It's been quiet as of late.
Yaeno Muteki couldn't help but think so as she sat alone in the heart of her dojo. There was no one here to disturb her; nothing to distract her from this meditative silence she'd fallen into. Only the occasional whispers of the wind would pierce through the silence, carrying with it the chill of winter.
Her grandfather was out right now. In truth, he'd told her to take the first week of the new year off—he himself had gone out of Tokyo to visit an old friend of his. He'd offered to bring her along, but she refused, and she eventually found herself here once more.
And as for Blossom Star--
She sighed softly. The thought that Team Kitahara would be away for the first half of Spring was an uncomfortable one. She wasn't a member of theirs, but due to Star also being a disciple under grandfather, she'd often spent her time with them. And now that they were gone, it meant she would not encounter their now-familiar chaos for months.
…Well, she supposed not much had changed from the past month, really. With Oguri Cap and Blossom Star injured after the [Japan Cup], the dojo had grown eerily quiet during the month of December. But back then, she at least still had a reason to visit whenever Belno Light required another test sub-, partner in running.
And now that was gone too.
She gently closed her eyes.
It truly was incredible how much had changed in just a year. Back then, before she'd even made her debut, she'd only heard bits and pieces about them. And now, just a year later, she could scarcely go five minutes outside without hearing some anecdote about Team Kitahara.
Oguri Cap, Blossom Star, Belno Light.
Those three might be umamusume like she was, but she could not be any more different. They were figures larger than life itself—the Grey Beast that tore across the track with her powerful steps, the White Comet that soared forth like a shooting star, and the Divine General who dominated the track with her mind.
But beyond their prowess on the track, they were incredible outside of it too. Belno rarely turned away those that required help, Star had somehow become Tracen's unofficial therapist, and Oguri had quickly become a favorite of the academy's cafeteria. The public might've grouped them together as the Generation of Miracles, but she believed that those three stood even beyond that.
And now that they were gone, the gaps they left behind could keenly be felt. Tracen Academy didn't feel quite the same. It was quieter there, a little less playful—as if a few instruments of an orchestra had been taken away.
…
She chuckled softly to herself, smiling wryly.
In some ways, she was glad her grandfather wasn't here. If he knew what she was thinking, she'd be so embarrassed she'd tunnel her way to the opposite side of the planet. And more than that, she was ashamed of her reliance on them.
Heh. She still remembered that time when she aggressively pined for Blossom Star, yet never found the courage to act on it. What a truly embarrassing display. She was grateful no one had noticed.
Yet, she was glad she didn't make her move. Because it was clear just how perfectly Oguri complemented her. After being with them so long, it was impossible for her to consider a world where Oguri and Star were never an item. They were two pieces that just clicked together—Star was the yin to Oguri's yang.
But she found solace in it. Her feelings may never be realized, but there was nothing wrong with that. There was a happiness she'd found in being a {Stargazer} to a pair of living legends.
Or, in other words, she was a fan.
…It certainly sounded a lot less grand when she put it that way.
Sighing softly, she finally stood up after sitting for who knows how long. Her legs felt a little sore, but a quick stretch easily solved that. Once she was done with that, she took a deep breath as she brought her hands forward, settling into the opening stance to the katas her grandfather had drilled into her for over a year now.
And so, despite the cold of Winter, her training began anew.
.
.
.
"Which is how you got sick." Dicta Striker finished, smirking slightly.
"I-I guess so…" Muteki whispered hoarsely, before she coughed, though she thankfully had a mask over her face.
Mejiro Ardan giggled. "My, to think you had so much to think about, Yaeno-san."
Muteki groaned as she fell back onto the bed she'd been assigned to in the infirmary, her face red both from her fever and from embarrassment.
Earlier this morning, Dicta Striker had carried her all the way to the infirmary when she noticed how warm Muteki was, and not long after, the nurse told her that she had a pretty high fever due to staying out in the cold for so long. That was already terrible enough, but having her roommate carry her all the way here was even more mortifying. Dicta would probably never let her live this down.
"Still," Dicta grinned like a shark. "Didn't know you were pining for Star. Never thought I'd ever see you of all people fall for her."
Muteki sighed. "That was months ago…"
Ardan smiled. "Well, it certainly is surprising, though having Star as an object of admiration is nothing strange." Her smile became a little awkward. "Why, I've met many who wish they too could hold Star dearly like Oguri often does."
"Or have a Star-Oguri sandwich." Dicta then added, and then yelped when Ardan slapped her on the back of the head. "The hell was that for, woman!?"
"Mind your words." She said, her smile completely unkind.
Dicta stared in annoyance for a few seconds before she humphed. "Yeah, sure. Whatev'r."
Muteki smiled slightly beneath her mask, before she hummed slightly. "By the way, where is Creek?" She asked. "I don't think I've seen her in a while."
At that, whatever brewing argument between the two fell away. Dicta and Ardan stared at each for an uncomfortable amount of time, before they abruptly turned to her. Even Muteki couldn't help but feel a chill creep up her spine. "W-What is it? Did I say something wrong?"
"...Nah. Nothing's wrong." Dicta eventually said. And while she was smiling, her eyes looked rather dead.
"Indeed." Ardan continued, her eyes similarly dull. "And for your curiosity, Creek has been well. She's just been…" Her words trailed off after that, and she never managed to finish the rest of her sentence.
Muteki gulped. She couldn't fathom just what Dicta and Ardan had seen or gone through for them to look so mortified at the mere mention of Super Creek. All she knew was that Creek's relationship with her trainer had been quite harmonious as of late, but surely that couldn't have been the cause, right?
Right?
She waited for one of them to say something, but neither of them did. Dicta and Ardan continued to stare into empty air, as if relieving some great trauma they'd recently experienced.
Mustering up her courage, she quietly cleared her throat to catch their attention. Unfortunately, neither of them seemed to notice. Seeing that, she silently balled her fists beneath her blanket, and she did her best to pull out her list of conversation starters from the back of her mind.
Unfortunately, the one thing she ended up with was--
"N-Nice weather today, isn't it?"
Was what she said. In the middle of Winter. With snow falling from skies covered by dark clouds.
Though to be fair, it did work. Dicta blinked as she turned to her, clearly confused by the so-called 'good weather' she was talking about.
Muteki could only groan as she buried her face in her hands.