Lunar's entire body froze for a split second before snapping back to life all at once, her eyes widening so much it almost hurt as the words echoed in her head far louder than they had any right to be.
"H-huh?!?!!"
Her voice came out high and shaky, completely betraying the sudden storm of thoughts crashing through her mind as heat rushed straight to her face, blooming into a deep, unmistakable blush. She instinctively scooted back, her hands hovering awkwardly in front of her chest as if she didn't know where to put them.
"Y-you… you what?! Are you serious…?"
Validissimus, on the other hand, sat here with a completely composed expression, her face unreadable in a way that only made things worse, because to Lunar, it looked like she had just said something incredibly bold and meant every single word of it.
That only caused Lunar's thoughts to spiral even harder.
"I-I mean… we just met earlier today and um… I don't really know much about you yet and—and I think we should probably be friends first before anything like that—!"
Her words started tumbling over each other in a rush, her voice getting softer and more flustered the longer she spoke as she tried—desperately—to make sense of the situation in her own head.
Validissimus looked at the silver-haired girl in quiet confusion. And then, slowly… very slowly, the meaning behind Lunar's reaction seemed to click into place.
There was a brief moment of silence.
And then—"W-WAIT—NO, NO, SORRY, I DID NOT MEAN THAT—!"
Her composure shattered instantly.
Validissimus's face flushed just as quickly as Lunar's had, if not faster, a deep red spreading across her cheeks as she waved her hands frantically in front of her, her usual intimidating presence completely collapsing into pure panic.
"I DIDN'T MEAN IT LIKE THAT—!"
Lunar froze mid-ramble, her brain struggling to catch up as she stared at the suddenly flustered girl in front of her. "…Huh?"
Validissimus sucked in a breath, clearly trying to gather herself, though the embarrassment still clung to her voice as she forced the words out properly this time.
"I meant— I want you TO train with me!"
There was a pause, a very long pause. And just like that, the misunderstanding died.
"…Oh." The heat on Lunar's face didn't disappear immediately, but it shifted into something far more manageable as she let out a small, awkward exhale, her shoulders relaxing just a little. "Training…?"
Validissimus nodded quickly, still visibly recovering from the misunderstanding as she coughed lightly into her fist, her gaze briefly darting away before returning to Lunar with a more grounded—though still slightly flustered—expression. "Yes. Training."
She straightened up, regaining a portion of her usual presence, though the faint redness on her face betrayed the recent chaos.
"After seeing that second video… I understand now. You're not lacking skill—you're lacking consistency. When you connect with what you're doing, your performance becomes… exceptional."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, not in hostility, but in focus. "And I want to bring that out of you consistently."
Lunar blinked, her earlier embarrassment slowly giving way to curiosity. "…You want to help me?"
Validissimus nodded again, this time more firmly. "Yes. I see potential in you—ridiculous potential, honestly—and it's being wasted because you can't perform outside of your comfort zone. If that weakness is fixed…"
She paused for a moment, her gaze sharpening with conviction. "You would make a perfect umadol."
Lunar stood there quietly, processing the words as her fingers curled slightly at her sides, her expression softening. "…Even though I'm still kind of a mess right now?" she asked.
Validissimus didn't hesitate. "Yes."
"…I see." A small smile tugged at her lips, this one far more natural than anything she had forced earlier during her practice sessions, as she looked back up at Validissimus. "Then… I guess I'll be in your care, Validissimus-san."
Validissimus huffed softly, crossing her arms as she turned her head slightly, though the faint upward curve at the corner of her lips didn't go unnoticed. "…Don't misunderstand. I'm not doing this for you."
Lunar giggled quietly at that, the sound light and warm as it drifted into the night air. "Mmhm, sure you're not."
She was just about to say something else when a small spark of realization crossed her mind, her expression shifting as she let out a quiet, "Ah—"
Validissimus tilted her head slightly at that, the earlier tension already settling into something calmer as she watched Lunar's face change. "What is it?"
Lunar hesitated for only a second before looking back up at her, a little more hopeful now. "I was just thinking… would you want to join me not only for performance training at the studio, but also for field practice? Like, we could train together for races too, I can help you improve your running and you can help me improve my performance, it's a win-win!"
Validissimus simply held Lunar's pale-yellow gaze, as then something softened.
Her mismatched eyes, usually so sharp and cutting, seemed to widen just a little, the intensity melting into something quieter, almost… gentle. It was subtle, but spoke of a thousand things, like she hadn't expected to be invited into something like that so easily.
"…I wouldn't mind," she admitted after a short pause, her voice lower now, but far less guarded than before.
Lunar's face brightened at that, but just as quickly, that light flickered.
"…Ah." Her smile faltered slightly, her gaze drifting off to the side as another thought caught up with her. "But um…I usually train with Rickey, Speedy, Via and…" she paused, just for a fraction of a second, "…Sakura."
The name landed, and things immediately took a turn.
Validissimus's expression changed so quickly it was jarring, the softness from earlier disappearing as her face hardened, her lips pressing into a thin line as her eyes dimmed just slightly. "…Oh."
It was a quiet response, but it carried so much weight and meaning.
The way her shoulders tensed, the way her gaze dropped just a little, the way that earlier openness seemed to close off again—Lunar noticed it all.
"…You don't have to," Lunar said gently, her voice softening as she tried to ease the shift. "I can always make time to train with you separately. I'm not exactly the busiest person around, so it's really not a problem."
Validissimus didn't reply immediately. But after a moment, she gave a small nod, her voice lower now. "…Okay."
It wasn't enthusiastic, but it wasn't rejecting either. And for now, that was enough.
Still, the air between them settled into a strange, lingering silence after that, one that felt heavier than before, like something unspoken was sitting right between them.
Lunar shifted slightly where she sat, her fingers fidgeting together for a moment before she finally spoke again. "…Sorry."
Validissimus glanced at her, a little confused. "For what?"
Lunar shook her head lightly. "I don't know… it just felt like I should say it."
There was a small pause after that, and then she took a quiet breath, gathering just a bit of courage before continuing. "…Can I ask you something again?"
Validissimus studied her for a second, then gave a short nod. "Go on."
Lunar met her gaze this time, her expression careful, but sincere. "What happened between you and Sakura, exactly?"
Validissimus visibly paused at the question, her expression shifting in a way Lunar hadn't quite seen before, like she had been caught off guard in a place she hadn't expected to be touched so directly.
Lunar noticed it immediately, and her shoulders softened a little as she quickly added, "Ah— you don't have to tell me if you don't want to… it's okay, really. It won't change anything about our… uhm…" she hesitated, searching for the right word, "…friendship."
Validissimus raised a brow at that, a faint hint of amusement slipping through despite herself. "Since when are we friends?"
Lunar froze. "…W-we aren't…?" she asked, her voice dropping as her entire body quite literally deflated, her shoulders slumping in the most pitiful way possible as the cutest most natural pout graced her already adorable face.
Validissimus immediately looked away, bringing a hand up to her face, hiding the reaction that threatened to show.
…Dangerous.
That was the only word that came to her mind.
This girl was dangerous.
With that kind of expression alone, she could probably make anyone fold without even trying.
"…That's not what I meant," she muttered, a little too quickly, clearing her throat as she tried to regain control of herself.
Lunar perked right back up at that, her mood recovering almost instantly like a switch had been flipped, and Validissimus had to actively resist the urge to sigh at how easily she had been affected.
"Okay, good," Lunar said, smiling again before continuing, her tone turning a little more thoughtful. "I just… want to understand, I guess. What really made you hate Sakura-chan?"
She paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Because from what I've seen so far… you've been really nice to me, and really sincerely too. So it's kind of hard for me to imagine you acting… that differently with someone else."
Her gaze softened, but there was a quiet seriousness behind it now. "And everyone said that you… mocked her openly."
There was a brief silence before Lunar added, more gently this time, "Why would you do that…? The Validissimus I've been talking to doesn't feel like someone who would do that without a reason."
That question lingered in the air between them. Validissimus didn't have an immediate answer.
She clicked her tongue softly, her gaze drifting away as she folded her arms, her fingers tightening slightly against her sleeves.
"…This is annoying," she muttered under her breath, more to herself than to Lunar.
Lunar didn't interrupt as she simply waited.
Validissimus exhaled slowly, her shoulders rising and falling as she tried to sort through her thoughts, clearly caught between brushing it off and actually answering.
"…It's stupid," she finally said, her tone quieter now, lacking its usual bite. "I was just petty, so you'll probably think less of me if you hear it."
Lunar shook her head immediately, almost before Validissimus had even finished speaking.
"No, I won't," she said firmly, her voice carrying more certainty than before. "I really won't. Everyone makes mistakes, or does things they're not proud of sometimes… that doesn't make them a bad person."
There was no hesitation nor doubt in her words. And somehow, that sincerity chipped away at something Validissimus had been holding onto.
"…You're really annoyingly good with words, you know that?" she muttered, though there was no real hostility behind it at all.
Lunar just smiled softly in response, the expression making her look even more like an angel that descended upon this earth to personally help Validissimus sort out her feelings.
Validissimus let out another breath, longer this time, before finally giving in. "…Fine, I'll fold."
She continued. "…It was a couple of months ago. Right after I transferred here."
—
The hallway had been loud as usual.
Voices overlapping, footsteps echoing, laughter bouncing off the walls that made everything feel open even when there was space to move. Validissimus walked through it with her hands in her pockets, her expression flat, eyes half-lidded as she tuned it all out.
"I didn't know anyone," she murmured, her tone calm but distant. "And I wasn't exactly trying to."
"…You haven't changed much," Lunar whispered lightly.
"Shut up," Validissimus replied automatically, her eyes still somewhere else entirely.
—
She had turned toward the stairwell thinking of very certain keywords.
Up.
Quieter.
Better.
"I just wanted somewhere empty," she said. "So I went to the rooftop."
The steps creaked softly beneath her weight as she climbed, one at a time, the noise of the hallway fading further with each step.
"It should've been empty."
But it wasn't.
The door at the top was already open, just slightly, enough for a sliver of light to spill through the gap.
Validissimus slowed.
"…And then I heard it."
—
"I-I have always been a big fan of yours! P-please go out with me!"
—
Lunar blinked gently at that, while Validissimus let out a quiet exhale through her nose.
"I froze," she admitted. "I was halfway up the stairs and just… stopped when I heard that." Her fingers twitched slightly at her sides. "I knew I shouldn't be there. It wasn't my business."
But she hadn't moved. She had stayed, waiting for a reply.
"…And then?" Lunar asked, curiosity dripping from her.
—
Nothing came after that.
No answer followed. No gentle rejection, no awkward apology, not even a whisper strong enough to carry through the door. Just silence, stretching on and on until it felt heavier than it should have, settling into something tense and deeply uncomfortable.
Validissimus frowned slightly as she recalled it, her gaze lowering just a fraction.
"I think they said something," she added after a moment, her voice quieter now. "But it was too slow… too soft. I couldn't hear it properly."
The words had been there, but they hadn't reached her, slipping past before they could fully form into something she could understand.
And then—
"…the door opened."
—
The sound echoed in her memory.
A girl rushed out, head lowered, raven hair slightly messy, her shoulders trembling as she tried to hold back sobs that refused to stay quiet. Tears streamed down her face as she ran straight past Validissimus without even looking at her.
"I didn't even see her face properly," Validissimus muttered. "Just… the tears."
She clicked her tongue softly. "She was crying hard."
Lunar's expression softened into pity. "…She got rejected…"
"…Yeah."
—
The sound of her footsteps faded down the stairs, along with the quiet, broken sobbing that lingered just a little too long in the air.
Validissimus had stood there for a moment before something caught her eye.
"…She dropped something."
—
She crouched down, picking it up.
It was a folded letter.
Slightly crumpled.
Her eyes scanned it briefly—
—and stopped.
"To: Sakura Farrel."
—
Lunar's gaze flickered at the name, but she didn't interrupt.
Validissimus let out a quiet scoff under her breath. "I recognized it immediately," she said, her tone carrying a faint edge of something she didn't quite bother to hide. "Sakura Farrel… she's not exactly unknown. I've seen her on UmaTube more times than I can count—dance covers, vocal covers… especially the ones where she sings Tokai Teio's songs."
She paused for a moment, her brows knitting faintly.
"…I used to watch them," she admitted, quieter now. "More than once, actually. And… I liked them."
Lunar's lips curved into a small, understanding smile, but she remained silent, letting her continue.
"So when I saw that name, it clicked," Validissimus went on, her voice flattening slightly as she looked down at the letter again. "That girl wasn't confessing to just anyone."
Her fingers curled a little tighter.
"She was confessing to someone she admired. Someone she looked up to."
The weight of that settled between them.
"…That must have been harsh… to be rejected like that…" Lunar murmured softly.
Validissimus's gaze darkened just a fraction, her expression tightening as the memory pulled her back in.
"…And before I could even figure out what I was supposed to do next…" she said quietly.
—
Footsteps reached her first, coming from above.
Her head snapped up on instinct, eyes locking onto the rooftop doorway just as a figure stepped into view.
It was a familiar girl.
Petite, delicate, with pink and white hair that seemed to radiate a fairy-like quality at a glance, the kind of charm that felt fantasy-esque, like she had stepped straight out of the performances Validissimus had watched over and over again online.
…but the expression on her face didn't match any of that.
It was cold.
Flat.
And faintly—irritated.
Validissimus blinked, caught off guard by the disconnect.
"…So that's her…" she muttered under her breath, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
Seeing her like this, in person, felt strange. This was someone she had only ever known through a screen, through carefully framed moments and polished performances—and yet here she was, real and unfiltered, standing only a few steps away.
Sakura didn't greet her.
Didn't acknowledge her.
Didn't even slow down.
She gave Validissimus a single glance—brief, dismissive—and then rolled her eyes before walking straight past her, as if she were nothing more than part of the background.
"…Huh?" Validissimus turned slightly, the reaction delayed, her brows pulling together in quiet disbelief at how effortlessly she had been ignored.
For a moment, she almost let it go.
Almost.
But something in her chest tightened, just enough to push the words out before she could stop herself. "…Excuse me, Sakura-san."
—
Back in the present, Validissimus let out a quiet scoff, her gaze lowering slightly.
"I shouldn't have called out to her," she muttered.
—
Sakura stopped, though not entirely—her steps only slowed before she turned her head slightly over her shoulder, her expression already edged with irritation.
"…What do you want?"
The question came out sharp, her voice low and controlled in a way that carried far more bite than if she had simply raised it.
Validissimus flinched, but only just. She steadied herself, straightening a little as she lifted the letter in her hand.
"I… um…"
She hesitated for half a second, then pushed through it.
"The girl from earlier… she dropped this," she said, holding it out toward her. "I thought you might want to—at least keep it."
Her arm extended, offering it forward.
There was a brief silence as Sakura looked at the letter.
And the expression that crossed her face—
"…Disgust."
—
In the present, Validissimus's jaw tightened slightly, her voice flattening as she spoke.
"She didn't even try to hide it."
—
"Get that thing away from me."
The response came instantly, cold and dismissive.
Validissimus's brows drew together, something hot rising in her chest at the way Sakura referred to it so carelessly.
"…'That thing'?" she repeated, the words slipping out louder than she intended.
"Even if you rejected her, you could at least keep it," she continued, her frustration beginning to show. "That letter has her feelings in it—real, genuine feelings. The least you could do is not treat it like it's worthless."
The air tensed.
Sakura turned fully this time, her gaze settling on Validissimus in silence, her expression unreadable as she held it there for a long, heavy second.
Then, without a word, she reached out.
She took the letter.
Validissimus felt her shoulders ease, just slightly, a quiet sense of relief settling in.
…Good.
At least—
—
Rrrrip.
—
The sound tore straight through the moment.
Sakura split the letter in half without the slightest hesitation, the motion smooth and unthinking, before crumpling the pieces in her hand and letting them fall to the ground like they meant nothing at all.
"…There," she said, her voice flat, completely devoid of emotion. "Those 'genuine feelings' you care so much about."
She turned away again as if nothing had happened.
"Happy now?"
—
Back in the present, Validissimus's fingers curled slightly.
"…And then she just walked off."
—
On the staircase, the torn pieces of paper lay scattered in uneven fragments, some crumpled, others half-folded where they had fallen. And Validissimus stood there, unmoving and silent, her mind going blank for a moment as the image burned itself into her memory.
First came the shock.
Then the anger.
And then… something else. Something she couldn't name at the time, only felt as it settled deep in her chest.
—
"…That's it," she said at last, her voice pulling back into the present, though the edge in it hadn't fully faded.
Lunar stayed quiet for a moment after Validissimus finished, her eyes slightly widened as she tried to piece everything together in her mind, clearly a little overwhelmed by what she had just heard.
"…That's…" she trailed off softly, her brows knitting together. "I… I can't really imagine Sakura-chan being like that…"
There was no accusation in her tone, no attempt to argue against it—just genuine confusion, as if the version of Sakura she knew didn't quite line up with the one she had just been told.
After a small shift in place, she looked back at Validissimus. "Is that… why you dislike her?"
Validissimus shook her head. "…No. That's only part of it."
That answer made Lunar tilt her head, curiosity flickering back into her expression. "…Then what is it?"
Validissimus didn't answer right away. Instead, she leaned back a little and lifted her gaze toward the night sky, her mismatched eyes reflecting faint traces of starlight, deliberately avoiding Lunar's gaze this time.
"…The main reason is something much more petty," she admitted.
Lunar didn't interrupt. She simply waited.
Another breath left Validissimus as she continued, her tone losing more of its edge with each word.
"…I hate that she's everything I want to be."
That made Lunar pause, her expression softening as she tried to understand the contradiction.
"…What do you mean?" she asked gently. "I thought you said you hated her…"
Validissimus let out a quiet, tired sigh, the sound carrying more weight than frustration alone.
"I do," she answered. "But that's exactly why."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she continued, her tone tightening just a little, as though she was forcing the words out instead of letting them sit unspoken.
"She has everything I've ever wanted—the looks, the body, the natural charisma… that kind of effortless charm people are drawn to without her even trying."
Her arms folded around herself, almost unconsciously, as if she needed something to hold onto.
"…She's exactly what I used to imagine I'd grow into when I was younger."
For a moment, she went quiet, her gaze drifting before she spoke again, her voice dipping lower.
"I used to watch her videos before I even came here. The way she performed, the way she carried herself… I admired that. I thought she was amazing."
There was a faint pause, just enough for something to shift.
"But then I saw how she actually is."
The bitterness came through more clearly now, no longer restrained.
"And that's when it started to piss me off."
Her gaze dropped, her expression tightening as the memory resurfaced.
"Because someone like her—someone who has all of that—should understand what it means to people. To fans. To the ones who look up to her."
Her voice sharpened, emotion slipping through more openly this time.
"But she doesn't."
The memory of the torn letter lingered.
"That girl earlier… she didn't just confess to someone she liked. She put everything she felt into that letter. And Sakura didn't just reject her—she treated it like it was nothing."
Validissimus's jaw clenched slightly, the tension in her voice deepening.
"…If I had what she has…" Her voice lowered, but the intensity behind it didn't fade. "I would never treat people like that."
There was conviction in every word.
"Umadols aren't just performers. They carry people's hopes, their admiration, their feelings. Even if you can't return those feelings, you're supposed to respect them… to cherish them, and use them to become better."
Her gaze hardened. "Not throw them away like they're trash."
Lunar listened quietly, letting everything settle into place in her mind, and when she finally spoke, her voice was gentle, steady, and understanding in a way that made Validissimus freeze in place.
"I think I understand now…" Lunar murmured softly, her gaze lowering for a moment as she pieced it together. "You don't just hate Sakura-chan because of what she did… you hate her because she has everything you've ever wanted to be, and then seeing her act like that… it just made it worse."
Validissimus stiffened slightly at how accurately it was said, her eyes narrowing just a fraction, though she didn't interrupt.
"And that's why it feels unfair, right?" Lunar continued, lifting her gaze again, her expression calm but sincere. "Because if you had what she has… you'd never treat people that way."
There was a quiet tension that followed, the kind that lingered just long enough to feel heavy, before Validissimus clicked her tongue and looked away, clearly uncomfortable.
"…So?" she muttered under her breath. "That just makes me sound like a jealous, bitter person."
Lunar blinked once, then immediately shook her head, her response coming out quicker than expected.
"No, it doesn't," she said firmly, her tone carrying a quiet conviction that made Validissimus glance back at her. "It just makes you a normal, breathing, living person."
Lunar shifted slightly, still holding onto her hand without even realizing it, her thumb absentmindedly brushing against Validissimus's knuckles as she continued.
"What you felt makes sense," she went on, softer now. "I don't blame you for that at all."
The tension in Validissimus's shoulders eased just a little at those words, though it didn't completely disappear.
"But…" Lunar added gently.
That single word made Validissimus's expression harden again, her guard instinctively rising.
"…I also think Sakura-chan's actions make sense too."
Validissimus's eyes sharpened instantly, her voice turning colder as she pulled slightly against Lunar's hand, though she didn't fully let go.
"You're saying you agree with her?" she asked, a clear edge in her tone.
Lunar immediately shook her head, a bit too quickly.
"No! No, that's not what I mean," she clarified, her voice soft but urgent, not wanting to be misunderstood. "I don't think what she did was right at all… just like I don't think what you did after your race with her was right either."
That hit its mark.
Validissimus's gaze faltered for a split second, the sharpness in her expression dulling as something quieter—guilt, maybe—slipped through.
Seeing that, Lunar continued, her voice returning to that calm, thoughtful tone. "I just think… every action has a reason behind it," she said, tilting her head slightly. "Like… cause and effect."
She paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up slightly as she added, almost a bit excitedly, "Like what Newton said!"
Validissimus blinked. "…New…ton?" she repeated slowly, her brows knitting together in confusion. "Who is New-tan?"
That earned a small laugh from Lunar, light and unrestrained.
"Not New-tan," she corrected between soft giggles. "Newton. Um… never mind, that part's not important."
Instead of explaining it with words, Lunar suddenly shifted closer and—without warning—tightened her grip, interlocking her fingers with Validissimus's.
"W-what are you doing?!" Validissimus blurted, her entire face flushing red as she instinctively tried to pull back, only to find Lunar holding on gently but firmly.
"Wait, just—focus for a second," Lunar said, completely oblivious to the effect she was having, her tone still soft and earnest. "Can you feel my hand?"
Validissimus hesitated, then, despite herself, gave a small nod. "…Yeah?"
"It's warm, right?" Lunar asked.
"…Yeah," she repeated, quieter this time.
Lunar smiled faintly at that.
"That warmth is because heat is transferring from my hand to yours," she explained simply. "So because I'm warmer, I lose a bit of heat, and you gain it. That's an action and a reaction happening at the same time."
Validissimus didn't respond immediately, her eyes dropping to their intertwined hands as she processed it.
Then—
Lunar suddenly squeezed.
"—!"
Validissimus jolted slightly, her ears twitching as she looked up in surprise.
"W-what was that for?!"
Lunar tilted her head just a little, her expression soft but certain.
"That too," she said. "The force I used to squeeze your hand… you felt it, right? And at the same time, I feel your hand pushing back against mine too."
She gave a small, playful smile. "That's Newton's third law. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction."
Validissimus frowned slightly, her brows knitting together as she processed everything Lunar had just explained, though the confusion on her face didn't quite fade as quickly as the tension had.
"…Yeah, okay, I get that part now," she muttered, glancing down briefly at their hands before looking back up at Lunar. "But what does that have to do with you saying you understand Sakura? That still sounds like you're siding with her."
Lunar let out a small, breathy laugh at that, shaking her head gently.
"I told you already, I'm not agreeing with what she did," she clarified, her tone light but patient. "I just understand why she did it."
Validissimus scoffed at that, crossing her arms as her expression hardened again.
"And what other reason could there be besides her having a terrible personality?" she shot back, clearly unconvinced.
Before she could continue—
—squeeze.
"—AH—?!"
Validissimus flinched hard, her entire body jerking slightly as a sharp yelp escaped her, completely caught off guard by the sudden pressure on her hand.
"Ow—what was that for?!" she snapped, staring at Lunar in disbelief as she instinctively pulled her hand back.
Lunar, however, was smiling. Not her usual soft, absentminded smile—but something… more delicate, yet firmer, carrying a quiet warning beneath it.
"I might be your friend," she said calmly, her voice still soft, but her words landing with the sharpest of edge, "but Sakura-chan is my friend too… and I've known her longer."
There was a brief pause, just long enough for that to sink in.
"So don't talk about her like that in front of me, okay?"
Validissimus opened her mouth to argue, then hesitated… then clicked her tongue and looked away instead, clearly dissatisfied but not pushing further.
"…Fine," she grumbled under her breath, her tone reluctant but compliant.
That seemed to be enough for Lunar, whose expression softened again, as if that brief firmness had never even been there.
"Thank you," she said lightly, before continuing as though nothing had happened.
"…Like I was saying, Sakura-chan isn't the warmest or most approachable person," Lunar admitted, tilting her head slightly. "At least… not to most people."
She paused for a moment, a faint, almost amused smile forming. "…But she's never been someone who goes out of her way to hurt people for no reason."
That made Validissimus glance back at her, the skepticism returning to her gaze, though this time she stayed quiet and listened.
Lunar noticed, and continued. "She's actually talked to me about this before," she added, her voice growing a little more thoughtful. "About her fans… and how much she appreciates them."
Validissimus's expression didn't change—if anything, it grew more doubtful—but she didn't interrupt.
"But at the same time," Lunar went on, her tone softening, "she also said that her popularity started to feel like a… a mark."
"A mark?" she echoed.
Lunar nodded slowly. "She told me that the attention never really stops," she explained. "At first, it felt nice… being supported, being admired… but over time, it became overwhelming."
Her gaze lowered slightly as she recalled the conversation.
"People would come up to her out of nowhere, give her gifts, confess to her, expect things from her… even after she politely turned them down," she said. "And it didn't just happen once or twice. It kept happening."
Validissimus's expression shifted, just a little. "And because of that…" Lunar continued, "she started to feel suffocated."
Suffocated. That word lingered.
"…Suffocated by people she doesn't know," Lunar added quietly, "by expectations she didn't ask for… by feelings she doesn't know how to respond to without hurting someone."
There was a brief pause before she finished.
"So, like any living being with a natural instinct, she started protecting herself."
Validissimus didn't say anything.
"She became more guarded," Lunar went on. "Not just towards the overly pushy fans… but towards everyone she doesn't know well, because to her, any of them could become like that."
Her gaze lifted again, meeting Validissimus's. "That includes what you saw, back then."
Validissimus's expression became far more complicated than before, the sharpness in her gaze now gone as uncertainty crept in, trying to sort through thoughts she had never really allowed herself to fully confront. Her lips parted, like she wanted to say something—anything—but no words came out, and after a moment, she simply closed her mouth again.
Lunar watched her quietly for a second, then spoke again. "…Sakura-chan was really hurt by what you said, you know."
Whatever Validissimus had been about to say vanished completely as her jaw tightened, her eyes dropping just a fraction, as if she didn't quite have it in her to meet Lunar's gaze anymore.
Lunar didn't stop there.
"She told me that it felt like… everything she's worked for was being dismissed," she continued, her tone steady, careful not to sound accusatory, but honest all the same. "Like all her effort, all the time she spent practicing, improving, trying her best… it all got reduced to just her looks."
Validissimus's fingers curled slightly at her sides.
"She said it made her feel like she wasn't worth anything beyond that," Lunar added softly. "And… she was already struggling with that kind of doubt before."
That last part landed heavier than anything else.
Validissimus bit down on her lip, her gaze dropping completely now, guilt written plainly across her face as the weight of her own words finally settled in a way it hadn't before.
"…I see," she murmured, barely audible.
Lunar let the silence sit for a moment before finishing, her voice quiet but certain. "And that's why… I think there were reasons for why Sakura-chan acted the way she did."
The space between them fell into silence again, this time heavier, filled with thoughts neither of them voiced out loud.
After a moment, Lunar's expression softened further, a hint of regret flickering across her face as she noticed how small Validissimus seemed despite her size, how the confidence and intensity she once carried had shrunk into something far more fragile.
"…And that same thing applies to you too," Lunar added gently.
That made Validissimus blink, her expression breaking slightly as she looked up again, confusion mixing with the lingering guilt.
Lunar met her gaze, her voice warm with steadiness.
"You reacted the way you did because of what you've been through," she said. "Because you saw something that hurt you, something that clashed with what you believe in, and because you've spent so long not being able to become the person you wanted to be… all of that built up into how you acted."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"You've felt self-doubt. You've been harsh on yourself. You've wanted something so badly and felt like you were drifting further away from it… those are all things that shape how you respond to the world."
Validissimus didn't interrupt, no, she couldn't.
"Those are actions too," Lunar went on softly, "and they create reactions… just like everything else."
Then, without hesitation—Lunar leaned in. She wrapped her arms around Validissimus.
It wasn't hesitant, and it wasn't awkward. It was simple, natural, and warm, even though the size difference between them made it look mismatched, the smaller girl holding onto someone much larger than her.
Validissimus froze completely.
Lunar's voice came softly from where she rested against her, quiet but steady enough to be felt as much as heard.
"So please… don't blame yourself too much," she murmured, her tone gentle as her arms tightened just a little—not to restrain, but to reassure. "Sometimes things just… happen like that."
She paused briefly before continuing, her voice carrying a quiet sincerity that didn't feel forced.
"We can't always know what someone else is going through, so the best we can do is try to be kind… even when it's hard. And maybe, one day, that kindness will find its way back to them in a way that actually helps."
For a moment, Validissimus didn't move at all, as if her body hadn't quite caught up with what she was hearing. Then, slowly—almost hesitantly—her arms lifted and wrapped around Lunar in return.
The embrace tightened.
It wasn't rough or desperate, but there was weight behind it, something grounding, as though she had found something she didn't want to let go of.
They stayed like that in silence, the sharp edges from earlier softening into something quieter, something warmer. After a while, Validissimus shifted slightly, her voice coming out low, uncertain.
"…I still don't want to train with the others… if Sakura is there."
Lunar's expression softened at that, a faint flicker of sadness crossing her face, though there was no judgment in it. She understood—she really did—and she was just about to say it was okay, that she understood—
—but before she could—
"B-because I'm embarrassed, okay?!"
The words burst out in a small, panicked squeak, so unlike Validissimus's usual voice that it made Lunar feel absolutely baffled.
Validissimus buried her face deeper into Lunar's shoulder, her grip tightening slightly as she mumbled into the fabric, her voice muffled and flustered.
"I… I don't even know how I'm supposed to face her after all that… after everything I said… knowing all of this…"
She paused, her ears twitching faintly. "…It's humiliating."
For a second, Lunar just stood there—and then, slowly, her expression melted into something soft, something warm, and a small smile formed on her lips.
"Hey… it's okay," she said gently, her hand coming up to pat Validissimus's back in slow, reassuring motions. "It doesn't have to be now."
Validissimus didn't respond, but she didn't pull away either.
"We can take it slow," Lunar continued. "Maybe… I can help set it up? Like, arrange a time for you two to talk when you're ready."
She tilted her head slightly, her tone lightening just a bit.
"And I'll talk to Sakura-chan too. She's not completely innocent in all this either… she was a bit too harsh."
That seemed to ease something in Validissimus, just a little.
Her tail flicked faintly behind her, swaying side to side in a slow, uneven rhythm—less like an excited puppy, and more like a large, uncertain wolf trying to settle down.
They stayed like that for a while longer, until the tension in Validissimus's body gradually faded, her breathing evening out as she calmed.
Eventually, they pulled apart.
And for the first time, with nothing in the way, Lunar really looked at her. The sharp, intimidating presence that Validissimus usually carried was gone.
In its place was… something else entirely.
Her eyes were slightly puffy, her expression softened, her usual edge replaced by something vulnerable and fragile—and somehow, despite everything, it made her look…
Ah… how cute.
The thought slipped into Lunar's mind so naturally that she didn't even question it.
"…What?"
Validissimus's voice snapped her out of it, her eyebrows raised as she noticed the way Lunar was staring.
"You're thinking I look ugly right now, aren't you?"
Lunar blinked rapidly, immediately shaking her head. "No! Not at all!" she insisted, a little too quickly, her hands waving slightly as she tried to correct the misunderstanding. "I was just thinking that you look cute—really cute, actually!"
"…You're lying."
"I'm not! You're cute! Seriously, you're really cute—"
Validissimus didn't look convinced in the slightest. Instead, her expression tightened, and after a second of holding it together, she let out a small, defeated huff and covered her face with both hands.
Lunar stared at her for a second… then suddenly laughed. Softly at first. Then a little brighter, slipping out before she could stop it.
And somewhere in that lightness, a mischievous idea sparked.
.Her eyes lit up just slightly as she stood up, nudging Validissimus lightly with her foot. "Come on~ show your face already," she teased, her tone lacking any seriousness now. "It's getting late, we should go."
No response. Validissimus stayed exactly as she was, completely still like a rock.
Lunar tilted her head. "…Oh?" A small grin formed.
"Okay then," she said slowly, her voice taking on a mischievous lilt. "If you're not going to look at me…"
She took in a breath.
"…then I'm going to shout 'Validissimus is cute' as loud as I can—"
"DON'T YOU DARE—!"
Something lunged at her.
In the next instant, Lunar found herself face-to-face with a flustered, teary-eyed Validissimus, one hand firmly clamped over her mouth as the taller girl leaned in, her entire face burning red.
"D-don't say it out loud!" she hissed, her voice panicked.
Lunar blinked… then, very deliberately— "Mmph…" She spoke anyway.
Even muffled behind Validissimus's hand, the word came through.
"…Cute."