"Akariii!" Haruna suddenly appeared, waving her hand. "I saw you guys practicing just now! Oh my gosh, I can't handle it! It was like a scene from a secret romance drama!"

I sighed. "...Haruna, don't exaggerate."

"But seriously, you guys look so good together. When you handed off the baton, I'm sure the whole school would've gone crazy if someone recorded it."

I closed my water bottle with a snap, not wanting to hear any more. However, another, calmer voice joined the conversation. "A romance drama, huh? I think it's more like two people pretending they're not interested in each other, when there's clearly a tension between them."

I turned. Mizuki Hayase stood with her arms crossed, her gaze piercing. Sakura, who had just arrived carrying a towel, smiled faintly. "Don't be jealous, Mizuki. If you want, I can invite you to practice too."

Mizuki snorted. "No need. I just want to remind you, don't mess with Sumire. She's not the type of person you can treat however you like."

Sakura glanced at me for a moment, then chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm not messing with her." Her eyes gleamed meaningfully. "Quite the opposite—I'm very serious." I froze in place. Those words felt heavier than a joke.

In the afternoon, practice continued. The teacher had us do a full simulation. I stood on the starting line again, trying to regulate my breathing. "Ready?" Sakura stood in front of me, ready to receive the baton.

I nodded slowly. The whistle blew. I ran. The wind hit my face, the sound of my footsteps echoing in my ears. When the baton was transferred, our fingers touched again. This time it was longer, almost as if on purpose.

"Nice one, Akari!" Sakura called out as she sped forward.

I stopped at the end of the track, my knees feeling weak. Why did it feel like this every time she was around?

The afternoon sun began to set, painting the sky with a pale orange. I sat on a bench by the field, retying my messy hair. Sakura came and sat down next to me without being asked. "You're a fast learner. Our rhythm is almost perfect, Akari."

I glanced at her for a moment. "...Don't sit next to me so often. People will get the wrong idea."

"I don't care." She took a gulp of water from her bottle. "If they misunderstand, that's their problem. What's important is... I know I'm not wrong." I looked at her. "...What do you mean?"

Sakura put the bottle down, then turned to me with a gaze that was too serious for a girl who was always smiling. "I mean, I genuinely want to get to know you, Akari. More than just a school rival. More than just a relay partner."

My heart pounded hard. I quickly stood up, avoiding her gaze. "...Don't say such careless things."

She just gave a small smile. "It's not careless. But if you're not ready to hear it yet, I'll wait."

I didn't answer. My steps left the field, but my heart remained there—heavy, noisy, and full of questions. One thing was for sure—my relationship with Sakura Airi was no longer just school gossip. And I was starting to be afraid of where all this would end.

The next day, the school atmosphere felt noisier than usual. Even before the bell rang, the gossip about Sakura and me had spread throughout the corridors.

"I saw them practicing yesterday, seriously, they looked like a couple from a manga!" "They say, Sakura even said she was serious to Sumire-san. Is that really true?" "If so, then that rivalry gossip has turned into... romance?"

I walked quickly through the crowd, pretending not to hear. But deep down, I knew that the more I tried to block them out, the clearer their voices pierced my thoughts. As soon as I entered the classroom, my eyes immediately caught sight of the silver-haired figure. Sakura was sitting comfortably in her chair—the chair that used to be empty next to me. She turned and greeted me with her signature smile.

"Good morning, Akari."

I just nodded, putting my bag on my desk. "...Morning."

"Your face looks fresher today. Don't tell me you're excited because we're practicing again?"

I glared at her. "...Don't say weird things. It's just a school requirement."

"But you still show up, don't you?" She chuckled softly. "If I'm the reason you show up, I'd be even happier."

I didn't respond, just bent down to write my notes. However, deep inside I felt something that couldn't be easily explained.

That afternoon, practice was held again on the field. The sky was clear, a gentle breeze was blowing, and the teacher's whistle was a signal for the practice session to begin.

"Sumire Akari and Sakura Airi, please take your positions."

I stood on the first lane, my fingers gripping the baton tightly. Sakura stood a little in front, ready to receive it. She turned for a moment, her smile calm. "Trust me, Akari."

I swallowed, then gave a short nod. The whistle blew. I lunged forward, my steps firmly hitting the ground. The cheers of my friends sounded faintly in my ears. When the distance to Sakura grew closer, I raised the baton.

"Now!" Sakura turned, her hand outstretched.

I handed off the baton, our fingers touching quickly—and this time, the transfer went so smoothly as if we had been practicing for months. Sakura ran fast, her silver hair fluttering, leaving a faint shadow in my eyes.

The class's cheers erupted. "WAAAH! That was beautiful!" "Their timing is perfect!" "Seriously, they're going to be the gold pair at the festival!"

I stopped at the end of the track, my breath heaving but my chest actually felt lighter. For the first time, I didn't care so much about what others were saying. There was only a sense of relief—and strangely, a little pride. Practice went on. Each round, our rhythm became more synchronized. Sakura turned to me several times, her smile getting wider.

"Great job, Akari. See? We're getting more in sync."

I just looked away, pretending to be busy with my water bottle. "...That was just a coincidence."

"If a coincidence can happen multiple times, maybe it's actually destiny."

I choked on my drink, quickly looking down so she wouldn't see my face getting hot. Sakura laughed softly, clearly enjoying my reaction. I sat on the bench by the field, holding a small towel to wipe off the sweat.

"Akari!" Haruna ran over, carrying a box of juice. "I bought this for you. Your practice was so cool, I swear!" I accepted the juice with a faint smile. "...Thank you, Haruna."

"Huh?!" Haruna's jaw dropped. "You smiled?! You actually smiled?!"

I instinctively straightened up. "...What about it?"

"Usually you're so cold, but now you look... different. That smile of yours was so genuine, Akari. Not cold, not formal, but... warm."

I froze. Warm? Me? I didn't get a chance to respond because Sakura suddenly appeared next to me, placing her water bottle on the bench.

"See, even Haruna noticed. Akari's smile is so rare. I feel lucky to have seen it today." I turned away quickly, my face burning. "...Don't be a know-it-all!"

Sakura just laughed, her expression as happy as a child who had just found a treasure. Practice resumed, this time a full simulation with other teams. I ran, handed the baton to Sakura, and for the first time, I didn't feel a weight in my chest. On the contrary—there was a sense of trust. Cheers erupted again when we finished with the fastest time.

"WOO! They're total champions!" "It's settled, our class is going to win the sports festival!"

The physical education teacher even smiled with satisfaction. "Your teamwork is amazing. Keep it up until the day of the festival."

I stood, breathless, looking at Sakura who was also taking a deep breath. She turned, then raised her hand for a high-five.

"...What?" I asked, confused.

"A high-five. It's a sign of good teamwork."

I stared at her hand for a moment, hesitant. But, with some kind of impulse, I raised my hand and tapped hers lightly. Sakura's smile widened, her eyes sparkling. "See? You can do it after all." I quickly looked away, but the corner of my mouth was lifted without me realizing it.

In the afternoon, after practice was over, we walked home together through the quiet school corridor. "I'm so happy today," Sakura said suddenly. I glanced at her. "...Why?"

"Because you finally smiled. Not a cold smile, but a genuine one." I was silent. So she really did notice.

Sakura walked a little closer, the distance just a hair's breadth from my shoulder. "Akari, I want to see that smile again. Not just once."

My heart beat fast. I looked straight ahead, covering my face with my hair. "...Don't get your hopes up." She just gave a small laugh, her voice light but piercing deep. "Then I'll just have to try even harder."

I didn't reply, just kept walking. But deep down, I knew—that day, for the first time, I truly smiled because of Sakura Airi. And it scared me... and made me curious at the same time.