July 23rd
Ryuji took a deep breath as he stepped into the Village Plaza for the first time. All of the buildings were built from timber, and according to one of the staff members, it was donated by 63 different municipalities across Japan. There were the dorms, the general store, cafe, and a media centre. To put it simply, the place was packed full of athletes from around the world, and he barely recognized any of them.
"I hope I can find Hanako…" He thought to himself while trudging forward, both eagerness and anxiety in each step. Each of the dorms was several stories tall and surrounded the other buildings in an almost intimidating fashion. As he explored the plaza, he found a few banks, ATMs, laundromats, and other locations that he didn't remember hearing about.
"This really is like a village… wait… that's the point!"
Ryuji sighed as he quickly found himself bored, and decided to make his way to the primary cafeteria. Along the way, he pulled out his phone.
Ryuji: Hey, Hanako. Have you made it to the Olympic Village yet?
Hanako: Hello, Ryuji-kun! I have! This is so exciting! I've already settled in my dorm with the other rhythmic gymnasts, and I've even talked to them in English!
Ryuji: I should talk to my teammates more, huh. I don't really remember English… anyway! Wanna meet me at the cafeteria?
Hanako: Sure! I'll be there soon!
A sigh of relief escaped him as his entire body relaxed.
"Why the hell am I so nervous anyway? I still got a week before my first sprints… I gotta win!"
He paced around the exterior of the cafeteria nervously while thinking to himself, with the other athletes giving him amused looks and talking amongst themselves.
"Whatdya lookin' at?" He wanted to yell, but couldn't. "I just got shaky knees, that's all!"
He sighed again.
"Man… what would Sakiya think right now? I look pathetic. She'd probably tell me to just be confident and believe in myself! I do, I swear! I just…. God I miss her."
"Ryuji-kun!"
The sound of Hanako's voice broke him out of his stupor as he looked over to see her wearing a long, orange dress and a sunhat, smiling.
"Oh, hey Hanako. Nice outfit."
"Thank you! Sumire-chan helped me pick it out, and I really wanted Futaba-chan to see me in it!"
"I'm guessing you sent pictures?" He tilted his head, confused. "It's not like we can leave the village."
"Yes! I sent her plenty of pictures!"
Hanako wore a bright, excited smile on her face.
"You and Futaba are really close… You're not dating, right? I joked about it that one time, but I'm not really sure if you are." He scratched his head, a puzzled yet curious look on his face.
"We're not, but I'm going to tell her how I feel soon!"
"That's… nice to hear. I hope it goes well."
"Is everything alright, Ryuji-kun?"
Hanako leaned in slightly and saw Ryuji skulking, his shoulders sunk and a frown across his face.
"Uh… yeah."
"You can tell me anything, promise!"
"Ummmm…"
Ryuji sighed again.
"Let's get some food first. We only got a few hours till the Opening Ceremony…"
"Okay! " She smiled and nodded, acting as a beacon of sunshine and kindness. The two made their way inside, curating themselves two plates of curry, which was the most familiar dish that they spotted. The cafeteria was absolutely packed to the brim with athletes, so they carefully navigated around with their food, eventually finding an empty location to sit.
"So…" Ryuji swallowed nervously and stirred his spoon through the curry. "Uh…"
"I'm your friend, Ryuji-kun! Feel free to tell me anything!" Hanako gave him a reassuring nod.
"Right right… okay…"
A deep breath. He clenched his fist.
"I'm a little nervous about the upcoming events. I know Sakiya and the rest bought tickets and will be watching, so… I don't want to let them down."
"I understand how you feel, Ryuji-kun." Hanako smiled genuinely. "When I heard you and Sakiya-chan were taking a break, I got scared that the same thing would happen between Futaba-chan and me. I stopped talking to her for a little bit because I was so scared, yet it turned out that my fears were completely fake! They were all in my head, and that might be the same for you!"
"All in my head, huh…" Ryuji ruffled his hair. "Are you saying I still have a chance? Does Sakiya still like me?"
"I'm saying you don't have anything to worry about!" Hanako giggled.
"I just gotta do my best and show her what I'm made of!"
"Mhm!"
"I have the 100-meter sprint, the 200-meter, and the relay. I got three chances to win a gold!"
"Oh!" Hanako's eyes lit up. "You want to win a gold medal?"
"Yeah. That way, I'll steal Sakiya's heart for sure!"
"I see!" She clapped. "It's wonderful to have a goal, isn't it? I want to show Futaba-chan how I feel through my performance!"
"Show her how you feel? By performing? I guess it's the same as me wanting Sakiya to watch me run…"
"It's basically the same! I believe in you, Ryuji-kun!"
"Thank, Hanako!"
Ryuji pumped his fist and eagerly ate his curry. Slowly, his face distorted into one of horror and disgust.
"They call this curry? Ewww…."
"Don't be rude, Ryuji-kun!" Hanako shook her head and took a bite. Her eyes widened in shock.
"I see… you're right."
"I think we've been spoiled by Boss…"
"Sakura-san does make amazing curry… it's on a completely different level than… this."
"Wouldn't you eventually start callin' him dad? I'm not sure how that all works…" Ryuji waved his spoon in a gesture, which was all it was good for at that point.
"I would!" Hanako clapped. "I hope that day comes soon!"
"I hope Futaba feels the same way."
"Oh, I'm not worried about that!"
"She really does seem to like you."
"Mhm! I love her, though!"
"Love… I never thought it'd be so complicated." Ryuji smirked and stood up. "Thanks for talkin' to me, Hanako. I'm gonna go find the men's athletic dorms and set myself up. If I see ya at the Opening Ceremony, I'll be sure to wave."
"Okay! This is going to be fun! See you later, Ryuji-kun!"
Hanako cheerfully waved as Ryuji disappeared amongst the other athletes, a hopeful smile on her face.
August 1st
Ryuji spent the next ten days training for his first event, running in set intervals, taking short breaks, and focusing intensely on his goal.
Steal Sakiya's heart.
This is the phrase he had ingrained in his mind since they made up in January, and it was what he would make a reality.
Or so he hoped.
In the first round of the Men's 100-meter sprint, he ended up in Heat 7, racing in lane three. Once he started sprinting, he let nothing else occupy his mind. The result? He claimed first in the Heat and was eligible for the semifinals. Before exiting the stadium, he glanced over to find Sumire, Ren, and Futaba cheering him on, and Sakiya smiling.
"I can do this! I want to see her smile more… For me. With me. C'mon Ryuji!"
With a salute, he made his way off to change and head back to the Olympic Village.
August 2nd
Ryuji took a deep breath as he posed himself to sprint. The semifinals came and went, and he placed third, making him eligible for the finals, but not guaranteeing him a spot. While several other events happened between the semifinals and finals, Ryuji panicked internally while trying to stretch.
"Shit shit shit! I might not make it to the finals! Wait… Don't freak out… Think of what Sakiya taught you… Stretch and be ready!"
After taking several minutes to cool his head, Ryuji began stretching, making sure to hit each and every muscle group that Sakiya taught him about. Time passed quickly as he nervously counted down, waiting for the announcement to see if he'd be competing in the 100 Meter final.
To his relief, he was called to participate.
"I gotta show Sakiya what I'm made of!" He stepped forward and found his legs unable to move, two solid slabs, glued to the floor.
"C'mon! Don't get chicken now! It's just 100 meters!" He slapped his knee and took one step forward, and then another. Eventually, he made his way out with the other runners and leaned down on the track.
"I'm a Phantom Thief! I ran up Shido's ship in a flash! I got this!"
With the loud bang of the marker gun, he began his sprint. In rapid succession, he planted one foot in front of the other, swinging his arms to keep momentum, and not hesitating for a single second. As he sprinted, he edged extremely close to his fellow runners, but as they came closer and closer to the end, they outpaced him, and eventually, every single one of them beat him.
Ryuji crossed the finish line last, placing eighth.
He lost.
"Ryuji… No…"
Sakiya felt a sharp twitch in her chest as Ryuji hung his head and disappeared with the rest of his team, off the track.
"How could he lose… He trained so hard…" Her heart was filled with grief, and her thoughts scattered.
"Was it because I didn't help him train? Was it my fault…? I want to help him… I should have helped him…"
Her eyes widened as the thought crossed her mind.
"Wait… Is this what Sumire was talking about? Is this what I want? I want him to win. I want to share a dream with him… All that exercise we did together, all the running… Ryuji was the one person who could keep up with me, and I wanted to be around him more because of that. Sumire could keep up with me in gymnastics, but Ryuji could everywhere else, and I love that about him. No man ever made me feel the same way as he has… It really is love." A light blush appeared on her cheeks. "At least, I'm pretty sure it is. It sounds just like the way Sumire talks about Ren! Why was I so afraid of it?"
"Are you alright, Sakiya?" Futaba tapped her shoulder.
"Huh?" Sakiya turned and looked at her.
"You look pretty pale. I'm sad that Ryuji lost, too, but are you feeling okay?"
The concerned look on Futaba's face told Sakiya that she was letting her emotions leak through.
"I'm fine. Ryuji really… tried his best?"
She was not fine.
"He did. He still has two more events, right? So let's keep cheering him on. This isn't a game over, right Sumire, Ren?" Futaba looked over at the couple, which only made things worse in the moment.
"He did try his best." Sumire nodded.
"Futaba's right, Sakiya." Ren weakly smiled, clearly frustrated, himself.
"..." Sakiya stood up, her legs shaking as she stepped away from Futaba, Sumire and Ren. "I have to go."
"W-Wait, Sakiya!" Futaba stretched out her hand as Sakiya walked away.
"Merde!"
Sakiya gripped her fist, grit her teeth and stomped her feet after closing the door to her apartment.
"He lost! Dammit! He was so close, too! If only I had helped him train better!" A frustrated yell escaped her before she stopped and took a deep breath.
"Calm down Sakiya…" She mentally told herself and gazed around her room, spotting some of the medals she had won.
"Wait… I'm not supposed to be focusing on him! But… I can't help it! I need to leave him alone!"
In a huff, she jumped onto her bed face-first and planted her face in her pillow.
"I'm just distracting him, aren't I?"
…
"But I want to watch him!"
…
Sakiya yelled into her pillow, unable to figure out what she wanted.
"Focus on gymnastics! Focus on running! Love is a commitment! Why does this all have to be so complicated!"
…
...
"Is it that complicated? Sumire told me it was simple for her… Why can't it be simple for me?"
…
…
"CAN it be simple for me? I just watch him, and he watches me…"
…
…
"This is giving me a headache… I just… I want to be with Ryuji again…"
Sakiya fell asleep, unable to completely sort out her thoughts, stressed from what turned into an incredibly long night.
On the 4th of August, Ryuji competed in the first round of the Men's 200 Meter sprint, ending up in Heat 7 again, this time in lane 8. Sakiya joined Sumire, Ren and Futaba to watch, but her muddled feelings kept her quiet through the events. She wanted to cheer him on, but she also wanted to leave him be.
"Am I distracting him or not? I just don't know!"
No amount of questions from Futaba, Sumire, or even Ren could help her state how she felt. She didn't want to say. Instead, she continued to internally chastise herself.
"Stupid… Stupid! Run, Ryuji! Don't let me get in the way!"
…
"I can't yell that! No… If I even talk to him, he'll probably end up losing again. I hope he doesn't look at me… Maybe I should have watched from the apartment?"
Sumire, Futaba and Ren talked amongst themselves while Sakiya argued with herself in her own little world.
"Should we keep asking Sakiya what's wrong? It feels like talking to an NPC that can only say hello and goodbye!" Futaba sighed.
"I've never really seen Saki-chan act like this… Ryuji's first loss really hurt her." Sumire nervously replied.
"I don't think there is much we can do right now." Ren ran a hand through his hair. "Whatever she's thinking about, she'll have to figure out herself."
"I feel bad… I think I know what she feels right now, but I know Sakiya will only want to come to the conclusion herself."
"You're doing everything you can, Sumire." Ren took her hand. "Let's just continue supporting Ryuji."
"Okay… You're right." She closed her eyes and nodded. "Let's cheer Ryuji-senpai on."
"I mean… if you say so, Ren." Futaba rubbed her finger under her nose. "I wouldn't want to piss Sakiya off anyway."
The trio turned their attention back to the ongoing competitions, waiting for Ryuji's semifinals. Within an hour, he was up once again. Ren did his best to catch a glimpse of Ryuji's face to gauge his mental state, but couldn't get a good enough view of his friend.
"I just… gotta keep runnin'!" Ryuji mentally told himself. "There's nothing else to it!"
Positioning himself in a running pose, Ryuji took off. The seconds that passed between him starting and finishing were tense, and he placed third again. Everyone sat in nervous anticipation until they finally announced that he secured a placement in the finals.
Securing a placement was only the start. It wasn't over.
August 5th
Sakiya, Sumire, Ren and Futaba gathered once more to watch the next day of Athletic Competitions. The only one any of them could think about was Ryuji's, which was the last competition of the day, around 9:50 PM. Everyone was already tired and stressed from the constant worrying. Sakiya wanted to cheer Ryuji on, but the anxiety she felt for him and the conflict within her kept her from doing anything but biting her lip and clenching her fist as she sat and watched.
So she sat and watched the other Olympic competitors.
High jumps, races, shot put, sprints, steeplechases, throws, decathlons…
She didn't care about any of those.
"I just want to watch Ryuji…" She thought to herself.
Sakiya felt her cheeks burn red as her heart rate increased.
"Just… watch… Do I even care if he wins…?"
The question lingered in her mind as she watched him step out onto the track and take his position. The question overtook her thoughts as he began sprinting in the 200 Meter Men's Finals, and it remained as he finished and lost, placing 5th in the face.
The world disappeared around Sakiya as she felt her heartbeat. Nothing had changed since she started watching him and his loss. Her cheeks were still red, and he was all she could think about.
"I… I don't care if he wins." Her own voice rang in her head, slightly distant, but still there.
Sakiya closed her eyes and found herself in a Protein Lovers, Ryuji by her side as they both ran on treadmills.
"I want to be by your side as we pursue victory… But I don't even think the victory matters anymore. At least, not your victory. I thought if you won, I'd suddenly know if I was in love with you or not, but I don't even care about that now. Ryuji… I'm sorry."
"What're you sorry about?" He laughed. "Don't you just love the breeze when the AC kicks in? Let's get some ramen after we're done!"
A smile curled across Sakiya's lips as the revelation finally hit her.
"You were right, Sumire. You were right. It is that simple. I want to watch Ryuji, and I want him to watch me."
"Damn… he lost again!" Futaba clicked her tongue. "He did a lot better this time, right Sakiya?"
"Yes he did." Sakiya answered calmly, with a clarity to her voice.
"You uh… Seem to be in a better mood?" Futaba raised an eyebrow, confused.
"I'm fine."
"I think 5th place is really good!" Sumire clapped. "He did his best out there!"
"Given the fact that this is his first time competing at an Olympic level…" Ren gave Sakiya a firm nod. "He's done pretty well, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes." She blissfully nodded. "All that's left is the tag team relay."
"Right." Ren stood up. "Let's head home. It's late."
"Good idea."
The four made their way out of the stadium with the rest of the crowd, all while Ryuji gripped his fist, biting his lip as he made his way back to the Olympic Village.
"Dammit… Damn it! Don't freak out, Ryuji…" He closed an eyelid. "You're with a bunch of professionals. Don't cause a scene…"
He couldn't help but slam the door to his room as he stepped inside, no matter how much he tried to contain his rage.
"That's two losses… I still got the relay…" He pulled out his phone and looked through his contacts.
"Hi mom…" Ryuji laid down on his bed and let out a long sigh.
"Great work tonight, Ryuji!"
"Great work? I got my butt kicked…"
"Oh come on now, you placed fifth at an Olympic event! You're not going to blame it on your leg, are you?"
"'Course not, mom. I didn't win cause I didn't try hard enough. I wanna show Sakiya what I'm made of!"
"Oh, that's so sweet! I remember meeting Sakiya-chan for the first time. My little boy has grown up so much! You want to show her how you feel by winning, right?"
Ryuji bit his lip again.
"I just… I wanna win. For her."
"You'll be fine, Ryuji! Your friends and I are all cheering you on! Believe in yourself, like they do!"
"Mmmm… Thanks mom. I feel a little bit better."
"Get some sleep now! You have another competition tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah. Love you. Goodnight."
"I love you too! Goodnight, Ryuji."
Ryuji dropped his phone and passed out.
The 6th of August came and passed quickly, with Ryuji competing in the first round of the Men's 4 x 100 Meter Relay, his team making it to Heat 1 and placing 2nd.
Sakiya watched him with newfound excitement, eager to watch him do his best and win. She didn't care anymore about win or lose. All she wanted was to watch him, and for him to watch her. Knowing that he was sprinting and competing for her gave her heart palpitations.
It made her happy.
That night, Ryuji called Ren and told him about his anxiety regarding this being his last chance. Upon hearing that Sakiya was cheering him on, though, Ryuji felt a new burst of confidence from within.
The only thing left was for him to run.
August 7th
Hanako returned to the Olympic Village after placing third in the Rhythmic Gymnastics qualifiers and walked around without a clear destination in sight. As she passed by one of the many gyms, she spotted Ryuji sprinting on one of the treadmills. A smile crossed her face as she stepped inside and walked up next to him.
"Ryuji-kun!"
"Hanako! Hey!" He pulled the emergency stop and slowed down to a halt. "How'd you do? Your thingy was today, right? I've been focusing on trainin' an-"
"I placed third!" She answered giddily. "I'm going to perform in the finals tomorrow!"
"Sweet!" He hopped off the treadmill and held his hand up. She high-fived him and pumped her first.
"Your final relay is soon, right?"
"In a few hours, yeah."
"I know you can win, Ryuji-kun! You've come this far!"
"Ya think so?" He caught his breath. "Thanks!"
"Japan won second place in the 100-meter relay race at the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016!" She nodded. "I'm sure you can do it too! I've come this far, and so can you!"
"They did, huh?"
"Mhm! You want to show Sakiya how you feel, right?"
"Yeah." He looked at his hand and clenched his fist, a confident smile on his face. "I'll do even better. I'm not gonna let the losses stop me. I just gotta keep runnin', and I'll get that gold."
"That's the spirit! I'm performing for Futaba, and it makes me feel like I can do anything!" Hanako held up her fist. "Let's perform for the person we love together, Ryuji!"
"Y-Yeah!" Ryuji fist-bumped her, nearly caught off guard by her statement.
"No wonder she likes Futaba so much…" He thought to himself. "Thinks just like her…"
"What will you do now?" He gave her a curious look.
"I'm going to train! The finals are tomorrow, and I want to be in the best shape possible!" Hanako gave him a nod. "Good luck, Ryuji-kun! I know you can do it!"
"Right! I'll see you around, Hanako!"
"Mhm! Goodbye, Ryuji-kun!"
Hanako and Ryuji went their separate ways, with Ryuji making his way to the Olympic Stadium for his last shot at the gold.
The next several hours were slow for both Ryuji and Sakiya. Ryuji's sprint was, once again, the last event. He stretched in the back, preparing himself to fulfill his role. There were four runners in total, with each one sprinting 100 meters, passing a baton. He had trained with his team for nearly a year now, and they all knew each other's strengths and weaknesses. All that was left was for them to pull it off. Ryuji was the last to sprint, which effectively put the most pressure on him. His teammates needed to get the baton to him, but he needed to cross the finish line.
As his team was called, he quickly looked around the stadium and found his friends holding up a banner with the words "GO RYUJI" written across it. Ren, Sakiya, Sumire and Futaba were all standing and waving him on. He knew his mom, Yusuke, Makoto, Haru, Ann and Shiho were all watching, too.
"Here goes…" Ryuji got in position.
The fourth leg.
The final charge to victory.
Ryuji closed his eyes for a second and thought of Sakiya as the starting shot was fired. Time blurred as he waited for his teammates to finish their sprints. He counted each second in his head.
"31… 32…"
He dashed forward as the third runner came up behind him. The baton slid into his hand as he made a bolt for the finish line.
"Go, Ryuji!" Sakiya jumped out of her seat from excitement, unable to contain it anymore.
Sweat dripped down his face as his heart pounded from anxiety, excitement and adrenaline all at once.
He charged.
He sprinted.
His leg didn't hurt at all. Years of physical therapy had assured that. He wanted to thank his therapists again.
The finish line was behind him as he came to a stop and regained his focus.
Deep breaths.
His teammates ran up to him, piling over him in a group hug.
"Did… Did we win?"
"Third place! We finished in 37.63 seconds! Just behind Canada!"
"Oh…"
Ryuji let a fake smile encompass his face, but internally, he knew it was over.
It was a photo finish with a bronze medal earned.
He was so heartbroken he didn't even notice Sakiya jumping with joy and cheering for him as he exited the field.
Ryuji sulked as he stepped out of the Olympic stadium, knowing that he'd be celebrating a bronze medal at the victory ceremony the next day. Everyone around him felt incredibly distant as he looked around like a lost dog.
"Nobody wants a loser… Dammit…"
He looked down at his hand and up again, and saw Sakiya nearby.
"Sakiya… She probably doesn't want to talk to me…"
As Ryuji turned around to walk in the other direction, he heard her call out his name.
"Ryuji!"
He stopped in his tracks, exhausted and defeated, but every fiber in his body wanted to run.
"Sakiya…" He looked down as she circled around him, unable to look her in the eye. "I couldn't win the gold. I'm sorry."
"You idiot…" Sakiya pushed his head up with her right hand, curling her fingers beneath his chin so that he looked her in the eye. "I don't care about that."
"H-Huh? B-But I thought… I thought you wanted to focus on gymnastics."
"I did… But I realized something, Ryuji. I finally understand what I want."
"Wh-What you want?"
"I saw you run, and I finally realized that you were running for me. You wanted me to watch you. I was so stuck in my own ways that I just couldn't see it before. I… I want to share my dream with you, Ryuji. I want to keep working out with you, talking about stupid things, and just… Being with you."
"Sakiya… Y-You mean…" Ryuji's eyes widened.
"I love you, Ryuji." Sakiya's lips quivered as her face turned a deep shade of red. "I want to pursue my gymnastics career with you at my side. I want you to watch me."
"I…" Ryuji wrapped his arms around Sakiya and tightly hugged her. "I love you too! Hell, I never stopped loving you! Who cares about some damn medal! I just want to be with you!"
"Screw the medal!"
Sakiya reached her hands up and pressed them against his cheeks, pulling him in for a kiss.
"Um… Now what?" Ryuji smiled as he pulled back, his grief completely gone.
"It's been a long time since we've slept together, you know…" Sakiya licked her lips devilishly.
"O-Oh." Ryuji blushed. "Uh… I have to go back to the village, though."
"So?" She playfully pushed him. "You're a Phantom Thief, right? Help me sneak in."
"T-That's right!"
"Exactly! Let's go!"
"Uhhh… Follow me!"
Ryuji took Sakiya's hand and led her back to the Olympic Village and successfully managed to get her inside. It wasn't that hard, given the fact that it was past 10 PM. Sakiya blended in with the athletic community easily, given that she was nearly an Olympic-level athlete herself. She waited outside while Ryuji looked around the interior of his dorm to make sure the path was clear, and she snuck in behind him.
That night, Ryuji and Sakiya showed a part of themselves that only they'd know in an intense, yet quiet night together.
Ryuji stole Sakiya's heart without winning the Gold, and they both looked forward toward a future together. The Olympics were over for them.
