un-dok(a)i
👟 taichi + sora //
[day 2] sports day (relationship) - for @digiweek 2022
the prompt for this day is sports day, and one of the subprompts is to tell about a (favourite) relationship. it happened (i swear this is all a coincidence) that the fic i planned last year for the prompt sport on taiora week was about them doing undokai, so i tried to write it now after postponing for almost a year lol. at the end of the day, taiora will always be my otp no matter what.
let's assume this was after tri. when they were in their last year of high school. also, the idea was from a shoujo titled ui x kon.
Although her birthday was in spring, there were many things that got her more excited about autumn. The heat slowed down into a warmer atmosphere. The leaves turned to her favourite colour. The seasonal chestnut cake from the local bakery.
Indeed it made her sound like a fifth-grader when in fact she was already in her final year of high school—but that was why it became more important. This would be her last sports day ever before graduating. While her choice of college had some good sports clubs for its students, there was no guarantee if she could ever experience the same feeling of working together with the whole class to be the school's champion.
The said thought might be a one-sided opinion, though, because she was blessed with athleticism, while some students might not and dreaded the event. Well. Lucky for those who were her classmate, then, because she volunteered to participate in as many games as she could.
Sora was not the only one; their class also happened to have Taichi—former captain of the football club, the MVP of last year’s competition, consistently at the top of the rank when it came to PE subject. They were the powerhouse of their homeroom, the Captain America and the Iron Man of their own Avengers. Unless there was a sports prodigy among the first years, it was almost guaranteed that victory would lay in their hands.
And, oh—also, unless Mimi reinvigorated the undokai in a very Meems-way. She was on the committee this year after getting frustrated with the way things worked previously, which was—as quoted—profoundly deadening.
As predicted, many antics were spotted during the event, but it also became a mirthful entertainment for the entire school. Like how the baton for the relay changed into a weird-shaped headpiece, so you might witness someone fleeing with a rice paddy hat or even a boy running with a wedding veil. The tug of war was also conducted on the edge of their swimming pools, which would lead the losers to fall and soak. The most hilarious one was probably the cheerleading battles because you could watch the squads getting pranked by the committee because they changed the music midway and they had to improvise. The fact that most classes sent their heartthrobs (like Yamato, of course) made it better because their flawless image suddenly turned into something memeable.
By noon, Sora had finished all the games she signed up for. She didn’t get first place in every sport but obtained enough points to push her class to the top of the leaderboard. Each time she passed her classmates, they would shower her with either a cheer, a thank, or a compliment; yet the only thing she needed right now was a quiet rest. And for that reason, she sat down under the tree—the one that still had its leaves—sitting with her legs stretched out. There was a peace in watching the crowds from afar, the comfort of being by herself in the middle of all the motions.
That was only until Taichi found her.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. It was funny how she was so immersed in her distanced observation but barely aware of her own surrounding because his sudden voice almost made her jump.
“Nothing,” she answered. “Just… you know. Resting. Witnessing the youth pass by in front of me.”
“Gee, Sora, you really need to stop speaking like a grandma.”
“Do you think a grandma can run a lap in under thirteen seconds while keeping a sombrero on her head?”
“Touché. Congratulations, by the way.”
But instead, she was the one who handed him the trophy in the form of a bottle of cold water. “Sit down. You must be tired.”
“Nah, thanks. I’m cool,” he only welcomed the bottle, drinking while standing still with one hand on his waist. His towering figure was looming over her, and it finally dawned on her how much her best friend had evolved. Sora still remembered the day when they used to walk home together during sunset after football practices. There was one period around the first grade of elementary when she often bragged about how her shadow looked longer because she was taller. He would say no, but they both knew that it was his hair that made the difference seem less obvious. Cursing at how puberty worked, he then swore that one day he would get taller than her to the point he could reach the top of the goalpost without jumping.
And now he did. He didn’t even have to tiptoe to be able to grasp the goalpost.
Unknowingly, she muttered in a daze, “You’ve grown up, Taichi.”
He stopped and put the cap back on, peering at her through his shoulder only to chuckle. “Seriously. Stop acting like an old lady.” Twisting the now-empty bottle, his attention then turned to the incoming announcement from the main field. The doki-doki scavenger hunt would happen in a few minutes, and it was a cue for Taichi to go as one of the participants. “Alright, onto the final battle!”
“You think you’re going to finish first this time?” Sora asked; her tone was far from underestimating him. After all, Taichi had a bad history with scavenger hunts. In his first year, he joined the competition and wasn’t able to solve the required riddle. It annoyed him so much that he signed up again the following year, and while he managed to understand the puzzle, it took him some time, so he wasn’t quick enough to win. This was his last attempt to satisfy his competitiveness in this particular game.
“We’ll see if Mimi really holds onto her words when she says ‘oh I’m gonna make it so easy for that big head of yours’ or it’s her mouth that’s actually big,” Taichi scorned, actually quoting Mimi’s mockery with a high pitch. “I’m not as smart as Koushiro when it comes to the riddle, but man, these feet are ready to run.”
“Well… it’s Mimi. Even if it’s easy, I’m sure she’ll still find a way to make it…” agitating? “—memorable. I wonder what they mean with ‘doki-doki’ though.”
“Jumpscares, I bet. Yamato must be grateful he’s in the cheering squad.”
Taichi then bid her goodbye, and Sora wished him good luck in return. From her seat, she could watch the participants gathered in the middle of the field, standing as someone from the committee explained the rules. Once they did, the whistle howled and the game started. Everyone immediately rushed to pick up the instruction card, but instead of scrambling around, they somehow remained in the position still. Did the committee—or Mimi—choose to make it harder instead?
Like the other participants, Taichi also had not yet departed. However, instead of looking confused, he seemed… hesitant. And somehow, when he lifted his head, the first thing he looked at was her direction.
(And despite the distance, why did it feel like his gaze was going straight into her eyes?)
Her assumption was proven valid because the next thing he did was run to her. “I need to carry you to the rooftop.”
“Come on, Sora! There’s no time!”
His fervent tone startled her to the point that her body voluntarily stood up. She was waiting for Taichi to turn around, but instead of his back, Taichi swooped Sora into his arms before running with all his might. He was so fast that Sora had to circle her hands around his shoulder because she was afraid of falling down, yet the arms that hold her felt so strong. It was as if she was a princess being rescued from the wrath of an evil ogre.
They received a loud cheer every time they passed a crowd on their way, except Sora wasn’t sure if they were cheering for their victory. It didn’t seem like the red on Taichi’s ear was caused by the thrill either.
They crossed the field, stormed through the corridors, and climbed through the stairs. Mimi was waiting on the rooftop along with some committees, and her grin was too mischievous to be missed. The other competitors were only to be seen after Taichi put Sora down, which should mean that they were the first to arrive. Even so, it became her least priority now that she realised all the participants come in pairs of; one of them she recognised as the couple from Yamato’s class.
“Everyone’s here already! Congratulations on finishing the doki-doki scavenger hunt!” Mimi’s voice echoed through the mic. “Now… anyone wants to reveal what was written in your riddle card?”
But she didn’t even give the opportunity for the participants to answer because she then grabbed a card as if she didn’t remember each and every single word on it. Mimi cleared her throat, and her voice was notably loud when she announced the big reveal.
“Go to the rooftop while bridal-carry someone you can really see as your potential bride in the future!”
And all of sudden, Sora could hear her heart beat louder than Mimi’s voice just now—doki, doki, doki, doki.
Taichi squatted down and laughed in defeat despite winning first place. His entire face was now flushed. “I’m so going to kill Mimi after this….”
