The Tracen Academy training ground buzzed with activity as several dozen Uma Musume galloped across the kilometers-long track under the instructors' supervision.
They ran freely, sweat glistening on their skins.
Watching them, Sunday Serenity was reminded of those young boys and girls striving passionately in their youth, igniting the fire of life during their most proud years.
"I'm gonna be number one in Japaaaaan!!!"
One Uma Musume dashed past. Her body was clearly exhausted, but driven by an unyielding spirit, she pushed through the final lap. The moment she crossed the finish line, she collapsed onto the track, lying back on the damp grass, greedily gulping down every precious ounce of air.
She wasn't alone; every Uma Musume present shared the same goal.
To achieve victory in their races.
'How fascinating,' Sunday Serenity mused. 'For that one special throne, all these Uma Musume vie with each other, pouring their hearts out. They burn with passion, chasing dreams and shadows. Even just watching from afar, you can feel their radiant, overwhelming determination.'
Due to some unexplained commotion, the Student Council and the Disciplinary Committee were in an uproar, rummaging through every room in the school. Left with little choice, Sunday Serenity sought refuge on the rooftop for some peace and quiet.
This suited her just fine. Basking in the gentle breeze and overlooking the training Uma Musume below, she listened as Sunday Silence chatted away beside her.
"It's like human adolescence—the most dazzling, brilliant, yet mistake-prone time of one's life."
"Every Uma Musume goes through a similar period, which we call 'Maturation' or 'Peak Conditioning.' During this time, a Uma Musume experiences a once-in-a-lifetime rapid growth phase. Her potential and abilities reach their zenith. For them, this period represents the peak of their lives."
"How many peaks does a life have? And how many of those peaks are free of regrets?"
Sunday Silence laughed softly. "If you were given a choice, would you spend your most glorious era in obscurity, or would you become a shooting star, streaking across the sky, etched into everyone's memory like history itself?"
Their sweat dripped down their cheeks, shimmering under the sunlight like gems buried deep within the earth.
'My other half…' Sunday Silence's voice turned towards Sunday Serenity, drawing closer. 'I feel a fateful encounter in you.'
"Can you tell me what you were thinking when you first saw me?" Sunday Silence whispered by her ear.
Was it surprise? Confusion?
Attachment? Admiration?
Why are you looking at me with such an intense gaze?
What is it about me that draws you in?
Tell me.
She waited for an answer.
Down on the training field, the Uma Musume were gradually leaving. Manhattan Cafe's eyes scanned the area anxiously until they found the dark silhouette on the rooftop, and only then did she relax with a sigh.
Everyone was acting for their own ideals.
Watching them, Sunday Serenity fell into thought for a moment.
"Envy," she answered.
"Envy?"
"Yes. When I first saw you, my initial feeling was envy. Your expression, your eyes, your aura… they captivated me deeply."
"Hah, interesting! For the soul of a youth in his prime, your emotions are quite novel. Can you tell me why it wasn't the obvious attraction to looks, but a yearning for a deep, restrained aura?"
Faced with Sunday Silence's question, Sunday Serenity remained silent for a long while. Finally, the other took her hand, fingers pressing into her palm. Prompted, Sunday Serenity spoke.
"Because I want to become a cool person."
"…"
"…"
"That's it?"
"Mhm."
After a moment, Sunday Serenity heard a stifled chuckle, which quickly grew into full-blown laughter. Soon, Sunday Silence was holding her stomach, laughing with a clear, bell-like sound that didn't match her usual voice.
"Ha, hahaha! Too funny, that's just too funny."
"This is exactly why I didn't want to say it! Is it really that hilarious?"
Ahem. "Sorry," Sunday Silence took a deep breath. "I expected some far-fetched reasons—like a lover from a past life, a deceased companion, an object of admiration. Even simply fitting your type would have been within my expectations. But I never thought… it'd be so pure."
She caught her breath. "'Cool'? Just 'cool'? You thought I was cool?"
"My dream is to become a mature and cool person. And you happen to embody both."
"So that's why you were staring at me dumbfounded? Not a bad reason at all."
"Pretty childish, right?"
"Not at all. The simpler the wish, the harder it is to achieve. Your wish is utterly simple, and thus, utterly difficult."
Sunday Serenity turned her head away. She didn't deny it.
"Though I hate to dampen your spirits, my other half, as you are now, you don't quite meet the conditions for being 'cool'."
"Is that so…"
Sunday Serenity's heart tightened slightly. Just as Sunday Silence said, even with identical faces, when she looked in the mirror, she couldn't see Sunday Silence's reflection in herself.
Aura—that intangible, immeasurable quality—seemed to reveal the soul deep within the flesh.
No matter how dazzlingly a nouveau riche dresses up, they can't mimic the innate, cultivated restraint of an aristocrat born into old money.
That's the difference in aura. The difference in soul.
Or perhaps, the difference in their inner selves.
So Sunday Serenity envied her. Not her looks, but that aura of Sunday Silence's that seemed to look down on everything, supremely confident, and utterly unrivalled.
What kind of beating heart lay within her chest?
Without understanding that, even if she spent eternity, day after day, Sunday Serenity felt she would never comprehend it.
Just as despondency set in, an unseen, soft hand lifted her chin.
"Don't make that face. If you're sad, I'll feel sad too."
She guided Sunday Serenity's gaze back to the training ground.
"In your eyes, how are they? Those Uma Musume running on the track—do you think they're burning with youth, striving with all their might? Or are they wasting their time, compelled by circumstances?"
Sunday Serenity's ears twitched involuntarily.
"Can't deny it… I think people who strive for their dreams are really dazzling…" she muttered.
"Then in your eyes, are they 'cool'?"
"…"
"Let's just say… they exceed expectations…"
"I see. Now I have an idea."
"An idea of what?"
"We two are really quite alike." Sunday Silence lowered her hand. "Go for a run. Tonight, under the starlight and moonlight, you and Manhattan Cafe should go for a good, hard run."
"A run? But I'm not good at running."
"You won't know until you try. Don't forget who you are."
"After trying… will I know the answer then?"
"Trust me." Sunday Silence tapped a fist lightly against Sunday Serenity's chest. "When the time comes, it'll definitely make you grow colorful wings—"
--+--
"Teio, I'm turning off the light?"
In the dorm room, a girl with long orange hair spoke.
"Don't turn it off! There's a ghost! There's a ghost in the school!" Tokai Teio was huddled under her blanket, curled into a ball, with only a few stray strands of hair sticking out.
The scene drew a helpless sigh from Tokai Teio's roommate.
Ever since returning to the dorm, she'd been hiding under there, trembling as if pursued by some monstrous beast.
"Teio, you've been reading too many ghost stories. I told you to watch fewer scary movies; they give you nightmares."
"No, it can't be a nightmare! I saw it clearly, those terrifying hands… Eek! Don't make me remember it!"
A muffled shriek came from under the covers; she seemed determined not to come out.
The orange-haired girl shrugged, then opened her laptop to browse for newly released films.
'Well, if the light's on, I can't sleep anyway. Might as well use this time to have some fun.'
--+--
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!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.