the person I like. I caused a lot of trouble, and I failed plenty of times.
…But I think it's because I never stopped trying, in my own way, that everyone here accepts me. Umi, Amami-san, Nitta-san, Nozomu, and even Takizawa-kun and Arae-san… well, sorry, including Arae-san might be a stretch."
"…Maehara, you wanna get knocked out?"
"N-now, now, Nagisa-chan, Maki-kun didn't mean any harm, so let's calm down… okay?"
"Tch…"
I sent a silent thank you to Amami-san for placating Arae-san and continued.
"──So, I'll say it again. I think it would be difficult for you to be in my position, Ooyama-kun. Not as long as you have that mindset, anyway."
I kept my voice calm, laying out the reality as gently as I could. Ooyama-kun and I were just completely different types of people.
Almost everyone in the room nodded in agreement.
"…You've changed, Maehara-kun. You were never like this before."
"Yeah, I have. That's how much these encounters meant to me."
As I said it, I took Umi's hand, who was snuggled up beside me. The girl who taught me the joy of companionship and the warmth that erases loneliness. She was more precious to me than anyone. For her, I could face anything.
"Anyway, that's all I have to say. …So, you can go now, Ooyama-kun."
"Eh, is that it?"
"Yeah. I understand your reasons, and the rumors should die down after this. …Does anyone else have anything to add?"
"Not really. I'm tired and I just wanna go home and sleep."
"Me too. …Though I have club activities now."
"If Maki's fine with it, then I am too. I'm just an outsider here, anyway."
Nitta-san, Nozomu, and Umi were all in agreement. That just left Amami-san.
"Yuu, what about you?"
"Me neither… ah, um, actually, can I say one thing? There's something I absolutely have to say."
With that, Amami-san, who had been standing back and observing, stepped forward for the first time. Her best friend Umi shot her a worried look, but she didn't seem angry, so it probably wouldn't escalate into a brawl like it did with Arae-san.
"You see, Ooyama-kun."
"Y-yes…"
"Don't be so scared. Really, it'll just be one sentence."
Sigh. Taking a small, deep breath, Amami-san offered her usual bright smile.
"──Ooyama-kun, there won't be a next time, okay? Make sure you tell your friends that, too."
"…Eh."
"Got it?"
"...Y-yes, I understand."
"Ehehe, good. Well then, see you after the break. Thanks for all your hard work on the backboard committee."
"Ah, no, I didn't really… w-well then."
Watching Ooyama-kun hastily grab his bag and flee the room, I felt like the matter had finally come to a close.
It should have.
"…Hey, Amami."
"? What's wrong, Nagisa-chan? You look so surprised."
"Did you eat something weird?"
"Geez, I love to eat, but I wouldn't do something like Rocky. Oh, Rocky's our golden retriever."
"No, that's not what I… Hey, Nitta, you deal with her."
"Why are you passing her to me…? Y-Yuu-chin, you seem a little different today. Did you really dislike that glasses guy that much?"
"Ooyama-kun? Hmm, what he did was wrong, and I hope it's the last time, but… I didn't think he was unpleasant or gross. He took his committee work seriously, too."
"I-I see. You're so kind, Yuu-chin."
Everyone but her had noticed it. Amami-san wasn't being her usual self. In situations like this, she was always honest with her feelings. This time, that feeling should have been 'anger.' She was the type to bluntly call out what was wrong, sometimes with a force that even we couldn't restrain. Her fight with Arae-san was still fresh in my mind.
That's why Umi and I had braced ourselves for a similar situation with Ooyama-kun.
But it never came.
"Ooyama-kun, there won't be a next time, okay?"
Those words, delivered with her usual smile, were somehow frightening.
There won't be a next time. If Ooyama-kun and his friends were to repeat their mistake, what on earth did Amami-san plan to do?
I couldn't shake the feeling that the Amami-san from a moment ago was wrapped in a cold, unfamiliar atmosphere.
"Phew~ Well, the rumor business should be settled now, so let's head home. Oh, hey everyone, since we're all here, why don't we stop by a family restaurant for a celebration? A 'sports festival well-done' party. What do you say? Nagisa-chan, Takizawa-kun, you too."
"…Not my kind of thing. I'll pass."
"Amami-senpai, thank you for the invitation, but Mio-senpai and I have some leftover work to do."
"I see, that's a shame. …Um, what about the rest of you?"
"Since we have the chance, I'll go, Yuu. I was so nervous this whole time, my throat's parched."
"If Yuu-chin's going, I'll go too. There's nothing to eat at home anyway."
"! Ehehe, thanks, you two. Seki-kun has club activities, I think… so it'll be the usual four of us."
"…My participation is a given, I see."
"Fufu, that's because you and Umi are a set, Maki-kun."
Amami-san stuck her tongue out playfully, seeming no different than before.
But the side of her I had just seen… I don't think it was my imagination.
"…Maki, shall we go?"
"Yeah. Let's."
I thought I would be able to go home feeling relieved. The culprits had been identified, and after the break, we could start fresh. And thanks to everyone's cooperation, that goal had mostly been achieved… but still.
"'There won't be a next time,' huh."
"? Maki, did you say something?"
"Ah, no, nothing. Just talking to myself."
And so, a summer that left a strange, lingering feeling behind came to an end.