"...Ugh..."
I woke in the middle of the night, pain jolting me awake. It was around 3 a.m., and I grimaced as the ache hit again.
"What the hell's going on...?"
Five days into staying at the Mejiro estate, I was just starting to get used to the massive room and picking up table manners when this hit out of nowhere. A sharp pain in my knees, stabbing with every attempt to stretch my legs.
"Damn it... Did I do something?" I muttered, rubbing my knees.
No memory of an injury, no intense exercise—just rest. The Mejiro family's chefs, physical therapists, and even a pâtissier had been managing my nutrition to reverse my malnourishment. That was it.
"Guess I'll just... force myself to sleep. Come on, sleep..."
Gritting my teeth through the creaking pain in my joints, I willed myself back to sleep, ignoring the discomfort. And then...
"Ran, what's wrong? You look exhausted," Ryan said at breakfast.
"Couldn't sleep a wink," I admitted, dark circles etched under my eyes.
"Is the bedding not to your liking?" the butler asked, concerned.
"No, it's not that. It's... my legs. They hurt."
"Your legs?!" Ryan shot to her feet.
The butler's face paled, mirroring her shock. For an Uma Musume, legs are life itself—fragile as glass, as the saying goes. Ryan rushed to my side, inspecting my legs.
"I'm gonna touch them, okay?!" she said, frantic.
"Yeah, it's fine now," I replied.
"When did the pain start?" the butler pressed.
"Uh... at night, while sleeping. It wakes me up, keeps me up..."
"Gramps, get the doctor!" Ryan ordered.
"At once," the butler replied, hurrying off.
"Wait, it's not that serious!" I protested.
No one listened. Before I knew it, I was whisked to the hospital for a leg examination.
"Why didn't you say something?!" Ryan scolded, her voice booming despite the sterile quiet of the exam room. "Legs are everything for an Uma Musume!"
"I didn't think it was a big deal... I mean, I didn't injure them. And you're already doing so much for me, I didn't want to—"
"Don't be stupid!" she snapped.
Her shout, louder and fiercer than I'd ever heard, stunned me. Ryan's eyes burned with intensity.
"I told you, it's my turn to help you! Nothing you need is a burden! Keeping quiet—that's what's a burden! As your friend, I can't stand by and watch you hurt anymore!"
"Ryan, calm down..." I mumbled, overwhelmed.
The image of me hanging had scarred her, carved deep into her heart. She'd replayed that moment endlessly, wondering if she could've stopped it. It was trauma, plain and simple. She couldn't bear to miss another sign. I understood, but this felt... excessive. Just then, the doctor returned.
"Sorry for the wait," he said. "Miss Ryan, please keep your voice down."
"Sorry," she muttered. "But Ran—!"
"I understand. Let's discuss Miss Rampage's leg condition."
He held up an X-ray, visible to both of us, and began explaining.
"To be frank, there are no abnormalities in your body. Your bones are perfectly fine."
"No abnormalities? Then why's Ran in pain?!" Ryan demanded.
"Please, calm down," the doctor said, steadying her.
I swallowed hard, desperate to know why my legs hurt if nothing was wrong. The doctor continued.
"It's growing pains."
"...Huh?" we said in unison, our voices comically dumbfounded.
"Growing... pains?" I echoed.
"Like, the kind kids get when their bones ache from growing?" Ryan added.
"Exactly," the doctor said. "Congratulations, Miss Rampage. This marks the start of your full awakening as an Uma Musume."
Full awakening—a rapid growth phase in adolescence, signaling the blossoming of an Uma Musume's potential. From here, abilities peak before gradually declining. Ryan had already hit this phase, her prime just beginning. But me? Not yet awakened? That was a shock.
"But Ran's already tall, like... over 160 cm, right?" Ryan said. "And she's still getting growing pains?"
"Miss Rampage's malnourishment likely delayed her full awakening," the doctor explained. "This is the real start. Her potential is just beginning to unfold."
"So... I'm gonna keep growing?" I asked, stunned.
"Yes. Your height's already increasing. You were 162 cm during your hospital stay. Today, you're 167 cm."
"Five centimeters?!" we shouted together.
Such rapid growth explained the aching bones and joints. And I wasn't done growing. The doctor seemed almost excited, wondering how far I'd go. I just sat there, floored.
"I'm... still growing?" I mumbled.
"But this is great! It's not an injury!" Ryan beamed. "This means you're good to go!"
"Go where?" I asked, wary.
"To transfer to Tressen Academy!"
"What?! Me, at Tressen?!" I gaped.
It was a bombshell, but apparently, Asama had been planning this.
"Since you'd feel guilty staying with us forever, Grandmother thought you should join Tressen's dorms!" Ryan explained.
"Wait, wait, wait! What about tuition?!"
"The Mejiro family's covering it. It's an investment in you!" she said with a grin.
"Am I... really being hyped up that much?"
"I have high hopes for you, Rampage," Asama said later. "You and Ryan will push each other to grow. That will mean something great for the Mejiro family."
"For now, I'll prescribe medication for the growing pains," the doctor said. "Take it diligently."
"Right..." I nodded. "Ryan, what's involved in transferring to Tressen?"
"Probably running," she said casually.
"...You're kidding."