As those words faded into silence, Garden Gale just nodded gently, smiling warmly. "Alright, then take good care of your little sister."
Then she turned and walked off without another glance.
She wouldn't pry further or interfere rudely. Admire Vega stood quietly, feeling the kindness and consolation in Garden Gale's words. Even though Garden-san clearly didn't understand the whole story, she still offered comfort… Ah, what could she even say in response?
Her thoughts fragmented, like a mirror shattered into countless reflections.
Enough of that—time to train.
Admire Vega took a deep breath, turning back to the training grounds. She'd already finished her morning session before bumping into Garden Gale, but now she needed another round.
Maybe the pain of training could numb the ache inside her chest.
...
Garden Gale, meanwhile, stuck to her original destination: Ritto Dormitory.
Quietly closing the door behind her, she noticed Curren Chan had already gotten up and left. Feeling a mild disappointment, she relaxed her posture, dropping her cautious demeanor as she returned to her original plan.
Take a bath.
Then lie flat and do nothing.
...
Thirty minutes later.
"Bathing really is the greatest pleasure on earth," sighed the Umamusume, wrapped in a fluffy towel. Her milk-smooth skin flushed rosy from the hot water as she dried off lazily.
Her mind felt lighter, rebuilt from scratch in a cloud of steam, all tension melted away under the warm shower. Opening her eyes afterward felt like being reborn. Garden Gale hummed softly as she got dressed—thankfully, no cliché scenarios involving someone bursting in happened. Instead, she simply crawled into bed, fully prepared to lounge.
Of course…
Even someone as disciplined as Garden Gale couldn't stick exactly to her schedule.
Almost unconsciously, she reached for her smartphone.
I'll just browse a little before sleeping…
Before she knew it, a satisfied smile spread across her face as she opened up Umastagram, realizing it had been ages since she last logged in.
Time to unwind a bit.
As soon as the app loaded, she spotted the red notification badge.
Ugh.
Her OCD wouldn't let that slide!
She tapped it immediately—and raised an eyebrow in surprise. Memories she'd long buried suddenly jumped her out of nowhere.
[January 27, 10:11 AM]
[Ruined King]:Hi~
...
[January 28, 9:01 PM]
[Tokai Teio]:?
[Tokai Teio]:Who are you?
...
Oh, right. It was before the Wakagoma Stakes. She'd been slacking off in class, randomly messaging Tokai Teio—and she'd completely forgotten about it! If not for this spontaneous check, she'd probably have forgotten forever.
Garden Gale rolled onto her side.
After a brief pause, she typed back—though it had been almost two months since their last exchange.
[Ruined King]:I'm also an Umamusume at Tracen Academy. Wanna be friends?
She had to fight back a wave of embarrassment typing that last part.
She wasn't exactly messing with Tokai Teio—after all, they were already friends offline! But Garden Gale's severe social anxiety made her determined to fix her terrible personality bit by bit, starting from online. Knowing Tokai Teio's bright and cheerful nature, she hoped chatting online would eventually help her overcome her anxieties.
Just as she was about to exit—
Her phone buzzed again.
[Tokai Teio]:Which division are you from?
Instant reply?
Interesting.
Garden Gale's interest piqued. Thinking about the persona she'd crafted for this online identity, she answered naturally:
[Ruined King]:I'm in the Classic Division.
[Tokai Teio]:How can you prove it?
Ooh, she was hooked?
Garden Gale rolled lazily again, quickly typing another response.
[Ruined King]:There's someone in the Classic Division named Garden Gale—did I get her name right? She's known as a prodigy, just like you, but outsiders wouldn't really know about her since she's too low-profile. Also, Diving Board 6 at the swimming pool is reserved for the strongest racers.
She cringed heavily at every keystroke.
Typing compliments about herself felt absolutely disgusting! Worse yet, if she ever got exposed, the shame of hyping herself up would haunt her forever.
Just imagining it made her shiver.
She'd kept her clues minimal on purpose.
...
[Tokai Teio]:All correct… so who exactly are you?
Tokai Teio stared at her own screen, deep in thought.
[Ruined King]:Don't worry about my identity. I'm just a passing emissary of justice—you can call me Viego.
[Tokai Teio]:Okay… Viego, huh? Weird name.
[Tokai Teio]:Since you're an emissary of justice, can you help me with a problem?
...
Garden Gale, rolling restlessly on her bed, suddenly sat upright.
Tokai Teio had a problem?
Her curiosity surged even higher. A mischievous grin developed, onto her face.
[Tokai Teio]:I know it might sound weird, but… I have this friend who's been really stressed over something small lately. How do I put this… her friend's friend did something unusual, and she wants to ask about it but is afraid she's not close enough. She's worried the answer would be something harsh, like 'mind your own business' or 'you're too nosy'—
[Ruined King]:Hold up, I don't quite follow.
[Ruined King]:Let me get this straight—your friend's friend did something, and your friend wants to ask her about it but is worried she's meddling too much?
Oh, geez.
Garden Gale hadn't expected the upbeat Tokai Teio to get hung up on something so trivial.
She pursed her lips and swiftly typed again.
[Ruined King]:Then just ask her! What's the point of overthinking it?
[Tokai Teio]:What if she hates me afterward?
[Ruined King]:Never pegged you as this sentimental, Teio. If she ends up hating you, just tell me—I'll tie her up and drag her to you myself. A promise is a promise! Anyway, aren't you two friends? Asking questions shouldn't be a big deal!
After pressing send, Garden Gale punched the air triumphantly.
See? I'm unstoppable online!
Four simple words: just get it done!
...
On the other side, Tokai Teio stared blankly for a second before breaking into a small smile.
"Tie her up"—that was quite the ridiculous suggestion. This "Viego" seemed oddly amusing, though seriously, kidnapping someone would definitely be illegal! She chuckled to herself, fighting down an odd sense of excitement.
Forget the mystery identity for now; the advice was right.
She nodded to herself decisively.
Enough beating around the bush.
Next time she saw Garden Gale, she'd finally ask about that second running style and whatever connection Garden Gale had with Air Shakur.
For nearly two months she'd agonized, wondering if asking would be too intrusive. But now she'd finally made up her mind.
No more hesitation—it was time to be brave.
---
T/N: OH MYH FUCKING GOD, NO WAY SHE PICKED RUINED KING BECAUSE OF VIEGO??? LEAGUE OF LEGENDS??? AND NOOO FUCKING WAY GARDEN GALE JUST PUT THE SEED OF THOUGHT INTO TEIOS MIND OF KIDNAPPING OH MY FUCKING GODDDDDD ITS OVER
T/N2: heres ur updates :3 meeting the 4 chaps a week quota :3 do u think itd be better to do it earlier in the week to make u guys wait more for the bonus chapters
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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