Leap of Faith's consciousness was growing hazy. All she could sense was that no other racers were passing by her anymore, and the cheers from the stands had already spread through the air.
Was it all over? It seemed like everyone else had already finished the race, except for her.
In the end, she was still the one holding everyone back.
Gritting her teeth, she endured the searing pain in her legs, forcing herself forward step by halting step. Compared to running, what Leap of Faith was doing now could hardly even be called walking—it was more of a slow, painful shuffle.
At the very least, no matter what, she had to finish…
Leap of Faith could hear people shouting around her. She staggered, one knee hitting the ground as a piercing agony shot up from her leg bones. It felt numb, burning, and yet somehow also chilling.
"Hurry, help the racer lie down! Get the ambulance in here now!"
Leap of Faith heard someone yell that. Soon after, someone gently held her shoulders, while another carefully took her hand, trying to ease her down onto the ground.
Suddenly, Leap of Faith snapped back to awareness. She pulled her hand back, startling the medical staff.
"I… I'm fine," Leap of Faith gasped, struggling to shake off the hands on her shoulders as she tried to stand again. "I can still keep going."
"The race is already over," a staff member kindly reassured her. "Just rest now. You've already done well enough."
"You've done well enough." That wasn't what Leap of Faith wanted to hear.
"Good enough" meant it still wasn't truly good—it just meant you'd reached your limit, and that was considered acceptable.
But "not good enough"… was just not good enough.
"Heh. Little Faith, you really are a pitiful sight. I never thought even in your final race, you'd end up like this."
A slightly mocking, sharp voice sounded in Leap of Faith's ears. It was a voice she knew all too well—so familiar that just hearing it filled her with irritation.
She lifted her eyelids and, sure enough, saw Golden Sixty leaning against the railing with her arms crossed. There wasn't a trace of concern on her face—only a look of sarcasm and the expression of someone enjoying the show.
"Yeah, you're right," Leap of Faith replied, feeling too drained to care as she lowered her head again. "This is all I've got. Happy now?"
"No. Not happy at all."
Golden Sixty let out a soft sigh and reached out to stop the medical staff from approaching. "Can you wait a moment?"
"The ambulance is about to come in, we have to—"
Golden Sixty cut them off impatiently, her willful and domineering attitude completely unchanged. "Alright, alright, I get it. She's my little sister—let me handle this, okay?"
"Please, just wait a little longer. Like she said—the race isn't over yet."
Then, without waiting for a response, Golden Sixty turned her gaze back to Leap of Faith and raised her voice: "Leap of Faith! Get up! Don't you want to finish the race?"
"Don't tell me you want to be carried across the finish line?"
Leap of Faith let out a cold laugh. "You're such a jerk, Golden Sixty. What I hate most about you is how you act like you're everyone's master, giving orders like you own the place."
But even so, Leap of Faith pressed a hand against her swollen calf and slowly, determinedly, pushed herself back up. She lifted her head and stared defiantly at Golden Sixty, her eyes full of pain and resolve.
"I'm not standing up because of what you said. I'm standing up because I want to."
As she spoke, a wave of dizziness washed over her, and she began to slump uncontrollably toward the ground.
Right at that moment, a pair of strong hands caught her by the shoulders.
Golden Sixty hooked Leap of Faith's arm over her own shoulder, taking most of her sister's weight onto herself.
"I know. I've always known," Golden Sixty said, gazing at Leap of Faith with an almost unreadable expression—as if she herself didn't know what face to make when looking at her little sister. "You've always been like this. And I've always hated that about you."
"Ever since we were kids, your stubbornness has caused me nothing but trouble. Whether it was wanting to become an Uma Musume, or running off to Japan on a whim—do you have any idea how much worry your every move caused our family?"
"You never learned to be considerate. You never understood how much others cared. And you're still the same now."
"But…"
Golden Sixty sighed softly once more.
"No matter what, Faith, you're my sister. You're the little sister I hate the most… and love the most. No one could ever take your place in my heart."
"You're the one who's been by my side the longest in this whole world, Little Faith."
"If there's anything you can't bring yourself to say… then I'll say it first. After all, I'm the big sister. It's my job to give way to my little sister."
"—I'm sorry, Faith. For all the teasing, the sarcasm, the harsh words… I'm sorry."
After a brief pause, the two sisters took their first step toward the finish line. Leap of Faith stumbled, nearly falling again, but Golden Sixty held her firmly. Shoulder to shoulder, they moved step by step across the grass.
Leap of Faith kept her head low, not making a sound. Golden Sixty didn't seem to mind. She cleared her throat softly and began to hum, her voice gentle and lingering.
—Moon so yellow, face so yellow
—Little child, now go to sleep
—Tomorrow Mother tends the fields
—Grandfather herds the cows up on the hill
It was a song buried deep in both their memories—going back to a distant summer night, the air cool and refreshing, the starry sky shining as bright as day.
The Milky Way slowly turned above them, as the older sister held the younger sister's hand, and the younger held the older's. Dragonflies and grasshoppers leaped about around them, their wings rubbing together with a clear, chirping sound.
—Little child, grow up strong and tall
—Help your grandfather herd the cows and sheep
The older sister hummed this song softly, while the younger sister curled up in her embrace. Their two figures merged into one, faintly intertwined in the dreamlike haze of that summer night.
—Moon so bright, shines on the ground
—New Year's Eve, we pick areca nuts
—The harvest's rich, the granaries are full
—Young and old, all are joyful
Golden Sixty hummed quietly, then heard a soft sob beside her. She looked down and saw that Leap of Faith's face was already streaked with tears.
Her voice choked with emotion, Leap of Faith picked up the verse and sang on.
—Little child, now close your eyes
—Sleep until the morning light
The two sisters leaned against each other, just like in the old days.
Urban Sea watched the two sisters and quietly fell in behind them. Sham shook her head, then shook off the doctor's hand as well—she, too, had aggravated an old injury—and followed at a distance.
With the two of them leading the way, the other racers gradually fell in behind them, one after another. And so, Golden Sixty supporting Leap of Faith, they slowly moved forward, while the other racers followed in silence behind—as if the race had not yet ended.
Amid the support of everyone present, Leap of Faith and Golden Sixty crossed the finish line together.
For the first time, the two sisters' race ended in a tie.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.