They made their way back to the team building with a sulking trainer being carried in a fireman carry by Gold Ship, who said something along the lines of 'Up you go!' Before picking him up.
The walk back was calm, they were making small talk with each other which, being the rather antisocial person she was, didn't really participe much.
So as they walked she merely enjoyed the cool and calm breeze that flowed through her hair.
The wind was peaceful once more.
The wind… Oh, the wind…
what happened to you and I?
What gave birth to our strained relationship, what caused us to lose those precious few moments when it was just you and I?
I enjoyed the freedom that it offered the freeing nature of its embrace, of the whispers of freedom that it promised, of the release of the conformity of it all.
She loved it, she relished in it, she played with it, in truth it was the wind, in an odd twist of fate that led her to meet the person she loves most.
But… it was also the wind that scorned her, or did she scorn it?
It was the wind that led her out of her home, that led her in front of her adopted father's door, only for her own carelessness to cause a tragedy.
… what was she doing?
Blaming the wind, an unfeeling part of nature, for her own faults.
The wind did nothing wrong.
The tragedy that took her parents, was one of her own making.
She was the one who caused the events after all.
It was her fault.
It was all her fa—
"You okay?"
"Huh?" She looked to the side where the voice came from and realized it who it was from, "Teio-san?"
She gave her a dry look.
"Uh, sorry Teio-senpai."
Her short senior sighed and palmed a face to her head, "I asked if you were okay, you had a gloomy expression and you were hanging your head as if somebody stole your food."
"I… I…. I'm fine, Teio-senpai."
"Okay then, just know, if you need anything we will be here to talk to you about it, so don't worry to come to us. Okay?"
She looked at her senpai who had a beaming smile on her face as said those words.
She opened her mouth to say something, yet nothing came out for a moment, so she merely closed it and contemplated on what to say, until she opened it once more and spoke, "Okay."
Was what she finally said.
She averted her eyes slightly not daring to look into her teammates eyes, scared that she would call her out for something.
For what, she didn't know.
Whether it was a lie or because she was simply too ashamed to even look her in the eyes, she didn't know.
She wasn't even sure if anybody knew in the first place.
It was as simple as that.
Teio didn't say anything, she didn't know if she was looking at her or if she was merely looking ahead, she didn't know.
"Well," she huffed for whatever reason, "I think we should pick up the pace a bit, the others have already left us in the dirt after all."
She blinked at her senpai's statement before looking forward and realizing that yes, they were left in the dirt.
"Oh."
"Hmm."
"We should pick up the pace, shouldn't we?"
"Yeah, we probably should unless you want Spe-chan to eat all of the food."
"Eh? Special Week-senpai eats a lot?"
"Yeah," Teio slowly started to pick up her pace, "Didn't you notice she eats more than almost anybody in the entire school."
"Oh," She absentmindedly increased her pace to match her senior as they made their way back to the main group, "Well, who eats the most then?"
"Well… it's a hotly debated topic in the school forums."
"There's a school forum?"
"Yeah!" She said nodding her head as she looked at her, "You didn't know?"
"I mean, I never did have a phone, having grown up in the mountains after all."
"Huh, even Spe-chan had a phone, you must have been really living like a recluse huh?"
"No… my old man just never got me one, he said that they rotted your brain or something…" she couldn't help but look to the side in embarrassment.
"Wow," she said nothing for a couple of seconds before finally speaking again, "Well, the only person who most believe can eat more than Spe-chan is well… Oguri Cap."
This Oguri Cap must be pretty damn famous huh? Counting on the fact that's she's heard her name multiple times by now.
But soon enough they managed to catch back up with the group and after a bit of banter they finally reached the training room and they started to work on the hot pot.
…
Once they had all eaten the hot pot they started to make their ways back to the Ritto Dormitory.
The conversations slowly died down as they had started to run out of things to talk about so soon enough they were all in their dorm rooms.
Though… there was a shout in Special Week direction, she considered to go and check what was wrong but it sounded more like a shout of joy then one of panic or fear so she decided against it.
So she entered her room, Gold Ship was already knocked out on her bed, somehow out like a light, it was oddly impressive.
She also went to her bed to fall asleep but noticed something on her desk.
It was a letter, it said to 'Hope for Tomorrow' but nothing else on the envelope so she opened it without much thought.
Inside was a letter.
'Dear, Hope for Tomorrow,
I'm happy to see that you had such a fantastic debut, leading from the beginning straight to the finish. I'm proud, that you learned so much in so little time.
I'm sorry that I couldn't contact you earlier, maybe I should have gotten you that phone after all… but that is neither here nor there. So tell me, have you made friends? Do you like anybody? Is Okino and everybody in Spica treating you well?
Basically, how's life?
If you're wondering then my treatments are going just fine, if they stay on schedule then I may be able to make you and your team a bite to eat after you win you're first of many G1's.
After all, if anybody can do it, then I'm sure that you could.
Oh, and if you're wondering how this letter was on your desk then let's just say… I have my ways.
Goodnight, sleep well, and I hope you have a beautiful rest for tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Your Old Man.'
She sniffed as she rubbed her hand at where her eyes where, she was glad to see that he didn't forget, her Old man was many things, but somebody who forgot to congratulate her was something he was not.
So she couldn't help but smile as she read, that was until of course she read the second to last line.
Where she couldn't help but grumble at the pun he had somehow managed to fit in there.
"Damn Old man…" she couldn't help but say with a slight smile on her face as she went into bed.
Just so happening to miss the letter that was slid under the door and the hurried footsteps of somebody leaving the scene.
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Author notes
this chapter was written in under an hour… you know sometimes I wonder how I manage to crank these out so quickly…
But on another note, how are y'all doing I'm doing just fine, JoJo part 7 episode one was absolute peak fiction, literally one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
But… I have spent 190 pulls on the Kitasan Black banner… and I have not gotten her once!
I got Admire Vega! I got Taiki Shuttle! I got Silence Suzuka! Hell! I even got Matikanetannhauser, otherwise known as Mambo!
But no kitasan… I have spent all of my carats on her banner and I have gotten nothing!
And tomorrow is the last day I can pull for her, the worst part about it is that I have to get insanely lucky in Mant to even HAVE a chance at getting her!
I basically need to get an SS rank uma or two S+ if I want to even be able to get to pity!
of course… i will pull because she is my oshi… kitasan is my favourite uma after all…
…
50 powerstones for an extra chapter btw
…
either way,
This is GreekAntrielos signing off.