As the evening settled in, the exam finally came to its culmination.
Candidates who had gathered throughout the day began to disperse, leaving in small groups, with parents or on their own.
Urara stepped out as well.
She hummed cheerfully as she skipped along the steps, bouncing with her usual grin
To her, it felt like she had just defeated a boss on a level in a video game.
The paper exam, something she found even harder than the race that made her collapse.
But that didn't matter now, since she had already moved on.
Even though throughout the exam, she mostly just scribbled nonsense that first popped out of her mind.
Given that, Urara barely paid attention to theories and books anyway.
Then, with her usual bounce, she continued her light steps toward the exit to find her parents.
Until—
Something caught her eye.
Someone familiar.
A girl, walking with crutches, struggled to take each step.
Mary Jane.
Urara's eyes lit up instantly.
"Mary-chan!" she called out, waving excitedly as she chased after her.
But before she could run over—
She noticed something.
Mary had just stopped out of nowhere, all the way off to the side.
Far away from the crowd.
As if she were about to receive a secret mission.
However, she simply remained still, waiting.
Until—
A figure walked in, loomed in front of her.
And Urara blinked in surprise.
"Whoa… did Mary just get a trainer?"
But before Urara could react—
*SMACK*
And Mary was sent sprawling onto the ground, her crutches clattering beside her.
"How dare you…" The man growled, fists clenched tight.
"After everything I've done for you... THIS is how you repay me?!"
Instantly, Urara froze for only a split second, bewildered.
But she wasted no time, and she ran.
Dashing toward Mary and that mysterious assailant, trying to reach her.
To save her...
…
…
…
Meanwhile...
Mary remained on the ground, one hand pressed to her cheek with the sting still fresh.
"I… I'm sorry… father," she murmured in fear.
"There you go... YOU SAID IT AGAIN!" he snapped, "How many times have I told you... Don't EVER apologize?!"
"I… I…" she faltered.
"You're pathetic, Mary," he continued coldly, "After all the effort I've put into you, and this is the result?!"
"You're no DIFFERENT from the others I trained. Weak. Frail and utterly useless."
He paused, taking a breather.
"I might as well disown you for that pitiful excuse of yours," he continued.
"But… I—!" as Mary tried to speak...
"SILENCE!" her father barked, interjecting.
"YOU DON'T GET A SAY IN THIS! I had given you every chance to become something better than everyone else... Hell! BETTER THAN ANYTHING"
"Think about it! The privileges, the opportunities. All the benefits that I laid out right in front of you—!"
"AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DO WITH THEM?!"
He then began pacing, back and forth, muttering under his breath.
"No... NO...! Not like this… NOT LIKE THIS…! Damn it…!"
Suddenly, he stopped and pointed straight at her.
"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING I PLANNED!"
"I… I… I'm sorry—" and Mary apologized again.
But before she knew—
"I SAID NO APOLOGIZE—!"
His hand shot up.
And Mary quickly flinched, shrinking into herself.
But before it could fall—
A figure darted in between them, her arms spread wide.
"STOP!" she shouted.
And a brief silence instantly settled between them.
Mary then slowly lifted her head, and...
...she saw her.
A small figure with a pink ponytail swaying behind her—
Standing firm with that usual blinding presence, she knew.
Shielding her with her arms.
Urara.
"STOP IT, YOU EVIL MAN!" Urara shouted, standing her ground.
Mary's father froze for a moment, caught off guard.
"You…!" he snapped, eyes narrowing.
"YOU AGAIN?!"
He paused, then his expression twisted.
"Wait… I should've known…"
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"IT WAS YOU—YOU'RE THE REASON FOR MARY'S INCOMPETENCE!"
His finger jabbed forward.
"All this time, I told her to stay away from you, and yet—YOU KEPT CLINGING TO HER!"
"I should've known… I SHOULD'VE KNOWN!"
"No, please… father!" Mary cried from behind Urara, "It's not Urara's fault!"
She struggled to sit up straighter.
"It's me! It's my incompetence…! I failed to complete the race because of me…"
"H-he—hey, father…! I-I… I finished the paper exam!" she stammered desperately, "I s-still have a chance to enroll in Tracen!"
"SILENCE!" he barked.
"I don't care about your academics," he scoffed, "ANYONE can do that!"
"AND YOU!" he snapped, turning back to Urara and pointing straight at her, "STAY OUT OF THIS!"
"…or you'll regret it."
"Please… Urara," Mary pleaded, gripping the hem of her shirt from behind, "Leave us…"
"No!" Urara shot back immediately, "Urara won't walk away! Not this time! Not ever!"
She planted her feet.
"Not when this big bad bad guy is standing right in front of you!"
"…Big bad bad guy?" her father repeated, thrown off for a split second as if he'd just been called a storybook villain.
But the confusion vanished just as quickly.
And his expression returned.
"If you don't move…" he said, raising his hand, "I WILL make you move!"
"SO BACK OFF! YOU SCOUNDREL!"
"NO!" Urara barked back.
"I WILL NOT LEAVE MARY-CHAN!"
"Then… so be it!"
Without hesitation, his arm swung up, and he was ready to strike.
Mary then cried, "URARA, PLEASE MOVE!" from behind, trying to keep Urara out of this.
But Urara didn't budge.
She remained firm, standing still with her arms spread.
Then, she braced.
Bracing for the hand to come down.
Ready for it to hit her.
And she flinched, her face turning slightly to the side out of instinct.
Ready for it to land...
To...
...
...
...?
Nothing came...
The slap never came.
With that, Urara slowly opened her eyes, confused.
Did he miss?
Or—
Was it stopped?
Quickly, she tilted her head up.
And there, she saw it.
A man had stepped in.
Grabbing Mary's father mid-swing.
The two struggled, arms locked as they pushed against each other.
And from behind, Urara knew that figure instantly.
"…Dad?"
Her eyes widened.
Grunting, they strained against one another.
"How… dare you…!" Urara's father growled, forcing the other man back."Try to hit... MY DAUGHTER!"
"It—was her—she brought—this upon herself!" Mary's father snapped back, struggling to break free.
Their feet scraped against the ground as they wrestled.
Meanwhile—
Urara's mother rushed straight to them.
She knelt beside Mary, gently helping her up, her hands careful but quick.
"Are you alright?!" she asked, scanning her face.
But Mary winced as she tugged her hair slightly.
The mark was clear—
Swelling was already forming where the slap had struck.
And Urara's mother was taken aback with her eyes softened.
"…What a monster," she muttered under her breath.
Meanwhile—
Urara already stood off to the side, eyes glued to the scuffle.
And somehow she was...
...cheering...?
"Give him a left-right, Dad! Kick him!" she shouted.
However...
The struggle only grew more heated as they applied more force against one another.
"Enough!" Urara's mother finally rushed forward, trying to get between them.
"Honey, please stop! There shouldn't be violence under our roof, remember?!"
"I—I can't!" her father grunted, still locked in, "Th-this man just won't back down!"
"Says you!" Mary's father snapped back.
Then—!
The tension snapped tighter.
As they shoved apart, staggering for a little.
Only to raise their fists again.
About to get into a fist fight.
Until—
"THAT'S ENOUGH!"
A voice entered, piercing through everything that stood.
And both men froze.
Before they could respond, a woman stepped in, brushing past Urara's mother, one hand gripping her purse tightly.
Her eyes locked onto Mary's father.
"What have you done! You brute!"
The air instantly shifted, and Mary's father remained frozen.
Then slowly—
His guard dropped.
His eyes narrowed.
"You…" he muttered with a sneer.
"What are you doing here…?!"