A young man and an umamusume walks side by side, the ocean breeze whipping between them as they walked along the coastline, leaving two parallel sets of footprints in the wet sand. For most of the walk, neither spoke. Just the sound of the wave filling the quietness.
But they know this quite moment won't last long.
"Aston..." Takeda called her name.
The umamusume came into a halt, which makes Takeda skipped a few steps ahead before stopping himself and turned around.
"There's something I want to tell you" he said.
Astonishing looked at him in the eyes, her expression looks like she had already anticipated what's it going to be.
"I..."
"Is it about my logs?" She cuts him off.
Takeda's eyes widened. He looked at her at complete shock, he never imagine that his secret would be exposed by the same person he's hiding it from.
"How..." He stared at her, the ocean wind stinging his eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to look away. "How long have you known?"
Astonishing stood her ground, her shirt fluttering softly against the sea breeze. She didn't look angry, nor did she look betrayed.
"Since before we left for the summer camp," she said softly. "I found a folder on your desk and got curious, so I opened it. Sorry, I know it's rude"
"No... I'm the one who should be apologizing. I was hiding it from you. I shouldn't have done that. God, I'm so stupid. I really am a bad trainer"
"You aren not a bad trainer" Astonishing said immediately. "If you are, then you wouldn't be in the central at such a young age. You may be a rookie trainer, but you are an excellent trainer. But when it comes to racing, it call comes down to the umamusume. It's clear that I'm the one who couldn't perform better"
"Stop," Takeda interjected, stepping closer so her shadow overlapped his in the sand. "That's not how this works. You don't get to take the blame for the gap between us."
"The reason why I was thinking to withdraw you from the derby was because I'm scared. You are my first and only umamusume under my care" A few drops of tear flows down. "I know the injury isn't severe, but I just don't want you to retire early. As my first umamusume, you are special"
Slowly, the tension in Astonishing's shoulders melted away. She took a step forward, closing the remaining space between them until she was standing right in front of him. "Is that so?"
"Absolutely!" Takeda wiped his sleeve across his eyes. "If you don't want to run in the Kikuka Sho, fine, we'll take another race. Please, just keep running with me"
Astonishing looked at him. His eyes shows only determination.
She remembered what her shadow self had told her in her dream. An impostor, stealing someone else's identity for their own gain. A phony.
If she truly were a fake... if she were just an anomaly playing dress-up in someone else's life... then why did her chest ache like this? Why did the sight of her trainer's tears hurt more than any defeat on the track?
The shadow was wrong. She wasn't just stealing a life, she was living it. She had bled, sweat, and run alongside him. Their bond wasn't built on a lie, it was forged in the track.
Astonishing took a slow breath, letting the sharp sea air clear away the lingering darkness of the nightmare. A faint, genuine smile touched her lips.
"I won't stop running with you" she said softly.
She took a small step closer, her bare feet pressing firmly into the cool, wet sand as a gentle foam from the tide washed around their ankles. She reached out, her fingers closing firmly around his wrist to gently pull his hand away from his face.
"If trainer is willing to go that far for me, then I will do the same" he gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
Takeda blinked, momentarily caught off guard as her hand closed on his. Her hand is soft and warm, it felt nice to hold.
"Let's do our best" She gave his hand one last firm, before letting go.
Takeda took a deep breath, wiping away the remaining moisture from his eyes with the back of his hand. "...Yes!"
Astonishing turned her gaze out toward the vast expanse of the ocean. "Well... since the day is still young..."
A small wave come crashing into the beach, and when it hit her feet...
SPLASH
The sea water splashed directly onto Takeda's shirt and trousers, soaking it them. Takeda gasped at the sudden chill, blinking in total shock as droplets dripped from his chin. He looked down at his soaked shirt, then snapped his gaze up to Astonishing.
She was standing right where she had kicked, her bare feet buried slightly in the wet sand. Her horse ears were perked forward, and while her posture remained as composed as ever, there was an unmistakable, playful spark in her eyes and a mischievous grin tugging at the corner of her lips.
"That's for keeping secret behind my back," she said
Takeda stared at her for a second, the heavy emotion from moments ago completely evaporating into the salty air. A sudden, unstoppable laugh burst out of his chest.
"Oh, so that's how it is?" Takeda grinned, wiping a drop of salt water off his nose. "A surprise attack?"
Before she could step back, Takeda took a quick step into the shallow tide and kicked a wave right back at her, sending a shower of sea foam spray across her.
Astonishing gasped in surprise, her ears flicking back as the cool spray hit her, but her laugh quickly joined his.
At last, the relationship between the two has gotten better.
Meanwhile, Trainer Okino watches as the two plays with the water from afar.
"Aahhh..... youthful energy"
He leaned casually against a weathered wooden fence post, taking a slow sip from a canned coffee he'd bought at the vend as he watched the two splash water back and forth like children.
"Right? Trainer"
He almost choked on his coffee upon the sudden appearance of umamusume that resembles a carrot.
"Y-yeah... right"
The carrot umamusume won't leave his side and keep following him around until the end of the day.
.
.
.
"Fuohhh....!" Haru Urara landed face first into the futon, the futon is thick, soft, and smooth because it has been washed and dried when everyone is away. "Ah, so soft..."
The interior of the room smelled faintly of sunshine, laundry soap, and scented shampoo. The futons had been airing out under the bright summer heat all afternoon, absorbing every bit of warmth before being neatly laid out across the tatami mats.
"Honestly, you're going to get all that softness away if you keep rolling around like that" An umamusume with wavy brown hair and a pair of blue ear covers watches as Urara rolling on her futon from the hallway.
"Ehehe, but King, it feels so warm!" Urara rolled back over, her hair sticking up in messy tufts as she grinned up toward the open sliding door. "You should try it! The sun is still trapped inside!"
King Halo crossed her arms, leaning against the wooden frame of the doorway with an exasperated sigh, though her lips twitched upward despite herself. "I shall do no such thing. I have an image to uphold afterall"
"Well then, I'm going to my room. Don't cause troubles for other because I'm not here" Too bad for King Halo, she was assigned in another room, right beside this time.
'She acts just like a mother' Astonishing thought.
Astonishing had just finished her bath, a small towel resting across her shoulders as she watches the scene. She lets out an amused breath before entering the room.
"Aston-chan! Look, look!" Urara cheered from the floor, propping herself up on her elbows with her feet kicking happily in the air. "The futons are like giant fluffy marshmallows"
"I can see that," Astonishing said softly. She knelt down, setting her toiletries aside. Her dark hair was still slightly damp, resting over her shoulders. She took out a hair dryer from her bag and begins drying her hair.
"Whoa... Aston-chan! Your hair looks shiny! It looks really soft too!"
Her hair is always tied, but it's actually long and straight. She radiates a different kind of charm with her hair down.
The same applies to Urara since she always tied her hair too, or to be more precise, King Halo tied it for her.
"Is that so?" Astonishing murmured, running her fingers through the long, silken strands as the warm air swept through them. "Hmm... yeah, I've been letting it grow for a long time. Maybe I should cut it?"
"Nooo! I want to see you with long hair!"
Astonishing went silent for a moment, a little surprised. "I suppose there is a certain freedom to letting it down at the end of the day,"
"Can I touch it? Can I brush it?!" Urara bounced over on her knees, sitting right behind Astonishing with a huge, pleading grin. "Please, please? I wanna brush the hair!"
"All right," Astonishing said softly, switching off the dryer and setting it on the tatami mat beside a hairbrush. "Just be gentle,"
"Yay! Leave it to me!" Urara cheered, taking the brush and begin brushing her hair eagerly.
For someone who needs someone else to take care of her own hair, Urara is definetly good when brushing Astonishing's hair. Astonishing closed her eyes, letting the pink girl take care of the matter.
It has been so long since someone brushed her hair, it feels nice.
"All done!" Urara declared with a triumphant grin, setting the hairbrush down. "Look, look! It's super shiny!"
Astonishing opened her eyes and reached back, letting the smooth, cool strands slide through her fingers. Not a single knot remained.
"Thank you" Astonishing said.
Urara flopped backward directly onto her fluffy futon, starfacing against the soft cotton with a heavy, happy sigh. "Ahhh... now I'm super sleepy for real."
Just as she said that, two figures entered the room. Rice Shower stepped into the room first, clutching a small basin against her chest. Her dark hair was still slightly damp at the tips, and her usual purple hat was nowhere to be seen. Right behind her came Narita Top Road, casually towel-drying her hair.
"Ah... that was a nice bath isn't it?" Said Top Road.
"Ah! Aston-san!" Top Road blinked, her horse ears perking straight up in genuine surprise and delight. "Your hair... wow! It's so shiny"
Rice turned her head to see it too. "It's... really beautiful, Aston-san."
It's not their first time seeing Astonishing with her hair loose, but yesterday she wash her hair with only water, so it's not as shiny as it is now.
Astonishing felt a subtle warmth rise to her cheeks. "Is that so? I made sure to dry it thoroughly tonight... and Urara was kind enough to brush it out for me."
"Ehehe~ I'm a professional hair-brusher now!" Urara muffled proudly from where her face was buried squarely into her futon, raising one arm in a weak, triumphant fist. "King's lessons paid off!"
"Well I think you look more charming with your hair loose" Top Road agreeds with Rice Shower.
"Aston-san also looks different tonight. Rice feels like Aston-san's mood is lighter and... happier too."
Astonishing blinked, caught off guard by Rice's sharp intuition. "Well, let's just say something good happened"
The sliding screen rustled open once more, and Dorazora stepped inside, a towel draped loosely over her shoulders and her white hair still damp from the bath.
"Something good happened?" Dora repeated, tilting her head slightly as her horse ears twitched forward with quiet curiosity. A wicked grin appeared on her face. "What is it? What is it? Is it about your trainer? I saw you both coming back with damp clothes. Are you two playing water? My my... so romantic~~"
Astonishing's horse ears instantly pinned flat against her head, a deep, crimson flush rapidly spreading all the way to the tips of her ears. "It-it was nothing of the sort! We were just... settling a minor disagreement!"
"A disagreement that required getting soaked from head to toe?" Dora teased, stepping further into the room and setting her toiletries basin down with a sly chuckle.
"Playing with water?!" Urara sat bolt upright, all sleepiness instantly vanishing. "Then Why didn't you call us?!"
"Hmm... it's undeniable that you are in a really good mood" Top Road said.
"Rice agrees with Top Road-san"
"Even you?!" Astonishing groaned, "Please... stop teasing me."
Before anyone could say another word, a knock rattled the paper sliding door connecting to the hallway.
"I can hear an entire gossip circle through this wall!" The door slid open with a sudden, decisive snap, revealing Hishi Amazon standing in the doorway. "You should all go to sleep already. Training starts tomorrow!"
The room went silent immediately.
Astonishing let out a sigh as she pulled her blanket, ready to sleep.
'There's still something I need to find out'
Then she closes her eyes.