——Danger!! Watch out, she's attacking!!
It was painfully obvious now—even a blind person could see Bizen Nishiki's aggressive intentions. Although Kagura usually called everyone "classmates," Nishiki was unquestionably a powerful racing Uma Musume and Kagura's senpai. A grab from her definitely wasn't something to take lightly!
"Bizen Nishiki-san!! Calm down!! I'm not hostile—I'm not here to take advantage of you!!"
Kagura quickly dodged Nishiki's lunge, hurriedly shouting an explanation.
Though she couldn't read Nishiki's mind, hearing her earlier growl, "Especially you, Kagura!" clearly showed Nishiki still saw her as Rudolf's Support Uma—an enemy, rather than a regular classmate.
This girl, seriously… is it stubbornness or pride?
Kagura internally groaned in frustration.
Nishiki, emotionally charged, missed her initial strike and swiftly lunged at Kagura again. Pinned near the doorway, Kagura instinctively darted further inside, causing Nishiki to miss once more.
THUD!!
Having missed again, Nishiki slammed directly into the door. Shaking her head irritably, as if taking out anger on the door itself, she viciously kicked the backside of the door, slamming it shut with an earsplitting bang. The storage room plunged instantly into total darkness.
With her vision suddenly cut off and not yet adjusted to the darkness, Kagura had to limit her movements, unable to dodge so dramatically. The sudden darkness also momentarily stunned Nishiki, allowing a fraction of rationality to return. She abruptly realized she was doing something extremely dangerous to her kouhai.
Kagura-san is innocent… She hasn't done anything wrong… she even comforted me after my loss…
Perhaps it was the stress from recent events piling up—race losses, family troubles, parental pressure, and her trainer's concern. Everything felt unbearably heavy, almost suffocating Nishiki's fragile, young shoulders. Still, no matter how overwhelmed she was, she shouldn't be venting it on someone who came to help.
"I'm sorry… Kagura. I… I didn't mean it…"
Coming to her senses, Nishiki hastily apologized, the threatening aura around her completely dissipating, though her voice still trembled.
"Nishiki-san… I know you're under tremendous pressure right now. Bottling it up won't help. If you really need to vent, you can grab my shoulders or arm and squeeze tightly. When stressed, releasing pent-up aggression physically is best—it's a valid way to ease pressure."
"No… I'm afraid I'll hurt you…"
Nishiki struggled intensely with an overwhelming urge to destroy. She wanted to overturn everything around her, even had the twisted impulse to strangle Kagura, imagining the fear and pain as she gasped desperately for air and shed tears. But Nishiki's conscience knew better. Kagura had helped her many times before; logically and morally, harming her would be utterly wrong.
"If you'd prefer… we can replace it with a hug?"
"…"
In the darkness, Kagura couldn't see Nishiki's face. All she heard was Nishiki's heavy breathing and faint, suppressed sobs.
After a long silence, Kagura finally heard the rustle of clothing as Nishiki raised her hands.
Moments later, Kagura felt Nishiki's trembling hands lightly grip her shoulders. Her ragged breathing drew nearer; Kagura could feel Nishiki's hot breath brushing her neck.
"Can I… really do this, Kagura-san…?"
"I won't refuse, Nishiki-san. If you have nowhere else to release your pain, tell me. It's just the two of us here. You don't have to pretend to be strong anymore."
"!"
Kagura distinctly felt Nishiki sharply inhale at her words, her hands trembling even more.
"I'll warn you first… My self-control is pretty bad right now… If you agree, even if you change your mind or resist… I might not be able to stop…"
"It's fine… Nishiki-san, you've worked so hard already. It's alright to let yourself go occasionally."
After Kagura consented, several seconds passed before she felt Nishiki's warmth pressing closer. Nishiki slowly sank down, shaking arms wrapping tightly around Kagura's waist and back, holding her in a crushing embrace. Even though Nishiki visibly tried to restrain herself, the hug was still strong enough for Kagura to feel slight pain.
Kagura gently reached out, pulling Nishiki into her own embrace, letting Nishiki's trembling, sobbing figure rest against her shoulder. Like a gentle mother comforting an upset child, she softly patted Nishiki's back.
"Uuu… ah… uwaaaahhhhhh——!!"
Sensing Kagura's tenderness, Nishiki's tightly-held control finally snapped. Tears burst uncontrollably from her eyes, her long-suppressed cries of anguish exploding forth.
"It's alright… it's okay. I'm here. At this moment… you don't need to be strong. Just cry freely…"
Unlike before, maybe due to her mind being overwhelmed, Nishiki didn't manage to say anything coherent as she wept. Hearing her heartbreaking cries filled Kagura with pain as well. She recalled countless children from her past, those she personally cared for and treated. Some did homework even while hooked to IV drips; others continued studying diligently from hospital beds. Whenever Kagura had asked about their feelings, these children just fell silent, smiling bitterly or glancing toward their parents, saying nothing…
She knew clearly: for these overwhelmed children, nothing was more important than having an opportunity to truly let go.
They held the embrace quietly. Kagura didn't know how much time passed, only noticing that the sun had long since set, darkness completely filling the room. Eventually, Nishiki's sobs gradually eased and grew quiet.
"Feeling a bit better now, Nishiki-san?"
"Thank you… Thank you, Kagura-san, for listening and letting me vent…"
"Hehe… After crying, you need to get back up again. Don't let the people who hurt you see your vulnerability. You're always you—always the proud Bizen Nishiki."
Kagura gently stroked Nishiki's head as she spoke.
"Mm… mm! I understand…"
Nishiki nodded, reluctantly pulling away from Kagura. She tried to stand but her legs gave out. Luckily Kagura reacted quickly enough to catch her, otherwise Nishiki would've hit her head against the vaulting boxes behind her.
Helping Nishiki, whose legs had gone numb, sit by the vaulting boxes, Kagura sat beside her as well.
"I heard from Trainer Narumiya that you registered for the Derby. But Uma Musume can't do that themselves, right? You forced him?"
"Trainer-san… He's already endured too much pressure from my family. It's my responsibility—I don't want him suffering any more for my sake…"
"I understand. Nishiki-san, you're just that kind of considerate person. But first, I want to ask you—do you actually want to race?"
Kagura had a plan—one only someone with her identity could carry out. It might sound unreliable, but she felt it could help Nishiki, provided Nishiki herself didn't actually want to compete.
"Honestly… I've always wanted another chance to race Rudolf. But… you're here on Trainer-san's request, right? He must've told you about my schedule?"
"Yes. Your body can't handle such an intense racing schedule…"
"I know. Wanting another match against Rudolf is real… but with this exhausted body… even if I stepped onto the Derby track, she'd completely crush me, wouldn't she…?"
"If you already understand that, does that mean you actually want to quit?"
"I do. I may want revenge, but I'm not an idiot. Even at my peak, I couldn't match Rudolf-san. Attempting revenge in my current state would be meaningless. But… do I really have a choice?"
Using the faint glow of her phone screen, Kagura saw Nishiki smile bitterly at herself.
Kagura was silent briefly. Even if her plan seemed unreliable, she felt she should at least discuss it with Nishiki.
"Nishiki-san, I have an idea that might convince your family to drop the Derby."
"No need to comfort me. I know my family's personality too well. Kagura-san, just listening to my complaints is already enough."
"No, I'm serious, Nishiki-san."
After a slight pause, Kagura reached out, firmly grabbing Nishiki's hand:
"Race with me!"
...
——You scared me half to death! The way she lost control just now was really terrifying!
I trust Nishiki-san. She's a good kid. She wouldn't do anything too extreme.
——You… weren't you scared she'd really lose control?! Uma Musume strength isn't something you can just casually endure!
Haven't I said it already? For a child in distress, if we adults don't offer our trust first, nothing will ever begin—right?
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T/N: AHHHHH SHE'S SO COOOOOOOOL!