Chapter 371: Momo Who Stopped Crying After Eating Candy

"But Miss Erina is really fast! She's already in first place!" Sōma exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.

"It seems like Erina-chan is really trying to impress someone special," Leonora said with a gentle smile. "That's why she's working so hard!"

"What?! I could easily outrun her!" Alice huffed, puffing out her cheeks in frustration.

Meanwhile, at the back of the group, Momo lagged behind, crying as she ran while clutching her beloved teddy bear.

"I'm never doing this again!" Momo sobbed, barely moving forward.

"Well, she wasn't exactly built for this kind of activity," Sui commented, shaking his head in disbelief.

In the end, Erina was the first to cross the finish line, with Megumi coming in second.

"Wow, Miss Erina is so fast!" a nearby student exclaimed.

"Yeah, she's amazing!" others chimed in, marveling at her performance.

"Miss Erina, you were incredible!" Megumi said, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"R-Really?" Erina panted, her face red from both exhaustion and pride. She had never felt this sense of accomplishment before. It made her feel oddly fulfilled.

At that moment, Sui and the others reached the finish line.

"I did it! I came in first!" Erina's face lit up when she saw Sui. Without thinking, she ran to him and wrapped her arms around him in a hug.

"You're heavier than you look," Sui teased, holding her close. He could feel the warmth of her body and smell her faint fragrance, her sweat making her skin slippery.

"It's just a sports meet. Why are you so excited?" Sui thought to himself, amused by her reaction. Despite her usually proud and elegant demeanor, Erina seemed as giddy as a child who had just been given candy.

Still, seeing her happy smile, Sui decided to keep those thoughts to himself. Instead, he chuckled and said, "Well done, Erina."

"Huh?" Erina looked up at him, confused. Her flushed face was framed by damp strands of golden hair, and beads of sweat clung to her delicate skin.

"Everyone's staring," Sui coughed lightly, gesturing to the crowd of students watching them in astonishment.

Erina quickly turned to look and saw everyone's eyes on her and Sui. Her face went beet red, and she leaped out of his arms like she'd been shocked by electricity, utterly embarrassed.

"Erina-sama, here's some water! And a towel!" Hisako rushed over, offering her a glass and a towel.

"Eh? Oh, okay..." Erina quickly took the water, sipping it as she wiped the sweat from her face.

"Erina-sama, are you sure you're okay? Participating in such a commoner's event… Did you sprain anything? Are you feeling short of breath? Should we call a doctor?" Hisako asked, her voice full of concern.

"No, no, I'm fine, Hisako," Erina replied, amused by how much more worried Hisako seemed than she did.

"Still, it's easy to catch a cold after running. Please, put on some more clothes and rest, Erina-sama," Hisako insisted, helping her back into her jacket and guiding her to a chair.

Erina couldn't help but smile. "Hisako, you really don't need to fuss over me this much."

"No, it's my duty to take care of you, Erina-sama," Hisako said seriously, making sure Erina was comfortable before stepping back.

Meanwhile, Ryoko and Megumi, who had finished the race, were already recovering, laughing and chatting easily. Erina, by contrast, sat like royalty, looking out of place.

"Haha, Miss Erina, it was just a race! Why are you acting like you ran a marathon?" Sōma laughed, teasing her.

Erina's cheeks flushed again, and she ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Back off! Erina-sama's noble body must not be disturbed. Stay at least three meters away from her while she's resting!" Hisako scolded, shooing Soma away with a stern expression.

"Megumi, would you like some water?" Sui asked, holding out a glass to her.

"Eh? T-Thank you, Sui-kun!" Megumi blushed as she accepted the water, her voice soft.

"You did great, Megumi. You really put in a lot of effort out there," Sui encouraged her with a smile.

"R-Really? But Miss Erina is much faster than me," Megumi replied, her face growing even redder as she lowered her head, feeling both shy and touched by his compliment.

Just then, Momo finally reached the finish line, collapsing onto the ground in exhaustion. It had taken her nearly half a minute to complete the 100 meters.

"I'm never doing this again," she groaned, her eyes red with frustration and fatigue. Tears were starting to well up, though she tried to hold them back.

Unlike the other girls, who were being attended to, Momo sat alone. As one of the quieter members of the Elite Ten, she rarely interacted with others, and most students found her intimidating.

"Hey, Momo-senpai, would you like some water?" Sui offered, walking over to her.

"Get away from me, Sui!" Momo snapped, her voice shaky as she glared at him with teary eyes.

Sui sighed and muttered under his breath, "You're still crying after the race? You really are like a little kid."

"Who... who's crying?!" Momo blushed furiously, waving her teddy bear in protest, though her guilt was obvious.

Sui smiled and took out a small piece of candy, holding it up to her lips. "Here, have some candy. It'll stop the tears."

Momo's face turned dark with embarrassment, black lines practically forming on her forehead. It felt like he was treating her like a five-year-old.

"Sui, you jerk…" she grumbled, eyes cold with annoyance.

But despite her protests, the candy's sweet, delicate fragrance caught her attention. Hesitating for a moment, Momo finally opened her mouth and took the candy.

"Such an elegant sweetness!" Momo thought, surprised by the rich, natural flavor. If it were made into syrup, she imagined it would make a fantastic dessert.

For a brief moment, she forgot her irritation.

"See? You're not crying anymore," Sui teased, gently patting her head like he was comforting a small child.