Another Like Me - Part I (CoTE x OC) ✔

Chapter 38 - Exposed, Part 1

(The Sports Festival; Sakayanagi, Arisu POV):

Takeyama-kun dashed ahead at full speed, completely obliterating all opposition. The current Student Council Vice President, Nagumo Miyabi, with whom he was having a spirited conversation, was left behind in the dust, unable to match up to his thunderous pace.

The entire student body gawked at the spectacle. He had put on nearly 25m of distance between himself the 2nd placed runner, and there was still around a 100m left until the baton would be passed on to the second runner.

"Wait, he was holding back this entire time?" Masumi-san whispered, but I caught onto her words. "And I thought he was already fast enough."

"Fufu, looks like he really has been holding back," I said, and Masumi turned to look at me quizzically.

"It's not like you to be interested," she dismissed.

"Of course I am interested in Class D's Leader," I said. "He exudes such a calm and composed aura, and he has pulled off quite a few public stunts."

"Public stunts, eh? He's only berated Katsuragi before, hasn't he?" Masumi-san asked me. "That's the only thing I remember him for."

"Oh no, he's done so much more," I said. "But I wonder if he's working along with him in the shadows.....?"

"Him? Who're you talking about?"

"No one in particular. Someone who I have longed to meet for so many years now," I smiled. "It seems they are both not aware of each other's backgrounds."

Masumi-san looked at me with a strange expression. "You're weirding me out. You're not making any sense."

"Fufu. Unfortunately, that's what it would sound like to someone who doesn't know the truth."

Masumi-san stared at me for a few seconds, before ignoring me and looked back at the relay. Class 1-D had gained a tremendous lead, thanks to Takeyama's blitzkrieg start, and they were currently leading the race in first place.

My class wasn't doing all that bad either. Nishikawa-san was a good athlete, and she was currently running in 4th place. 2nd place was taken by Class 2-A, who were slowly closing the imposing gap that Takeyama had created in the first lap.

 The baton of Class 1-D was now in Kushida-san's hands, and she burst ahead at her maximum speed. However, due to the physiology of the female body, they were on an average slower than their male counterparts. Slowly, Class 1-D lost the lead to Class 3-A and Class 2-A, and were trailing in 3rd place.

It's almost his turn to run.....

The Class 3-A baton was passed onto the current SCP, and he dashed forward at an incredible speed. The Class 1-D baton, which had fallen to 3rd place, after being overtaken by Class 2-A, was finally passed to the man I most wanted to see run in the relay.

And he did not disappoint me.

Ayanokoji-kun ran ahead at full throttle, rivalling the speed that Takeyama-kun showed at the beginning. His battle with the SCP was entertaining, to say the least.

The anchor of Class 2-A, who had been running in 1st place, was completely dumbfounded at the speed that the 2 racers were approaching him at, and he stumbled before Ayanokoji-kun. He skillfully dodged the fallen man. However, this delay of a second was enough to hand the SCP his much needed respite, and Class 3-A finished in 1st place, followed by Class 1-D. Class 2-A took 3rd place.

"You're kidding me," Masumi-san murmured from beside me. "Class D just has a bunch of people who hold back....."

I smiled at her confusion.