Obey Your Master ran forward with a calm smile, each of her steps made with calculated precision. Faint trails of stardust spun behind her as she ran, and the urge to surge ahead welled up within her once more, but she forcefully restrained it. She kept those instincts chained, no matter how uncomfortable it made her feel.
She didn't let it show, of course. She was far from unfamiliar with this choking sensation. It was one she'd grown familiar with ever since she first discovered her own Domain, and this was the most effective method she had to cultivate her patience.
And she suppressed her instincts once more as a blur suddenly rushed past her, running ahead with such speed that even she had to take a second to focus on the speeding figure. With world-record speeds, the last 200 meters between Obey and the finish line was crossed by them.
Obey smiled faintly as she eventually ran past the finish line herself. "Good morning, Tazuna-san."
Hayakawa Tazuna, dressed in a white and green tracksuit, smiled back. "Good morning, Obey-san." She made a small bow. "Apologies for the sudden appearance. I saw you running by yourself and wanted to ensure you weren't lonely."
I snorted. "As if." She smiled with amusement. "You just wanted to pass me, didn't you?"
Tazuna giggled and said nothing more.
Obey rolled her eyes. Tazuna was still wearing her green cap, which had somehow remained on her head despite the speeds she'd run with. It was almost as if something had held them in place. Something like, say, umamusume ears.
That was a complete conjecture, of course. Tazuna Hayakawa was the secretary of Director Akikawa and had no tail to show. Of course she wasn't an umamusume.
Right. Of course.
Honestly, she was still amazed at the fact that no one had found out Tazuna's secret. It wasn't as if Tazuna was particularly stealthy when it came to her other identity, and the number of times Director Akikawa had slipped up was so numerous that it was almost comical. It was almost as if Tazuna's true identity was some divine-mandated secret or something similar. That was the only explanation that made sense to Obey.
That aside,
"You're up early today." She said as she glanced at the sky. It was still dark, and there was still half an hour before sunrise.
"I felt like taking a jog, that is all." Tazuna said.
Obey hummed. "I see." She said, doing her best not to smile. "Well, in that case, wanna jog together?"
Tazuna smiled. "That would be wonderful."
And so off she went down the track once more, this time with the Green Devil jogging by her side. Her eyes occasionally lingered on a few places as she ran past them, slightly fascinated at how quiet everything was. Tracen Central Academy was scarcely ever quiet, even during the mornings. And this morning just happened to be quieter than usual. It was why she was even out here in the first place.
"The foreign representatives have begun arriving. An interview with them shall be held in a week's time." Tazuna eventually said, smiling vaguely as she glanced at her. "Will you be joining them, Obey-san?"
Obey snorted. "I believe I'll be kicked out of the venue." She grinned. "After all, that venue is exclusive only for those foreign representatives, no?"
And wasn't that a weird thing to think about? Because though she'd be participating in this year's [Japan Cup], she wouldn't be doing it as a representative of the USA. Instead, she'd be one of the seven 'Japanese' umamusume that were entered into the [Japan Cup].
Something like that would've been impossible in the past, but the old rules that could've shackled her were gone now. The URA was effectively dead, and her trainer was the literal leader of Japanese racing—any rules that might bind her could be waived away in mere seconds.
And to think that massive upheaval had occurred in the span of a week, and was championed by a person that'd been stuck in a mini-coma.
She still had a hard time believing that was real, honestly.
Speaking of,
"Has Star returned?" She couldn't help but ask.
Tazuna shook her head. "Kitahara-san has yet to mention if Oguri and Star have returned." She hummed. "It is likely that they've yet to return. Last I heard, Kitahara-san mentioned that they are currently away from Tokyo, and are undergoing their own specialized training."
She whistled. "What dedication." She said, genuinely impressed. After all, those two had skipped out on the [Autumn Tenno Sho] to have more time to prepare for the [Japan Cup]. If that wasn't dedication, then she didn't know what was.
Tazuna smiled. "Indeed. We are blessed to have accepted them into this academy."
Obey hummed. "Yeah. We sure are." Her eyes then lowered slightly. "Just a shame that they're 'bout to leave."
Tazuna's smile turned a little sad. "There is little we can do." She said. "They have struck an agreement with Secretariat-san, and even Kitahara-san is unsure when they would return to Japan."
Obey closed her eyes.
It really was a shame that she'd only have two more chances to run together with Star before she left Japan. Of course, she wasn't gone for good or anything, but she had a feeling she would've already retired by the time she returned. After all, she was already pushing it by this point; many of her peers had already retired, and it was only luck that'd allowed her to persist this long.
It wasn't just Star and Oguri. Tamamo Cross would be retiring soon as well, with the [Arima Kinen] being her retirement race. The news hadn't been made public just yet—they were saving it until after the [Japan Cup], but Tamamo had told her privately beforehand.
And she was…
Well, she didn't really know how to feel. It made her wonder when she'd eventually retire. After all, she was already a Senior when she transferred here; she was lucky that she still had room to grow, but she knew that this opportunity wouldn't last forever. Her True Blooming was surely nearing its end, and the only thing she could do was wait for the ticking bomb to finally explode.
But at least she was still healthy. At least she'd gotten this far.
She was lucky.
For a moment, she found her gaze wandering to the person jogging alongside her, before she forcibly pulled her eyes away.
…
"Obey-san." Tazuna called out just as they passed the finish line.
She glanced at her. "What is it?" She asked as she slowed to a stop.
Tazuna smiled fondly, and with the sun now rising from the horizon, the faint streaks growing across the night skies painted her figure in an almost ethereal glow. "You do not need to feel sorry for me." There was a regret in her eyes, but her smile was soft. "My journey may have been short, but it is one I hold close to my heart."
Obey's smile twitched. "Got busted, huh?" She whispered, her smile turning shy as she scratched her cheek. "Apologies, Tazuna-san."
She giggled. "Apology accepted." After that, her expression turned serious. "But heed the lessons I had learnt. Do not force yourself. Keep your well-being as your utmost priority, even if it means you must surrender the chance for victory." She gently shook her head. "Many umamusume have cut their careers short due to even the smallest injuries. I do not wish to see you undergo that same experience."
Obey nodded. "I know." And she truly would be careful. After all, this life of hers had stopped being her own a long time ago.
Seeing that she was being serious, Tazuna nodded, before her usual smile returned. "Well then," she giggled. "Perhaps we should have one last lap?"
Obey huffed as she smiled. "Sure." She said, knowing that she'd be hearing that same sentence several times more this morning.
Tazuna smiled, and together, they began another lap down the track.