The ride back up was deathly silent.
Shigure didn't want to look back for fear of what she would see, quietly taking off her helmet and hair net to ruffle and air her hair.
She was covered in sweat due to the exertion and the immense stress she was under, although she performed wonderfully.
Although she was a mature destroyer who could maintain her focus for extended periods of time, she still had the mind of a child and was prone to eventual burnout and fatigue.
Akio came of the booth as she crossed the finish line, congratulating Shigure on setting a new record on the course before spotting the tired expression on the winning destroyer and the defeated look on the other.
Shigure simply asked him to take them up, Akio nodding and smiling weakly at the both of them as the hooks of the conveyor belt caught their go-karts and carried them up.
Shigure finally looked to the engineer and thanked him for the race, and also for setting and packing up the track, Akio simply nodding in acknowledgement.
But the only thing she was worried about now was the fact that Shimakaze didn't make a sound behind her.
No cries of a rematch or even whining about the loss, things she mentally prepared herself for as she reached the finish line and waited for Shimakaze.
She tried to listen for anything that would indicate any signs of life behind her, and heard some shuffling as she assumed Shimakaze was taking off her helmet.
She finally plucked up the courage to peek behind her, extremely worried that she would do something foolish.
What she saw slightly unnerved her.
Shimakaze looked almost comatose with the blank expression on her face as she likely tried to comprehend her loss at the hands of the Shiratsuyu-Class destroyer, blankly looking down at her steering wheel and her expression unreadable as her sweat-drenched uniform and disheveled hair were both ignored by her.
Shigure was panicking on the inside, but she reminded herself to keep calm as she tried to determine the best course of action to comfort the destroyer.
And after she reached the top of the escalator and silenced her cheering sisters, she spent the entire ride back to the engineering block in silent contemplation and finally came up with a simple plan.
Shimakaze was a girl of action.
Having lost at her own game for the first time was going to have major repercussions on her self-confidence and psyche, and she couldn't predict and account for all of them no matter how hard she tried.
But in these situations, maybe it was the right words that would truly resonate with her and help her understand...
Her sisters and the engineer duo had left them alone, feeling the tension between them and understanding Shigure's pleading look as they left for dinner.
She got off her go-kart, noting that the engines and tires were still smoking a little from the race as she narrowed her eyes and turned to face Shimakaze, who still had the same blank look from before.
Shigure addressed her.
"You may think that someone told me about it, but I'll say this right now.
I only figured things out during the race, when noticed how you didn't want anyone to bring up your past. It would obviously be a sortie, where ship girls sink and don't come back. You don't have any sister ships, so it should be someone whom you deeply loved or saw as a pseudo-sibling that sank on a sortie, although I admit that the finer details elude me."
Shigure scratched the back of her head and looked away as she explained herself.
"And when shit hit the fan, you ran from your problems. I don't blame you for doing that, since no one can catch up to you and prove you wrong. And just like that, you've become conceited and believed that this was the best way to handle things. I've been through enough in my past life to know what you're feeling right now, and let's not lie to ourselves anymore. No matter how fast you run, your past, and the ghosts that haunt you will always be waiting for you at the finish line when you slow down. And we all need to slow down, sooner or later."
Shimakaze looked away upon hearing that, but she didn't get up and leave the one-sided conversation, which Shigure took as a sign that Shimakaze was at least partially interested in what she had to say, Shigure starting to ask the heavy questions as her expression darkened.
"You know that we destroyers utilize our extreme speed to outrun everyone. But I'm truly curious. Since when did you start running like a coward?"
That last line was what got a reaction from Shimakaze, her blonde brow twitching as she slowly raised her head to return Shigure's gaze as she continued.
"I genuinely want to help you, Shimakaze-san. And when I learnt of go-karting, I knew it was likely the only way I could get through to you and show you that running away doesn't resolve anything, contrary to what you may believe."
Shigure cracked a small tired smile, Shimakaze's eyes widening at the expression.
"And I think I understand you a little more now, Shimakaze-san. That's why I want to know you even better. So that I can be there to lend you a shoulder to cry on, to watch your back and also be someone who can keep up with you. But I don't want to force anything on you. About the bet…"
Shimakaze's shoulders locked up at the mention of that, her brows creased as she was visibly worried about the impending pseudo-interrogation.
But Shigure surprised her by saying,
"... I left a loophole in it. I said that you have to share everything with me, but I never specified when."
Shigure put her hands in the pockets of her skirt as she regarded Shimakaze warmly.
"You can take your time and tell me everything at your own pace after you've sorted out your thoughts. You can share them with me a week, a month, maybe even a year from now. I'll be here for you whenever you're ready."
Shigure turned away and coolly walked away, pulling one hand out of her pockets to wave to a silent Shimakaze behind her as she exited the engineering block without looking back