An hour later, in the temporary waiting room.
The atmosphere was bizarrely silent.
Everyone's gaze was fixed on Eclipse, who, as usual, just stared blankly into space.
Their intense attention was naturally due to her earlier performance on the track—but what she had done during the Winner's Concert had shocked them even more.
Well, it wasn't exactly that she performed poorly. She simply didn't perform at all.
Literally—not even a twitch.
After winning the race, Eclipse had stood on center stage, holding the mic and simply standing there—without speaking, without moving—like someone had planted a piece of black driftwood in the spotlight.
"Eclipse-san, you…have never practiced a live before, have you?" Tokai Teio asked first, breaking the silence.
Eclipse nodded slightly.
"Mm, never learned. And I don't plan to."
"Huh? Then what about future races...?"
"I'll choose races without a live, or ones with fewer people."
Tokai Teio: "..."
Eclipse-san, just what exactly goes through your head?
Next up was Grass Wonder.
"Eclipse-san, since you're this strong, why haven't you done any training before? If you hadn't slowed down at the end, you might've even set a new record today."
Surprisingly, Eclipse answered this question directly.
"I am training, just in a different way from what you're all familiar with."
Everyone's gaze immediately shifted toward Kitahara Sato, only to find him equally dumbfounded.
Why are you looking at me?
It wasn't my idea—I'm just as confused as you are!
Agnes Tachyon spoke next, eyes glowing with excitement.
"Eclipse-san, would you like me to perform a thorough physical examination—?"
"No," Eclipse refused outright.
Oguri Cap and Special Week also chimed in with their own questions.
But their concerns were mostly food-related. The former asked what Eclipse ate to run so fast, while the latter was more concerned about where they'd eat dinner tonight.
Truly, Special Week remained consistently predictable.
As for Agnes Digital?
The moment Eclipse had returned, she'd immediately passed out in a blissful nosebleed, murmuring "尊 (precious)" under her breath.
But everyone had long since grown accustomed to her antics, so they simply set her aside, planning to deposit her in the infirmary upon their return to Tracen.
And finally, Kitahara Sato…
He asked nothing at all.
There was no need to.
Whatever Eclipse was willing to explain, he'd already heard long ago.
And whatever she was unwilling to say—while he knew she would still tell him if he asked, he chose not to press her.
Just as Eclipse would unconditionally follow him into any dark pit he chose, Sato similarly trusted her implicitly.
Of course, he was curious. But if Eclipse didn't want to share, he wouldn't force her.
After everyone finished asking their questions and celebrated their victories, the group returned to Tracen Academy in a strange yet oddly comfortable silence.
Upon reaching campus, having dinner, and relaxing briefly in their activity room, everyone dispersed once more, each absorbed in their own thoughts.
This time, however, Eclipse didn't return directly to her dormitory but followed Sato instead, quietly trailing him to his own dorm room.
"What…are you doing?"
Sato's scalp tingled slightly at the sight of Eclipse's odd behavior.
She's acting weird…she didn't get enough excitement from today's race and wants to relieve stress another way, does she...?
Especially when, after entering the room, Eclipse silently locked the door behind her, his anxiety reached its peak. He started to regret not having prepared a taser or something similar in advance.
"Eclipse, you—"
Before he could finish, she pushed him onto the sofa.
Just as Sato was certain his clothes would be torn off the next second, Eclipse buried herself in his chest, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tightly.
Stunned for a moment, Sato soon regained his composure. He hugged her back, gently patting her on the back.
"What's wrong? You won today, right? Why so unhappy?"
Perhaps to everyone else, Eclipse appeared no different from usual. Even Grass Wonder hadn't noticed anything off about her.
But Sato could sense it clearly: ever since the race ended, Eclipse's mood had been low—even worse than before she raced.
Not quite sad, but certainly not happy.
She didn't answer immediately, merely hugging him in silence.
He didn't rush her, patiently comforting her as he tried guessing what had upset her.
After a long silence, Eclipse finally spoke in a soft whisper.
"I don't like racing."
"Why?"
"Because it's boring."
"...Boring?"
Hearing her reply, Sato's thoughts flashed with sudden insight, a guess rapidly forming in his mind, and he looked at her strangely.
"Eclipse, could it be…you found the opponents too weak, so racing itself feels boring?"
She didn't respond, but her silence was essentially confirmation.
Now it was Sato's turn to feel helpless.
He had considered many possible reasons why Eclipse might feel unhappy—the venue being uncomfortable, her teammates' stares bothering her, or even the lack of pre-race mental prep from him…
But he truly hadn't considered this.
How do I comfort her about this? Should I just produce a worthy opponent out of thin air?
Though he didn't doubt Eclipse's statement—after all, she had effortlessly opened a twenty-length lead even without giving it her all. Even someone like Tokai Teio might suffer a devastating loss facing her. There probably weren't any suitable rivals within their year.
Perhaps someone from another generation?
Symboli Rudolf—the undefeated Triple Crown legend—or perhaps Hayakawa Tazuna, known as "Unrivaled"... Though past their prime, surely they could still…
"It won't work."
Before he could finish that thought, Eclipse interrupted him.
"They're exceptional Uma Musume, but still…not enough."
Sato wasn't surprised she could guess his thoughts. Rather, he found her calm assertion amusing and reached out to ruffle her hair affectionately.
"You're still so young, yet you're already talking this big. You'll get scolded if you say stuff like this outside, you know."
Though he teased her lightly, Sato didn't truly believe she was just boasting like a child.
After all, he'd never before encountered anyone who could casually open a twenty-length gap over professional-level opponents without even trying.
Thinking back on their years of hardship, he sighed deeply in mock regret.
"If I'd known earlier you were this strong, I would've had you run in those high-reward races… We might've had an easier life…"
"I didn't want to," Eclipse replied quietly.
"Then it's fine not to," Sato instantly corrected himself.
"So…what do you want to do now? Tracen doesn't require students to race if they don't want to. If you don't feel like it, we can decline every future race invitation..."
Even if Eclipse never raced again, Sato had plenty of talented Uma Musume under his care. Frankly, as long as he managed to last these three years, the money he'd make could sustain both him and Eclipse comfortably for life, even with enough left over to generously support the elderly Uma Musume.
But Eclipse rejected this suggestion.
"No need. I'll just run casually."
She had said the same words before, but now they resonated more clearly.
Indeed—wasn't casually running exactly what she'd done earlier?
Sato pondered deeply, questions rising again: her state of awakening, her current true capabilities, her aversion to racing and live performances, and even how she confidently judged Rudolf and Tazuna as insufficient opponents without even facing them…
But eventually, he just sighed again, tousling Eclipse's hair affectionately.
"After all this, I still can't figure out what's really on your mind."
Dropping his hand, he pulled Eclipse gently into his arms. She responded by tightening her hold around him.
Silence filled the room again, time quietly passing.
Eventually, Sato yawned, glanced at the clock, and poked Eclipse gently, almost asleep in his arms.
"Hey, wake up. It's almost curfew. If you don't head back now, you'll get locked out."
Stirred awake, Eclipse glanced at the clock, then settled back comfortably against him.
"It's okay. I didn't plan on going back."
Sato froze at her words.
"You mean…?"
"Mm. I'll stay here tonight," she confirmed quietly.
"Don't worry. I won't do anything. I've just been living in the dorm too long. I miss you."
"I'll sleep on the couch—"
Eclipse casually produced the familiar green potion from somewhere unknown.
"Sure. Either sleep in the bed with me, or I'll drug you and jump you on the couch. Your choice."
Sato: "..."
"I'll choose the bed."
After washing up and changing into pajamas, Eclipse, having brought no spare clothes, wore Sato's oversized spare pajamas. She got into bed without a hint of embarrassment, waiting for him.
Sato hesitated, sighed, turned off the lights, and joined her. Reaching out in resignation, he pinched her cheek gently.
"Good night."
"Good night," Eclipse softly replied.
Moonlight filled the room. As Sato's breathing slowly evened out in sleep, Eclipse remained awake, quietly watching his sleeping face.
After a long silence, a soft, feminine voice sighed next to Eclipse's ear.
"You know, if you want a rival, just tell him clearly. He'd spoil you anyway. He'd do whatever it takes..."
Eclipse didn't reply. Eventually, the voice, muttering about "two stubborn fools," disappeared into the night.
Afterward, Eclipse quietly leaned in, placing a soft, gentle kiss on Sato's sleeping face.
A little bit of interest, she thought, finally closing her eyes.
The night passed silently.
...
The next morning, Kitahara Sota slowly stirred awake from his sleep.
He vaguely recalled having some kind of dream last night. In it, he was lying on a bed while a blurry-faced woman stood beside him, endlessly chattering in complaints he could only half-understand.
The specific details had already faded, but fragments of phrases stuck—things like "dense idiot," "jump to your death," "you deserve it," "ah, I really want to see little Eclipse dance," and "hey, could you help persuade her for me?"
Was it a nightmare?
Kitahara shook his head, dismissing it, and prepared to get up for his morning routine.
But as he moved, he immediately realized something was wrong.
His body felt heavy.
Moreover, why was there such a huge lump bulging under the blanket in front of him?
Sure, he was experiencing the usual physiological phenomenon typical for men in the morning, but surely his "buddy" wasn't impressive enough to create such a spectacular sight.
That left only one explanation.
Lifting the covers slightly, a certain dark-colored ball shifted gently, then raised her sleepy head.
"Ah…is it morning already?"
"Yeah, time to get up," he said calmly.
"Mmm."
She nodded slightly, starting to rise.
And precisely at that moment, Kitahara realized something disastrous.
Wait—if she gets up from that position right now…!
"Don't move yet!"
Though his reaction was quick, it was still too late.
The black-haired little bundle had already sat up halfway, her back pressing against something sensitive, causing her to pause slightly.
Kitahara laughed awkwardly, explaining hurriedly, "Uh, Eclipse, hear me out—this is perfectly normal…"
Eclipse blinked slowly, her expression perfectly serene as she calmly replied:
"Do you need me to take care of it?"
Kitahara: "…"
"No, no need. Honestly, the biggest help would be if you could just move off me."