"Autumn brings marathons; starting today, the first two of every three gym classes each week are devoted to long-distance running practice."

"Ah—"

"Don't want to—"

Everyone groaned in unison.

The gym teacher blew his whistle vigorously and then yelled, "Monday is a 15-minute timed run around the track, and Tuesday is six laps around the school. Get ready immediately! Two kilometers!"

"Why do other schools have their marathon competitions in the third semester, yet ours is in the second semester!"

"Exactly, it's still so hot these days. Two kilometers will definitely make us pass out!"

"If I had known we were going to run two kilometers today, I would've taken a leave in advance!"

"I would've skipped class and gone straight to the infirmary if I'd known just one class earlier, since you can finish a marathon by walking anyway!"

Amidst the complaints, the gym teacher blew his whistle again, and everyone finally got onto the track.

"All boys, attention!" The gym teacher stood at the starting line, raising one hand.

Che Dubian casually took a spot and gathered with Kunii Shuichi, Saito Keisuke, and the eyeglasses captain.

"I hear that this Cultural Festival, the Human Observation Department is putting on a play?" the eyeglasses captain asked.

"Yeah," replied Che.

"Run!"

The boys charged off.

"Run slowly!" Saito Keisuke said, "For two kilometers, steady speed is the key! No one is allowed to run fast! Just stick with the main group!"

The four of them languidly soaked up the middle of the pack.

"Is there a kissing scene?" Kunii asked.

"No."

"Add one!" Kunii urged anxiously, "After all, you and Jiutiao and Kiyono have that sort of relationship, and just by mentioning there's a kissing scene during the promotion, not only the whole school but people from other schools will flock to see!"

"Our play doesn't chase after that."

After speaking, Che turned his head and asked Saito Keisuke, "Is your game almost done?"

"Almost!" Saito Keisuke replied softly, catching his breath. "By the way, when Chichiko gave me the original art, she said that the art club minister dreamed about you last night."

"Dreamed about me? What was it?"

"She dreamt you were pressing down on her to correct drawings, asked her to draw chemistry lab equipment. After she finished, you said it didn't match the experiment you wanted to do, and in the dream, she argued with you furiously."

"How did you end up tormenting others like that?" Kunii asked curiously.

"How could you call it tormenting? I was just building her resilience."

"Slow down! Slow down! Not so fast!" Saito Keisuke hurriedly shouted.

The four men slowly dropped to the end of the group of boys; girls who ran faster were already ten meters behind them.

Che looked back and, seeing Jiutiao Meijie leading at the front, slowed down even more.

Girls near Jiutiao intentionally cleared a space, giggling and sizing up the two.

"What a coincidence," Jiutiao Meijie said with a smile.

"Not a coincidence, I was waiting for you," Che replied.

"Over there!" the sharp whistle of the gym teacher, "Che Dubian! Pick up the pace! And those other boys! Anyone overtaken by a girl runs three laps around the school!"

"Sir, what if a girl gets overtaken by a boy?" Che turned and shouted back at the gym teacher.

Kiyono Lin, trailing behind the group of girls, had an adorable face with clear, compelling eyes locked onto Che.

"Run two laps around the track!"

"Ah! Mr. Dubian is so annoying!"

"Why did you even ask!"

The girls groaned.

A few girls from the track and field club picked up speed, their robust legs quickening.

Meanwhile, the boys also increased their speed.

Kunii, Saito Keisuke, and the eyeglasses captain no longer mentioned maintaining an even pace and hurriedly sped up, with Kunii immediately bursting to the front ranks.

"Do you think Kiyono will have to run penalties?" Che asked with a hint of laughter.

"Definitely," Jiutiao laughed.

"Great minds think alike," Che agreed completely.

"Che Dubian!" the roaring voice of the gym teacher.

After gym class, Kiyono Lin lay slumped over her desk.

"Poor thing," Jiutiao Meijie said, her delicate and charming face smiling as she admired her pale complexion.

Kiyono Lin kept her posture fixed and looked towards her, her petite lips barely articulating:

"Men are sometimes just children, irrelevant of age or status. They often come up with immature ideas, tirelessly enjoying themselves, even obsessing—teasing the people they like is just one manifestation of this."

"Living as a loser for so long, your ability to console yourself has become incredibly strong!" Jiutiao Meijie admired her, clapping her hands.

"You're not too bad yourself," Kiyono Lin replied indifferently.

After their brief exchange, Che, ordered by Kiyono Lin to buy drinks, came in with a stack of beverages.

"Kiyono, I want to see how you manage to drink all of these," he said.

Kiyono snatched a bottle of lemonade, took a sip, then pointed forward with her finger: "The rest? Share them with the girls in the class."

She paused briefly and added: "Except Jiutiao."

School sessions and club activities repeated as they leisurely spent their mundane time being chased by class and club preparations for the Cultural Festival.

◇

With only the second Saturday before the Cultural Festival remaining, Che and Kiyono Lin went out to purchase supplies.

They agreed to meet at 10 a.m., but Che arrived at Itabashi Station at 9:40.

After waiting for five minutes in front of the newsstand by the exit, Kiyono Lin emerged from the ticket gate.

The weather was still hot, and she wore a striped blouse with a green high-waisted skirt.

Tucking the hem of her blouse into her skirt, her slender waist was clear for all to see.

Despite the modest crowd at the exit, the simply dressed Kiyono Lin looked almost like a model who had just walked out of a high-end fashion show.

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