Race days aren't always on weekends.
For instance, the day after the Yayoi Sho concluded, everyone still had to attend classes and continue training.
After today's training session, Lucian dismissed everyone to rest while he stayed behind in the lounge to handle some paperwork.
Before he knew it, the time had already reached 7:30 PM.
And he still hadn't finished.
Lucian sighed. He wondered when he'd ever shake off this habit of procrastination.
Since things had already come to this, he simply ordered takeout.
At least he could use the mealtime to review the previous race and see where improvements could be made.
...
Time in the lounge seemed to pass even faster than at home.
Before long, another hour had slipped by.
As Lucian tidied up and prepared to leave, his phone suddenly rang.
"Hello?"
The call was from a local number.
As a teacher, he had shared his contact details during classes, so Lucian assumed it might be a student calling and answered.
"Is this Lucian-sensei?"
"Yeah, that's me. Who is this?" Lucian found the voice somewhat familiar.
"This is Hishi Amazon. Sakura Laurel just informed me that Seiun Sky hasn't returned to the dorm yet. Is she with you?"
Hishi Amazon was the dorm leader of Miho Dormitory, while Sakura Laurel was Seiun Sky's roommate.
"Huh? She hasn't returned? I dismissed everyone after training this afternoon."
The drowsiness from his meal vanished instantly as Lucian shot up from his chair.
"She's not back, and her phone isn't answering either."
Lucian quickly composed himself. "Alright, I'll check the places she might be. Can you handle contacting the police to assist in the search?"
"Understood."
...
After hanging up, Lucian hurried out of the lounge.
Where could Seiun Sky have gone at this hour?
Lucian's thoughts immediately turned to her defeat in the Yayoi Sho, but in the anime, Seiun Sky hadn't been this affected by a loss.
"Wait..."
Lucian realized the flaw in his reasoning—he couldn't rely solely on how things played out in the anime.
But Seiun Sky wouldn't do anything reckless, right?
"If she wanted to vent her frustration, where would she go?"
A spark of inspiration flashed in Lucian's mind, and he thought of two possible locations.
...
Channeling frustration into training was an effective method, so Lucian first rushed to the training field nearest to the lounge.
The field was dark at night, making it hard to spot anyone, so he stopped and listened carefully.
Unfortunately, there were no sounds of running.
With no time to waste, Lucian hurried to the next spot.
This place was a grassy area between two school buildings.
To give the horse girls an outlet for their emotions, the school had built a well-like facility there, though its entrance was designed to resemble a tree hollow.
Whenever a horse girl faced defeat, they would come here and shout into the deep, hollow opening.
Relying on his memory, Lucian sprinted over without pause, arriving breathless.
But when he saw the familiar silhouette sitting beside the tree hollow, his anxiety finally settled.
He first informed Hishi Amazon that Seiun Sky was safe, then hesitated to call out, not wanting to startle her.
However, Seiun Sky turned her head upon hearing his soft footsteps.
Under the bright moonlight, Lucian could clearly see the trails of tears streaking Seiun Sky's cheeks.
The moment she saw him, panic flashed across her face. She immediately turned away, stood up, and began wiping her face haphazardly with her back to him.
"Little Seiun..." Lucian approached cautiously.
"Trainer, what are you doing here?" Seiun Sky turned back, forcing her usual playful tone.
"You've been gone too long. Your roommate asked the dorm leader to contact me."
"Oh, my phone died. Sorry for causing trouble." Seiun Sky rubbed the back of her head, smiling with her eyes closed. "I'll head back now."
She moved to walk past Lucian, but he stopped her.
"It's because of the loss, isn't it? Can you talk to me about it?"
"It's nothing, really. Shouting into the tree hollow made me feel better." Seiun Sky maintained her carefree expression, though she avoided meeting his gaze the entire time.
Lucian wasn't buying it.
If she had truly vented her emotions, why would she still be here so late?
"Trainer, let's go back."
Instead of answering, Lucian simply watched her quietly.
Finally, unable to endure his intense gaze, Seiun Sky lifted her eyes to meet his.
Her calm façade cracked, her lips trembling slightly as if ripples disturbed a still surface.
Her fists clenched tightly, her delicate nose twitching as grief and resentment twisted her expression.
Sorrow weighed down her brows, and tears welled up once more in her eyes, glistening under the moonlight.
"It's just one race! I never cared that much! If I lose, I'll just win next time! I'm not that weak!"
"But..."
"Why did you make it feel like everything was specially arranged for Spe-chan?! Like I was just an afterthought... as if you knew from the start she'd definitely beat me!"
Tears burst forth like a broken dam as Seiun Sky sobbed uncontrollably, her cries sharp and ragged, like the sound of a zipper tearing across cardboard.
She stepped forward, grabbing Lucian's collar and yanking him down, as if trying to force him to see the pain and injustice in her heart through her tear-filled eyes.
"Why did you only give her pre-race advice?! Why didn't you specially remind me of anything?!"
"I'm part of 'Dream' too! Why... why do you only favor Spe-chan?!"
...
Lucian froze, a storm of guilt and panic raging inside him.
He had assumed Seiun Sky's distress was due to the loss—never imagining he was the real cause.
"I..." Now, it was he who couldn't bear to meet her gaze.
But as a trainer, he couldn't run away.
Under the moonlight, his resolve hardened. Before Seiun Sky could react, Lucian bent slightly and pulled her into an embrace.
Seiun Sky's eyes widened in shock, her lips parting slightly as his voice reached her ears.
"Little Seiun, I'm sorry. My negligence made you feel neglected and unfairly treated... I failed as a trainer by not realizing your distress sooner."
"I've only been a trainer for a short time. I know I still have so much to learn, so much to improve."
Releasing her, Lucian looked at her earnestly, his tone almost pleading.
"Please don't leave the team... Can you give me a little more time? Can you... not give up on me as your trainer?"
Seiun Sky didn't know she had touched a hidden wound in Lucian's heart.
All she saw was a man who seemed entirely different from the usual confident, self-assured trainer.
In his eyes, she saw vulnerability.