Two months later.
The sun has barely rises, the sky's still dark and the air is cold, but inside one of the dorm room, a new day has begun.
Astonishing was packing her things, after all, today is the long awaited debut day! For two months, she had gone all out on speed training until she ran out of energy.
There is even one time when she failed her training and bruised herself, which forced Takeda to send her to the infirmary and switched to wit training instead.
A/N: 2% failure rate moment
There aren't many things she needs to bring. Only spare clothes, shocks, some of her personal stuffs, and of course a pair of new shoes.
What happened to the shoes her father gave? Well, according to the regulation, a non-G1 and non-Jpn1 race requires the participants to wear the same spec of shoes. Custom made or shop-bought shoes are prohibited.
Of course the shoes is made to fit perfectly and comfortably on the wearer's feet.
"All set," she whispered, pulling the zipper shut.
The Debut Race at Tokyo was scheduled for the afternoon, which meant she still had half a day to prepare. Luckily for her, on race day, it's not mandatory to attend class.
It's so that they are at fit condition before the race. You don't want to put an umamusume in a race after getting her brain burnt from maths.
"Now… what?"
For the first time in two months, she had nothing to do.
Her ears twitched.
Usually by now she'd already be out on the track to train. But today, she needs to save her strength for the upcoming debut race.
Her gaze drifted toward the window. The sky was still painted in that soft, pre-dawn blue, with a little bit of light coming from the east.
A perfect time for a morning jog.
...
Well, a low intensity training is still allowed.
Right?
"… Just a jog," she muttered.
Just… moving her body a little.
She grabbed her jacket, slipped it on, and quietly stepped out of the room, careful not to make too much noise as she closed the door behind her.
.
.
.
Tracen Academy track.
It's empty. Duhh... The campus was still half-asleep. A few early risers here and there, but the track is quiet.
'Perfect! ', she stepped onto the grass to run, but before that, stretching.
Astonishing rolled her shoulders, then raised her arms overhead, interlocking her fingers as she leaned slightly to one side.
CRACK CRACK CRACK
"Uhh... Ohhh... My body is so stiff"
"Might want to fix you sleeping position"
Her body went stiff again.
'That voice...'
Slowly… very slowly… she turned her head.
Standing behind her is End. Astonishing didn't hear footsteps. Didn't sense anything approaching. And here she is, standing behind her only inches away.
Astonishing nearly levitated off the turf, her tail puffing out like a bottle brush. She scrambled back a few steps, clutching her chest as her heart hammered against her ribs.
"How do you do that? I didn't hear your footsteps!"
Just when End is about to let out a word, her gaze, whether on purpose or instinctively, shifted towards Astonishing's ears.
That sleek, long, fluffy, stereo, surround sound ears.
"I'm...surprised" She simply said.
Astonishing flattened her ears against her head, feeling a bit self-conscious. "I was distracted!"
"Distracted or not, those sensors are wasted if you're only listening to the echoes of your own anxiety." She finally shifted her gaze away from the ears.
"What? I'm not anxious" Astonishing denied.
"Today is gonna be your debut isn't it?"
"Well, yes... Why? "
End didn't reply, instead she turned towards the rising sun which has begun to show up. "What a coincidence, today is also going to be my debut, a 2000m race in Kyoto"
"Today? " Astonishing reassert.
"Truly a misfortune isn't it? Too bad we can't watch each other debuts. I've always wanted to see you race in optimal condition, and I'm sure you don't want to miss the chance to assess your future rival's weaknesses, right?" End said. Even with smile on her face, the way she speaks felt like a threat.
End's smile widened by a fraction of a millimeter. "Well, if we were going to have a chat any longer, the track would start to be crowded eventually, so..."
She walked towards Astonishing, no, past her.
"Do you want to go for a jog? " She stopped a few steps ahead, glancing back over her shoulder.
"A jog..." Astonishing repeated, finally finding her voice. "Yeah. I guess that's why I'm here."
She caught up to End, and slowly synchronized her steps . For a few moments, the only sound was their shoes hitting the grass and the soft rustle of the morning breeze.
Astonishing stared at her back the whole time. Clearly assessing what is this girl in front of her planning. After all, this End was quite different from the End she knows for months.
She's usually brags about how great she is, and how 'astonishing' her run was. But today, she's a bit... calmer.
'Maybe she wasn't really that full of herself?' Astonishing thoughts.
"Since we're both debuting today," End finally said, "how about we make a small oath"
Astonishing's ears perked up. "An oath? "
End stopped running abruptly, causing Astonishing to skid a few feet past her.
She stood bathed in the early morning light, blocking the sun with her figure.
A/N: Insert TM Opera O shining image
"Neither of us is allowed to lose today," End said. "Not to the other runners, not to the track conditions, and certainly not to ourselves."
Astonishing straightened her posture. "An oath for a win? That's it? So let's say we both won, then what?"
"Then we've earned the right to remain rivals," End replied with a chillingly thin smile. "But one with wider gap from second place today sets the bar. It's all about determines who is chasing whom"
End didn't wait for a verbal confirmation. She didn't need to. The competitive fire practically radiating off Astonishing answers enough.
End chuckled, "Now that things are settled..." she stretched out her hand up the sky, "let us give everything for our race today and the ones to come!--"
"--Accompany me on my journey in the Twinkle Series! Be my obstacle, a wall, a foe! I want you to chase me for eternity!--"
"--Fulfill your destiny! And when you do..." She lowered her hand and stretched it towards Astonishing. "Let's stand on top together"
There was some arrogance on her voice, Astonishing knows. But she also knows that those words were sincere, End wanted someone to be there watching as she climb up onto the top of Twinkle Series.
Someone who's able to grow stronger and keep up with her, to challenge her again and again.
After all, a hard fought battle were the most legendary one. The most memorable...
For a moment, Astonishing only stared at End's hand in silence.
Then, she smiled. "I don't know what's your onto... but just by thinking about it, it makes me fired up." She reached out, her smaller hand meeting End's in a grip that was surprisingly firm.
"I know I'm not as strong as you, not yet. So until then, I'll keep chasing you and when the time finally comes..." She paused.
"I'll be the one reaching down to you. Don't think for a second that I'm content being the 'forever runner-up' in your story."
End's eyes widened, just for a fraction of a second, before settling into a look of genuine amusement. She hadn't expected the smaller girl to bite back with such specific venom.
"Then it's settled," End said, turning her back to the sun as she began to walk toward the gate. "In a few hours, the distance between us and the rest of the world begins to grow. I'll see you in the headlines, Astonishing. Try not to make the fonts too small."
With a final wave, End disappeared into the morning mist, leaving Astonishing alone on the track as the sunlight begun to lighten the place she was standing.
"We'll see about that"
.
.
.
At last, afternoon had arrived.
Astonishing return to her dorm room to grab her things. She got a text from Takeda that he will be waiting in the parking lot behind the academy building.
She doesn't even know he had a car until now.
"Alright, everything's ready"
She swung her bag onto her shoulders and bolted out of the room.
But as soon as she walk past the dorm entrance, Dora was waiting outside.
"Aston!" Dora scrambled over. "You're actually doing it! The debut! I'm so jealous!"
Astonishing chuckled, "Yeah, I guess. Will you be watching?"
"Of course! I'm going to sprint all out towards the course when the class ended. In return, you must watch my debut race too next month"
"Sure, I'll be happy to be there"
Dora then reached for something in her pocket. A some sort of... charm? "Here, I got this from you. I met an interesting senior a few days ago and she claimed to be some sort of a fortune teller. She said this will bring you good luck! "
Astonishing stared at the charm, it was not so different that the one she got from the shrine back home. "Alright, alright. I'll keep it in my pocket. If I win by a landslide, I'll give the fortune teller half the credit."
"You better!" Dora grinned, then gave Astonishing a sudden, rib-cracking hug. "Now go! I'm cheering on you! "
"Thanks, Dora!" She gave one last wave over her shoulder and sprinted toward the parking lot.
.
.
.
Just like he said, Takeda was waiting in the parking lot. Waiting for her while leaning against a car like that one scene from a certain movie.
"Well I'll be damned... " The car he was leaning on is a sedan coated in iconic blue paint.
You know it, I know. It's a Subaru! A 1994 Subaru Impreza.
"This is yours? " Astonishing couldn't but making sure he's not leaning on stranger's car.
"Of course." He lets out a small laugh. "What, expecting me to show up in a rusty kei car?"
"Honestly? Yeah." She wouldn't be the only thinking the same.
"Months together and this is the first time I feel like being struck in the chest. Well, I don't blame you"
He opened the rear passengers door for her. "Do you want to sit in the back or the front? "
"Uhh... I think I'll take the front seat" She tossed her bag onto the second row and make her way to the front passenger seat.
CLACK CLACK
They put their seatbelts on, and slowly drive their way out of the parking lot.
For a place as big as Tracen, their parking lot size in massive. Even though there aren't really that many cars parked here.
Maybe because it's so big, it doesn't feel full at all.
Oh, hey there's a Lamborghini.
"Hey, Trainer. " She called out. "I wonder, the Tokyo Racecourse is pretty close, right? We could literally walk there, or take short bus trip. So... Why are we using a car? "
.....
"Trainer? "
.....
"Hey! "
.....
"Answer meeee! "
.....
The trip to Tokyo Racecourse was a smooth one.