Things had been strange lately.
You'd think that more excitement would follow after Oguri Cap and Blossom Star took home both the Undefeated Triple Crown and Triple Tiara. Japan certainly couldn't get enough, and the newspaper was dominated both by their achievement and their upcoming bout against one another during the [Japan Cup].
The same couldn't be said for their own team though.
It began small. At first, it was Star who didn't seem all that enthused, but that wasn't surprising. Star had always been calm, and the [Japan Cup] was coming up—maybe she was just resting or mentally preparing herself. But then, one day, she came to their scheduled team meeting with an expression that was beyond fake, the smile she wore completely plastic. Kitahara had called her out on it, but Star had remained quiet.
Then, it was Musaka-san. Clearly Star had talked to him after Kitahara called her out, but whatever it was he heard, it made the usual temperamental man quiet, almost pensive. For the first time in a while, Musaka was weary, looking years older than he was.
Then it was Oguri. It wasn't noticeable, but she'd been with Oguri for over a year now, and she could see that something had changed. A day later, she'd seen Oguri running at the field in silence, and even ignoring her when she called out. But it was there that she'd seen Oguri's eyes, and she'd been shocked to see the anger in her eyes, as if she'd been personally slighted.
And now, just days before the [Japan Cup], both Star and Oguri were out doing…something. It didn't seem to be one of their usual dates, considering the determined expressions the two held, but whatever it is, Musaka-san refused to explain.
Which only left her and Kitahara as the only one in the dark.
Kitahara sighed as he flopped onto the couch. "Man, talk about unfair…" He whispered, pulling his cap over his eyes. "Does Roppei-san think I'm a kid or something?"
Belno giggled weakly as she sat down as well. "Well, Musaka-san is older than us all, so maybe he does."
Kitahara hummed as he glanced at her. "But I'm surprised—I've never seen Oguri look like that before."
Belno nodded slowly. "Yeah." She pursed her lips. "She looks…angry."
She'd be lying if she said she wasn't slightly hurt by all the secrecy, but she understood. If Star had only shared with Musaka and Oguri, then it was probably something pretty serious. More than that, she'd never seen Star look so determined before. She'd never looked like that, not even before the [Queen Elizabeth II Cup].
Blossom Star wasn't lazy—far from it! But Star had always been more reactionary. For her to actively do something-
"It's not just them, y'know?"
"Eh?"
Kitahara's brows furrowed as he recalled something. "We had our weekly meeting with Director Akikawa just yesterday." He frowned, slightly confused. "She's always been energetic, but this time she seemed almost…" He paused for a moment, unsure of the exact words to use. "I don't know, but she looks like she's preparing to go to war or something."
…Now that he mentioned it,
"I think Maruzensky-senpai also knows." She said after a moment. "A few days ago, she asked me what we plan to do once we become Seniors." She pursed her lips. "Specfiically if Star has any plans on going overseas."
And more than that, the way Maruzensky-senpai had asked it was strange. The usually carefree uma was cautious when she asked that, yet also excited. Almost as if some old dream of hers was finally coming true.
Kitahara's eyes widened slightly. "And since Maruzensky-san knows something, then Symboli-san probably does as well." He sucked a sharp breath. "And if both the director and the student council know something-"
"It has to be big." Belno finished, her eyes wide with awe.
Kitahara gulped. "...yeah." He then paused for a moment, thoughtful. And then his eyes suddenly widened. "I don't think this is the first time I've seen Star like that."
Belno blinked. "It isn't."
"Yeah." He smiled fondly. "Didn't she also look like that during the [Chukyo Cup]?"
Her thoughts ground to a halt, and the realization followed soon after. Kitahara wasn't wrong; this indeed wasn't the first time Star had looked this determined. It'd just been so long ago that she just forgot.
She remembered now. Back then, during the days leading up to the [Chukyo Cup], Star had been tense, with the URA Rulebook never too far away. She knew now that Star had been reading through the URA rules, preparing for the time when Rudolf would attempt to bring Team Kitahara to Central.
And at that, whatever feelings she had regarding the whole thing evaporated, and Belno simply smiled. "Then it's okay, isn't it?" She said, smiling softly.
"Yeah." Kitahara agreed, his smile fond.
Because they both knew;
Blossom Star was the one that brought Team Kitahara together. She was the one who fought the hardest. Even when things seemed impossible, even when faced with rules that were as solid as steel, Star would always tackle it head-on with determination if it meant saving another.
Blossom Star was their team's Hero.
Kitahara chuckled as he stood up. "Well, we can only watch and see what insane plan she's cooking up." He had a grin as he pulled his cap down. "Since we can't do anything but wait, why don't we go and get some honey drinks?" He winked. "It'll be my treat."
Belno smiled back. "Why don't we get March as well?"
Kitahara gave her a thumbs up. "Of course! The more the merrier!" His grin then turned wry. "Assuming she even wants to go."
Belno laughed weakly as she scratched her cheek. Getting March to agree to that would probably be the hardest thing. She was always so focused, and after seeing how strong Oguri and Star was, March was even more determined to catch up. "W-Well, we can always try?"
Kitahara nodded sagely. "Absolutely." He grinned. "Alright, let's go!"
"Yes!"
.
.
.
The cocktail gently bubbled, formed by the slowly melting cubes of ice. The lights were soft and dim, and with the jazz softly playing from the speaker in the corner, it created an almost intimate atmosphere inside the bar.
At one of the seats was Musaka Ginjirou, his expression pensive, his ordered martini completely untouched. There was no one else in the bar aside from him and the bartender. The bartender, sensing that Musaka's mood was different than usual, opted to stay silent.
Then, the doorbell rang, and in came a woman dressed entirely in green.
"I apologize for being late, Musaka-san."Hayakawa Tazuna said as she sat down on the seat next to him.
Musaka hummed. "It's fine. I haven't been here long." He then glanced at the bartender, and he nodded as he went back to prepare another martini for his new customer. "Sorry for calling you. You must be busy."
Tazuna gently shook her head. "I can spare the time, Musaka-san." She smiled. "It's been quite some time since we last sat together, hasn't it?"
He grinned slightly. "I guess so, yeah." He then glanced at her leg, his eyes narrowing. "How's your leg?"
Tazuna paused for a moment, before her expression fell slightly. "...they have, yes."
"I see."
Silence fell between them, filled with a lifetime of regrets. They'd just been too slow back then, too unprepared to deal with what had come.
Time was never the kindest to folks like them.
The bartender soon returned with another glass, and Tazuna muttered a soft thank you as she received the glass of martini. She watched silently as the cubes of ice bobbed across the surface.
Musaka watched her for a moment, before he sighed. "How confident are you?"
"In what, Musaka-san?"
He stared at her. "You know what I'm talking about."
Tazuna went quiet, before she took a small sip. "Akikawa-san hasn't ever stopped pursuing her dreams, even if it seems impossible." She smiled fondly, remembering that promise she made after what Tazuna had gone through all those years ago. "It is her that built Tracen, after all."
He hummed. That wasn't strictly true—the director's mother had been the one to do that. But he supposed that was just semantics. After all, Tracen Central had been the director's dream.
"Trust in them, Ginjirou." Tazuna continued. "Blossom-san and Akikawa-san are quite similar in that respect." She turned to him, smiling softly. "I'm sure Blossom-san knows how impossible things may be, but that won't stop her." She closed her eyes. "After all, she hasn't ever let URA's rules stop her, and this time will be no different."
…
"I know."
Of course he trusted Star. This wasn't the first time he'd seen her throw a hail-mary like this. Her brazen confidence in confronting the Emperor herself was what made him follow her plan back then, and the same had happened again this time. And all this, just for a single person.
He smiled.
Star was positively insane, but it was people like her that would go on to change the world.
So, feeling a youthful excitement bubbling in his chest, he raised his glass towards her. "Let's hope she doesn't burn this country down, yeah?"
Tazuna smiled as she lifted her own glass. "Don't worry. Akikawa-san will be there to ensure that doesn't happen."
He snorted. "As if. She'll probably just add more fuel to it."
She giggled. "Perhaps."
They clinked their glasses together.