| ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡ PRESENT DAY ≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡≡ |
| Taichi | Oh, found ya, Ten-chan! Can I sit beside? |
| Tenma | No probs here. |
| Taichi | Thankies! |
| Juza | ….. |
| Taichi | Juza-san!! Looking for a seat? This one’s open! |
| Juza | …!! |
| If you don’t mind then. Thanks. |
| Tenma | It’s perfectly alright. |
| Taichi | It’s just the same-as-usual us, after all! |
| Oh, that reminds me. You’ve been joining Tasuku-san and Mucchan in their running exercises, haven’t you, Ten-chan? |
| Tenma | Yep. I’m trying to build up my stamina for the next drama, so I asked them to let me run with them. |
| Juza | Muku looked real happy the morning he got to run with you and Tasuku-san. |
| Tenma | D-Did he now… |
| I’m thankful though; jogging with them makes it feel like those two are my coaches. |
| Especially since Muku taught me a lot back in my high school days. |
| Taichi | Oh yeah, back at our athletic meet together, right! The advice that Mucchan gave back then came in super handy! |
| Juza | It sure did. |
| Taichi | We were in a pickle when we found out about Juza-san’s foot injury, but thanks to Ten-chan’s bandage work, we managed it in the end. |
| Juza | You really came to my aid back then. Thanks again. |
| Tenma | And to think I’d even star in the drama adaptation of “Your Goal Line” too[1]— the very manga that Muku recommended to me back then… |
| Who knows if you could call it a coincidence or not, but it sure feels like it all connected in the end somehow. |
| Taichi | I get what you mean! Life works so mysteriously like that, huh? |
| Juza | … The most memorable part of my time in O-High was definitely that athletic meet. |
| Tenma | Same for me. |
| Taichi | Samesies, samesies! |
| Still, it was crazy lucky that Ten-chan and I happened to go to Juza-san during our scavenger hunt contest! |
| Tenma | That’s true. Knowing Juza-san, he still would’ve ran in the relay with the injury left untreated. |
| Juza | … I definitely would’ve, you’re right. |
| Taichi | It really was a good thing both of us went to Juza-san for our assignments, huh! |
| Juza | Speakin’ of, what were the assignments ya got? |
| Tenma | Huh. We never mentioned it did we? |
| Mine was “bodyguard”. |
| Juza | I see. Guess even now, I’ll continue to be there as your bodyguard when you need me. |
| Tenma | Thanks. I’ll be counting on you. |
| Taichi | Mine was “comrade”! |
| Tenma | That’s a pretty broad one… |
| Juza | Ya could’ve picked your classmates for that one, right? |
| Taichi | Weeell… Sure, but at the time, no one else but Juza-san came to mind for me, y’know? |
| ‘Course, Ten-chan’s just as much of my comrade as Juza-san! So don’t fret it, OK? |
| Tenma | Hmph, I knew that much. |
| Taichi | Ehehe…! |
| Juza | … I think of you two as my comrades too. |
