I’ve Been Working My Hardest as Manager of the Girls’ Track and Field Team, but Ever Since I Retired, the Team Members Have Been Coming at Me Like Crazy!?
“You’re so late! What were you doing, Michi?”
When I returned to the group, Shiratori was the one who ran up to me.
“Ah, uh, sorry. I had a little trouble finding her.”
“Come on, if you’d been just a little later, I would’ve gone looking for you myself.”
“Oh, really?”
“Masa, you really need to stop wandering off like that.”
Shiratori said this to Hayase, who had been following slightly behind me, and Yukimura chimed in, “Now, now.”
It was the usual scene with the three of them.
Emotional Shiratori, slightly more mature Yukimura, and laid-back Hayase.
Praying that they would please stay just as they were, I kept a little distance from the three of them and headed toward the teacher.
“Look, everyone’s here, so let’s head to the hotel.”
“Oh, right. I called a taxi… oh, there it is.”
Uncharacteristically, the teacher had been thoughtful enough to call two taxis.
“So, let’s split up. Senba and I will take this one.”
“Hono-chan, you take the other one by yourself.”
It was Hayase who called the teacher “Hono-chan,” as if she were a friend.
“Right, Sen-chan? It’s more fun to be with everyone than just the two of you, isn’t it?”
“Eh, well, I don’t really mind either way.”
“It’s fun, right?”
“…Yeah.”
Hayase’s pressure was so intense that I found myself nodding without thinking.
“Oh, you’re right. Well then, I’m heading to the hotel ahead of you guys.”
Completely oblivious to my feelings, the teacher hopped into a taxi and drove off.
“Ah…”
“Mitchy, let’s get in the taxi too.”
“R-right. I’ll take the passenger seat, then.”
“Mitsu, you’re in the back. Come on, this way, this way.”
“Sen-chan, over here. Come on, get in.”
“Ouch, wait, wait, don’t pull so hard!”
A tug-of-war broke out right in front of the taxi.
And of course, I was the rope.
Just as Yukimura and Hayase were tugging on my arms, Shiratori snapped her fingers.
“Calm down, both of you! You’re making Mitchi uncomfortable.”
“Ah… s-sorry, Mitsuru. Did that hurt?”
“Sorry, Sen-chan.”
“Ouch, ouch… t-thanks, Shiratori.”
As soon as the two of them let go of my hands, Shiratori immediately grabbed them.
“Come on, we have to get in the car now.”
“Ah, that’s cheating, Moe!”
“Moe-chan, I won’t let you cut in line.”
“Guh!”
This time, a tug-of-war broke out between Shiratori, who was trying to pull me into the car, and Yukimura and the others, who were trying to stop her.
I instinctively shook everyone’s hands off.
“Ouch… C-calm down, everyone.”
“Oh, sorry, Mitchi. Come on, stop getting in the way, both of you.”
“It’s Moe’s fault.”
“Why? Mitchi’s sitting next to me.”
“I want to sit next to him too. Right, Masa?”
“Yeah. So let’s settle this fairly with rock-paper-scissors.”
At Hayase’s suggestion, the three of them formed a circle and raised their fists.
Their expressions were utterly serious.
They were radiating a determination and intensity to win that was several times stronger than during a match.
…Why don’t you save that for the game?
“Here we go—rock, paper, scissors!”
Thump.
Shiratori had rock, while Yukimura and Hayase had paper.
“Wait, no way…”
“Yesss, I won. Come on, hop in the back.”
“Sen-chan, hurry up too. Take the middle seat.”
“Uh, okay.”
While the two who won rock-paper-scissors hurried to get into the taxi, Shiratori looked as if the world were ending.
“No, this can’t be real… Mitchi, I’m… going to die right here!”
“W-wait, wait, Shiratori! Please, just get in the taxi quietly.”
“B-but…”
“Ugh, come on. I’ll buy you your favorite ice cream at the hotel shop when we get there.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. So please, just get in already.”
The taxi driver’s been glaring at me the whole time.
Please, hurry up before you make the grown-ups mad!
“Okay, but you have to promise, right?”
“Y-yeah.”
I finally managed to convince her, and Shiratori climbed into the passenger seat.
Then Yukimura, me, and Hayase got into the back seat, and the taxi finally pulled away.
It’s about a fifteen-minute ride from here to the hotel.
It should be a short distance, but I was incredibly anxious.
Please, I just hope they don’t start arguing in the car.
“Mitsu, if you’re feeling tired, you can lean on me.”
“Sen-chan, want me to let you rest your head on my lap?”
Sweet temptations whispered right into my ear.
And Shirotori’s murderous glare from the passenger seat.
Will we actually make it to the hotel safely…?