The buzz of excitement filled the classroom as students chatted about the upcoming Sports Day. The school had put up banners, and the energy in the air was contagious.

  Ken sat at his desk, stretching his arms lazily. His friend Tetsuo leaned over from the seat next to him.

  "So, you planning to take part in any events or just gonna sit around?" Tetsuo asked.

  Ken scoffed. "Tch. I might suck at studying, but at least I can run. I’ll definitely place first."

  At this, Ryo smirked. "Oh? Confident, aren’t we?"

  Daichi grinned mischievously. "Wanna make it interesting?"

  Ken raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

  Daichi leaned forward with a smug look. "If you don’t place first, you have to wear a maid outfit and serve both our friend group and Aria’s friend group while saying ‘Moe Moe Kyun’ in full maid mode."

  Ken’s expression immediately turned sour. "Are you insane?!"

  Ryo laughed. "Oh come on, where’s that confidence now?"

  Ken hesitated, but his pride wouldn’t let him back down. "Fine. You’re on."

  Daichi grinned. "That’s the spirit."

  At the other end of the classroom, Aria and her friends—Mai, Hinata, and Yui—were also talking about the sports day.

  "Are you participating in anything, Aria?" Mai asked.

  Aria nodded. "I’ll be in the girls' running race."

  Hinata smirked. "Of course you are. You can’t let your ‘perfection streak’ break, can you?"

  Aria rolled her eyes. "It’s not like that."

  Yui chuckled. "Sure, sure."

  The class bell rang, signaling the start of the day.

  The Race Begins

  Sports Day arrived faster than Ken expected. The school grounds were filled with students, some preparing for their events, others just enjoying the break from classes.

  Ken stood at the starting line for the boys' running race, rolling his shoulders. His opponents were stretching, and a few of them looked way more athletic than he expected.

  "Alright, runners, take your positions!"

  Ken crouched down, taking a deep breath.

  "Ready… set… GO!"

  The whistle blew, and Ken dashed forward with all his strength. He started off strong, feeling the wind rush past him.

  This is easy—I got this!

  But soon, his legs started to burn, and his breathing got heavier. The other runners gained on him, and by the time they neared the finish line—

  Two runners passed him.

  "My physical health is worse than my mental health." Said Ken in his mind while running

  Ken gritted his teeth and pushed harder, but—

  He finished in 3rd place.

  The moment he crossed the finish line, his friends burst into laughter from the stands.

  "Ken, you better start practicing your ‘Moe Moe Kyun’!" Daichi shouted, clutching his stomach.

  Ken bent over, panting. "Damn it…"

  Next was the girls' running race.

  Aria stood at the starting line, her expression calm and focused.

  "Ready… set… GO!"

  Like a bolt of lightning, she sprinted forward, quickly taking the lead. Her form was perfect, her movements controlled, and it was clear she had experience.

  As expected—

  Aria finished in first place.

  However, as she slowed down after crossing the finish line, she suddenly winced and grabbed her ankle.

  The teacher quickly rushed over. "Are you alright?"

  Aria tried to shake it off. "I’m fine, just a small twist."

  The teacher wasn’t convinced. She looked around and spotted Ken, who was nearby.

  "Ken, take her to the nurse’s office. Her friends aren’t here right now."

  Ken sighed. "Hahh… yeah, yeah, I got it."

  He walked over to Aria, offering his arm. "Come on, let’s go."

  Aria blinked before leaning on him slightly. "You’re surprisingly useful sometimes."

  Ken clicked his tongue. "Tch. Just hurry up, will you?"

  The two of them started walking towards the nurse's office.

  The nurse had stepped out for a moment, leaving Ken and Aria alone in the quiet room. The faint scent of antiseptic filled the air as Aria sat on the bed, lightly rotating her injured ankle.

  Ken sat beside her, arms crossed, watching her.

  After a brief silence, he casually asked, "By the way, how are you so good at studying?"

  Aria raised an eyebrow. "What’s up with the sudden question?"

  Ken shrugged. "I just don’t get how you do it. You make it look so easy."

  Aria sighed, looking away.

  "It’s not easy, you know. I just don’t show it."

  Ken frowned. "What do you mean?"

  Aria hesitated, then spoke quietly.

  "When people see your name at the top, they expect you to always be there. It’s exhausting."

  "If I mess up even once, I feel like everyone will be disappointed in me."

  Ken stared at her, realizing that even someone like Aria had struggles of her own.

  For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, Ken finally said, I guess it’s tough for everyone in their own way."

  Aria gave him a small smile.

  "Wow, Ken. You actually sounded wise for a second."

  Ken clicked his tongue. "Forget I said anything."

  Aria chuckled softly.

  Then, suddenly—she shifted slightly and leaned her head against Ken's shoulder.

  Ken froze instantly. His body went stiff, and his brain nearly short-circuited.

  "W-Wha—"

  Before he could panic further, Aria spoke in a relaxed tone.

  "Relax It’s not like I’m going to bite."

  Ken swallowed. "T-That’s not the issue here!"

  Aria smirked slightly. "Then what is?"

  Ken looked away, grumbling. "Nothing... Just hurry up and rest your ankle already."

  Aria let out a soft chuckle but didn't move away.

  For a few moments, they simply sat there, the warmth of the moment lingering between them.

  By the time Ken and Aria returned to the sports ground, their entire friend groups were gathered together, waiting.

  Daichi grinned. "Ken, you didn’t forget about the bet, did you?"

  Ken’s face dropped. "Ah, shit, I remember I have something important to do."

  Ken turned to run, but Tetsuo and Ryo grabbed him.

  "Oh, where do you think you are going?"

  Before Ken could protest, they shoved the maid costume into his hands.

  "You lost, so it’s time to pay up!"

  Ken groaned in defeat. "This is the worst day of my life."

  A few minutes later…

  Ken walked out wearing the maid costume, face completely red.

  Daichi smirked. "Alright, now give us the full ‘Moe Moe Kyun’ treatment!"

  Ken clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and forced out the words in the most robotic voice ever:

  "Moe. Moe. Kyun."

  The whole group burst into laughter.

  Aria, who had been watching quietly, suddenly chuckled.

  Ken glanced at her.

  For some reason, seeing her smile made him a little less annoyed about the whole thing.