"At least… I can't fall behind…"
Clutching onto that stubborn belief, Eriri pushed herself through one and a half laps of the track.
But just before the final straightaway, Kita Ikuyo—the very girl she'd been keeping pace with—suddenly broke into a sprint.
She'd been saving her energy for this moment.
Eriri had not.
Her steps faltered.
She didn't have the strength to accelerate.
In fact, her speed began to drop rapidly.
"Hang in there, Sawamura-san! You can do it!"
Kita, who had already finished, turned and shouted encouragement.
But Eriri's form was wobbling—like a toy running out of batteries.
Still, somehow, she made it across the finish line.
Two unsteady steps later, she came to a halt, gasping for breath.
Her lungs burned. Every breath felt like her chest was being pulled apart.
But—it was over.
Or so she thought.
Suddenly, pain surged up her legs—sharp, unbearable.
"Ah—!"
A shriek burst from her lips as her knees buckled and she collapsed forward.
"Sawamura-san!"
Kita Ikuyo gasped, but she was too far to reach her in time.
Eriri braced for the crash, eyes squeezed shut, panic flooding her mind.
But instead of hitting the ground—
A steady hand caught her around the waist, holding her up and stopping her fall.
Eriri slowly opened her eyes.
Standing beside her was someone she hadn't even realized was there.
It was just like that time in Osaka.
Actually—just like all the other times before.
The helplessness in her heart sparked instantly.
Large tears welled up and rolled down her cheeks.
Her turquoise eyes shimmered, full of vulnerability and confusion.
"Sawamura-san, are you okay? Thank you, Yukima-kun!"
Kita Ikuyo ran up, clearly worried.
Eriri tried to answer, but her voice caught in her throat as the pain flared again. All she managed was a small, choked gasp.
Seeing her condition, Yukima Azuma gently scooped her into his arms.
Kita gasped aloud.
"H-huh? W-what are you—! Let me down! Put me down!" Eriri protested in a panicked voice, her face flushed red.
Yukima ignored her flailing and biting protests.
Literally.
Because the next second—
"Ah—!"
Yukima winced as Eriri bit his shoulder. Hard.
Despite the pain, he kept walking, carrying her to a quieter corner of the athletic field, away from the crowd.
Eriri's head was spinning—sweat, tears, and the lingering ache in her legs made it hard to think straight.
Her face was red and splotchy, her normally neat appearance a mess.
What's he doing? Is this it? Has he finally snapped? Is he going to… right here, in broad daylight—?!
No! No way! Not in a place like this! Our first time can't happen here!!
The more she panicked, the harder she bit down on Yukima's shoulder—until she tasted something metallic.
Blood.
At last, Yukima gently laid her down on the grass.
Kita rushed over to join him.
"U-um, Yukima-san…?"
"Her leg's cramping. Help me hold her still—don't let her move," he said calmly, almost like a sports trainer.
"Right!" Kita nodded and quickly knelt down, holding Eriri from behind.
Yukima lifted Eriri's left leg.
Her calf was tight and twitching slightly.
He quickly untied her shoelaces and slid off her white gym sneaker.
"D-don't… don't you dare—!" Eriri squirmed wildly, her whole body trembling like a fish out of water.
Her sock was damp from sweat and clung to her skin. She could feel the warm breeze against her bare ankle and wanted nothing more than to disappear into the dirt.
Yukima, unfazed, gently grasped her foot.
"W-wait—!"
Before she could protest again, he stretched her leg straight and pushed her toes upward in one smooth motion.
"Ah—~!"
A soft, breathy moan escaped her lips—one she hadn't intended.
It echoed faintly in the quiet corner of the field.
The sound was… delicate, vulnerable, and oddly alluring.
Kita's eyes widened.
Eriri's brain short-circuited.
The embarrassment hit her like a freight train.
All strength left her limbs. She collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, lying motionless on the ground.
Go on, monster—what else are you planning to do to me…?
But the "monster" just kept holding her foot firmly—until finally, the pain faded away.
The cramp was gone.
Only a lingering ache remained.
Yukima slowly let go of her toes.
Even after exercising, Eriri's body didn't sweat that much.
Her white socks weren't soaked—just slightly damp.
Through the thin fabric, her long toes and the delicate veins across her foot were faintly visible.
They looked soft, fragile… almost like something hand-sculpted from porcelain.
Uhm…
A strange feeling is definitely about to awaken.
Eriri's leg was still raised slightly.
So Yukima, for no good reason, reached out—
—and gave the sole of her foot a quick scratch.
"Puhaha—! What are you doing?!" Eriri shrieked, sitting bolt upright.
Yukima smirked.
"You're the one holding your leg up. What, you want me to massage it next?"
He was about to point at her leg when he froze.
His shoulder stung again.
Looking down, he saw a dark red stain spreading across the fabric.
Blood.
Eriri had bitten through the skin.
"…Are you part dog or something?" he muttered.
Eriri froze.
Only now did she fully grasp what had happened.
Yukima had helped her with her leg cramp. That whole foot-grabbing thing—
She'd seen it before. In sports anime.
It was a legitimate treatment method.
Her face went even redder.
Shame, confusion, guilt, and the lingering ghost of pain all tangled together in her chest.
"…Oops."