KISURASE: CHEEKY CHILDHOOD FRIEND
VOLUME 2
TRANSLATED BY: KANINGROUP
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CH2
A Lovey Dovey Combination
It was addicting.
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That was what I, Kamishiro Airi, thought as I caught the scent of my childhood friend’s bodily fluids.
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No, since our scents are blending together, the smell is more like a mixture of both our bodily fluids.
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I could feel his body heat even through the thin material separating us. Where our skin met directly, I felt the mingling of our skin, the sighs leaking from our mouths, the body fluids, body temperature, and breath, all becoming one and intermixing.
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I didn’t know what part of my body or his body had ended or begun. That was the extent of becoming one with each other.
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It was a very pleasant sensation.
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I want to be connected like this forever... very much so.
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**
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“Ibuki-kun, which event are you participating in at the sports festival?”
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Lunch break, early October. Airi asked me this question while we were eating lunch together. The sports festival would be held exactly one week from today. One person from each class would be required to participate in a particular event.
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“Probably either the tug-of-war or the ball toss.”
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“Huh, why?”
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“It’s pretty easy, right? And I can slack off if I choose one of the two.” I said quietly.
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In team sports, no one notices if you let off the gas a little bit. And If we lose, it wouldn’t just be my fault.
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Plus, we aren’t elementary school students anymore. I can’t imagine many people getting annoyed if we were to lose.
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“You've always hated events like this, Ibuki-kun. In elementary school, you would always want to take a day off.” Airi declared.
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“I used to be trash at anything athletic.” I retorted.
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However, I can't deny that this was still the case.
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And to be honest, I simply hated elementary school. The classes were boring, I wasn’t very good at group activities, and I didn't like the “Let’s all try our best” vibe they always had going on.
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I also didn't have any real friends other than Airi.
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“So, you mean you enjoy events like the ball toss and tug of war?” Airi then asked.
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“I don't hate them, but I don't particularly like them either. I’m not even sure if I’d even do them well.” I responded.
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“Right.”
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We’ll just participate in an appropriate team sports event and try to have a good time. At least that was how it was supposed to be, but...
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“You're pretty unlucky, aren’t you?”
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“Arghhhhh...”
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Airi clenched her fists, her face twisting in frustration.
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If the number of applicants exceeds the limit, the process of elimination is done through rock-paper-scissors.
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Airi had lost three times in a row.
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First, she lost for the tug of war, then she lost for the ball toss, and finally, she also lost for the relay.
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(I just so happened to win the rock, paper, scissors on my first try for the tug-of-war.)
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“The only thing left is...the male and female three-legged race,” Airi murmured, a disgruntled expression
visibly showing on her face.
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Ah. The three-legged race can be a huge pain. It's pretty uncomfortable for both the male and the female, and both need to be mindful of each other unless they're a couple.
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No wonder it's so unpopular…
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…Also, that begs the question…
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“There are only two girls left, what should we do?”
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“Either the girls do it together, or one of them switches with someone else. ...I'd prefer the former, though,” Airi commented.
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After collecting her thoughts, Airi started a discussion with another girl, a teacher, and a committee
member. Ultimately, they would decide through rock-paper-scissors, and the loser would participate in the three-legged race. The winner would switch places with a boy, or at least that’s what was decided.
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“Ready–, rock, paper...”
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And the results:
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“...I lost. I'm really having bad luck today.”
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Airi had lost again.
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In other words, one of the boys will team up with Airi. A boy from our class standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Airi, their legs pressed tightly together.
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Picturing this scene made me feel incredibly uneasy.
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“Hey, hey... Ibuki-kun, I owe you one.”
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I ended up volunteering as Airi’s partner. No one complained. I wouldn’t have let them.
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**
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The day before the sports festival:
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Unlike most days, today’s Physical Education class was co-ed, which was pretty unusual. Despite this, it was expected, as it was in preparation for the sports festival competition. The goal of practice wasn't so much about winning as it was about getting familiar with how the tournaments worked, as some were pretty unfamiliar with the experience.
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We only have one day to practice.
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“It's pretty hot for October. I hope it cools down in time for the festival,” Airi said while stretching. Her clothes, a tight gym uniform with short sleeves and quarter-pants, emphasized her voluptuous, curvy figure with her movements.
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It's a bit dangerous for the eyes.
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Airi noticed my gaze and flashed a cheeky grin.
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“Anyway, Ibuki-kun, immediately volunteering to be my partner …were you really that desperate to do the three-legged race with me?” she jeered confidentially.
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“...You sure are energetic, huh.” I retaliated, a bit off-guard.
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Airi was teasing me again. Honestly though, it's not like I had a specific desire to team up with her – I just didn’t want to see her with anyone else.
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That was a secret, of course.
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“I decided to run because you seemed like you needed some help,” I then said.
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“Yeah, right,” Airi responded sarcastically.
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“Fair enough. Well, let's ask someone else to take my place then,” I said, turning away from Airi. However, my clothes were suddenly tugged from behind.
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“W-Wait! I-I'm just kidding, don't get mad!”
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“Now that I think about it, I don’t think you’ve thanked me yet…”
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“I'm truly grateful! Thank you, Ibuki-kun. Right? Can we do the three-legged race together?”
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“I guess I don’t have a choice, huh.”
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Airi gave a complicated expression in response, one that seemed to imply both satisfaction and dissatisfaction. She hates to lose after all, so bowing to me in defeat would piss her off for sure.
On the contrary though, I felt pretty good in comparison.
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“For now, let's give it a shot,” I said.
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“Yep. If we don't try it, we can’t work out any issues,” Airi responded as she held out her leg.
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I then lined up her slender, white legs to my own and tied them together with a string.
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“Hey, Ibuki-kun. Your shin hair is a little ticklish,” Airi complained while wriggling around.
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Airi is pretty ticklish.
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“I can't do anything about it. It's not like I want it to grow,” I shot back.
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“You can shave, right? Just shave them after this.”
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“No, it's going to look weird.”
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It’s pretty common these days for men to trim or shave their body hair, but the boys at our school don’t maintain it. It would be too embarrassing to be the only one with smooth skin.
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But Airi’s displeasure is more troublesome than that…
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“Just shave one, then,” Airi bargained.
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“That would be even weirder...”
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A man with no leg hair on one leg. That has to be perverted somehow.
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“You'll be more popular with the girls if you maintain it.”
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“...Really?”
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“Yeah. I don't know if it's in style with the other guys though…”
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I mean, if she says so, I guess I’ll think about it…
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Wait, no. I have no reason to want to make a good impression on her… or anything like that.
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“By the way, other than above my neck, I'm completely smooth, ” Airi suddenly whispered into my ear.
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Other than the neck up… That means the lower body as well…
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Wait, no! Don't imagine it!
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“Stop saying stupid crap like that. For now, let's start walking,” I insisted.
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“Kay, I’ll be quiet.”
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**
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“One, two."
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“One, two.”
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We chanted this together as we began practicing.
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“Whoa!?”
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“Kyaa!”
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Unable to keep up with her pace, we stumbled and lost our balance. Acting quickly, I reached out to support Airi, who was on the verge of collapsing, and applied pressure to both legs to steady ourselves, managing to catch her.
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I then slowly let her go.
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“Ah, thank you,” Airi muttered.
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“Don't worry about it. It's my fault that I couldn't match it.” I replied.
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I think our timing was right, but our physical differences messed it up. I’m 15 centimeters taller, which means my legs are obviously a bit taller as well. The pace also has to be adjusted accordingly.
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“Next time, I'll try taking shorter steps……Airi?”
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“Ah, sorry. Yeah, I understand.”
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She seemed lost in thought, her mind wandering. When I called her name and caught her attention, Airi nodded, although she appeared slightly flustered and red.
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“What are you thinking about, Airi?” I asked inquisitively.
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“A-Ah, right…maybe it would be better for us to get a bit closer together?”
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“That's... yeah, that's right.”
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She’s right.
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To be honest, we kept a distance from each other because we were shy. I put my arm around Airi's shoulder and gently pulled her close to me.
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“Is this okay?” I asked.
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“You can get closer. Grab my shoulder, too.”
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“...Like this?”
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“This way you won’t get hurt.”
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...If you’re worried about Airi getting hurt, maybe it's better to stick together. I thought to myself.
I took Airi's words as justification and further shortened the distance between us. Our bodies matched perfectly. Airi also put her arm around my waist—since it was hard to reach my shoulder--and grabbed onto the side of my uniform.
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“Okay, let's go.”
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“Yeah”
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“One, two.”
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“One, two.”
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We began slowly, calling out to each other. We gradually increased the speed.
And before we knew it, we were at full speed. After completing a circle/lap around the schoolyard, we finally stopped.
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“Hah, hah...”
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“Huuh...”
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We took a moment to catch our breaths, laughing in the process.
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“It’s perfect.”
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“Right?”
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There’s no way anyone will beat us at the three-legged race. From the bottom of my heart, I’m absolutely sure of it.
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**
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On the day of the sports festival:
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“The weather’s great! It cooled off a bit...” Airi exclaimed gleefully.
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“True that,” I agreed.
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Today's weather is very autumn-esque. It's neither hot nor cold, just perfectly cool. A perfect day for exercise.
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“The event is later this morning, right?” Airi asks.
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“Yep, we’re almost up. Let's go get ready.”
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I suggested this to Airi while looking at the schedule.
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Airi nodded at my suggestion.
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“That's right. We don’t wanna rush there after all.” She says while taking off her sweatpants.
My heart flutters for a moment. Of course, she’s wearing shorts underneath, so it's not like she’s only wearing sweatpants...
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Don’t do that, it's bad for my heart.
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“What's wrong, Ibuki-kun?”
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“No, I thought you were going to fully take off your pants.”
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“Yeah. It'll get hot once you move around. Are you not taking it off, Ibuki-kun? Won’t it be hard to tie your laces if you keep your sweats on?”
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“Uh, hmm. Yes, I guess that's true.”
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Should I take mine off as well in that case? I don't really feel like it, though. Despite my personal feelings, I took off my top and bottom jersey as Airi did.
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Then suddenly…
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“Huh? Ibuki-kun. Where’s the hair on your legs?” Airi yelped.
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“...I shaved it. Because you were complaining about it.” I replied.
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I didn’t do it to make a good impression on her; I just didn't want her whining about it.
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“I was only half joking... did I annoy you? Sorry about that...” Airi mumbled.
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“...I don't mind,” I replied.
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Apparently, her complaints were just jokes. Selfish as always…
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...Huh?!
“Hey, don't touch me like that!” I blurted in surprise.
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“I was just wondering how it felt. It's fine, right? It's not like it's gonna disintegrate!”
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“You wouldn't like it if I touched you like that!” I groaned as she stroked my legs. Airi didn’t seem to care, though.
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“You can touch me if you want to...here.”
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“N-no, it's fine...”
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I could hardly restrain myself. To an observer, a man and a woman engaging in such public displays of affection might be perceived as excessive and distasteful.
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“I've been thinking about this for a while now, and it just hit me, Ibuki-kun: your skin is flawless. I mean, seriously, it's so smooth and perfect that I honestly don't think anyone would even notice if you posted a picture of your legs as a girl on social media…” Airi rambled, still grazing my legs.
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”What’s the point of doing that?”
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We weren’t gaining anything from this discussion, so we tied our legs together and began warming up. We walked and ran around for a bit, but eventually, it was time for our competition.
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I walked over to the venue, and noticed that the students had already gathered in their red and white headbands. We were the Red Team.
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An announcement started for the red-and-white competition, outlining the event's rules as follows: The first nominated pair for a team would start. They would run their assigned section and then pass the sash to the next runner. The team that crossed the finish line first with the sash would be declared the winner. It was exactly how we had rehearsed it.
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“Airi, Ibuki-kun! Do your best!!”
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“Ibuki, Airi-chan! Fight!!”
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I heard familiar, parental, voices mixed in with the announcements.
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Airi blushed slightly and muttered, “I told you not to stand out...'' while looking down.
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I'm embarrassed, too.
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“Let's just pretend not to notice,” I declared.
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“Yeah...” She responded, still blushing slightly.
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As we had this exchange, the sound of a pistol sounded, signaling the start of the race. Our turn is the last, so there's still plenty of time.
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“So far, the Red Team has an advantage. Do you think this’ll be easy?”
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“Probably...Ah, he fell.”
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The runner from the Red Team took a massive fall, giving the white team a chance to seize the moment and quickly gain a considerable lead. The Red Team made an attempt to recover, but their haste got the best of them, and it was clear that things wouldn't turn out well. Instead of narrowing the gap, it only grew wider.
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And finally, it was our turn.
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“Shall we take it nice and slow?”
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“Sounds good to me.”
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Once we received the sash, we began jogging. I ran with the mindset that as long as we didn't trip or stumble, nobody would get hurt.
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"Hey there, folks! This is Hazuki, bringing you live commentary for this event. Hold on to your seats because the Red Team is charging ahead with impressive momentum. Oh, and would you look at that! The runners in the spotlight right now are none other than Airi Kamishiro and Kazami Ibuki from Year 2 Class 2."
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"Kuzuhara here, your other live commentator. The runners we have here are a couple of childhood friends who are widely recognized within the school, and let me tell you, they are living up to their reputation. Their synchronization is absolutely flawless!"
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...I'll finish them off later.
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Despite my resolve, my only concern was matching my movements with Airi. At this point, I didn’t care if we won or lost.
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“Oop, the red team has overtaken the white team!”
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“Love triumphs over all, right?”
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As I ran, the boisterous commentary echoed in my head, but I pressed forward, claiming the win for our
team.
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**
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“We did it! Let’s go!!”
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After the run:
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Airi struck a pose for the cameras held by our mothers. Since we hadn't finished untangling our laces yet, it was only natural for me to be captured in the picture alongside her.
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“Airi-chan, you have such a nice smile! Come on, Ibuki, you smile too!”
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“Ibuki-kun, get closer to me! Just like when you’re running!” Airi shouted cheerfully.
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“C-cheese...”
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I don't really like taking photos. When I try to smile consciously, my face inevitably twitches.
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“Look here, Ibuki-kun. Smile, smile!”
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While saying that, Airi tilted her head with the force of a headbutt. The smell of Airi's sweat and perfume softly drifted through the air. I could feel the dampness of her sweat-soaked gym clothes against my skin. Her body temperature had risen from the physical activity, radiating a comforting warmth. As we made contact, I couldn't help but notice the gentle and tender touch characteristic of a girl.
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I was beginning to notice these things now because I wasn’t running anymore, but for some reason, I hadn’t during our race.
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“I can’t stop laughing! Please get this over with.”
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“I wouldn’t call that laughing! ...Can you laugh at this?”
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Airi's fingers tickled the side of my ribs. I winced.
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“Y-you dumbass!” I complained.
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At the same time, I heard the sound of a camera shutter being released.
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“Good work, Ibuki-kun!!”
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“Thanks for that, Airi-chan!!”
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Our mothers thanked us with a satisfied look on each of their faces.
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Airi grinned with a proud expression on her face. I wanted to be angry at Airi’s teasing earlier, but I couldn’t help but let the joyful mood sway me along, so I shrugged my shoulders.
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“...I’ll go untie the string,” I said.
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“Eh, let’s stay like this a little longer…?” Airi exclaimed.
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Airi's abrupt suggestion confused the hell out of me. With the competition and the celebratory photo session coming to an end, there seemed to be no justification for us to continue keeping our legs entangled.
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“Why? Don’t you have something to do?” I inquired.
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“Not really, and you don’t always get opportunities like this, right?”
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“I guess, but it’s inconvenient, isn’t it?”
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I had no idea why Airi was being insistent, but one thing came to mind.
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“Do you want to touch my body that much?”
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It seems Airi wants to touch me whenever she has a chance. A very similar situation happened at the pool, after all.
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“What?! That's not true!!” Airi stammered, her behavior indicating I had hit the nail on the head.
Then she glared at me intensely.
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“It's okay. If you insist on saying so! Hurry up and take it off!”
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Airi said as she forcefully pulled my leg.
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My legs are being pulled.
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“Oh, hey, you idiot!”
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“I-I'm sorry... Kya!”
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Losing my balance, I stumbled and fell to the ground. Something soft collided with my face, accompanied by a delicate, slightly sweet and sour fragrance that gently wafted into my nostrils.
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“I-Ibuki-kun!?”
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Airi's confused voice. Alongside that, the distinctive sound of a camera shutter.
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After a moment of processing what had happened, I realized I was on top of Airi’s chest. The entire thing, of course, was being filmed on camera.
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“Crap, my bad!”
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I hastily got back on my feet, shooting a piercing glare towards the mothers.
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“You just took a picture! Airi, let’s go get the cameras.”
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“W-wait! Don’t move so suddenly... Kya!”
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“Woah!”
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Did I cause that one?
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Airi lost her balance, and in a chain reaction, I too stumbled once again and tumbled to the ground. As I landed, my hand came into contact with something soft, yielding beneath my touch.
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“It hurts... I-Ibuki-kun! Wait, where are you touching me?!”
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“Act of god! I swear!”
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“Really? Wasn't that intentional!?”
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“That's you! Which one of us was touching the other person's body?”
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“B-it's sticky...I-I didn't touch it that much! I just rubbed it a little!”
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“Oh, it’s sticky, huh?! Pervert!”
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“That’s you, perv!”
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“Slut!”
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“Molester!”
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After this, we fought some more, with even more photos being taken.