Chapter Fourteen: A Festival, A Race And An Odd Repeat Of The Past

The day had finally arrived, signaled by the constant buzz in the air from students, faculty and guests as they had all gathered at Iwanai Municipal High School for one of the biggest events of the year. The vendors were set up, calling out for business and the smells of their food helping in their endeavors. Final sound checks were being made on equipment and everything for the events was being looked over one last time before it was put into use. With all of that occurring, it meant only one thing: the sports festival was about to begin!

However, just because that was the case, it didn't mean that everyone was jumping for joy. In particular, there was one girl who would've rather still been in bed. "Seriously, I get we have a lot to go through, but does this festival have to start at the same time as a normal school day?" the girl complained. "Come on Haru-chi, get into the festival spirit!" the girl standing next to her said gleefully.

The two girls standing off to the side were Haruna and Chiyo, both dressed in the school's plain white t-shirt and navy blue shorts that served as the gym uniform. "I'd probably feel more festive if you hadn't dragged me into a race. I hate running," Haruna continued to complain. "But at least you get to run with Kana-chan," Chiyo pointed out. Haruna went quiet.

The fact that she would be competing against Kanako was something she also learned on the day the line-ups had been posted. More specifically, Chiyo had told Haruna, which caused her to go make sure Chiyo hadn't misread the board. When she saw it was true, Haruna began to have mixed feelings about it. Things were still awkward between her and Kanako. There was always the possibility that racing against one another could just make things worse somehow. However, Haruna also had a deep-seeded desire to beat Kanako in anything and this was no different.

Unlike Kanako though, Haruna didn't have any sort of goal she was working toward. All she wanted was victory. She hated even the idea of losing to Kanako and wanted to use the race between them to show that she was better than her. There was a part of Haruna that knew thinking like that was petty, but it wasn't large enough to make her care. "I have to win," she thought. "I've got to put that pipsqueak in her place."

Haruna thought that, but those words she told herself had lost some of their edge and nearly sounded hollow. The desire to win was there, but the malice that would've usually been behind it had begun to fade.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" a voice rang out over the speakers. "The events will begin in five minutes! Those of you in the first one, please make your way to the start/finish line!" After the announcement ended, the crowd that had arrived shuffled over to the track and began gathering around it on both the inside and outside. Most of the students stayed inside the track, but there were also plenty of them still getting food or standing in groups away from the action, talking. "Come on Haru-chi, let's go watch!" Chiyo said excitedly, grabbing Haruna by the hand and pulling her along.

Once they had managed to squeeze their way through the masses, the two girls chose to stand over by the second turn. "I've got a friend in this one, so I'm really looking forward to cheering her on!" Chiyo said happily. The first event of the day was also the longest: the marathon.

It wasn't actually a marathon, as asking a bunch of kids to run 26.2 miles would be very unreasonable, but it still was lengthy for the average person, standing at 5 miles. This event used to be at the end of the day, but after numerous years of everyone leaving before it could finish, the school and student council decided to put it at the beginning so people had to watch it and support the competitors. A lot of people still ignored it, but as it was the first event of the day, there were still plenty who were willing to watch.

The runners got to the line and the person who would signal for them to start was explaining the rules, which consisted of the typical no tripping or pushing and don't start before the flag drops. After nearly boring the students to death, the man with the flag raised it high in the air, then called out: "On your marks! Get set..."

"GO!" He yelled as the flag sliced through the air. All of the runners took off, which was a sight in and of itself. The marathon was the only event without a cap, so around 90 people were in it. However, at least two-thirds of them would drop out within the first few laps. Some joined just so they could do it with their friends or boyfriends/girlfriends, others wanted to see how far they could make it and some just wanted to be able to say they ran in the marathon event. Really it was only about 20 students or so that were actually serious about it.

"Go Minamin!" Chiyo yelled as the mass ran past. Through them all, there was a hand waving back to Chiyo. "So how long is she going to run for?" Haruna asked. "I'm not sure, but I don't think it was going to be more than the first mile," Chiyo said. "I see... Huh? Wait a minute..." Haruna said, staring intently into the group of runners. "Doesn't that girl in the glasses look familiar?" Chiyo squinted her eyes. "Mmm... Oh my God, it's Mayu-chan! I didn't know she was in this!" Then in a louder voice: "Go Mayu-chan!" Haruna rubbed her ear from Chiyo's shout.

From not too far away, there was another cheer very similar to Chiyo's. "You can do it Mayu-chan!" it said. The voice that cheered seemed to realize that someone else was pulling for the same person. They started looking around until finally their eyes landed on Chiyo. The immediate reaction was surprise, then a drooping of the shoulders. "Oh, it's Mi-chan!" Chiyo said.

Kanako and Michi had set up not too far from Chiyo and Haruna. The four of them began walking over to each other, meeting in the middle. "Hi Mi-chan! Looking cute in your uniform!" Chiyo said. Michi's face got a little red. "And you have no shame. Have you looked in a mirror? You might as well be wearing latex with how tight your clothes are!"

Michi's observation was very astute. While most of the girls (and guys for that matter) had fairly comfortable fitting gym clothes, Chiyo was in the small minority where even the largest shirt offered was still being stretched by her chest. Her shorts were tight too, as they were practically glued to Chiyo's thighs. Looking her over more and more seemed to make Michi more and more flustered, until eventually she just turned around in a huff.

"So are you excited to run today?" Chiyo asked Kanako. "I-I guess so," she answered. "Tch. What kind of answer is that?" Haruna scoffed. "Although, I guess that's only natural for someone like you." "W-What's that supposed to mean?" Kanako replied. "H-Hey, look Haru-chi, they're selling corndogs over there! Let's go get some!" Chiyo interjected, trying to diffuse the tension. Before she could pull Haruna away though, the tall girl leaned in near Kanako's ear. "Today I'm going to show you-"

Before she could finish, Haruna got distracted. A smell had caught her attention, and it wasn't the corndogs. "What is that? It smells like..." she took another couple of sniffs. "...Lilac?" As she kept breathing in the scent, she suddenly realized where it was coming from. "Wait... I know this... it's coming from Kanako..."

When they were younger, Haruna and Kanako had once gone to a store that sold all kinds of what would be considered "girly items," such as dresses, jewelry, lotions, etc. It was hardly a place that Haruna wanted to be, but she had reluctantly agreed to go with Kanako because she couldn't go by herself. Haruna's first impression when they had walked in was something close to nauseated.

Among the items sold at that store were of course different perfumes and sprays. Kanako had started trying various ones and having Haruna try them too, but after smelling so many, she had begun to feel sick. However, the last one Kanako tried was one that was in a deep purple, ball-shaped glass container. The glass had been designed in a way that made it look like the ball was made up of hexagons, and on the front part was a singular word written in a gently curving font and colored a dulled shade of gold: Lilac.

Kanako had sprayed a bit and smelled it, immediately taking a liking to it. Upon her insistence, Haruna tried it too. To her surprise, it was really nice. It didn't feel overwhelming at all and the scent almost felt like it was making Haruna feel a little better. If she had to describe it in one word, it would be comforting.

As luck would have it, the bottle was one of the cheapest ones in stock, so Kanako bought it with the small amount of pocket money she had. She then proceeded to wear it nearly every day. Hanging out as much as they used to together, Haruna began to become very accustomed to the scent of Lilac. Eventually, Kanako started making the trip every couple of months to buy it.

This was a detail that Haruna was surprised she had missed. She had been close to Kanako recently before, but she had no memory of smelling the perfume. Thinking back on recent events, Haruna could only come up with one guess: "Am I just more aware of her now?" She had tried for so long to shut out everything about Kanako, but after being forced one way or another to spend time together, small details like the scent of Kanako were beginning to make themselves known to Haruna again.

"This smells... so nice..." Haruna thought, getting wrapped up by the comfort of Lilac. "U-Um Haruna? You're going to s-show me what...?" Kanako asked anxiously. The question was enough to bring Haruna back to her senses. However, after the moment she did, she felt more embarrassed than anything, so all she could manage to say was: "Just be ready to race," before marching off toward the stall Chiyo had pointed to. "That was weird..." Kanako thought. "I could've sworn I heard Haruna sniffing me..."

While Kanako tried to understand what had just happened, Chiyo was smirking at a somewhat red-faced Haruna. "So what was that about Haru-chi?" Chiyo asked smugly. "N-Nothing," Haruna said uncertainly. "If you say so," Chiyo said in a sing-song tone. Haruna sighed, finally dispelling her embarrassment.

As the marathon began nearing its end, about 15 students were left in the running. Both Chiyo's friend and Mayu-chan had both dropped out already. There were two laps left when Haruna and Chiyo turned their full attention back to the race, and the lead runners were neck and neck. Even after another lap, there was still no separation as they began the final leg of their long five miles. Around the curves and down the stretch they came, until finally with about 50 meters to go, one of the runners pulled ahead and crossed the finish line first.

"And that concludes the marathon! Next up we have a field event, long jump!" the announcer called over the speakers. The crowd began to change its shape as it gathered near the long jump area, though some people stayed put. As they moved, Chiyo began looking through the faces, but quickly gave up. "What're you looking for?" Haruna asked. "I thought maybe my sis would be here, but I guess she couldn't make it," Chiyo said sadly. "Oh yeah, I always forget you have a sister. She's older, right?" Haruna asked. "Yep! She's a college girl! We're all so proud!" Chiyo said, pleased. "So how 'bout you Haru-chi? Your family here?" Haruna shook her head. "Nope. Both my parents had to work." "Then I guess we have to keep each other company!" Chiyo said.

As the day continued, more events began getting checked off the list. High jump, a bread eating race, the one mile race, etc. They kept moving along until the mid-point of the day was reached. An hour long break was given for everyone, so a lot of students went to eat with their parents. For Haruna and Chiyo, they decided to sit under a nearby tree after buying some food from one of the vendors. While they were eating, they saw a familiar face.

"Jas-chin!" Chiyo called. The sultry girl stopped walking and came over to the two others, leaving behind a boy. "I was wondering where you two were," she said. "We're competing soon! You should watch!" Chiyo told her. "I'll be sure to," Jasmine said with a smile. "Anyways, I was just about to grab a bite for myself and my boyfriend, so I should probably be going." "Oh, alright. Catch ya later!" Chiyo said as Jasmine walked back to the boy she had appeared with.

"There she goes," Haruna said. "Also, wasn't she dating a guy on the soccer team before? He doesn't look the same." "Yeah, that guy's definitely not on the soccer team," Chiyo said flatly. The two of them kept eating, then when they were finished, they began making their way back to the track. Along the way, they ran into Mayu, who was greeted with a big hug from Chiyo.

"I saw you race girl! I had no idea you were going to be in the marathon!" Chiyo squealed. "Yeah, I thought I'd give it a shot. I only lasted for a mile though," Mayu said with a shy laugh. "That's okay! You had fun right?!" Chiyo said as she kept clinging to Mayu. "Mhm," she answered. "It was fun!" Haruna watched their exchange take place and she couldn't help but smile. There were times when she felt envious of Chiyo's social skills, the way she could just cozy up to anyone. But, when she acted like how she was with Mayu, it was like she was a big sister to everyone, making sure they were all happy. In that sense, Haruna could do nothing but be appreciative.

It was that line of thinking that had gotten Haruna into the 800 meter tag team in the first place. At first she had wanted nothing to do with any events, especially ones that involved running. After a lot of poking, Haruna had still been able to flat-out refuse, but then Chiyo had said something that ultimately changed her mind. She had told Haruna that she just wanted everyone to have fun and she thought that Haruna would be able to enjoy the festival more if they did something together.

Of course, after finding out Kanako would be in the same event as her, Haruna had suddenly found herself more than willing to compete. "I'm going to win," Haruna kept telling herself. "There's no way I can lose to a mousy girl like her." And while Haruna continued to psych herself up, Chiyo finally released Mayu and they wrapped up their conversation. "She's such a nice girl," Chiyo said happily. "Huh?" Haruna said, not paying attention. "Y'know Haru-chi, girls don't like it when you ignore them," Chiyo said as she walked away. "Wait, what? Isn't that something you tell a guy? Hey, Chiyo, come back here!"

*****

"And now, everyone get ready for one of Iwanai High's most famous events, the 800 meter tag team!" the voice on the speakers boomed. At the announcement, a line of boys and girls formed and got into starting positions. This was the second of two races that were co-ed, with the other being the marathon.

Found right in the middle were two girls eyeing each other. The first was Chiyo, smiling happily. The other was Michi, scowling. "Why'd you line up next to me?" she asked. "Because I wanted to!" Chiyo said. Michi sighed. "Well whatever. I'm going to make sure you see my back the whole time." "Really? Aren't you like, pretty slow?" Chiyo asked with a tilt of her head. "I've gotten better!" Michi yelled.

"On your marks..." the starter called. "Let's have fun Mi-chan!" Chiyo said with glee. "S-Sure..." Michi said. "Get set..." the starter continued.

"Go!"

On the command, the runners took off. Right in the beginning, nearly everyone was tight, but it didn't take long before a gap began to form. Two students, one male and one female, had gotten to the front and were leading the whole pack. Next was another boy, followed by Chiyo. After that was a boy and one more girl, and finally Michi, who had slipped into last within the first 25 meters.

"Damn it," she thought. "At this rate, there's no way Kana-chan and I will win!" Gritting her teeth even harder than she already was, Michi dug for more determination. "I have to make this happen. We put in too much effort to come in last! The least I can do is give Kana-chan a chance!" With that thought, Michi began to pick up her pace a little.

Meanwhile, Chiyo was working on catching the guy in front of her. "He's so fast," she thought. "And my boobs keep flopping around. It really is hard to run like this." While thinking that, Chiyo noticed something. It seemed to her as they were completing the first 100 meters that the boy ahead of her was beginning to slow down. "Now's my chance!"

Taking advantage of his decrease in speed, Chiyo got faster, until within a few strides she had come up side by side with him. When the boy realized what was happening, he tried to match her pace, but he was too tired to do so, resulting in him continuing his descent to the back of the pack. "Alright!" Chiyo cheered internally.

While Chiyo passed that person, Michi saw it happen from her position. Through her new-found drive, she had managed to pass someone as well, putting her in sixth. The next person ahead of her wasn't too far away, but the one Chiyo had just gone by was quickly coming Michi's way. By the time they were rounding the first turn and going into the second, Michi was breezing by the boy who had ran out of gas.

When the pack came out of Turn 2, the order was still the guy and girl closely racing for first, then Chiyo, then another boy, then Michi, with two more competitors behind her that had essentially become non-factors. "I need to be in the top three so we even have a shot at first," Michi thought. She tried pushing her legs to up her speed and they responded, though she could feel that it wouldn't be long before they would give out. "I have to keep going. I have to give Kanako the chance to actually race against Endo-san." With Chiyo as far ahead of her as she was, Michi was beginning to doubt if Kanako would be able to properly challenge Haruna in the race. "Come on legs, go!"

Giving it her all, Michi dashed down the back straight-away, managing to catch up to fourth and pass him. "I have to reach Wakabayashi-san." Continuing her push, Michi kept running, slowly but surely gaining ground on Chiyo. When the leaders hit the third turn, Michi was only a couple meters behind. "I'm not sure how I'm this fast, but I'm going to use it!" With that thought, Michi was able to bring herself next to Chiyo, who looked at her with a bit of surprise before smiling and giving a thumbs up.

By the time the two girls began to near the finish line, the two leaders had already tagged their partners. However, even at a distance, it was clear the partner of the girl leader was considerably slower. There were really two strategies to approaching the 800 meter tag team. The first and most common was to put the fastest runner second to make up for any lack of speed from the first. The other approach was to put the fastest person first and hope they built up enough of a lead for their partner. That appeared to be the strategy that team had gone with, but with the leaders on the first lap being close the whole way, it seemed that that team was now destined to lose.

*****

As her friend ran, Kanako watched with nervous anticipation, but also a certain amount of surprise. Not only was Michi holding her own speed, she was actually passing people. When Kanako saw that, she couldn't help but be happy for her. "She's been trying so hard," she thought, then out loud: "Go Mi-chan!!!" By this point, Michi was already racing down the back straight-away, but even from a distance, Kanako was sure her cheer had reached Michi's ears.

Naturally, as 400 meters wasn't a long way to run, it was very shortly after Kanako's encouragement that the group of runners were beginning to approach the finish line. Surprising Kanako even more, she saw that Michi and Chiyo were tied for third.

"If your partner is approaching, please get on the line!" the starter from earlier called. The partners of the boy and girl in the lead both followed that order, setting up for the tag. With a slap on both of their hands, the first runners completed their leg and sent the other half of their duos to finish what they had started. However, along with everyone else, Kanako noticed that the girl leader's partner seemed to be a lot slower. "Why didn't she run first?" Kanako wondered, but she quickly banished the thought from her mind. She had to focus. "I'm doing this so I can talk to Haruna!"

Lining up next to Kanako was the tall girl with her jet black hair, along with a rare sight: Haruna's hair had been put up in a ponytail, just like Kanako's. Of course, they weren't exactly the same. Haruna's hair was naturally much long than Kanako's, so her ponytail extended past her shoulders. Still, it gave Kanako an odd feeling to see the two of them matching.

Haruna had apparently noticed as well, but all she offered up as commentary was a simple scoff. The time for talking was done anyways, as both Michi and Chiyo were running as hard as they could to reach their partners. Seeing them, Kanako and Haruna shouted their final cheers.

"You can do it Mi-chan!"

"Hurry up Chiyo!"

The two girls both stuck out their hands behind them. Closer and closer the other two got, until finally there was the sound of simultaneous slapping. Chiyo and Michi had arrived at the same time, sending both their partners launching off the line together. Once the task had been done, Michi felt what little strength had remained in her legs seep out, causing her to start falling. However, before she could reach the ground, she felt an arm wrap around her waist to catch her. "You did good, Mi-chan," Chiyo said. "You did your best." For what she thought was probably the first time, Michi did nothing to resist Chiyo. Instead, she just allowed the gal to hold her up and rested on Chiyo's shoulder.

By the time Kanako and Haruna had taken off, first was well out of reach. Haruna hadn't really thought much about winning, but her counterpart was beginning to worry. "With so much distance between us, I'll have to tell Mi-chan everything. I'm still not ready for that..." As the two of them kept running, they passed second place after completing the first 100 meters.

Kanako and Haruna continued on, but to Haruna, it felt as though Kanako was trying to keep up with her. "What's her deal?" she wondered. "Is she seriously trying to beat me?" That thought alone gave Haruna a boost. "God, it really pisses me off that she thinks she actually has a chance." With each anger-fueled line, Haruna was able to start forming a gap between the two of them.

"She got faster?" Kanako noticed. "I have to keep up. I may not be able to win, but I can still achieve my own goal!" Thinking that practically propelled Kanako ahead, bringing her back level with Haruna. "I know I can do this. It's why Mi-chan and I practiced so hard. This is the only way... the only way I can find the courage to talk to Haruna!"

After completing the first curve, the two girls entered the backstretch, while the leader was just about to hit the third turn. However, that person might as well have not existed, because Haruna and Kanako had submerged themselves in their own bubble of competition. Kanako felt bound and determined to gain that last bit of confidence she needed, and Haruna couldn't stand the thought of losing to the girl she had hated for so long. Straight down the track they both went, trading positions back and forth and practically drawing everyone's attention away from first.

"Look at them go..." Michi muttered. "Yeah. This is good. Perfect in fact," Chiyo said cryptically. "What do you mean?" Michi asked. "I think this race will do them a lot of good," Chiyo said. Before Michi could inquire further, Chiyo let out a shout: "Woohoo! You girls are putting on a show!" The comment was enough to remind Michi that the person she'd been talking to was the same one she hardly had the patience to put up with. "Hurry, both of you, so I don't have to keep hanging around this bimbo," Michi thought.

"How is she keeping up with me? I knew she wasn't bad, but this is ridiculous!" Haruna screamed. While one girl started to panic, the other was feeling the fatigue. "My legs are so tired from practicing so hard," Kanako thought. "I feel like I could trip over my own feet."

And then, a miracle.

It was as if Kanako had thought the action into existence, as the leader, who was a mere 10 meters from the finish line, tripped and face-planted into the track.

"No way!" both Haruna and Kanako thought together.

Students and faculty on the medical team rushed over to the person who had fallen. They didn't seem to be in any serious pain, but it was apparently enough to warrant pulling him from the race. That left first place wide open for the taking, something both Kanako and Haruna realized. Like a switch had been flipped, the two of them began making a mad dash for the finish, breezing through the third and fourth turns and entering the final stretch.

"We're still so close! I need to pass her!" Haruna thought.

"Just a little farther! I'm almost there!" Kanako strained.

Harder and harder they ran, sprinting as fast as their tired legs would carry them. 40 meters, 30 meters, 20. The line was in sight. Only a little more and a victor would be crowned.

And then, a disaster.

A cruel twist of fate had decide to strike twice, as Kanako and Haruna got a little too close to each other. With how exhausted they were, they didn't realize what was about to happen until it was too late. A simple knocking together of shoes was enough to send both of them tumbling to the ground.

The crowd let out an "ooh!" sort of sound as the girls slammed down onto the track. However, unlike the previous victim, an announcement followed: "Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the 800 meter tag team race is, uh... um, did anyone happen to get a picture?" At the request, a girl called out that she had been standing at the line and took one with her phone. So after a brief check by the medical team, Kanako, Haruna, Michi, Chiyo, the girl with the phone, the announcer and a teacher all went over to a nearby tent with a computer set up so they could look at the photo.

"Okay, let's take it still by still," the teacher instructed. With each click, the screen showed Haruna and Kanako beginning their fall just as they were about to cross the finish line. "A little more..." the teacher said. "There!" the girl who owned the phone cried out. Zooming in gave the small crowd an accurate, albeit slightly blurry answer. Crossing the line was a fingertip...

...and it belonged to Kanako.

Once it had been determined who won, the announcer scrambled over to the mic and informed the masses. "The official winner of the 800 meter tag team race is the team of Michi Fukuhara and Kanako Nakatomi! Congratulations!" While the announcement was made, the two victors squealed with delight. "We did it Kana-chan! We actually won!" Michi said excitedly. "I know! I can't believe it!" Kanako celebrated.

Of course, there was at least one person that wasn't pleased. While Chiyo naturally took her loss in stride, Haruna simply scoffed before marching away. "Oh no..." Kanako started to worry. "Did I just make things worse? I should go say something quick." But, before she could, Kanako's parents arrived on the scene.

"What a race kiddo!" her dad praised her. "You're not hurt are you?" her mom asked. "N-No, I'm fine. Just a scratch on my knee," Kanako said. "I can't believe you did exactly what I did!" Kanako's mother laughed. "But at least you crossed the line as you fell. All I got was a face full of dirt!" "Well, it all worked out in the end didn't it honey?" Kanako's father said. "Huh?" What do you mean?" Kanako asked.

"Well you see, that was actually how we first met!" the two of them answered in unison. "What?!" Kanako shouted. "Yeah, then we started dating and then got married not too long after high school!" her dad said with glee. "It's like it was destiny!" her mom said. "Of course, it's not like that'll be the case for you Kanako dear, with it being you two girls that fell."

Kanako wasn't really sure why, but for some reason that comment bothered her. "So just because it was me and Haruna, we could never date or get married?" Kanako thought. "I mean, it's not like I like Haruna like that, but still..." It was then that Kanako was reminded of her deal with Akio. "How would my parents react if they heard Haruna and I were dating, even if it's fake?"

"Hm? Kanako, you look a little flush," her mom pointed out. "I do?" Kanako said absentmindedly. "Wait here, we'll get you some food and water," Kanako's mother said. Then her parents walked in the direction of the food stalls. Kanako found herself to be alone, as Michi had gone to find Mayu and Itsuki, and Chiyo had wandered off somewhere. Glancing around, it wasn't long before something, or rather someone, caught Kanako's eye.

Haruna had apparently went over to the school building and was just leaning up against the wall with a scowl on her face. "She looks pretty mad..." Kanako thought dejectedly. She felt like she definitely had the courage she needed now, but that didn't make the task of conversing with an angry Haruna any more appealing. "I have to do this," Kanako thought. Then, after a hard swallow, Kanako mustered up her newfound confidence and began to approach her former childhood best friend.

End of Chapter Fourteen.