After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

After drawing a slip of paper, Kagura Hikaru thought for a few seconds and then headed towards the stands.

It seemed he also wanted to pick someone.

By this time, since their own competition had ended, Ayakoji Chiyoko, Kiryu Hina, Ai Cheng Hua Lian, Saijo Mari, Ruzaki Mami, and five other girls were by the stands, except for Kiryu Hina who had left early, the rest were close by.

Kagura Hikaru glanced over and walked straight towards them.

The drama of five consecutive girls choosing the same boy had been witnessed by the sports meet audience, and seeing the male protagonist heading towards those girls excited them all.

They thought there must be his true love among them.

Would it be Ayakoji Chiyoko, the most beautiful and best-figured?

Or Saijo Mari, the girl-next-door held in high regard by the sports clubs?

Or perhaps it was Ruzaki Mami, the petite, cute, and easily embarrassed sweet girl?

None of them.

"Ai Cheng." Kagura Hikaru approached Ai Cheng Hua Lian who was standing at the stands and extended his hand to her.

"Eh...? Eh? Me??"

"Yes, you, come down."

Flattered, Ai Cheng Hua Lian jumped down from the stands under the sad eyes of her close friend Ruzaki Mami. Kagura Hikaru grabbed her wrist and ran with her towards the referee.

It was the same process: hand in the slip, check, approved.

The two of them sprinted across the finish line, becoming the fastest pair to complete the borrowing race.

"Um, Kagura, what was written on that slip of paper...?"

Ai Cheng Hua Lian tugged at Kagura Hikaru's sleeve, hunched her shoulders, and asked shyly.

Although she knew it probably wasn't anything flirtatious, otherwise, given Kagura Hikaru's personality, he would most likely have run another round to redraw.

But, dreaming is always nice, right?

Just in case, although she also knew it was not very likely...

"Oh, this?"

Kagura Hikaru flipped the piece of paper, which read—"The person I feel most at peace with."

"?????"

An unexpected moment of happiness lifted Ai Cheng Hua Lian off her feet.

The person I feel most at peace with?!

That, that's like, the person you love...

Her entire face instantly turned as red as a freshly picked tomato from the field.

Knowing it was such content and still choosing her specifically, could it be that Kagura also felt the same about her...?

"Of course, as friends," Kagura Hikaru quickly added.

Ai Cheng Hua Lian's shoulders drooped.

Well, yes, that makes sense...

After the borrowing race came the three-legged race.

The rule was for two people to team up, tying one of their legs together, necessitating cooperation and rhythm to move forward.

This time, there was no drawing lots, and the students had to form teams themselves.

Kagura Hikaru naturally invited Ai Cheng Hua Lian, who agreed.

Everyone made their own choices.

In the end, only Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina, who were also participants, were left.

Normally, they would certainly have found teammates.

Rather, many people would have sought them out.

But perhaps that was why everyone assumed those two had someone in mind already, or even had teammates pre-arranged, so no one dared to approach them.

As a result, everyone else had formed teams, leaving just the two of them.

The two left behind, reluctant as they were, had no choice but to team up.

All the pairs with their legs tied stood at the starting line, and at the sound of the starting gun, Kagura Hikaru and Ai Cheng Hua Lian, shouting "One, two, one, two," moved forward in sync. Read latest chapters at empire

Similarly, there were also pairs that fell right at the beginning of the race.

For instance, the conflicting pair of Kiryu Hina.

The race had just started when Ayakoji Chiyoko tripped her.

"You... did that on purpose, didn't you?" Kiryu Hina got up from the ground, her eyes dark and gloomy.

Ayakoji Chiyoko gently covered her mouth, pretending to be concerned, bent over, and extended her hand. Yet, she said in a taunting tone, "I'm so sorry, that was my fault for not coordinating well, what a pity. Let's try it again then."

"..."

Kiryu Hina fell three times before she finally crossed the finish line.

After the next break when they took off the straps, she immediately distanced herself from the dangerous Ayakoji Chiyoko.

"This damned sports festival, I knew I shouldn't have joined!" Kiryu Hina muttered resentfully.

As a representative of indoor types and physically fragile sports dunces, she deeply detested such activities.

Especially with someone like Ayakoji Chiyoko around, who took advantage of her strength to bully others.

"Haha, what are you two doing, being so competitive?"

A short-haired girl walked over, wearing a dark blue uniform and gray pleated skirt, a uniform from Tsukinomori Girls' Academy.

It was none other than the Student Council President of Tsukinomori, Sakata Asahi.

"Asahi, long time no see."

Upon seeing an 'outsider', Kiryu Hina immediately put on her public mask, gracefully smiling.

"Haha, long time no see, it's been since the last school exchange meeting, right?" Sakata Asahi returned her smile, then glanced at Ayakoji Chiyoko, "Chiyoko too... The three of us gathering like this, it's been since we graduated from elementary school, hasn't it?"

"Perhaps." Ayakoji Chiyoko said indifferently.

"Come on, you're so cold, you said you changed but you're still the same." Sakata Asahi shook her head, smiling as she asked them, "The sports festival has no more events right? It's a rare opportunity, how about we go have coffee, do some shopping?"

"That sounds nice, I don't think I have anything else." Kiryu Hina smiled and agreed.

"Great! Then Chiyoko, you're good too, right?"

"Indeed, I don't have work to do next, nor any personal matters."

"So..."

"But I refuse." Ayakoji Chiyoko crossed her arms and glanced at the Student Council President beside her, "Going shopping and eating with this person, even if you pay me, I wouldn't do it."

Kiryu Hina laughingly covered her mouth, her eyes squinting like a fox, "Ah, still so petulant, that's what I don't like about you, you're not generous enough."

Ayakoji Chiyoko: "Heh, you're one to talk about being generous in front of me, stop joking."

"You guys...."

As Sakata Asahi watched them bicker seriously, she was taken aback.

Only then did she belatedly realize.

The elementary school classmates, who had been close back then, were not continuing their friendship in high school as she had thought.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

"Sorry, Sakata, that's how it is," Ayakoji Chiyoko turned and said, "I'm fine with going out with you, especially since you helped a lot with this sports event, but with this person, sorry, I can't agree, goodbye."

With that, she turned and left.

Sakata Asahi looked towards Kiryu Hina, "Hina, what on earth is going on between you two, did you have a disagreement about something?"

"Ah, the reason isn't that complicated." Kiryu Hina lightly shook her head with a faint smile, "Remember the boy Ayakoji has been looking for, the one from elementary school who saved her?"

"Of course I remember, she even asked me about him when she came to Tsukinomori the other day."

"I know who that boy is."

"...What?"

Sakata Asahi suddenly recalled Ayakoji Chiyoko mentioning that someone at Yuqiu High School knew the boy but refused to speak up.

It turned out Hina was the one being referred to!

"Then why don't you tell her, knowing how much Chiyoko wants to find that person."

"It's not that I'm intentionally teasing her, there's a reason I can't tell her."

Kiryu Hina held her face with one hand, her little finger touching her lower lip, speaking softly, "Because the boy who saved her back then is named Kagura Hikaru."