The Ultimate Stride | Prince of Stride Fanfiction |

20 | Relationing

| {Third P.O.V.} |

The tension was so high it was almost painful.

Riku had just started the first leg of the race and was barely keeping the lead.

Nana, who was still flustered over her encounter with Ichijyōkan's relationer, was pretty much boiling in her seat as she glared down her monitor in anticipation for the first handoff.

    Kyouko was sweating buckets because she was lost as to what she should say to her teammates in their time of need, and Dozono was mildly unsettled by his recent scolding from a very unsuspecting character.

    Nana had frightened him with her raise of voice.

But that didn't stop him from giggling like a little school girl at his team's successful start. They were technically losing at the time, but everything was going according to plan.

    Down in the streets where Riku and his opponent were racing, the dirty-blonde was having trouble keeping himself emotionally stable. He was frazzled by what Ichijyōkan's runner had whispered to him just moments before the starting buzzer, and it was effecting his running negatively.

"Your older brother, I heard he was really fast. Hopefully you'll live up to his standards."

The reference to his brother struck him deep and it only made his stamina dwindle away as his leg of the race progressed. The mere memory of his brother droning to him about his supposed 'potential' made the toned muscles in his legs feel like rubber for some reason.

    It hurt. Not the running, but everything else that was haunting him. Remembering how his brother had treated him before flying off to America made him feel weak inside. But he felt rather angry, too. His derogatory thoughts proved that well.

    'How could I let this bother me during a race? Am I even worthy of racing for this team?'

    Dozono's plan was going well, and boy was he satisfied with himself.

"This is hilarious. I can't believe he actually fell for that crap!" he chuckled evilly. This caught a certain red-head's attention.

    "What are you talking about? Who fell for what?" Kyouko inquired. Without her awareness, she began to shuffle all of her jewelry pieces in the palm of her hand.

    Stuff like that usually calmed her down, but it wasn't having all that much of an effect with the given circumstances. The race had barely even begun and she was already pissed off with Dozono's attitude.

    "Your stupid teammate. The younger Yagami brother, I believe. It really isn't hard to get into his head, is it? I'm actually proud of Tetsu for once." He looked back to his screen with a grin.

    Tetsu, from what Kyouko remembered from the pre-race runner report, was the purple haired boy with the orange-lensed sunglasses that was running the first leg against Riku.

    Kyouko hated those sunglasses. Not near as much as she hated his rotten scheming though.

    Nana flared at his condescending words. "Riku is strong. Your plan won't work on him."

    "Oh. But it already is, silly girl."

    At that moment, Tetsu burst past Riku after his failed attempt at a block. Now Hônan was losing.