Mid September. Two weeks closer to the sports festival. Horikita, Sudou and the others were putting effort into their daily training in preparation for the actual event. Sudou, who utterly fails at studies, was steadily, laboriously and repeatedly practicing when it came to sports. Having trained his spirit habitually as part of the basketball club, he proved to be tenacious. There were students among them who held back but Sudou, without being prideful about it, devoted himself to his ability and thoroughly did what he could do.

This is probably the bare minimum requirement demanded by the sports festival. Especially for contests like the cavalry battle and tug of war, it's a direct showdown with your opponents. The outcome can be greatly influenced with just a strategy or a formation alone. Of course, it's not like Hirata had forgotten about our cooperative relationship with Class A either.

He periodically holds meetings with Katsuragi, discussing how to best fight in the actual event. For Class D that's been in hot water many times until now, this is a situation that's far too good. Seeing that fact as part of the bigger picture, I could also see the remaining two issues similarly.

One is the existence known as Horikita Suzune, who will become an indispensable existence to this class in the future. Ever since the first day, Horikita has changed her partner many times over and challenged the three-legged race but each and every time she ends up quarreling with her partners and ending their partnership.

Eventually in the end, she decided to challenge the actual event with the girl who she had gotten the best time with but even that time is still a worrisome one.

But now she's no longer practicing and instead silently spent her time alone.

"Do you have a moment?".

"What's the matter?".

Perhaps it's the fault of the stress she accumulated from the three-legged race but she's slightly thornier than usual.

"I think it'll do you good if you remember to compromise a bit".

I've been keeping an eye on her recent practice but I couldn't see any signs of improvement at all. It was clearly obvious that Horikita's overwhelming personality was getting in her way.

".....I've been told that by many people".

Maybe a great many came to mind as she said that while holding her forehead.

"I'm simply not allowing any compromise for the sake of getting the best time. Is that not a good thing? A three-legged race is different from running normally. Even a person who's slow to a certain extent should be able to keep up theoretically".

"In other words, you mean to say you have no intention of yielding?".

"Yes. I have no intention of matching with slow people".

"But as a result, it has become that no one is willing to practice with you anymore, right?".

During practice for the three-legged race, Horikita was left out of the class circle.

She can hardly hope to improve her time if she approaches the actual event in this state.

"I don't understand. Even if I were to yield, it'll have to be after my partner puts in effort. I cannot match up with someone who's abandoned effort from the start".

Well, I do understand what Horikita wants to say. Indeed the girls she partnered up with all suggested dissolving their partnership as soon as their times didn't end up matching.

However, that is only because there is a fundamental reason behind it.

"Step up a bit".

".....what do you mean?".

"Please partner up with me once for a three-legged race".

"Why with you?".

"There's also the mixed gender three-legged race. Isn't it fine to check our compatibility as partners?".

"Do you intend on matching me with your speed? It's a hindrance".

"According to your theory, one's slowness has nothing to do with it, right?".

"....very well. I'll tie it".

As though saying 'don't touch me', Horikita crouches down and ties the string between her own leg and mine.

Since our surroundings were engrossed in practice mood, even if we run a three-legged race we won't attract attention. Sudou, who seems like he'd be the one to get angry, also happens to be busy in the middle of a simulated match with another group too.

"Well then, let's go---".

For the first one or two steps, I sensed and matched Horikita as I stepped forth. However, as we picked up speed, rather than go at Horikita's pace, I started going at my own pace.

"H-Hey?".

In response to the panicking Horikita, I mercilessly sped up my pace. Horikita earnestly tries to come to grips with it but as her base stamina and physical strength is far below that of a boy's, she could not keep the initiative.

"According to you, keeping pace with your partner isn't all too difficult right?".

"That's.....I know that.....!".

She's stubborn after all. Horikita, without yielding, desperately tried to keep up. If so, I'll shift up a gear. I understand now after I've tried it, but as far as the three-legged race is concerned, just being fast alone won't cut it. The important thing is the tempo that both runners feel is best and from there the search for the best pace begins.

If you only demand speed here then inevitably it'll end up as a backassward run.

"!?".

Eventually, no longer able to keep up with my pace, Horikita almost collapses.

I grabbed her shoulders and stopped her fall, then I came to a stop too. Horikita took a slightly sharp breath.

"Before you consider things like fast or slow, it ended up like this because you're not looking at your partner".

I crouched down and without saying anything, I untied the string around Horikita's leg.

"The important thing is to look at your partner, to let them take the lead, is it not?".

It's precisely because she's athletic that she must discern her partner's ability and control herself.

"All that's left now is for you to think about it yourself".

"I---".

I don't know whether Horikita will realize this and mature but I've shown her one possibility. The rest is up to her. And the other issue is the existence of Kushida Kikyo.

Perhaps I should call her a power lurking out of sight, as she's hidden behind the existence of Hirata and Karuizawa yet as far as closeness with a lot of classmates go, she far surpasses even those two. Even now, surrounded by boys and girls, she's happily working on practicing.

In addition to that phenomenal communication skill of hers, she also possesses high academic and athletic abilities as well as a blessed figure. Truly, she can be said to be a faultless student.

In a sense, she's a student whose assignment to Class D in the first place is a mystery. However, I know a little of the darkness of sorts she possesses. That is to say, not too long after enrollment, I saw her ranting on an isolated rooftop and her face when she threatened me. And I don't know of the reason but it is a fact that Kushida hates Horikita considerably.

But it's clear that Horikita and Kushida are both issues vital in the improvement of Class D. And also, in order to resolve these issues, there's probably no other way for them to confront one another.