"President! President! President!"
"Pant... pant..."
"No way, does the president really have such a great body? I've never seen it before!"
"Isn't this practically rated R?"
Thanks to the broadcast from Yabashi Ki's drone, the scene below was projected onto the large screen, drawing everyone's attention to Yan Huan's physique.
As a result, their disgust toward Spencer and their confusion over Yan Huan joining the Doujinshi Society were temporarily suppressed.
Sakuramiya Hitomi stared blankly at Yan Huan below, who had cast everything aside to fight with all his might for Spencer. Her heart was a swirling mix of joy and sorrow, leaving her with a bitter taste.
She was happy that the president was still the sa president in her heart, knowing that this was exactly what he would do.
That was why, earlier, when the president—affected by her Common Sense Modification—had said that 'peeping is just a normal thing,' her defenses were completely broken. She would rather confess all her own despicability than allow it to continue.
At that ti, she truly felt that it was a defilent of the president.
But right now, even though the president still chose to act this way, why did Sakuramiya Hitomi feel like she couldn't breathe? Why did her chest ache so fiercely?
Perhaps it was simply because...
...the person the president was betting everything on and fighting for at this mont wasn't her.
Sakuramiya Hitomi took a deep breath, looking toward her mother beside her as if to distract herself.
Instead, she saw her holding up her mobile phone, just like all the other girls around them who had their phones held high, filming the bare-chested beautiful youth below.
As she fild, she exclaid excitedly,
"Wow, look, Hitomi! I'm getting such a clear shot. Your president's muscles... Wow, he's so built. He must be really strong..."
"Mama!!"
Sakuramiya Hitomi's small face flushed bright red, her defenses broken instantly.
On the other side of the spectator stands, in the sophomore section, Ye Shiyu's mood was just as turbulent as Sakuramiya Hitomi's.
Watching the surrounding girls record video of Xiao Huan's body on their phones, she felt a murderous urge bubbling up inside her.
However, looking at her mother beside her, who was covering her mouth and feeling gratified on behalf of Yan Huan's deceased biological mother, Ye Shiyu couldn't very well show her anger.
She just silently reached for her phone, intending to film this segnt as well...
She forgot. Her phone had already been confiscated by Ye Lan.
In Shengxin Hospital, even An Bang, who had been constantly looking at his phone, couldn't help but raise his eyes to the elegant youth on the TV, clicking his tongue in praise.
"That kid Yan Huan, I could tell he was extraordinary even when he was little."
"Yeah..."
Hearing her parents' praise, An Le smiled slightly and let out a sigh of relief as she continued to watch Yan Huan on the screen.
But inside, her feelings were probably just as complicated as Sakuramiya Hitomi's.
"..."
On the green lawn, sunlight pierced through the dark clouds once more to spill across the earth, laying down a backdrop heavy with the scent of gunpowder, just like the blood-red synthetic track.
After making that decision, Yan Huan finally turned around, looking back at Spencer, who was still kneeling on the ground with her eyes wide open, staring at him.
"Yan... Wu..."
Through her tear-filled eyes, she saw that the handso youth, no longer acting like a proud peacock, had eyes only for her. This made her heartbeat suddenly accelerate.
Hearing her muffled call, Yan Huan blinked. Instead of reprimanding her, he extended a hand toward her and asked earnestly,
"What do you say, Club President Spencer? Shall we keep racing?"
"..."
Looking at the hand reaching out to her, Spencer's expression remained sowhat dazed.
But her body seed to make the choice for her a step ahead of her mind.
Drawn to Yan Huan's outstretched hand, Spencer's own hand trembled as she raised it, wanting to reach him.
"Clap!"
In the next second, Yan Huan's hand moved forward proactively, tightly grasping hers.
That powerful palm, carrying a scorching warmth, plunged into the icy water of her despair, unhesitatingly pulling her out of the abyssal depths where she had given up on everything.
"Crack, crack, crack!"
Behind her, the previously shattered Modifier that had separated from her body slowly reassembled itself, returning to her form. Anyone seeing it would sigh in pity.
But Yan Huan continued to look at her intently, waiting for her answer.
Under that sincere gaze, enveloped in that unhesitating trust, tears could not help but well up in the corners of Spencer's eyes once more.
She sniffled, instinctively not wanting others to see her being fragile, and hurriedly wiped away her tears.
At the sa ti, she stood up firmly and responded to Yan Huan with equal resolve,
"Yeah!"
Yan Huan nodded, then, alongside Spencer—whose eyes still shimred with tears behind him—looked toward the formidable opponent before them.
"..."
They saw Owen with his arms crossed, his expression grave as he looked at Yan Huan and Spencer, who stood diatrically opposed to him.
In his mind, he repeatedly chewed over the words Yan Huan had just spoken...
Yet he couldn't figure out the connection between going this far for soone like Spencer and becoming the Student Council President.
But hearing the cheers erupting from the surrounding spectator stands for Yan Huan, he suddenly felt relieved.
There was only one conclusion, then...
Fight!
Thinking of this, Owen closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
The next second, he abruptly opened his mouth and roared,
"Hua Zhaofeng! Get your ass over here!!"
"Ah... P-President..."
Off the track, hiding in the crowd of the Track and Field Club, Hua Zhaofeng shrank back, startled by the sudden shout.
He also hadn't expected Jiang Yun would record all this. The mont the scandal broke, he wanted nothing more than to die.
Thinking of the terrifying Jinshi Group and his uncertain future, he sat absentmindedly on the sidelines, only to be dragged back to the realm of the living by Owen's bellow.
Raising his trembling eyes, he found that all the surrounding Track and Field Club mbers were staring at him.
He shakily swallowed saliva, but still managed to stand up on trembling legs. Lowering his head, he slowly walked onto the field.
"President..."
Watching Hua Zhaofeng approach, Yan Huan looked back at Owen, who still had his eyes closed, unsure of what he planned to do.
As Hua Zhaofeng drew near, Owen opened his eyes again.
At this mont, the gaze he directed at Yan Huan held nothing but the raging flas of war.
He didn't even glance at the approaching Hua Zhaofeng, rely scoffing as he declared,
"Hua Zhaofeng, you presumptuous idiot. Letting you hide in the back and play dead is letting you off too easy."
"President, I... I'm s-sorry—"
"Take the vice president's spot. You're running the first leg!"
"Ah, ?"
Hearing this, the Track and Field Club vice president who was originally slated to compete imdiately looked at Owen, but didn't voice any objections.
Hua Zhaofeng's face went completely pale. He pointed at himself, shaking his head frantically, his entire face screaming 'no'.
He had already been terrified by the fallout of his actions. Now, standing near the epicenter of the standoff between Yan Huan and Owen, he suddenly felt the imnse pressure radiating from their sharp confrontation.
Even a simple glance from either of them was enough to make his heart pound with panic.
"P-President, I've never practiced this! I don't even know how to pass the baton, and I was just beaten by Spencer earlier! I'm injured... I... I can't do it!"
Hua Zhaofeng still wanted to struggle, but Owen just turned his head and glared at him, forcing him to choke back all of his excuses.
There was no room for 'discussion,' only a hardline 'command'.
After arranging Hua Zhaofeng's placent, Owen turned back, rolled his neck, and said to Yan Huan,
"You guys are short one boy, so I subbed in an injured Hua Zhaofeng. That's more than fair, isn't it?"
Yan Huan looked at Owen, but countered with a question,
"So, what's the catch?"
"Smart as always, Yan Huan."
Owen let out a dry laugh, but the smile quickly faded away.
"He hasn't practiced baton passing or run-ups. The handoff would probably be a disaster, so to avoid any mistakes, he has to run the first leg.
"So the condition is: you and I run the second leg.
"Spencer will run legs three and four by herself against two girls from our Track and Field Club. Do you accept?"
Hearing this, Yan Huan's eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"..."
He could understand the purpose behind Owen's maneuver.
400 ters is already the limit for anaerobic running, so the pacing for 400 ters and 800 ters could never be the sa.
If Yan Huan were to run two consecutive legs, no matter which leg Owen faced him on, Yan Huan wouldn't be at his absolute peak.
From a team perspective, falling behind in one or two legs occasionally wouldn't dictate the final victory or defeat, as long as the Doujinshi Society crossed the finish line first on the final leg.
That was why Owen insisted on running the sa leg, the sa lap as Yan Huan.
This way, they could truly compete face-to-face.
Owen's move was overtly telling Yan Huan:
I want to duel you one-on-one. Are you in or not?
Realizing this, Yan Huan hesitated slightly.
It wasn't a lack of confidence in himself or fear of a one-on-one duel with Owen.
It was just that he knew stamina was Spencer's major weakness.
During the scavenger hunt race against Ye Shiyu, Spencer's stamina had already been severely overdrawn by her second 400-ter sprint.
Don't forget, she actually fainted while running her third 400 ters.
And that ti, she even got to rest for a few minutes in between to draw lots.
But this ti, she had to run 800 ters consecutively, and outrun two competitors who would be running 400 ters in a fresh anaerobic state.
"..."
It was hard to say whether this was purely an overt strategy by Owen to face Yan Huan head-on, or a sinister plot calculated precisely around Spencer's lack of stamina.
Or perhaps, it was a bit of both?
"...Alright, let's do it!"
Just as Yan Huan was pondering whether to accept, Spencer's voice suddenly rang out from behind him.
Yan Huan turned to look and saw Spencer lifting her sky-blue eyes. The hope that had been shattered by betrayal was now slowly crystalizing anew.
At this mont, gazing at the young man who had stood up for her, Spencer resolved to give it her all.
If there was even one person left who believed in her, then no matter what, she couldn't give up...
She didn't want to ss everything up anymore...
She wanted to win!
"Spencer..."
Hearing Yan Huan call her na, she sniffled and looked at him stubbornly.
She looked as if she wanted to say sothing to him.
Gratitude? Joy? Excitent? Trust?
Or perhaps...
But right now, her emotions were far too complex, and her clumsy tongue couldn't find the right words to summarize them.
So she rely closed her eyes, clenched her fists, and hyped herself up,
"I'll give it everything I've got!!"
"..."
Seeing the light return to her eyes, seeing her tear-stained, pale face brimming with vitality once more, Yan Huan couldn't help but smile slightly.
Opening her eyes again, Spencer happened to catch the smile on his face.
"..."
As if she had been burned, her eyes imdiately rippled with a faint shimr, hastily darting away to avoid that scorching direction.
Since Spencer herself had agreed, Yan Huan certainly had no objections.
And so, he turned to Jiang Yun, who was standing nearby, having dried her tears as well.
Jiang Yun's mood had originally been stifled because of Sagawa and Nino, but now, with this second chance brought by Yan Huan, she hadn't given up either. The fiery determination to fight a last-ditch battle blazed in her eyes.
"Alright, we'll do as you suggested."
The three mbers of the Doujinshi Society were fully assembled!
Seeing the Doujinshi Society agree, Owen nodded.
He then turned around and grabbed the shrinking Hua Zhaofeng by the collar, hauling him up like a little chick.
As he dragged him toward the registration desk, he shouted,
"Track and Field Club, fall in!!"
Over there, the Cooper sisters, who had been waiting for a long ti with crossed arms, narrowed their eyes and simultaneously glared at the utterly repulsive Spencer.
Clearly, an intense battle was unavoidable.
"Lane One, Doujinshi Society! Lane Two, Track and Field Club!"
"Rember, the first leg runners are not allowed to change lanes! The second leg runners can only freely switch lanes after passing the breakline!"
"The baton must be kept in hand at all tis until the race is over! If anyone drops the baton, they must retrieve it themselves without interfering with their opponents!"
"No false starts! No false starts! No false starts! A false start will result in imdiate disqualification!"
At this mont, for the first leg, Jiang Yun and Hua Zhaofeng both stepped up to the starting blocks, holding black batons, ready to begin.
Jiang Yun took a deep breath and crouched down.
Over in lane two, Hua Zhaofeng nervously turned his head to glance at Owen.
Sensing his gaze, Owen imdiately sighed, thoroughly disappointed in his expectations.
The referee sat near the starting line, gripping a stopwatch tightly. Then, he gave the starter a look.
The starter standing beside the track nodded, stepped forward, and raised the starting gun high with his right hand.
"On your marks, get set..."
Everyone's gaze was fixated on the starting gun. Jiang Yun took another deep breath, pushing her focus to its absolute peak.
The entire stadium fell silent. Even breathing seed to slow down, as if people were afraid that exhaling too loudly would disrupt the sound of the starting gun.
"Bang!!"
The crack of the starting gun tore through the silence like a bolt of lightning, instantly propelling the two club mbers in their separate lanes forward.
Hua Zhaofeng gritted his teeth and sprinted with his head thrown back. His form was far from standard, but the explosive power born of his innate male physical advantage still gave him the lead in the first 100 ters.
But very quickly, the disadvantages of his lack of exercise and prior injuries began to show.
"Pant... pant..."
Having just sprinted full tilt through the first bend, he was already tiring out by the ti he hit the straightaway, gasping desperately for breath.
"Jiang Yun! You can do it! Go, go!!"
Spencer stood on the green lawn, her hands cupped like a gaphone, cheering Jiang Yun on relentlessly.
Hearing this, Jiang Yun gritted her teeth, not slowing down a bit as she gradually chipped away at Hua Zhaofeng's early lead.
"Second leg runners, please step onto the track!"
The referee's voice rang out imdiately behind them, causing Spencer to quickly look back at Yan Huan.
Yan Huan was already ward up. The lines of his muscles were sharp and defined, bursting with power waiting to be unleashed.
He glanced back at Spencer, offered a slight smile, and then walked onto the track.
"..."
Owen also rolled his neck and slowly walked up beside him to wait for the baton.
However, Jiang Yun was a girl of average athleticism, and Hua Zhaofeng was an unexercised, injured boy, so their pace was remarkably slow.
Having barely passed the 100-ter mark, the ti it took them to run the remaining 300 ters felt long enough to take a nap.
Everyone's focus was entirely on the remaining three legs, especially the focal battle between Yan Huan and Owen in the second leg.
The sa went for the two competitors themselves.
"Yan Huan, this isn't the first ti we've faced off, is it?"
Beside Yan Huan, Owen stared straight ahead but suddenly spoke up.
Yan Huan glanced at him and nodded.
"Yeah. Though this ti isn't quite as civilized as the Student Council election."
"...Honestly, from the mont I lost to you back then until now, I've never been able to figure out how you managed to win."
"..."
"Just like today, I still can't understand what the point of doing this is."
Owen cast a look at Spencer standing on the green lawn, then back at Yan Huan.
"I refuse to believe that useless trash like her—who only causes trouble and disgusts everyone—hasn't been a burden to you. I also don't buy that you're doing this out of fear of the Jinshi Group behind her."
"..."
"So what is the reason?"
Yan Huan raised his eyes and said to Owen,
"Because this ti, she hasn't done anything wrong."
"Right and wrong, huh..."
Owen was slightly taken aback, then nodded, though he added,
"My father once told
that there's no such thing as right or wrong in this world, only winning and losing. That's a philosophy I completely agree with."
Owen's gaze turned blank, and in the very next second, he fiercely tore off his athletic wear.
"Whoosh!"
Just like Yan Huan, he revealed his incredibly muscular physique.
Cries of surprise echoed across the spectator stands.
"Whoa, Owen took his shirt off too!"
"It's a real n's 1v1 duel!!"
"Gosh, if both of them chased
at the sa ti..."
In the stands, all the girls with raised phones transford into bloodthirsty spectators, completely riled up.
But Owen simply tossed his clothes outside the track nonchalantly. Looking toward Gongzi, who was watching him with her hands covering her mouth, he said,
"Everyone is hoping Spencer will hurry up and get the hell out of here, and I have my own reasons why I absolutely must win.
"In my view, these two points carry far more weight than right or wrong."
With that, Owen looked at Yan Huan, flashing a sunny smile.
"Then let's see whose idea is correct: the one you cling to alone, or the one everyone else and I believe in.
"How about we compete again, just like during the Student Council election?
"We'll let victory and defeat decide right and wrong!"
Yan Huan didn't say anything more. He rely turned to look forward and replied calmly,
"Bring it on."
As Jiang Yun and Hua Zhaofeng passed the second bend and entered the final 100 ters, both of their bodies reached their absolute limits simultaneously.
Massive amounts of lactic acid built up in their muscles, and their cardiopulmonary functions maxed out, bringing the runners unimaginable pain.
The only reason they could keep running was the single thread of willpower holding strong in their minds.
But regardless, this ant that the most crucial part of the race—the second leg—was about to begin.
Up in the stands, many people had already left their seats and run to the lowest tier so they could watch the race from up close.
"Their speeds are about the sa! President Yan and Club President Owen are going to start at almost exactly the sa ti!"
"Seriously, isn't it kind of embarrassing that Hua Zhaofeng is running at the sa speed as Jiang Yun..."
"Isn't he the Track and Field Club's manager?"
Sakuramiya Hitomi gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, and Ye Shiyu stood up. Even Bai Yi, who was preparing for her performance, heard the commotion and ran out from the backstage area.
Their eyes were locked intently on Yan Huan and Owen at the starting line.
"Step, step, step..."
"Pant... President, catch..."
"President... ugh, pant..."
As the sounds of footsteps and heavy breathing drew closer from behind, Yan Huan and Owen simultaneously turned their heads.
Then, at exactly the sa ti, they began their run-up while reaching back to grab the baton.
"Smack!"
The batons were delivered into the hands of the two young n at almost precisely the sa mont.
"Owen, go! I believe in you!"
"Yan Huan, go for it!!"
On the green lawn and outside the track, watching the all-important race kick off, the girls couldn't hold back anymore.
Spencer and Gongzi yelled out to their respective young n in almost perfect unison.
There was no starting gun to signal the battle for the second leg...
And so, the crisp voices of the two girls replaced the starting gun, thoroughly igniting the competitive fire in both Yan Huan and Owen.
"Co on, Yan Huan! Charge with !!"
"!!"
Owen and Yan Huan's pupils contracted slightly. Raising their bodies, they seamlessly adopted textbook running forms, accelerating sharply along the tangent of the curve, flying forward like two arrows released from a bowstring.
"Swoosh!!"
"It's starting, it's starting!!" "No way... they're that fast?!"
"So fast!"
Like skipping stones across the water, massive waves of shouting erupted from the stands wherever the two of them passed.
The waving hands and deafening roars in the spectator stands followed them all the way as they surged into the first 100-ter curve.
"Go! President! Go! President!!"
"Go! Owen! Go! Owen!!"
Just outside the first curve was the backstage area where Bai Yi had been preparing for her song.
Hearing the commotion outside, she abandoned her preparations entirely, leaning against the doorway and staring blankly at Yan Huan.
Watching the two youths charge side-by-side into the curve, she pursed her lips and shouted along,
"Yan Huan, y-you can do it!!"
Hearing Bai Yi's shout, Yan Huan was slightly taken aback.
Catching a glimpse of her starry eyes from his peripheral vision, he couldn't help but recall how dazzling she had looked on stage that day.
Back then, he had helped her step onto the stage and fulfill her dream of singing.
But, had his sincere heart truly been in it?
No.
Even his identity as her music fan was a fake. He had rely discovered how suppressed she was by her mother, so to resolve the Modifier, he had donned a mask and employed that strategy.
But right now, why was she cheering for him with such genuine sincerity?
"Huff..."
Dashing past the first curve, Owen in lane two was finally free to cross lanes.
Seizing upon Yan Huan's montary distraction, he gritted his teeth, explosively accelerated, and rged from the outside lane to the inside lane.
At the sa ti, his position shifted from side-by-side to overtaking, putting him right in front of Yan Huan.
"He passed the President! Club President Owen accelerated!"
"Damn, Club President Owen is a straightaway monster! Is the gap going to widen?"
"..."
"Xiao Huan!"
At the edge of the first straightaway, Ye Shiyu's voice—which was clearly very faint—rang out crystal clear, landing in Yan Huan's ears like a feather.
In Yan Huan's peripheral vision, he saw that Ye Shiyu had stood up and was staring right at him.
Beside her, Ye Lan had cupped her hands like a gaphone, laughing and continuously shouting his na.
Ye Shiyu...
A truly terrifying hypnosis master. She struck fear into his heart.
He couldn't help but recall that night at the station, when he had pretended to be the perfect younger brother to change her mind—only to be targeted by her from that day forward.
He had acted that way back then, but ever since, out of disgust and fear, he had done everything possible to avoid and escape her.
"Pant... pant..."
"The President hasn't been shaken off! He's sticking right on Club President Owen's tail!!
"The distance is still closing, but they're approaching the curve! This isn't a good spot to overtake; he can only gather his strength and wait...
"But the final stretch is going to be incredibly grueling!
"You can do it, President!"
Beside the curve, Yabashi Ki piloted the drone, closely tailing the front-and-back silhouettes of Yan Huan and Owen, who were moving as fast as two gusts of wind.
Through the surrounding audio equipnt, Yurianna's crisp, impassioned comntary elevated the atmosphere of the race to new heights.
"Huff... huff..."
It wasn't until he saw Yabashi Ki, who had trimd his bangs on the sidelines; Yurianna, who was bursting with radiant energy; and Ashley, who watched him with a quiet smile from the stage...
...that the fervent, spirited passion from his pri—when he boldly brought Yabashi Ki along to run for Student Council President—roared back to life inside him.
"The last 100 ters! Keep going! From here on out, it's all about willpower!"
"President! President! President!!"
"Owen! Owen! Owen!!"
In the stands, the entire crowd holding up their phones began running alongside the two sprinters as they charged into the final straightaway. The Disciplinary Committee couldn't hold them back, no matter how hard they tried.
The wall of sound, the waving hands, and the intense gazes pushed like tidal waves against the two boys, whose muscles were screaming with acid buildup. With synchronized roars, they ignited their remaining strength through sheer willpower.
Sprint!
Sprint!
Sprint!!
"President! You can do it!!"
In the spectator stands, the normally reserved Sakuramiya Hitomi completely lost her composure upon seeing Yan Huan grit his teeth and tear into the final 100 ters.
She stood up, took a deep breath, and expended every last drop of energy stored in her delicate fra to scream, "Go!"
"..."
Sakuramiya...
Even now, hearing Sakuramiya Hitomi's voice made Yan Huan's heart skip a beat.
And it wasn't until now that he belatedly realized...
Was he really just disappointed and angry because Sakuramiya Hitomi had peeped on him, or because she was a Modifier's host?
He was angry because she tried to escape, because she lied...
Why couldn't she just show him her sincere heart?
"Yan Huan... go, go, go!!"
At the end of the track, the sky-blue eyes of Spencer—who was already in position—abruptly imprinted themselves into his soul.
He raised his gaze, staring directly at Spencer.
Just like that night, her clear azure gaze, following the bursting sparks of the fireworks, had fallen straight into his heart.
Yeah...
He had blad Sakuramiya so harshly, but hadn't he also been running away? Hadn't he failed to honestly ask himself what he wanted?
Modifiers...
Modifiers...
Heh.
Yan Huan gritted his teeth, and in the next second, every muscle in his body tightened in unison.
He unleashed a roar and violently tore forward, as if shattering the invisible shackles that had bound his limbs.
"He sped up! The President sped up again!!"
"How does he still have energy?! Why?!"
"..."
Yan Huan's eyes were bloodshot. The terrifying power erupting from his body visibly increased the frequency of his strides, leaving Owen in his dust.
In lane two, Owen gritted his teeth and dashed frantically, yet it felt as if Yan Huan was right on his heels—no, passing him.
The gap between them closed further and further...
"Ahhhhh!!"
Owen bellowed furiously, tapping into every last drop of his potential.
The older Cooper sister took a deep breath and assud the standard receiving stance.
Spencer nervously looked back, extending her hand toward Yan Huan.
Seeing Spencer reach out to him, Yan Huan pushed his speed to its absolute limit.
Amidst the deafening roars of the crowd, under Owen's astounded gaze, in that critical split second when everyone held their breath with clenched fists waiting for the outco—
In lane one, to Owen's left, Yan Huan's baton was the first to push past Owen's position...
Then ca his slightly leaning head, and then his entire body...
He was...
He was overtaken!!
"The President passed Owen! 50 ters left!!"
"It's too late! Owen! Co on, Owen!"
"President!!"
Yan Huan clamped his jaws shut and sprinted desperately. No matter how frantically Owen gave chase, the lactic acid built up in his body left him powerless to accelerate further.
Thus, he could only watch helplessly as Yan Huan—the Yan Huan who had broken free from the constraints of the Modifiers, the Yan Huan who had cast off the invisible chains of being the Student Council President—
—charged straight toward Spencer.
Then, Owen heard him roar with all the strength left in his body as he handed over the baton,
"Spencer!!"
"Smack!!"
The baton was forcefully slapped into Spencer's hand. Under Yan Huan's trusting gaze, she gritted her teeth, whipped her head around, and dashed forward, causing the older Cooper sister waiting beside her to freeze for a mont.
"Pant... pant..."
It was several seconds later when Owen crossed the transfer line, similarly handing his baton over to the third runner.
"Smack!"
"Ahhhh!"
The older Cooper sister spun around and dashed out, chasing after Spencer's receding back view.
Having exhausted everything to finish their 400 ters, Yan Huan and Owen both collapsed onto the green lawn, completely drained.
Sitting down right after such exertion was bad for the body, but neither of them had a single ounce of strength left.
"How fast did they just run? Forty-sothing seconds? Holy shit!"
"Are they even human?"
"..."
Kneeling on the ground, Yan Huan wiped the sweat from his face and looked up, his eyes tightly tracking Spencer as she ran.
Nearby, Gongzi imdiately rushed to the prone Owen, saying with concern,
"Get up first, don't lie down."
"Pant... pant..."
But Owen rely stared blankly into the distance, weakly waving his hand at Gongzi.
Then, he shifted his gaze to Yan Huan's back view, who was half-kneeling and looking afar.
Looking at his back, Owen felt as though he had been transported back to the day of the Student Council election.
Back then, when he was defeated, he seed to have seen this exact sa sight.
Ah...
After staring weakly at Yan Huan's back for a long ti, Owen finally closed his eyes, completely relieved.
Then, he buried his face in Gongzi's arms and mumbled regretfully,
"Gongzi, I... I lost to Yan Huan again... I'm sorry..."
"What's there to be sorry for? It's just a race! You did your best, and so did President Yan..."
Unaware that Owen had wanted to win the race to propose to her in front of everyone, Gongzi gave a bright, unbothered smile.
She hugged his head tightly, comforting him gently.
"Booo~~"
"Track and Field Club, go! Track and Field Club, go!!"
"Pass Spencer! Pass that trash!!"
During the 1v1 showdown, people had cheered for Yan Huan out of respect for his reputation.
But now that it was Spencer's turn, all that was left was absolute disgust, as the crowd clamored for her to get lost.
Since she had started the leg first, a chorus of boos showered down from the spectator stands the mont she entered the curve.
Conversely, as Cooper from the Track and Field Club surged forward in pursuit, the stands erupted uniformly with encouragent and cheers.
The mockery and insults were like the incessant chirping of birds dwelling in a grand castle high up in the sky.
"Ugh..."
She gritted her teeth, desperate to shake off the jeers and ridicule that had followed her like a shadow since childhood.
She understood it all perfectly. It was because she had no hair, because she was an idiot, because she couldn't do anything right and had to rely entirely on her mother...
...that was why she was hated. That was why she was bullied.
Thinking this, a renewed wave of fear washed over her. She just wanted to escape everything, to wake up from this nightmare.
"Ugh!"
She accelerated once more, wanting nothing more than to leave the Cooper sister behind and shake off all the noise surrounding her.
But seeing this, the expressions of Jiang Yun and the half-kneeling Yan Huan turned grim.
If Spencer were only running 400 ters, sprinting with everything she had would be fine. But she had to run 800 ters consecutively.
Being a dozen seconds faster than her opponent in the first lap was impressive, but what about the second lap?
Once her stamina was drained, there was still a fresh Cooper sister waiting for the second lap.
"Spencer! Slow down! Pace yourself! Pace yourself!!"
Jiang Yun shouted anxiously, but Spencer was all the way across the athletics field. With the crowd in the spectator stands screaming at the top of their lungs, how could she possibly hear?
"Pant... pant..."
Just as Spencer recklessly dashed through the first half and Jiang Yun was at her wit's end, Yurianna's voice suddenly echoed from the loudspeakers:
"Oh my, Spencer is sprinting so fast now, but what about the fourth leg? She should slow down! Pacing is super important..."
"!!"
Hearing Yurianna's blatant reminder broadcast over the loudspeakers, Yan Huan silently shot a glance toward the dia room and gave her a thumbs-up.
Holding the microphone, Yurianna let out a "hehe" laugh.
Hearing Yurianna's prompt, Spencer finally realized she needed to slow her pace.
As she gradually eased off, she smoothly entered the second curve, and the finish line for the first lap ca into sight.
And with it, she saw Yan Huan, who was slowly getting to his feet.
If she was destined to be just a little piglet from birth, ant to be bullied and despised, why had he stepped forward?
Why did he believe in her, when she had ssed everything up constantly?
Why did he believe that she could win?
With these thoughts, Spencer gripped the baton tightly, gradually entering the final 100 ters.
Since Spencer had slowed down to manage her pace, the older Cooper sister, who could sprint freely without holding back, quickly caught up from behind.
"Step, step, step..."
After clearing the last bend, Cooper's speed unexpectedly shifted up another gear.
She was a late-accelerator with incredible stamina, allowing her to trigger a qualitative leap in speed during the latter half of the race.
Having intentionally slowed her pace, Spencer subconsciously disrupted her rhythm upon hearing the sudden, torrential rain-like footsteps bearing down on her, not wanting to be overtaken.
But altering her pace so erratically while her mind was in a ss caused Spencer to stumble. Her entire body slamd heavily onto the 100-ter track.
"Thud!!"
"Hiss..."
Sliding a distance across the track, Spencer grimaced, gasping in shock at the sharp pain.
"Spencer!"
"Spencer has fallen! The baton is on the ground! Can she still get up?!"
Jiang Yun and Yurianna's voices rang out simultaneously, and Yan Huan's brow furrowed tightly.
The spectator stands fell eerily silent. Aside from a few faint snickers, the crowd had virtually no reaction.
Feeling the stinging pain shooting through her body, Spencer gritted her teeth and slamd her fist viciously against the ground.
"Thump!"
"!!"
The punch was so hard it drew blood from her fair palms. Looking down, she saw that her knees were badly scraped as well.
The pain spiked her adrenaline. In the next second, she pushed herself up without missing a beat, snatched the fallen baton from the ground, and sprinted forward once more.
"Sister, go!"
Due to the sudden fall, the older Cooper sister had instantly opened up a massive lead over Spencer.
Panting heavily, she passed the final baton to her younger sister. Then, the fully energized younger sister shot straight forward like a bullet.
"Spencer, you can do it!"
Jiang Yun waved her arms and scread as Spencer approached, but how could her solitary, feeble voice possibly compete with the rest of the stadium?
"Cooper! Cooper! Cooper! Cooper!"
And so, her desperate cheers were completely drowned out, buried beneath an ocean of noise.
Yan Huan watched as the girl, like a lone small boat struggling to stay afloat on a vast ocean, was continually battered by waves of disgust and rejection.
Then, as if he could no longer bear it, he forced his unrecovered legs to move, running closely alongside her just outside the track.
At the sa ti, his pupils contracted slightly as he yelled out the truest feelings from the bottom of his heart:
"Run, Spencer!!!"
Yan Huan's solitary voice ringing out from the sidelines was like the fireworks exploding in the night sky that evening.
Those warm, bright fireworks had pierced through the deep, freezing darkness of the night, illuminating her eyes and her face.
Her sky-blue eyes gradually took on a fiery brilliance, and her blonde hair shone dazzlingly under the sunlight.
I want...
I want to win!
Even if it's just once...
Even if it's just once...
I don't want to ss everything up anymore. I don't want to be like before...
Let
win just once!!
Once!!
A single tear fell from the corner of her eye, carrying her unwavering resolve. Right now, filling her vision was the deep, blood-like red of the synthetic track.
"Ahhhhhh!!"
She sprinted like a madwoman, risking her very life, which caused the younger Cooper sister—who had just entered the final 100-ter straightaway—to freeze montarily.
Unlike her older sister who excelled in the latter half, she was an early-accelerator. In the second half, her lactic acid buildup occurred extrely quickly.
Already exhausted, the demon-like roars of Spencer behind her pierced her eardrums, making her involuntarily glance back.
She saw Spencer, a ferocious expression on her face, hurtling down the track toward her like a lunatic.
"Gasp!"
Cooper was startled by Spencer's terrifying, red-eyed appearance. Her footsteps faltered, and suddenly both her legs felt incredibly stiff.
She swayed slightly, but her instincts as an athlete kept her from falling.
Gritting her own teeth, a surge of adrenaline allowed her to break through her past limits, increasing her speed once again.
Seeing this, Owen and everyone in the Track and Field Club were utterly dumbfounded.
"She sped up again!"
"The gap is closing, but there's still a 10-ter difference between them!"
"At this rate, Cooper will cross the finish line before Spencer catches up. We're... we're going to win!"
The younger Cooper sister ducked her head and pushed forward furiously, fighting to delay the mont Spencer would overtake her.
As long as she reached the finish line first, she would win!
"Track and Field Club! Track and Field Club! Track and Field Club!"
"Take down Spencer! Take down Spencer! Take down Spencer!"
Seven ters, six ters, five ters, four ters, three ters...
The finish line is right there!
Right at that mont, the red-eyed Spencer suddenly pushed off with both feet, shifting her entire center of gravity forward and lunging headfirst!
"!!"
Everyone—every single person present—widened their eyes in sheer shock.
Because in the very next second, Spencer launched herself into the air with reckless abandon.
Just like the Golden Bomb Pig that was mounted on the slingshot, launching itself into the sky to use its own body as a bomb.
"Oink! Oink!!"
The Golden Bomb Pig's eyes were bloodshot, glaring fixedly at the castle in the sky where countless beautiful birds lived.
Then, in the very next second, radiating a light that signaled imminent detonation, it smashed violently into them!
"Boom!!"
A massive explosion echoed from the birds' castle. Countless beautiful feathers were blasted black, right alongside their pride, right alongside their nobility...
...all reduced entirely to dust.
Now, back to reality.
Joy had already blossod on Cooper's face as she reached the finish line, but in the next second, to her left, the baton thrust forward by the diving Spencer bypassed her entire body.
And then, Spencer's whole self.
Right before she could touch the finish line, Spencer had thrown herself through the air, crossing the line a fraction of a second ahead of her.
Cooper's pupils shrank as she watched helplessly while Spencer crashed heavily onto the ground.
"Thud!!"
Gritting her teeth, Spencer rolled several tis across the floor.
Her exposed, fair skin was scraped raw by the rough synthetic track, but the montum was too strong to stop, sending her skidding for quite a distance.
"You..."
Cooper stared in sheer disbelief at the girl prone on the ground. Covered in injuries and gasping in shock from the pain, Spencer lowered her head.
Yet, the hand gripping the baton was tremblingly, triumphantly raised high.
The entire stadium fell utterly silent, holding their breath in disbelief as they stared at Spencer and her raised baton.
The referee standing nearby was dumbfounded. It took several seconds before he finally clicked his microphone on and murmured,
"The... the Doujinshi Society! Spencer from the Doujinshi Society crossed the finish line first!"
"..."
Yet bizarrely, even after this result was announced, the entire venue remained dead silent.
In the stands, not a single person expressed joy. No one cheered. They simply stared silently at the field below.
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