Later that evening, as the sky darkened and stars began to appear, Hayato ran into Silence Suzuka again. She was running along the track, but at a much slower pace than before. Running freely and running while holding back were completely different things; it was likely that Suzuka was practicing her stamina control. She was learning how to pace herself, how not to unleash all of her power right from the start.
"You're... that trainer from before?" Silence Suzuka spotted Hayato and stopped, her breathing controlled and steady.
Hayato smiled slightly. "Yeah, I watched your race today."
The light in her eyes dimmed. Embarrassment crossed her face as she lowered her head, ears drooping. "I'm sorry. I... I lost..."
"Do you know where you went wrong?"
"I don't know!" The words came out frustrated and confused.
"I have no clue where I messed up!" Her gaze shifted to the ground as she tried piecing together what went wrong in that final stretch. What mistake cost her the win? Where did her strategy fail?
"Yeah, I know."
"You know?" Silence Suzuka raised her head, looking directly at Hayato. Her eyes held something desperate, almost pleading. "Please tell me. Where exactly did I lose?"
"Well..." Hayato thought for a moment, tapping his fingers against his chin. Just telling her wouldn't be good. She needed to feel it herself.
"Before that, how about we have a race?"
"A race?" Silence Suzuka froze mid-breath. "You?" Her ears twitched forward in confusion. "You're a trainer, right?"
"Oh, right." Hayato nodded, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "I'm not a horse girl, yeah, but I've been running since I was born. My speed isn't too bad."
Silence Suzuka accepted that without question. She tilted her head slightly, then nodded. "Okay then."
"Let's use this track. One lap is two thousand meters." Hayato gestured at the course stretching ahead of them. "We'll start when I say go."
They both moved into position. Silence Suzuka rolled her shoulders, shaking out her legs. Hayato could hear the soft rhythm of her breathing as she settled into a stance.
"Ready, go!"
They exploded forward. Gravel crunched under their feet.
The gap showed immediately. Silence Suzuka shot ahead like she'd been launched, already three lengths clear right from the gun. Her form was effortless, natural.
But then she slowed down deliberately, her stride shortening as she dropped back behind Hayato.
Conserving stamina. That's what she was supposed to do, right? That's what her trainer kept drilling into her.
Except that Hayato's pace was painfully slow. If she had to compare, it was like watching pre-debut Urara trying to keep up with her own first race performance. The difference made her want to unleash it.
This is awkward. Silence Suzuka's ears flattened slightly against her head.
Anyone would struggle matching the pace of a snail.
Her plan had been simple: let Hayato get halfway before making a last move.
But Hayato slowed down even more, his breathing getting heavier, so she had to drop her speed again just to stay behind.
She actually felt pleased about it, her tail swishing once. Like she'd cracked some secret to proper pacing.
"Why don't you run freely?" Hayato's voice cut through the steady thud of their footsteps. "You could clearly run ahead and finish the whole distance easily."
"Hm?" Silence Suzuka glanced sideways at him, her rhythm stuttering for half a step.
"I'm not a horse girl. Whether I can even run 2000 meters is questionable." He kept his breathing as steady as he could manage. "But if you ran freely, you could lap me several times over."
"If you don't charge to the front, you'll lose again like today, you know?"
A dead silence...
The only sound was their feet hitting the track.
"Don't you think it's ridiculous that you'd lose to a human?"
"You're comparing yourself to me, an ordinary person, and still conserving stamina." His next words came quieter, but they landed harder. "Aren't you mistaken about something, Silence Suzuka?"
Each word struck like a physical blow. Silence Suzuka's ears flicked back sharply, her eyes widening.
Why am I even thinking about conserving stamina?
What am I doing, holding back against a human?
I should just run.
She stopped hesitating.
The instant she did, her body surged forward, her muscles unleashed the way they were always meant to be. The distance between them widened with every stride, Hayato's figure shrinking rapidly behind her.
Then--
Hayato stopped running. He bent over, hands braced on his knees, dragging in deep breaths of cold night air. There was no point chasing her now. It was faster to wait… and watch.
'She looked happy.'
Because what unfolded before his eyes wasn't just speed.
Under the night sky, beneath scattered stars, Silence Suzuka ran as if she were dancing.
Her strides were light, almost playful, each step flowing seamlessly into the next. There was no wasted motion, no strain, just a rhythm so natural it felt like the track itself was carrying her forward. Moonlight traced the outline of her form as her hair streamed behind her, swaying in time with her movement.
"This feels so good…" her voice drifted back, half-lost to the wind.
From where he stood, Hayato felt his chest tighten. Every part of her body was perfectly aligned, for running freely without restraint. It was beautiful in a way that went beyond racing.
'She was embracing the night, the wind, the endless stretch of track ahead of her, running not to beat someone, but because taking in the beautiful scenery while running with no one in front of her brought her joy.'
For a moment, Hayato forgot to breathe.
So this is Silence Suzuka… when she's truly in front.
And under the star-filled sky, she danced alone at the lead, radiant and untouchable.
A few minutes later.
Silence Suzuka completed the full distance, exhilaration still singing through her veins. Her breathing came quickly but controlled.
Seeing Hayato again stirred something complicated in her chest. Confusion mixed with realization.
"Do you know now why you lost that simulation race?"
"Why?" Her ears drooped, uncertainty crossing her face. "My trainer clearly said..."
"What 'bout your running style just now? Always maintaining the lead and running freely." Hayato straightened up, his breathing finally evening out. "I call it the front runner."
"You saw it in today's race, too, right? Sakura Laurel's running style is actually not a front runner." He wiped sweat from his forehead. "She definitely ran out of energy in the final stretch."
"Right, my trainer said the same thing." Something shifted in Silence Suzuka's expression, her ears pressing back. "Said this running style doesn't work."
Hayato shook his head firmly. "She's wrong about that. Front runner isn't suitable for all horse girls. But some horse girl must have talent to do that."
Hayato paused, making sure she was listening. Her eyes were locked on him. "There's also another running style called escape runner. It has some differences from front runner. Even more aggressive."
"Very few horse girls use it. You're one of them." His voice carried absolute certainty. "I can clearly tell you, in all of Tracen, I'm the only one who understands this running style."
Silence Suzuka's eyes widened, her breath catching.
"Front runner horse girls didn't have a higher chance to win, yeah. It puts a high burden on the body." Hayato continued, his tone measured. "But it's fine. You're different from other horse girls. If you receive professional training, you can avoid these issues."
"Can you teach me?" The words tumbled out before she could stop them, her voice rising with urgency. She took half a step forward. "No, please. Please definitely teach me. I want to be in the front. I don't want to give the front position to anyone." Her hands clenched at her sides.
"Don't worry." Something softened in Hayato's expression. "Since I'm telling you all this, I'll definitely teach you."
"Th-thank you." Heat flooded Silence Suzuka's face. She lowered her head quickly, her ears folding back in embarrassment.
She was already regretting her hasty trainer choice. This guy understood her in minutes when her actual trainer never did. If only she'd met this trainer earlier. Her mind was already spinning through how to cancel her contract and re-sign.
Thinking about the skill awakening issue, Hayato shifted topics. "You like beautiful scenery, right?"
"Yes." Silence Suzuka's ears perked up immediately, her expression brightening. "The scenery while running is beautiful."
"How about I take you to see even more beautiful scenery?"
"O-okay." She agreed without thinking twice, nodding quickly.