The next day.
It was already noon.
"AHHHH! I overslept!!" Garden Gale shot up from her bed, jumping out like Sun Wukong escaping from beneath the mountain. She leaped onto the floor, skipping her slippers entirely, and dashed straight to the sink, ready to wash up.
And now, staring at the mirror, her explosive bedhead and stubborn cowlick fully visible, she felt a pang of despair.
Even her hair drooping like that clearly mirrored her current mood.
Ugh… I overslept a bit.
But she couldn't help it, really. After all, she'd stayed out late last night, returning from the training track at around two in the morning. She'd lain awake in bed afterward, unable to sleep—too anxious from the pressure.
It made no sense.
Absolutely no sense at all!
Garden Gale just couldn't wrap her head around it—she absolutely hadn't expected Air Shakur to have such a wild imagination, twisting reality yet again! Calling her a true prodigy who'd effortlessly mastered Tokai Teio's running style, rapidly progressing, and even saying things like, "I can't wait to see your debut race in six days."
The pressure had multiplied exponentially, becoming utterly overwhelming!!
In reality, Garden Gale hadn't even figured out her own running style or suitable distance yet.
Without the Selas System—she'd still be nothing more than a hopeless wreck.
What should she do now…
…Seriously, this was exactly what they meant by telling one lie, only to need bigger, even more outrageous lies to cover it up.
Like a snowball rolling down a hill, growing bigger and bigger…
Forget it.
When cold water touched her skin, washing away last night's dust, Garden Gale let out a deep breath, finally calming down a bit. She decided not to think about anything complicated right now. She'd just focus on putting in the maximum effort she could.
Cutting off unnecessary thoughts, she quickly finished washing up.
She planned to stop by the library to study some basics, then take another nap, and once night fell—real night, not ten o'clock but two or three in the morning—she'd head back to the training track to practice. If someone was still there at that ungodly hour…
She'd just have to accept her fate.
Having fully prepared herself, pulling on her familiar hooded sweatshirt, hands tucked into pockets, expression hidden beneath the hood's shadow,
Garden Gale headed out from Ritto Dormitory.
And immediately heard someone call from behind her again. "Garden-san!"
Crack.
That was the sound of her heart shattering into pieces. Garden Gale almost started crying right there. Why, why, WHY!? Why did so many people know her!? All she wanted was to quietly live her own life, to walk alone, do things alone, free from the constant gaze and suffocating pressure of other people's attention.
But there was no helping it.
She couldn't just pretend not to hear and run away.
Slowly, miserably, she turned around—her face as sorrowful as a funeral procession. Of course, to others, her expression still looked as arrogant and indifferent as a frozen glacier.
No helping that, either.
Who told Garden Gale to be cursed with such devastating beauty?
The person calling her was dressed rather androgynously, short hair paired with a sharp, confident presence. She stood in the doorway of the adjacent room, wearing a gentle smile, her pupils a clear, transparent shade of blue.
"I'm Fuji Kiseki—or you can call me Dorm Leader. I'm in charge of the Ritto Dorm," Fuji Kiseki said with a smile. "Garden-san, your room still has an empty bed, right?"
"Ah… yeah."
Quickly recalling the layout of her room,
Garden Gale replied without thinking—but as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt an ominous sense that something wasn't quite right.
Fuji Kiseki nodded.
She raised her right hand, checking the time on her watch. "Are you busy right now? If not… could you wait a moment? In just a bit, a new transfer student will arrive, and I'll be handling her dorm registration. If everything goes well, she'll become your roommate—so you two could get acquainted early!"
Oh no.
These were the only words left in Garden Gale's mind, shocking her like a bolt from the blue. She stood frozen on the spot, utterly dumbfounded, unsure how to react. But one thing she knew with absolute certainty—Garden Gale absolutely, absolutely, absolutely didn't want a roommate. She could already vividly picture the disastrous scenarios to come, sending chills straight down her spine.
This piece of news was more shocking than anything else she'd heard recently.
Because it hit right at the deepest bottom line of her social anxiety!
Must even rats sleeping in the sewer be disturbed!? All I wanted was to quietly live alone!
However... speaking philosophically, reality wasn't subject to human desires.
"Um, excuse me, is this the right place?" Another voice suddenly rang out from behind.
Fuji Kiseki greeted her warmly. "Hey there! You must be the transfer student, right? President Rudolf already sent me your info… Wow, you're just as cute as you are online! Amazing, already more than ten thousand followers without even making your debut yet—impressive!"
Curious, Garden Gale turned around.
And was immediately greeted by the dazzling, pure smile of Curren Chan. "Thanks for the compliment! Curren-chan is super-duper cute!"
…The sun.
She was the sun incarnate! AHHHHHH!!! Mom! There are actually two suns in this world!!
Curren Chan quickly shifted her gaze onto Garden Gale, asking curiously, "Um, and she is…?"
"She'll be your new roommate," Fuji Kiseki leaned over the counter, pointing to Garden Gale. "Funny timing, she was just about to leave when you arrived. Her name is Garden Gale, she's super talented and has a great personality too—I hope you two get along well!"
Actually, Fuji Kiseki had done this intentionally.
Ritto Dorm still had some vacant rooms, even single rooms—but she'd purposefully placed Curren Chan with Garden Gale, hoping this bright, outgoing Umamusume might help bring the gloomy, withdrawn Garden Gale out of her shell.
On more than one occasion, Fuji Kiseki had spotted Garden Gale returning to the dorm at six or seven in the morning, clearly having trained all night.
Each time, she claimed it was just an early morning jog.
But obviously, it was nighttime training.
If it had been anyone else staying out all night this frequently, Fuji Kiseki would've immediately reported it to President Rudolf. But she knew Garden Gale's nature well: a pure-hearted Umamusume, solely focused on running and her own goals—not messing around off-campus. The sweat and worn-down horseshoes were proof enough.
…Still, this lifestyle felt rather lonely.
Fuji Kiseki guessed Garden Gale carried some hidden trauma, and hoped Curren Chan might help remove it, allowing this Umamusume, who deserved happiness, to truly feel happy.
Thinking this, Fuji Kiseki smiled again. "Why don't you move your things in first? I'll handle the registration. You two can start getting familiar right away."
"Oh, and—Garden-san, could you do me a small favor? Could you escort Curren-chan to President Rudolf's office later? She wanted to meet with her personally."
---
T/N: FUJI KISEKI!!!! HUG ME TIGHT!!!! HUEHUEHUEHUE
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