Social Dance Club Step 5

The Waltz of Battle

At nine o'clock the next morning, accompanied by Haruki, Yukiya arrived at the competition venue they had visited previously.

The pain in his knee had subsided significantly. It wasn't bad enough to hinder him if he was just walking. As long as he didn't push himself too hard, he might just be able to dance through to the end without incident.

Yukiya and Haruki met up with the Social Dance Club members at the entrance. Just like Yukiya, Riko had already styled her hair into a tight, formal French twist. A red hair ornament modeled after a rose adorned the right side of her head.

"Goooood morning, Yukiya! How are you feeling?"

"Um, yeah. Not bad, I guess."

Suppressing a voice that threatened to crack, Yukiya replied to Fiona.

"Alright then, Tama-chan and I will go handle the entry registration. Yukiya and Riko, you two go get ready."

With that, Fiona took Tamami along and headed for the reception desk.

"Hey, what's been up with you since we got here, Riko?"

"Huh?"

Yukiya asked after noticing Riko glancing at him oddly and repeatedly. Riko abruptly looked away and shook her head.

"N-Nothing. Let's get going too."

She started walking. Yukiya, accompanied by Haruki, followed behind her. Although they separated as they moved through the venue, she continued to steal glances at him until the very last moment. What is actually wrong with her? Wondering about this, Yukiya headed to the locker room with Haruki.

When Haruki entered the men's locker room without a shred of hesitation, the other competitors gawked in shock. Haruki was in his usual cross-dressing attire. He tried to explain, "I'm actually a boy," but it was doubtful how many people believed him. To any observer, Haruki was simply a beautiful girl.

"So, Yukiya. How's the leg?"

Haruki asked from the bench where he sat while Yukiya began changing behind him.

"So far, so good. Thanks to you."

When Yukiya looked back over his shoulder to answer, Haruki smiled and said, "That's good, then." He swung his legs back and forth. Even a gesture as simple as that was calculatedly cute. Yukiya had already reached the point where he could admit to himself that Haruki was indeed cute.

"...You know, Yukiya. I think about it sometimes."

Haruki stopped swinging his legs as Yukiya pulled his tailcoat from his bag.

Then, bit by bit, he began to speak.

"I wonder what I would be doing now if I hadn't joined the Low-Angle Research Club back then."

"? What's with this all of a sudden?"

Yukiya turned around to see Haruki wearing a troubled smile.

"No, well... I know it's a waste of time to think about a future I didn't choose. But still, I wonder if I would have been able to enjoy life the way I do now... When I think about what would have happened if I hadn't chosen this path, I get a little scared. I thought maybe you'd understand this feeling. It's been a while since we had time to talk like this, so it just came out."

"It really has been a while. I guess that just means we've both been obsessed with our clubs..."

"I suppose so."

Haruki lifted the corners of his mouth in agreement.

Thinking about the meaning behind Haruki's words... Yukiya nodded and said, "I get it."

If he hadn't joined the Social Dance Club, surely he wouldn't be here, and he would be a different version of himself.

Thinking about that was a little scary.

The fun feelings, the happy moments... none of the things he had felt recently might have existed.

"I'm glad for how things are now. Well, let's both keep going so we don't have any regrets."

Haruki thrust out a fist.

"Yeah," Yukiya said, bumping his own fist against it.

 ＊ ＊ ＊

Dressed in his tailcoat, Yukiya went with Haruki to the entrance of the floor where they had arranged to meet Fiona and the others. Fiona and Tamami, having finished registration, were already waiting.

"Yukiya-san, please turn your back."

When he turned around as instructed, Tamami pinned a number bib to his back with safety pins.

"The number of participating couples is 336. Your number is 156, Yukiya-san. Please wait near the floor and step out when you're called. I'm sure Riko-chan will guide you on the specifics."

"G-Got it."

The music drifting from the floor and the ticking clock ramped up his tension. Yukiya clenched and unclenched his hands, which felt like they were losing strength, trying to improve his circulation.

"Ohhh! Riko, you look absolutely wonderful!"

Just as Yukiya was trying to calm himself, Fiona let out a cheer.

Yukiya turned around to find Riko standing there, clad in a deep crimson dress.

Her dance makeup was already perfectly applied, leaving nothing left to do but dance. Her eyeliner was drawn sharp, and her eyelashes, three times their usual thickness, made her look like a porcelain doll. There was a powerful aura about her that drew people in. When he realized that she was his Partner, Yukiya felt a sudden surge of pride.

Conversely, he felt anxious. Is my appearance worthy of her?

As Yukiya started fidgeting, Riko reached out her hand. While his heart skipped a beat, she adjusted the position of the bowtie under his chin, then nodded with satisfaction.

"Not bad. You look the part. Shall we go?"

Parting ways with Fiona, Tamami, and Haruki who headed for the spectator seats, Yukiya and Riko entered the venue hall where the dance floor was located.

Suddenly, Riko, who had been walking ahead, stopped and turned around.

"Hey, that girl... is she your girlfriend?"

"Huh?"

Girlfriend? Yukiya thought about it... but he had no idea who she was talking about. Riko spoke again, sounding irritated.

"The girl who came with you. You looked really close. I see you together at school sometimes, and she even followed you into the locker room earlier..."

"Oh, Haruki? He's a friend from middle school."

"Hmm, 'friend,' is it... Haruki-chan, huh."

Riko pouted, her gaze swimming restlessly as she muttered. Yukiya looked at her blankly.

"Why 'chan'? He's a guy."

"Oh, a guy... Huh? A-A guy?"

Riko, who had been offering disinterested responses, let her voice crack.

"You're lying, right? But... she's so cute..."

"Nope, it's true. His hobby is cross-dressing."

"O-Oh..."

"Why do you ask?"

"Eh."

It was a mystery to Yukiya why she would bring this up at a time like this. Riko stammered uncharacteristically, her eyes darting around.

"...I just thought maybe even someone like you had a girlfriend or something."

"What does 'like me' mean? But, hey. For a second I thought you might actually be jealous, but there's no way you would be huh. Haha."

The moment Yukiya gave that bitter laugh—

".................."

Riko glared at him with incredibly sharp eyes. Her lips were pressed into a thin, tight line.

"Umm... Riko-san?"

Riko didn't answer; she simply turned her back on him and started walking.

"Eh? Wait, Riko, what's wrong? Hey."

"Stop babbling and hurry up and find a place to wait."

She walked on without looking back. She was completely in a bad mood.

"What the hell is going on..."

Without understanding why Riko was angry, Yukiya had no choice but to follow.

Just as Yukiya and Riko were searching for a spot in the venue, it happened.

"So you guys are really entering."

Standing by the wall were Atsunari in a tailcoat and Marina in a purple dress. Atsunari had his arms crossed, his attitude as arrogant as ever. Marina, on the other hand, wasn't wearing glasses, and thanks to the makeup, she gave off a very different impression than usual. Noticing Yukiya and Riko, the two approached.

"Hey there. How are ya two doing?"

Marina called out casually. However, Atsunari stared Yukiya down with obvious hostility.

"Hey, Riko. Seriously, that amateur Leader doesn't suit you. Come on, pair up with me again."

"Atsunari, are ya still spoutin' that useless crap...?"

Marina shrugged in exasperation. His words were rude even to Marina, whom he was currently partnered with, but she seemed to have already given up on him.

Yukiya, however, was ticked off by Atsunari's words.

True, he was an amateur. But he didn't deserve to be talked down to like that. Furthermore, he didn't like Atsunari trying to solicit Riko as a partner right in front of him. Yukiya involuntarily stepped forward to object.

"...Hey, listen. Riko is my—"

"I am Yukiya's Partner."

Riko yanked Yukiya’s arm back, who was about to argue, and declared it clearly. Yukiya and Marina blinked in surprise, while Atsunari opened his eyes wide as if someone had splashed a cup of water in his face. Yukiya instinctively looked at Riko’s profile. Noticing his gaze, Riko simply raised an eyebrow in response, maintaining her cool poker face.

"So you're calling that complete amateur your leader... Well, it'll soon be proven that what you're doing is just playing around. Once that happens, Riko, you'll want to come back to me even if you hate it."

"That's not—"

"Admit it."

Yukiya interrupted Riko, who tried to deny it. Atsunari glared at him. "Admit what?"

"If we win, admit that this isn't just playing around."

"Oi, oi, oi! That's hilarious! Do you seriously think you can beat me? You? Beat me?"

"Not me. Us."

At Yukiya's words, Atsunari snorted derisively.

"Fine. If you win. Which is obviously impossible, but since you're offering, let's add a condition."

"Condition?"

"If you lose, you quit dancing."

"...!"

Atsunari proposed it with a fearless smirk, looking down on Yukiya.

"You're going to win, right? Then there's no reason you can't accept this, is there?"

"Hold on, Atsunari, what dumb thing ya sayin'! Hino-kun, ya don't gotta accept a condition like that!"

Marina panicked and stepped between Atsunari and Yukiya. But Yukiya didn't listen to her attempt to stop him.

"...Fine."

Hearing that reply, Atsunari seemed convinced of his own victory. As if he found it immensely amusing, he sneered.

"No matter how much a small fry dances, it just looks like a fly buzzing around. I'm really looking forward to the awards ceremony."

Laughing scornfully, he left the area.

"Umm, sorry about that..."

Marina apologized, sounding truly sorry. Yukiya shook his head.

"It's not your fault, Marina-san. Besides, it's not like our loss has been decided yet."

"Ya say you're gonna beat us, right? I... ain't gonna go easy on ya, ya know?"

"I wouldn't want you to. We'll fight with everything we have, and we'll win."

"...Right. See you in the finals, then."

Marina waved and ran after Atsunari.

"You talk big."

After seeing Marina off, Riko stepped up right beside Yukiya, leaning in close.

"Honestly, you're reliable."

"I wish you'd say that sounding a bit more impressed... but you too."

"What?"

"I was happy. That you acknowledged me as your Leader."

Riko looked blank for a moment. Then, looking unsettled, she turned her face away.

"...We're doing this. I went to the trouble of training you; I'm not letting you quit dancing."

Yukiya felt encouraged by Riko’s words. When she said it, he felt like it would really happen.

＊ ＊ ＊

The Amateur Summer Cup was a "Single Dance" competition—meaning matches competed in only one category. Unlike a comprehensive match where couples dance multiple categories and compete on total points, winning or losing here was decided by getting checks from the eight judges in a single dance. Today's Standard Division was solely the Waltz.

At the venue, the concurrently held Latin Division competition had already begun. Cheerful, lighthearted tropical music mixed with heavy bass was resonating through the hall, but for Yukiya, who was completely occupied with Standard, he had no idea what specific dance it was.

After the Latin first preliminary round, which had eighteen heats, came the Standard first preliminary round with twenty-four heats. While doing warm-up exercises, Yukiya and Riko waited for their turn in a corner of the floor.

Eventually, the Standard first preliminary round began.

Couples danced the Waltz through the first heat, then the second. To Yukiya, watching from outside the floor, every other competitor looked incredibly skilled. The thought of fighting amongst them filled him with anxiety. Today's competition was a Check System—Yukiya was unbearably worried about whether he could properly get checks from the judges to advance.

And in the blink of an eye, their turn arrived.

'Back numbers 154, 155, 156...'

"Let's go, Yukiya."

Pulled along by Riko, Yukiya stepped onto the floor illuminated by dazzling lights. Ten couples, including Yukiya’s, vied for position. Yukiya and Riko stood by near the judges' table set up at the front of the floor.

He faced Riko, having let go of her hand.

Thump... thump... thump...

The sound of his heart gradually grew louder, drowning out the music. His fingertips were turning cold from tension. And breathing was difficult.

At that moment, he saw Riko’s lips move: 'Are you okay?'

She was looking at him with concern.

"...Suuuu........................................Haaaa."

Yukiya took a deep breath and exhaled.

That's right, he wasn't alone. He had a partner, Riko, fighting with him.

Calming his mind, Yukiya offered Riko a smile to convey he was okay. Riko nodded firmly.

The music began to flow.

3/4 time. Yukiya felt the rhythm deep within his body. He took the count.

Riko reached out her hand and approached him. Yukiya took it and made a hold.

While feeling Riko’s body, Yukiya recalled what Fiona had constantly told him during practice before the competition.

Look around carefully; do not collide with other couples. If you're about to collide, stop and let them pass. If you do collide, stay calm no matter what. And be gentlemanly.

Riko had to move almost entirely backward. To let her dance safely, Yukiya had to remain cool-headed.

Calm down—the moment he thought that, he could see his surroundings clearly.

Tailcoats and colorful dresses combined, moving to create swirls of color. Including themselves, there were ten couples. Everyone flowed counter-clockwise around the floor. One, two, three. One, two, three... From the spectator seats, the scene likely looked like a gentle sea with waves rolling in and out. But to Yukiya right now, it looked like a storm-tossed ocean..

But hesitating to dive in was not permitted.

The soles of his shoes gripped the hard floor.

Here we go—

Yukiya steeled his resolve and took the first step.

To head toward open spaces, he selected the optimal combination from the myriad of steps he knew. Natural Spin Turn. Increase the rotation, then Turning Lock to Right to move diagonally toward the center. There was a calm space there. He dove in. Then, adjusting his posture, he moved toward the outside of the floor where the waves were relatively gentle.

The special training—it felt like the things he learned from that textbook Fiona gave him were overflowing from the back of his mind ceaselessly and automatically. Conscious of where it was easiest to dance, he executed the steps. For Yukiya, dancing on a wide floor for the first time, only Riko within his right arm—only Riko holding his left hand—was the existence that spurred him on. He would make her dance. And he would dance with her—

'—That concludes the eleventh heat!'

He stopped, startled by the voice. When he realized it, he had already danced through to the end. In terms of time, it was about one minute and thirty seconds—it had gone by in a flash.

Bowing once, the couples exited the floor as the music stopped. Yukiya and Riko did the same.

Leaving the floor behind, the hand holding Riko’s was still trembling faintly.

Riko gently squeezed that hand back. She quietly gazed at the floor.

"...Now, let's just wait for the results."

＊ ＊ ＊

Once all heats of the first preliminary round concluded, the Latin second preliminary round began without a break.

After a while, several A4 printouts called "Check Sheets," used in Check System matches, were posted on the wall near the floor entrance. The Standard competitors flocked to the spot all at once. The check sheets listed how many checks were received from the eight judges. If the checks exceeded the passing criteria and a circle was marked in the "Pass" column, it meant they had passed the first round.

It wasn't clear when they had danced, but Atsunari and his partner seemed to have passed. Atsunari returned in high spirits to where Marina was waiting in a corner of the floor.

Watching that gave Yukiya a stomachache. How did we do...?

When the crowd thinned out, Yukiya and Riko went to look at the check sheet. A table was drawn with black lines on white paper, with numbers representing competitors' back numbers listed vertically. The horizontal axis listed judge numbers, with a final column indicating pass or fail. Checks were marked with checkmarks next to the back number under the corresponding judge. And only the passing couples had a circle in the pass column.

Yukiya searched for his back number from the top.

He felt like he was going to die.

"Number 156, found it... Check count is—"

—Seven.

The check count was above the passing line of six. A circle was definitely marked in the pass column.

"—...We passed? We passed!?"

"Well, we broke through the first barrier, at least."

"We did it—...wait, aren't you happy?"

Yukiya, about to soar with joy, was brought back to earth by Riko’s completely composed attitude.

"It's not that I'm not happy, but we're aiming for the championship. We can't be satisfied with just this."

"...Is that so?"

"Yukiyaaa! Rikooo! That was great!"

Just as Yukiya was feeling deflated by Riko’s words, a spirited voice came from the second-floor seats.

Looking up, Fiona was leaning over the railing, waving her hands vigorously. Haruki followed suit, screaming in a high-pitched voice, "Yukiya, Riko-san, you look so cool!" The members of the Low-Angle Research Club, whom Haruki must have invited, were snapping camera shutters like mad. It wasn't a low angle at all, but they didn't seem to care. Since they responsibly turned off the flash to avoid being a nuisance, they seemed like people with plenty of common sense.

"U-Umm... Yukiya-san, Riko-chan!"

At that moment, Tamami, who had been shrinking beside Fiona until then, suddenly shouted.

Hearing Tamami's loud voice for the first time in ages, both Yukiya and Riko looked up, stunned.

"Umm, uh, well..."

Tamami opened and closed her mouth. With everyone silent, Tamami finally seemed to make up her mind.

She took a deep breath, and yelled.

"...P-Pleeeeease, do your best!!"

Amidst the voices of the spectators and the music echoing on the floor, it wasn't a particularly loud voice. It was a voice squeezed out with all the might of the tiny, tiny Tamami.

But that voice, those words, reached Yukiya and Riko’s ears—

Clearly and distinctly.

"O—Oh! We will!"

Yukiya grinned, showing his teeth. When Riko nodded, Tamami burst into a smile.

Feeling that a good flow was forming, Yukiya felt happy. The hearts of the club members were becoming one again—

After that, Yukiya and Riko steadily advanced through the qualifiers. As if the tension of the first round had been a lie, Yukiya was able to dance vividly from the second round onwards. Riko’s movements were getting better and better too. As they stacked up the third and fourth rounds, the two's rhythm meshed perfectly.

"Maybe we can really win..."

When their advancement through the fourth preliminary round was decided, a definite confidence finally began to be born within Yukiya.

Perhaps the effect of the painkiller was wearing off, as his knee was starting to hurt little by little. But if it was just dancing like this, it shouldn't be a problem. At this rate—we might make it!

"Yukiya, let's go. It's the Semi-Finals."

Riko offered her hand to Yukiya, who was sitting on the floor. Yukiya took that hand and stood up. The fear he felt at the beginning was gone. The light of hope was visible strongly before his eyes. All that was left was to grab it.

'—That concludes the Latin Division Semi-Finals, fourteen couples.'

The announcement for the end of the Latin Semi-Finals flowed with the end of the song.

The Semi-Finals, effectively the main competition, consisted of only one heat. All fourteen couples who survived the preliminaries danced on the same floor, and only the top six couples could advance to the Finals.

The Atsunari-Marina pair had remained as a matter of course. They seemed to have noticed that Yukiya and Riko were still in. Yukiya, who had been waiting outside the floor for a while, felt their gazes boring into him.

He made eye contact with Atsunari. Those eyes seemed to now regard Yukiya as a solid, singular enemy. The atmosphere of mocking him from earlier was completely gone.

'Continuing on, Standard Division, Semi-Finals. Back numbers 5, 35... 156—'

Hearing his back number read aloud, Yukiya pulled Riko by the hand and walked onto the floor.

Just a little more, and it's the Finals—

Yukiya decided he would absolutely win through this Semi-Final.

All fourteen couples assembled on the floor. Compared to the preliminaries where they danced with ten couples, the floor with four additional couples felt slightly cramped to Yukiya. There was a sense of pressure from all sides.

'—That concludes the roll call. Fourteen couples, Waltz.'

The music started. Taking Riko’s hand in Hold, Yukiya began to dance. Just as before, he executed steps decisively. However

As per his impression before starting, the floor was narrow.

There were other couples in every direction he wanted to go. Like an intersection without traffic lights, one wrong move looked like it would cause a collision. Orange, yellow, green, light blue, blue—various colors passed by within inches of his eyes. They closed in from behind and the sides without slowing down.

Yukiya panicked. He managed to survive by escaping to the center of the floor to avoid being surrounded by other couples. But from there, he couldn't judge which way to go.

(Damn it, where should I go?)

He moved his eyes, searching for a navigable path. There was no time to be lost in hesitation. Where, where is it—

(Over there...!)

The only clear spot is the corner near the entrance to the venue.

I want to escape this sense of confinement—that sense of urgency made Yukiya dive in there without a moment's delay.

But that was a mistake.

"Wha...!? "

Thinking the exact same thing, four other couples headed for Yukiya’s spot all at once. Everyone ended up stuck there, forming a dumpling-like cluster. Perhaps because everyone was panicking, the congestion didn't clear easily. On the contrary, it became more and more chaotic.

Yukiya and Riko were surrounded by other tall couples and couldn't break out. A dancer's Hold is created by spreading the elbows to the side. Especially for those with lower skill, the Hold lacks flexibility and is often hardened rigidly. And right now, the elbows of the other dancers looming before them were nothing short of lethal weapons to the shorter pair in this clustered mass.

"Kya...!"

Riko let out a small scream.

The elbow of the Leader next to them was closing in on Riko’s eye.

At this rate, it would hit her...!

"Damn it...!"

To protect Riko, Yukiya twisted his body and swapped places with her. Forcing his body into the narrow space, he released Riko toward the wider, safer side.

Good, I did it—

—The instant Yukiya felt relieved that he had protected Riko.

With a WHAM, a sharp, searing pain shot through his right knee.

"...Gah, uh!?"

The foot of another Leader, forcing his way through the tight space to keep dancing, had smashed directly into Yukiya's right knee.

"Yukiya, are you okay...!?"

Riko, held within Yukiya's right arm, gasped when Yukiya staggered.

"...I'm... okay."

Pain raced through him as if the flesh of his knee were being gouged out with a hard spoon. His nerves were screaming. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt, it hurt...!

But Yukiya continued to dance.

The intense pain made him nearly black out. But he couldn't stop his feet. If he stopped here, everything would end.

The battle to keep the Social Dance Club alive. The battle to bring the members' hearts back together as one.

The battle to protect his place.

To give up on that halfway—

(I absolutely refuse to do that...!)

Yukiya gritted his teeth and endured the pain. Focusing his consciousness on his legs, he stood his ground on the floor.

Not yet. I can still do this.

Amidst the gently flowing Waltz, while desperately executing the steps, Yukiya prayed.

Please. Just a little more. Just a little more is fine.

Just a little longer—

＊ ＊ ＊

'—That concludes the Standard Division Semi-Finals, fourteen couples.'

"Yukiya, stay with me!"

After the announcement declared the end of the Semi-Finals, Yukiya exited the floor, practically supported by Riko.

"Ow, ow, ow..."

Leaning his back against the wall, he sank to the floor. Riko rolled up the trousers of his tailcoat without asking for permission and checked his right knee. Her eyes grew sharp.

“It’s incredibly swollen... When did you hurt it? It wasn’t just now, was it?”

“Er... actually...”

Yukiya revealed that he had injured it on the way home yesterday.

Riko furrowed her brows.

"Why did you leave it alone until it got this bad? Why didn't you tell me?"

"That's because—"

There's no way I could tell you, Yukiya thought. Yukiya himself knew better than anyone how much practice they had piled up for this day.

The one who had practiced with him was Riko. He didn't want to do anything that would let her efforts go to waste. He wanted to repay that effort.

"Listen, I'm your Partner, aren't I? I don't want you keeping secrets from me. I want you to rely on me."

"..............................I'm sorry."

Seeing Riko cast her eyes down sadly, Yukiya felt terrible. He hadn't wanted to see that expression on her face, yet he was angry at himself for being the one to cause it.

"Are you okay, Yukiya?!"

Fiona came running down from the second-floor seats. Having sensed something amiss while watching, she seemed to immediately understand that Yukiya had injured his right knee.

"Stay right there. Don't move it unnecessarily. I'll go borrow a first-aid kit from the medical station."

Turning her back on the two, Fiona sprinted off with her long legs, dashing away as swiftly as the wind. Before long, she returned, having apparently borrowed every medical tool available.

She lightly pressed around the meniscus of Yukiya's right knee.

"Ouch—"

The moment she pressed the outside of his knee, a jolt like electricity ran through his body, and Yukiya groaned.

"Hmm, you might have damaged your ligament..."

Having checked the condition of the knee, Fiona briskly began to cool it down. She sprayed cold spray on the affected area and applied a fresh compress. The cooling sensation felt good on his swollen, feverish knee. The pain eased slightly.

As Yukiya admired Fiona's dexterity, suddenly, the area around the wall became lively. A large crowd had gathered.

A single check sheet with the results of the Semi-Finals... had been posted on the wall. The moment he realized this, an indescribable tension welled up in Yukiya’s body.

"...I'll go and check it out."

Riko went alone to check the results.

She stood motionless before the check sheet for a moment, then eventually walked back with heavy steps. She had a difficult expression on her face.

“It was no good, huh...”

Seeing the look on Riko’s face as she approached, Yukiya’s heart sank.

With a leg like this, making it to the finals was impossible after all. It was over—

But Riko shook her head.

"No. We made it to the finals."

"R—Really!?"

Yukiya's face lit up with joy. However, Riko’s expression remained stiff, the exact opposite of his. Was she planning to say, "You thought we failed? Just kidding"...? No, Yukiya knew Riko would never say something like that, so why?

"Why the long face? Let's celebrate!"

"There is no way I can celebrate.............................. We're forfeiting the Finals."

"Wha—!?"

Yukiya was speechless at Riko's words.

Forfeit?

Not participate in the Finals?

"No way... Don't screw around!"

"Who's the one screwing around!? There is no way you can dance with that leg. What will you do if the injury gets worse!?"

"I-It's fine. I can dance one more song."

"The Finals consist of two songs. Each couple goes onto the floor one by one in numerical order to dance a solo. After that, all couples dance together like in the Semi-Finals. If you win, there's an encore too... but let's not think about that now."

"One or two is just the same."

"Seriously, what are you going to do if you make contact with other competitors like before?! Listen to me, Don't take injuries lightly. Knees are a dancer's life. If this gets worse... you might never be able to dance again!"

"But...!"

Yukiya looked at Fiona, seeking a lifeline. But Fiona also wore a pained expression.

"Yukiya, dancing on the Finals with that leg will be difficult..."

At those words, Yukiya bit his lip hard.

Never be able to dance again—

—For the current Yukiya, that was equivalent to being robbed of his reason for living.

Through Ballroom dance, Yukiya had learned the joy of dedicating himself wholeheartedly to something. He learned the sense of fulfillment gained from working hard, and the sense of security from holding hands with another person.

He felt like he had found a reason for his existence, a point of contact with the world. He felt like he had found his place.

If he couldn't dance anymore—he might lose all of that.

There was no way he wasn't scared. Just imagining it made him feel like the world was crumbling beneath his feet.

"...I..."

"Yukiya, are you okay!"

At that moment, Haruki arrived with Tamami.

Yukiya made eye contact with Haruki.

Seeing his friend who had changed so completely—he suddenly remembered the words Haruki had said in the locker room.

"...'So we don't have any regrets,' huh."

Haruki’s eyes widened in realization. He seemed to be the only one who noticed the meaning of those words.

Haruki stared at Yukiya for a while, but eventually, he nodded.

Seeing that, Yukiya nodded back and turned his gaze to Riko.

"Riko... I'm dancing in the Finals."

"Yukiya...!"

"I don't want to give up."

Ballroom dancing was important to Yukiya.

But the Social Dance Club was even more important.

Because the ones who taught him Ballroom dance were the members of the Social Dance Club.

Tamami, Fiona, Riko—because they were there, Yukiya had been able to continue club activities until now. Because they were there, he was able to learn the joy of dancing.

He wanted to protect his place with these friends—that was Yukiya’s feeling.

If there was something he could do, he would do anything. Even if the price was never being able to dance again for the rest of his life.

To just stand by and watch the club disappear. There was no way he wouldn't regret that.

So, giving up was absolutely...

Absolutely, something I refuse to do!!

"..............................It can't be helped, then."

Phew, Fiona let out a sigh of exasperation.

Yukiya, who had been looking down, raised his face. Her blue eyes looked at Yukiya calmly.

Yukiya's instructor, and the daughter of a former ballroom dance world champion. She raised the corners of her mouth in a grin.

"Then, let us do this."

＊ ＊ ＊

Yukiya’s leg was wrapped tightly in elastic tape by Fiona’s hands. It seemed to have a muscle-supporting effect similar to a brace, making it much easier to move his knee. There was still a throbbing pain, but it wasn't unbearable. No, I will endure it, Yukiya psyched himself up. All that was left was to execute "Fiona’s Advice."

Yukiya and the other finalists were lined up in a single file at the competitor's entrance provided at the side of the floor. Yukiya and Riko were at the very back of the line. Atsunari and Marina were also in line. As expected, they were powerful contenders whose ability did not betray their arrogant attitude and words.

'Now then, introducing the competitors for the Amateur Summer Cup Standard Division Finals.'

A female announcer's voice rang out loudly, signaling the start of the Finals. The seven couples, including Yukiya’s, began to be ushered onto the floor one by one, in the order they were called. Each couple that entered the floor then began to dance their solo. The venue lights were dimmed, with a spotlight illuminating the single couple dancing on the floor.

The third couple was Atsunari and Marina. Yukiya peered onto the floor.

Beyond the competitor's entrance, he could see their dance. They were utterly magnificent and shining. It looked as though Marina was expertly holding the reins of Atsunari, who moved like a runaway horse. It was a truly dynamic and exhilarating dance. The hem of Marina’s purple dress spread out widely and beautifully, just like a large morning glory unfolding its petals.

Atsunari had experienced winning competitions many times in the past. According to the rumors of other competitors Yukiya heard during the waiting time, he was the top candidate for winning this tournament. A formidable enemy among formidable enemies. A high wall towering to block their way.

But Yukiya and Riko had to compete against them now. They had to win.

This was no time to be intimidated.

"It's okay, I'll be fine..."

Although he told himself that, his stomach churned with sharp pain. Standing on such a grand stage for the first time in his life, Yukiya’s tension had reached its limit. He felt like his heart might jump out of his mouth, and he even felt nauseous. His hands start to shake.

At that moment.

Riko squeezed his hand tightly. Staring straight at the floor, she whispered softly.

"Yukiya, it's okay. I'm with you."

Her words soaked into his body with mysterious ease, giving Yukiya courage.

"Yeah, you're right."

Yukiya squeezed her hand back.

Right, he wasn't alone.

'—Back number 156, Yukiya Hino & Riko Asada Pair!'

Finally, their names were called. Amidst a vortex of applause, the two entered the floor illuminated by the spotlight.

In the light, there was only Yukiya and Riko. In the darkness, the gazes of the judges and audience were all poured onto them.

The music started.

Surprisingly, the song was an anime song. An insert song from the TV anime Neon Genesis Evangelion: "Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win!"

＊ ＊ ＊

“Ooh. This is the song from that famous Unison Attack,” Fiona muttered in the spectator seats.

"Umm, the one where Unit-01 and Unit-02 synchronize to fight?" asked Tamami.

"Yes. It’s the insert song from Episode 9 of the TV anime, 'Moment, Heart, Overlapping' (Shunkan, Kokoro, Kasanete). If I recall, the title translates to something like 'Both of You, Dance Like You Want to Win.' Where hearts and bodies become one—this is a very, very good song choice!"

＊ ＊ ＊

Listening to the piano melody filling the floor like light pouring down from the heavens, Yukiya and Riko faced each other, looking straight into each other's eyes.

Riko reached out her hand. Yukiya grasped it, inviting her into his arms.

Doing the Hold. Powerfully, as if to unite their feelings in unison.

To fight together.

To protect the place where they belonged, Yukiya took a strong step forward with Riko.

＊ ＊ ＊

'Do you understand? To lighten the burden on Yukiya, Riko, you must lead too.'

Earlier, when Yukiya insisted on entering the Finals.

After proposing, "Let us do this," Fiona had said that.

But Yukiya remembered that when Riko had tried to lead in his place before, they hadn't meshed well. Riko seemed to think the same thing. When she voiced it, Fiona wagged her finger.

'Non, non. That’s different from the lead you were trying when you were failing. Originally, leading and following are things both the Leader and Partner must do. Because if it’s only one side, you can't understand your partner’s feelings, right? One-way communication is just unrequited love. You have to achieve mutual love!'

Yukiya had thought the Leader just had to lead, and the Partner just had to follow. He thought if they each just did that, they could dance well.

But Fiona said it was different.

'The Leader does not just impose his will but respects—follows—the Partner's will. The Partner does not just meekly get moved around, but also helps the Leader. In this way, you cooperate by uniting each other's movements and feelings. If it is Yukiya and Riko, surely you can do it. ...For Yukiya to dance through to the end, for the two of you to win, there is no other way.'

With that, Fiona had joined Yukiya and Riko’s hands together.

'Ballroom dance is meant to be danced by two people. Even if it’s impossible by yourself, if it is together, you can definitely go wherever you want!'

＊ ＊ ＊

With the solo dances finished, all the couples were now on the floor dancing the Waltz.

Yukiya found himself immersed in a dance that was completely different from anything he had ever experienced.

Whenever Yukiya simply thought of moving in a certain direction, his feet moved as if they were being drawn to that spot. He exerted less than half his usual power, yet he was able to move twice as much. One, Two, Three, One, Two, Three... Even with all this movement, his knees didn't hurt at all.

That was because Riko was lending him her strength.

When Yukiya showed the intent of "I want to do this," she keenly sensed it and moved to assist him. Yukiya, in turn, followed in sync with her. Lead, follow. Follow, lead...

The strength of the two of them was now merged into one.

Yukiya stepped out, powerfully pushing off the floor gripped by his shoes. He launched his step, moving his body with all his might. His muscles flexed, and his body expanded into the world transcending the limits of its own existence.

His legs, his body, were light. Right now, he felt he could execute any step. Natural Spin Turn, Reverse Turn... Advancing step by step with Riko, he began to dominate the floor. Riko’s dress spread out wide and beautifully, like a bright red rose blooming with all its life.

(Ah, this is amazing...)

Yukiya felt a sense of intoxication from the unity with Riko, a feeling he had never known before. Riko's breathing, her warmth, her heartbeat—all became one with his own. Unison. It was a pleasant sensation, as if he were melting together with Riko inside a warm ocean, becoming a single entity, and being gently rocked by the waves. Within those waves, Yukiya was Riko, and Riko was Yukiya.

One, Two, Three, One, Two, Three... The rhythm, the count, spontaneously flowed into steps. The steps transformed into a dance. And that dance was the manifestation of Yukiya and Riko's  feelings.

At that moment, Yukiya suddenly looked at the situation calmly.

In his sight was a storm of color—the other competitors. On the dazzling floor, surrounded by them, he was definitely there, dancing with Riko.

It was the most fun he had ever had. For the first time, he realized that such heart-stirring emotions existed in this world.

I want to keep dancing like this forever—Yukiya thought so from the bottom of his heart.

If only this Waltz wouldn't end. If only the results wouldn't be announced. 

If that happened, their club activities wouldn't be over.

He wouldn't have to see the daily life that would change, the harsh reality of waking up from a dream.

But, time still flowed on mercilessly. No one could stop it. Just as taking a step means you must eventually move forward, they could not remain in the same place forever. It was impossible.

As he danced, Yukiya remembered the four months since he joined the club.

The day he first stepped into the Social Dance Club, he met three members. The reliable hard-worker Tamami, and the mood-maker Fiona.

And the cool Ice Queen—Riko, whom he thought he could absolutely never get along with.

Yukiya was dancing with her like this now. Joining hands with her, dancing a dance he thought couldn't possibly last, right now, like this.

Yukiya almost smiled wryly. You never know how things will turn out until they happen. No, you never know until you try.

And he didn't know how the result of this match would turn out either.

Whether the Social Dance Club could continue, no one but God knew. But,

—I struggled and strove as hard as I could. I have no regrets.

Yes, no regrets. What existed was simply longing.

The earnest desire not to lose the club.

The modest wish to continue dancing happily with everyone.

So. So, please—

With grand applause, the Waltz music stopped.

Yukiya and Riko’s feet slowly stopped their steps, as if reluctant to part from the dance.

'—That concludes the Standard Division Finals!'

The announcer's voice drew the curtain on Yukiya and the others' battle.

Amidst the swelling cheers, Yukiya bowed toward the spectator seats with Riko. He could see Fiona and Tamami crying while applauding. Yukiya’s eyes grew hot too, and the back of his nose stung painfully. Gritting his back teeth to hold it back, he exited the floor.

If there is a beginning, an end will surely come.

Stopping that flow was, after all, something Yukiya couldn't do either.

＊ ＊ ＊

All the competitions ended, and the awards ceremony began solemnly.

The awards for the Latin Division finished, and next was the Standard Division.

Rankings were announced starting from seventh place. Currently, the announcements up to third place were finished.

Yukiya and Riko’s names had not yet been called. And the other remaining couple was, naturally, Atsunari and Marina.

One was the runner-up, and the other was the champion.

If Yukiya and his partner didn't win, the relationships of the club members wouldn't return to how they were. Even if getting a good result was technically enough, if they lost to the Competitive Dance Club members, the possibility of the club disappearing still remained.

After all, to cut off all of their anxiety,

...There was nothing but victory.

'Now, we will announce the runner-up.'

The announcer was about to declare the result. This would decide everything.

Facing the judges, Yukiya prayed.

Please. God. Please, please let us win.

Don't let this end—

'The Runner-Up is............ The Atsunari Shiroyama & Marina Suzuhara Pair.'

Yukiya snapped his eyes wide open.

Looking over, Atsunari was standing completely frozen, looking dumbfounded. Marina pulled him along to go receive the certificate and trophy. Riko gently pulled Yukiya’s hand, who was staring blankly at the scene.

"Yukiya..."

Her expression looking up at him was the usual unreadable poker face.

But her voice was trembling faintly.

'Now then, the final announcement. The winner of today's heated battle, the Amateur Summer Cup Standard Division Champion is—'

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