Violet's face was a mask of concentration, her blonde hair swinging in a ponytail behind her. She moved with a kind of fluid grace, but I could see the strain starting to show in her eyes. Even though Nicole was also starting to show signs of fatigue, there was a steely resolve in her eyes that hadn't been there before.

The tension in the gym was palpable. Every eye was on the two remaining girls. The boys' cheers were now a cacophony of support and excitement. They knew, as well as I did, that we were witnessing something extraordinary.

Round after round, they kept going, neither willing to give an inch. The beeps became relentless, the intervals shrinking to mere seconds. The girls' faces were now masks of sheer willpower.

Finally, it happened. In a split second, Violet missed the beep by a fraction. She stumbled, her body giving out under the relentless pressure. The gym erupted in a mixture of cheers and gasps as Nicole surged forward, making the next beep just in time.

Ms. Walker blew her whistle, signaling the end of the test. Nicole had won. She stood still for a second, breathing heavily but smiling with a sense of accomplishment. Violet, though disappointed, managed a gracious smile as she walked over to Nicole, offering a congratulatory pat on the back. I couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the two girls.

"I didn't think any of you would make it to round thirteen," Ms. Walker admitted, her face glowing with approval. "I'm impressed! Well done, dear. You've earned this."

"Thank you... Ms. Walker." Nicole was still catching her breath.

"You did amazing as well," Ms. Walker said to Violet. "You showed a lot of heart back there."

Violet scratched the back of her head and shrugged. "I'll do better next time."

"I have no doubt you will..."

Ms. Walker turned to the boys, her authoritative gaze sweeping over us. "I expect the same amount of effort from you lot... GOT IT?"

"YES," we responded in unison.

"Good! Start lining up. Your competition begins in two minutes."

As a couple of the boys began to head over to the starting line, I decided to approach Nicole. Even though she had won first place, most of the boys and girls were busy praising Violet and Haruna instead. I couldn't blame them; Nicole's unwelcoming aura was a bit terrifying.

"Hey," I said, trying to sound casual. "Congrats on your victory! What an incredible performance."

"It's not a big deal. I'm used to running..." Nicole shifted her gaze to me, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Enough about me. How do you think you'll do in your competition?"

I was a little surprised she wasn't brushing me off like before. This was the first time she wasn't insulting me.

"I'll be happy as long as I don't get last."

"You've set a pretty low standard for yourself," she noted.

"Well... Since I have no chance of winning, I prefer to have low expectations to avoid disappointment."

"......."

For some reason, Nicole was checking me from head to toe with a puzzled look on her face.

"Uh... What are you doing?"

"Tell me... Do you exercise?" she asked, ignoring my question completely.

"No, not really."

"I don't believe you. Judging by the muscle development around your thighs and calves, I can tell your legs are well-trained. Not to mention, you didn't break a sweat during the warmup earlier...."

Was she watching me?!

I was stunned by her deduction. Although I'd lost a noticeable amount of muscle over the past couple of months, she'd still managed to zero in on it with remarkable precision.

"Didn't I mention yesterday that I used to run track," I said after a moment.

Nicole shook her head. "I wasn't paying attention to anything you said..."

"Oh..."

"AHEM... Instead of wasting my time, why don't you line up with the other boys before Ms. Walker yells at you."

Jeez. You really know how to stump on someone's pride, don't you?

As I lined up with the rest of the boys, I couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions. Nicole's perceptiveness was a bit scary. After hearing her remark, performing well was no longer an option. I needed to get off her radar as soon as possible.

Judging by what I'd seen so far, avoiding last place wouldn't be hard. My plan was simple. I would aim for somewhere in the middle, dropping out around round six or seven. That way, I wouldn't draw too much attention or embarrass myself by looking unfit.

Hmm... I wonder who's going to place first?

The boys around me were buzzing with energy. I could see Robert at the far end, stretching and warming up with a focused expression. He was clearly aiming for the top spot, but he wasn't the only one. At least half of the boys seemed determined to win as well. Ms. Walker's prizes were proving to be one hell of a motivator.

Interestingly, not everyone seemed to be driven by money alone.

"Man, I'm telling you, guys," Sam boasted, puffing out his chest. "I'm going to get first place. Violet's going to see what a real man looks like when I dominate this race."

Elijah snorted. "Pfft! You're out of your mind. You couldn't even keep up during the warm-up. There's no way you're placing in the top five."

"You're just jealous of my natural athleticism. Besides, I've got a secret weapon." Sam tapped his temple with a smug grin.

Ryan, who had been listening intently, chimed in. "As long as I rank in the top three, Haruna will notice me. I'm confident she won't be able to resist my athletic prowess."

"Haruna? Really, Ryan? You think finishing third will impress her?"

"Hey, a guy can dream," Ryan replied. "Besides, I've been practicing my victory speech... 'Haruna, my love, this win is for you.'"

Sam burst out laughing. "That's the worst idea I've ever heard. No wonder you're single."

"Not like you're any better."

I couldn't help but smile inwardly as I listened to their banter. Despite their ridiculous antics, there was something endearing about their camaraderie. It made the wait for the race a little more entertaining.

"Is everyone ready?" Ms. Walker shouted from the other side of the gym.

We all nodded.

"Good!"

Ms. Walker blew her whistle, and the first beep echoed through the air.

The first round started easy. The beep was slow, giving everyone plenty of time to jog from one end of the gym to the other. I kept a steady pace, blending in with the rest of the group.

The first three rounds passed quickly, and nobody dropped out. Everyone seemed to be faring well, except for Zachary. He had been struggling since the start of round two, his breaths coming in ragged gasps and his pace already faltering. It was clear to me he wouldn't last much longer.

As we progressed into round four, the beeps started to come a bit faster. Even though most of the boys were holding their own, the strain was starting to show on a few faces. Zachary's was the most telling. His cheeks were flushed, and his steps were becoming more labored with each pass.

Halfway through the round, Zach stumbled to the side, shaking his head in frustration as he collapsed on the floor.

"GAAH! I can't do this anymore..."

Fourteen boys left...

Round five came and went without much fanfare. Only three boys dropped out. The pace quickened, but those who remained still seemed to be managing. Sam, who had been boasting earlier, was still going strong, though his form was starting to break. Robert, on the other hand, looked as fresh as he did at the start, his movements fluid and controlled.

As we hit round six, the pace picked up significantly. I could feel the intensity rising. More boys were dropping out now, their faces flushed and sweaty. Those who remained were beginning to struggle, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. Realizing my time was coming to an end, I began to slow my pace.

By round seven, the beeps were coming fast. I knew it was my time to bow out. I deliberately let my steps falter, slowing down just enough to miss the beep. Pretending to be out of breath, I staggered to the side and leaned against the wall. I could feel a few sympathetic glances in my direction, but that was fine. I wanted them to think I was just another average guy struggling with the test.

The test continued, and boys started dropping out more frequently. By round eight, two-thirds of the group was gone. Sam was still in, but his earlier confidence was waning. His steps were heavy, and his breath came in ragged gasps. Robert, meanwhile, was a machine, pacing himself perfectly.

Rounds nine and ten weeded out most of the remaining boys. Sam dropped out just before round ten, collapsing dramatically on the floor as he complained about a cramp in his thigh. Regardless, he'd done much better than I anticipated.

By round eleven, it was clear Robert was going to win. The other boys were on their last legs, barely making it to the beep each time. Robert, however, maintained his steady, controlled pace, looking as if he could go on forever. One by one, the remaining boys dropped out, unable to keep up with the relentless beeps.

"KYA!"

Deafening cheers erupted through the gym as Robert finished last with a triumphant smile. Before he could even manage to walk past the cones, a group of girls rushed to his side. They all looked eager to offer him their praise.

"That was amazing, Robert!" one girl gushed.

"Yeah... You looked really cool when you were running," another girl added.

"Thanks, everyone! The only reason I did well was because I train regularly," he admitted.

"Here, Robert, you must be thirsty!"

A girl with short dark hair and glasses pushed her way through the throng, holding out a water bottle.

"Oh, wow. Thank you so much, Fiona!"

As Robert accepted the bottle with a grateful nod, I noticed some of the other girls glaring at Fiona angrily. They weren't pleased that she had beaten them to the chase. I was starting to realize that being popular was more of a hassle than a perk.

As the girls continued to fawn over him, I couldn't help but overhear a couple of the boys nearby, their expressions dark with anger and jealousy.

"It's so unfair," Sam grumbled. "He gets all the attention just because he can run fast."

"Yeah, it's like we don't even exist," Elijah said.

Just then, Zachary joined the conversation, having overheard their complaints. "You guys are just jealous because he's better than you.

Sam shot him a glare. "What did you just say?"

"I said you're jealous."

"No, I'm not!"

"Dude, it's written all over your face. There's no point in denying it."

Sam let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine... I'm just a little annoyed that everyone's always fawning over him."

"Well, maybe if you trained as hard as he did, you'd get some attention too," Zachary suggested.

"That's rich coming from you, fatty!"

"Hey! I'm not fat... I'm just a little chubby."

As I listened to their conversation, I felt a mix of sympathy and pity. Not just for them, but for Robert as well. 

I could understand why most of the guys were jealous of Robert. At a glance, he possessed all the things any guy could want. He was good-looking, athletic, and was constantly surrounded by girls. However, as I watched him interact with the girls, it became clear that there was more to him than just his impressive exterior. Despite his popularity, Robert seemed like a genuinely nice guy. It was a pity the other guys couldn't see what I was seeing.