"The apology is mine to give as well. I forgot. If I hadn't, I could have called for you. …Regardless, let us head to the track. I need to stop by the dorms to change into something more suitable first, so I'll head on ahead."
Once his breathing stabilized, Tanoue nodded. Tachyon hurried down the stairs. He watched her go, taking a few more slow breaths to steady his heart before following her down to the ground floor.
By the time he reached the track, even more people had gathered. It was almost claustrophobic. Tachyon didn't mind crowds—she enjoyed observing others to collect data—but Tanoue hated them. He moved away from the main group of Trainers and waited for her in a quieter spot.
Tachyon arrived a few minutes later, wearing a long-sleeved tracksuit. As soon as she reached him, she peeled off the jacket and pants. She was wearing her gym shorts underneath, so the sudden strip-down didn't phase him.
"Shall we begin?" Tanoue asked.
Tachyon stepped down onto the grass of the embankment and stood before him. "Actually, before we start, there's something I'd like to—"
"Hey, Tanoue! Ah, and the great Agnes Tachyon is here too. Congrats on the Kikuka-sho."
It was Kirishima.
"Ah, thank you," Tachyon replied.
Tanoue blinked. He hadn't expected Tachyon to be so casual with Kirishima. They had seen each other occasionally over the last two years, but he'd always thought Tachyon kept her guard up around him. Seeing them act like old acquaintances made him feel a strange sense of exclusion.
"Have you seen my little troublemaker? I thought she'd be lost in the crowd around here somewhere..." Kirishima asked.
"No, haven't seen her," Tachyon answered before Tanoue could. He wondered why she felt the need to speak up. Kirishima looked at Tanoue for confirmation.
"I haven't seen her either," Tanoue said, feeling slightly restless.
Kirishima gave a friendly grin. "Got it. Thanks anyway. If you see Sasakure, tell her I'm looking for her, yeah?"
He wandered off, scanning the crowd. Tanoue wanted to ask Tachyon about their apparent rapport, but he swallowed the question. Tachyon spoke before he could.
"Trainer, there is something I wish to discuss before we train. Is that alright?"
"Discuss? Is something wrong?"
"It's quite important, but I'd rather not say it here. Can we move?"
Tachyon's brow was knit with concern. Curious and a bit worried, Tanoue nodded. "Sure."
"Good."
A look of relief washed over her. She led him toward a set of stairs leading down the embankment. To the left of the stairs, the track ended and gave way to a small grove of trees. They sat down on the steps. For a long moment, Tachyon said nothing. They were sitting quite close, and Tanoue shifted nervously, waiting for her to speak.
Finally, as a cheer erupted from the distant crowd, Tachyon broke the silence.
"I've been feeling strangely unsettled lately. I couldn't put my finger on the cause, but I've had this… unpleasant sensation. Then, I had a dream today. I didn't understand it at first, but after thinking it through in the lab, I realized something. …I think, perhaps… I am afraid you are going to create a replacement for me."
She looked at him, her eyes brimming with anxiety. Tanoue didn't look back; he was staring quietly at the trees.
"Trainer, look at me."
In truth, Tanoue was so close to her he felt he couldn't move, but Tachyon didn't realize that. He shifted his weight away slightly so he could turn and face her. Her scarlet eyes caught the setting sun, shimmering like priceless jewels. But her brow was clouded.
"I heard that starting next year, you want to take on two or three more students?"
Tanoue gasped. He hadn't intended to tell her that—at least not until after her next race. "W-Who told you that?"
"Your friend, Kirishima. We happened to speak, and he brought it up."
Tanoue let out a long, heavy sigh. "Right… I did mention it to him. Is that why you two seemed so friendly?"
"Hm?" Tachyon tilted her head. She hadn't quite caught his mumble.
Tanoue didn't have the heart to say it twice. "Nothing," he sighed again. He looked her in the eye. "I didn't want to tell you yet. But since you've heard, I'll admit it: it's true. We've been running together for two years. I feel like I've found my footing, and I want to challenge myself to see how much I've grown as a Trainer by handling multiple runners. I was going to tell you, I promise. Just… a bit later. After the next race."
"Next race?" Tachyon asked.
"Yeah. I was thinking the Osaka Hai. What do you think?"
"…I have no objections. In fact, it's quite an alluring prospect. A long break will allow others to sharpen their skills, which will make for excellent data collection. I'm in."
"Good. Then let's make that our goal and start training in earnest. Honestly, I've been agonized over how to bring it up."
"What? You were worried about that? If that's all it was, my own anxiety seems positively suicidal by comparison."
"Don't use words like 'suicidal,'" Tanoue frowned.
"No, no, I want you to take my feelings more seriously. You haven't given me your answer yet. …Even if you get 'replacement' students… will there still be… you know… 'affection'?"
Tanoue had more affection for her than he knew how to handle. For a second, he felt a wild impulse to pour his heart out, but he simply swallowed hard.
"I have no intention of neglecting you, Tachyon. My plan was to avoid even looking for other students until the Osaka Hai was over, specifically so your environment wouldn't change. …Though Kirishima went and ruined that."
Tanoue's voice was thick with venom for his friend. Tachyon let out a bright laugh.
"Oh, don't be too hard on him. I'm sure he meant no harm."
"That just makes it worse."
Tanoue stood up, the sunset illuminating his face. "Let's get to work. We don't have much light left."
He reached out and playfully flicked the lock of hair—her "ahoge"—standing up on her head. The long strand boinged back and forth.
"I'll get angry," Tachyon warned, glaring up at him.
Tanoue laughed. "Sorry."
Tachyon didn't look convinced. She scrambled up and chased after him as he started toward the track, giving his leg a light kick.
"Ow!" Tanoue cried out pathetically.
Tachyon taunted him. "What a delightful little squeak! If you're so offended, try and catch me!"
"You're on!"
Tanoue took the bait. Tachyon ran ahead, laughing. Tanoue was out of breath almost immediately, his legs heavy, but he kept chasing. Every time he stopped to catch his breath with his hands on his knees, she would circle back just to tease him again.
They ran until the sky turned black. Eventually, Tanoue collapsed onto the grass of the empty field. He looked up, but the glare from the stadium lights washed out the stars. He reached a hand up toward the invisible constellations. Tachyon's face suddenly appeared in his field of vision.
"Worn out already?"
Tanoue gave a long, wheezing nod. Tachyon crouched down, staring directly into his eyes for a few seconds.
"You'll sleep well tonight," she said.
A drop of sweat fell from her face onto his. He flinched, trying to keep it out of his eye. Tachyon watched him, puzzled; she hadn't even realized she'd dripped on him.
"What are you doing?"
Before he could answer, a voice drifted down from the top of the embankment.
"Curfew time! Back to the dorms, you two!"
It was Fuji Kiseki, her silhouette blurred by the stadium lights.
"Coming!" Tachyon called back. She looked down at Tanoue. "Can you get up on your own?"
"I'm fine," he said, though it took him a moment. Finally, he reached out and took Tachyon's hand. Her palm was warm and slightly damp from the workout. A cold autumn breeze swept over them, making him shiver.
He let go of her hand, and they climbed the embankment together, heading straight toward Fuji Kiseki. As they got closer, the dorm leader spoke.
"Ah, it's you two. I didn't recognize your voices. Tachyon, is your throat a bit hoarse?"
"Hmm?" Tachyon touched her throat experimentally. She let out a test "Ah." It did feel a bit strained.
"I suppose I laughed too much," Tachyon murmured to no one in particular.
Fuji Kiseki smiled. "Haha, well, that's good to hear. There's no better way to lose your voice. I take it the Princess of Ultra-High Speed spent the evening dancing happily with her Prince?"
"Please, stop with that," Tachyon grumbled, shooting her a glare.
Tanoue, who had actually been quite pleased by the description, felt a small pang of disappointment when Tachyon rejected it. Fuji Kiseki caught his expression and offered a knowing smile, but said nothing more. "Come, let me escort you back to the dorms."
She offered her hand to Tanoue, but Tachyon cut in. "How tedious. Let's just go."
Fuji Kiseki laughed heartily.
The three of them began the walk toward the glowing lights of the dormitory. As they moved away from the stadium and the city lights, the stars in the night sky began to flicker into view, sparkling brilliantly before fading back into the deep blue.