"Is there something wrong with you?"
Ever since he'd finished talking with Rudolf, left the Student Council room, and met back up with Kitahara, Eclipse had noticed that his gaze had stayed fixed on her.
From the walk back, to the silent stillness after they entered the dorm, all the way up to this late hour of the night, Kitahara hadn't said a word. He had just kept staring at her without moving, his eyes sweeping up and down over her like he were seeing her for the first time.
If it had been anyone else, they probably would have cracked halfway through. Only Eclipse could let him keep looking this long before finally snapping and speaking up.
After Eclipse spoke, Kitahara finally drew his gaze back and muttered under his breath.
"She looks completely normal, though. How is she beyond spec...?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Oh, nothing. I ran into someone tonight, and she told me a few things about you..."
Kitahara wasn't the type to talk in riddles, nor the type to hide things from the people around him just because he had a few reservations.
So after Eclipse asked, he straightforwardly told her everything: meeting that white Umamusume tonight, the contents of their conversation, all of it. As he spoke, he kept a close eye on Eclipse's expression.
And from her reaction, he more or less confirmed that what the pure-white Umamusume had told him was true.
Even though Eclipse's face hadn't changed once throughout his whole explanation, and she looked exactly the same as always.
But based on how well Kitahara knew her, if what he was saying had been nonsense, there was an eighty percent chance she wouldn't have kept the same expression the whole time. She would've been looking at him like he was an idiot, her eyes full of naked doubt about his intelligence.
So it's actually true. Yeah... that does make this difficult.
After he finished explaining, just as he'd expected, he got no response.
Eclipse simply sat there in silence, expression as unreadable as ever. Even when he reached out and pinched her, she didn't react.
"I don't know what you're hiding from me, but I figure you probably have your reasons. So if you don't want to talk about it, I won't press you."
"But whether you tell me or not, there's no way I can just sit here and do nothing when it comes to this. I'm not going to stand by and watch you go die."
"And until the final ending arrives, no matter how long it takes, I'll keep investigating and acting in my own way until I can be sure you're safe."
Silence.
Still no response.
Kitahara was used to this kind of reaction from her by now. After waiting a while and confirming she wasn't going to answer, he glanced at the clock, which was already creeping toward eleven, and got ready to turn in.
He'd said what he needed to say. If Eclipse didn't want to answer, he wasn't going to force her. There was no point in dragging it out any further. Better to wash up and sleep, then think properly about what to do next after he woke up with a clear head.
But just as Kitahara finished washing up and was about to get into bed, Eclipse, who had been sitting silently the whole time, finally raised her head and looked at him.
"Are you going to go see her again?"
Kitahara froze for a second, then realized she meant that white Umamusume. After thinking it over, he nodded honestly.
"Even though you said you didn't want me getting involved with her, as things stand, she seems to be the only person I can get information about you from. So... I probably will."
"Of course, if you really don't want me to, just say so. Then I won't go."
Eclipse still didn't answer.
Seeing that, Kitahara didn't dwell on it. He took it as tacit approval, said good night, then returned to his little room, pulled the covers over himself, and got ready to sleep.
But not long after he closed his eyes, accompanied by a soft rustling sound, something slipped into his blanket. The touch was warm and soft.
Kitahara didn't open his eyes, and he didn't say anything either. He simply reached out as usual, wrapped an arm around that slightly petite body, and gently rubbed her.
A long while passed.
Then a faint voice sounded from within his embrace.
"I won't do anything you don't like. I promise."
A hand came down onto her head and softly stroked it a few times.
"Mhm. I know. Go to sleep."
After saying that, he pulled her a little closer into his arms, his breathing gradually lengthening.
Nestled there against him, the small figure lay on his chest. In the quiet moonlight spilling through the window, she lifted a hand and lightly touched his face.
"...Sigh."
A sigh sounded by her ear.
'We really didn't think this through. When we first made the plan, none of us imagined things would turn out like this...'
'What's the point of saying that now?'
'No point, no, but... sigh.'
'Why doesn't Eclipse-chan just stop here? We can think of some other way to deal with her...'
'It's too late to change the plan now. You all heard him. She's already mastered Domain. At this point, other than Eclipse-chan, no one can threaten her at all... well, except for this one.'
At that, the three voices fell silent for a moment.
Then one of them, steadier than the others, suddenly spoke.
'So, Eclipse-chan—what do you think?'
Faced with that question, Eclipse looked at the sleeping face before her. After a moment of silence, she spoke softly.
I trust him.
Even if she herself couldn't see even the slightest way out, even if the gods themselves were at a loss, she still firmly believed he would fulfill his promise.
'But Eclipse-chan, you know—'
I'm sleepy.
She cut them off, shifted slightly, and lowered her head toward that sleeping face.
After leaving behind a faint mark, she retreated back into his arms and pulled the blanket over herself.
Good night.
The night was clear, the moon bright, the stars sparse.
Quiet moonlight filtered through the window and fell over the two sleeping together, making them look so perfectly at peace.
No one could predict what the future would bring. But at least in this moment, the only thing in their arms was each other, and they believed in each other completely.
Just as they had through countless days and nights before.
...
The next day, before dawn had even broken, Kitahara was jolted awake by a distinctly strange sensation.
The moment he opened his eyes, the sight before him left his brain blank for a few seconds.
Eclipse was sitting right at the root of his thighs, her hair disheveled, her eyes a little unfocused, like she'd only just woken up.
Kitahara had seen this scene countless times already, so it wasn't enough to shock him on its own.
The problem was that on top of all that, she was staring at a certain part of him.
And slowly reaching out.
"...Eclipse?"
Kitahara's voice made Eclipse lift her head and look at him, her expression as calm as ever.
"You're awake."
"You... what exactly are you trying to do?"
Kitahara stared in horror at the hand she had extended, his eyelids twitching nonstop.
"This?"
Even after realizing Kitahara was awake, Eclipse showed no embarrassment whatsoever. Calmly, she set her hand on it.
"This thing poked me awake just now, so I figured I'd help you deal with it. Once it softens up, I can go back to sleep."
"No, that's not—wait, wait, don't move your hand first."
Kitahara looked at her with a headache coming on. After thinking for a moment, he sat up.
"If you're sleepy, then stay here and sleep. I'll head out first—"
Eclipse looked at him silently, offering no answer and making no move to get up.
Seeing her like that, a faint sense of foreboding rose in Kitahara's chest, but he still tried to struggle.
"Um, Eclipse, didn't we agree before? Once you finish these three years of racing, then I can properly say yes to you. At that point, whether it's Umapyoi or whatever else, anything goes. But right now, not yet..."
"Mhm, I remember. I'm not trying to Umapyoi you."
Eclipse nodded and answered calmly.
"I just haven't slept enough yet. I want to keep sleeping."
"Then I'll give you the bed—"
"Your bed's too hard. I can't sleep without a cushion."
"Then I'll go find you a cushion—"
"That's too much trouble."
Eclipse reached out with her other hand and pressed Kitahara back down. Leaning her whole upper body over him, she gazed at him in perfect calm.
"Relax. I'm not planning to do anything to you. I just want a good, restful sleep."
"Then why are you—mmph."
He hadn't even finished speaking before something wet sealed his mouth shut.
Some time later, silence once again returned to Kitahara's little room. Eclipse, too, resumed a comfortable position sprawled atop him, then slowly closed her eyes.
"Thanks for the meal."
She said that—and her breathing gradually lengthened.
---
T/N: heh i be grabbing kitaharas dick too