Chapter 278: Everyone Watches His Epic Comeback / "Uncle Shimizu" is Going All Out
"Ready—" The starter's voice rang out again, finger curling around the trigger.
"BANG!"
The crisp gunshot erupted. In an instant, the front-row runners lunged forward, their footsteps sounding like a heavy downpour hitting the pavement. Shimizu Akira, starting from the 4th row outer lane, was slightly slower off the mark. Within steps, he was blocked by the dense crowd ahead and had to settle into the mid-to-rear section of the pack, gradually accelerating with the flow.
"Don't panic! Stick to the plan!" Hirata Yosuke reminded him in a low voice, deliberately slowing down to stay close to Shimizu, Horikita Suzune, and Sudo Ken. "Steady your breathing. We'll make our move after the first bend!"
Shimizu nodded, syncing his breath. He kept a close eye on the inner lane. Horikita Manabu wasn't rushing to lead; he was trailing half a body length behind a Year 2-A runner, observing the pace. Nagumo Miyabi, however, was aggressive, bolting to the front to establish an early lead.
By the second lap, the screen showed "2/25." Shimizu checked his watch: a steady 4:50 per kilometer. Perfect for a warm-up.
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By the end of the first kilometer, the initial "sprint excitement" began to fade for the amateurs.
"People are slowing down! Warm-up's over," Hirata called out. "Pass on the left!"
Shimizu, Suzune, and Sudo cut inward as the crowd thinned. As they moved up, Shimizu spotted Asahina Nazuna. As a girl competing in a mixed 10km race against athletic boys, her stamina was hitting its limit by the third lap. She had fallen to the tail end of the lead group.
Nagumo, still leading at the front, glanced back at his struggling childhood friend, said something brief, and then immediately refocused on Manabu. It was clear that defeating the President mattered more to him than his childhood friend's well-being.
Suddenly, as Nazuna rounded a bend near a quieter section of the track, a gust of wind caught her. A small red cloth pouch tied with a cord—the amulet—tumbled out of her pocket and skidded across the track.
Nazuna froze, trying to turn back, but the runners behind her nearly collided with her. She looked at the rolling amulet with desperation but felt forced to keep running. The race wouldn't wait.
Shimizu didn't hesitate. He adjusted his trajectory, and as he ran past the spot, his left toe deftly flicked the amulet into the air. He caught it mid-stride with his right hand. The move was fluid, though it cost him about ten seconds of momentum.
By the fifth lap, Shimizu caught up to his teammates.
"Sorry, guys, got held up," Shimizu apologized.
"No worries! I know you, Shimizu," Sudo grinned. "Picking up stuff for that senpai, right? You're too kind-hearted!"
They entered the straightaway. Hirata and Sudo acted as "shields," widening their stance to block other runners, creating a "wedge" for Shimizu and Suzune to surge through. In a single straight, Shimizu jumped from outside the top 30 to 28th place.
Eventually, Shimizu pulled up alongside the struggling Nazuna.
"I'm a fool!" she was muttering to herself, her chest burning with every breath. She had ignored Shimizu's earlier warning, thinking he was just flirting. Now, her 1,000,000-yen amulet was gone.
"Senpai, don't worry!" Shimizu slowed down, matching her pace and handing her the red pouch.
"Keep this safe. Forget your rank for a moment—just follow my lead and find your rhythm."
He stepped half a pace in front of her, acting as a temporary pacer. Nazuna clutched the amulet, her fingers feeling its warmth.
Looking at Shimizu's back, her cheeks flushed a deeper red than the exertion accounted for.
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By the tenth lap, Nagumo felt a sudden wave of unease.
"Vice President! Is it really okay to leave Asahina-san behind?" a Track Club member asked as they ran beside him.
"She'll be fine," Nagumo said curtly. "I told her to quit if she couldn't handle it."
He wouldn't sacrifice his duel with Manabu for her.
"But I saw her drop something and get bumped!" the student added. "Luckily, a first-year kouhai saved her. I think he picked up what she dropped, too."
"Dropped something? Bumped?"
Nagumo's composure shattered. He twisted his head around, searching the track. Two hundred meters back, on the opposite side of the loop, he saw it: Shimizu Akira was running side-by-side with Nazuna.
Even from a distance, he could see her relaxed shoulders and the smile on her face.
"See, Vice President? That junior is helping her! What a relief, right?" the student remarked.
'Relief, my ass!'
Nagumo's face went dark.
'That's my woman!'
Nagumo was fuming. He had warned Shimizu to stay away, yet here the boy was, swooping in the moment Nagumo was "busy." His rhythm faltered, and the Year 3-A team took the opportunity to surge past him.
Sato, a heavyweight boxer from Class 3-A, taunted as he passed: "Nagumo! Why are you staring at our Shimizu? If you won't help your childhood friend, why shouldn't he? Losing your focus? Looks like the President is taking this one!"
Nagumo dropped to the second group, joining a pack that included Ryuen.
"Ryuen! You said you'd target Class C. Why haven't you moved?" Nagumo hissed.
"Hah? Who agreed to that?" Ryuen spat back.
"That's your delusion. Besides, targeting a monster like Shimizu? You're out of your mind. He's clearly planning to go for first at the end. You better save your strength, or he'll leave you so far behind you won't even see the top ten."
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Lap 15. Six kilometers in.
Manabu's group was nearly a full lap (400m) ahead of Shimizu. Nagumo was somewhat comforted by the fact that Shimizu wasn't even on the top 30 leaderboard yet.
As the groups overlapped during a lap-over, Nagumo finally drew near Nazuna.
"Nazuna, are you okay? I heard you were bumped."
"Hey! Stop acting like a nice guy now!" Sudo barked.
"You wouldn't slow down to help her when you were in first, now that you're losing you suddenly care? Hypocrite!"
"I'm fine, Miyabi," Nazuna interrupted. Nagumo felt a small relief—she still called him Miyabi. But her next words were like a lightning strike.
"Thanks to Shimizu-kun and Class C! He found my amulet and helped me find my pace. He's... really reliable." She blushed.
Nagumo's heart ached with jealousy.
"Asahina-senpai, is your breathing steady?" Hirata asked.
"Yes! I feel invincible with my amulet back!" she chirped.
Hirata turned to Shimizu.
"Six kilometers done. Asahina-senpai is stable. Shimizu, it's time to accelerate. My plan was too conservative for you. I won't let a lack of distance hold you back like it did in the relay."
Shimizu took a long, deep breath. "Okay."
In the next second, he lunged forward. His foot struck the track with such force it left a visible mark. He erupted with explosive power, his legs becoming a blur as he tore away from the Class C group.
"Damn... is that guy even human?!" Nagumo cursed.
"Wait! Is this a 10km race or the Olympic 100m finals?!" a spectator yelled.
Shimizu wasn't just catching up; he was hunting. He had saved the girl, and now he was coming for the crown.
He wanted it all.
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