"I want no tomorrow or yesterday"
"These sparkles shine and never fade till the break of day"
Eternal Meteor kept humming the lines she'd just sung onstage as she walked down the exit corridor.
"Crash against the barrier above the crowd"
"Flaring up pieces in the air to show a fairy starfall"
Replaying the moment when all the spotlights had flared on and pointed at her, she even closed her eyes and swayed as she walked.
"I want no tomorrow or yesterday…"
"This song really fits me," she murmured.
Right as she was swaying hardest, her head suddenly bumped into something soft, and she stumbled backward.
"Sorry—sor… huh!?"
She hurried to apologize—after all, she was the one who'd gotten lost in the afterglow of her performance and walked into someone.
But when she opened her eyes…
Maruzensky stood there, arms crossed, staring down at her.
Meteor's gut sank.
And of course it had to happen right after she'd said "it fits me." What rotten luck. If the President heard that, there'd be no explaining it away.
Rudolf had already once seen what Meteor looked like after training and immediately assumed she was suicidal—if she heard this too, it would be case closed.
Under Maruzensky's gaze, cold sweat nearly broke out. Meteor peeked past her shoulder—no Rudolf in sight, only Maruzensky—and she exhaled a tiny breath of relief.
"Uh—so, listen—those are just lyrics. It's not like I actually want that. Maruzensky-onee-san, you get it, right?"
She tried to explain first, before Maruzensky could interrogate her—salvage her image while she still could.
But Maruzensky's tilted, side-eyed look made it clear: she didn't believe a word of it.
I'm done for, Meteor thought.
Unexpectedly, Maruzensky didn't scold her. Instead, she simply took Meteor's hand and started leading her out—gripping far tighter than usual.
"Lil' Meteor. We agreed: we're going to the hospital first. Rudolf's waiting in the parking lot."
She spoke while walking, head lowered toward Meteor, and the gentleness in her voice was so unfamiliar it felt… almost unsettling.
Maruzensky wasn't not angry.
But the moment she remembered what kind of life Meteor had lived before, she couldn't bring herself to vent it at her. And with Meteor already showing self-destructive tendencies, picking a fight would only worsen things.
So the right move was the "care and concern" strategy—while there was still time to change her, while she could still hear words and accept them. At least, judging from Meteor's improved cornering, she'd listened a little.
Let her feel that life could be good—correct those dangerous thoughts.
Otherwise, one day Maruzensky would wake up, check her phone, and see the worst news imaginable. And regretting it afterward would be too late.
I'd have nightmares for the rest of my life.
When Maruzensky lowered her head and saw Meteor's young face again, it felt like something yanked at her heart. So she kept walking, eyes down, saying nothing more.
Meteor, meanwhile, misunderstood completely—she thought Maruzensky was silently furious at her, so she didn't dare say a single word.
The parking lot
They reached the parking lot in silence.
But the instant Meteor saw the car Rudolf was leaning against, her silence evaporated. Every thought in her head got thrown out the window. Her eyes lit up and she sprinted straight for the sports car.
She touched the tires. Then the hood. Then the body—admiring it like treasure.
She didn't even look at Rudolf. Her full attention was glued to the car.
Rudolf didn't get angry. She simply waited.
Because she and Maruzensky had already reached the same conclusion: as long as Meteor didn't do anything that endangered her own life or harmed others… they'd indulge her for now.
"Wow—can I drive this!?"
"After you're an adult," Maruzensky said, patting her head. "Then big sis will let you. But for now, we're going to the hospital."
She opened the passenger door for Meteor, then walked around and got into the driver's seat.
Once both Meteor and Rudolf had buckled up, Maruzensky started the engine.
"Whoa—this sounds amazing!"
"Right?"
Watching Meteor in the passenger seat touching everything left and right, Maruzensky felt like she'd finally found a kindred spirit.
"Alright—here we go!"
"Yay!"
Maruzensky shifted into gear and eased out of the parking lot—driving extra smoothly on purpose, worried Meteor might be scared.
Meteor's face went from eager…
to neutral…
to outright disdain.
She'd been expecting legendary driving—the kind that made Tokai Teio terrified.
But the speedometer never even crossed 50.
Tokai Teio had to be exaggerating. Surely she was just scared of being in a car in general? But why would a horse girl be afraid of this, when they run faster than this?
So weird.
So much anticipation—and for what?
"…That's it?"
She didn't just think it.
She said it out loud.
"Maruzensky-onee-san, I think this car is crying. I run faster than this. Don't tell me you're… too scared to drive?"
Hearing the engine's soft, underworked whine—wu-wu-wu—Meteor turned her head and mocked her outright.
"…What?"
Maruzensky's eye twitched.
Maruzensky… was angry.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 90)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 95)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter70)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter70)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter60)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 20
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 20
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