Nanako Dojima took a deep breath. This was the moment she had been waiting for. She positioned herself on the starting block, closed her eyes for a quick wish, then focused on the lane ahead. When the gun went off, she was gone, leaving the others behind. She had been training for this for years, and today was the day. Today, Nanako would win the 100 m race. After what felt like forever, but was really only a handful of seconds, she sensed someone coming up on the right. This was not acceptable. No one would outdo her today. Nanako thought briefly of impossible things, and decided this was not going to be one of them. Just before the final bend, she accelerated to a speed she had never felt before. It felt like flying. She smiled happily as she crossed the finish line, way in front of the other runners. It was official. Nanako Dojima was the fastest runner at Yasogami High.
At the end of the race, she allowed herself to hear the cheers coming from the stands. She could hear her dad and her cousin Souji cheering loudly. And nearly drowning them out was a voice she would know anywhere. She looked their way and her heart swelled. Jumping up and down, nearly knocking out both Souji and her dad was Teddie. "Way to go, Nana-chan!" he exclaimed loudly. He had started out as one of Souji's friends, but he and Nanako always had a special bond. He was one of her best friends. And he had barely aged a day since they first met. Nanako smiled, jumping up and down waving back at her family for a moment. Then she headed to the locker room to change. The others would meet her at home later to celebrate.
Nanako took her time in the shower, working out her tight muscles under the hot water. By the time she shut the water off and got changed, most of the other runners had gone home. It didn't bother her one bit. She looked around the locker room with a wistful smile before turning off the light and heading out. She had really done it. If her legs didn't ache so much, it might not even feel real. She headed across the grounds, crossing Yasogami's track again on her way out. She started to head home through the flood plains, walking in a dream state as she floated on the happiness she was feeling from the race. She didn't realize she wasn't alone until someone called out to her.
"Hey, you're Nanako, right? Nanako Dojima. The fastest runner at Yaso High," the boy said, not betraying any emotion. Nanako stopped and tilted her head.
"That's right," she answered.
He broke out into a huge grin. "You were super awesome out there! It was really great!"
"Oh, umm, thank you," she said. Nanako was starting to feel pretty shy, but decided to let the day's confidence continue. "I'm sorry," she said, "I know I've seen you around, but I can't remember your name."
"It's Miusagi. And you have. Seen me around. At the textile shop, mostly."
"Oh, that's right!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly. "You're Kanji's friend! The one he used to make cute stuffed animals for!"
"R-Right… that's me," Miusagi said with a blush. "Umm, anyway," he recovered quickly, "You're also my senpai at Yaso. I see you at school sometimes. I mean, besides at the track meets."
"Well, you should come and say hello next time," she said. She smiled again and he returned it. "Do you want to walk with me? I usually cut through the shopping district to get home."
"Oh. Sure," he said. They began walking in silence. It wasn't uncomfortable. After a few minutes, Miusagi decided to break it. "Nanako-senpai," he began. "Do you know that Teddie guy very well? The one that's friends with Kanji and your cousin?"
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Yes, I love Teddie!" She thought about her words and blushed just slightly. "What I mean is, he's one of my best friends!"
"Oh, alright," Miusagi said softly. "He's… quite interesting… I mean.."
Nanako giggled. "Yes. I know exactly what you mean."
When they made it to the shopping district, it was pretty deserted. That tended to happen around this time of day. Most people went home for dinner, causing a lull for most of the businesses, other than the restaurants. This is why the raised voices got their undivided attention.
"P-Please, no," said a man. "I-I don't want to go back there ever again! Things are different now. I'm needed here, I -" His shouts were cut off as the other man picked him up and threw him towards a TV screen in the back of a truck. The first man disappeared as if he went right through the screen. The other man shut the back of the truck, hopped into the front and quickly drove off. Nanako turned to Miusagi.
"That was -" she began.
"Mayor Namatame!" he finished. "Wasn't it?"
Nanako frowned. "I think so. It looked like him, and it sounded like his voice when he speaks on television."
"What did we even just see? That guy threw him… at a TV… and he disappeared?"
Nanako nodded. "I have to go home now. But I think that we should talk about this. Can we meet tomorrow?"
Miusagi nodded. "Where?" he asked.
"I'll be in front of the textile shop at noon," she said. He nodded, and they went their separate ways.
Nanako spent the rest of her walk completely lost in thought. She had nearly forgotten about the race and what would be waiting for her at home. She slid the door open and absentmindedly announced,"I'm home."
"Welcome home, Nana-chan!" Teddie shouted, running at her with so much force that he nearly knocked her to the floor when he threw his arms around her.
"Hey, Nanako!" Souji said with a smile. "Congratulations! I know you worked hard for today."
"We're so proud of you, Nanako!" said Dojima.
She was a little bit stunned, having forgotten that they would be waiting. She thanked them, and hugged Teddie back, letting herself be absorbed into the celebration. Later she could think about what had happened on the way home. Until then, she was going to enjoy this joyous moment with her family.