Chapter 247: The Lingering Shadow

Looking expressionlessly at the girl's iron-green face, as if she had suffered a great injustice, Miyahito felt no guilt. He just stared at her coldly.

"You....." The girl hesitated, leaving behind a muttered, "You'll understand once you know what he's done," before walking away, looking utterly wronged.

Once she was out of sight, Miyahito suddenly sighed.

"Sigh....."

"Miyahito?" Hearing the inexplicable sigh, Utaha reached out and held his arm, asking, "Do you know that girl?"

"Hmm? I don't."

Turning to look at Utaha, Miyahito shook his head honestly.

"But I can probably guess who she is."

"Oh~~"

As Miyahito turned around, Utaha looked up curiously at the thoughtful expression on his face.

However, before she could ask, Miyahito continued.

"If I'm not mistaken, that girl is probably one of the reasons Yu ended up like this."

No, if she really was the girl Miyuki mentioned, she wasn't just one of the reasons. Without her appearance, Yu's incident wouldn't have happened in the first place.

"I see."

Utaha nodded thoughtfully.

"No wonder Ishigami-kun reacted so strongly when he saw her just now."

"Yeah." Noticing Yu not far ahead, his head bowed and radiating a gloomy, 'stay away' aura, along with Tooru, who was pacing and talking anxiously beside him, Miyahito muttered with a headache, "This is going to be tough. That guy Yu is preparing to shut himself in again."

Finishing his sentence, he turned and looked at Utaha, who was holding his arm.

Receiving her boyfriend's look, Utaha smiled gently, let go of his arm, and said softly, "I'll go buy you guys some drinks. It's so hot, you need to stay hydrated."

"Thanks, Utaha."

After giving Utaha the location of the vending machine and watching her walk away, Miyahito took a deep, slow breath and walked toward Yu and Tooru.

After just a few steps, Tooru, who noticed him approaching, looked up with a worried expression.

Shaking his head at Tooru, who was about to say something, Miyahito walked up, placed his palm lightly on Yu's shoulder, and shook him gently but firmly.

Finally, Yu stopped shutting himself in and raised his head slightly.

Seeing his good friend, who had just brightened up, revert to a gloomy expression, his gaze dodging as if afraid to meet anyone's eyes, Miyahito pursed his lips tightly and raised both his hands.

Smack—!

Slapping both of Yu's cheeks, Miyahito forcibly made him look up, staring straight into the eyes of Yu, who was still trying to dodge his gaze, and remained silent for a good while.

Until Yu gradually gave up avoiding his best friend's direct stare, Miyahito finally spoke.

"Stop thinking about all that unnecessary crap."

"Eh...."

Yu looked stunned, not quite processing it.

Seeing this, Miyahito let go of his hands in annoyance, then made a fist and punched Yu's solid chest lightly, his tone turning serious.

"Who cares what some stranger says? Focus on your own business first."

"She's not your anyone, and you're not living your life for her to see. Just do what you're supposed to do properly first."

Saying this, Miyahito placed his hands back on Yu's shoulders and forcefully turned him around.

Just then.

"Ishigami-kun!"

Onodera Rei, who had hurriedly run over to the three of them, nodded at Miyahito and Tooru. Then, looking anxious, she grabbed Yu's arm and said, "What are you spacing out for! Look over here!"

"The captain fell! It's a complete mess right now!"

....

Hurriedly brought over by Onodera Rei, Yu kept his eyes lowered, quietly hiding behind the crowd, shifting his gaze away in silence.

"I forgot I was wearing a skirt." Sitting against the wall on the ground, the captain rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly, explaining to the members gathered around him in concern, "When I tried to jump over the hurdle, I... accidentally got caught and twisted my ankle really badly, ahahaha....."

Squatting beside the captain, the vice-captain senior looked at him with a helpless gaze and retorted.

"You idiot....."

The open-minded captain didn't mind his teammates' teasing and complaints. He slowly raised his head, his eyes as cheerful as ever, looking at the crowd in front of him... and at Yu hiding within it.

However, the absent-minded Yu didn't notice the captain's gaze, nor did he notice his teammates slowly parting to make way.

What the hell... am I getting so full of myself for.....

"Um, I'm the anchor for the relay race."

Thinking I could handle everything around me, but in the end, it was just empty talk.

"I can't run like this."

All I wanted to do was protect, but in the end, all I got was doubt and denial from the person I liked.

I can't do anything. I can't do anything at all.

"Ishigami, you run in my place."

Hearing his name, Yu slowly raised his head. Looking at the captain's face, whose eyes were hidden, reflected in his own eyes, he silently lowered his gaze, his voice trembling slightly.

"N-no... I can't run the anchor leg."

I can't do it, and I won't be able to.

Suddenly, the captain said something... something that made Yu panic, yet unable to avoid.

"I heard about what happened in middle school."

"!"

Raising his lowered eyes again, Yu looked at the captain sitting against the wall, his eyes filled with an indescribable, yet incredibly sensitive unease and panic.

Middle school..... Otomo..... Ogino.... rumors... suspension... fighting....

Countless words he didn't want to remember or face surfaced and faded in Yu's mind like a lingering shadow.

However, as he harbored anxiety and fear, waiting for the expected questioning and scolding.

"You're the fastest runner in the track club, right."

"And you did pretty well in the three-legged race just now, too."

Supported by the vice-captain who was echoing him, the captain slowly stood up. The corners of his mouth curled into an arc of trust as he spoke in a soft yet confident tone.

"You can definitely do it. I believe in you! Ishigami-kun."

For a moment, Yu froze, at a loss for what to do.

Before he could recover and figure out what expression or answer to give to the two seniors' words.

Smack—!

The senior and the captain simultaneously smiled and patted the stunned Yu, who was caught off guard and stumbled.

Vice-captain senior: "Alright, alright! They're starting to gather over there! You should go change too!"

Captain: "I'm counting on you! Ishigami-kun!"