Here we are, the night before the female Inter High. I can barely think whilst trying to pack everything I will need for the race tomorrow. The race is set to start at ten tomorrow morning, so the team is heading over earlier to set up and appear at all the interviews. I already know that most of the questions will revolve around the crash and result from last year, I've trained so hard to make sure something like that won't happen again.
These past few months at Hakone Academy have been the best months I have ever spent in high school. A team that fully supports all riders and pushes them to be the best, even if it means having a female who is stronger than them. That's been the biggest change compared to last year. The students in the team over at Osaka Nandai couldn't stand having two female riders who were stronger than all of them. Although we were able to bring them great success, they did their best to ignore us or put us down. It even meant having my dad and uncle work as our support team during the race, providing us with water bottles and consumables during the feed zone. This year they all get to watch us cross the finish line right from the front of the crowd.
A knock on my bedroom door snaps me out of my daydream state.
"Come in!", I shout out towards the door. It opens and Kumiko walks in from the hallway, hair all wet from her bath.
"The bathroom is free if you want to have a bath", she says, using the towel draped over her shoulder to continue drying her hair, "You ready for tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I'm all ready", I reply in a determined tone, zipping up my duffle bag and dropping it onto the floor. All that's left now is to bathe and head to bed. It's hard to talk about the day tomorrow, we both know what we must do and we are both aiming to bring our jersey across the finish line first. Anything we could say we both already know.
"Cool, I'm heading to bed now, gotta be up early and all", Kumiko says, heading back towards the hallway.
"Night, sleep well"
We all get up early in the morning to pack and check everything we would need for the Inter High before loading it into my dad's car. Kumiko and I force down some breakfast even though the anticipation and nervousness we're feeling makes it hard to even feel hungry.
Thanks to the longer summer days, the sun has already come up when we head out early to school where the Hakone Academy team bus is waiting for us. The car ride on the way to school was relatively silent, a mix of nervousness and focus on the day ahead.
The early morning sun filters through the trees along the road up to Hakone Academy. Very soon all these roads will be closed and cleared by the racing staff, many of the barriers through the town have already been set up to quickly be completed right as the race starts.
We pull into the west gate car park where the bus and many students are already waiting. Once the car stops I open up my door to get out of the car. Many of the other club members have arrived to prepare all the gear that's coming on the bus with us. Other students have already been at the start line yesterday and this morning to set up the Hakone Academy tent amongst the other team tents.
I hear my dad open the back of the car where our bikes are being held along with out other gear. He starts unloading both bikes and I grab mine off him. He turns round to me with a smile on his face.
"Good luck Yuu, I know you and Kumiko will smash this race", he says, placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing it tight. I smile back before wrapping an arm around him in a hug.
"Thanks dad", I whisper into his chest before pulling away and smiling brighter.
"I'll be waiting for you at the finish line kiddo", he starts before turning over to Kumiko, "Kumiko, I got a message from your dad, he's about to get on a train from Tokyo. I'm picking him up on the way to the finish line"
Kumiko's face lights up at the news. Her dad has been really busy with work in Tokyo so she has been staying with us in Hakone while going to school.
"Really?! I can't wait to see him, tell him to cheer extra loud for me!", she exclaims, smile beaming from ear to ear. My dad gets the last of the gear from the back of the car then shuts the boot, walking over with us towards the bus.
The storage under the seating area of the bus has been equipped with rows of bike storage for moving a lot of the teams' bikes around to various events as well as all of the support equipment needed for a race.
"Akiyama-senpai, I can take your bike if you like", one of the second years says to me
"Thanks, that would be great", I reply, passing my bike forward to him. Another second year has taken Kumiko's bike off her and we watch them load them into the bus.
"Alright girls, I'll go put these in for you then I'll go pick up your dad Kumiko. Good luck!", my dad exclaims before walking over toward the bus.
We head over to the other third years who are waiting near the entrance of the bus.
"Good morning", I say to everyone with a small wave.
"Good morning Akiyama-san, Murakami-san", Fukutomi replies in his usual stoic tone. Rather than being dressed in their cycling jerseys, each of them are dressed in a Hakogaku tracksuit with a t-shirt and pants.
"You guys ready for today?", Shinkai asks. I quickly glance over at Kumiko who still has a smile on her face before turning back.
"Yeah, we're ready", I nod and look back at him.
"Hm, can we just hurry up and leave, I don't want to hang out at school for too much longer", Arakita moans, kicking a stone by his foot.
"We'll be leaving in ten minutes, make sure you have everything and get on the bus", Fukutomi announces to everyone in the car park. The storage doors on the bus slam closed and the students collect their own personal bags to get ready to get on the bus. Along with the other third years, we climb onto the bus to get the seats up the front to be the first off when we arrive at the starting area.
This is finally it, our final Inter High.
We pull into the large concreted area around the starting line where the other team busses and cars are parked. I can feel a fire burning in my chest watching as other teams move across to their team tents as spectators take photos and revel in the atmosphere. The bus slows to a stop and out the window I can already see interviewers and photographers get ready.
The doors open and Kumiko and I step out first. An audible gasp fills the area as all eyes are on us. The champions from last year who changed to the strongest school in the country for their final year. The aura around us is one of strength and power, especially with the third years exiting the bus behind us. The sun warms my skin as it climbs higher into the sky, I won't have to wear my tracksuit pants for much longer that's for sure.
The bus driver opens the storage and the other students are quick to unload our bikes are equipment to set it all up in our tent.
"The opening ceremony should be starting in twenty minutes, head over the tent to get prepared", Fukutomi says from behind us. We follow the convoy of other students towards the sea of tents, the day is properly beginning now.
"The opening ceremony for the female Inter High will now begin", the announcer speaks into his microphone, the sound travelling out across the concrete to be heard from everywhere in the grounds of the starting line, "First, let's have these two people up on the stage. The champions from last year who transferred to Hakone Academy at the start of this year, Akiyama Yuu and Murakami Kumiko!"
The crowd gasps and cheers as we climb the stairs out onto the stage, standing above everyone in the crowd below. Most of the crowd is looking up in awe at the two cyclists who managed to win the race last year whilst all the other cyclists who competed stare intently, wanting to be standing where we are.
"Let's ask our champions a few questions. Why have you transferred to Hakone Academy in your final year after finding success at Osaka Nandai?", the presenter asks, holding the microphone out in front of me.
"We wish to win again this year and Hakone Academy has provided us with complete support in order to reach that goal", I state, holding my chest and shoulders up high. The crowd murmurs at my statement, talking amongst themselves.
"Do you think you'll be able to win again this year?"
"Yes, we will win again this year"
The crowd roars at my comment, whether through sheer awe or the confidence it was said with.
"Thank-you for those comments, we're now going to invite some other riders on stage to find out what their goals are for this years race", the announcer states. Kumiko and I head back down towards the stairs where a large group of reporters and photographers are standing.
Even before stepping of the final step, they hound us with dozens of questions, each wanting them answered for their own articles and each wanting an exclusive close up photo of us.
"Ah captain Fukutomi! Can we get a photo with you too?", A reporter shouts out, we turn and see Fukutomi standing nearby the stage, watching and listening closely to our comments to the reporters.
"Akiyama-san, Murakami-san, it's time to get ready for the race", He states whilst the reporters stand there listening, "I will answer any further questions you may have"
"Yes captain" we reply in unison before shaking off the reporters and heading back towards the team tent.
"Welcome back!", the other students announce as we enter the team tent once again. We head over to out bikes to start warming up on the rollers that have already been set out on the ground.
"It's about to start Kumiko", I declare to Kumiko
"Yeah, it really is"
Feel a fire burning in my chest