𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 | 𝐤.𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐨

eighteen

INTER-HIGH TRACK&FIELD PRELIMINARY QUALIFIERS

ayako

a couple more heats before mine. i'm probably gonna get called to the waiting area soon.

i sighed.

i'd been at the stadium for almost the entire day, and since my event was one of the last few, i had done absolutely nothing but idle around.

that was the thing i hated most about track meets. you'd have to waste your entire day there, and waiting until your heat before you could run. (*heat; a single race within an event)

i had seen a couple of familiar faces from my former track team, but not many of the 800m runners i was formerly acquainted with had appeared on the track.

i could only hope they were not in my heat.

"heat 6, 800m girls, please report to the waiting room now," the announcement blared through the speakers, and i immediately jumped up.

finally, it felt like days.

i quickly changed into my spikes, before getting up to head down.

"ganbatte, miyazaki-san!" yoshioka called out.

"get out there and dominate your heat like you did at time trials," hayashi said with a smirk.

"we're counting on you, miyazaki-chan!" yamamoto exclaimed.

"you can do it~!" nakamura squealed.

i flashed an appreciative grin back at my teammates. "arigato, i'll do my best!"

it was just qualifiers, i could do this.

i awkwardly squeezed my way through the crowds, making my way to the waiting area.

the meet official at the entrance checked my number tag and ticked off his clipboard, as i entered the waiting area, awkwardly sitting among my soon-to-be-competitors.

"isn't that the girl who consistently ranked top three nationally in junior high?"

a comment made behind me made me flinch.

"sugoi...i'm getting even more nervous, after hearing that." another one.

iwanttogetoutofhere-

i prayed my heat could start soon so i could get out of here.

"but apparently she went mia after the spring nationals. she wasn't there for the summer inter-high, even though she wasn't injured or whatsoever."

that last comment made me snap.

i spun around, trying to keep my composure before the heat.

"i'm right here, if you didn't notice."

"g-gomen!"

i sighed, and turned back around.

getting all the spotlight isn't always the best, everyone talks too much about you.

thankfully, i was saved by the meet official.

"you guys are up. you all know your lanes, right?"

"hai!"

he led us out in a single file-according to our assigned lanes.

i could feel my heartbeat quicken slightly, taking a moment to absorb the atmosphere around me.

the various cheer teams, the chattering of the spectators, the warm evening sun shining down on me.

nothing new. i shouldn't be getting nervous.