The field was quiet at this hour, the cool night air flowing gently over the grass as the faint rustling of leaves created a calm, isolated atmosphere.
And right in the middle of it, two figures stood side by side, their legs tied together for some odd reason.
A strip of cloth tied Lunar's left leg to Validissimus's right, the knot firm enough to hold them in place without restricting movement entirely, forcing them into a shared movement whether they were ready for it or not. It was an unusual setup, awkward at first glance, but there was clear intention behind it.
Lunar shifted her leg slightly, testing the tension of the binding before glancing up at her partner. "Alright," she said calmly, no panic in her voice despite the closeness. "This drill is to help you feel the correct cadence."
Validissimus gave a small nod, accepting the explanation without question—not because it looked easy since it clearly wasn't, but because she trusted Lunar's judgment, even if she didn't fully understand it yet.
Even so, her eyes flickered downward for just a moment. They were close. Much closer than they had ever been before.
Close enough that she could feel the warmth radiating from Lunar's body, close enough that even the smallest movement between them became noticeable, unavoidable. It was distracting, uncomfortably so, but she forced herself to push that thought aside before it could take root.
"Follow my timing," Lunar continued, her command gentle but focused. "Don't think too much. Just match me."
Validissimus exhaled slowly, centering
herself before giving a short nod. "…Understood."
And then they moved."One—two—three—two—one—two—three—two—"
Lunar's voice set the rhythm, light yet precise as her feet began to glide across the field, naturally pulling Validissimus along as their tied legs demanded synchronization. Each step was planned, each shift in weight controlled, her cadence flowing through something that she repeated countless times before.
Validissimus followed her, and at first, it was manageable.
The pace wasn't extreme, and her natural athleticism allowed her to keep up for the first few steps, her body adjusting quickly to the shared movement despite the unusual constraint.
But then, something began to feel off. Her brows drew together slightly as she focused harder. "…!"
It wasn't that Lunar was going fast, not exactly. It was just way too smooth.
The transitions between each step were seamless, unnaturally so, there was no extra motion at all, no hesitation, no micro-adjustments that most people would unconsciously make. Each step flowed perfectly into the next with an almost unnatural consistency, creating a rhythm that was easy to follow in theory, yet frustratingly difficult to replicate in practice.
And the more she tried to match it, the more she realized just how far off she actually was.
Validissimus's breathing began to quicken as her timing slowly slipped out of alignment with Lunar's.
"One—two—three—two—one—two—three—two—" Lunar didn't slow, nor did she falter. She was already fully immersed in the motion, her focus locked into the cadence she had set, her body moving almost entirely on instinct as she guided them forward across the field.
"—Wait," Validissimus breathed out, her voice tightening slightly as she tried to adjust. "I can't—"
But Lunar didn't hear her. Or if she did—she didn't register it in time. Their steps fell out of sync just for a moment—-just one beat, but that was all it took.
Validissimus's foot came down a fraction too late, and that tiny delay threw everything off. Her balance shifted abruptly, her weight tipping forward as control slipped through her grasp, and before she could recover, her body was already moving past the point of no return.
The realization struck all at once.
Her center of gravity had already given way, and the ground rushed up toward her faster than she could react.
Lunar felt it instantly—the disruption in rhythm, the sudden, uneven pull dragging against her. Her eyes widened as she turned, catching the moment too late to stop it outright, yet not too late to act.
In that split second, she made a choice.
Instead of pulling away and letting Validissimus take the fall alone, Lunar stepped forward into it, moving her body as she adjusted their positions mid-motion. She slid just enough beneath Validissimus to take the brunt of the impact herself, redirecting the fall in a way that would soften it for the taller girl.
The world seemed to blur in an instant, the sharp green of grass, the disorienting rush of movement, the sudden weight pressing down—
And then they hit the ground together. Momentum carried through them, the impact absorbed unevenly as Lunar took the brunt of it beneath.
"…—!" A quiet groan escaped her, her body tensing slightly from the force before settling against the grass.
"Lunar!" Validissimus's voice broke through immediately, sharp with panic as she pushed herself up just enough to look down, her expression completely different from its usual composed state.
She was hovering—no, practically pinning her.
Both hands planted firmly on either side of Lunar's head, her knees braced against the ground as she leaned forward, her breath uneven, eyes scanning quickly for any sign of injury.
"Are you alright?" she asked, the urgency in her tone spoke much of what she thought. "I didn't— I lost the rhythm— I—"
"I'm okay," Lunar interrupted softly, smiling even in this situation despite the slight wince that lingered beneath it. "It's fine," she continued gently. "That was my fault. I should've noticed you were struggling earlier."
Validissimus froze for a fraction of a second."…Your fault?" Her brows furrowed, frustration flashing briefly across her face—not at Lunar, but at herself.
"I was the one who failed to keep up," she muttered. "You gave clear instructions. I couldn't follow them…."
Her jaw clenched slightly. "…That's my lack of ability."
Lunar blinked at that, her expression softening just a little more as she looked over at their current predicament.
From an outside perspective, the position they had ended up in would have been… questionable, to say the least. Validissimus, tall and imposing even in the middle of disarray, was leaning over Lunar in a way that effectively pinned her to the ground, their faces far closer than appropriate, their proximity intimate enough that anyone passing by might have easily misunderstood what they were seeing. The tension in the air, the stillness of their bodies, the way neither of them had immediately pulled away—it all painted a picture that didn't quite match the reality of the moment.
But neither of them seemed to fully understand that. At least, not yet.
Validissimus's attention remained fixed on Lunar, her earlier frustration and concern still living in her expression, while Lunar simply stared back at her with a reassuring calm, as if the fall, the closeness, and the awkwardness of it all meant very little in comparison.
For a while, none of it seemed to matter. The world around them felt suspended in the aftermath, the night holding its breath as Validissimus hovered above her.
And then the moment shattered.
"THUNK—!"
The sound cracked harshly through the silence of the field as a half-empty soda bottle collided with the back of Validissimus's head, the impact sudden and solid enough to send a jolt through her entire body.
Lunar flinched beneath her in surprise. The taller girl pushed herself up, her body turning toward the direction the bottle had come from, irritation and confusion flaring all at once as her voice rose, furious and cutting.
"Who th—"
But the words died before they could fully form.
She stopped.
Because the figure charging toward her…It was Sakura.
And she wasn't just running.
She was furious.
Her eyes burned with raw, burning anger, her expression twisted with something far deeper than simple irritation as she closed the distance between them, her voice ringing out across the field with a force that left no room for Validissimus to hesitate.
"GET AWAY FROM HER—!"
Validissimus's instincts kicked in immediately, her posture tightening as her feet planted firmly against the ground while her guard came up without conscious thought, her body bracing itself for whatever was coming next.
And it came fast.
Sakura didn't slow down.
She leapt.
Her entire body slammed into Validissimus with full force, the impact knocking the air from both of them as the momentum carried them straight to the ground, grass and dirt scattering beneath them while they rolled once in a rough, uncontrolled tumble before finally coming to a stop.
Sakura ended up on top, and she did not wait a single further second before her fist came down.
Then again.
And again.
Each strike fueled by pure emotion rather than technique, her movements fast, unrestrained, driven entirely by the image that had burned itself into her mind just moments ago.
"How dare you touch her!" Sakura shouted, her voice cracking under the weight of her anger as she swung again. "If you hate me that much, then bring it on! I'm not scared of you!"
Validissimus grunted as she blocked, her arms rising on instinct as she caught Sakura's wrist mid-swing, stopping the punch just inches from her face. Even in the middle of the chaos, she held back, refusing to strike back despite the situation rapidly spiraling out of control.
"Stop—!" she snapped, her voice strained as she tightened her grip, using her superior strength to restrain Sakura's movements. "I wasn't hurting her! It was an accident!"
Sakura's eyes flared with fury. "You think I'm going to believe someone like you?!" she shot back immediately, her voice laced with disbelief and anger as she struggled against the hold.
And somehow, she broke free.
The sudden force of her movement caught Validissimus off guard just enough for her grip to slip, and Sakura wrenched her hand away, her body already following through before there was any chance to stop her.
Her fist connected cleanly.
"—!" The powerful impact snapped Validissimus's head to the side, the force drawing a pained wince from her as her breath hitched at the contact.
"Sakura-chan, stop it! Stop it!" Lunar's voice cut through the chaos. She moved quickly, stepping in and grabbing Sakura from behind, her hands wrapping around both of her arms to pull her back before another strike could be thrown.
Sakura resisted at first, her body still forcing it, still burning with the remnants of her anger, but her movements slowed just enough at Lunar's touch, her voice still shaking as she protested. "She was hurting you!"
"No, she wasn't!" Lunar shot back, the frustration finally breaking through her calm. "We were just training together!"
With that, she pulled Sakura back completely, guiding her off Validissimus and putting a firm distance between them before things could escalate any further.
Validissimus remained on the ground, one hand rising to her cheek to caress it as she winced again, the pain hitting more clearly now that the adrenaline had begun to fade.
Lunar turned to the sound and the moment she saw the bruise on Validissimus's face, her expression changed for the worse.
"…Ah—!" A soft, horrified sound escaped her as she crouched down beside Validissimus, her eyes locking onto the forming bruise along her cheek, the redness already starting to darken beneath the surface.
"I'm so sorry—" Lunar murmured, her voice filled with genuine concern as she reached out carefully, her fingers brushing lightly against the injured area, her touch gentle and hesitant. "Are you okay?"
Validissimus tried to respond to reassure the worried girl. She even managed the beginning of a smile. "…I'm fine—"
But the moment her lips moved too much, pain shot through her cheek again, forcing her expression to falter as she winced slightly, the attempt falling apart halfway through. "…Tch—"
Sakura stood there, chest rising and falling, her hands still trembling slightly from the adrenaline that hadn't quite left her system yet, her eyes locked onto the scene in front of her as Lunar knelt beside Validissimus, fussing over her with a level of care that felt absolutely wrong.
No, not just wrong. It was unbearable.
"…Why are you helping her?" The words slipped out before she could stop them, quieter than her earlier shouting but carrying the same sharp edge that hadn't faded at all.
Sakura's brows furrowed, her grip tightening at her sides as she took a step forward. "She's a bad person," she continued, her voice rising slightly again as that frustration resurfaced. "Why are you—"
"Sakura." Lunar's voice interrupted her anger, firm in a way Sakura had never heard before.
It made her freeze.
Lunar looked up at her, and for a moment, there was something in her expression that Sakura didn't recognize—something stricter, heavier, touched with a hint of anger that felt so out of place on her usually gentle face that it made Sakura's chest tighten instantly.
"You shouldn't have punched her like that," Lunar said, her tone controlled but clearly displeased. "That was in really poor taste."
The words hit harder than any physical blow she could throw.
Sakura blinked, eyes wide as confusion flooded in, mixing with the remnants of her anger that made everything feel tangled and messy. "…What?"
Why… was Lunar-chan defending HER?
"I…" Sakura hesitated, her gaze dropping for a moment before lifting again, her voice softer now, careful as she was afraid of making Lunar angrier. "I thought she was hurting you."
She swallowed slightly, her fingers clawing into the fabric of her cardigan. "You were pinned down and she was on top of you and I just—"
"It was an accident," Lunar interrupted, her tone still firm but not as angry as before, though the frustration hadn't fully left. "We were training. We lost our balance and fell. That's all."
Sakura paused again. "…Oh." The single word left her quietly, the fire inside her dimming as the explanation settled in. But only for a second.
Because her gaze drifted back to Validissimus.
The girl was still on the ground, one hand pressed lightly against her cheek, her expression tight from the lingering pain Sakura had just inflicted, and something in Sakura twisted all over again at the sight.
And something in Sakura twisted again.
Her brows drew together, and when she spoke, her voice had lost its earlier intensity, replaced instead with suspicion this time. "…Then why are you with her?" There was a slight pause before she added, "Why are you even… training together?"
Her eyes narrowed just slightly as she looked at Validissimus, the earlier hostility still very much present beneath the surface. "…With her."
Lunar let out a quiet sigh, one that carried no irritation, only a faint trace of fatigue. "…Since it's already come to this," she said, rising to her feet as she offered a hand down to Validissimus, "we might as well talk about it properly."
Validissimus hesitated for a fraction of a second before accepting it, allowing Lunar to help her up, though her movements were a bit slower now, the ache in her cheek clearly still bothering her.
"We'll go to my room," Lunar continued, glancing briefly at Sakura before returning her attention to Validissimus. "I need to treat that bruise first. I have a first aid kit there."
Sakura's eyes lingered on Validissimus for a moment longer, suspicion still clear, her lips pressing into a thin line.
And yet—
She stepped forward anyway.
Without a word, she reached out from the other side, steadying Validissimus with a solid grip, offering support despite everything that had just happened.
Validissimus's eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised by the unexpected help, her gaze flickering toward Sakura in utter shock.
Sakura, however, didn't look at her, her eyes remained fixed forward, her expression stiff, as if acknowledging her even for a second would undo whatever resolve she had forced herself into.
And so, without another word, the three of them began to walk.
Together.
Through the quiet of the night, heading back toward the dorms as the earlier chaos faded into a heavy, uneasy silence, one that lingered between them and hinted at something far more complicated waiting ahead.
Meanwhile, back in the room, Via sat cross-legged on her bed with a romance manga resting lazily in one hand, her eyes scanning across the pages as her expression settled into mild exasperation, completely absorbed in the dramatic turns of the story unfolding before her.
The room was emptier than ever. Hiro-senpai had gone to stay over at a friend's room for the night, Speedy had taken a few days off to go home and celebrate her sister's wedding, and Lunar—
Well.
Lunar had been gone since earlier that evening.
Which left Via alone.
Not that she minded, of course. The silence was comfortable in its own way, and the soft rustle of turning pages filled the space just enough as she flipped to the next chapter and sank a little deeper into her pillow.
Then came a knock.
Her eyes flicked up from the page, her focus breaking as she tilted her head slightly. "…Hm?"
Another knock followed, slightly louder this time.
Via blinked once before setting the manga aside, sliding off the bed with unhurried movements as she made her way toward the door. She reached for the handle and pulled it open—
And paused.
Because standing on the other side was Lunar.
And beside her—Sakura.
And—
Via's eyes widened just a fraction as her gaze shifted to the third figure. "…Validissimus?"
Lunar met her gaze with a small, apologetic smile, quietly asking for understanding before anything was even explained. "Via," she said gently, "could you grab the first aid kit from my wardrobe?"
Via's gaze moved again, this time taking in the bruise beginning to form along Validissimus's cheek, then flicking briefly toward Sakura, who stood stiffly at Lunar's side with an expression that made it very clear she hadn't entirely calmed down yet. It didn't take long for Via to piece together that something had happened—and that whatever it was, it hadn't been anything minor.
"…Got it," she said simply after a beat, turning without further questions as she walked over to Lunar's wardrobe.
Behind her, Lunar and Sakura guided Validissimus into the room and toward the bed.
Despite everything, Validissimus still tried to maintain some semblance of composure as she was eased down onto the mattress, her movements slower than usual, the lingering ache clearly catching up to her.
"It's really fine," she muttered, already shifting slightly as if to sit back up. "It's just a bruise. Nothing serious—"
Her words didn't get any further.
The moment she moved, Lunar's hand pressed firmly—though not harshly—against her chest, stopping her in place.
"Stay."
The word itself was soft, but the look that accompanied it was anything but. There was a quiet intensity in Lunar's eyes, a rare firmness that left no room for argument, making it unmistakably clear that this was not a suggestion.
"I will treat it," she continued, her voice calm but edged with quiet insistence. "And you will stay put."
Validissimus froze, the protest catching in her throat before she swallowed it down. "…Understood." Without another word, she sank back down into the bed, her earlier resistance disappearing just as fast as it came.
Via returned just in time, a small box in hand as she walked over and passed it to Lunar without further comments.
"Thanks," Lunar whispered, already opening it as she sorted quickly through its contents. She pulled out an instant cold pack and gave it a firm shake, activating it as the chemical reaction began, the surface gradually cooling beneath her fingers.
Once it was ready, she turned back toward Validissimus. "Hold still," she commanded, and then gently pressed it against the bruised area.
Validissimus flinched, a sharp inhale slipping past her lips as the sudden cold made contact with her skin, the sensation startling at first before settling into a steady, numbing chill.
"…Cold," she muttered under her breath, though she didn't pull away.
"Keep it there for about ten minutes," Lunar instructed, her tone softening again as she adjusted the angle slightly before letting Validissimus take over.
Validissimus nodded, lifting her hand to hold the pack in place herself, her face scrunching faintly as she adjusted to the lingering cold.
And through all of this, Sakura had been watching.
She hadn't said a single word.
Her eyes moved silently between them, taking in every small detail—the way Lunar handled the cold pack, the way Validissimus reacted, the subtle shifts in expression that passed between them.
"…Lunar." Her voice finally broke through the quiet, low in volume but clear enough to demand attention.
Lunar turned to her.
Sakura's brows were drawn together, her lips pressed into a thin line as she tried to keep her emotions contained, though the frown in her face made it clear that she wasn't as composed as she wanted to be.
"Can you explain what's going on?" she asked, her eyes flicking briefly toward Validissimus before returning to Lunar. "Why are you… treating her like that?"
At that, Validissimus's gaze dropped, guilt passing through her expression before she looked away entirely, her grip on the cold pack tightening ever so slightly.
Lunar noticed, but she didn't call attention to it. Instead, she shifted her focus back to Sakura. "Because she's my friend."
"And I'm worried about her," Lunar continued, her gaze softening just a fraction, even as her tone remained firm. "My friend just got punched in the face and ended up with a bruise—"
"--by my childhood friend."
Sakura froze.
It was only for a moment, but it was enough. The meaning behind those words sank in, cutting through the remnants of her anger as something else began to take its place. Her expression died down as confusion slipped in where certainty had once been, her thoughts clearly struggling to catch up with what she had just heard.
Across the room, Via—who had quietly returned to her spot, watched the entire exchange with open interest, already reaching for a bag of potato snacks from her desk as she settled in for a show. She opened it without much thought, took a piece, and bit into it, her attention never leaving the three of them.
This was, without question, the most entertaining thing she had seen all day.
For a long passing moment, the room remained quiet, the gravity of Lunar's words lingering in the air as Sakura stood there, trying to process them, trying to push past the tightness forming in her chest at that pointed reminder.
But the confusion didn't stay buried for long.
"…Since when?" Sakura asked, her voice steadier now, though still edged with disbelief as her gaze moved between Lunar and Validissimus. "Since when did she become your friend?"
Her brows drew together more tightly, her expression sharpening as she took a small step forward.
"And don't tell me you don't remember what she did," she continued, her tone rising just slightly as frustration began to creep back in. "Are you seriously not aware of what Validissimus said to me? What she did?"
Lunar didn't answer right away.
Instead, she looked at Sakura—really looked at her.
There was something more layered in her expression now as her gaze lingered a moment longer than necessary before shifting briefly toward Validissimus. The other girl sat on the bed, noticeably quieter than before, her shoulder drawn in just slightly, her eyes lowered as if she had no place in the conversation being had about her.
Then Lunar turned back to Sakura. "…I know," she said.
"…You know?" Sakura repeated, her voice choking around the words.
"Then why are you befriending her?!" Sakura burst out, her voice rising drastically as everything she had been trying to hold down came crashing back all at once. "Why are you taking her side?!"
Her hands clenched at her sides, her breathing turning erratic as the emotions she had kept contained finally spilled over.
"Do you even know how horrible she made me feel?" she continued, her voice shaking—not weak, but raw with everything she had been holding in. "She stood there and mocked me like she knew everything about me, like she had me all figured out, accusing me of not putting any effort into myself when she doesn't even know who I am!"
The words came faster now, more bitter, each one carrying the weight of something that had never been properly released. "She looked at me like I was nothing—like everything I've done didn't matter—like I was just—"
"Sakura." Lunar stepped forward. Her hand lifted gently, coming to rest against Sakura's shoulder—not to restrain her, not to stop her forcefully, but simply to be there and soothe her anger.
"…Calm down." Lunar demanded.
And somehow, that was enough to reach her.
Not completely, not enough to erase everything that had built up, but just enough to interrupt the spiral, to give Sakura something to hold onto as her breath hitched and her body remained tense, no longer escalating but not yet at peace either.
Lunar waited a moment before continuing. "It's because of that," she said.
Sakura blinked, confusion swimming across her face. "…What?"
"Because just like Validissimus misunderstood you," she spoke, glancing briefly toward the girl on the bed before returning her attention to Sakura, "you've misunderstood her too."
The words landed gently, but they didn't sit well.
"What misunderstanding?" Sakura shot back almost immediately, her brows knitting together again. "She just hates me."
"…I don't." A deep voice entered the fray.
Both Sakura and Lunar turned.
Validissimus hadn't moved much, still seated on the bed with the cold pack pressed against her cheek, but her posture had moved slightly, her gaze lifting just enough to meet Sakura's.
"I… don't actually hate you," she said, her voice low, careful, not wanting her message to be tainted in any way.
Sakura stared at her. "…Excuse me?"
Validissimus exhaled softly, her grip on the cold pack tightening just slightly before she continued. "I don't hate you," she repeated, a little more clearly this time, though her eyes wavered for just a moment. "If anything… most of what I feel toward you comes from… the opposite."
A pause. "…From something more positive than negative."
Sakura's eyes twitched. "Are you serious right now?" she asked furiously, her voice dropping into something dangerous again. "If your feelings were so damn positive, then why the hell did you say all that to me back then?"
Validissimus's shoulders stiffened slightly, her gaze faltering as the memory resurfaced, the weight of her own words pressing down on her in a way she could no longer ignore.
She didn't answer nor did she move. If anything, she seemed to draw inward, her earlier composure slipping just enough to reveal her guilt.
And Sakura saw it, but it didn't stop her from shooting at the same target.
"Oh, what, you forgot?" Sakura continued, her voice rising again, sharper now as she leaned forward. "Do you want me to remind you?"
She didn't wait for an answer.
"You said I was just a pretty face," she continued, her voice echoing through the room as she repeated the words word for word. "That I have zero talent for actually doing what an Uma Musume is born to do."
Validissimus flinched.
It was slight, almost restrained—but it was there.
Sakura pressed on.
"You said I'm only lucky because I have fans supporting me," she continued, each sentence striking harder than the last, "The same fans whose expectations and hopes I could never return because I'd never win a race with my pathetic racing ability."
The final words pressed harshly, as Validissimus couldn't even bring herself to look up.
Before Sakura could say anything more, before the venom in her voice could transform into something harsher again, Lunar reached forward and gently cupped her face with one hand, while her other hand reached back and lightly rested against Validissimus's shoulder, creating a calming bridge between the two of them.
The gesture was simple, but it worked.
Sakura froze, her breath catching slightly at the sudden closeness, her words dying in her throat as her eyes landed upon Lunar.
Validissimus stiffened as well, clearly caught off guard by the contact, the entirety of her body going still as if unsure how to react.
Lunar looked at Sakura first. Her expression was calm again but with a seriousness that spoke volumes of what she was still yet to say. "What she said to you… was wrong, and I think she should apologize for that."
Then Lunar glanced at Validissimus. It was subtle—but it carried enough meaning to be understood.
A quiet cue.
Validissimus hesitated for a little bit more, her fingers fiddling slightly around the cold pack as she swallowed, the weight of everything settling over her once more.
"…I'm sorry." Her voice was low, but sincere, stripped of the usual confidence and pride she carried. "For what I said to you that day," she continued, her gaze lowering as she struggled to maintain eye contact. "Those words were… unnecessarily harsh."
She paused, drawing in a small breath to steady herself. "…And they didn't come from a place I'm proud of." Her grip tightened again, just slightly. "They came from jealousy."
"I can't take them back," she admitted. "No matter how much I want to. But… I can at least say that I regret saying them, and that I'm sorry."
Sakura stood there, unmoving, her eyes blinking slowly as her mind struggled to truly believe what she had just heard, the apology landing somewhere she hadn't prepared for, leaving her unsure how to respond to it.
"…What?"
Lunar, meanwhile, simply gave Validissimus a small, approving look, her expression softening just enough to acknowledge the effort it had taken to say those words.
Validissimus seemed to notice, her shoulders easing slightly as some of the tension left her now that the apology had finally been spoken.
But Sakura—
Sakura wasn't convinced.
Her brows drew together again, her lips pressing into a thin line as she shook her head faintly, the confusion quickly giving way to frustration once more. "If it was this easy to apologize," she said, her voice rising again despite herself, "then what was the point of all that?"
She leaned back, crossing her arms tightly over her chest as she fixed Validissimus with a direct, challenging look. "What misunderstanding could possibly make you treat me like that?" she demanded. "What reason is there to say things like that to someone?"
Validissimus hesitated again. Her gaze dropped, her composure faltering just enough to show the truth behind her next words. "…I was jealous," she confessed.
Sakura made a face. "…Of me?" There was no attempt to hide the skepticism in her tone.
Validissimus gave a small, reluctant nod, her expression tightening as she forced herself to continue. "You're… everything I wanted to be."
Sakura's eyes widened, the certainty in her anger beginning to fracture under that brutal and unexpected truth.
"I've always liked umadol," Validissimus continued, her gaze still lowered as she spoke, carrying a quiet vulnerability that hadn't been there before. "I grew up thinking that maybe… I could become one someday."
She let out a small breath, the words afterwards tinged with self-deprecation. "But just like you said before… I'm not exactly the most appealing."
Sakura flinched, just slightly, the memory of her own words from their earlier confrontation resurfacing in a way that made her bite down lightly on the inside of her cheek.
Before she could respond, Lunar did so first, her hand giving Validissimus's shoulder a small but firm pinch.
"You're not unappealing," Lunar said, her tone carrying a quiet insistence that made it sound less like reassurance and more like a simple, undeniable fact.
Validissimus was unable to help the reluctant smile tugging at her lips. "…Even if that's true," she replied, "it doesn't change the fact that I don't exactly fit what people expect from an umadol."
Her gaze flickered briefly toward Sakura. "Not compared to someone like you."
Sakura coughed at that, finding herself unsure of how to respond.
"But… that wasn't the main reason," Validissimus continued, her voice growing quieter again as she refocused. "It played a part, but it wasn't what made me act that way."
"Then what was it?" Sakura asked, her arms still crossed, though her tone had changed—less explosive now, but still firm, still demanding an answer.
Validissimus glanced up at her, holding her gaze just a little longer this time. "…Do you remember the time you were confessed to on the rooftop?"
"The rooftop…?" Sakura echoed, her expression shifting as she searched through her memory. "Yeah… I remember."
Then her frown deepened slightly, suspicion creeping back in as she tilted her head. "…What about it? Was that girl your friend or something?"
Validissimus shook her head. "No." A brief pause followed before she continued. "Do you remember what happened after that?"
Sakura hesitated, her thoughts stalling for a moment. "…After?"
Validissimus's gaze sharpened just slightly, though her voice remained low. "The letter."
And just like that, recognition hit.
Sakura's eyes widened instantly as the memory snapped into place, so vividly, as though it had only just happened.
The tall Uma Musume.
The one who had approached her afterward.
The one who had handed her that letter.
The letter she hadn't even bothered to properly acknowledge before tearing it up without a second thought—
Her head snapped up, her arm lifting in an instant as she pointed straight at Validissimus. "It was you—!"
Validissimus held Sakura's gaze for a moment longer before giving a small, quiet nod.
"Yes," she said.
Her voice didn't waver this time.
"That was me."
There was no attempt to deny it, no effort to soften the truth as she continued, her tone steady even as her fingers tightened slightly around the cold pack.
"That moment… was when it started," she admitted. "I already knew who you were back then, at least from a distance, but seeing that happen right in front of me left a bad impression."
Her gaze lowered again, though she didn't stop speaking.
"It turned into dislike," she went on, choosing her words with care, "and with everything else I was already feeling… it eventually grew into resentment."
Sakura's expression hardened slightly at that, her arms still crossed as she listened, though there was something more restrained in her reaction now, something that suggested she was actually trying to understand instead of immediately lashing out.
Validissimus took a small breath before going on.
"And I still think what you did back then was wrong," she added, unrelenting but not hostile. "Tearing up that letter like that… it was disrespectful to her feelings."
Sakura immediately tensed up as her mouth opened instinctively, ready to defend herself, ready to push the accusation—
But the confrontation she braced for never came.
Validissimus didn't press further, didn't raise her voice or lean into the criticism. Instead, she continued.
"But…" she said, more softly now, "after hearing about your situation from Lunar… I understand it more."
That made Sakura pause, if only for a moment.
"I'm not saying it was right," Validissimus clarified, lifting her gaze again to meet Sakura's properly this time, "but I understand why you reacted that way."
A brief silence settled between them, the tension shifting into something more complex.
"And everything I said to you that day," she went on, her voice tightening just slightly, "was said out of spite."
The admission was direct, hiding under nothing but pure honesty.
"None of it was true."
Sakura found her mouth left agape, her hardened expression crumbling as the reveal of everything caused it to.
"You're not talentless," Validissimus continued, steadier now despite the discomfort still visible in her body language. "And you're definitely not someone who doesn't try."
Her grip on the cold pack loosened slightly, as though the tension she had been holding onto was finally beginning to ease. "I know that because I've raced against you," she added. "And you pushed me further than anyone ever has."
"…When I'm not letting my own emotions get in the way," she admitted, "I can recognize that. And I respect it."
Sakura's shoulders eased, if only slightly. Her brows no longer drawn as tightly as before as the sharp edge of her anger began to dull, giving way to something far less certain, something more conflicted.
"And for what I said to you," Validissimus finished, lowering her head in a show of regret. "I truly apologize."
Sakura remained where she stood, her gaze fixed on Validissimus as her thoughts moved through everything that had just been said, each word fitting into place slowly, one after another.
Then she felt it, a gentle squeeze around her hand as she glanced to see what it was.
It was Lunar, still beside her, still reassuring as ever, "Validissimus acted out of her own emotions," she said gently. "But she came to understand them… and she apologized for it."
Her eyes softened as they rested on Sakura. "How about you, Sakura-chan?"
The question wasn't forcing anything out of her, but it pricked onto her mind just the same.
She looked at Validissimus again—really looked this time, trying to reconcile the person standing in front of her now with the one she had clashed with before, searching for something in her expression, weighing the sincerity behind her words, the way she carried herself now compared to then.
And slowly, her shoulders dropped.
"…Fine," she muttered under her breath, though the sharpness from earlier had dulled into something far less defensive.
She uncrossed her arms.
"I'll accept your apology," she said, her voice still carrying a trace of awkwardness, like the words didn't come naturally to her but she was saying them anyway.
She lifted a hand to scratch lightly at the side of her cheek as her gaze drifted away for a second before returning. "…And I guess," she added, a little more quietly now, "I should apologize too."
Her tone softened. "For what happened on the stairs… and just now." She hesitated, then let out a small, self-aware huff. "I acted like an idiot," she admitted, her honesty blunt even as it carried a hint of discomfort. "Thinking back on it… yeah, I was kind of a complete asshole."
Validissimus's eyes widened just slightly at the straightforwardness of that.
Sakura rolled her shoulders, clearly uneasy but pushing through it anyway. "So if you didn't like me because of that," she continued, "then… I guess that's fair."
A brief pause followed.
Then, after a moment's hesitation—she extended her hand. "…Truce?"
Validissimus looked at it for a second, her gaze lingering on it before lifting back to Sakura's face.
And then, she reached out and took it.
"I forgive you," she said simply.
Their hands clasped, and for the first time since first meeting each other—they shared a small, mutual smile.
It wasn't warm, not yet, and it certainly wasn't close, but there was something there now that hadn't existed before.
Beside them, Lunar watched the exchange quietly, her expression softening as a quiet sense of satisfaction greeted her heart, the uncomfortableness that had filled the room finally easing into the opposite.
For that, everything felt resolved.
"…Is that it?" The voice came from her backside, flat and unimpressed.
All three of them turned.
Via sat lazily on the bed, a half-empty bag of potato chips in her hand as she stared at them with a completely neutral and frankly bored expression.
"…Boo," she added after a moment, popping another piece into her mouth. "I thought there'd be more action."