Night.
A night that felt like it would never give way to daylight.
Once again, Garden Gale found herself confronted with the bitter truth of just how utterly messed up her personality was.
Returning to her dorm room, she didn't even bother switching on the lights. The curtains blocked out any comforting moonlight, leaving her alone in suffocating darkness. Curren Chan still hadn't come back; her bed remained empty, and an invisible rift now separated them—a gap that might never close again.
But maybe this was for the best.
Maybe having a friend like me would just be too exhausting for anyone.
The thought brought no comfort.
Garden Gale moved shakily across the room, stumbling like someone who'd had too much to drink, or whose legs were crushed by brutal training. But it wasn't alcohol or fatigue—it was despair, pure and simple.
She didn't even understand why things had turned out like this.
She'd finally found her direction. She had set a clear goal and started moving forward. She'd envisioned becoming stronger, winning races, defeating powerful rivals and standing atop the world.
Was she overthinking this? Was it that big a deal, really? She'd only rejected one trainer's invitation, after all—that was perfectly normal. But it wasn't about the rejection itself; it was about her utter inability to face others, her constant instinct to flee rather than confront. Her cowardice had once again brought her crushing pain.
She never really refused anyone.
She never dared to refuse.
Perhaps the root of this suffering was her own self-delusion—thinking she'd changed, when she'd actually changed nothing at all.
What did Narita Road think of her now? How did Admire Vega view her arrogant provocation? And Curren Chan…what was she really thinking? And how about all those things she'd done as a racing idol? Skipping her Winner's Live concert, mocking others to hide her own inadequacies?
Every failure, every regret, rushed back to haunt her.
If she stopped being an Umamusume, maybe she could finally escape.
Leave this place behind, go to another city—another country, even—and start over. If she could avoid expectations, she'd avoid pain. It was simple and logical.
No expectations, no disappointments.
She never should've started down this path.
But if she tried explaining these feelings to someone else, they'd surely dismiss her as immature, melodramatic, or childish. No one would ever truly understand how deeply she suffered.
I have to leave.
Right now.
Only one thought remained clear in Garden Gale's mind.
—I need to run away.
Without hesitation, convinced that this was the best decision she'd ever made, Garden Gale turned and walked out of the dorm.
But just as she stepped through the entrance—
"Hey," came a voice from the shadows. A familiar figure stepped forward, baring her signature shark-toothed grin. "And where exactly do you think you're going?"
Garden Gale froze in shock.
She hadn't expected someone to intercept her this late. Even without looking, she recognized Air Shakur immediately from her voice alone. The taller girl sauntered closer, her tone breezy as she continued, "Mind if I tag along?"
Yes. Very much so.
Garden Gale didn't dare say it aloud, but her expression betrayed her instantly.
Yet Air Shakur conveniently ignored her discomfort, shamelessly falling into step beside her. "So, what's the plan tonight? You're out pretty late."
Garden Gale stayed silent.
She wouldn't speak. She wouldn't give Shakur anything. If she acted aloof, refusing to respond at all, surely the other girl would get bored, assume she was some arrogant jerk, and leave her alone. Though it hurt her heart terribly to be so cold—to force yet another friend to despise her—it was easier this way.
A perfect strategy.
…Or so she thought.
Unfortunately, she severely underestimated Air Shakur's persistence.
No matter how long Garden Gale maintained her stony silence, Air Shakur simply chattered away, unfazed. Eventually, the two of them reached the academy gate, clearly not heading toward the training track.
"You going out?" Air Shakur asked again. Then, without waiting for a response, she added mischievously, "You remember what I mentioned earlier tonight, right? Any guesses?"
Something about…a club and DJ…?
Unable to resist any longer, Garden Gale hesitantly muttered, "...Club?"
"Exactly!" Shakur beamed brightly. "Come on, follow me! A night out at the club will cheer you up, no matter how depressed you are. Trust me, the atmosphere alone will cure everything!"
Such a delinquent…
Garden Gale's mind went blank.
Could an Umamusume even go clubbing? She was still underage! Forget about anxiety and whether this would suit her personality—there was no way she could even get into a nightclub, let alone drink!
Just imagining the embarrassment already had her scalp tingling.
And besides, how was she supposed to secretly run away if Air Shakur was dragging her off to some shady venue?
Garden Gale desperately mustered her courage, trying to form words of refusal. But Shakur didn't give her the slightest opening; instead, she swiftly flagged down a taxi, calling out casually as she opened the door:
"Relax! It's called a club, but it's really just a live house—a music venue!"
"You'll get to hear some tracks I've put together. Every song is as precise as my racing data! You know, E equals MC squared and all that. It's gonna be cool!"
Garden Gale didn't understand a single thing she was saying.
Before she could utter any kind of protest, Shakur unceremoniously shoved her into the taxi. Now any rejection would be even harder to voice. Mixed feelings churned within her as they sped off toward this mysterious "live house" destination.
Wait—wasn't I supposed to quit being an Umamusume and leave Tracen altogether…?
Dammit.
Her escape plan was already ruined, and she still couldn't speak up! Were all her earlier melodramatic thoughts just a joke?
…Fine. Let's just say it was another social anxiety episode.
She sighed heavily, thoughts still swirling chaotically in her head.
...
Time until Garden Gale's imminent demise:
Thirty-one minutes remaining.
Not a physical death, of course—but a catastrophic social death, embarrassing enough to curl her toes in eternal shame.
---
T/N: 4 chaps meeting this weeks quota, i was too focused on something elseeeeeeeeeeeee ive been playing 7daystodieeeeeeeeeee
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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