Stealing Spree

(Note: Since it might not reflect the edit/correction I made in the previous chapter, I'll put this here. Satsuki is the one running in the last paragraph, not Maaya)

As Satsuki sprinted forward, Sakuma, who was also starting on the other side, took off right at the same time. Being a member of the Soccer Club he was naturally quick on his feet even if he still hadn't made it into a regular.

He dashed forward, almost matching Satsuki's speed.

But that's it. It's only almost. There wasn't really a competition between them.

With Satsuki's large strides, she immediately left behind, creating a considerable gap that's more than ten of Sakuma's steps.

Upon receiving the riddle, Aya took only a few seconds before getting the correct answer which Ryouko-san validated.

I really picked easy riddles earlier. No one had gotten stumped by any of it yet.

Soon, Satsuki was dashing again, leaving behind Sakuma who had just passed his card to his helper.

I could see the disappointment in his eyes as he looked at Satsuki's back. He was unconsciously competing with him, I guess? But Satsuki didn't even bother checking on her opponent.

For her, this was just a fun game. We could try breaking their record but it didn't matter anymore as long as they're having fun.

When our eyes met, I sent her a thumbs up and as always, she rolled her eyes and her resting grumpy face made it feel like she was not amused at it.

Secretly though, her lips curved up into a small smile as pride swelled up her chest.

Next, Maaya who was now competing alongside us got her renewed enthusiasm.

She lost earlier but it's not because she's slow, Satsuki was just an anomaly. She's the one who put a considerable lead that Nami and Chii widened.

They had Takenaka who had the ability to catch up if given more time but that's it. It's the quality of the players that got the best of them.

Now, she's just doing this for fun, and perhaps to show off more and release her frustrations.

As she dashed forward, Misaki also started moving, removing some of the obstacles in front of her.

The forehead girl's graceful movements weren't fit for that activity though as she was a little slow.

Due to that, Maaya had to navigate carefully. Hino closed the gap a bit thanks to Misumi's quickness.

But Nami was ready again. The color sequence memorization wasn't really going to hinder her. And Hina just had to wait for her before Station 3.

On the other hand, Yamada, who was quicker on his foot, blundered at the sequence which allowed our team's lead to be maintained.

Wakaba frustratingly helped the guy answer with her free chances to help but even still, it took him three tries to get it right.

Kushii and An-rin who were waiting at Station 3 could only facepalm at that. Chii and Hana though were more than welcoming of that development.

They immediately prepared for their turn as Nami passed the baton.

At this point, Mio who was waiting next to me giggled, "Ruki, do you think we can beat our own record?"

"There's a chance. Just tell me to run straight ahead. I'll bulldoze those obstacles." I answered.

Mio laughed, shaking her head at my reckless words. "You're always too eager to brute force things, Ruki. You'll get scolded again."

"I mean, it works like a charm sometimes, no?" I said with a shrug. "Besides, since you're all eager to break your records... I'm more than willing to put my weight to it."

It's also not just them who were looking forward to my performance after all. On the side, Ryouko-san and Orimura-sensei were also paying attention. Maybe if I performed poorly, they'd tease me for being too complacent.

There were also other girls like that one from earlier who asked me if I was going to join the activity.

I was already this popular dude because of my new look and demeanor. Even with the 'playboy' or 'womanizer' tag hanging above my head as they kept seeing me surrounded by my girls, I still had a lot of admirers among the other students, especially those who interacted with me during the camp.

I wasn't that interested in them though. And while the attention could boost my ego, what do I need ego for?

I'd rather focus on my girls and how to treat them better while navigating this part of our life with them.

Mio flashed me a knowing smile. "How about we win first, then we'll think about the record?"

Alright. Fair enough.

While the competitive spirit was high among the others, Mio's calm attitude helped keep everything in perspective. We weren't here to crush the opposition. We were also here to enjoy this activity together. But breaking the record? That would be a nice bonus.

As Chii and Hana dashed ahead with the ball balanced on top of their joined arms, I watched closely, noting the way they synced up almost effortlessly. It was a great improvement from earlier as Hana's confident gait returned.

She even managed to keep up her angelic smile, causing her admirers to swoon over her.

Chii was also great as she matched Hana perfectly. In this activity, their friendship that Hana kept denying before had already more or less returned - and it was even stronger.

It was already apparent last night but this time, I could see them smiling at each other as they continued to traverse the distance to us.

By the time they reached the next station, the gap between our team and the others had widened even more. The two gyarus, Kushii and An-rin, tried to catch up with Chii and Hana. Alas, unless they floated effortlessly, it was already too late for them.

Tadano who was looking at them was gloomy and Shimura couldn't help but look in our direction, similarly anxious.

That girl... Should I comfort her later?

As I was lost in that thought, Mio turned toward me, her expression shifting slightly, a glint of focus in her eyes. "Looks like it's almost our turn, Ruki."

I nodded as I put on a guilty smile. Why does my head keep wandering about?

In any case, the energy in the gymnasium seemed to shift as the final stretch approached. I wasn't nervous, just... ready.

There were other teams who were going to run after this but the excitement was quite intense for us.

It couldn't be because I joined the activity, right?

Alright. Let's stop daydreaming.

Soon, I welcomed Chii and Hana who had just passed their goal and let go of the ball.

Chii handed me the baton and gave me a high five. Hana then copied the fake gyaru as she adorably stepped forward, raising her palm for me.

Mio and the others who saw that couldn't help but giggle and I also got the urge to pick the girl up and pamper her.

Maybe I'll also do that later.

With the baton in my hand, Mio and I exchanged a quick glance. "You ready to guide me through this?" I asked, flashing her a teasing grin.

"Just keep up," she quipped, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Following that,

she stood behind me, putting the blindfold on me.

After a few seconds of checking that it wouldn't come off, Mio patted my back as she started guiding me.

Obviously, I couldn't see what was in front of me, but Mio's melodious voice kept me on my toes.

I could hear the obstacles being placed one by one. And sometimes, even without Mio's prompt, I managed to sidestep, avoiding an obstacle.

This state of having one of my senses disabled also somehow distorted my sense of time.

I have no idea if I'm moving fast or slow but considering the cheers that never stopped, we might really be on the verge of breaking the record.

Soon, the obstacles ahead seemed like nothing more than hurdles I had to jump through or dodge.

I focused on Mio's instructions: stop, step to the left, speed up, slow down. Each word guided me effortlessly through this labyrinth of darkness.

It felt like we were moving as one, perfectly aligned. "We're near there, Ruki." Mio whispered, her excitement couldn't be contained in her voice.

Just like she said, I could hear the cheers growing louder, both from our team and from the other students in the gymnasium.

The excitement was contagious, and with each step, I felt the adrenaline pumping harder. Mio closed in again, her warm breath tickling my ears, "Almost there!"

"Alright. Let's go and win this." I replied, pushing myself even harder for the last few steps to the goal.

The thought of Tadano catching up to us didn't even register in my head anymore.

I just know that they're far behind. Not even Takenaka and her haste would be able to save them if she's the one participating.

And then, just like that, we crossed the finish line.

A roar of applause erupted from our team, and the weight of the baton in my hand suddenly felt lighter. We'd done it.

As the blindfold slid off of my head, I found Mio and the other girls in front of me. Mio's breath was slightly uneven but her smile was wide and beautiful, "See? Told you we'd win,

Ruki. You're amazing."

I grinned, giving her a light tap on the shoulder. "I never doubted you for a second."

"Doubted? You were going off on your own half of the time."

"Did I? Sorry. I couldn't help it."

"Pfft. You said you'd bulldoze ahead but you never even topple one of those obstacles."

"... I guess I was lucky." I shrugged but Mio wouldn't take it as she immediately rolled her eyes before nudging me from the side.

"Who are you fooling? Hmph!"

As the rest of our team rushed over, laughter and excitement filled the air, and a sense of satisfaction settled in.

Sure, this was just a fun creative activity. But doing this together made all of this worth it.

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