Suddenly, Tanoue had an idea. "Tachyon, if you don't want to go to your own home, why not ask Scarlet or Cafe? I'm sure Scarlet would be thrilled to have you over."
"Mmm..." Tachyon didn't even look up from her book. Tanoue wasn't sure if she'd even heard him, but he knew that once she was in "reading mode," further attempts at conversation were futile.
Noon arrived. Tachyon skipped lunch, claiming she wasn't hungry, and headed to her lab. Tanoue was worried but didn't push her. He headed to the cafeteria alone, stopping by his dorm first to change out of his sweat-stained clothes. The dorm was noisy with students, but he didn't see any of his friends, so he slipped through the halls in silence.
After changing, he ran into another friend, a Trainer named Kunichika, who was walking along the corridor with his trainee. Kunichika's student was a girl named Hatenaki Sora—a black-haired girl with pigtails who bore a striking resemblance to Ms. Akasaka, though her eyes were a clear, startling sky-blue.
"Yo, Keiichi. Cured of your cold?" Kunichika called out.
"Yeah," Tanoue replied, catching up to them. He gave a small nod to Sora. "Hello, Sora-san."
Sora simply bowed her head and offered a gentle smile. She was a quiet girl, so Tanoue didn't take her silence personally.
"Heard you were sick from Kirishima," Kunichika said. "Apparently you collapsed in your room? Caused quite a stir."
"Really? I had no idea."
"You recovered fast, though. You should've stayed in bed for a week. We could've looked after your 'Owner' for you."
"Owner" was Kunichika's teasing nickname for Tachyon—a jab at her habit of calling Tanoue her "Guinea Pig."
Tanoue tilted his head. "Tachyon was sick in bed when I collapsed, too."
"What?! I didn't hear that! Did you tell anyone?"
Tanoue thought about it. "…No, I guess I didn't."
"See? No wonder I didn't know. So, is Tachyon-chan okay now?"
"Yeah. She seemed fine by this morning."
"Hmm. What's her next race? I haven't heard anything."
"The Osaka Hai."
"The Osaka Hai, huh..." Kunichika sounded a bit disappointed. Beside him, Sora looked equally dejected.
They reached the cafeteria and entered together, but Tanoue split off after getting his food. He felt his presence would stifle Sora's conversation with her Trainer. Looking back from across the room, he saw the two of them chatting happily. He ate his lunch in the usual cafeteria din, feeling a familiar pang of loneliness.
Tachyon stayed in her lab, not because she lacked an appetite, but because she was obsessed with the New Year's dilemma. The stalemate was broken by a set of footsteps in the hallway.
"Tachyon-san? If you're free, would you like to grab lunch? …Or did you already eat your Trainer's lunchbox?"
It was Daiwa Scarlet.
Tachyon looked up from her book. "If you're asking if I'm 'free,' I suppose I am. Though I am quite 'busy' reading. Unfortunately, today I must—"
She stopped herself when she saw the disappointment on Scarlet's face. "…Why are you here, anyway? It's rare for you to visit at lunchtime."
"All my friends have other things to do today," Scarlet admitted. "None of them could eat with me."
"I see. So I am the substitute." Tachyon sighed dramatically.
"It's not like that!" Scarlet waved her hands frantically. "I just figured you were always in the lab or the office, so I thought I might be intruding if I asked! It's not that I don't want to hang out with you!"
Tachyon gave a small, wry smile. "I know, I know. I was being difficult. I understand why you'd think that—and you're usually right. Normally, I would refuse. But today… I feel like I could use the change of pace. Scarlet-kun, can we talk for a bit before we head to the cafeteria?"
"Talk? About what?"
"I'm facing a bit of a dilemma," Tachyon said. "I can't seem to reach a decision. It's about whether or not I should go to my Trainer's family home for the holidays."
"What?! Your Trainer's home?! Why?!"