Crimson Vale Academy Sports Festival
200m Girls – Pre-Race Tension
At Class D's canopy, the air was heavy. Tension sat like a storm cloud above their heads.
Kairon stood quietly under the shade, arms loosely folded. The wind played gently with his uniform jacket, but his expression was unreadable—as always.
Aria walked up beside him, her arms crossed tightly as she glanced at the field.
"I don't think Kei can run anymore," she said, breaking the silence. "He's exhausted. His ankle's probably worse than he's letting on."
Kairon didn't even look at her.
"It seems our manpower has been reduced," he said calmly, as if reading the result of a math problem. "We're going to lose."
Aria turned sharply to him, frustration creeping into her voice. "How can you say that so freely… without even flinching? Don't you care? If we lose, we lose class points."
Kairon's gaze didn't waver. "You've been with me all this time," he said, "and you still don't understand me."
"What do you mean?"
