The second day of school went by so quickly, it was rather weird, but then again, today was a big day. Kumiko and I are head towards the cycling club room to formally introduce ourselves to the captain and other members to see if our application has been accepted or not.

I feel so nervous, I can't tell if it's excitement or fear. What happened yesterday in the parking lot doesn't really make me feel much better about what we're doing today, if anything I'm even more nervous than I was yesterday. Hopefully Kumiko isn't as nervous, but as the ace from our duo, it would be more fitting if I introduce us. After class finishes, I briskly walk to Kumiko's classroom, passing by other students who are also desperate to get out of class. As I reach her room I bump into her as she is exiting her room with the same nervous energy.

"Hey, how was your day?" I ask in the hallway, people walk in front of us as we stand by the wall.

"Well, it was school and it was work, nothing to complain about so it was pretty good!" She replies cheerfully, "I am really nervous about going to the clubroom" She shifts her shoulders and smiles awkwardly, she really is nervous.

"Ah yes! Same here! It's going to be really awkward, especially after yesterday!" I exclaim in response. I'm still pretty self-conscious about all the staring that went on yesterday.

"Ugh yeah, that would have been so awkward!" Kumiko replies and laughs towards the end and just stays smiling. After I had told her what happened in the parking lot during our ride, she didn't stop laughing for five minutes, even then I heard her giggle every now and again at my expense.

"Anyway, we should probably head down soon shouldn't we?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I wish it could've been easier!"

Neither of us seem in any real rush to get down, in fact, the longer we can postpone this the better, but it has to be done sooner or later. Just preferably later. There's nothing that's going to make this any easier on us, yesterday the boys in the team just looked at me like they had never seen a girl before which was more than awkward. Luckily for us there is going to be even more stunned silence, whispering and staring.

The time finally comes where we need to cross the west gate car park to the club room, sitting isolated on the opposite side of the car park with the door opened. Some first years are waiting outside together, none of them wanting to enter first. Despite the second and third years welcoming them in.

We hesitate at the point of no return, the point where we have to move away from the safety of the building into the carpark. We step off into the carpark with not a word spoken, it's almost like I can hear Kumiko's heart beating in her chest. Although it must look like we are walking quickly, every step feels agonisingly long. As we get to the door of the clubroom, the first years have finally entered and are introducing themselves. Now it's our turn.

"Ready?" I manage to choke out quietly as we stand just outside the doorway

"I guess so" Kumiko replies in an almost inaudible whisper

We wait for the first years to finish and with a deep breath we step into the doorway and bow slightly

"Third years Akiyama Yuu and Murakami Kumiko entering" I announce and my heart nearly explodes with nervousness. Everything suddenly goes quiet; everyone seems to stop whatever they are doing to look at the two girls standing in the doorway. The only sound being produced is the hum or bikes on rollers. I look up only to find all eyes are just on us in the silence. For what seems minutes we stand here, which in reality must be only a few seconds. What do I do now? This is all I rehearsed saying over and over in my head a hundred times today. Do I say something else or just keep standing here? Everyone is still just staring at the apparently two alien females in the doorway of the clubroom. Then someone I recognised moves in front of us.

"I'm the captain, Fukutomi Juichi. We received your applications yesterday" He says in a serious and deep tone. I never realised in class but he is quite a bit taller that Kumiko and myself, more so than I had originally thought. Sure Kumiko and I are about average in height but I wouldn't say we are particularly short.

"We wish to join the Hakone team and lead the team to victory in the female Inter High" I proclaim, his facial expression stays the same so I'm not getting any reaction there; instead I look around the rest of the room where many of the other team members are whispering. Jeeze, this really isn't getting any easier for us and the staring isn't going to stop anytime soon.

"Thank you for joining our team" he says to us, then he turns to the rest of the students in the room, "Today we are holding a welcoming race for all of the new team members, the first years will be first, followed by the second and third years, first years can begin to warm up now" Fukutomi says in a loud voice to everyone in the clubroom. Everyone begins getting ready with their bikes and move into the change rooms to get ready for the races.

"Hey Kumiko, you can breathe now" I say quietly in her ear, she exhales loudly and I try to contain my laugher but her expression is just priceless.

"Akiyama-san, Murakami-san, you are welcome to use the female change rooms in the back of the clubroom" Fukutomi says to us once the new first and second year students were off and getting ready for their respective races. "After you are welcome to use the rollers with the other third years to warm up"

"Thank-you captain Fukutomi" we say together and leave hurriedly down the hallway to the female change rooms, we find it and enter and with no surprise, it's empty and looks like it has been for some time but it has been cleaned recently which is nice.

We quickly change into our cycling clothes and head outside to collect our bikes nearby from the normal bike racks and enter the clubroom again. Rollers are set up in rows on the wooden floor with multiple already taken. I recognise the other third years across the room, I'd seen some of them leaving Kumiko's class earlier today when I went to find her.

"Hey! Aki-chan! Mura-chan! Over here!" One of the third years shouts from across the club room to us with an arm waving in the air. That's the loud voice I heard yesterday but seriously? Aki-chan? We walk with our bikes over to where they are.

"Hey Yuu, I recognise him, he was in one of the races we entered earlier this year" Akiyama says to me, he does look familiar but I don't know his name.

"Hello" I say as we reach their small group

"Hi! I'm Toudou Jinpachi, I'm sure you've some of my races around here…" He just starts talking, talking and doesn't seem to want to ever stop, I begin trail off what he is saying as I get my bike and myself onto the rollers and start turning my legs over. He takes a pause, finally, has he finished talking yet? Clearly not, he starts talking again without taking a breath at all.

"Oi Toudou, shut up" Interrupts one of the other riders next to him which gets Toudou rather noticeably annoyed. These people are already so interesting and this all just feels so surreal. Riding under the name of such a great cycling team, this already is so much better than last year.

"You'll get used to them, Akiyama was it?" The rider next to me says. He has dark red hair and eyes compared to Toudou and the other rider's darker coloured hair.

"Yeah, Akiyama Yuu" I reply, my voice came out sounding a lot quieter than I meant it to be

"Pleasure to meet you, I'm Shinkai Hayato, that guy back there is Arakita Yasutomo. Welcome to the team"

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, thank you" I reply in my normal speaking tone thankfully, sounding more confident and not as shy. The same can't be said for Kumiko though; she's set up on my left and has remained quiet this whole time without even wanting to speak.

"Ah, this is my cousin, Murakami Kumiko" I say gesturing to Kumiko next to me, she looks over and smiles faintly

"Pleased to meet you" she says quietly before returning to her riding. They must have been expecting more of a conversation because the hum of our bikes on the rollers becomes more noticeable. Luckily the silence doesn't last long because the captain has appeared again at the front of the clubroom.

"First years please gather outside, the welcome race will begin in 10 minutes" he says, the first years murmur to themselves as they gather their helmets and head outside.

"I guess that's our cue to go and help" Shinkai says, Arakita and Toudou also get off their bikes and set them up on the stands in the clubroom. They each put on their tracksuit and head outside with the first year riders.

The room now is almost empty, only Kumiko and I remain with a couple of second year students, some of which I assume are new to the club. Outside I can see the first years lining up at the exit to the carpark and I can hear what I can only assume is the instructions for the race and what the course is. Not long after they all start rolling down the hill and out of sight. Some of the third years get into a while van with the captain while the others stay behind at the start/finish line.

It doesn't take long until they have gone as well and left a near empty clubroom. It's going to take a while for them to come back.


The first of the first years begin to filter back gradually over time, each looking exhausted from the race that they have just completed. Once the last of the first years got back, the second years were called outside for their race. They went through the explanation and were soon off and racing. There were only a couple of new second years. The white van once again leaves the carpark and follows the second years along the course. Soon it's going to be our turn to race.

It's quite exciting waiting now for the second years to finish and for us to be called outside. The same can't be said for Kumiko though, she looks quite visually nervous, that is sure to change when we get outside. Once we are riding she will be fine, she is always like this before a race.

After what seems like an eternity, the second years get back to the carpark which means one thing, it's our turn to race. I grab my helmet, gloves, glasses and water bottle from my bag and head outside to the carpark to get ready. Kumiko follows closely behind. The white van enters into the carpark for the second time as the last of the second years makes it through the course.

We stand ready to race on our bikes in the car park, facing out to the road that leads out into Hakone. While being somewhat excited, the first and second years standing almost silently with their eyes staring right at us makes me seem like an alien in this world. It's like they've never seen a female cyclist, let alone any female before with their gazes like that.

Fukutomi and Shinkai exit out of the van and walk towards me and Kumiko. Seeing as we are the only new third years we will be the only ones racing against each other. Fukutomi has stopped walking and Shinkai is a little way behind him in the parking lot.

"This is a race to observe your strength and abilities. It will start here and go down National Route one towards Onodahara with the turnaround point at Yumoto. You will then take the old National Route one back towards the school and will finish here. We will follow behind you in the van if any assistance is required. Good luck" he says before heading back towards the van with Shinkai and this time the other third years are joining them. This looks a bit more serious than the other races with them all following behind. One of the club members walks out onto the road ahead between Kumiko and myself. This is it, race start.

I concentrate my thoughts on the race and getting into the zone.

"Well, good luck Kumiko, let's have a good race" I say to hear in a somewhat serious tone. I take deep breaths in and out to calm my body and get me focused on the ride ahead whilst looking forward at the exit to the carpark.

"Thanks Yuu, good luck" She replies in an equally serious tone. From this point onwards, there isn't going to be anymore talking between us until the race is over. Sure it isn't one of the most serious races, it's merely an opening race for the new members of the club to have their performance judged, but there's no point it racing at all if you aren't going to try hard to win. One of the other students steps forward onto the road and watches both of us to see when we are ready. I move my hands onto the hoods of the handlebars and move my shoulders to get comfortable. Once he's seen we're ready he puts his arm up in the air and all the spectators go quiet.

"On your marks… set… Go!" The starter says and the first and second years cheer as I push forward and clip in my other pedal to accelerate out of the parking lot. My heart pounds and the butterflies that were once in my stomach have gone, not it's just an adrenaline rush through my entire body. Kumiko rides beside me on the road as we pass by the outside of the school, both pushing for the best position on the downhill section. Not long after starting, I can hear the sound of a car engine following behind us.

As we get further away from the school, the road begins to dip downwards and we begin to gain more and more speed as the road steepens. I know this is where I can dominate and get a good momentum going and I'm sorry Kumiko, this is where I'm going to leave you behind.