Social Dance Club Step 4

Entry to the Competition

June arrived. The green of the trees deepened, and the air grew slightly humid. The rainy season would likely be here soon; occasionally, intense rain would fall as if serving as an opening act for what was to come.

As for the club and ballroom dancing, Yukiya hadn't quit either of them yet. After repelling his Mikka Bouzu ghost, he continued to set new personal records for attending. It had already been a month since he joined.

Yukiya no longer had any intention of quitting. The club room was comfortable, and dancing was fun. He was getting along well with all the members—though, other than Yukiya, that just meant three girls.

There was no reason to quit to be found anywhere. Considering how reluctant he had been to join, Yukiya found himself impressed by the strange twists of life, thinking, You really never know how things will turn out.

It was lunchtime, right after he returned to the classroom from eating Fiona's home cooking. Haruki, who welcomed him back, stared at Yukiya intently and then grinned broadly.

"What is it?"

"I just thought you look like you're having fun lately."

"Fun... yeah. I guess so."

He couldn't think of any reason to deny it. Lately, he was listening to dance music on his earphones during his commute, and the moment he saw his reflection in the restroom mirror, he would involuntarily correct his posture or spin a turn... though it was embarrassing if anyone saw him. It wasn't an exaggeration to say his head was filled with nothing but dance.

Also, due to Fiona's insistence, he had been forced to upload a video titled "Dance Beginner Tried Dancing a Waltz to an Anime Song" on Nika-Nika Douga (commonly known as "Nika-Do"). It got some positive comments, and checking them daily made him grin, though the occasional harsh comment depressed him.

In short, his life had completely transformed. Probably a good change, Yukiya thought.

"You look pretty happy yourself... or rather, you've changed."

Seeing Haruki's appearance, Yukiya voiced something he had been hesitating to say.

"Hmm. A month ago, even I wouldn't have imagined I'd be coming to school dressed like this."

Saying that, Haruki picked at his loose, wavy chestnut hair.

It was a wig. The same kind Tamami and Fiona used for cosplay. However, this one looked much closer to real human hair than the ones they wore.

"But you know, I really like this look now."

Standing before Yukiya with a hand on his chest, Haruki was wearing a girl's uniform. He was even wearing natural makeup.

Having awakened to a new preference for cross-dressing after joining his club, Haruki had taken action immediately. He got permission from the school and had been attending in this outfit since the middle of last month. At first, his classmates looked like pigeons struck by peashooters in their confusion, but Haruki's cross-dressing suited him surprisingly well, and lately, he had a good reputation regardless of gender. Yukiya had gotten used to this appearance too.

"I think we just had good compatibility with the clubs we joined. Or maybe we had an aptitude for them."

"What do you mean 'we'?"

"It's been a month, right? As expected, some guys are starting to quit their clubs. Like the guys from the 'Boob Wrestling Club' or the 'Spiritual Summoning Club'."

In the seats Haruki glanced at, there were students who had belonged to those clubs. A male student in the front seat was curled up trembling as if protecting his chest, while a female student behind him occasionally let out strange shrieks or started crying.

"...The aftereffects seem to linger quite a bit."

Haruki spoke sympathetically in front of the dumbfounded Yukiya.

"Seeing that, it's no wonder they quit the moment the withdrawal restriction was lifted."

Yukiya nodded with a solemn expression at Haruki's words.

There was a one-month restriction on quitting after joining. It was common knowledge even among freshmen that dropouts appeared in droves this time of year when the restriction was lifted. The school didn't have the authority to stop students who had endured for a month from quitting.

"Also, apparently there's a movement to consolidate and abolish clubs."

"Consolidate and abolish?"

"Yeah. There are too many clubs at Tama High right now, aren't there? It seems the school is running out of activity spaces to provide, so the talk is they're going to merge clubs doing similar activities and abolish the smaller ones."

"That's the first I've heard of it."

"I heard it from my club president. Seems the notice is going specifically to a place with few members or no track record. Apparently, kids who can’t accept the mergers are quitting."

"Hmm..."

"Is your place okay, Yukiya? It seems like you guys fit the conditions."

Yukiya had been thinking the same thing while listening. The Social Dance Club had activities similar to the Competitive Dance Club. They had few members and no track record.

"But Tama-chan hasn't said anything."

"I see. Then it should be fine... Ah, it's time. See ya."

With the chime ending the lunch break, Haruki returned to his seat.

"Club consolidation, huh."

Resting his chin on his hand at his desk, Yukiya tried to recall, but he had no memory of Tamami saying anything like that. Fiona and Riko hadn't either. There was no serious atmosphere; everyone was enjoying the club as usual.

Surely, no such notice has come to us—Yukiya decided to believe that.

Outside the window, heavy, leaden clouds hung low. It looked like rain would fall from the gloomy sky any moment.

＊ ＊ ＊

"The weather sucks."

Looking up at the sky from the club room window, Yukiya spoke. Outside, rain was falling quietly. The other members had gathered around the long bench by the window for a break between practices.

"I wonder if we're officially entering the rainy season."

"Japan is a bit later than the UK, isn't it?"

"Is that so?"

"Yes. In the UK, it usually starts in late May."

Riko and Fiona were sitting side-by-side on the bench chatting. Beside them, Tamami was gazing absently at the sky. Since she had arrived late, she was still in her uniform.

"Tama-chan, is something wrong?"

"Eh? ...Ah. No, I was just thinking, um, I hope I don't get wet on the way home, you know?"

Tamami smiled flusteredly. Her unnatural stiff smile looked like she was trying to hide something.

Yukiya thought her behavior was strange. Haruki's story suddenly crossed his mind.

Should I ask? Yukiya thought.

"Hey, Tama-cha—"

At that moment, there was a knock on the club room door. Tamami’s body jerked in surprise. Everyone's gaze turned toward the door.

"I wonder who it is? A visitor is rare."

"Ah, I'll get i—"

Tamami started to run but tripped over nothing. She fell spectacularly, face-planting onto the floor with a loud wham.

"Kyaa! Tamami!?"

"Tama-chan, are you okay?!"

Riko screamed, and Fiona's eyes went wide.

"I-I'm fine... Ouch!?"

Tamami staggered as she tried to stand up. She might have sprained her ankle.

"It's okay, Tama-chan. I'll go."

"Ah, but!"

"Just stay there."

Leaving Tamami, who was still trying to head for the entrance to the two girls, Yukiya went to open the door.

"Yes, may I ask who is it?"

Yukiya asked the guest.

Standing in front of the club room was a female student with glasses and an intellectual air. Her hair was tied up in a barrette. Her ribbon color was green—a third-year student.

"The name's Marina Suzuhara from the Competitive Dance Club. Pardon me for intrudin' while yer busy."

When she opened her mouth, an unexpected dialect came out. It sounded like Kansai dialect, but the atmosphere was slightly different from Osaka or Kyoto—maybe Shikoku, like Sanuki dialect? While surprised by the gap between her appearance and tone, Yukiya was more stuck on the words "Competitive Dance Club."

"What business does someone from the Competitive Dance Club have with us?"

"I came to settle the talk 'bout consolidatin' the clubs. Surely y'all heard from yer president already, right?"

"Eh...?"

Yukiya blinked. Club consolidation—did the girl in front of him just say that?

The bespectacled girl furrowed her beautifully shaped brows at Yukiya’s reaction.

"What's with that reaction... Don't tell me she ain't told ya yet? That little girl?"

"W-What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry, Yukiya-san. Riko-chan, Fiona-chan, too."

Yukiya turned around at the voice. Tamami, leaning on Riko’s shoulder, was standing behind him.

 "Marina-san, it's awkward standing here, so please come inside."

"...Right then. Pardon the intrusion."

When the club room door closed, Tamami looked around at the members' faces and spoke.

"I thought I had to tell you, but..."

I couldn't say it, Tamami hung her head. She explained with a grave expression.

"As Marina-san just mentioned, the school has requested that the Social Dance Club comply with a consolidation. The reasons are that our activities are extremely similar to the Competitive Dance Club, our low member count, and our lack of activity achievements... those three points."

The members remained silent. Even the usually energetic Fiona wore a bewildered expression.

"It's been decided that the Competitive Dance Club can take y'all in, so I came to let ya know. Whether it's a merger or abolishing' the club, y'all probably have to clear out of this room after summer break anyway. Reckoned it'd be better to deal with it sooner rather than later."

"That's..."

Merger or abolishing—were those the only two choices?

Seeing Yukiya stunned, Marina knit her brows in a troubled manner.

"If ya like dancin', ya don't necessarily gotta be stuck on this specific place, right? Well, it might be a bit stiff over at our place, but our club ain't bad either. We'll welcome ya, so I reckon mergin' is better than just gettin' shut down, ya know??"

Marina seemed to be genuinely worrying about the Social Dance Club. Behind her glasses, her long-slitted double-lidded eyes looked at Yukiya and the others with concern.

"...I'll discuss it with everyone."

"Got it. Let me know when y'all made up yer minds."

Saying that, Marina left the club room.

"..."

Only a heavy silence remained. Everyone looked as if their hearts were being crushed by confusion, agitation, and anxiety.

"Umm, I am truly sorry."

It was Tamami who broke the silence. Pulling away from Riko, she bowed deeply.

"I didn't want to see everyone's sad faces. I thought and thought about if there was anything I could do... and while I was running away like that, time just flew by, and..."

"It's fine, Tamami. You don't have to apologize anymore. We understand that kind of thing."

Riko placed a hand gently on Tamami's shoulder. Tamami bit her lip in frustration.

"Umm, Tama-chan. Was it painful for you?"

Fiona crouched down in front of Tamami, looking into her face. Tamami's expression crumbled in an instant.

"...It was painful. So much."

Seeing Tamami on the verge of tears, Fiona smiled brightly.

"Gosh, it's not good to bottle it up alone! Aren't we all members of the same Social Dance Club? Let's think about what to do together!"

"..................Yes."

The two girls patted Tamami's head as if soothing a little sister.

Meanwhile, Yukiya was seriously agonizing over what to do.

The consolidation of the Social Dance Club.

Would this club disappear?

"Now then... whether we found out early or late is trivial. In the end, this club is a target for consolidation. What we have to think about now is our next move."

Yukiya agreed with Riko’s words. It was certain they couldn't stay as they were.

"However, the options are only to merge the club or abolish it. What should we do?" 

Fiona said, raising her hand. 

"I don't mind joining the Competitive Dance Club. If everyone is together, that is. However, I don't think there's anyone there who would partner with me..."

"I'm not going to the Competitive Dance Club. If I have to join there, I'll give up on dancing in a club."

Their opinions were already clashing. Riko and Fiona held their heads in their hands, groaning. Tamami looked at Yukiya.

"What do you think, Yukiya-san?"

"I..."

He knew what he wanted to do. But he also knew it was just selfishness.

However—

"Yukiya?"

With Riko peering into his eyes, Yukiya took the plunge and continued.

"...I want to do ballroom dance, in this Social Dance Club, with everyone."

The Competitive Dance Club had many members, and both the activities and internal rules were said to be strict. Yukiya didn't have the confidence to continue as he had if he joined a place like that. He believed he had been able to continue because it was this Social Dance Club.

More than anything, Yukiya didn't want to lose this place—this Social Dance Club with these three people. It had to be here.

"Dammit... Isn't there any way... Anything—"

".................................—Umm, there is one. Just one way."

Yukiya, who had been racking his brain, froze. Riko and Fiona, who had been huddled together thinking, also looked at Tamami with taken-aback expressions.

"Really?! What is it?"

Yukiya jumped at the chance. What the heck, there's still a way? he thought, feeling slightly relieved.

But...

"That is, for this Social Dance Club to create a track record of achievement."

Including Tamami who said it, all the members made complicated expressions.

"Actually, when the talk of consolidation came up, the school presented this condition for our continued existence."

"But what does a track record mean?"

"...Specifically speaking, 'Participate in a competition and leave good results' is the condition. For example, even if we increased members, the transparency of the club's activities couldn't be measured. And as a fundamental problem, we can't do anything about the overlap in content with the Competitive Dance Club."

"So that condition is the best way to assert the significance of our activities."

It was a clear condition that Yukiya could understand. To make someone acknowledge something, leaving a result was the clearest method.

"Then isn't that simple? We just have to enter a competition and get results, right?"

Yukiya didn't know the level of the competitions, but he felt that if Fiona and Riko entered, they could achieve some kind of result. After all, one was the daughter of a former world champ, and the other was Riko, who had dedicated ten years to dance and had brilliant achievements like winning amateur competitions. For the Social Dance Club, they were the strongest cards available.

However, the girls' reaction was poor. Riko frowned as if to say, "Are you serious?"

"Can you really say that?"

"Huh? Why?"

"The one entering is you."

"Eh?"

Yukiya stood there with his mouth open.

The one entering is... me?

"W-Why me?"

"Because you're a man."

"Just because I'm a man, why does that—"

"In places like Germany, there are competitions for same-sex couples, but in Japan, it's not recognized. Leader is male, Partner is female... That's the rule for official Japanese competitions."

Yukiya felt like he had been smacked in the head by Japan's old-fashioned rules. Since Fiona naturally played the Leader role, he had assumed it was possible in matches too.

Yukiya would have to enter... That was probably why Tamami hadn't presented this condition at the start.

"So, Yukiya entering is basically a confirmed accident."

‘It really is an accident,’ Yukiya groaned, holding his head. It felt like he'd been forced to take the position of class representative, a position that no one else wanted, with the excuse, "We think Hino-kun is the right person for it." In truth, he didn't want to do it.

But Yukiya couldn't back down either. He was the one who said he wanted to protect this place.

Steeling his resolve, Yukiya nodded. Whatever Will Be, Will Be.

"If that happens, the rest is the Partner," Tamami said with a difficult face. "Yukiya-san and I have different majors—Standard and Latin. And our height difference is like this."

Tamami was small enough to stand at the very front of the line in class. Standing next to Yukiya, who was of average height for a high school boy, they already looked like different species.

Plus, Tamami still erupted in flames just by holding hands. There was no telling how long it would take her to get used to it, and since Yukiya would feel guilty, even practice would be difficult. It would be equally hard for Yukiya to learn Rumba from scratch now.

"I could do it, but like Tama-chan said, the visual silhouette as a couple would be bad. I think it would be a huge deduction. In competitions, the balance between the couple is important for scoring."

When Fiona wore high heels, she became fifteen centimeters taller than Yukiya, easily exceeding 180 centimeters. If they formed a couple, it would look unclear who the Leader was.

"That's true. But, Riko-chan is..."

Tamami hesitated, looking at Riko.

If they prioritized the silhouette as a couple, the combination of Riko and Yukiya was the best. The height difference was ten centimeters. When Riko wore high heels and stood next to him, they fit together as if made for each other. The Hold was easy to form too.

But Yukiya thought that was an impossible request for Riko.

She had clearly said, "I never want to form a couple with a male Leader again."

Pairing with Atsunari was a type of trauma for her. It seemed Tamami and Fiona sensed that as well.

"...Even if the silhouette is bad, either Tama-chan or Fiona should be fine. I don't know what the result will be, but it's better than not entering at all."

Riko, who had been staring at the floor, raised her head at Yukiya’s words. Her eyes held the color of confusion.

"Yukiya. But, then..."

"I don't want to make you do something you hate."

As Yukiya declared this, Riko’s eyes widened in surprise.

"You said it yourself, didn't you? 'I don't want to form a couple.' You hated it so much you quit joining the Competitive Dance Club you wanted to join."

"That's..."

"I intend to understand your seriousness toward dance. If you like dance that much, it's normal to want to join the Competitive Dance Club. There's no place more convenient for dancing than that. But you didn't join. Even if there was a jerk there, you aren't the type to give up on a place just because of that... Yet you gave up. Wasn't it because you hated forming a couple that much? Because over there, you're forced to pair up. Am I wrong?"

When he first got interested in Ballroom dance, Yukiya had looked up what the Competitive Dance Club was like.

The Saitama High Competitive Dance Club had a membership requirement of "forming a couple" due to the club's characteristic of "aiming to participate in competitions." Those who didn't pair up, or couldn't, couldn't stay in the club.

Yukiya believed this requirement was the reason Riko gave up. And his guess seemed to be correct. Riko didn't deny it. Biting her lip and looking down was proof of her affirmation.

"...So Riko, there's no need to force yourself. That might be the best method, but there are plenty of other ways to do it."

Forcing her was cruel. If Riko’s wounds reopened, cracks might form in the Social Dance Club right then and there. The four of them would scatter. That would be putting the cart before the horse. He wanted to avoid that at all costs.

"So, I really don't mind pairing with anyone—"

"I'll pair with you."

The three of them turned to Riko in unison. Riko had her lips pressed tight.

"R-Riko-chan, are you really okay with that?"

"Yes. Because I know that's the best we can do."

"But aren't you forcing yourself?"

"I am."

Riko’s words stabbed into Yukiya’s chest. Saying she "didn't want to pair with men" meant she didn't want to pair with Yukiya either. He understood her circumstances, but being told that so bluntly was sad.

Just as Yukiya was secretly feeling hurt, Riko looked up at him through her lashes and murmured.

"I hate men... but I feel like you're different from him."

"Eh?"

"So, I thought, 'If the partner is you, I guess it's fine.'"

Riko turned her face away abruptly. With her usual poker face, Yukiya couldn't gauge what she was thinking to make her say that.

"If it's me, it's fine... Hey, explain what that means in detai—"

"There's no deep meaning. I don't feel anything for you, and it's not like I'm going to die, so it just means I can tolerate it."

Being told that with a look of utter displeasure, Yukiya was crushed, regretting he even asked. Apparently, it was on the level of "having to tolerate." And "don't feel anything"... He felt they had gotten along lately, so he had involuntarily expected something from her potentially positive words.

(—Expectation? For what?)

Yukiya tilted his head at the question that floated up. What on earth was he expecting from Riko?

Ignoring Yukiya, who was thinking such thoughts, Fiona let out a voice of pure joy.

"But this is great! Now Yukiya and Riko are a couple!"

"Wait a second, the meaning of that one is different!"

The accent for a Ballroom dance "couple" and a romantic "couple" was different. The former was accented at the end, the latter at the beginning. Fiona had just used the latter. Even though Riko had just denied any romantic frivolity, Fiona was grinning, completely unbothered.

"It's fine to hold both positions concurrently, you know? My Papa and Mama do~"

Unable to tell if Fiona was teasing or serious, Yukiya groaned with a red face. Denying it would make it seem like he was conscious of it, which was embarrassing, and he feared the situation would get bogged down in a swamp of awkwardness.

Riko seemed to think the same. She glared at Fiona coldly without offering a useless rebuttal.

"Anyway, it's something to celebrate. Both of you, please do your best!"

Everyone other than the couple themselves seemed truly wildly entertained. The conversation was already moving toward holding a celebration and kickoff party at a family restaurant on the way home.

"Riko."

Yukiya called out to Riko, who was making a resigned face next to him while watching Tamami and Fiona. Riko gave an exhausted reply, still staring at the girls' commotion in dismay.

"What?"

"I'm counting on you."

"...Likewise."

Without even meeting each other's eyes, the two of them let out deep sighs simultaneously.

Before they knew it, breaks had appeared in the rain clouds outside the window. Sunlight pierced through the gloomily shadowed world. By the time they went home, they might not need umbrellas anymore.

However, the rain continued to fall. Wetting the ground, turning it to mud, falling softly and steadily.

＊ ＊ ＊

"The competition date has been decided."

Tamami announced this to the members gathered in the club room the day after Marina's visit.

Fiona had taken charge of practice, while Tamami was handling the administrative side, like procedures and paperwork. Tamami was surprisingly quick with detailed tasks, having managed to adjust the schedule literally overnight.

"Umm, the deadline for the school to approve the club's continuation is September 1st—right when summer vacation ends and the second semester begins. I thought it would be better to get results sooner, but we need time for practice and other preparations, so I chose a match that was as late as possible. Also, frankly, this was the only suitable match available."

Tamami distributed A4 printouts to the members sitting on the long bench. Yukiya lowered his gaze to the paper handed to him.

"Amateur Summer Cup, Standard Division Novice Match, August 31st... This is the one we're entering?"

"Yes. When I confirmed with the school, they said they would accept any achievements made up to the day before the deadline. Also, they said the scale of this tournament is perfectly sufficient for a track record."

"But it's a Novice Match. That's a relief."

"What's a Novice Match?"

It seemed there were different types of competitions. When Yukiya tilted his head at the unfamiliar term, Fiona provided an explanation.

"Dancers basically have five ranks, ranging from Novice at the bottom to Class A at the top. You start at Novice Class, and every time you win a promotion match, your rank goes up. It might be easiest to think of it like a pyramid, though strictly speaking, the ratio of people in each tier is a bit different."

"Hoh."

"A Novice Match is for beginners who don't hold a rank yet—the Novice Class. In other words, couples who haven't been paired for long are the ones competing. On the other hand, there are matches where all ranks from Novice to Class A compete without those divisions. Think of it like an Open Weight class in fighting sports."

"To put it another way, in a Novice Match, there are no guaranteed strong opponents. Competing against Class A dancers who have won numerous matches would be too heavy a burden for amateurs, right?"

"True."

"However, sometimes even Novice Class dancers can be formidable. Like people who just haven't entered promotion matches until now."

"Or people who have been dancing for years with a stance of 'not doing competitions' like our club, but suddenly decide to enter because their partner changed."

"I see, that happens too. I wouldn't want to run into them in the same match, though..."

"Even so, the overall level shouldn't be that high. Tamami, thanks for considering that."

"No problem, leave the support to me!"

Tamami clenched both fists and thumped her small chest with a determined "Hmph!"

"Well then, next is the tailcoat."

"Do I have to buy all that too?"

"Competitions have dress regulations. For this tournament, women wear dresses and men wear tailcoats. But if you buy one, it costs over a hundred thousand yen, you know?"

Yukiya’s jaw dropped. Over a hundred thousand... yen?

"Is... is it really that expensive..."

"Yup. Ballroom dancing was originally a hobby for aristocrats, after all. The expensive dresses can cost over a million yen."

"I-I-I-I don't have that kind of money...!"

Yukiya couldn't even afford the 20,000 yen shoes. Even if you shook him upside down, that kind of cash wouldn't fall out.

"It's okay, leave it to me. Let's borrow one from a teacher my Papa knows."

"That... that saves me."

Yukiya stroked his chest in relief at Fiona's words. Ballroom dancing really is something that costs money, he thought. But maybe other sports were like this when starting out too. Yukiya recalled hearing that when his cousin started Kendo, buying the protective gear cost tens of thousands of yen.

"Hey Fiona, I'd like to rent my dress from your acquaintance too."

"Okey-dokey~"

"But Riko-chan, what about that blue dress?" Tamami asked, voicing her question. Riko made a bitter face.

"I could borrow that one too, but I don't want to wear it anymore... It reminds me of when I'm dissolving my couple."

"Blue dress?"

"At the first competition I ever watched, Riko-chan was wearing a blue dress. Really, it was a wonderful dress."

Tamami narrowed her eyes dreamily as she reminisced.

"Come to think of it, Yukiya-san hasn't seen Riko-chan in a dress, right? You'll be surprised, for sure. She's amazing."

"I wonder what kind of dress would be good? Something that suits Riko perfectly would be best!"

Apparently, unlike the Leader's tailcoat, there were various types of dresses. Fiona and Tamami were chatting happily about chiffon fabrics versus velour fabrics.

Yukiya, lacking knowledge in that area, seemed unlikely to be able to join that conversation at all. However, Riko, the person who would actually be wearing it, was also left out of the loop. Noticing this, Tamami asked her.

"What kind of dress do you want to wear, Riko-chan?"

"I don't care as long as I can wear it. If I can move properly on it, then that's enough."

"It's a rare opportunity, it's a waste  if you do not make requests, Riko!"

Fiona lamented, but Riko just shrugged.

"...More importantly, the issue is whether we can dance properly or not."

"You're absolutely right."

Yukiya nodded in agreement. No matter how beautifully they dressed up on the outside, if they couldn't dance the actual dance, it would be pointless.

"We don't have time, so we need to practice."

Riko stood up from her chair. She held out her hand in front of Yukiya.

"Come on, let's dance."

＊ ＊ ＊

"That's not it."

About two hours after practice began, Riko pulled away from Yukiya. Or rather, "took distance" was a more accurate description. She then glared at Yukiya coldly.

"Jeez, how many times are you going to make me say it? I can't believe you can't even get past the first three steps. Are you stupid? Are you an idiot? Are your nerves connected properly? Will dying cure you?"

"...Yes, I'm sorry."

Yukiya apologized meekly. He had no choice but to apologize.

As Riko had feared, he couldn't dance properly.

Two hours into dancing, he kept stumbling at the same spot. The reason he couldn't retort to her verbal abuse was that Yukiya himself felt the fault lay with him.

In the first three steps, perhaps because his timing with Riko was off, their feet somehow collided, hindering each other's movements. As a result, the dance didn't continue.

"...I'm sorry. I said too much."

Seeing Yukiya hang his head silently, Riko apologized for her harsh tongue. But Yukiya understood her feelings too. For her, who was serious about dance, this current situation could be nothing but a source of mounting irritation.

Fiona, watching from the sidelines, groaned "Muu."

"That's strange. It goes well with me."

"Maybe you really should be the one doing it, Fiona."

Riko said exasperatedly, and even Yukiya felt that way. However, Yukiya knew from looking in the mirror that when he paired with Fiona, they looked unattractive. Against Fiona, Yukiya looked pathetic and scrawny.

"Well, it's the first day you've become couples, so let's do our best without rushing."

From then on, practice continued every day, including weekends. The time they could dance was extended, but the couple would fall apart before they could finish dancing through to the end. Yukiya often stepped on Riko’s feet. Even when they miraculously managed to dance through to the end, the gloomy atmosphere remained unchanged. Rather than "dancing," it felt like they had just "done the movements."

The awkwardness drifting between them stole their words. The conversation that existed at the start of practice would vanish like a foam as time passed. In the end, they would release their hands in silence. Every day was a repetition of that.

If not for Fiona and Tamami providing support, Yukiya might have stopped enduring long ago. The mental fatigue was greater than the physical fatigue. He felt like he was going to start hating Riko. Surely, Riko felt the same way. Other than when they were dancing, the time he spent away from her was increasing more than before.

And so, time passed mercilessly without progress—

By the time he realized it, the mid-term exams in June were over.

It was his first exam since entering high school, but the results would probably be in tatters—on the final day of exams, having submitted his last answer sheet, Yukiya collapsed onto his desk. There was no way he could have taken the exams properly in this mental state.

After the exams, before starting dance practice, Yukiya asked Riko.

"Hey, how were the exams?"

"Don't ask... Ugh, just remembering it is the worst."

Why am I trying so hard? Yukiya suddenly thought. The question that surfaced slowly corroded his thoughts.

He only wanted to protect a fun club. He only wanted to protect a comfortable place.

And yet, why was he suffering so much now?

Maybe it would be better to just quit—whenever he thought that, he shook his head as if to deny it. If he quit here, everyone's efforts and hardships until now would be wasted.

But, I'm tired—

Round and round, like a clumsy Waltz, his thoughts spun distortedly.

"Umm, Yukiya-san. Are you okay?"

After practice, Tamami asked worriedly as Yukiya slumped onto the long bench as if collapsing. Riko was standing by the wall, keeping her distance. The conversation wouldn't reach her through the wall of music.

"Are you... pushing yourself?"

Tamami voiced the words Yukiya had once asked Riko.

"Well, it'd be a lie if I said I wasn't."

He couldn't say "Not at all." Even if he did, the tragic air he was constantly radiating would have given him away immediately.

Tamami looked down dejectedly.

"...I'm sorry."

"What's wrong, all of a sudden?"

Yukiya tried to recall if there was anything for her to apologize for. But nothing came to mind.

When he looked into her face, Tamami spoke dejectedly.

"I was the one who made this club... so I'm wondering if maybe I'm tying everyone down to this place..."

"Wh-What are you saying? That's not like you, Tama-chan."

Yukiya was startled by Tamami's attitude. For her to start saying such negative things... had he and Riko really been practicing that badly?

"Everyone is here because they like it. So there's no need to think like that."

"But..."

"I decided I'm going to protect this place, this club. I want to protect it even if I have to push myself a little."

In Yukiya’s life until now, there had been absolutely zero instances where he thought about protecting something like this on his own. But he liked this place enough to think so for the first time. The proof was that he was sticking with it like this, almost unbelievably. Normally, he would have thrown in the towel ages ago.

I don't want to lose this place—that feeling was genuine.

"So, this is my selfishness, and Riko probably feels the same. There isn't even a speck of a reason for you to feel sorry, Tama-chan."

Yukiya told her this, trying to be as cheerful as possible.

However, Tamami remained silent at Yukiya’s words. She stared blankly at the floor for a while, as if thinking about something.

＊ ＊ ＊

After practice with Riko wrapped up, Yukiya dragged Fiona alone out of the clubroom, saying, "Come with me to buy a drink."

It is worth noting that today, Fiona was decked out in white bunny ears and a tail to match her natural blonde hair, paired with a red vest, gloves, trousers, and goggles hanging around her neck. When Yukiya, seeing this outfit for the first time, asked what kind of cosplay this was, Fiona struck a fighting pose and declared, "I’m King Kazma from the movie Summer Wars!"

Furthermore, beneath that vest, she was wearing a white bikini-type swimsuit. Since her bountiful chest was exposing far more skin than usual, Yukiya honestly didn't know where to look. Every time she struck a pose, the roundness of her breasts shifted into this shape and that shape, creating a rather disastrous situation for his composure.

"Just the two of us... this must be a date, right?!" Fiona chirped, her energy as high as ever as they arrived at the first floor of the school building.

"Fiona... I have a favor to ask."

"Oh? You want to ask me something? Is it something naughty?"

"As if!"

When Yukiya frantically shook his head in denial, Fiona cackled with amusement. He was being completely toyed with.

Regaining his composure, Yukiya bought a bottle of sports drink from the vending machine and handed it to Fiona as he spoke.

"I don't think I can keep going like this."

Putting his own bottle to his lips, Yukiya recalled the practice with Riko just moments ago. It had been a disaster. When he imagined how much worse it must have looked from the outside, he felt ashamed enough to want to bury himself in a hole.

He felt that the failure was entirely his fault. Because he lacked the fundamental skills, he couldn't dance properly even with an advanced partner like Riko.

"Right now, I'm just a dead weight to her. At this rate, it's obvious that if we enter a competition, we'll get wiped out instantly."

"Hmm, is that so? I think Yukiya is working hard, though."

"Thanks... but I'm sure it's not nearly enough."

In terms of spirit, he intended to work hard. But "intending to work hard" wasn't good enough. If his actual ability didn't catch up, they couldn't win a match. And if they couldn't win, the club would disappear.

"That's why I've been thinking... I want to do some special training."

"Ooh...! Spe-cial Train-ing, is it?!"

At Yukiya's words, Fiona's eyes began to sparkle as she gripped her plastic bottle.

"Special training—ufufu, that is an absolute necessity in shonen manga and battle anime! After bloody and painful training, you push yourself to the limit and achieve a Breakthrough... Then, enemies you couldn't defeat before become nothing but Zakus in front of the powered-up protagonist!"

You mean "small fry," right? Yukiya retorted inwardly. Zaku is a mass-produced robot from Gundam. Though, in a sense, since they are treated like cannon fodder, he supposed she wasn't technically wrong.

"Sounds good! I love special training! Are you going to do it, Yukiya?"

"Yeah. That's why I asked you. I was hoping you might know a training method that would help me get better immediately."

"Hmm... You might be disappointed to hear this, Yukiya, but there are no shortcuts to getting good at dance. The best way to improve is to dance a looot."

"I thought I understood that, but... I guess there really isn't a magic trick..."

Yukiya's shoulders slumped at Fiona's words. As he suspected, there was no convenient way to suddenly become a master dancer. Just as he was about to give up—

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. If it's a good training method you want, I have one!"

Fiona wagged her finger with a smug grin.

"R-Really?"

"Yeesss. However, it is super tough. When I did it, I ended up delirious with a high fever."

"F-Fever...?"

Yukiya flinched. He let his imagination run wild about what kind of painful training it could be. Would he have to wear a muscle-correcting cast like in the old anime Fiona taught him about? Or perhaps be confined in a Hyperbolic Time Chamber?

"Even so, will you do it?"

"I... I'll do it."

Fearfully, but firmly, Yukiya nodded. If he did nothing, nothing would change. But if he tried, something might actually change. It was scary, but he mustered his courage to take that step.

Seemingly satisfied with his answer, the bunny-eared Fiona smiled broadly, emphasizing the captivating valley of her chest.

"Then, I shall teach you! You see..."

＊ ＊ ＊

The next day. On the way home from club activities, Fiona thrust a single book at Yukiya, declaring, "Special training!"

"Special training... This is?"

"Yes! This is a dance textbook."

"A textbook?"

"Ballroom dance requires a particularly intellectual approach, even among sports. There are global standard methods established for it. This book contains those written methods. It's often called 'The Bible'."

"Reading this is... the special training?"

"Yes, yes. —Ah, Yukiya, you don't believe me, do you? Your face says, 'Will I really get better just from this?' You are being totally gishian (Internet slang for sexual activity)."

Yukiya jolted. His thoughts had been exposed. ...However, before he could panic about that, he got a headache wondering which idiot taught this British girl to abbreviate gishinanki (suspicion and doubt) as "gishian." He instinctively covered his face with his hand.

"...So, is it true?"

"Fufufu, just try it as if you've been tricked. Once you can perfectly execute what is written in this book, you will become incredibly, sharply skilled!"

Yukiya was worried that his spirit might be the thing getting sharply broken, but he accepted the book.

When he returned home, it was a little early for dinner. Entering his room, Yukiya took the textbook out of his bag. It had a maroon cover with the title written in white letters.

"The Ballroom Technique, huh..."

He turned the page and started reading immediately.

The book was written in English, but since Fiona had added Japanese translations and diagrams, Yukiya could understand what was written. Authored by a dancer named Alex Moore, the book seemed to detail everything from the direction of movement on the floor to exactly how to place one's feet when taking a step.

At first, Yukiya sat at his desk reading, but thinking, I won't get it unless I actually move, he stood up and began stepping around his room while reading.

"The 'Natural Spin Turn' is... 'Step one, Right foot forward.' Alignment—that's the direction of the feet, right?—is 'Facing diagonal to wall.' Amount of Turn is 'Commence to turn right.' And Rise and Fall—uh, the vertical movement of the body—is 'Commence to rise at end of 1'... D-Does this go on forever...?"

Yukiya lowered the textbook and looked up at the ceiling. Thanks to Fiona's teachings, the katakana terminology wasn't impossible to understand. But to think that just moving a single step required this many instructions... It was certainly "super tough." It felt like reading a physics textbook. But—

"—...No, I'll do it. I decided I would."

Shaking his head, Yukiya glared at the textbook once more. This book was the special training Fiona had imposed on him. He told himself that if he understood this book and mastered the correct basics of the steps, it would surely be useful when dancing with Riko. It's okay, it's not so thick that I can't read it, he added as a mental follow-up.

Riko was far away.

Yukiya felt that if he didn't level up somehow, he would never catch up to her, and currently, he was just a baggage. He hated that. The pride he thought was no bigger than a water flea insisted that he couldn't allow that. He wanted to stand next to her. As her Leader.

And he wanted to be acknowledged by her. As a dancer... just like Atsunari.

Yukiya read until he understood, then stepped until he was used to it. The first step—Natural Spin Turn. He did it over and over. Right foot, forward. Next, left foot...

Controlling his body was harder than he expected. This was the first time Yukiya had been so conscious of the nerves running through his body. He felt like he could almost trace the information traveling from his brain to his nerves, telling his body how to move.

"Hmm. Something's wrong... Maybe I should try it with my Hold up—"

Just as Yukiya lifted his face from the textbook and tried to frame his Hold—

In the gap of the door, a single eye was visible in the darkness.

"Whoa! ....................................Y-You scared me. What is it, Mom?"

The owner of the eye was Yukiya's mother. She slowly revealed herself from the doorway.

"Dinner's ready, so I came to call you."

"Th-Then don't peek, just call out to me."

"No, well, I just thought you looked like you were working hard."

His mother was smiling, beaming happily. That expression made Yukiya feel somewhat itchy with embarrassment.

It was only recently that his mother—and his father, too—had started looking at him like this. Ever since Yukiya started watching Ballroom dance videos on the living room computer, his parents would look at him with this somewhat delighted expression.

"...Is it wrong for me to work hard?"

"Nope. Isn't it fine? Do as much as you can. But eat before that. Your dad is waiting too. It's tonkatsu today."

Saying that, Yukiya's mother left the room. Yukiya closed the textbook and placed it on the desk.

"...Yeah. I guess I'll do as much as I can."

Encouraged by his mother's words, Yukiya continued to find time to repeat his special training: reading the textbook while practicing the steps.

At home. In the classroom. Waiting for the train to school. Again and again. Until he got bored, and even after he got bored.

He just kept doing it earnestly. Believing that it would become a definite strength.

＊ ＊ ＊

Time flew by, and summer vacation began. The clubroom was air-conditioned, but outside it was completely summer. The sunlight was vicious, and the buzzing of cicadas shook the atmosphere with a wavering drone.

On the day of the closing ceremony, Haruki, whom he met for the last time before the break, was excited. He said there was a photoshoot event during the break. It looked like it would be a busy summer for him too, but when Yukiya told him he was entering a competition, Haruki cheerfully said, "I'll go cheer you on."

Perhaps the special training Fiona taught him was taking effect, as Yukiya's own dancing had improved significantly. Faithful to the basics, without weird habits—it was becoming a truly fundamental Standard dance. He had Fiona's seal of approval on that.

However, Yukiya was painfully aware that dance is not something you do alone.

When he was with Riko, for some reason, it didn't work. Neither the knowledge nor the technique he acquired from the textbook applied to her. He still hadn't been able to figure out why or find a breakthrough.

Because of this, Yukiya was being especially careful during practice to avoid arguments. Whenever the mood with Riko turned sour, they would naturally distance themselves and set up a cooling-off period—

It was the beginning of August when an exhausted Yukiya thought, "I can't take this anymore."

The day arrived to go watch the professional competition that Fiona had obtained the tickets before.

On this rare day off from practice, the relief of being able to rest won out over any anticipation for the professional match in Yukiya's mind. He wouldn't have to stare at Riko all day. It felt no exaggeration to say his lifespan had been extended by a year.

"Ah, Yukiya-san! Over here, over here!"

It was ten in the morning, with the summer-tinged sun beating down intensely. The venue was the General Gymnasium, not too far from Tama High. The girls had already gathered at the meeting spot near the entrance.

Tamami wore a cut-and-sew top with a checkered mini-skirt and white knee-high socks. Riko wore a long one-piece dress. Fiona was in a mature T-shirt and chinos—all three were dressed completely differently. As for Fiona, it was the first time Yukiya had seen her in normal clothes other than her uniform.

Yukiya's eyes met Riko's.

"...Morning."

"...Good morning."

The conversation didn't continue. An awkward atmosphere flowed between them.

"It's already started. Let's go—"

Whether she couldn't stand the sight of the two or just didn't care, Fiona carefree-ly started walking into the venue.

Tamami followed. Yukiya and Riko trailed after them.

"Naoki Iezumi and Tomomi are competing in today's match! I'm a huge fan!"

"Among Japanese Standard competitors, they are a big favorite of mine too. Though internationally, I hands-down push for the Marco Gozzoli & Alessia Betti pair. By the way, asking you now, Tama-chan, who do you like among Latin competitors?"

"For Latin, it has to be Keiji Oda and Satoko Watanabe! They are so sexy and cool."

"Oh wow! Tama-chan, you make another nice choice. As expected!"

Walking ahead, Fiona and Tamami were blossoming in a conversation about deep dance topics. To Yukiya, who was ignorant of the ins and outs of the dance world, he honestly didn't know what they were talking about. He felt like he might have seen the names in videos, but he still understood anime better. However, it was surprising to hear the word "erotic" come out of Tamami's mouth. Perhaps it was a compliment after all.

As they walked down the hallway, a heavy bass sound that resonated in the pit of his stomach leaked from behind the walls, thumping like a concert venue. They climbed the stairs and arrived at the spectator seats on the second floor. Looking down at the floor, many dancers were already dancing.

"Amazing... It's lively, or rather..."

Yukiya let out a sigh of admiration. The floor below was about the size of three basketball courts and sparkled like a jewelry box.

The Leaders were all in black tailcoats. In contrast, the Partners' dresses varied in material and shape, colorful and incredibly gorgeous. Both Leaders and Partners had their hair tightly slicked back. Many Partners wore hair ornaments. Shiny decorations like rhinestones and lamé reflected the lights, sparkling brilliantly.

"I'm glad we got tickets to a pro match before entering a competition. It will be a good reference in many ways."

Yukiya agreed. It was important to know what a competition was actually like before the real thing. It never hurt to prepare for anything.

"First, the match is divided into combinations called 'Heats' for the qualifiers. Then, the winners compete in the finals. Do you see the judges around the floor?"

Looking closely, there were eight men and women standing at equal intervals around the floor, dressed in suits or party dresses distinct from the dancers. They held clipboards and pens. They were writing something down while watching the dancing competitors.

"There are two scoring methods in competitions. The Point System and the Check System."

At Fiona's words, Yukiya remembered hearing this from Riko at an Italian restaurant in Ueno before. That nasty guy, Atsunari, was apparently good at the Point System or something.

"The Point System is like figure skating, where items—musicality, composition, completion—are converted into points. In contrast, the Check System focuses on 'whether the judge thinks they are good or not.'"

"The Summer Cup is a Check System," Tamami supplemented. In other words, victory in the Summer Cup depended on how much they could move the judges' hearts.

"Can you tell which one it is today?"

"Yes. It's obvious if you look at the match guidelines. This one is the Check System. Those judges are putting 'checks' on mark sheets that have the competitors' back numbers. Like checkmarks. The competitors who get checks can advance."

On the backs of the Leaders, number bibs with black text on a white background were attached. Apparently, the judges looked at those and checked the competitors they liked.

"After passing the qualifiers, the main competition goes to semi-finals, then finals. That determines the ranking."

"To keep the club alive, we have to make it to the finals..."

A heavy pressure weighed on Yukiya.

Advancing to the finals—could he, who had only started dancing about three months ago, achieve such a result?

"The Amateur Summer Cup that you guys are entering doesn't have this many people. So please don't psych yourself out too much."

"Is that so?" Yukiya felt a little relieved. It might be weak and pathetic, but fewer rivals were definitely better.

"The venue for the Summer Cup is right here, so watch the competitors' movements closely. Especially the entrance and exit—it'll be trouble if you don't know it."

'Now for the Waltz, Second Qualifier, Heat Three. Back numbers 44, 45, 49—'

When the heat numbers were announced over the PA, the competitors with the corresponding back numbers entered the floor from all directions. They each chose a spot, spacing themselves out so as not to collide with other competitors.

Once the starting positions were decided, the Leaders and Partners waited facing each other until the music began. The moment it started, they formed their Hold and began to dance.

"It feels... a bit different from what I'm dancing... Their movements are flashy, or..."

"Ah, that's because those are 'Variation Figures'."

"Var-ee-ay-shun Fig-ures?"

"A 'Figure' is a sequence of several steps. What you are doing now, Yukiya, are 'Basic Figures,' the absolute basics of Ballroom dance. Variations are what evolved based on those basics."

"So... that means basics are shabby...?"

Feeling that the dance he was doing was plain compared to the pro dancers in front of him, Yukiya slumped his shoulders. However, at those words, Fiona puffed out her cheeks, which was rare for her.

"No, no! That is completely wrong! If you compare the system of Figures to a single tree, Variations are the branches and leaves, and Basics are the trunk. In other words, Basics are super important, and if you don't understand the Basics properly, you can't dance Variations well! Basics might indeed look plain, but... look, Yukiya."

In the corner of the floor that Fiona pointed to emphatically, there was a couple. Their movement had no stagnation, and to Yukiya's eyes, they looked better than the other couples.

"Fufu, it seems even Yukiya understood. That couple is very excellent. But, that is Basic."

The steps they were using were indeed all steps Yukiya knew. Yet, they weren't shabby at all. They had stability and presence; far from looking inferior to the surrounding Variations, they outshined them.

"If it's a Check System, you can win properly with just Basics, so please rest assured. Those who laugh at Basics will weep at Basics. Master them properly, okay?"

"Got it. I'll work hard on my Basics—ah, they crashed."

The Basic Figure competitors Yukiya was watching collided with another couple and stopped. However, they soon started dancing again as if nothing had happened.

"That kind of thing happens often. Leaders watch the situation to avoid collisions, but the essential thing is to respond calmly and like a gentleman when you do crash."

"I wonder if I can do it... or rather, I wonder if I can win."

Yukiya let out a heavy sigh. Just thinking about entering the competition was depressing. Perhaps sensing Yukiya's feelings, Fiona laughed brightly.

"It'll be okay! What's important is 'Unity'! As long as you have that, you can win!"

That's actually the biggest uncertainty right now... Yukiya thought, looking at the smiling Fiona and slumping his shoulders.

After that, the club members continued watching as they pleased for a while.

When about two hours had passed, Tamami suggested, "Shall we go get lunch?" and the three agreed. There were a few restaurants around the General Gymnasium. Leaving the spectator seats, Yukiya and the others went down the stairs.

It happened just as they were heading for the exit.

"Hey, isn't that Riko?"

Hearing a familiar voice and recalling a situation etched in his memory, Yukiya turned his head.

Bad feeling: confirmed.

Standing there was Riko's former Leader, Atsunari.

"What a coincidence. To think you came too. Surely not to see me?"

Even though Riko was with company, they apparently didn't register in his vision. As Atsunari got carried away with himself, Riko directed a gaze at him that was absolute zero.

"Rest assured, there isn't even an atom's worth of that possibility. This is part of club activities."

At those words, Atsunari finally seemed to notice Yukiya and the others. He smirked mockingly.

"Heh. For a club that just 'playing around', you sure act like big shots coming to watch a competition."

"Hey, 'playing around' is uncalled for."

Ticked off, Yukiya tried to argue back. But Atsunari cut him off.

"But it's true, isn't it? You're not entering competitions, just frolicking around. From my perspective, it only looks like you're playing."

Yukiya couldn't retort to Atsunari's words. From the perspective of the Competitive Dance Club, which had a track record, it couldn't be helped if the Social Dance Club, doing it as a hobby, was thought of as just that level.

They did plan to enter a competition. But Yukiya felt there was no need to tell Atsunari that. It was obvious that if he said it, he'd be told, "There's no way you can win," or something similar. He swallowed his words.

"Hey Riko, think again. With your ability, if you pair with me, we can reach A-Class in no time. Just quit that lame club and join the Competitive Dance Club. Yeah?"

"I told you I don't want to. Don't make me say it over and over. I have absolutely no intention of pairing with you ever again, nor will I join the Competitive Dance Club. This decision will not change, ever."

"No, no, what's the point of being in a club like that? You're not the type of person to fit in a club like that. You're being tied down by them. Wake up already."

"Tch, stop saying whatever you want! What do you think you know?"

Rare for her, Riko shouted in agitation.

"Just go away already! I don't want to see your face!"

"Woah, what are ya doin', Atsunari!"

At that moment, a person ran up from behind Atsunari with incredible speed. Using that momentum—THWACK!—she smacked Atsunari on the head with a rolled-up pamphlet, then bowed profusely to Yukiya and the others.

"You idiot! Ugh, I'm seriously sorry our moron caused you trouble... Atsunari, didn't I tell ya not to bother the other spectators?! Go over there! Shoo, shoo!"

Swatted away by her hand, Atsunari looked annoyed but obediently walked off toward the stairs.

"Seriously, sorry 'bout that—wait, huh? Ain't you the folks from the Social Dance Club?"

The person who raised her head was Marina from the Competitive Dance Club, a third-year student. She wasn't in uniform but wore a short-sleeved hoodie and jeans, though she wore glasses just like when she came to their clubroom.

"Marina-san... Does that mean everyone from the Competitive Dance Club is here?"

"Nope. Just me and Atsunari."

"...Could it be a date, perhaps?"

"As if! Geez, stop it, with a brat like that."

Marina made a gagging motion. She apparently hated the idea that much.

"We came today to scope out the venue. Since we're competin' in the match held here at the end of August."

"Competing... with him?"

Starting with Yukiya, all the club members blinked in surprise. Marina shrugged.

"That's right. Everyone said they couldn't handle lookin' after him, so I ended up takin' it on. Better to say it was forced on me, though."

"...My deepest condolences."

Riko spoke with heartfelt sympathy for Marina.

"Yeah, you were Atsunari's previous... It must've been really rough. Surprised you didn't stab him with a kitchen knife."

"I thought about stabbing him many times. That wouldn't be enough, so I wanted to turn him into mincemeat."

"Ah, figured as much?"

Marina laughed heartily at Riko, who said extreme things with a straight face.

"Atsunari hasn't entered promotion matches so far, apparently, so he doesn't have a rank. That means startin' from the Novice match. Well, he's got personality problems, but when it comes to dance, he's pretty good. Come cheer for us at the Amateur Summer Cup if you like."

At Marina's words, the members of the Social Dance Club froze. Yukiya and Riko exchanged awkward glances.

"What's wrong?"

"No... from what you said, I thought it might be the same one," Riko said.

"........................We are entering too. The Summer Cup," Yukiya continued.

"Eh? You guys are?"

Marina looked back and forth between Yukiya and Riko. Then, she nodded as if understanding.

"I see... It's about the club merger stuff, right?"

"Yes."

"Right. If you win, the school can't refuse to let you exist... But, since we're enterin', we gotta win too. Sorry to you guys, but we ain't handin' over the championship."

Marina smiled fearlessly. It was an expression of confidence.

"Well then, let's both do our best. See ya at the tournament."

Marina waved her hand and went up the stairs, chasing after Atsunari.

"..."

An awkward silence drifted among the club members.

It's Atsunari's fault, Yukiya thought. Seriously, saying all that unnecessary crap.

"Right! Let's go eat!"

Yukiya spoke brightly to switch the mood. Fiona and Riko nodded.

But, while three started walking, there was one person who remained standing still—Tamami.

"Tama-chan?"

When Yukiya turned around, Tamami was looking down. Her lips trembled slightly.

"...Maybe we should stop, after all."

"Stop? Stop what?"

"........................Entering the match."

The music leaking from the floor stopped. The third qualifier seemed to have ended.

"What are you saying, Tamami?"

"Y-Yeah. What's wrong all of a sudden?"

To Riko and Fiona, whose expressions stiffened, Tamami whispered without raising her head, dropping her words to the floor.

"...You see, I've been thinking about it the whole time. Every single day, making Yukiya-san and Riko-chan practice until you're exhausted, making you look so tired... I wondered if this club even has enough value to protect at that cost. I... I just don't know anymore."

Yukiya recalled that Tamami had been acting strangely the other day.

"Was it a mistake to invite everyone to the Social Dance Club I made?"—Tamami had been brooding over that thought for a long time. Atsunari had merely provided the trigger for her to spill her worries.

Surely, no matter how much they said "That's not true," it wouldn't reach Tamami's heart, which had stubbornly hardened.

What should I do? Yukiya thought. It seemed Riko and Fiona couldn't find an answer either. All the members understood that simple words couldn't change Tamami's mind.

Yukiya thought and thought—and clenched his fist.

Then, it just doesn't have to be simple.

"...Tama-chan. You just need to see the value, right? The value in protecting this club."

Tamami, who had been looking down, slowly lifted her face as if gauging Yukiya's expression. Staring into her small eyes, Yukiya took a deep breath and spoke clearly, word for word.

"Then, we will win the Amateur Summer Cup. You won't have any complaints then, right?"

"Wha—"

Riko froze, her mouth agape in dumbfounded shock. Fiona also let out a surprised "Oh!"

Tamami blinked her eyes rapidly.

"Yukiya-san...?"

"You think that Riko and Fiona are stagnating because they're in this club despite having talent... right? In that case, I'll prove that the location doesn't matter. We just have to win and prove it—that this club is worthy of them. You'd have no complaints then, yeah?"

"B-But Yukiya-san. Atsunari-san and Marina-san said they are entering too... That's impossible..."

"It's not impossible."

...No, it's definitely impossible, Yukiya barely stopped himself from retorting to his own statement.

This is the crucial moment—don't back down, he told himself.

"Hey, Tama-chan. If we beat them, it means this club isn't just for 'playing around.' We can make them acknowledge us. So, if we win the championship, don't ever say that again—it's a promise."

"..........................................Okay."

Tamami hesitated, but eventually gave a small reply. Yukiya nodded at her reaction, then turned to Riko and spoke.

"Well then, we don't have time to be leisurely eating lunch. Riko, let's go to school and practice."

"—...Yeah. Understood."

"Alright then. See you both tomorrow!"

Bidding a bright farewell to Tamami and Fiona, Yukiya headed out of the venue. Riko ran after him.

"...Hey, Yukiya. Were you serious back there? About winning."

A little while after they left the gymnasium grounds, Riko asked as if she couldn't hold it in any longer.

Yukiya stopped in his tracks.

Then, his shoulders slumped heavily, and he spoke without turning back to Riko.

"...That was reckless, wasn't it?"

"So you were just acting tough after all."

Hearing Riko's sigh behind him, Yukiya instinctively closed his eyes.

Yes, just acting tough. It was a bluff.

Remaining in the finals and winning the championship were two different things. He had not a shred of confidence that they could win, no one expected them to, and he, the person actually entering, knew best that it wasn't a realistic story.

"But, I thought I had to say that."

Yukiya muttered, looking at the ground.

"If I didn't say that much, I thought Tama-chan wouldn't be convinced. I thought if we left it like that, everyone would drift apart."

Yukiya clenched his fists and turned around. He looked straight at Riko.

"I hate that. I want to protect this club. For that sake, even though there's less than a month left, I plan to seriously work hard. So... lend me your strength, Riko!"

"Yukiya..."

Riko gazed back quietly at Yukiya, who had spoken as if pouring out his soul.

Then, her gaze suddenly averted. Riko didn't answer Yukiya's words; she started walking and passed him. But, two or three steps ahead, she stopped again.

There, she spun around.

"...When you shouted that bluff, I thought it was reckless. I thought, 'What is this idiot saying?' But... well, it wasn't bad."

This time, Riko looked at Yukiya. Straight on.

Then, she held out her right hand to Yukiya, as if asking for a handshake. With her usual expressionless face, but with a declaration definitely imbued with will, she spoke.

"Let's win this."

＊ ＊ ＊

"Hey. First of all, what do you think went wrong up until now?"

"If I had to guess, I'd say we haven't really discussed things, have we?"

"Exactly. That's it."

Having bought lunch at a convenience store on the way, Yukiya and Riko arrived at their home base—the clubroom—and sat on the floor, facing each other as they ate.

"I realized that you actually have motivation. That you like dance, and that you like this club. Thanks to that, I've cleared my head."

"And thanks to you saying you've re-evaluated me, I've cleared mine too."

"You have something you want to say, right?"

"What a coincidence. I want to say that too."

Apparently, both of them had something they wanted to say to each other. Slurping his milk tea from the carton box, Yukiya extended his hand.

"After you. Ladies first."

"It's something hard to say, isn't it?"

"Ah, busted?"

"'Ladies first' was originally a custom men used to protect themselves, you know. Good grief, you're a disqualification of an English gentleman."

Yukiya gave a bitter smile at the pointed remark. She was right; what he wanted to say was indeed difficult to articulate.

Having been ceded the floor, Riko cleared her throat to ready her voice. She took a deep breath, as if she were about to make a love confession. It seemed that spilling her true feelings was a struggle for her.

"W-Well then................ please, 'Lead' me."

"Huh?" Yukiya let out a foolish sound.

Riko was looking down slightly. Her expression hadn't changed much, but she seemed to be putting a considerable amount of force into her hands. The sandwich in her grasp was being crushed so pitiably it looked tragic.

"...I said it. Now, your turn."

"U-Um................................................ please let me Lead."

"Eh?" This time, it was Riko who looked dumbfounded.

"Wait, were we thinking the exact same thing?"

"It seems that way."

When Yukiya danced with Riko, he felt a sense of resistance. That was why he held back from Leading.

When Riko danced with Yukiya, she felt something was lacking. That was why she leaded in his place.

"Why are you doing unnecessary things?". "Why won't you lead properly?" Thinking these things, they continued to dance while harboring dissatisfaction with their partner.

All they were doing was mutually enduring their frustration and trying to resolve the problem by themselves.

"Haa..."

Both of them pressed their foreheads and groaned.

"No wonder it wasn't working... The Leader and the Partner were doing the exact opposite of what they should. There's no way that would go well."

"Yeah... It wouldn't have worked if we kept going like that. I'm glad we talked."

"I suppose if we have things we want to say or ask, we really should put them into words. Alright, let's dance immediately after we eat."

Satisfied, the two quickly proceeded with their meal to test their dancing as soon as possible.

(Come to think of it...)

As Yukiya bit into his rice ball, he suddenly remembered.

The thing he wanted to ask Riko about—was Atsunari.

Did she still like him, or not? She had said she didn't anymore, but was that true?

"............There is something I wanted to ask..."

"What?"

"Ah, no! I-It's nothing! It's nothing at all!"

When Yukiya frantically shook his head in denial, Riko made a suspicious face.

"What is it, seriously... If you have something to ask, say it clearly."

"No—............it's nothing."

Yukiya himself didn't know why he wanted to ask such a thing. It was just that it had been bothering him. It was on his mind... making him feel hazy. Like the heartburn from eating too much oily food.

"...Sorry. It really is nothing."

Yukiya shut his mouth. He told himself that whatever Riko thought of Atsunari, it had nothing to do with him.

"...? You're weird. Come on, finish eating that quickly. Let's practice."

Riko, having finished eating quickly, stood up. Yukiya hastily stuffed the rest into his mouth. He firmly switched his thoughts to practice mode.

The two took turns entering the changing room to change into their practice clothes. Turning on the music in the clubroom, they did their warm-ups and put on their shoes.

Then, they formed their Hold. Riko placed her right hand in Yukiya's left, and in that posture, she spoke.

"Move however you like. I'll follow."

"O-Okay."

How did he want to move? How did he want to make Riko dance? What kind of dance did the two of them want to create?

Yukiya took the first step, intending to convey his will without hiding anything.

＊ ＊ ＊

What was happening... Yukiya had no idea.

The footwork was Basic Figures. The first step, Natural Spin Turn. The next, Reverse Turn—it connected. Whisk, and then Chasse from PP—it worked!

It was a sensation he had never felt before.

With every step he took, his heart shivered. His chest felt hot. What welled up was a sense of elation.

The music soaked smoothly into his body. He could take the steps he wanted, exactly how he wanted.

Riko's body was so light. It was as if wings had sprouted on both of their backs.

A twirling turn. A spin. The two danced across the floor without stagnation.

(It's fun... This is fun!)

From the depths of his heart, the feeling of 'fun' that he had nearly forgotten surfaced. It was a feeling he should have known until recently, yet it felt incredibly nostalgic.

In the mirror of the clubroom, Yukiya found himself smiling without realizing it.

＊ ＊ ＊

The chorus of evening cicadas and a cool breeze drifted in through the open windows. The sky had long turned orange, and the first stars were beginning to twinkle.

"To think it was such a simple thing."

As Yukiya drank bottled water on the long bench, Riko approached while wiping sweat with a towel and spoke. She sat next to Yukiya. Yukiya's cheeks relaxed involuntarily.

"I didn't think it would go that well. I thought you were a different person."

"That's my line."

Yukiya recalled the sensation while dancing. Riko's body, which had been as heavy as a dumbbell until now, had been as light as a feather. It was as if a door that wouldn't open no matter how much he pushed had suddenly swung wide open.

We might actually be able to do this—Yukiya felt it. And it seemed Riko felt the same.

"Compared to when we first paired up, you've definitely gotten better recently. That's why I thought we could dance if we just meshed... but to think the reason we couldn't dance was that the Lead and Follow were reversed. But I wonder why Fiona didn't point it out. Someone like her should have been able to tell just by looking from the outside."

"That is because I wanted you to realize it yourselves, you know."

At the entrance of the clubroom, where the door had been left open to air out the room, Fiona stood silently. On each shoulder, she was carrying a large black bag about the size of a canvas.

"Whew, that was heavy. I picked these up while dropping Tama-chan off."

"Could those be... the tailcoat and the dress?"

At Riko's question, Fiona nodded with a beaming smile.

"Yes! Try them on right away. First, here, Yukiya."

Yukiya was handed one of the bags by Fiona. When he took it, it was heavy, just as it looked.

"Can you put it on by yourself? If it's impossible, I will help."

"I-I'm fine. I'll try putting it on by myself for now!"

Yukiya held back Fiona, whose hands were wiggling in a lewd way as she tried to follow him into the changing room. Taking the bag, he entered the changing room alone.

Closing the curtain, he opened the bag and took out the contents. The tailcoat in his hands was exactly the same as the ones worn by professional dancers he had seen at the competition earlier. A white shirt, black jacket, and trousers. The jacket had long tails like a swallow, and the trousers were designed to be held up by suspenders. There were various other accessories, such as a white bow tie and metal cufflinks.

Yukiya decided to try putting it on while recalling the appearance of the pros. He put on the shirt, pulled up the trousers, and threw on the jacket. He attached the cufflinks to the cuffs of the shirt, wrapped the bow tie around his neck, and exited the changing room.

"H-How is it?"

He stood fearfully before the two girls. Immediately, Fiona's face lit up with a smile.

"Ohh, Yukiya, you look cool! Kyaa, wonderful, Hold me!"

"Do you even know what you're saying?"

"Of course, a hug... right? Eh, am I wrong?"

She's hopeless, Yukiya thought, holding his head. The subtle nuances weren't getting across.

Glancing sideways at Fiona, Yukiya looked at Riko. Rare for her, she was staring blankly.

"What? Does it look weird?"

"No. I just thought, as the saying goes, the clothes make the man."

"No, just compliment me honestly there."

"...It's not bad, I guess."

Staring off in the direction of the day after tomorrow, Riko mumbled her assessment.

She was technically complimenting him. But he wanted her to say it a bit more happily. Blushing and saying, "You look cool! It's wonderful!" or something... No, who is that? That wouldn't be Riko anymore, Yukiya thought, discarding his greed.

"Alright then, next is Riko's turn. I will help you change."

The two girls entered the changing room together. Yukiya waited for them to come out while checking his own appearance in the mirror.

Then, conversation could be heard from inside the changing room.

"Riko, you are amazing when you take it off."

"Not as much as you, Fiona."

"Mine are too big, so they aren't popular with the Japanese. I heard that flat ones like Tama-chan's are more popular."

Yukiya felt a sense of guilt, as if he were overhearing a conversation he shouldn't be hearing.

He waited, pretending not to know anything, and eventually, the curtain opened. Fiona jumped out.

"Tadaaa, finished!"

Following her, Riko stepped out with quiet, graceful steps.

Yukiya gasped, swallowing his breath.

Dressed in the gown, Riko looked like a completely different person.

She was wearing a crimson satin dress, like a rose. The deep red suited her perfectly, complementing her naturally eye-catching beauty.

The countless rhinestones glittering on her chest were like stars. The light fabric, known as a drape, flowed from her back to her wrists, appearing just like a pair of wings. The dress was tied with a ribbon at the back of the neck, adding a touch of cuteness to its mature look, as if the dress itself embodied the girl named Riko.

"Yukiya, your impressions? ....................................Um, Yukiya?"

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

At Riko's displeased voice, Yukiya finally returned to his senses. He had been completely captivated. He hurriedly voiced his compliment.

"N-No, I thought it was nice! Yeah, it's good, super good."

In Yukiya's mind, he intended to offer the highest praise. However, Riko didn't smile even a little.

(Ugh... Was my way of complimenting bad...?)

"Thanks."

As Yukiya felt anxious, Riko muttered that single word. But that was all. No blushing, no "I'm happy, thank you!", no shyness or dere. Well, he couldn't imagine Riko going dere anyway, so Yukiya decided to think of it as business as usual. But still, just a little, a tiny bit... it was lonely.

"Since we're here, why don't you try dancing like that? I'll play the music!"

Fiona operated the CD deck. A waltz in 3/4 time began to play. It was the theme song from the movie Summer Wars, "Bokura no Natsu no Yume" (Our Summer Dream). Accompanied by a gentle and calm piano, the male vocals flowed, evoking a nostalgia that recalled childhood and a slight tinge of sorrow.

Urged by the song, Yukiya held out his left hand. Just by wearing different clothes, everything felt completely different from usual. Riko placed her right hand on his. She seemed a little nervous too; her movements were slightly stiff.

"Do your best, you two."

Fiona clapped her hands carefreely.

Recently, Yukiya had come to believe that she knows exactly what she is doing. He used to think the atmosphere naturally softened just by having Fiona there, but he revised his opinion, realizing instead that it was all due to her effort. Fiona was watching Yukiya and Riko with a tender gaze.

"Come on, over here."

"You're being awfully forceful."

"You're the one who told me to Lead."

"...True enough."

And so, the two danced across the floor. From the CD deck, Fiona watched them happily.

The atmosphere was very happy, very enjoyable.

(But—...)

Yukiya thought as he danced.

One person is missing.

Originally, Tamami should be in this clubroom. If things were right, Tamami should be here too, watching with Fiona. That was the true form of the club.

Yukiya thought that if they didn't win the match, things would surely stay like this. As long as Tamami continued to feel guilty, this place would not return to how it was.

He wanted to take it back. The sight of the four of them together.

A place where everyone could enjoy themselves from the bottom of their hearts.

Eventually, the song ended, and the two stopped dancing. Riko tried to pull away.

But Yukiya didn't let go of her hand. Riko looked at Yukiya with a puzzled face.

"What?"

"Let's win. Absolutely."

"...Obviously, right?"

Riko declared it.

Even if that was synonymous with performing a miracle.

—We'll definitely do it.

Their feelings were the same.

＊ ＊ ＊

Having finished the dress practice, Yukiya said his goodbyes and left the clubroom alone.

Since changing out of the dress apparently took time even for Riko, who was skilled at high-speed changing, Yukiya had been allowed to change first.

Just as he finished descending the stairs of the club building, he thrust his hands into his pockets and suddenly realized.

"Crap, I forgot my phone..."

Distracted by changing out of the tailcoat, Yukiya had left his mobile phone sitting on the long bench in the clubroom and walked out.

It was a hassle, but he had no choice but to go back and get it.

The fourth-floor hallway was quiet. The music from the clubroom that he could hear earlier had stopped. There was only one staircase in the club building, and since he hadn't passed them, both of them must still be getting ready to leave—thinking that, Yukiya opened the door to the clubroom.

"Sorry, forgot my ph—"

Inside the clubroom, Riko was indeed getting ready to leave.

However, normally that should be done inside the changing room. So why was this happening?

Yukiya gulped.

In the middle of the floor, Riko was taking off her dress.

It seemed she hadn't worn a bra to wear the dress. Currently, she was in just her panties. Blue and white stripes. Shimapan.

Since her back was to the entrance, he barely couldn't see her front. But seeing her nearly naked figure, Yukiya was involuntarily transfixed. Her slender legs, her tight, well-shaped butt, her tapered waist, her pure white back, and the swell of her chest visible even from behind—

Riko turned only her face around and froze rigidly. Only her mouth moved, opening and closing.

"N... N............"

Meeting Yukiya's eyes, her face instantly turned bright red as she understood the situation.

"N... Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!"

"Whoa, sorr, wait, Riko, it's not—gweh!"

Riko's dance shoe scored a clean hit on Yukiya's face, who was confused about what wasn't what. He involuntarily reeled back.

"What is wrong, Riko!... Oh, Yukiya. Welcome back."

Fiona came out of the changing room. Yukiya looked toward her, who welcomed him politely, intending to explain—

—For some reason, she was also in her underwear. Fiona, wearing only a white lace bra and panties, smiled without seeming embarrassed. Every time the smiling Fiona waved her hand, the two round white mounds shook with a boing-boing.

Yukiya dashed out of the clubroom in silence!

...However, after sprinting out, he arrived at the thought that an explanation was indeed necessary. At this rate, he would be labeled a pervert who peeped on them changing—no, who invaded a changing scene. Primarily by Riko.

In the end, Yukiya had to wait in front of the door until the two girls came out, ending up performing a dogeza (prostrating on the ground). Listening to the story, it seemed Fiona wanted to try on the tailcoat, so Riko had yielded the changing room to her. It was Yukiya who had walked in right when the girls, alone in the clubroom, had completely let their guard down.

"It is okay, you know. It is not like we lose anything by being seen—"

Grinning, Fiona said this while handing the dejected Yukiya his forgotten phone. She didn't seem to mind, but...

"You pervert. Since I'm giving you permission, go die a hundred times, a thousand times."

After spitting out that one line with eyes of scorn, Riko didn't speak a word to him until they left the school gate.

But seeing Riko unusually embarrassed was a bit lucky—

—He couldn't say that even if his mouth were torn open.

＊ ＊ ＊

The competition was fast approaching the next day.

Tamami had shown her face at the clubroom the day after the professional match, but her attitude was awkward. She was probably worrying about her negative comments.

However, if they worked hard, surely this relationship would be repaired—Yukiya believed that.

Yukiya and Riko's dancing form was excellent. We might really win this—Yukiya had gained enough confidence to think so. That was how well it was going. They no longer stepped on each other's feet or fell apart in the middle while dancing. They had reached a point where they could praise themselves, thinking their reflection in the mirror looked pretty cool.

"The competition is tomorrow. Let's not push it and wrap up practice around here for today."

Usually, they would go home after the sun had completely set, but it was the day before the match. Following Fiona's advice that it was better to keep their condition in check, Yukiya and the others decided to end the practice while it was still bright outside.

"So, there is a preparation you should do the day before, you see."

"Yes, Yukiya-san. Here."

"Hmm?"

Taking a breather on the bench, Yukiya was handed a bottle of shampoo by Tamami.

"You're all sweaty since practice just finished, right? Go wash your hair."

Yukiya was shocked by Riko's words. Did his head smell of sweat?

He washed his hair in the club building's restroom as thoroughly as possible, then returned to the clubroom looking slightly sulky, as if to say, "How's this?" Then, the chair from in front of the CD Deck was moved in front of the mirror, and Yukiya was made to sit there.

"Alright, first let's dry it."

Tamami held the dryer and blew his hair, while Fiona ruffled Yukiya's head with a towel. Yukiya, not understanding what was happening, let them do as they pleased.

"Done. Well then, shall we begin?"

"Begin...?"

"Yes! We are doing 'Hair Set'!"

In Fiona's hand were a tube of styling gel and a spray can. Both were Super Hard types—the kind that solidified hair like a rock. Apparently, they were going to set his hair.

"I get what you're doing, but do we have to do it the day before?"

"Hair setting takes quite a bit of time. We have to leave the house early in the morning, and you want to stay in your futon as long as possible, right?"

"True. Though your usage of 'leave the house' (run away from home) is wrong."

"Oh my, was that so? Well, well, then let us begi—"

"Wait, I'll do it."

Riko stopped Fiona's hand as she tried to open the tube cap. Her eyes held some kind of determination.

"Have you done hair setting before, Riko?"

"It's my first time, but I know how. Look, I'm Yukiya's Partner, after all."

"Hooo."

"W-What?"

Fiona looked at Riko with a grin. Riko averted her gaze, looking awkward.

"No, no, it is nothing. Then I will leave it to you, Riko. Tama-chan and I will assist."

"Okay, here goes."

Saying that, Riko stood behind Yukiya. With a serious face, she took the transparent gel in her hand and plastered it onto Yukiya's hair.

The head is not a place usually touched by others. Even more so if it's the opposite sex; for a high school boy, even his mother is out of the question. Yukiya's heart pounded incessantly at the movement of Riko's fingers awkwardly combing through his hair. The gel being rubbed in as if massaging his scalp by her slender fingers felt cool and pleasant.

Riko worked silently. Tamami dried it with the dryer, and finally, Fiona adjusted the shape.

"Yes, it is complete!"

"Ha..."

Looking at his own head in the mirror, Yukiya was speechless.

It was... slicked back.

His hair was smoothed back—that hairstyle worn by everyone from salarymen to delinquents.

"...Why slicked back?"

"All Leaders have that hairstyle."

"Is... that so?"

Yukiya learned that fact for the first time.

When watching the pros, Yukiya had focused only on the dancing. He knew their hair was set, but he didn't know everyone had this hairstyle. However...

"Are you telling me to go home like this..."

Since having his hair slicked back had never happened in Yukiya's life until now, he felt resistance to walking outside. If he were wearing a suit, it might look stylish, but in a T-shirt and jeans, it just looked goofy. If he walked through town, ordinary people would surely avoid him.

"It can't be helped, and it's better than a seven-three style right? Ah, also don't get it wet with water. And be careful not to move it when you sleep."

It was quite an inconvenient hairstyle, but he only had to endure it for one day. Yukiya gave up and prepared to go home.

"Yukiya."

As he was putting his shoes in his bag, Riko called out to him.

"What is it?"

"Let's do our best tomorrow."

".................................Hey."

"What?"

"If we win, will you smile?"

The moment he said it, Yukiya's nose started to tickle.

He held it back, but eventually, unable to endure it, he instinctively turned his face sharply away from Riko.

(W-What kind of embarrassing thing am I saying...)

He regretted the remark intensely. He felt like screaming and running away from this spot.

But... that was undeniably Yukiya's wish.

He wanted to see Riko's smile.

When he learned to dance well, when he could do what he couldn't before, when he complimented her dress... Riko had never smiled, not once. She always had a poker face, a look that seemed completely cold. As if she were trying not to feel the any joy.

So, he felt a sense of simple curiosity.

He wanted to see it.

Her smile.

The sight of her laughing happily and joyfully.

"...Listen. I told you before. If there's something to smile about, I'll smile. Making a promise won't change anything, and do you want to see my fake smile?"

"No..."

"I can't make a promise like that... But,"

Riko stared into space as if thinking, and then,

"Let's see.................. If we can win, I might smile."

She said it just like that. As always, with a cool poker face. As if it were someone else's business. Likely no one would believe that a girl like this would smile.

But Yukiya accepted it on his own. If we win tomorrow, Riko will definitely smile.

And he swore.

I will definitely make her smile.

＊ ＊ ＊

Seen off by the three girls, Yukiya left the clubroom alone. Since the hair setting had apparently taken quite a time, the sun had already begun to set. The sky, being swallowed by night, was dim.

Fatigue had accumulated throughout his body from the life of constant practice, and he was exhausted. Thinking he would sleep early today, Yukiya headed for the station.

The time was just around the evening rush hour. The station was full of workers on their way home.

Feeling fed up at the thought of riding a packed train, Yukiya climbed the stairs to the platform. Each step was heavy, as if chains were attached to his legs. Just at a time like this, the escalator was under maintenance.

It happened while he was climbing with all his might.

A train must have just arrived at the platform. People spilled out of the train like baby spiders scattering. The disembarking passengers descended the stairs all at once to head for the ticket gates. A massive crowd was heading toward Yukiya with brisk steps.

Thump!

One of them bumped into Yukiya's shoulder.

"Ah—"

Yukiya lost his balance.

He was in the middle of the staircase. It was a height where if he fell, he would tumble down and get seriously injured.

Instinctively, Yukiya lowered his right leg, planted his foot two steps down, and braced himself.

In that instant—crack—his right knee made a nasty sound.

"—Ouch!?"

Sharp pain shot through his knee. It felt as if someone were gripping it tightly.

"W-What the..."

Yukiya moved to the side so as not to be in the way of passersby. But due to the pain, he could neither go up nor down. A nasty sweat broke out on his forehead. And It wasn't because of the summer heat.

"Oh, isn't that Yukiya?"

It was when he was at a loss. A voice called out from behind.

Turning around, the person standing there was Haruki. His appearance was that of a girl. He was dressed in a trendy one-piece dress, and wearing the wavy, fluffy wig that had become his go-to item. He was even wearing accessories like earrings; he was flawless.

"You've got some amazing hairstyle there."

As soon as he saw his face—or rather, his head—Haruki said that. Yukiya retorted with a hateful remark while enduring the pain.

"I don't want to hear that from you."

"Well, yeah. But never mind that, what's wrong? Crouching in a place like this."

"Just... my leg."

"Eh, don't tell me you got injured? Are you okay?"

"It's a little painful..."

"Ah... Got it. I'll take you home."

"............Sorry."

"Don't worry about it, we're buddies, right? Here, grab my shoulder."

Supported by Haruki, Yukiya managed to get on the train. The sight of a man with slicked-back hair being supported by a beautiful girl that speaks like a man must have looked bizarre to the people around them. Everyone avoided them silently.

They explained the situation and were given the priority seats. However, even sitting down, his right knee still throbbed with pain.

'Please, be very careful with your knees'—Yukiya remembered what the old man at the shoe store had told him. Ironically, it had turned out exactly as he said. And at such a crucial time.

"Hey, shouldn't you go to a doctor tomorrow or something?"

"No, I don't have time for that. Tomorrow is the real thing."

"Right, that's true... But will you be okay with that leg?"

"...I don't know."

Even walking was painful. He couldn't say that he was okay.

"Hmm. I think pushing yourself like that will affect you later, you know?"

"But you understand that tomorrow is important, right? I've practiced for tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know you've been working hard. I didn't know you could become so devoted about something."

To Haruki, who had been with him since middle school, the current Yukiya seemed fresh. No one, including Haruki, had imagined that 'Hino Yukiya The Mika Bouzu' (Yukiya who quits everything in three days) could get so hooked on something. That was no exception for Yukiya himself.

That was exactly why.

That was exactly why he couldn't imagine not challenging the competition he had set as his goal. He hated giving up before he even danced.

Besides, this wasn't just his problem alone.

"But, shouldn't you tell your partner girl?"

At Haruki's words, Riko's face flitted across Yukiya's mind. He felt like her expression twisted in disappointment.

"...No. I don't want to see her disappointed face."

He had sworn to make her smile. He had no intention of making her make the exact opposite of that face, and in the first place, getting injured on the way home was too pathetic. He didn't want to be thought of as uncool.

Haruki fell silent for a while as if thinking about something, but eventually opened his mouth.

"What time is it tomorrow?"

"Eh?"

"Going to the venue. You probably have luggage and stuff, so I'll take you there to make sure you arrive safely."

"Is that... okay?"

"I was planning to go cheer for you anyway. Don't worry about it—oops, here, let's go."

They arrived at the station nearest his house. Yukiya got off the train, practically carried by Haruki.

When they arrived at the Hino house, Haruki briefly explained the situation to Yukiya's mother. And the mother's action upon receiving her son from Haruki was calm and swift. Confirming immediately that no nearby hospital was open at this hour, she slapped a compress on Yukiya's right knee without question and brought out the painkillers she kept in stock.

Thanks to this, Yukiya felt much better by the time he went to sleep. There was some pain when he moved, but it wasn't to the extent that he couldn't move it at all.

Hoping that he would feel a little better if he slept, Yukiya went to bed early that day.

And the following day came, without the slightest trace of hesitation.

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