The two of them walked slowly along the winding trail of the back mountain.
Around them, there was only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the faint, distant chirping of insects.
The moonlight stretched their shadows long, weaving them together on the ground.
After a period of silence, Silver Charm seemed a bit nervous.
She took the initiative to speak, her voice sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet of the night.
"You know, Myriad Dreams... when you first arrived... my hostility toward you was actually very strong."
Myriad Dreams tilted her head slightly to look at her, listening quietly.
Silver Charm continued, her tone tinged with reminiscence.
"After all... you were so strong. You appeared out of nowhere, and not long after arriving, you shattered the dream I had held onto for over a decade at the Kentucky Derby... all at once."
There was no resentment in her words, it sounded more like a statement of acceptance.
Hearing this, Myriad Dreams gave a somewhat helpless smile and whispered, "Back then... I'm sorry."
"No, there's no need to apologize."
Silver Charm shook her head and stopped walking. She turned to face Myriad Dreams, her silver eyes looking remarkably earnest under the moonlight.
"A race is a race. A loss is a loss. It's just... later, I realized that you, as a person, are completely different from how you are on the track."
Her voice softened.
"You're very gentle, you care about people, and you even go out of your way to comfort an opponent... Even though you seem a bit lazy, you're unexpectedly reliable."
She paused, a shallow blush creeping onto her face. "To be honest... you're quite likable."
Being praised so bluntly made Myriad Dreams feel a bit shy. She rubbed the back of her head, her long blue hair sliding through her fingers.
"R-Really? I didn't really notice..."
"Of course you are," Silver Charm nodded firmly, her gaze resolute.
Just then, Myriad Dreams seemed to suddenly remember something important.
"Ah!" she exclaimed, quickly pulling an exquisite small medicine bottle from her bag and handing it to Silver Charm.
"This is for you!"
Myriad Dreams' tone was full of concern.
"It's a very effective injury ointment. After seeing those wounds on your feet earlier... you have to remember to apply it diligently. It'll be a problem if you end up with lingering old injuries."
As she spoke, she intentionally put on a stern face, making a fierce expression, though her eyes were filled with worry.
"If I find out next time that you haven't been using it properly, I-I'll have to force you to let me apply it for you!"
Looking at the medicine bottle held out before her and hearing Myriad Dreams' words which were clearly meant as care but disguised as a threat, Silver Charm was momentarily stunned.
Then, a warm current surged into her heart, dispelling the slight chill of the night.
She carefully took the medicine, which still carried the warmth of Myriad Dreams' palm, and gripped it tightly as if it were a precious treasure.
She looked up, a halo of moved emotion shimmering in her eyes, and nodded heavily.
"Mmh! I will... Thank you, Myriad Dreams."
She tucked the bottle away carefully into her pocket, as if she were properly treasuring this warm concern as well.
Then, Silver Charm brushed back her silver hair and gently leaned against Myriad Dreams.
Myriad Dreams was startled by the sudden proximity.
Seeing Myriad Dreams' body go a bit stiff, Silver Charm looked up at her.
"Training was a bit tiring today. Can you let me lean on you for a while?"
Seeing that sincere, pleading look in the other girl's eyes, Myriad Dreams found it impossible to refuse.
In the end, she nodded.
Upon receiving the answer, Silver Charm gave a small smile and finally, with a sense of security and boldness, rested her head against Myriad Dreams' shoulder.