Disclaimer: I don't own Yowamushi Pedal at all except my ocs.
Previously
I smiled watching Naruko, Imaizumi, and Sakamichi bear a serious expression among themselves.
'Good. They're in high spirits.'
Clasping my hands together, I silently sent the three my wish of luck.
'Good luck.'
Unknown to Miki and I, the shadow of a someone approached the two of us. Who would've known...that someone else would rile another incoming storm on the last day of the Inter-High race?
Chapter 35
A hand, no two hands, grabbed both my left shoulder and Miki's right shoulder causing the two of us to jump in surprise, "Hey there."
Miki screamed in response to the person's sudden action, "Kyah!"
As I attempted, quote the key word...attempted, to shove this person away from us. The guy didn't move a budge. Not only that, he held a glint in his eye. It gave me a bad feeling in stomach.
'Drat!' I clicked my tongue in frustration, as I tried to see who I was dealing with. He was wearing a white and green jersey bearing the name known as Hiroshima on his shoulder blades.
"Who are you?!" I yelled at him angrily. Miki's scream and my own voice caused a riot, forced the people surrounding us to turn over to the source.
"Hey. Hey. Hey, I'm just asking you two something." The guy joked around as if this situation was funny, which was absolutely not. "You're quite a feisty one though."
"How about it?" He removed his hand from Miki, and wrapped it around my shoulder. "You and I, just the two of us?"
My eye twitched, at this point I was going to punch him just like I always do to persistent jerks. However someone else beat me to the punch, as I found myself being pushed away from the guy.
"Chiaki!" Luckily for me, it was Koizumi and Takara. Koizumi stood in front of me, confronting the guy whereas Takara made sure Miki and I were alright.
"Are you alright, Onoda-san? Kazanki-san?" My upperclassmen asked me worriedly as I warily nodded as did Miki. Though I was a little startled by what I just recently experienced.
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Koizumi practically glared at the guy, disgusted by his actions.
"Me?" The guy pointed to himself as he directed his attention over to a particular group of cyclists. Nonetheless the group was none other than Sohoku and Hakogaku combined. "I'm someone with stars...I'm Machimiya Eikichi, a third year from Hiroshima Kureminami's Technical High School!"
'Stars?' I blinked a few times. Trying to put together the words he stated, but then the name of his school sounded vaguely familiar until-
'Wait...Hiroshima?! I heard from Koga-senpai about them winning third place in last year's race...if that's true!'
Biting the bottom of my lip, I grimaced at Machimiya's announcement toward the two groups.
'There's going to be a lot of trouble for Saka-nii and the others if he tries to meddle in their rivalry.'
"We still have all six of our members!" Machimiya pointed out, forcing a side glance over to my cousin. I quietly hope that Saka-nii would get my silent plea.
'Saka-nii don't be intimidated! He's trying to rile up the competition!'
"So...Sohoku." Machimiya continued playing a part of his red-orange hair, a happy go lucky smile painted against his mouth, "Do you have stars?"
Onoda Sakamichi
"So...Sohoku." The third year continued, bearing a happy go lucky smile painted against his mouth as he played a bit of his hair, "Do you have stars?"
'Stars? What does he mean? But more importantly...What is with this person?'
The atmosphere we had earlier at the starting line has now been dissipated. Instead a feeling of dread and uneasiness rise from within me. Naruko was going to retort to the Hiroshima upperclassman, however the third year continued on as he declared, "To tell you the truth, I can use magic."
'Magic? Like Himeno Kotori? Hitsuji-san? Animaru-kun?...Wait, that doesn't make any sense.'
I sweat dropped.
'Chiaki would've sent me a look if she heard me say those names.'
Sending a glance to Chiaki, I nearly choked noticing her eyeing me. Though from the looks of it, she's trying to tell me something and not giving me her all-knowing ridicule expression. I don't know what Chiaki is saying...but.
I attempted to give a small smile. Although the words made by that third year from Hiroshima worsened the atmosphere even more.
Onoda Chiaki
You know how first impression is always a huge impact?
Well...after watching Machimiya of Hiroshima do such a weird way of introducing himself to Kinjou-san and the captain of Hakogaku, Fukutomi-san.
'Let's just say it was absolutely gross.' I blanched in shock of what I just thought. 'I can't even believe I just copied Akira. Then again, I'd probably let it slide for just this once. After all this guy, seemed to piss us all off.'
"Um, please wait!" My eyes darted over to see Saka-nii's expression. Filled with bewilderment, the kind person I know as my cousin tried to reconcile the heavy mood only to end up falling face flat on the ground by his road racer, "Sohoku will...! Uwah!"
Let's just say that fall wasn't pretty, leading me to call out to him. "Saka-nii!" Despite the unforgotten drop, Saka-nii didn't stop from speaking as he slowly raised himself due to being used to hitting the ground all the time.
"Sohoku will do their best." Upon showing his face covered in the asphalt of the road, he boldly stated these word that warmed my heart, "I don't know if we have what yo're talking about, but Sohoku will do its best!"
A grin plastered itself on my face. This was the probably the best improvement I've ever seen from someone as shy as him, for Saka-nii to have courage against someone like Machimiya. It brings me utter happiness to know that he's beginning to mature more than I thought he would.
"Pfft...Falling before the race starts? You're not very lucky." He gave a sympathetic smile to my cousin, which enraged me, "You haven't gotten them. Which I feel sorry for you, but let me ask you something."
"Onoda-kun, are you a first year? What do you think is the most important thing to have in a road race?" I'm pretty sure that jerk was going to say stars again, though in the end Saka-nii was able to return the favor by stating, "A...A bicycle! I-Is that right? Am I wrong?"
"I don't think your cousin is wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's not the right answer." Koizumi deadpanned as she listened into their conversation. Indeed, but the nerve of that guy! Calling Saka-nii a jester. He's not one to joke around compared to someone who likes to boast about themselves. I'm literally this close to punching or at least slapping him, but I don't want to create a ruckus. Once Machimiya had left, I headed over Saka-nii immediately.
"Are you okay?" Taking out a handkerchief, I wipe away the asphalt from his face.
"I'm fine, Chiaki." By the tone of his voice, he sounded more tense. Although the look of determination didn't stop me from squishing his cheeks. "U-Uwah!" He mumbled as I continued to squish his cheeks more.
"Don't push yourself." I muttered, before sending Imaizumi and Naruko a smile. Making sure they get the message of watching my cousin for me. Returning to the side lines, Takara hanged up from a call.
"Shizuka said she's waiting for us." Turning over to Miki, she somewhat felt some concern for my friend. However it looks like Aya is going to be taking care of her. So I'm not as worried, but hope she wasn't too startled by what just happened.
Soon a conversation among the cyclists mentioning about the ace of Kyofushi began to brew as we headed toward Shizuka's car.
"Hey, that ace number of Kyofushi isn't appearing for today's race?"
"After not going to podium yesterday, I'm pretty sure he ended up chickening out of the race."
A part of me wanted to yell at the people thinking he dropped out of the race due to yesterday's events, but seeing the shell of a dejected Midosuji Akira returned to my mind. Continuously calling himself a loser, however I know. Akira isn't the type to give up the one thing he had left from the happiness cherished in his childhood. Especially his Del Rosa road racer. It's valid proof that Akira hasn't given up road racing.
"Hey, look!" Glancing around, I found a person from the crowd pointing back at the road, and there riding up the pack of cyclists was none other than Akira. Not minding the change of hairstyle, I inwardly smiled.
'Good...Akira did take the message I said yesterday.'
Slapping my face a bit, I gave a silent get go message to myself before heading over to Shizuka's car.
"Gotta do my best cheering them on today!"
Koizumi Maya
Seeing Chiaki slap herself was one thing, but the glint in her eyes proved enough to convey a message.
The sight of her doing that made me inwardly laugh to myself. Despite not being apart of the race, she still manages to pull off a smile to events such as this. Before I followed after the first year. I glanced up to see Arakita. After Machimiya's announcement, a fire lit within Arakita's eyes. It wasn't that hard to tell, since I constantly angered him at the restaurant.
"Arakita." I muttered his sure name to myself. However upon saying his last name, I could see his eyes trail over to me which caused me to jolt a bit. I wasn't sure if he was expecting me to shocked or still angry over what occurred a few minutes ago but there was something in his eyes. Something of which I wasn't able to tell in time since I felt my wrist being tugged by someone.
"Koizumi-senpai?" It was Chiaki. "C'mon, we need to start heading to the car now."
"I know." I replied in ease. Though I can't help but feel that something was going on in Arakita's mind as I walked away with Chiaki. I don't know. Was he trying to tell me something or coincidentally happened to glance toward my direction? Well obviously its not the latter, but rather the first. As Chiaki and I climbed into the car, I immediately focused my attention toward Chiaki's side of the window.
'Arakita. You better not be pulling any stupid stunts today.'
Arakita Yasutomo
That guy. My eyes narrowed as I watched Machimiya and his team disappear into the pack. A sour after taste formed in my mouth causing me to clench my teeth in dissatisfaction.
"Arakita." I could hear you loud and clear. "What Fuku-chan?"
Fukutomi's face pointed in the direction of a certain area. That area happened to be where Koizumi was standing. 'Crap.' The look on her face is the same one she often used to instigate me back at the restaurant. Luckily for me the first year, that girl Manami often hanged around, dragged her back into the crowd. Speaking of Manami, why the hell is he still sleeping?!
It wasn't until a few minutes later, Wonder Boy decided to awaken. "Don't fall asleep at the starting line idiot!"
"Oh well." Manami started while rubbing the back of his head. "I was concentrating, so when you block out the sounds around you. You start getting sleepy, don't you?"
My face scrunched upon hearing Manami's reasoning. "Hah? No you don't!" Who the hell falls asleep at the start of the goddamn race?!
"This is what I always do." Manami started his explanation. "To reset myself first before I ride." The next thing I knew, the Wonder Boy's eyes held a look of hunger. Not one of food, but an indescribable expression. "When I'm about to ride seriously." The tone of his voice lowered as he mentioned his next few words. "We're about to have the best race at the biggest mountain of the Inter-High. Right now, this is what I'm looking forward to so much that-"
"I can't contain myself." This side of Manami...has really raised his concentration! By the looks of Toudou's expression, that Wonder Boy was serious about what he'd just said. Damn...what the heck is going on with these first year's?!