130 - Just a Tracksuit? Think Again!

RAW

Monday morning.

By the fourth period, the sluggishness of the weekend’s end had started to fade.

In the changing room, Haruto and Tomoya stood side by side, switching out of their uniforms and into gym clothes.

“P.E. before lunch is such a pain,” Tomoya said lazily as he changed into his gym pants.

“You think so?”

“Yeah, I mean, it’s hard to perform well when you’re starving.”

“What are you, some spinach-powered sailor?”

Tomoya shook his head dramatically at Haruto’s remark.

“You don’t get it, man. Food is critical for high performance!”

“Is that something someone who eats sweet bread for lunch should be saying?”

“Not my fault, is it? I always eat my packed lunch in the morning!”

“Seriously, how do you eat so much and not gain weight?”

“Band practice burns a surprising amount of calories.”

“Hmm.”

The two finished changing as they casually chatted and headed to the schoolyard.

Looking at the students gathered on the field, Tomoya sighed and muttered:

“P.E. during this season is such a drag.”

“Well, it’s all just prep for the sports festival.”

At their high school, the sports festival took place right after the summer break’s academic assessments. That meant all gym classes this time of year were dedicated to preparing for the event.

The sports festival mainly consisted of track and field events. There were sprints, relays, high jump, and shot put, all pitting classes against each other in a competitive format.

While the festival itself was lively and exciting every year, the prep sessions—which were focused almost entirely on track and field—didn’t thrill Tomoya.

“Our sports festival should include stuff like soccer, tennis, or basketball too,” he suggested.

“I don’t mind track and field practice. Team sports would probably be harder to organize. Why not submit a request to the student council if you’re so keen?”

“Nah, too much hassle.”

“Then what’s the point of complaining?” Haruto chuckled, shaking his head.

At that moment, another male student, overhearing their conversation, joined in.

“Hey, Akagi. You’re missing the big picture.”

“Huh? What big picture?” Tomoya asked, puzzled.

Grinning, the boy gestured dramatically toward a group of girls just emerging onto the field.

“Normally, P.E. classes are split by gender. But during sports festival prep, everyone’s out here together. In other words…”

The boy paused for effect, pointing directly at the group of girls.

“You can properly admire the girls in their gym clothes!”

“What?!” Tomoya froze as if struck by lightning.

“Dude, you’re a genius!”

“No, he’s just a perv.”

While Tomoya expressed his admiration, Haruto looked at his friend with a mix of disbelief and exasperation.

Completely ignoring Haruto, the boy declared, “Time is of the essence! I need to secure the best spot for watching the girls!”

“Good luck, soldier!” Tomoya saluted the retreating figure.

Haruto sighed. “Seriously? It’s just tracksuits. What’s the big deal?”

“Just tracksuits?! Haruto, you don’t get it!” Tomoya grabbed his friend’s shoulders dramatically.

“Look closer! In this heat, the girls take off their jackets and just wear their T-shirts. And a lot of them switch to shorter gym shorts! You get to see their legs!”

“Legs? You’re such a creep.”

“Every high school boy is a creep! And if you’re not, then you’re the real weirdo. Which means everyone’s a creep!”

“That’s some twisted teenage boy logic…” Haruto muttered, half-impressed by the absurd declaration.

Lowering his voice conspiratorially, Tomoya teased, “Then again, you live with Tojo-san now. I guess seeing her in T-shirts and shorts is old news to you, huh?”

“It’s not like that…” Haruto mumbled, looking away.

Sure, Haruto had seen Ayaka in all sorts of casual outfits since moving in with her after summer break. But even now, the sight of her fresh out of the bath could leave his heart racing.

Still, stealing glances at girls during gym class felt disrespectful.

When Haruto voiced this, Tomoya immediately shot back, “You’re way too serious!”

“What did you even come to high school for if not to look at girls?”

“For an education, obviously!”

As Haruto sighed at yet another ridiculous exchange, Tomoya perked up.

“Hey, look! Tojo-san’s here!”

Haruto’s gaze instinctively followed Tomoya’s, landing on Ayaka. She was walking across the field with Saki, dressed in her gym shorts and T-shirt.

The moment he saw her, his heart skipped a beat.

No matter how hard he tried, his eyes were drawn to her like a magnet. Even his best effort to avoid looking failed as his gaze lingered on her legs.

“Tomoya, I was wrong. You were right.”

“Right about what?”

“Sports festival practice… might actually be amazing.”

“Might? No, it is amazing.”

Laughing at their own silliness, Haruto and Tomoya made their way to the field.

---

The gym class began with boys practicing field events while the girls worked on track events.

As Haruto waited his turn for the high jump, Tomoya nudged him and gestured toward the girls running on the track.

“Hey, Haru.”

“What?”

“See Tojo-san running over there?”

“I see her.”

“Isn’t it… dangerous?”

“Don’t look, then.”

“Yeah, that’s impossible.”

“Then prepare to be blinded.”

Haruto made a mock move to poke Tomoya’s eyes, causing him to yelp and back away.

Meanwhile, Ayaka was drawing countless stares from the boys as she ran. Known as the school’s idol, her graceful strides and well-proportioned figure made her stand out even among her peers.

“Can you blame them? It’s practically a natural reaction,” Tomoya reasoned.

“Shut up and stop staring!” Haruto snapped, forcibly turning Tomoya’s head away.

“Gah, my neck!”

Haruto sighed in exasperation but knew he couldn’t exactly blame his friend. Asking Ayaka to wear her jacket was out of the question in this heat, and their relationship was still a secret.

Still, seeing her slightly pained expression as she ran tugged at his heart.

Tomoya, noticing this, muttered, “Alright, alright. I’ll stop staring at Tojo-san.”

As if to distract himself, Tomoya started plucking weeds and tearing them into tiny pieces.

“Hey, Haru,” Tomoya said after a moment.

“What now?”

“...Aizawa-san runs beautifully, doesn’t she?”

Haruto glanced at his friend, then at Saki, who was ahead of Ayaka on the track.

“Yeah, her form’s perfect. She might’ve been on a track team before.”

When Haruto mentioned her long commute preventing her from joining any clubs, Tomoya sighed softly, almost wistfully.

Saki’s light, effortless strides made her stand out among the other girls. Tomoya watched her, a faint blush creeping onto his face.

“Hmm,” Haruto hummed meaningfully, earning a glare from Tomoya.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.”

But before Haruto could tease his friend further, a small scream pierced the air, followed by a commotion.

Looking toward the source of the sound, Haruto saw Ayaka collapsed on the ground.

“Ayaka!”

Without thinking, he took off running toward her.

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it was sure that something was going to happen in chapter 128 he was so happy I said to myself something is going to happen

I guess now Tomoya is really into Saki