On the third day, just as Junta and Hajime's first interval drew to a close, Onoda stopped by the tent for refreshments.
"Ah, Onoda! Taking a break?" Junta flashed him a smile.
"Yes! …Um, Teshima-san? About the cultural festival you mentioned last night…"
"You want the story?" winked Junta. "We'll tell you… after tea time tonight."
"Thank you so much!" Onoda grabbed a bottle. Junta lowered his eyes.
Sorry, Arakita-san… I know I should be nice to the first-years, but your last Inter-high's on the line, and we're going to ride with you and Tadokoro-san, even if it kills us..!
Was it karma?
It must have been. Junta had seen it rebound before.
He devised a perfect strategy based on careful observation and analysis. He secured every available advantage, including a five-kilometer lead at a critical juncture. He taunted and teased with impeccable precision, playing his gullible juniors like the world's smoothest fiddle… and just before the finish line, he watched it all shatter as Naruko and Onoda shot forward one last time, leaving him and Hajime behind.
It was his exhausted legs, like always, but when Junta crashed, he could have sworn his heavy heart had dragged him down.
"Can you stand.. Aoyagi.." he clutched his throbbing thigh. Beside him, Hajime hissed yes through gritted teeth.
"Move, legs!" Junta dragged his knees on the concrete. "We're going to the Inter-high.. with Aoyagi.. and Arakita-san and Tadokoro-san..!"
He planted his foot, then staggered as his knee buckled and he collapsed against Arakita, who gathered him and Hajime into his arms.
"Teshima-chan.. Aoyagi-chan.. It's over…" he cradled them close. Junta's heart jolted.
"But, we—!"
"You fought well, Aoyagi, Teshima…" Tadokoro embraced them, too. "You were so fierce, you had me trembling…"
"Arakita-san.. Tadokoro-san.." breathed Hajime, and Junta couldn't breathe at all.
His vision blurred, and the world slipped from beneath Junta's feet as Arakita hoisted him over his shoulders.
"Hang on, Teshima-chan…" he held onto Junta, minding his thigh. "I'll take you to the medical office." He then nodded to Hajime, waiting until Tadokoro scooped him into his arms.
"Arakita-san.. I can walk…" whispered Junta.
"I'll take you anyway," replied Arakita as he fell into pace by Tadokoro's side. Junta surrendered with a smile.
You haven't changed, Arakita-san.. After all this time, we're still your kids, aren't we…
Has it really been a year since we met?
It feels like yesterday…
END NOTE:
Based on Junta and Hajime's backstory from the first series and New Generation, Tadokoro didn't start training them in earnest until after the Inter-high, or the second term of their first year for various reasons, all pertaining to the older seniors being grossly negligent and passing down a bad example. For reasons that will be revealed in the next chapter, Arakita became their first dad, who held them up when nobody else did.
At any rate, even if Arakita hadn't been their protective wolf dad, he would have still been the first senior to react to an injured teammate, on account of his baseball history. Seriously, the others took their time staring and letting their poor juniors pull up their road racers, sheesh.