An Invitation.
Symboli Rudolf had spoken her piece, and now it was Platinum's turn to share hers.
So, what was going through Platinum's mind? Was she going to lay everything out, or would she cling to her stubbornness and continue to wallow in her gloom?
Two conflicting emotions were tearing at Platinum's soul. All she needed was that one final push, the last straw that would tip the scales.
"Symboli Rudolf, before I answer, can you answer one question for me?"
Platinum looked at the hand Symboli Rudolf had extended toward her and spoke softly.
"Ask away. I'll hold nothing back."
"What do you think a person is made of?"
...Well, that was unexpected.
Symboli Rudolf blinked, thinking to herself, 'This isn't right—we're supposed to be having a heart-to-heart, not diving into existential philosophy.'
What on earth goes on in kids' heads these days? At her age, all I thought about was eating, sleeping, running, and racing. How did you end up so different?
I thought you were an Asuka, but it turns out you're a Shinji?
Just as Symboli Rudolf was about to reply, she paused.
Let me say it again: in the short time Symboli Rudolf had known Platinum, she could already tell this was a twisted, sensitive, and gloomy kid.
For a girl like that, it wasn't strange for her to be dwelling on things more than most.
And at this stage of her life, while her personality and worldview were still forming, she lacked the experience to shoulder the weight of those deeper thoughts—which inevitably led to this kind of confusion.
It might seem ridiculous from my perspective, but to Platinum, it mattered deeply.
Symboli Rudolf nodded to herself, convinced she was born to be a teacher.
"To be honest, I don't know," Symboli Rudolf answered plainly.
"I could borrow ideas from philosophers and lay out a dazzling array of answers for you. But that would just be preaching, wouldn't it? Not the answer you're looking for."
"If I had to say, based on my own humble thoughts—what really sets us apart from the beasts and birds?"
She pointed at the sparrows chirping noisily by the park. "Compared to them, we're smarter. We have emotions, we have purpose in life. That's what you might call a soul."
"So, my answer is: a body, a soul, and a meaning that lasts a lifetime. That is what makes a person."
"Even if the body is destroyed, and existence as a person ends, you only give it a third of the importance?" Platinum followed Symboli Rudolf's gaze to the sparrows chattering in the tree, chirping tirelessly day and night.
"Even if the body is wracked with sickness, as long as the soul yearns to run and the purpose remains unshaken, one can rise from the ashes like a phoenix. Isn't that what it means to be an Uma Musume?"
Symboli Rudolf turned her head with a smile, her eyes looking past the dimly lit park, past the tightly packed steel forest of the city, as if gazing upon a vast racetrack.
A track that was endless, ceaseless, infinite. If you wished, you could follow its path and run all the way to the sun.
In that moment, Platinum felt an inexplicable shudder.
Her teeth chattered lightly, and she felt as if her very soul was trembling.
Along the track Symboli Rudolf had pointed out, she saw endless, boundless things—a great road where space and time stretched infinitely.
She saw ancient Greek warriors running, Homo sapiens sprinting across grasslands, cheetahs in pursuit, dinosaurs chasing, even arthropods leaping.
Stretching from now all the way back to the beginning of life, when living things first stepped from the ocean onto land, when evolution gave them limbs called legs—
The concept of running was born.
An instinct embedded in our genes, passed down for hundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions of years.
As long as we can still run, then our existence as living beings is not without meaning.
As long as we can still run…
Running isn't just for chasing, or not merely for fleeing. It's because…
"I understand. Thank you."
Platinum stood before Symboli Rudolf, her hands clasped behind her back.
Then, stiffly, shyly, yet resolutely, she pressed her lips together and offered a faint smile.
"I'm sorry, President. I still can't tell you."
"But it's not your fault. I'm very satisfied with your answer. Very satisfied."
"Thank you, President. I won't ask such questions again. Because I've already found the standard answer."
Even if only one day, one hour, one minute of life remains—
As long as I can keep running.
Then it's worth it.
"I will run. I'll keep running, I'll run faster and faster, and I'll run in more and more races."
She would never again entertain those weak, self-destructive thoughts.
"I will become an Uma Musume. I'll become an Uma Musume that no one can look away from."
They say Cao Cao's beloved steed was named Shadowless, so fast not even its shadow could keep up.
I'll grow faster and faster. In three years, I'll strive to keep running along this evolutionary path that has existed for tens of millions of years.
"I'll run faster than my own shadow."
So fast that illness can't catch up to me.
"I'll run faster than time."
I'll imprint the moment of my run into everyone's minds, unforgettable for all eternity.
"I'll run faster than light."
Let me be the one to test it—the three elements that make a person: body, soul, and meaning.
When the body is broken, let's see how far a person can go with the remaining two. I'll be the one to find out.
"...President, please remember my name—"Facing Symboli Rudolf, Platinum placed one hand on her hip and flashed a peace sign with the other, her smile radiant. "I'm Centaurea. I am Platinum."
"Someday, everyone will know my name. Someday, when people hear 'Platinum,' they won't think of a precious metal—they'll think of me!"
Would she rather die like a rat, hiding in the shadows of the streets?
Or blaze like a firework, brief but dazzling?
Standing on this path of life, Platinum Centaurea took her first step.
Platinum's intensity left even Symboli Rudolf stunned. She could feel it—this child was fundamentally different from other Uma Musume.
It was a difference in conviction and resolve. Compared to her, the level of determination wasn't even close.
Symboli Rudolf didn't know exactly what thoughts her words had sparked in Platinum, but one thing was crystal clear.
A Phoenix had been reborn from the ashes.
--+--
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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.