The Ultimate Stride | Prince of Stride Fanfiction |

22 | "Exchange Students"

    | {Riku's P.O.V} |

    "I'm so sleepy..." I yawned incoherently to my comrades as we continued on with our journey to the club room for the start of our new summer routine.

Pretty much all of the usual club members were there except for Kyouko.

Nobody had seen her since the time we left the train station the night before, and it was weird not having her in the mixture of our group.

Ayumu was filling her spot for the time being, though.

    He had returned from his trip to Europe the previous night, so it was his first day back with us.

    I would be excited, but I'm in desperate need of a nap.

    "You're not the only one who's tired, Ri-Ri," Heath moped with droopy eyes. I looked over at him curiously.

    He must've been tired, because I had never heard him call me something as loose as 'Ri-Ri' before. I couldn't say I hated it though. It had a nice ring to it despite it's total randomness.

    Ayumu laughed heartily at our negativity. He was the happiest of the bunch that morning.

    "Why are you guys so glum? Aren't you excited for our much anticipated Summer training?" he spun in circles throughout the vacant hallways of the school. Kuga smirked all-knowingly at this.

    "You're happy right now, Kadowaki. But once you start running you'll be in same boat as these two," he pointed to Heath and I. Ayumu froze in his frolicking to give the silverette an exasperated look.

    "That's not true! Now that you're here I won't have to participate in the races anymore. Doesn't that mean I don't have to train?"

    Takeru shook his head. "No, you still have to train. You never know when we'll need an alternate runner, so you're still a very important asset to the team."

    Ayumu tried to argue with him, but Takeru's never-ending rebuttals left the spectacled boy in shambles. He kicked at the ground in frustration.

    "I don't want to be here then~"

    "Neither do we," Heath and I chipped in simultaneously. I didn't have enough spirit I to yell 'jinx'.

    I sighed thinking about what those next few months would be like.

    In order to prepare for the End of Summer time-trials that would determine our placing placings for the finals, Dan-sensei had arranged for us to have summer practices every morning/afternoon over our break.

    That's the reason why we're wandering around an empty school building at the ass crack of dawn.

    I wasn't used to it all. I loved the thrill of training and all that stuff, but in no way was I a morning person.

    I'd much preferably be laying in bed with my face planted into a pillow than running some outrageous amount of miles with people that were equally as fast as myself.

    And Kyouko isn't even here.

    That was a huge contributing factor to my lack in energy. The only reason why I got out of bed was so I could see Kyouko, and the girl was nowhere in sight.