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

The next day marked the official opening of Ugao High's Sports Day.

For the students of Ugao High, this day could be seen as both a holiday and a non-holiday.

Except for the third-year students who were preparing for exams, all first and second-year students were required to continue coming to school to watch the Sports Day events.

Of course, if you really didn't show up, no one could force you.

This year, the school even encouraged everyone to bring their family to watch, under the guise of strengthening family bonds.

In reality, it was probably just to show off the school's large grounds and the newly built stadium with spectator stands—everyone knew that.

It was said that Ugao High's synthetic track would be rented out for small-scale track and field events during rest days.

In such a place, one couldn't help but feel that private schools really are wealthy.

"Heh, just how much blood have they sucked from the parents of the students..."

A middle-aged man sat in the stands, looking down at the track and snarking coldly.

"Wait... Honey, don't say things like that, what if someone hears you!" The woman sitting next to him whispered as she held onto his hand.

Just like the other adults sitting around them, this pair of parents had come specifically to support their child's competition.

However, more than the sports day, this father seemed more concerned about tuition fees.

"I always said we should've chosen a public school. The tuition is ridiculously expensive; it takes so long to work off that kind of debt."

"Enough with that downer talk. Look, Kogane's about to compete," said the woman, pointing towards the field below.

There, a handsome, tall young man walked toward the starting line with his classmates.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

He wore dedicated black running shorts and shirt, loosening his limbs as he walked, standing out among the crowd with his good looks and height.

"Wow, Kogane looks so cool. He must be very popular with the girls at school," she exclaimed.

"That's just how it is," the middle-aged man said with crossed arms, reluctant to agree.

But he couldn't help the slight curl of his lips.

Praise for one's son is a secret delight for all fathers.

Yes, these two were Kagura Hikaru's father and his stepmother.

Knowing that the sports day was on the weekend and that his son would be participating, thanks to his wife's persuasion, Kagura's father came to 'reluctantly' show his support.

Soon, the referee blew his whistle and raised his hand to signal the athletes to get ready.

Kagura Hikaru, like everyone else, took his position, ready to start.

Beside him were the lean-bodied track and field athletes from different grades, with only a few being regular students.

He didn't know about other schools, but at least at Ugao High, the sports day didn't differentiate by grade. Students from first to third year competed together on the same field, showcasing fairness. Read new chapters at empire

But compared to first-year students, the older students who had more time to practice and had grown taller naturally had a distinct advantage.

So much for fairness—what a pain in the ass to organize separate events by grade.

"Bang!"

The starting gun fired, and everyone dashed off, straightening up after covering some distance to settle into a long-distance rhythm.

Kagura Hikaru ran in the middle of the pack, neither ahead nor behind but perfectly positioned in a spot with an excellent view.

He wasn't in a rush. After all, this was a 3,000-meter endurance race; it wouldn't be over quickly.

His legs moved powerfully yet smoothly, with a good pace. Though his muscles weren't as developed as those in the Track and Field Club, he still looked toned and well-proportioned.

In the distance, the onlooking girls felt like they were watching an idol drama, their gaze glued to Kagura Hikaru. Against the backdrop of the other runners, it was as if their retinas had a beautiful filter applied whenever they looked at him.

"Kagura, keep it up! Kagura, keep it up!"

In the stands, the uniformed members of the Discipline Committee chanted in unison.

They had even brought a couple of drums and pounded on them whenever they shouted 'Kagura' and 'keep it up', their vocal support overpowering the rest.

Ayakoji Chiyoko stood on the stands, observing Kagura Hikaru's pace, and nodded with satisfaction.

It seemed their practice over the past few days was worthwhile.

By the 1,000-meter mark, regular students had begun to fall behind.

Naturally, those who were only moderately good at running could not beat the year-round trained members of the Track and Field Club.

But Kagura Hikaru showed no signs of slowing down, still maintaining a steady pace in the middle of the first pack, blending in seamlessly and invisibly among them.

2,500 meters.

The less capable athletes fell several strides behind the leaders, leaving a group of five up front vying for the win.

Kagura Hikaru remained in the middle.

Finally, someone noticed this 'outsider', and several members of the Track and Field Club beside him glanced over in surprise.

Did their school have someone this strong in long-distance running?

Two thousand eight hundred meters, the last two hundred meters.

From here the curve led into the straightaway, and Kagura Hikaru began to speed up, as did the others.

The key to victory in long-distance races could be said to lie within these final two hundred meters.

The energy conserved until now had to be fully expended in this final stretch, sprinting with every last ounce of strength until nothing was left.

Whoever had more energy reserved would emerge the victor.

In the sprint phase, two of the five in the lead quickly fell behind, leaving three to overtake the fourth by two body lengths, and their distance kept growing as they began to contend for first place.

Two thousand nine hundred meters.

In the last one hundred meters, Kagura Hikaru somehow increased his speed yet again, as if he were powered by a two-stage jet engine, swiftly passing between his stunned competitors.

At that moment, he seemed even faster than the champion of the previous short-distance group.

In the end, Kagura Hikaru crossed the finish line five body lengths ahead of the runner-up, and he even appeared to have energy to spare. Unlike the other competitors who were bent over gasping and clutching their knees, he casually walked off, twisting his waist as if on a leisurely stroll.

"Ohhh! Who could have imagined that the first to cross the finish line would be second-year Class A's newly appointed vice president of the Disciplinary Committee, Kagura Hikaru! He's the only one among the top three in the men's three-thousand meter endurance run who isn't from the sports clubs. Truly heroic, let's congratulate him!"

The sports festival was equipped with student commentators, and it was obviously someone from Ayakoji Chiyoko's side.

The comments, which had previously been dry like a score-announcing machine, suddenly heated up with enthusiasm when it came to Kagura Hikaru, leaving the audience bewildered for a few seconds.

The Discipline Committee member on the stand led the applause, with the rest of the audience following suit.

Down below, Kagura Hikaru earnestly declined the Track and Field Club coach's invitation to join them, then accepted the water and towel passed to him by Saijo Mari who jogged over.

"Here, Mr. Kagura."

"Thank you."

Kagura Hikaru took the towel to wipe his face and hair, then restrainedly drank two mouthfuls of mineral water.

Saijo Mari was not there specifically to bring him items; she was part of the Sports Committee and naturally had to take care of everyone. She also provided water and towels to the other competitors, guiding them off the field to rest and making space for the next group of racers.

"You're amazing, Kagura, winning first place like that!"

Ai Cheng Hua Lian, too, was dressed in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt for running, as she came over to congratulate him.

She was the one truly waiting for Kagura Hikaru, having run the women's sixty-meter dash in the previous round and deliberately waiting at the finish area for Kagura Hikaru's race to end.

"You're too kind, you're also first," said Kagura Hikaru, "though it's from the bottom up."

"Hey! I kindly came to congratulate you, and you dare...!"

"That's what you get for not exercising regularly."

"You're one to talk, only starting to cram with running laps before the sports festival as if I wouldn't know!"

In front of Ai Cheng Hua Lian, even someone as reserved as Kagura Hikaru could crack a joke.

That's the power of friendship.

After delivering water to everyone, Saijo Mari turned her head to see this scene and walked over with a smile.

"Mr. Kagura, don't move, the number on your back is crooked."

She reached out to straighten the number pinned with Velcro on his back and then patted his waist.

"Fixed."

"Thank you." Kagura Hikaru noticed Ai Cheng Hua Lian's puzzled gaze and introduced, "This is the President of the Sports Committee, senior Saijo Mari, a third-year like you."

"No, I'm aware of Classmate Saijo's name. But when did you two become so close?"

"Oh, it's nothing. There was a situation at the sports festival before and I greatly appreciate Mr. Kagura's help in resolving it," Saijo Mari tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "But what about you, Student Ai Cheng? What's your relationship with Mr. Kagura?"

Ai Cheng Hua Lian replied with a smile and hands on her hips, "Friends!"

"Oh... just friends, is that it?"

"What do you mean, 'just'? Hey, friends are very important, okay? Don't underestimate the significance of that word!"

"Hmm-hmm, I didn't say anything."

Kagura Hikaru looked at Saijo Mari, who covered her mouth, chuckling with mirth, and Ai Cheng Hua Lian, who bristled like a provoked cat, and quietly took another sip of water.

Lu Xun once said that a woman's enemy is always another woman, and the master was not deceiving.

Unbeknownst to the trio, the subtle dynamics among them had already caught the attention of certain observant individuals.

From the stands, Kagura Hikaru's stepmother nudged her husband, saying with a smile, "See, I told you that Kogane is very popular among the girls."

"Hmph, I wasn't bad in my younger days either!"

"Oh?"

"Cough cough, it's nothing..."

Not far away, in the section occupied by the Disciplinary Committee, Ayakoji Chiyoko watched the harmonious trio from a distance, her brows twisting without expression.

There it was again, that feeling as if her heart was being seized.

What was this feeling, after all...