Lunar sat on the metal stand seats, her legs slightly stretched out while she tried to cool down after finishing several laps around the training track. Sweat trailed slowly down the side of her face and along her neck, evidence of the hard running she had just finished, though the chilled lemonade in her hand helped ease the heat as she took small refreshing sips between breaths.
Her phone rested in her free hand, the screen tilted toward her with a video call currently ongoing.
Sakura filled the phone screen completely as she excitedly talked about her day, her voice energetic and animated as usual while she waved her hands around dramatically while explaining every little detail.
"I'm telling you, Lunar, it was this close!" Sakura said, holding two fingers almost pressed together in front of the camera as if the tiny gap between them could properly convey the injustice she had suffered. "I lost first place in my maiden race by a hair length! A hair length! Can you believe that?!"
Lunar listened attentively while sitting there on the stands, occasionally bringing the glass of lemonade to her lips for another sip while a quiet, amused smile rested on her face.
Behind her, the training track was anything but peaceful.
"AAAAAAAAAA—! WAIT! WAIT! I SAID WAIT!" Namawa's voice rang loudly through the air as she sprinted across the track at full speed, her footsteps pounding against the ground while she looked back over her shoulder in visible panic.
Not far behind her was Invi, whose intimidating figure moved with frightening calm as she chased after Namawa with long, steady strides that somehow looked far more terrifying than if she had been running wildly.
"I DIDN'T MEAN FOR IT TO BE LIKE THAT—!!" Namawa yelled desperately as she continued running for her life around the track.
None of it seemed to faze Lunar. She simply laughed softly at the phone screen while Sakura continued her animated rant.
"And then," Sakura continued, puffing her cheeks slightly in irritation, "that cocky idiot had the nerve to rub it in my face afterwards like she had just conquered the entire racing world, you literally only JUST beat me by luck!"
Lunar covered her mouth slightly as she giggled, the sound quiet but warm while she leaned forward just a little in her seat.
"But next time will be different," Sakura declared confidently, leaning closer toward the camera with determined fire in her eyes. "I swear I'm going to get revenge the next time we race. I'll beat her so badly that she won't even dare brag about it again—"
Suddenly, the phone was snatched out of Lunar's hand.
The screen jerked upward abruptly as the camera angle shifted, Sakura's face disappearing from view for a split second before another face appeared in its place.
Saiya now held the phone casually, redirecting the screen toward herself while wearing a sweet smile that carried just a hint of playful mischief.
"Oh~ It's Sakura-chan," Saiya greeted brightly, her voice warm but laced with teasing amusement. "Sorry, but it seems that your time is up. Lunar will be coming with me now."
For a moment there was silence from the other end of the call. Then the phone's speaker exploded with Sakura's voice.
"HEY YOU FU—!" It sounded less like a protest and more like the beginning of a very uncharacteristic curse word escaping from Sakura's normally sweet voice.
But before it could fully form, Saiya casually tapped the screen and the call ended immediately.
With that done, Saiya turned the phone off and held it back toward Lunar.
Lunar reached forward from her seated position to take it, stretching her arm out while still holding the lemonade in her other hand.
But just as her fingers were about to touch the phone, Saiya's other hand moved quickly and caught both of Lunar's wrists instead.
Before Lunar could react, Saiya pulled.
"Wah—!"
Lunar was suddenly yanked up from the stands, her feet scrambling to find proper footing as the sudden pull threw her balance off completely. Despite the surprise, she instinctively kept her glass upright, carefully tilting her wrist so the lemonade wouldn't spill everywhere.
For a brief moment she looked like she might stumble forward entirely.
But Saiya's arms moved smoothly around her, the girl easily catching and stabilizing Lunar before she could lose her balance.
Within seconds Lunar found herself held securely in Saiya's arms, her footing steady once again thanks to Saiya's taller frame supporting her effortlessly while she still clutched her lemonade without spilling a single drop.
Meanwhile, Saiya simply looked down at her with quiet amusement, as though the entire maneuver had been completely planned from the start.
Lunar blinked in surprise before looking up at Saiya, her brows drawing together slightly as she complained in a mildly indignant tone.
"Hey, I was still talking to Sakura-chan," she said, still clutching her phone while glancing up at the taller girl. "It hasn't even been that long. I was only on the call for, like… eight minutes."
Saiya loosened her hold and allowed Lunar to stand on her own again, though she remained standing close by as she crossed her arms lightly and shook her head with quiet confidence.
"It has actually been a little over ten minutes," Saiya replied calmly, the faint smile on her face making it clear that she had already thought this through. "That includes the time it took for you to answer the phone and walk over here to sit down. You said it would only take ten minutes, so ending the call now is completely reasonable."
Lunar stared at her for a moment. Then she let out a long sigh.
"There's just no winning against you at this," Lunar muttered, her voice carrying a mixture of defeat and reluctant amusement as she gave up trying to argue against Saiya's perfectly timed and completely logical explanation.
Without arguing any further, she lifted the glass of lemonade to her lips and took one last quick gulp, finishing the rest of the drink before leaning over to set the empty glass back down on the stand seat behind her.
The moment she straightened again, Saiya reached forward and grabbed her hand. "Come on!" Saiya said brightly, already turning toward the track. "Let's jog around some more."
Lunar barely had time to react before she was being pulled forward again, though this time she simply let herself be dragged along with a small laugh.
"Alright, alright," she said as she fell into step beside her.
The two of them began jogging along the outer lane that circled the training field, their path running parallel to the main track but separated from it by a metal railing that marked the boundary.
On the track itself, chaos was still unfolding exactly where they had left it.
Namawa continued sprinting ahead with whatever strength she still had left, her breathing ragged as she desperately forced her legs to keep moving while throwing terrified glances over her shoulder.
"PLEASE HAVE MERCY—!" she shouted hoarsely, her voice cracking slightly from exhaustion.
Behind her, Invi maintained her steady pursuit with an almost frightening calmness, her long strides measured and controlled as she gradually closed the distance inch by inch like a predator that already knew the chase was about to end.
It was painfully obvious that Namawa was running out of stamina. At this rate, she would be caught very soon.
Lunar watched the chase for a moment while jogging, though after a short while her attention drifted away from the chaos on the track and shifted toward the person running quietly beside her.
Saiya jogged peacefully at her side, her pace smooth while a relaxed smile rested on her face as if the movement required no effort at all.
For a moment Lunar simply stared. There was a time when seeing Saiya run like this would have been completely impossible.
But now… it wasn't just possible.
It was real.
Three months had already passed since that day at the café, the day Lunar had finally met Aunt Exceed and Grandma Judy face to face. Since then, things had slowly settled into a new rhythm.
Big sis Oscie hadn't been coming by as often anymore either, though Lunar never once blamed her for that. If anything, it was something she had already expected.
When it comes to the non-expected though, something unexpected had happened to Saiya.
Maturization.
Her body had undergone a massive transformation almost overnight, changing so drastically that even Lunar had been stunned the first time she saw her the next morning. For a brief moment she had genuinely wondered if she was looking at the same person.
Saiya's height alone had changed drastically. The girl who once barely reached Lunar's shoulder had grown rapidly, her frame stretching upward until she now stood around one hundred and seventy-five centimeters tall.
The difference was so extreme that when Lunar looked at Saiya now while running beside her, her eyes only reached about the level of Saiya's nose.
Saiya's appearance had changed in other ways too. Her light pink hair, which had once been cut short and simple, had grown exponentially longer after her maturization, now falling just past her shoulders with soft strands that moved gently with every step she took. At the very ends, faint silver streaks ran through the tips of her hair like delicate threads of moonlight, the subtle contrast making her already small face look even smaller and cuter whenever the wind brushed the strands aside.
It was a change that still felt strange to see and feel. Yet if Lunar had to choose the best change of all, it wouldn't be the height or the hair.
It was this. Saiya being able to run beside her like this.
After her maturization, the doctors had conducted another full examination of Saiya's long-standing heart condition, and the results had surprised everyone. Her heart had improved by a noticeable margin, enough that she was no longer forced to live under the same strict limitations as before. She still couldn't push herself too hard, but light exercise—jogging, stretching, even simple training routines—was now considered safe for her body as long as she paced herself.
For the first time in years, Saiya could move freely without immediately feeling out of breath or clutching her chest in discomfort.
That alone made Lunar happier than she could properly describe.
She glanced toward Saiya again as they jogged, watching the way the girl ran with easy rhythm while a bright smile rested naturally on her face, and Lunar felt her own lips curve into a quiet smile in return.
Then she sensed movement to her right. Lunar turned her head slightly and noticed another figure jogging beside them.
It was a smaller girl with pale white skin, long straight black hair that flowed neatly behind her with each step, and deep blue eyes that seemed calm and observant even while running.
"G'day," Lunar greeted casually, lifting one hand in a small wave.
Anonym looked at her for a brief moment before giving a small smile and nod in return before she shifted her attention back toward the path ahead as she continued jogging beside them.
Lunar faced forward again, her thoughts drifting quietly. Saiya wasn't the only one who had changed recently.
Everyone had.
Anonym had undergone her own maturization earlier in the year, and the transformation had bumped her height from 148 centimeters up to around 157. It had been a noticeable growth spurt, though funnily enough she still ended up being the shortest among all of them after everyone else matured. The next shortest after her was Lunar herself, standing at around 165 centimeters.
Namawa loved pointing this out whenever she had the chance.
Anonym rarely reacted outwardly when Namawa poked fun at her height, usually remaining silent with that same calm expression she always wore, but Lunar had spent enough time around her to notice the small details others missed.
Every time Namawa made those jokes, there would be the faintest twitch at the corner of Anonym's eyes.
Just a tiny movement.
But enough for Lunar to know that she definitely cared.
It was rather unfortunate, really. Anonym had clearly inherited Aunt Nel's striking appearances and traits—the pale skin, the stunning midnight hair, the deep blue eyes that carried that same quiet intensity.
But when it came to height, she hadn't inherited the towering and explosive build that Aunt Nel was famous for.
Instead, that particular trait seemed to have followed the line of Aunt Autumn, whose petite frame remained deceptively small especially among the other adults.
On the other end of the spectrum, there was Persian.
Persian's appearance looked almost like a perfect replica of Aunt Tycoon's, with the same soft wavy brown hair and saturated hazel eyes that carried that attentive and thoughtful expression. The only real difference was that Persian didn't wear glasses, leaving her face unobstructed in a way that made the resemblance even clearer at times.
Yet despite looking so much like her mother, Persian's build had gone in the exact opposite direction.
After her maturization, she had grown into the tallest among all of them, standing proudly at around 181 centimeters. The height alone allowed her to tower comfortably over Saiya and essentially everyone else in the family.
Everyone except Aunt Nel.
She still held the title of tallest at around 185 centimeters, though the difference between her and Persian was now small enough that they almost looked like equals when standing side by side.
Even now, Lunar could still remember the shock she had felt the morning Persian's maturization happened. Persian had always been a little taller than her before that, maybe by a head at most.
But when Lunar saw her the next day, the girl had suddenly shot up to a height that nearly rivaled Aunt Nel herself.
The change had been so drastic that for a moment Lunar had simply stood there staring upward, her neck tilted back as if she were looking at a completely different person.
It had happened last year, and because Persian had been the first one among them to undergo maturization, the contrast had been even more surreal.
The difference in height back then had felt almost absurd, like a child looking up toward an adult.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH STOP—-"
Speaking of last year.
Lunar turned her head slightly toward the track as another scene caught her attention.
Namawa had finally been caught.
Invi now carried her over one shoulder like a sack of grain, her grip firm and unrelenting as the exhausted Namawa dangled limply while looking as though she had completely accepted her fate.
"Ouch—! Hey! Ouch!!" Namawa yelped every few seconds. "I'm sorry! I said I'm sorry!"
Invi's expression remained frighteningly stern as she continued marching across the track, occasionally delivering a sharp smack to Namawa's backside with each step.
"You dare steal my phone again and send weird reels to Sodashi?!" Invi snapped angrily. "And how do you always get past my passwords?!"
Lunar couldn't help chuckling softly under her breath as she watched the entire scene unfold.
Because she knew exactly how Namawa kept breaking into it.
The passwords Invi came up with were unbelievably simple.
Like, seriously? One to ten… but backwards?
And that was the best she could come up with. No wonder Namawa managed to break through it almost every single week.
Lunar glanced at the girl currently being "punished" while still jogging along the outer path, observing the familiar chaos that surrounded Namawa as if it were simply part of her natural atmosphere.
Even after her maturization, Namawa herself hadn't changed all that much.
The same childish innocence mixed with completely unfiltered chaos still defined her actions, though now all of it was packed into a noticeably larger and stronger body than before.
Namawa now stood roughly two centimeters taller than Lunar herself, though the difference looked even greater at a glance because of the way her physique had developed over the past year.
Where Lunar's own training had shaped her body into something leaner and more balanced—most of her strength concentrated around her legs and glutes from endurance-focused running—Namawa's build had become far more compact and dense.
Her muscles were built for explosive power, the kind suited perfectly for her signature running style.
Namawa's racing approach had always been the same after all, just run as fast as possible.Or, to phrase it more technically, launch into a powerful great escape right from the start.
The moment a race began, she would explode forward with overwhelming acceleration, trying to create such a massive gap immediately that no one else could catch up later.
It was chaotic.
It was reckless.
And yet, it suited her perfectly.
So much had changed since the first time all of them met two years ago.
Back then, everything had felt uncertain and unfamiliar. She had been a timid and lonely little girl who barely spoke to anyone for the first few weeks after arriving, always keeping to herself while quietly observing everyone else from the sidelines. Even simple conversations had felt difficult at the time, and most days she had simply followed along silently while the others filled the air with their voices.
But somewhere along the way, that slowly began to change.
Without even realizing it, she had found herself growing closer to everyone around her. The awkward silences became small conversations, and those conversations gradually turned into laughter and shared moments that she had never expected to have again.
Before she knew it, she had found herself a new family. Not one that had been given to her by fate or blood, but one she had chosen to belong to with her own heart.
And after Momma… it was the place where she had found the most comfort.
That quiet warmth, the familiar rhythm of their everyday chaos, and the feeling of belonging among them made the passing of time feel strangely bittersweet. The days kept moving forward, but every step forward also meant moving closer to something she knew would eventually come.
It is September now.
With every passing month, Lunar had begun to sense something quietly approaching on the horizon, like a distant line that slowly grew closer no matter how much she tried not to think about it. The moment when she would have to step forward on her own path and move away from this comfortable place was no longer some vague idea in the future.
It was getting closer, closer with every passing day.
As that thought drifted through her mind, Lunar happened to glance toward the stand seats beside the training field.
Someone was sitting there.
It was Black Caviar.
Black Caviar had already been watching her long before Lunar noticed she was there, and the moment their eyes met across the field, she simply raised one hand and gave a small, calm gesture for Lunar to come over.
Lunar slowed her jogging pace before turning her head slightly toward the two girls running beside her.
"You two keep going," she said while gesturing ahead along the track.
Saiya gave a small nod of understanding while Anonym didn't say anything at all, simply maintaining her steady pace without question as the two of them continued jogging along the outer lane.
Lunar stepped away from the path and walked toward the stands instead.
Black Caviar remained seated as Lunar approached, her posture relaxed against the seat though her expression carried a quiet seriousness that immediately caught Lunar's attention.
When Lunar reached her, she tilted her head slightly in curiosity.
"What is it, Aunt Nel?"
Black Caviar didn't answer right away. Instead, she simply held out her phone toward Lunar. "Take a look."
Lunar leaned a little closer and glanced down at the screen. It showed a conversation history. Between Aunt Nel… and Sato-ojisan.
Her eyes moved across the messages one by one as she silently read through the exchange, following the discussion carefully until her gaze reached the final line at the bottom of the screen.
Then her eyes widened slightly. The last message sat there plainly.
"If possible, as early as October."
Lunar slowly lifted her gaze from the phone and looked back up at Black Caviar.
By the time their eyes met again, the meaning of it had already settled clearly in her mind. She knew exactly what Black Caviar was trying to convey.
Black Caviar let out a quiet breath before finally explaining the situation out loud. "If we follow the normal procedure," she said calmly, "the time it would take to register your transfer from the NAR to the JRA would take at least five months."
"With some rare exceptions, the shortest time we could possibly manage would still be around three months. That means if you want to start racing in Japan next year after coming from the NAR, the earliest you could realistically be accepted into the JRA would be sometime around June."
Her gaze rested steadily on Lunar as she finished the thought. "And that would take away almost half of your classic year."
Lunar didn't respond. She remained completely silent as the weight of that realization slowly settled in her mind.
Half of her classic year, gone before it had even begun.
Black Caviar watched her quietly for a moment before speaking again, her voice softer this time. "Unless…"
Lunar lifted her head slightly at the word.
"Since you were born in Japan," Black Caviar continued thoughtfully, "we could register you directly under the JRA as a Japanese foreign-trained uma musume. If we did that, you would be allowed to compete almost immediately once you arrive there."
For a brief moment, the idea lingered quietly in the air between them, then Lunar shook her head. "No, Aunt Nel." The answer came without hesitation. "I don't want to do that."
Black Caviar didn't interrupt her. Instead, she simply waited as Lunar continued explaining herself.
"I have so many reasons not to," Lunar said firmly. "First of all, I promised Sato-ojisan that I would become a student of Northern Academy before going to Tracen. I can't break that promise."
Her voice softened slightly as she spoke, though the conviction behind her words didn't weaken in the slightest.
"And besides…" She paused briefly before continuing. "I want to work my way up from the bottom until I earn the recognition I deserve."
Her eyes lowered for a moment before she quietly added the final reason. "Just like Oguri Cap did."
For a few seconds after that, neither of them spoke. Then Black Caviar let out a quiet sigh.
A small smile appeared on her face as she leaned back slightly against the stand seat. "Of course," she murmured, sounding gently resigned.
Her eyes rested on Lunar with a mixture of fondness and helpless amusement. "That stubborn selfishness really does run in your blood."
Black Caviar watched Lunar quietly for a moment before speaking again, her voice calm but direct. "So,"you're really okay with leaving this early?"
Lunar didn't hesitate, she simply nodded. "I'm prepared for it."
Black Caviar didn't immediately respond. Instead, she studied Lunar's expression carefully, trying to determine whether those words truly carried the weight Lunar claimed they did, or if they were simply the confident answer of someone trying to convince herself as much as others.
After a brief pause, she spoke again. "You do realize they're going to be upset about this, right?"
Lunar let out a small breath through her nose before nodding once more. "I know."
Her voice was softer this time, though the quiet resolve behind it didn't waver in the slightest. "I'll handle it."
Black Caviar held her gaze for another second before slowly shaking her head, a faint smile appearing on her face that carried both pride and mild exasperation at the same time.
"Well then," she murmured, sounding almost amused. "If you say so."
Without another word, she pushed herself up from the stand seat and stood to her full height before raising her voice loudly across the training field. "Everyone! Come here for a moment!"
Her shout carried clearly across the track, echoing over the open space of the training grounds. Almost immediately, every activity on the field came to a halt.
Saiya and Anonym slowed their jog and turned toward the stands.
Invi, who had still been carrying Namawa slung over her shoulder like a sack of grain, simply released her grip without any warning at all.
Namawa dropped straight onto the ground with a dull thud. "OW—!" she yelped loudly.
But even she quickly scrambled back to her feet as all of them began making their way toward the stands where Black Caviar and Lunar were waiting.
Within a short moment, they had gathered together in a loose group in front of them, their attention shifting curiously between Lunar and Black Caviar as they waited to hear what this sudden call was about.
Black Caviar casually folded her arms before speaking. "Alright everyone," she announces. "Lunar has something she wants to announce."
Lunar froze. That… was not what she had expected at all.
She had assumed Aunt Nel would be the one explaining everything to them. Instead, every single pair of eyes suddenly turned toward her.
Lunar immediately shot Black Caviar with a panicked look.
Black Caviar, however, simply leaned slightly closer to her and whispered quietly enough that only Lunar could hear.
"You were the one who said you'd handle it."
Lunar felt the weight of all their stares press down on her as she shuffled her feet slightly, rubbing the back of her head with a faint sigh.
"So… um…" she began, her voice small, faltering for just a moment. "You all remember how I said I wanted to race all around the world, right?"
Almost immediately, everyone nodded, eyes fixed on her.
"And that I was going to Japan to compete there?"
More nods followed.
"Yeah," Namawa said casually, though there was a hint of curiosity in her tone.
"Of course," Saiya added with a bright smile. "Next year, right?"
Lunar scratched the back of her head again, a small, awkward laugh escaping her lips.
"Yeah… about that."
The words hung in the air for a heartbeat, and she hesitated as her gaze flicked between each of them.
"It seems like… I might have to go a lot earlier than that."
Every face in front of her froze for a moment.
The shock was immediate. Namawa's eyes widened. Saiya's smile faltered, turning into visible surprise. Invi's expression shifted, stunned, while even Anonym's calm demeanor cracked just slightly, her brows lifting in quiet disbelief.
Namawa was the first to voice the thought running through everyone's minds. "Uh… how early?" she asked, uncertainty creeping into her voice.
Lunar looked down briefly, rubbing the back of her head again. "Well…" she began slowly, her words hesitant. "October."
The group blinked.
"I mean…" she continued, trying to soften the suddenness of it. "…in like two or three weeks."
The reaction was instantaneous.
"What?!"
"Huh?!"
"Wait—seriously?!"
The voices overlapped in a chaotic chorus of shock and disbelief.
Namawa practically shouted, her panic bubbling over. "Two or three weeks?! That's… that's so sudden! You can't just spring something like that on us!"
Saiya stepped forward, her brows furrowed in worry. "Is there really no other way?" she asked, her voice tight with concern. "I thought we were all going to spend Christmas together this year before you left…"
Lunar's gaze softened as she looked at them all, feeling the mixture of surprise, concern, and confusion radiating from everyone.
"I know," she said gently, her voice calm despite the tension. "I really do. And I was hoping for more time too… but this just came up today. It's sudden, I know, but it's something I have to do."
Her eyes met each of theirs in turn, steady and sincere. "I hope… I hope you can all understand, even if it's hard."
The chaotic voices of the group continued to overlap, a storm of surprise, frustration, and disbelief spilling out all at once. Lunar stood awkwardly in the middle of it, scratching the back of her cheek as she tried to process the emotional tempest she had just unleashed.
But even amid the chaos, something at the edge of her vision made her pause. The air behind them felt heavier than it had a moment ago. Lunar tilted her head slightly, and her eyes widened.
Darkness seemed to coil around a single figure. It wasn't literal clouds, but the presence of it was undeniable. Anonym stood a short distance away, perfectly still, her pale face calm yet unreadable. Around her feet, a dense, pitch-black aura began to seep outward, thick and oppressive, as if the very air around her had slowed. The subtle power of her [Zone] had begun leaking out unconsciously.
Invi noticed it as he instinctively took a few steps away from Anonym, her movements quiet and cautious, creating space between herself and the girl. It was clear she knew better than to linger in the darkened atmosphere that emanated from Anonym.
Lunar blinked, her voice careful as she called out. "Anonym…?"
Slowly, Anonym lifted her eyes toward Lunar. When she spoke, her voice carried an eerie calm that cut through the surrounding noise and brought the chatter to an almost immediate silence.
"But you said…" Her gaze remained fixed on Lunar, steady and unflinching. "…that we would compete together at the Golden Gift Stakes."
She spoke the name of the race deliberately, as if invoking a promise. "That race is in December."
Her voice remained calm, but the weight behind it pressed down with an undeniable force. "So if you leave in October…"
The dark aura around her feet shifted slightly, swirling as though stirred by her agitation. "…then how?"
The question hung in the space between them like a tangible weight. Lunar's expression softened, tinged with genuine regret.
"I was planning to," she admitted quietly, her voice low but steady. "But I only received the news today. This change… it's sudden, I know."
She stepped forward slowly, her movements careful, as if approaching fragile glass. "I'm sorry," she continued gently, her tone almost pleading. "I know we talked about this…"
Before she could finish, Anonym moved with sudden, sharp precision. Her hand shot forward and gripped Lunar's wrist firmly, a strength that belied her calm exterior.
Lunar winced slightly at the unexpected pressure but made no attempt to pull away.
"I won't accept this," Anonym said, her voice low, fierce, carrying a determination that made the surrounding air feel heavier.
Lunar met her gaze, her own eyes steady, calm, though the grip on her wrist tugged at her slightly.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, her voice gentle but unwavering. "But this… it really isn't something I can change. I need to leave in October." Her tone carried quiet finality, a resolve that was unshakable. "That part isn't negotiable."
She drew a slow, deliberate breath, letting her gaze soften, just enough to reach Anonym.
"But I hope… I hope everyone will understand when I leave," she added quietly, her words carrying warmth even through the tension.
Her eyes lingered on Anonym, pale yellow eyes full of sincerity. "That includes you too."
Anonym's ocean blue eyes burned sharply at Lunar, unblinking. The dark clouds around her swirled and thickened, almost alive, mirroring the storm of frustration and anger that she fought to keep contained—but the tension in her body, the tightness of her jaw, and the flare of her nostrils made it clear she was struggling to maintain her usual calm. Her hands clenched at her sides, trembling slightly as if the aura itself was feeding off her emotion.
Finally, her voice broke the silence, low, sharp, and icy with barely restrained fury. "I refuse to accept that."
Saiya's eyes narrowed, and she stepped forward, her voice tight with frustration. "Anonym, what are you doing?" she snapped. "Can't you see that this isn't an easy choice for Lunar either?" Her tone carried a rare, cutting edge, more anger than Lunar had ever heard from her before. "Do you really think she wants to leave like this?"
Lunar's gaze softened, her voice calm and unwavering despite the tension radiating from Anonym. "It's fine, Saichan."
Saiya paused, caught off guard, while Lunar turned her full attention back to Anonym. Her expression was thoughtful, calm, not angry or resentful.
"If you won't accept it…" she said slowly, letting each word settle, "…then tell me. Tell me what I can do to make you accept it."
The words hung in the air like a challenge, heavy and sincere.
Anonym's glare intensified, her normally quiet, composed face twisting subtly with pure, visible anger. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her nostrils flaring slightly, and her hands clenched even tighter as the black clouds at her feet darkened and swirled more violently, almost crackling with energy. For the first time in a long while, her usual calm demeanor felt completely overridden by raw emotion.
Several long, tense seconds passed. Then, with a force that cut through the air, she spoke, her voice low but resolute, carrying the weight of her anger and stubbornness. "Beat me." She tightened her grip on her own restraint, eyes burning. "At the Gimcrack Stakes, only then I'll accept this."
Invi reacted immediately, her shock spilling over as she stepped forward, disbelief etched across her face. "Wait," she said, her voice sharp, urgent. "Do you even realize when the Gimcrack Stakes is?"
Her brows furrowed as she looked between the two girls. "It's on the second of October. That's less than a week away."
She waves her arms, frustration plainly written across her face. "Neither of you have even been preparing for that race," she continued, her tone growing more exasperated. "And it's completely unreasonable to ask that of Lunar, especially when she's about to start preparing to leave."
"Neither of you have even been preparing for that race," she continued, her voice rising slightly. "It's completely unreasonable to ask that of Lunar, especially when she's about to start preparing to leave."
Invi gestured toward the rest of the group, emphasizing her point. "That time should be spent with everyone here before she goes."
Lunar remained calm, listening thoughtfully to every word. Slowly, she nodded. "I agree."
Invi blinked, relief briefly flashing across her face—
Only for Lunar to calmly add, "I'll do it."
"WHAT?!"
The shout came from nearly everyone at once. Saiya froze, eyes wide, disbelief written clearly across her face. Namawa nearly choked on her own breath, scrambling to process the sudden revelation. Even Invi's expression shifted, her jaw tightening in stunned realization.
But Lunar remained calm, a faint, confident smile tugging at her lips. "If that's the only way for Anonym to accept this," she said softly, her tone unwavering, almost serene, "then I'll race her. No, I'll beat her."
Anonym's piercing blue eyes stayed locked on Lunar, the anger inside them still smoldering beneath a careful mask of control. Her grip on Lunar's wrist lingered for a heartbeat longer, as if she needed to confirm that Lunar truly meant what she had just said. Then, finally, she released her hold.
The sudden absence of pressure was almost jarring. Anonym's hand fell back to her side, but the cold, sharp intensity in her gaze hadn't softened. She held Lunar's eyes for one last charged moment before turning away.
She didn't speak. She didn't acknowledge anyone else. She simply walked.
The faint, dark clouds that had clung to her earlier trailed behind, drifting like a quiet storm that had not fully settled. Her [Zone] bled outward unconsciously, creating an almost tangible shadow that followed her every step. Lunar and the others watched in silence, neither daring to intervene as Anonym moved steadily down the track, her long black hair swaying lightly with each step. The oppressive weight of her presence gradually receded as she moved farther away.
Then, breaking the heavy quiet—
Fweee~
A careless whistle sounded from directly behind Black Caviar.
Everyone turned.
Standing a few steps away was Persian, walking as if she had just wandered over without a care in the world. Her tall frame practically loomed over the seat row as her wavy brown hair hung past her ears, glancing at the unusually tense group in front of her.
She blinked once. Then she tilted her head slightly.
"Uhh…" she said casually.
Her hazel eyes moved between their faces, clearly noticing the strange atmosphere but not quite understanding it.
"So… what did I miss?"