Two weeks later—
Urara's final days at school had come to an end.
She had graduated.
The classroom, the track, the familiar faces.
She had left them all behind...
But this wasn't the end of Haru Urara's story.
If anything…
This was where it truly began.
Beyond the towering gates of Tracen Academy, a new world was waiting.
And with it—
A challenge unlike anything before.
The entrance exam.
The competition beyond.
And anything that should slowly drive her up to become what she was meant to be.
Meanwhile, across the country, countless candidates trained relentlessly. Every step they took, every breath they drew, was driven by a single dream:
To pass.
To be chosen.
To stand among those elites, becoming one of the promised in the Tracen Academy.
And among them.
On a quiet residential track, veiled in the soft haze of morning mist.
A lone girl ran.
Step after step.
Breath after breath.
And she pushed forward—
Again.
And again.
And again.
Until—
Her body gave out, and she stumbled.
Then collapsed, dropping to her knees as she gasped for air.
It was Mary.
Still struggling with her injury.
Yet she was still there, trying.
"I…" she muttered, clutching her ankle tightly.
"I…"
"I have to do this…"
With visible effort, she managed to force herself back up.
"She never did give up… so neither should you…" she added, still gasping.
With that, she took her first shaky step.
Then another.
And another.
And another.
Slowly, those broken steps found their pace.
Returning to its speed.
Becoming a sprint once more.
"One more…" she breathed, crossing her own imagined finish line.
And without stopping, she muttered.
"No more delays…"
"No more resting…!"
"No more—!"
Then...
Pain struck again.
It was sharp and sudden like before.
And her body immediately gave out.
Collapsing right back onto her knees, gasping for air.
"…Why…" she muttered, her fists clenching.
"Why can't I…?"
"Why can't I run again?!"
Tears then slipped down her face as her voice cracked.
"Why... Why?!"
"Damn it—!"
Her fist slammed against the pavement.
"What's happening to me…?"
"What's happening..."
…
…
Meanwhile...
On the other side of town—
A girl lay sprawled across her futon, softly snoring.
It was Urara.
Still fast asleep.
While others pushed themselves to the brink of training, striving to earn their place in the Tracen Academy entrance exam.
Yet, this... Urara remained completely unbothered.
She rolled over, tangled deeper in her blanket.
After all—
There were still a few days left.
That's what she would say.
Even today...
The day she was supposed to leave for Tokyo.
She remained unbothered in her bed.
Until—
"URARA!"
The sliding door slammed open.
"It's time to get up!"
Her mother stood there, hands on her hips, glaring.
Urara groaned and buried herself deeper into the futon.
"Please… just a little longer…" she mumbled. "There's no school today…"
"I said get up, Urara!"
Her mother marched in.
"Do you even know what time it is?!"
"Ti… time…?" Urara slurred.
"Yes! It's almost noon!"
Her mother threw her hands up.
"If we don't leave now, we'll arrive in Tokyo late!"
"…To… Tokyo…?" Urara murmured, still half-asleep.
"Yes!" her mother snapped. "So get up right now—"
"Or I'm dragging you out of bed myself!"
"Then… just a little more…" Urara muttered, already turning away.
Her mother sighed.
"You're really making me do this…"
She knelt beside her.
Slowly raised her hands—
And then—
"WAHAHA— STOP! STOP IT!"
Urara burst into laughter as her mother tickled her mercilessly.
"Get up now, Urara!"
"I'M UP! I'M UP!"
Moments later—
Before she even fully understood what had happened—
Urara found herself dressed, seated between her parents on a bullet train.
The carriage buzzed with quiet chatter.
Then—
She turned toward the window.
And her eyes lit up.
She then immediately leaned forward.
"Whoa…!"
"We're moving so fast!"
She bounced with excitement.
"Oh, look who's finally decided to wake up," her mother chuckled.
"You haven't seen anything yet!" her father added. "Wait until we reach Tokyo and you'll be truly amazed!"
However, Urara didn't respond.
She was completely absorbed in the view outside.
Watching the world blur past...
Fields, buildings, sky, the ocean...
All rushing by in a streak of motion.
Her grin widened.
She wanted to see more.
The city.
The academy.
Everything.
And she just couldn't wait anymore...
...
...
…
A few hours later—
The train finally came to a stop at their station.
And they stepped out accordingly.
Walking through this maze-like station.
Urara was amazed throughout.
And then—
They arrived at the exit.
Shrouded in blinding light.
The moment Urara crossed the exit.
Into the light.
She stunned.
Her eyes widened, and her breath caught.
Skyscrapers stretched endlessly into the sky.
Crowds filled the streets, moving like a living current.
Cars lined the roads. Trains roaring overhead.
Bright signboards flickered even in daylight.
Restaurants, cafés, shops—everywhere she looked, something new caught her eye.
Everything felt alive.
Faster. Louder. Bigger.
Like the whole world had gathered in one place.
"Whoa!!!"
Urara and her father exclaimed at the same time.
Behind them, her mother simply smiled, shaking her head slightly.
"Dad, look!"
Urara pointed toward a massive sports store.
"It's huge!"
She dashed forward, craning her neck upward.
"Whoa! It really is!" her father followed.
The moment her father suggested, "Let's go inside—"
A hand suddenly grabbed onto his shoulder.
"Honey…"
"I think we should probably check in first."
"…Oh."
He straightened immediately.
"Right."
And just like that—
Urara was pulled back, her hands held firmly by both parents as they continued on.
A moment of walking later...
They stopped at a crossing.
Waiting.
A massive screen flickered to life ahead of them.
A teaser for an upcoming race.
One contender after another appeared—names, faces, highlights of them.
"Whoa…" Urara whispered, staring up.
Then—
Her expression shifted.
A grin.
A sharp and determined one.
"Just you wait," she muttered.
"Just you wait until Urara joins Tracen."
"Then she'll be the one on that screen next."
She clenched her fists.
"Because I'm going to become the biggest star," she declared.
Then—
The light turned green.
And they moved.
Urara was pulled along—
But her gaze lingered behind.
Her head turned, watching the screen as long as she could—
Until it finally disappeared.
…
…
...
They eventually arrived at their hotel.
The moment they entered—
Urara immediately jumped onto the bed.
Bouncing enthusiastically.
"Yay!"
The room had only one queen-sized bed, meant to be shared by all three of them.
Since they could barely afford a single room, getting a twin room wasn't an option—and it would have been too cramped anyway.
Before Urara could continue bouncing, her mother warned, "Stop jumping."
But Urara responded by leaping once more, landing on the floor and striking a pose mid-motion.
Her father clapped, genuinely impressed. But not her mother, who sighed, shaking her head in disbelief.
After that, they continued unpacking their belongings as the day slowly passed.
...
...
…
A few hours later...
Night ultimately fell over the city.
The three of them now lay on the bed.
Urara in the middle.
Her parents on each side.
One by one, they drifted off to sleep.
All except... Urara.
Who remained wide awake.
Staring at the ceiling restlessly.
Mainly, that she was excited.
Fidgeting with the mere thought of what tomorrow would bring.
The Tracen Academy visit.
The place she had ever dreamed of, even though she had only known about that school a few months prior.
Now she was finally about to step into it.
Visiting this exclusive and elite institution.
Even if all she was doing was checking her race bracket.
Confirming her time.
Yet... It was enough.
More than enough to keep her awake all night.
Sleeplessly...