"—and then when I turned that corner, I swear, I almost tripped on my own shoes!"
Haru Urara's voice rang bright through the courtyard, clear and cheerful as morning bells. The air around Ishigawa Academy was alive — the gentle wind carrying the scent of grass and sakura, sunlight slanting across the open track where laughter carried like music.
Machan was right beside her, bouncing up and down like her own shadow. "But you didn't trip, right? You actually looked like you were having fun out there!"
"Because I was!" Haru grinned, her tail wagging excitedly. "I mean, everyone was so fast! Machan-san, Halo-san — it was amazing! I didn't even mind losing, not one bit!"
"You still placed last," Gold Ship interjected from behind them, balancing a camera on her shoulder while waving a sketchpad full of crudely drawn designs. "But that's great for business! 'The lovable loser and the indomitable idol!' I can already see it: limited-edition Haru & Machan merch, available in Machan pink and Haru brown!"
Machan froze, eyes sparkling with stars. "Haru merch...?"
"Yes, yes, you two together will sell out like hotcakes. Just picture it!" Gold Ship grinned, standing on the bench and spreading her arms like a ringmaster. "Keychains! T-shirts! Haru macarons!"
"Wait, we're edible now!?" Haru gasped, face flushing red.
"Dah, don't fight it," Mischa's voice called lazily from the trackside where he and Adalbert were cleaning up stray cones. "Is good publicity."
Meanwhile, Rice Shower stood close to Haru, her blue eyes softer than usual. "I… really liked watching you run," she said quietly. "Even if it wasn't perfect. You looked... happy."
Haru turned, blinking. Then she smiled that same sunshine smile that could melt even the frostiest winter. "Thanks, Rice-chan! You looked like an angel during the Aoba Sho, by the way!"
Rice turned red instantly, shuffling backward and mumbling something about "not an angel…"
The commotion grew as Tokai Teio came running from the dormitory, waving both arms over her head. "Haru-chaaan! Come run with me!" she shouted, a big grin plastered across her face. Mayano Top Gun followed right behind, winded but equally excited.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Special Week joined in, jogging from the opposite side with her usual energy. "We were gonna invite her for stamina drills first!"
"Eh!? Me!?" Haru squeaked, spinning in place as the four Umas began to circle her like a flock of excited birds, each one trying to get her attention.
Machan giggled from the sidelines, watching Haru laugh as she got pulled between them. The sunlight caught her hair, and for a moment, Ishigawa Academy looked more like a festival than a school — pure, bright chaos filled with smiles.
"...Perhaps happiness is equated to lower intelligence," Tachyon murmured to herself, staring at Haru like she was a fascinating new specimen. "There must be a correlation between dopamine surplus and reduced critical reasoning skills."
"Maybe," Oguri Cap mumbled, chewing thoughtfully on a taiyaki. "But she looks happy. Must be nice."
From the open window above the field, McQueen watched it all unfold — the laughter, the teasing, the warmth. Her lips curved in a soft smile as she turned to the scene behind her.
Akuma stood by the faculty's outdoor table, his arms folded, eyes locked on the group below. Adalbert was beside him, adjusting his hat as usual, while Mischa leaned against the railing. Akitsu Teio stood a step away, her hands clasped in front of her like someone unsure whether to stay or go.
The air around the four was heavy.
".Verabscheuungswürdig… Despicable," Adalbert muttered in German, his tone unusually sharp.
"Da," Mischa followed, his voice low and cold. "They do not deserve to exist."
Akuma's jaw tightened slightly. He didn't speak for a moment, just watched Haru and the others below — the way the girl was laughing, waving her hands, talking with Machan about pastries and race corners like she hadn't just been humiliated the day before.
Then, with a quiet sigh, he said, "They won't get away with it."
Akitsu blinked, glancing up. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but she caught herself — her usual composure cracking just slightly.
Akuma turned to her. "Akitsu-san," he said, tone gentler now. "I promise you — we'll do our best for Haru. You have my word."
Akitsu hugged her arms a little tighter, the corners of her eyes softening. "I… I believe you," she whispered, voice trembling with the aftershock of days of shame and exhaustion. "I only wish I could help."
For a moment, silence hung between them — not uncomfortable, but heavy with unsaid things.
Then Adalbert suddenly smirked, his voice cutting the quiet. "Then help, meine Dame."
All three turned to him.
"Why don't you work with us, Akitsu-san?" the German continued, his tone now light and theatrical as always, a hand over his chest. "Ishigawa is growing faster than we expected, ja? Soon our dear headmaster will drown in paperwork, sponsor requests, training reports, and the endless antics of his Umas. A secretary of grace and experience would be most welcome."
"Secretary?" Akitsu blinked.
"Ja, exactly!" Adalbert said with a grin. "An accomplished Uma, respected, organized, and with a backbone strong enough to handle this man's chaos." He gestured toward Akuma, who simply gave him a flat stare.
Mischa chuckled, swirling his drink. "He is not wrong, boss. You need someone who actually keeps your schedule. Otherwise, we will find you asleep in track shed again."
"That was one time," Akuma grumbled.
"Two," Adalbert corrected cheerfully.
McQueen, who had been quietly eavesdropping from nearby, giggled softly behind her hand.
Akitsu looked down at her hands, thoughtful. "...Not a bad idea," she murmured. "It would let me stay close to Haru, too."
Akuma sighed, already seeing how outnumbered he was. "You're all impossible," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. But beneath his exasperation, there was a small smile tugging at his lips — subtle but real.
Down below, Haru had somehow convinced Teio, Mayano, and Special Week to form a running circle around the field. Machan joined in, laughing breathlessly, and soon enough Gold Ship had dragged Tachyon into the chaos as well. Even Oguri Cap, after finishing her taiyaki, began stretching.
Akuma watched them for a moment longer, his eyes narrowing slightly — not in annoyance, but something deeper. Reflection, maybe. Resolve.
Then his phone buzzed.
He pulled it from his pocket, glancing at the notification on the screen — a news alert.
ARISTO HALL PROMISES DOMINANT PERFORMANCE AT UPCOMING NHK MILE CUP — "Our runners will redefine excellence," Director claims.
The photo beneath the headline showed the very same man he'd confronted yesterday — smiling for the cameras, his hand resting proudly on the shoulder of King Halo dressed in Aristo colors.
Something in Akuma's expression shifted. The warmth in his eyes dimmed, replaced by that familiar glint — the dangerous one, sharp and deliberate. The kind of smile that didn't belong to a saint or a teacher, but to the man people used to whisper about before he ever became "headmaster."
"I got it," he murmured.
Mischa raised an eyebrow. "You got what?"
Akuma's smirk deepened as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. "A way to make him choke on those words."
Adalbert grinned. "Ach, wunderbar. You are smiling like the devil again, mein Freund."
McQueen, watching from the sidelines, sighed softly but couldn't help smiling too. She'd seen that look before — the mix of fury and focus that meant Akuma was planning something. Something big.
And below them, the laughter continued — Haru tripping over her own hooves and getting caught by Machan, Teio howling with laughter, Special Week cheering them on, Tachyon somehow timing everyone's heart rate mid-laugh, and Gold Ship already taking promotional photos.
For the first time since the Aoba Sho, Haru Urara felt like she belonged somewhere.
And as Akitsu stood beside the faculty table, her gaze soft and damp, she whispered to herself, "Maybe… this is where she was always meant to be."
When the sun began to sink behind the academy's roofs, painting the sky in gold, Akuma lingered a little longer on the railing. The world below was chaos, but it was his chaos — alive, loud, full of dreams stitched together by sheer stubbornness.
"Da, Boss," Mischa said quietly beside him, following his gaze. "You are smiling again."
Akuma tilted his head, not denying it. "Ishigawa's back to full force."
"More than that," Adalbert added, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It is growing. Soon, the world will have no choice but to remember the name again."
Akuma chuckled, looking down as Haru waved at him from below, bright as ever, Machan bouncing beside her.
"I don't want them to remember me," he said softly. "I want them to remember us."
Mischa smirked. "Still, boss… I think Aristo Hall is about to regret existing."
Akuma didn't reply. He just looked toward the horizon where the light was fading and whispered to himself — more a promise than a statement.
"They will."