Seiun Sky cried in her arms for a long time, as if pouring out every drop of suppressed grievance and frustration.
Her tears soaked the fabric of Myriad Dreams' chest, leaving a faint, cool dampness.
It wasn't until her cries faded into tiny hiccups that she slowly looked up. Her eyes and the tip of her nose were flushed red, and she gazed at Myriad Dreams with misty eyes.
Her voice carried the hoarseness and uncertain fragility that follows a long cry.
"Next time... can I still lean on you like this?"
Myriad Dreams did not hesitate for a second.
Using her fingertips, she gently wiped away the tear tracks from the corners of Sky's eyes, and responded with her tone tender and firm.
"Of course you can. We're friends, after all."
Hearing those words, Seiun Sky finally seemed to find complete peace of mind.
Her face flushed slightly as she leaned back into Myriad Dreams' embrace— this time fully and wholeheartedly— whispering softly, "Mhm..."
Myriad Dreams said nothing more. She simply stroked the other's soft hair with rhythmic, gentle motions, letting the silence and warm trust flow between them.
The setting sun stretched their embracing shadows long across the ground, lasting until the final glow of twilight faded from the horizon.
That night, by the time Myriad Dreams returned to her dorm, the moon was already bright and clear.
The moment she pushed open the door, her footsteps faltered.
The main lights weren't on, only a desk lamp cast a dim, amber halo across the room.
Yaeno Muteki was sitting in the shadows at the edge of the bed. Her sharp eyes looked up through the darkness, locking onto her with precision.
"You're back." Muteki's voice was calm, yet it carried the low-pressure weight of an approaching storm.
She stood up and walked toward Myriad Dreams.
Her pace wasn't fast, but it carried an invisible sense of pressure.
As she drew closer, her nostrils flared imperceptibly, and her originally calm expression soured instantly.
"Myriad Dreams," her voice turned several degrees colder, laced with undisguised displeasure. "You have... the scent of another girl on you."
Myriad Dreams' heart skipped a beat.
She instinctively tried to step back, but Muteki was a step ahead, grabbing her wrist.
The grip wasn't heavy, but it was enough to ensure she couldn't easily pull away.
"It's Seiun Sky, isn't it?" Muteki leaned close to the side of her neck, sniffing again as if confirming her territory.
Her warm breath brushed against the skin, yet it sent a shiver down Myriad Dreams' spine.
A thick wave of resistance and dissatisfaction swirled in the depths of Muteki's eyes.
"I went to comfort her a bit... after all, she was very sad about losing the race," Myriad Dreams said, turning her head to avoid that overly sharp gaze.
She spoke the truth, though her voice inevitably carried a hint of guilt.
She knew perfectly well that Muteki had always harbored a strong sense of resistance toward her being too close to other Umamusume.
This almost possessive desire, usually a hidden undercurrent, was now laid bare under the lamplight.
"Comfort?" Yaeno Muteki repeated the word, her tone full of doubt and bitterness.
She placed her other hand on Myriad Dreams' waist, pulling the distance between them even tighter, so close they could almost feel each other's breathing.
"Do you need to be so close that her tears and scent cover your entire body just to 'comfort' her?"
Myriad Dreams was momentarily speechless. Seeing her guilty expression, Muteki's eyes grew even darker.
"It seems I need to make sure you remember..." Muteki's voice dropped low, carrying a certain dangerous intent, "...who the person closest to you is."
Before the words had fully landed, she lowered her head.
With a touch of punishment, she bit down, not too hard, but not too light, on the side of Myriad Dreams' neck, leaving a clear mark.
Myriad Dreams hissed in a breath, her body trembling slightly, yet she didn't push her away.
When Yaeno Muteki finally spoke the words, "Myriad Dreams, you're too much of a flirt," her voice held no sharp accusation.
Instead, it carried a faint, nearly undetectable tremor of grievance, like a small bird with rain-soaked feathers.
Myriad Dreams froze at the sound.
She could feel that the grip on her wrist wasn't actually heavy, it felt more like an instinctive plea for her to stay, born of a fear that she might turn and leave.
"Muteki?" Myriad Dreams softened her voice, her tone filled with both questioning and concern.
Sensing the softening of Myriad Dreams' attitude, the emotions Muteki had been forcing back seemed to find a floodgate.
She lowered her head slightly, her deep brown bangs falling to hide part of her expression, but her low, husky words clearly conveyed her insecurity.
"Seiun Sky needs your comfort, Marvelous Sunday is always looking for you to discuss things, even the shy Rice Shower only follows behind you..."
She listed them off, her tone lacking aggression, filled only with the sense of loss from having to share attention.
"I watch you when you're with them... smiling so tenderly, and I..."
Her voice grew smaller, and her fingers tightened unconsciously on Myriad Dreams' wrist, as if trying to hold onto a treasure that was about to slip away.
"I think back to the Winter Cup... I think of how hard you ran for me, and the way you handed me that important medal."
She finally looked up, her eyes rimmed with red.
Those eyes, usually so determined and sharp, were now brimming with tears and hesitation.
"Myriad Dreams, I... I'm scared. I'm scared that 'uniqueness' will be divided among others. I'm scared that I won't be your most special one anymore."
This blunt exposure of vulnerability struck Myriad Dreams' heart harder than any forceful interrogation.
What she saw was no longer the high-spirited competitor, but a young girl trembling with the fear of loss.
Myriad Dreams' heart melted completely into a mess of tenderness. She reached out and gently hugged her.
"Honestly, Muteki... you're such a fool."