The track field was soaked with last week's rain, but that didn't stop Hana from running.
Each stride sent mud flying behind her, and her lungs burned with every breath. She welcomed the ache. The rush. The feeling of motion. It was the only time she didn't have to think.
About Rin's growing silence. About Yuki's bright, easy laughter with Leo. About Aira's sudden return and the way Leo smiled at her now with familiarity.
Hana pushed harder.
The finish line blurred ahead of her—red tape stretched between two poles like a barrier she could never quite break.
---
"You'll ruin your shoes," said Coach Tanaka, standing at the edge of the field with a stopwatch.
"I don't care," Hana huffed, hands on her knees. Her cheeks were flushed, hair tied up messily, and sweat beaded across her forehead.
Coach raised an eyebrow. "You've been training harder than usual. Something wrong?"
"Just… need to run."
He nodded, scribbled on his clipboard, and let her be. Hana appreciated that about him. No forced pep talks. Just space.
As she jogged toward the benches, a familiar voice called out.
"Hana!"
Leo.
She blinked. He was holding two bottles of sports drink, one in each hand, waving slightly.
"You didn't have to come," she said, walking over.
"You said yesterday you had morning training. Figured you might be dehydrated."
She took the bottle with a grunt of thanks.
For a moment, they sat side by side on the bench, sipping quietly. The sun peeked through the gray clouds, casting soft golden light across the empty track.
Then Hana spoke.
"Do you ever feel like you're the only one not moving forward?"
Leo glanced at her. "All the time."
She gave a short laugh. "Of course you'd say that."
"No, I mean it," Leo replied. "Everyone seems to know what they're doing. Kai's always confident. Yuki's always upbeat. Rin knows what she wants, even when she hides it. And Aira… well, she's catching up fast."
Hana looked at him. "And me?"
Leo hesitated. "You're the strongest person I know."
She blinked. "That's not the same as moving forward."
"Maybe. But you're honest. You never pretend. That counts for something."
Hana stared ahead at the field, her fingers tightening around the bottle.
"I used to think that if I ran fast enough, I could leave things behind. But feelings don't work that way, huh?"
Leo didn't respond. He let her sit with the thought.
Then she looked at him again, a strange vulnerability in her eyes.
"You know I like you, right?"
Leo inhaled slowly. "Yeah."
"And I know you don't like me the same way. Not right now, anyway."
Leo opened his mouth, but Hana held up a hand.
"It's okay. I'm not here to change your mind. I just wanted you to know that even if I can't win… I'll still be here."
Leo lowered his gaze. "You don't have to—"
"I want to. That's the difference."
They sat in silence for a while longer, until Coach called Hana back for final drills.
Before she left, she turned to Leo with a half-smile.
"Next time, you're running with me."
"What? Why?"
"Because I want you to feel what it's like to move forward. Even if it's just one lap."
Leo watched her sprint back toward the track, her ponytail bouncing, her stride as strong as ever.
And maybe, just maybe, she was right.