Ai-chan's choice

There is a Japanese proverb called “瓢箪から駒” or “瓢箪から駒が出る” (Hyōtan kara koma), which literally means “a horse from a gourd”.

It means unexpected or logically improbable events happening. It can also refer to a half-joking remark becoming a reality.

During a study session where we played a game of guessing the meaning of proverbs, one person posed this question at Tsukasa-san’s house.

Everyone had a general understanding of its meaning, but I didn’t realize that “駒” specifically referred to a horse. So, I asked,

“What kind of koma is it? Is it a ‘独楽’ (spinning top, also pronounced as koma in Japanese)?”

With a serious expression, Tsukasa-san responded,

“Not the kind of ‘koma’ you’re thinking of, but ‘駒’ written with the ‘句’ character used in the terms ‘俳句’ with the ‘馬’ radical on the left. It means a horse. It’s like saying a horse comes out of the small mouth of a gourd, which is impossible.”

He said it with a laugh. So I jokingly added,

“If that’s the case, how about ‘瓢箪から牛’ (cow) or even ‘瓢箪からステーキ’ (steak)?”

But then Itoko-chan said,

“Doremi-chan’s love for steak hasn’t changed since long ago.”

And Kanae-chan, unable to resist, added,

“Speaking of which, before entering high school, Doremi-chan came to our store wanting to work part-time and earnestly asked my Dad, ‘Even if the pay is low, could I have steak for my meal?’”

Tsukasa-san burst into laughter and said,

“Just how much do you love steak~?”

I instantly became the laughing stock of everyone.

I brought up this story because something like a “瓢箪から駒” situation happened close to me. And what’s more, it involved one of my best friends…

It was the first Monday in October when Ai-chan, who had participated in the National Athletic Meet for the adult women’s 400m track and field event, showed up at MAHO-do.

That day, I had attended a soccer team meeting and arrived at MAHO-do before Ai-chan did. As soon as I saw her face, I said,

“Ai-chan, congratulations on your third-place finish! I heard from Hana-chan and Momo-chan. If the finish line was 10 meters closer, you would have definitely won.”

Ai-chan paused for a moment and said,

“…Thank you.”

Then she fell silent again.

Hana-chan and Momo-chan, who had gone to cheer for her as part of the cheerleading society, had just reported Ai-chan’s success at the National Athletic Meet to me and were now working on making sweets in the kitchen, which was running low on supplies.

Ai-chan noticed that I was confused and said,

“Even though I got third place, the athletes who participated in the Olympics didn’t participate and I was more than four seconds away from the Japanese record. To tell you the truth, I’m disappointed in myself.”

She let out a big sigh.

“Don’t worry about it too much. It’s only been a year since you switched to the 400m, so you still have time to improve.”

When I comforted her, Ai-chan weakly smiled and continued,

“I think I can beat anyone in the straight 200m, but I’m not good at the 200m corner. As I lean inward during the corner, the more I focus, the more my speed drops.”

I knew that Ai-chan had incorporated weight training to overcome her weakness in cornering.

I had witnessed her repeatedly lifting heavy barbells dozens or hundreds of times in between running, torturing herself. Compared to the spring, her upper arm muscles were more toned and appeared to be bulging more than Kotake’s.

“It’s not good for your body to be so anxious. I think the results of your practice will bear fruit someday.”

“Someday… but when?”

Ai-chan let out another sigh.

The doorbell rang, and a familiar face appeared.

“Ai-chan! Doremi-chan! Long time no see!”

It was Yokokawa Nobuko-chan. Behind Nobuko-chan, Maruyama Miho-chan peeked out,

“Hello.”

She said shyly.

The two of them are a golden pair aiming to become writers and professional manga artists. Nobuko-chan goes to the same school as us, but Miho-chan goes to a different high school.

“Hi Nobuko-chan and Miho-chan! It’s been a while!”

Although I occasionally see Nobuko-chan at school even though we’re in different classes, it’s been since our first year of high school that I’ve seen Miho-chan.

“Both of you never come to MAHO-do anymore. I was worried that you two might be fighting again,” Ai-chan said.

“I apologize for that time.”

Nobuko-chan scratched her head and stuck out her tongue.

Come to think of it, the two of them almost broke up their partnership due to differences in their perspectives on high school advancement, but we cleared up the misunderstanding between them. It’s been a long time since the two of them showed up together. It feels like a distant memory.

Ai-chan’s expression softened as she talked to the two of them. Both of them really came at an excellent, opportune moment.

“So, what do you have in mind for today?”

When I asked, Nobuko-chan said,

“Oh, sorry. We didn’t come to buy sweets… Miho Miho.”

She looked at Miho-chan. Miho-chan nodded and handed us a large brown envelope she was carrying under her arm.

“Is it a new manga by any chance?”

I asked, and Miho-chan nodded vigorously.

“It’s a masterpiece that took Miho Miho and me three months to complete. It’s a truly moving work of art, even if I do say so myself!”

Nobuko-chan spoke confidently. She didn’t speak with pursed lips. Nobuko-chan always purses her lips whenever she’s lying, but the fact that she didn’t do it at all meant it was really a masterpiece.

Ai-chan seemed to think so too, and she quickly looked at my face and said,

“Doremi-chan!”

“Yeah!”

I took out the original manuscript from the brown envelope.

The first thing that caught my eye was the cover illustration of the main character, who looked like Ai-chan, raising both hands and cutting through the finish line tape, with the title “The Gold Medal of Glory”.

“Wow, Ai-chan is the main character again!?”

I said, and Nobuko-chan nodded vigorously.

“I can’t imagine it without Ai-chan as the main character.”

Many of the works by Nobuko-chan, who wrote the original stories, always featured Ai-chan as the main or supporting character since their elementary school days, and they often had captivating moments.

“Hey, Nobuko-chan, even if Ai-chan is the main character, will I also appear?”

“Of course! You’ll also appear as an important character.”

Nobuko-chan winked.

“I’m really looking forward to it!”

At that moment, I heard a voice from behind me and Ai-chan,

“Never mind about Doremi, let’s read it quickly!”

Suddenly, Hana-chan and Momo-chan appeared from the kitchen.

“Oh, Hana-chan and Momo-chan are here too?”

Nobuko-chan said with a smile, and Momo-chan replied,

“The lobby was too noisy, so we peeked in and saw you two were here.”

She smiled at Nobuko-chan and Miho-chan.

“Asuka-san, Makihatayama-san, long time no see.”

Miho-chan greeted them, but Hana-chan interrupted,

“Greetings can wait. Doremi, read quickly and pass the manuscript to us.”

She demanded without question.

“Okay, okay. I’m reading it.”

In this way, the four of us spent about 20 minutes reading their work. Since no customers came in during that time, we read it at once.

Tears were flowing like a waterfall from the eyes of the four of us after finishing the reading.

Truly, it was an epic masterpiece that evoked tremendous emotions that couldn’t be read without shedding tears.

The content was about the heroine, Izumi Ai, who loved to run, breaking the Japanese record as a short-distance runner, but suffered a serious injury​, a ruptured Achilles tendon, as soon as she crossed the finish line and fell into the depths of despair. This part was based on Ai-chan’s true story. Then she had a fateful encounter with Coach Tatekawa. After that, she started running marathons and went through various twists and turns, with the encouragement of her family and friends. At the Olympic Games, she was in a dead heat with Maria Onpunobicchi-senshu (literally Onpu’s Bitch), the world record holder, and finally won the gold medal by a hair’s breadth.

It was a stereotypical sports manga, yet interspersed throughout were Nobuko-chan’s characteristic humor and laughs, which prevented it from becoming stale. What’s more, Miho-chan’s greatly improved drawing skills gave the final dead heat scene an incredible intensity that grabbed the reader’s heart like an eagle’s talons.

“It’s amazing! You can become a professional right now!”

Those were Momo-chan’s first words after reading it. Hana-chan also continued without wiping the tears on her cheeks.

“This is the first time Hana’s been so moved by a manga!”

“Right! Right! Even if you submit it to a contest in any magazine, it’ll definitely win a prize! But…”

I was excited, but tears were flowing down my face for another reason.

“Why do I have to be the faithful dog Doremi again~?”

It’s the main character’s pet dog that often appears in Nobuko-chan’s novels and collaborative works with Miho-chan, but its dialogue consists only of “wan wan”. Certainly, it comforts and soothes the main character when he’s at rock bottom… The fortune teller who prophesies the fateful encounter with Coach Tatekawa is modeled after Hazuki-chan, and the main character’s rival is similar to Onpu-chan. The role of the cafeteria worker who encourages the nervous main character in the Olympic Village is identical to Hana-chan and Momo-chan, but I’m… a dog. Moreover, I pee in excitement the moment the main character reaches the finish line~.

Nobuko-chan smiled wryly and said,

“Well, the faithful dog Doremi is a regular in our manga, so it can’t be helped.”

But still… As I continued to feel dissatisfied and frustrated, Nobuko-chan asked Ai-chan, who had been silent since earlier, for her opinion.

“What do you think, Ai-chan?”

Miho-chan also looked at Ai-chan’s face at the same time.

There were no more tears on Ai-chan’s cheeks, and she lightened the mood by using the classic gag line spoken by the former Prime Minister¹ when presenting a large cup to the champion sumo wrestler,

“I was moved!”

After getting them both laughing, she continued,

“I think it’s really good, but it’s impossible for a short-distance athlete to become a marathon runner.”

“Aiko, what do you mean?”

Hana-chan asked before Nobuko-chan and the others could inquire.

“Short-distance runners and long-distance runners use different muscles. Haven’t you all seen the human body model in the science reference room?”

At Ai-chan’s words, we imagined the human body model with those disgusting, intricate muscles exposed.

“Oh~, I hate that thing,” I said.

“Hana too.”

“It’s gross,” Momo-chan said.

Nobuko-chan and Miho-chan also agreed and nodded vigorously.

“You know there are red muscles and white muscles, right?”

We nodded in agreement.

“Long-distance runners have a higher proportion of those red muscles, which burn glucose in the body and allow them to run. Each muscle fiber is thin, making the muscle quality supple and flexible.”

“Wow, I see. Then what about short-distance runners?”

When I asked,

“Short-distance runners have a higher proportion of the white parts of the muscles and convert glycogen in the muscles into lactic acid to run.”

At Ai-chan’s explanation, Hana-chan nodded and said,

“We learned that in biology class, didn’t we?”

Everyone except Hana-chan seemed to have completely forgotten about it, and we all had a moment of confusion.

“I sort of remember hearing about it, but not really…” I said.

“I don’t remember anything from that long ago,” Momo-chan said.

Nobuko-chan and Miho-chan also responded with vague smiles and nods.

“No good. Except for Hana-chan, everyone has completely forgotten.”

Ai-chan continued with a wry smile.

“To put it more simply, remember that most long-distance runners are thin, but most short-distance runners are muscular?”

“Oh, I get it now! Marathon runners are all thin, aren’t they?”

Everyone nodded firmly at my words.

“If you look at my thighs, you can tell I’m definitely a short-distance runner, right? Long-distance runners have even thinner thighs and their calves are tightly toned.”

Nobuko-chan didn’t seem to be convinced by Ai-chan’s words.

“Really? Even short-distance runners like Ai-chan look slim to me.”

“That’s just because I grew taller in high school, so I only look that way. My thighs are as big as Hana-chan’s waist.”

“Short-distance runners and long-distance runners are really different.”

When I said this, Ai-chan nodded in satisfaction.

“I think the story is well written, but I don’t think the main character can become a marathon runner.”

Still, Nobuko-chan and Miho-chan weren’t satisfied.

“I definitely think Ai-chan is suited to be a marathon runner.”

“I thought it would be nice to see Ai-chan win a gold medal in the marathon…”

“Ideal and reality are different. Well, it’s fine for it to be a manga, right?”

Ai-chan said this and laughed.

That night, we showed the borrowed manga to Hazuki-chan and Onpu-chan, who had arrived late. They were also moved and shed tears like us.

“But Aiko says ‘impossible, impossible.’”

Hana-chan complained,

“It’s really the truth, so there’s no helping it.”

And Ai-chan said with a laugh.

“If that’s what Ai-chan the expert says, then it must be so… But I want to see Ai-chan run a marathon too.”

Hazuki-chan said, and Onpu-chan seemed to agree,

“Marathons have a lot of straight lines, so you don’t have to worry too much about cornering. Isn’t it perfect for Ai-chan?”

She said with a mischievous smile.

Ai-chan just laughed, but this was just the beginning of “瓢箪から駒”.

On Friday of that week, when I went to the staff room to deliver the materials that Yamaki-sensei, aka Leon, had asked me to, I saw Ai-chan talking to her homeroom teacher about something.

When Ai-chan saw me, she bowed her head and said to her teacher,

“I’ll give you a proper answer by next week. Excuse me.”

Then she followed me out of the staff room.

“Doremi-chan, aren’t you supposed to study for exams instead of going to club activities today?”

“Yeah. That’s the plan.”

“Then let’s go home together.”

“Ai-chan, aren’t you going to your club activities?”

“Mom and Dad have early shifts today, so we’re having a family meeting.”

“Eh, w-what? Is it something serious!?”

I asked eagerly, and Ai-chan casually replied,

“It’s about my future path.”

“Oh~, I see…”

“Haha, I bet you thought my parents would get divorced again. Too bad.”

Ai-chan laughed when she said that.

I hadn’t thought that far, but I was definitely thinking of some kind of tabloid-worthy topic, so all I could do was smile wryly.

On the way home, Ai-chan told me about her future plans.

As I mentioned before, she had received recommendation offers from five universities in the Kanto region, two universities in the Kansai region, and one university in the Tohoku region. Some of them even offered her exemption from admission and tuition fees as a special scholarship student. I’m really envious.

“So, have you decided where to go, Ai-chan?”

When I asked, Ai-chan grabbed the handrail of the bridge we were crossing and looked out over the river before answering.

“I considered going to a university in Osaka, where I was born, but I decided that if I want to aim for the Olympics in track and field, I’ll have to go to a university in Tokyo or Kanagawa. Plus, I can commute from home.”

“I see. That’s a relief! It would be lonely if even Ai-chan left Misora City. I’m in favor… even though I’m not your family.”

“Thank you. I’m glad you’re in favor, Doremi-chan. I’ve narrowed it down to two choices, and I’m planning to decide which one to go to at our family meeting today. I’ll let you know first thing once I’ve decided.”

“Okay, got it!”

“Oh, and my homeroom teacher told me…”

Ai-chan let out a small sigh as she said that.

“What’s wrong?”

“Do you know that my homeroom teacher is also the advisor for the track and field team?”

I nodded, and Ai-chan looked a little troubled.

“The day after tomorrow, on Sunday, there’s an ekiden (road relay) race organized by the prefecture.”

“Oh, but do we have any members in the track and field team who participate in the ekiden?”

“There’s a second-year girl who specializes in long-distance running and was selected for the Misora City representative team.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember that girl who always runs around the edge of the field, right?”

“That girl got injured during practice yesterday, and the homeroom teacher asked me if I could take her place.”

“Are there no other athletes available?”

“There’s only one person for long-distance running. I’ve hardly run long-distance races, and I don’t think I’d be any help even if I participated.”

“You’re the one with the white muscles, right?”

Ai-chan looked momentarily blank, but then smiled and said,

“Haha, you remembered what I said when Nobu-chan and Miho-chan came. So I told the homeroom teacher that maybe they should get an athlete from another school, but in Misora City, one person from each of the three high schools has to participate, and it seems that one person has to be from Misora High School. Doremi-chan, what should I do…”

“Is there really nothing you can do? Ai-chan, you actually intend to participate in more than half of it, don’t you?”

Ai-chan looked surprised for a moment, but then smiled wryly and said,

“You see right through me, Doremi-chan. Although I have experience, the one who’s going through the toughest time is the injured junior.”

“I thought you would say that, Ai-chan. MAHO-do is also closed on Sunday, so we’ll go cheer you on!”

“That sounds good. But I don’t have confidence in completing the 5-kilometer fourth leg.”

“Why are you saying such negative things? Ai-chan has the fighting spirit of Naniwa!”

“You say that easily. But it feels different when it’s happening to you!”

“Sorry, sorry.”

As I said with a smile, Ai-chan smiled wryly and said,

“Can’t be helped. I’ll try not to run clumsily. Well, see you later, Doremi-chan!”

Ai-chan dashed off across the bridge to her home.

I waved goodbye and went home, and before I started studying for my exams, I sent a message to everyone in MAHO-do, Nobuko-chan, and Miho-chan, letting them know that Ai-chan would be participating in the ekiden. Immediately, everyone replied that they would go cheer her on. Hana-chan and Momo-chan sent passionate messages saying that the cheerleading society would also go to support Ai-chan.

I felt a twinge of anxiety at Ai-chan’s expression of lack of confidence on the bridge, but I had faith that Ai-chan would somehow find a way through it, and so I started studying for my exams.

That night, Ai-chan sent me a message to let me know the result of the family meeting.

It was Aoba Sports University.

The nearest train station to a campus where there is a practice field for the track and field team is in Aobadai, so the ability to commute from home seemed to be the deciding factor.

If it was Aobadai, it was within a single train ride from Sangenjaya, where my first choice, Setagaya Women’s University, was located. Thinking that we might be able to commute together made me feel happy, and I sent her a congratulatory message.

On Sunday, the ekiden competition that Ai-chan participated in was held on the circuit around Childland² in Tsurukawa.

This ekiden is a race where middle school, high school, university, and corporate runners run nine sections of 42.195 kilometers each, with varying distances. It also serves as a selection process for the National Prefectural Women’s Ekiden Relay Race in January next year, and top long-distance runners from the prefecture participated.

Middle schoolers run three kilometers, high schoolers run five kilometers, and Ai-chan was set to run the five-kilometer fourth section.

On the day of the race, I was late to the meeting place at Misora Station due to family circumstances and ended up going on a separate route from everyone else.

“Geez~, Dad is such a…”

The family situation was a fight between Dad and Mom.

Dad bought a new fishing rod for sea fishing without telling Mom, but she found out and got furious, causing me to waste time trying to stop her.

When the fight subsided, I received a flood of messages from everyone on my phone.

I had to send everyone a stupid reason at the same time, so I decided to let them go ahead of me.

But it turned out to be a good thing. I was able to talk to Ai-chan before the start.

MAHO-do’s friends, Majorika, members of the cheerleading society, Nobuko-chan, and Miho-chan had already taken up positions around the midpoint of the fourth section where Ai-chan would run, and when I received a message saying that they were hurrying to that point, Ai-chan came running up to me.

“Ai-chan! What’s wrong?”

“Doremi-chan, what should I do? All the high school runners I saw at Inter-High are here in the fourth section, and they’re all national-level.”

“Ai-chan isn’t a long-distance runner, so all you need to do is focus on finishing. If anything happens, you have the fighting spirit of Naniwa! Ai-chan!”

In response to my terrible Osaka dialect,

“Doremi-chan, your face is making me feel like a fool for being so nervous.”

Ai-chan laughed and went back to the Misora City representative team.

“Ai-chan, fight!”

I shouted at the top of my lungs and hurried to where Hana-chan and the others were.

The competition course ran along the outer perimeter road of a leisure land called Childland surrounded by forests, and it was different from the Hakone Ekiden that we often see during the New Year.

Above the course, Dodo and the fairies were waiting to report the ranking of the Misora City representative team to Lala.

Majorika, who was receiving a call from Lala on her phone, reported to us in real-time, just like a live broadcast.

In the first section of the start, ten kilometers were run by corporate and university athletes, and teams from three major companies in Yokohama and two in Kawasaki were fighting for the top spot.

Since the Misora City representative team came from a city with no major corporations, we expected them to be fighting for the lower spots, but surprisingly, they were ninth out of twenty teams by the time the second section received the sash.

Ai-chan later told me that there was a hometown athlete system, and a current track and field athlete from Misora City and Ai-chan’s prospective school, Aoba Sports University, did a great job.

The athletes from Misora South High School in the second section and Misora Second Middle School in the third section also did their best, and by the time Ai-chan took over the sash in the fourth section, they were in tenth place.

Ai-chan started off with great momentum, passing three people in the first kilometer and jumping to seventh place. When Majorika received the call from Lala,

“Aiko is pushing too hard.”

She said in a worried voice.

Majorika’s premonition was correct, and around the second kilometer, Ai-chan got tired and started to drop in rankings one by one.

“Majorika, what place is Ai-chan in now?”

Majorika weakly replied while listening to her phone,

“Fourteenth… no, now she’s been passed again, so fifteenth.”

“So, so much…!”

I couldn’t stand still and ran in the opposite direction of the course where the athletes were running.

When I saw Ai-chan, my body froze for a moment.

Ai-chan was gasping for breath and I thought she might collapse any moment. She was breathing heavily from her shoulders, and her face was distorted in pain.

As soon as I met Ai-chan, I made a U-turn and started running alongside her, so as not to get in the way of the other athletes. Then I soon realized that Ai-chan’s breathing method was wrong.

Ai-chan was just inhaling and exhaling.

I ran alongside her and shouted,

“Ai-chan, it’s suu suu, haa haa!”

Ai-chan was not in a state to say anything, she just looked at me.

“It’s suu suu, haa haa. You remember what Seki-sensei taught us during the elementary school marathon, right? You can’t run five kilometers just by inhaling and exhaling!”

Ai-chan finally seemed to understand and took a deep breath, exhaling deeply to create a relaxed state. Then, she started the breathing method I had told her about, inhaling twice and exhaling twice.

In the meantime, she was passed by three players, and Ai-chan had dropped to eighteenth place out of twenty teams.

“That’s it, Ai-chan! Suu suu, haa haa!”

Ai-chan ran rhythmically while breathing like my words.

It was quite different from her running just before.

At that time, I heard the voices of Nobuko-chan and Miho-chan from along the road.

“Go, Ai-chan!”

“Keep it up, keep it up! You can do it, Ai-chan!”

When she passed in front of both of them, Ai-chan had enough leeway to raise her right hand lightly.

In addition, Hana-chan, Momo-chan, Tamaki Reika, and Kudo Mutsumi-chan from the cheerleading society were waiting for her with loud cheers. Ai-chan’s face revealed a burst of joy at the sight of Hana-chan and the others, who poured their whole body and soul into dancing while shaking their pom-poms.

“Suu suu, haa haa… Thank you, everyone.”

With that, Ai-chan’s pace gradually began to increase.

The breathing method also changed to inhaling twice and exhaling once.

“Naniwa spirit, yeah!”

Ai-chan increased her pace even more with that shout.

Everyone except for Majorika and me became Ai-chan’s companion runner.

We were stopped by the staff immediately, but Ai-chan’s speed didn’t decrease. Not only that, but she continued to climb in the rankings, and when she finished the five kilometers, she was in seventh place.

When we arrived at the start of the fifth section, Ai-chan was lying on her back at the edge of the road.

Her homeroom teacher, also the advisor, handed her a towel and sports drink, but Ai-chan refused and looked up at the sky with a satisfied expression.

“Ai-chan, great job! You did your best!”

Nobuko-chan rushed to Ai-chan and hugged her.

“Thank you, Nobu-chan!”

With that, Ai-chan lifted her upper body.

“You are indeed Ai-chan!”

When I punched my right hand forward, Ai-chan also responded with a fist.

“Doremi-chan, thank you. Before you came, I was only thinking about giving up because I was in so much pain. Thanks to your suu suu, haa haa!”

With that, Ai-chan received the towel and sports drink from her homeroom teacher, and while wiping off her sweat, she gulped down the drink deliciously.

In the end, the Misora City representative team finished in eighth place, thanks to Ai-chan’s hard work.

They said it was possibly the best ranking in the past few years.

After the awards ceremony, Ai-chan decided to ride home with us instead of taking the Misora City representative team’s microbus.

We surrounded Ai-chan, and our excitement was at an all-time high.

Our voices were loud as we talked to Ai-chan, but luckily there were no spectators around. If there were, they would have been annoyed.

Our excitement didn’t diminish even on the platform at Nagatsuta Station, where we had our first transfer.

Nobuko-chan and Miho-chan said,

“We have a good eye for people, don’t we?”

“Ai-chan is definitely suited for marathons.”

Ai-chan herself also seemed to be getting excited and said,

“I’m not sure about that, but I thought long-distance running was pretty good today. As Onpu-chan said, I didn’t have to worry about cornering, and the cheers from the sidelines were so encouraging.”

“Fufu, my observational skills are pretty good too.”

Onpu-chan said, sliding her disguise sunglasses down and winking with a smile.

Then Hana-chan and Momo-chan beamed and said,

“Aiko, why don’t you switch to marathons?”

“I agree, Ai-chan.”

That’s when it happened.

“I agree with them.”

We heard a deep voice from behind us. It was a middle-aged man.

We were surprised when we turned around and saw a middle-aged man with a shoulder bag. He quickly took out a business card from his cardholder and handed it to Ai-chan. We peeked at it as well.

The card had the name “Setoyama Ryosuke” printed on it, along with many titles, but the top one caught our eye: “Associate Professor, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Waseda University.”

Before Ai-chan, who looked surprised, could say anything, I shouted out,

“Waseda University──!?”

Everyone stared intently at the associate professor’s face.

“I’m sorry for suddenly talking to you. You’re Senoo Aiko-san, right?”

The associate professor asked Ai-chan.

“Yes. That’s me, but…”

Ai-chan seemed a little nervous.

“I’ve been watching your running since two years ago. I saw you set the Japanese record in the 100 meters, and I also saw your performance at this year’s Inter-High and National Athletic Meet. Of course, I saw your performance today too.”

“Is that so…”

Ai-chan exchanged glances between the associate professor and his business card, trying to figure out why he approached her.

“Like everyone said, I think you’re far better suited for long-distance running than the 400 meters.”

“That’s right! Since it’s a university professor saying it, there’s no doubt about it!”

Nobuko-chan, who had been silently listening to their conversation, interjected excitedly.

“Your form may not be perfect, but I sensed infinite potential in that determined second half of your run. And by the way, was the change in your breathing pattern your own decision?”

“Well, yeah, I think taking two breaths in and one out is better for my rhythm than taking two breaths in and two out.”

“Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! How about it? Why don’t you come to our university and aim to become a long-distance runner, or rather, a marathon runner?”

“Huh?”

Ai-chan said in a small voice, which I drowned out.

“What!? Ehh~~~~!!”

I shouted, and Hazuki-chan immediately pulled on the hem of my clothes, saying,

“Doremi-chan, you’re getting too excited.”

“What are you saying! Waseda University! It’s in the northwest of Tokyo! And it’s one of the most famous private universities along with Keio! How can I not get excited about this!”

I said breathlessly, so Hana-chan and Momo-chan made a “Doo-doo-doo” sound in a calming tone and patted my shoulders.

The associate professor looked at me with a slightly exasperated expression, but quickly shifted his gaze to Ai-chan.

“We had your name on the list of recommended admission candidates for our university, but we removed it after seeing your performance in the 400m at the Inter-High and National Athletic Meet. However, after seeing your performance today, I’d like to put your name back on the list.”

With that, the associate professor crouched down and grabbed Ai-chan’s calf, but quickly moved his hand to her thigh.

“Hey, what are you doing!”

Ai-chan turned bright red and hid behind my back.

“Oh~, I’m sorry, excuse me. Since you were running short distances, I wondered what your muscle condition was like, but your legs are surprisingly supple and soft. Have you never trained with a proper long-distance coach before?”

“Well, um… I’ve been training on my own, so to speak…”

“That’s actually a good thing. If you can shave off any unnecessary muscles, you can become a marathon runner who can definitely aim for the world. I teach sports science at the university and also have a coaching qualification. I take care of the athletes of our track and field team as well.”

Ai-chan quickly reacted to the words “coaching qualification”.

“Can I study that kind of thing at Waseda?”

“Of course you can. Many graduates of our university have become exclusive trainers for professional baseball teams and J-League clubs. If you are interested in becoming a trainer, you should come to our university even more.”

At that moment, the train bound for Yokohama on the JR Yokohama Line arrived on the platform.

“Senoo-kun, I want to send you some information about our department, so could you write down your address and phone number?”

The associate professor took out his notebook and pen from his bag. But the departure time of the train was approaching.

“We don’t have time. There’s an email address on the business card I gave you earlier, so please send an empty email. I’ll send the information as an attachment to the email.”

Ai-chan nodded, and we all boarded the train together.

Even on the train bound for Misora after changing trains at Yokohama Station, we were still excitedly talking about Waseda and the associate professor.

“Honestly I thought what’s a university professor doing touching my thigh abruptly like that.”

Ai-chan said, looking somewhat incredulous. I added,

“I was so nervous that Ai-chan might get mad and hit him or something.”

“He’s the type who loses situational awareness when he focuses on one thing.”

Onpu-chan commented, and Hazuki-chan nodded with a smile.

“He really had the air of a scholar, didn’t he?”

Then Hana-chan said,

“Oh~, I’m sorry, excuse me. Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic!”

She did an impersonation of the associate professor. We all laughed while holding our stomachs.

The following week, Ai-chan showed her homeroom teacher the information the associate professor had emailed her and asked if she could have more time to reconsider whether to choose Aoba Sports University or Waseda University.

Her homeroom teacher was apparently surprised by the offer of recommendation from Waseda University, saying that it was good news that the school could secure a recommendation slot for Misora High School students who would aim for Waseda in the future, so her teacher agreed to extend the deadline for Ai-chan’s decision by one week.

And so, on Saturday of that weekend, Ai-chan was scheduled to visit the Tokorozawa Campus, where Waseda University’s Faculty of Sports Sciences is located.

“Doremi-chan, will you come with me to visit?”

The day before, Ai-chan asked me with an unusually serious expression. The prefectural qualifiers for the National High School Soccer Championship had already started, and the Misora High School soccer team, the first seed after finishing runner-up in the Inter-High, would enter the competition from the third round of the qualifiers. So I decided to join Ai-chan and only attend the morning practice on Saturday, leaving the afternoon training match to Chinami-chan and Seto-kun.

Well, I was also curious about the atmosphere of the prestigious university, which seemed beyond my reach, and I understood that Ai-chan, who had never been to an open campus before, was feeling anxious. So, I readily agreed without hesitation.

On the day of the visit, we took the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line express train from Misora City to Ikebukuro, and from there, we transferred to the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and headed for Kotesashi Station, the nearest station to the Tokorozawa Campus, where the Faculty of Sports Sciences is located. Hana-chan, who came along as a bonus, was sitting next to me.

Hana-chan said something nonsensical,

“Huh──? It’s in Saitama, not in the northwest of Tokyo?”

Apparently, she thought that we were going to the main campus.

“It seems like general education classes are taken at the main campus, but most of the specialized classes are in Tokorozawa, Saitama,” Ai-chan said.

“That’s a little disappointing. I originally planned to take the Waseda entrance exam before the National Center Test as a way to test my skills, but this visit won’t be helpful for that purpose.”

W-What the heck!? She sees the Waseda entrance exam as a skill test!? Argh~~! I almost blurted out, but I held my tongue and swallowed my words.

Well, for Hana-chan who is aiming for the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Science III, it may be just a simple skill test, but it struck a chord with me somehow. The other day, when I said jokingly that I would take the Waseda entrance exam for a commemorative occasion, I was flatly refused by my parents.

“That’s impossible!”

“It’s a waste of exam fees!”

As for Harukaze Doremi-san, it’s an absolute pu-pu-pu, really!

While Hana-chan started to doze off on the way to Kotesashi, I asked Ai-chan about what her parents thought of her entering Waseda.

“Dad and Mom were momentarily stunned by the big name, but they were happy right away. However…”

“Huh, is there a problem?”

“Aoba Sports University accepts me as a scholarship student and waives my tuition, but Waseda doesn’t offer that at all, and I have to pay the full amount. I’ll probably have to live in a dormitory because it’s not feasible to commute from home, so I’m worried about the burden on my family… I’m struggling with it myself.”

“I can understand your feelings, but still, it’s Waseda.”

“To say that I don’t want to enter if I have the chance would be a lie. Setoyama-sensei also told me in an email that I could use the scholarship system…”

“I don’t know if it’s my place to say, but for now, let’s visit and come to a conclusion later.”

Ai-chan nodded silently at my opinion and looked out of the train window at the passing scenery.

We arrived at the Kotesashi Station a little past 1 PM. We left Misora Station a little after 11 AM, so it took us 1 hour and 50 minutes one way. It takes easily 2 hours one way because the university is a 15-minute bus ride away. The one-way fare was also around 1,200 yen. Even if a commuter pass was used, it would cost nearly 200,000 yen in six months. As Ai-chan said, commuting from home is not feasible. I thought we could commute to school together.

As we were rocking on the bus, Hana-chan, who was sitting in the back seat behind us, suddenly exclaimed,

“Look, look! Those people are running!”

When we turned around, three men were indeed running after the bus. They were all wearing training clothes. They all had “W” emblems on their chests,

“Are they Waseda students?”

“Probably. The associate professor’s email said it takes 15 minutes by bus, but it also said that the track and field team members run from the station to the university.”

“Wow, those three seem very motivated.”

Hana-chan was also impressed and kept looking back and forth at the students.

When we arrived at the final stop, Waseda University, the students we had seen earlier ran into the main gate.

As we approached the main gate, Associate Professor Setoyama greeted us with a smile.

Ai-chan went with the associate professor to meet with the track and field coach, so Hana-chan and I decided to explore the campus.

To the south of the campus, there were the scenic Sayama Hills, rich in nature, and the campus itself appeared quite spacious. In Tokorozawa, there were two faculties, the Faculty of Human Sciences and the Faculty of Sports Sciences, with two large buildings, a sports hall, a common-use building for students, a baseball field, the Oda Mikio Memorial Athletics Stadium, and the Aqua Arena.

“Let’s start from there.”

I pointed my foot towards the common-use building for students.

“Why here?”

Hana-chan asked me when we arrived at the entrance.

“If you smell this, you’ll know, right?”

Hana-chan imitated me and sniffed around, understanding immediately.

“Because there’s a cafeteria. Doremi, you’re really good at sniffing these things out.”

Hana-chan followed me with an exasperated look.

The cafeteria was a little smaller than the one I went to during the open campus summer at Setagaya Women’s University. Alright, I won!

I clenched my little fist. Then I looked at the menu in the window of the booth,

“Yeah! My university has more menu options and a wider variety of sweets!”

I was doing a victory pose while Hana-chan looked at me with complete disdain, even though I hadn’t even passed the entrance exam or been accepted yet.

I assumed that the University of Tokyo’s cafeteria was nothing special and basked in my feelings of superiority.

“Doremi, stop grinning like that. Hana is hungry. Let’s eat something.”

“But it’s not fair to Ai-chan. Let’s wait until we meet up with her.”

After that, we spent about an hour touring the campus, and I was surprised to see many students wearing training clothes. The female students were the same, without any noticeable makeup.

Compared to Keio University, Waseda has a more serious image, but isn’t it a bit uncool? Well, it’s not like I’m going to attend, so it’s none of my business anyway.

We met up with Ai-chan shortly after and ate curry rice in the school cafeteria before leaving the campus.

Ai-chan’s expression on the train ride back was obviously different from when we arrived. She looked very cheerful.

“It seems like Ai-chan has made up her mind, right?”

When I asked her, Ai-chan nodded vigorously.

“Waseda has everything I want to learn and train, and all the facilities I want to use. There are specialized seminars starting in the second year, and there are many qualifications I want to obtain. I’m starting to feel motivated. I feel like getting off the train and running back to Misora City.”

After hearing Ai-chan’s words, both Hana-chan and I were happy.

It’s Dad’s favorite saying,

“Life is full of good and bad things, but if everything works out well in the end, then you’ll be happy.”

I felt like I finally understood its meaning now.

Ai-chan went through many times more hardships than I did during our elementary school years, especially with her parents’ divorce. But now, I think Ai-chan’s future has opened up in a big way.

The story of “瓢箪から駒” that started with Nobuko-chan and Miho-chan’s manga has finally come to an end.

No, no, I think Ai-chan’s journey will surely continue until she wins the gold medal in the marathon. But even with my eyes closed, I can vividly imagine Ai-chan, wearing the running outfit with the Japanese flag emblem, performing brilliantly on the grand stage of the Olympics.

“Ai-chan, I think it will still be tough after you enter the university, but do your best. I’ll always be cheering you on.”

“Hana feels the same way. We’ll always be cheering for you, ‘Fure~ Fure~ Aiko!’”

“Doremi-chan, Hana-chan, thank you.”

Ai-chan said, her eyes welling up with emotion as she squeezed our hands tightly.

That night, I sent a message to my best friends at MAHO-do, Nobuko-chan, Miho-chan, and Seki-sensei, informing them that Ai-chan had decided to attend Waseda University.

Everyone immediately sent back messages and calls congratulating Ai-chan.

Seki-sensei also added a message of encouragement, telling me to do my best too.

I felt like sending a reply retorting, “What do you mean ‘too’?” …But then I realized I’d probably get ten times more retorts in return, so I decided not to.

On the following Sunday, when I went for morning practice with the soccer team, Ai-chan was quietly jogging on the field.

She was practicing according to the training methods memo the associate professor gave her yesterday.

Kotake and the soccer team members were surprised to see her, but when I told them that Ai-chan had decided to attend Waseda University and aimed to compete in the marathon at the Olympics, they first let out cries of amazement, then flew over to congratulate and encourage Ai-chan.

When Kotake returned, he said to himself to boost his morale,

“I can’t lose to Senoo. I’ll definitely beat Momoe Academy and make it to the National Stadium!”

Then, he resumed the spirited training with the team members.

After practice, while I was cleaning up with Chinami-chan and Seto-kun, I received a message from Hana-chan.

The content of the message was about holding a surprise sweets party to celebrate Ai-chan’s decision to attend Waseda, when all our best friends gather at MAHO-do tomorrow, but it would be a secret from Ai-chan.

I think Nobuko-chan, Miho-chan, and Seki-sensei will also be there.

Ai-chan will probably be super embarrassed.

“Since I still have the interview and haven’t been officially accepted yet.”

She will probably say something like that.

But surprises like that are the best, aren’t they?

As I watched Ai-chan continue jogging, I shouted in my heart,

“May Ai-chan be happy! And please share a little bit of happiness with me too!”

Eh, am I getting overexcited?

…Yeah, you make a good point, I need to tone it down.

Even though Ai-chan has taken one or two steps ahead of me again, I won’t let it pressure me. I’ll keep studying hard for my entrance exams and make my dream of becoming a teacher come true!

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