My plan was always to stay distant—unless someone insisted on making me their only choice, again and again.
...
Two hours later.
"Ahh…I'm stuffed."
Tokai Teio gently rubbed her slightly protruding belly. She wasn't smiling anymore—instead, her expression twisted into a bitter grimace. "This is bad. I was planning extra training tonight, but if I move around now, I'm definitely gonna puke."
Garden Gale timidly suggested, "Um…maybe taking a day off is okay?"
"Nope, not happening," Tokai Teio shook her head decisively. Then, looking straight at Garden Gale, she continued, "I'll just walk a bit to digest, then start training. Anyway—did you have fun tonight, GG-san?"
Of course I did.
Every moment I spend with you makes me happy.
Tonight had truly been wonderful, indescribably so. They'd eaten from one end of the street to the other, devouring countless types of delicious food—and even some junk food. They didn't worry about diets, or what they should or shouldn't eat. They just ate and ate and kept eating together. The distance between them had narrowed, and now "Garden-san" had become "GG-san." Even speaking was no longer as difficult as before.
She'd found enough courage to chat naturally.
Garden Gale really, really wanted to say all of that aloud. But instead, she restrained herself, answering softly, with a faint smile, "Yeah, I had fun."
"As long as you're happy!"
Tokai Teio nodded. Then, exhaling softly, her expression suddenly turned serious—a rare shift from playful to earnest. She clenched her fist firmly, aimed straight at Garden Gale, and declared confidently:
"I promise—I'll definitely beat you, GG-san."
The sudden shift in the conversation felt slightly abrupt.
Still, Garden Gale helplessly went along with it, like one frog following another from one lily pad to the next.
…You've really misunderstood something huge here.
She genuinely had no idea why Tokai Teio was so convinced that Garden Gale was stronger than her.
However…
Now it was far too late to clarify.
Maybe it was just like telling a small lie… then having to tell bigger lies to cover it. Yet, right now, Garden Gale frequently found herself recalling Tokai Teio's graceful figure sprinting down the track. She knew clearly in her heart that it was something she deeply admired.
She wanted to try and achieve it too.
She no longer wanted to live each day panicking over potential social death.
Garden Gale also turned serious. She once again pushed down the fear inside her, clenched her fist, and lightly bumped it against Tokai Teio's. A smile brimming with confidence spread across her face, as though she'd fully slipped into character:
"Then feel free to give it a try."
Wait, what did I just say!?
"Feel free to give it a try?" What the hell was she even saying? Had she been possessed? Wasn't she the type to crumble at the slightest touch? What exactly happened just now?
Where did that confident smile even come from? No wonder the original Garden Gale could fake her strength so convincingly—this face was practically designed to bluff! Garden Gale felt an internal meltdown coming on. Panic and anxiety surged within her again, like Cinderella who'd just lost her glass slipper. Soon enough, she'd probably revert back to her pathetic original state.
Or maybe she'd always been pathetic, and had only temporarily slipped on the glass slipper.
…Absolutely not!
A tiny spark of fighting spirit ignited within her heart again.
Seeing Garden Gale's face brighten with excitement and confidence at the mere mention of running, Tokai Teio's belief that Garden was truly a prodigy just like herself deepened even further. She grinned eagerly:
"I can't wait to meet you on the racetrack."
[Detected host's Bond Level with Tokai Teio has exceeded 20%!]
[Reward unlocked]:
[Flexible Bones]
[Detected host has successfully completed Clingy Flirting with an Umamusume, achieving a milestone!]
[Reward unlocked]:
[Reincarnation: Chameleon]
Garden Gale's eyes suddenly lit up.
…
Once again, moonlight blanketed Tracen Academy with a layer of frosty silver.
Garden Gale was alone again. She walked slowly, her breath turning to mist in the chilly early-spring air. Yet, the warmth from earlier—lingering from their close interactions—still seemed to gently dispel the coldness around her.
Tokai Teio didn't live in the dormitories.
She'd gone straight back for special training. Exactly as she'd promised—no matter how much she'd eaten, she would still train to become stronger.
Honestly... Tokai Teio practically glowed with light, her spirit radiating and infecting Garden Gale too.
It made Garden realize clearly what she had to do: run, train, and grow stronger. The best way to escape her troubles was simply to face them head-on—"I asked God for strength, and God gave me challenges to make me stronger."
She returned to Team LOCK's training grounds.
It was nearly ten at night. The place was entirely deserted, finally allowing Garden Gale to relax. Now, she could finally examine the rewards the system had given her. She hadn't checked yet, but that milestone beginner reward had been a pleasant surprise.
With that thought in mind—
Garden Gale opened the glowing pale-blue screen. To her surprise, it even listed her stats clearly:
[GARDEN GALE]
[Speed]: 198 (F+)
[Stamina]: 176 (F)
[Power]: 186 (F+)
[Guts]: 203 (E)
[Wisdom]: 231 (E)
[Flexible Bones LV.1]:
Derived from Tokai Teio, ultimate flexibility and precise control of body balance. You are now gradually stealing and mastering this ability.
[Reincarnation: Chameleon (Golden Skill・Infinite Adaptation・Currently Sealed)]:
If you possess no weapons of your own, copy and steal those of others!
…Oh my god.
What kind of garbage stats are these!?
Speed, stamina, power… none of those had even surpassed 200. Instead, things like "Guts" and "Wisdom"—which barely affected her running ability—had crossed the 200 threshold. Garden Gale almost laughed out loud. This clearly showed how ridiculously weak her current body truly was.
She turned her attention to the skill Reincarnation: Chameleon.
Staring at it silently.
A Chameleon.
A creature capable of changing its color to hunt prey or evade predators.
…If you possess no weapons of your own, copy and steal those of others.
How should she put it? Combined with this clingy-flirting system, although its exact use wasn't immediately obvious, looking further ahead, it held limitless potential. This skill had MAX-level growth potential!
The system had paved the path for her perfectly.
Now...
If she continued avoiding training... she'd truly would be letting herself down.
Tiny sparks once again flared brightly in Garden Gale's eyes. Without hesitation, she began her training immediately.
She would no longer run away.
...
At the same moment...
Someone else stepped through the gates of the training grounds. Spotting Garden Gale running on the track in the distance, this person first smiled in delight—but then quickly frowned, noticing something off.
…Why is she so slow?
---
T/N: SHES SLOW BECAUSEE SHES WARMING UP!!! TRUST
okay future me here, ill just do 1 chapter from here on out along side my other novels :p
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl