Watanuki always had escape routs. Ways he could leave if any situation became too… spirited. Even in school, he knew all the best ways to exit the building as quickly as possible. He always had a bolt-hole, and he could run faster than anyone in his class. He knew that for a fact.
That's why he hated P.E. He always had to hold back, and act as though he's exhausted by the end of the warm-up runs. He's terrified of anyone finding out his athletic skill, and asking him to join the track team or something. Then he'd be trapped. No way to escape, or leave. He couldn't leave in the middle of a tournament, or a race or a practice session, if he joined a team. He'd just make everyone's lives miserable.
Even so, when Doumeki, finally fed up with all Watanuki's whining and flailing, (which had been more persistent than usual lately) challenged him to a race, Watanuki accepted.
The race track was a mile around places in the city, including the park, and Himawari-chan and Yuuko-san were to be the referees.
"Aren't you going to take your glasses off, or tie them on to your face so you don't lose them?" Himawari-chan asked as the competitors lined up at the starting line.
"No, it's fine, it's fine," Watanuki gushed.
"If your sure," Himawari said as she took her position.
"Alright boys, I want a nice clean fight- I mean race." Yuuko-san said. "No biting, no cheap shots, and no tripping. Right. On your marks, get set…"
"GO!" Himawari waved a checkered flag as Mokona fired a little pop-gun from the sidelines. Watanuki was off like a shot, leaving a flabbergasted Doumeki in his wake.
…
Watanuki was already sipping whatever drink he had brought from home that day and munching on a rice ball when Doumeki trotted wearily back to the finish line. "Told you," he said smugly. "I knew it."
"Wow, Watanuki-kun! Your amazing!" Himawari-chan gushed. "You too, Doumeki-kun!" Her watch beeped, and looking at it, her face fell. "I'm so sorry, Watanuki-kun, Doumeki-kun, Yuuko-san, but I have to go. I'm late and…"
"No problem, Himawari-chan," Yuuko assured her. "We'll see you next time."
"Of course, Himawari-chan! See you at school!"
Doumeki simply waved, his breath not having returned as of yet. Privately, he wondered how long the idiot had been here to have so much energy back. He staggered over to one of the little animal benches and sat down. "How… "
Watanuki grinned, but this time there was an edge to it that Doumeki could not understand. Sadness? Regret? Fear? "Of course I'm faster than you, and everybody else," he said, boasting, although something akin to regret colored his voice. "I'm still alive, aren't I?"
A/N: I know Watanuki isn't actually that athletic, but really, running for your life WOULD make you fast, wouldn't it? Especially against the bigger spirits, the ones that salt doesn't do anything against...
Anyway, I don't own it, cuz if I did, why am I wasting time on this site when I could be brainstorming or drawing or otherwise earning money for story-telling?