The sun had dipped just enough to tint the sky a soft amber when Ren found himself wandering near the athletic fields, bag slung over one shoulder, blazer unbuttoned. He wasn't entirely sure why he was still at school. Technically, he had no club business. Technically, he should've been halfway home by now. But somehow… his feet had other plans.
From the grassy edge near the track, he spotted her.
Akari.
Hair tied up in a low ponytail, sleeves rolled back, her white gym shirt clinging slightly to her from the early summer heat. She was mid-sprint, knees pumping high, eyes focused straight ahead like the rest of the world didn't exist.
She looked... intense.
And fast.
Ren blinked. This was not the Akari Tanaka he knew. Or thought he knew. He had teased her for months about being the "quiet, bookish girl," even if she wasn't exactly that. But this version of Akari—confident, athletic, driven—was kind of... new.
And kind of annoying.
She didn't even notice him.
---
"You're standing like a lost puppy," a voice chirped beside him.
Ren nearly jumped. He turned to find Rio Hayashi grinning at him, twirling a neon sports bottle in her hand. Her honey-blonde hair was tied into a messy bun, and she wore the girls' track uniform with a towel slung around her neck like some veteran athlete.
"You scared me," he muttered.
"Sorry, Prince Ren," she said with a mock bow. "Didn't mean to interrupt your Akari-gazing session."
"I was not—" he began, then stopped. "That's not what I was doing."
She smirked knowingly. "Uh-huh."
Ren cleared his throat. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"Watching Akari," Rio replied without hesitation. "I'm part of the track club too, technically. Haven't run in ages, but I couldn't resist checking out the fresh recruits."
Ren frowned. "So she joined *track*?"
"Track and field," Rio corrected. "And she's good. Like... *really* good. That girl moves like wind."
Ren didn't answer right away. He watched Akari jog back to the starting line, high-fiving a senior who seemed impressed.
He felt a weird little pang.
---
Rio tilted her head. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Just surprised," Ren said.
"She told me she used to run in middle school. Captain of the girls' team."
That... made sense. Still, he felt a bit foolish for being so caught off guard. He had always seen Akari through a narrow lens—study sessions, quiet talks, occasional teasing. He hadn't imagined this version. Powerful. Radiant, almost.
He didn't like being surprised. And he definitely didn't like feeling behind.
"You're pouting," Rio noted.
"I'm not."
"You are. Don't worry," she said, nudging his arm. "You'll always be the king of sarcasm. Akari can be queen of speed."
Ren gave her a look. "Do you ever stop talking?"
Rio laughed. "Only when I'm asleep. Sometimes."
---
Out on the field, Akari lined up for another sprint. The coach blew the whistle.
She was off again. This time faster, smoother, like her legs were moving on muscle memory alone. Her classmates cheered. The boys looked impressed. Even Hana Ishikawa, standing nearby with a clipboard and stopwatch, gave a quiet nod of approval.
Akari slowed after crossing the line, hands on her knees, breathing hard but smiling.
Ren didn't realize he was smiling too.
---
Practice ended thirty minutes later. Ren was still by the fence when Akari noticed him, her expression surprised but not displeased.
"Ren?" she called, jogging over, sweat still clinging to her forehead.
"You didn't tell me you were secretly a track star," he said casually.
Akari flushed, brushing stray strands of hair behind her ears. "I'm not a star."
"Don't be modest. Even Rio was impressed."
"Rio's being polite."
"No," Rio chimed in, walking up with a water bottle. "I'm never polite. You crushed it."
Akari smiled softly. "Thanks."
Ren crossed his arms. "You didn't even look tired."
"I *am* tired," Akari replied, her voice lighter now. "But it feels... good. I missed this."
He tilted his head. "So that's why you joined?"
Akari paused. "Yeah. I guess I wanted something that felt familiar. Moving to a new school, meeting new people—it's a lot. But running? It's the one thing that always feels the same."
Ren nodded slowly. For a moment, he understood something deeper. It wasn't just about being good at something. It was about *belonging* somewhere.
---
The walk home was slower than usual.
Ren, Akari, and Rio took the long way down the back roads, their shadows stretching in the fading sunlight. Akari still held her gym bag, slinging it from one shoulder to the other as she walked.
"You were watching me," she said suddenly.
Ren blinked. "What?"
"Back at the field," Akari said with a slight smirk. "You stood there for almost half an hour. Didn't think I'd notice?"
He looked away. "I was... bored."
"Uh-huh."
Rio snorted.
Ren sighed. "Fine. Maybe I was curious. You didn't tell me you used to run competitively."
Akari shrugged. "Didn't come up."
"Liar," he muttered, but he was smiling now.
She glanced at him. "What about you? Join anything?"
"I'm still evaluating my options," he replied, hands in pockets. "Can't rush greatness."
Rio laughed. "That's code for 'I'm lazy and indecisive.'"
"I prefer 'selectively motivated,'" Ren retorted.
Akari chuckled. "You should try something out. Could be fun."
Ren tilted his head, thoughtful. "Maybe."
---
They split up near the train station, Rio heading toward her bus stop, waving dramatically as she went.
"Later, losers!"
Ren and Akari walked in silence for a few minutes.
Then Akari said, "You know… you don't have to be everywhere I am."
Ren looked at her, surprised.
"You could've gone home," she added. "But you stayed."
He hesitated. "Is that a problem?"
"No," she said quickly. "I just… wondered why."
Ren thought for a moment, then said, "Because I wanted to see how you looked when you weren't overthinking everything."
Akari blinked. "What does that mean?"
"You're always calculating. Planning. Holding back. But out there… you were just running. You looked—"
He stopped himself.
"—free," he finished softly.
Akari's expression shifted. She didn't say anything right away. But her eyes softened.
"Thanks," she said quietly.
They walked the rest of the way in silence. But it was a warm silence, full of something new. Something fragile, but growing.
---
That night, as Ren lay in bed, phone screen casting a glow across his ceiling, he scrolled aimlessly through messages. Nothing from Kaito. A meme from Daichi. Two missed updates from the class group chat.
And then, a message from Akari.
**\[Akari]**
> I think I'll join the relay team too. Coach said I've got a strong finish.
He smiled.
**\[Ren]**
> What's next? Olympics?
**\[Akari]**
> Duh. I'll wave at you from the podium.
**\[Ren]**
> I'll be the guy holding your towel.
**\[Akari]**
> Nice. Finally embracing your support role.
Ren stared at her last message for a while. Then he replied:
**\[Ren]**
> I meant what I said earlier. You were amazing out there.
This time, she took a while to respond.
**\[Akari]**
> …Thanks, Ren.
Ren put his phone down, staring at the ceiling again.
He had no idea what tomorrow would bring.
But suddenly, he couldn't wait to find out.