When I next awoke, it was to find moonlight streaming past the window blinds. I blinked as I saw the darkness permeating my dorm room, and for a moment I wondered if I'd maybe fallen into such a short nap that I'd even woken up before sunrise.
I shook away that possibility soon after. Because not only did I feel like I'd slept for far longer, but there was this undeniable groginess in my limbs—as if I'd remained unmoving for so long that my muscles had begun to protest.
Yawning, I slowly stood up, careful not to wake the sleeping Oguri next to me. I blinked as I tried to clear the blur in my vision, before I turned to the clock to see what time it actually was. It took me a little effort due to how dark the room was, but when I had to double check when I saw what the time was.
It was several hours past midnight. And considering that I'd woken up nearly an hour before the time when I ventured out the the Three Goddesses' statue–
I hissed, now realizing that I'd practically slept through an entire day. "Was it that bad?" I whispered, thinking of the dreamlike race I'd ran against Darley Arabian.
…actually, that was a dumb question. Of course it was that bad; I had quite literally been a step away from death's door by the end there, and had that not been a dream, I was certain I would've been dead. If I tried something like that out in the real world, I'd straight up be in a morgue instead of sleeping an entire day away.
I sighed as I ran a hand through my hair. Regardless of the reason, I'd lost an entire day. An entire day that could've gone to adapting back to the Japanese Turf.
It wasn't actually all that bad, of course. The Rewards I got from completing the Goddesses' Mission far outweighed whatever gains I could've gotten from a single day. I mean, I got a whole +50 on all Attributes, which essentially translated to a staggering 250 points. And that wasn't even considering the 500 SP and the Level Up on my {Starlit Crown}.
Overall, it was worth it.
I swung my legs over the bedside, and I just sat there for a good while. I still had an awful lot to think about, but right now, I cast my mind to the upcoming [Spring Tenno Sho].
The manga hadn't gone over this year's [Spring Tenno Sho]—likely because Oguri wasn't involved in that race. But even so, it wasn't hard to deduce that my biggest obstacle would be Super Creek.
It sounded a little arrogant, but Super Creek was really the only person capable of handling the race's 3200 meters. Most umamusume would be gasping by the time they even reached the final straight, and by that point they'd be too weak to attempt their final spurt. Creek could do so, which was why she often ended up as the most dangerous NPC in the games whenever the [Spring Tenno Sho] came around.
And that was the normal Creek. Her relationship with her trainer might be mellowing her out into the Goo Goo Babies connoisseur she was in-game, but that didn't mean she wasn't a monster.
I'd been there to watch last year's [Arima Kinen]. Creek had kept up with Tamamo Cross, and had done so without a Domain. Sure, she had abandoned awakening it back in the manga, but who was to say that'd stay the same in this world?
The Fate of so many had already been changed before I even arrived, so who knew how much things had changed?
…
That aside,
I groaned softly as I stood up and stretched. I didn't feel like going back to sleep anytime soon, and I'd spent enough time lazing around anyway. It was about time I started exercising.
So, after changing into my sportswear, I quietly left the room to go on an early-morning jog around Tracen Central.
I never noticed how one corner of my dorm room seemed oddly darker than the rest.
As I began my jog, I couldn't help but smile. Finally letting my legs move after nearly a day of sleep felt good; I could literally feel my body warming up as I got more and more into it, and with it the urge to go faster.
I didn't, of course. Maybe if this was back in Kasamatsu I'd be a little bolder, but I was jogging in the middle of Tracen Central. Not only did I not want to wake anyone up, but Musaka had also told me to take it easy for the time being. The [Spring Tenno Sho] was barely a week away, after all.
I took my time as I jogged, and I couldn't help but smile every time I passed by a familiar place.
It was good to be back.
"Well that's not an expression you'd see often~"
I paused as I heard a familiar voice, and my smile grew slightly. "Come on, is me smiling so weird?" I asked as I turned to meet Maruzensky, who'd been subtly following me for a few minutes. "I'm not a robot."
Maruzensky smiled. "Eh~? Really?"
I snorted, before I grinned. "It's good to see you again, Maru-nee."
Her eyes twinkled. "Mm~! And it's good to see you again, little Star~"
My grin softened. I admit that I didn't have many friends around Tracen Central—a lot of acquaintances, close ones even, but few I could truly call a friend. And I could confidently call Maruzensky a friend. She'd helped me a lot in the past, even from the very beginning.
I just hoped she and Secretariat never met. If they did, no road would ever be safe again.
After a bit, I began jogging again, just with Maruzensky this time. "So, why're you awake so early?" I asked.
"Mm~, more like I've been awake for too long?" She giggled, before she leaned in and whispered, "There was a really interesting race happening in Gunma, and I couldn't miss out!" She sighed with satisfaction. "Ah, if only they allowed recordings~"
I blinked, and then smiled wryly. "Symboli-san won't like that."
Of course, the thing Maruzensky was talking about was an 'illegal' race, or better known as Midnight Races. They were races not endorsed by the government, and were often held at night and in remote locations. Since it wasn't technically legal, the rules were much looser in comparison, allowing more drastic movements by the runners.
They were a bit of an open secret to those in the business, but everyone worked to keep it a secret. Not just because they weren't technically legal, but also to ensure young umamusume wouldn't be influenced by them.
But Maruzensky was no child, and she only giggled at my words. "Well, Ru-chan doesn't have to know, right?"
I chuckled. "Well, I guess so."
Maruzensky hummed as she jogged next to me, before she sent me a playful grin. "Why don't you give one of those races a try?" She offered, her grin growing. "After all, even Heroes have to delve into the dark side once in a while, right?"
"I'm good." I immediately rejected the offer. Maruzensky pouted, but I remained firm. "And besides, these legs of mine aren't fit to run on the road. Especially not at full force."
"More like the road isn't fit." She corrected me with a wink.
I huffed, though I didn't disagree. After all, whenever Oguri and I ran at full force back in America, we were capable of tearing apart a track so badly that an entire platoon had to be called in to fix it for the next day. And while asphalt might be much harder compared to Dirt, considering I could punch through a wall, shattering the road wouldn't be that different.
"So you'll run if it's Turf?"
"Still no."
"Aw~" Maruzensky pouted playfully. "You're no fun~"
"It's called being careful." I said. "I might've brought down the URA and all, but I'm not trying to get myself arrested. Or worse."
She snorted at my words, before she shook her head. "Oh, you~"
We continued jogging as we talked. Or-, well, it was mostly Maruzensky talking, while I occasionally replied here and there. She had much to share with me, especially about everything that'd happened in the months while I was away. Like how there were plans of creating an 'Undefeated Dirt Triple Crown', or how Tracen Central was beginning to face a shortage of trainers, or how Symboli Rudolf had become inseparable from a certain honey-loving umamusume.
Though, speaking of Rudolf–
"By the way, how's Rudolf's situation with…y'know…" I said, not quite sure whether the topic was appropriate.
"Ah-" At that, Maruzensky's expression became a little awkward. She remained silent for a few seconds, before she sighed. "Well, here's the thing…"
After that, Maruzensky began explaining the recent developments regarding Symboli Rudolf and her rival, Mr. C.B.
Or rather, the lack of developments.
"Seriously?" I asked with a sigh.
I mean, sure, things had gotten slightly better. From what Maruzensky told me, Rudolf had finally manned up and called C.B. for the first time in a while. She didn't share with me what happened exactly, but their relationship was no longer as frosty as it was before. Both of them had mellowed out since they last met, and they were willing to move on from the past.
But little happened after that. Rudolf remained chained to Tracen Academy, while C.B. remained elusive despite being a member of the student council. It was clear they were both trying to avoid each other.
"Do I need to step in again?" I asked, already feeling somewhat reluctant.
"I'm afraid so." Maruzensky said, just as reluctant.
In the end, both of us sighed as we continued our jog.