"Yo, how ya' doin', pops?"
Tamamo Cross grinned as she sat down, placing the basket of fruits on the bedside table. She groaned slightly as she stretched her legs. It hadn't been too long since the [Arima Kinen], and she was still feeling some of the aftershock from using her Domain. It ain't as bad as the [Japan Cup], but Komiyama-trainer still advised her not to move too much.
"Won the [Arima Kinen] like promised." She began, taking one of the apples from the basket. "Wish you could'a watched it, but das' fine." She took a big bite from the apple, humming slightly. "Pretty awesome race over'll. Tha' Super Creek surprised me completely. Didn't think she'd keep up for ta' long."
She wasn't exaggerating about that—the fact that Super Creek had held the lead for that long was incredible. If the her from a year ago had tried running against Super Creek, that mini-her would probably get her toes crushed in.
"They're get'in younger 'n younger." She whispered, smiling wryly as she took another bite. Super Creek might have showed later compared to the rest of the Generation of Miracles, but she definitely deserved being included in it. That stamina she carried was scary.
"...what'd 'cha think, pa?"
She looked up.
Her pops hadn't woken up despite all the chatterin' she'd done. The heart monitor remained stable.
She sighed. "Yeah. That ain'ta' surprise."
It sucked. It sucked real bad. Cause here she was blabbering about her race and stuff, all while her pops remained asleep, his aging body connected to IV tubes to keep him alive. The whole contraption he was strapped to made him look like some kind of science experiment gone wrong.
She wished she could do more. Provide more than just givin' some of the money she got from winning the races she ran in. But she ain't no doctor, and so all she could do was sit on the side and pray that her pops' health didn't suddenly deteriorate any further.
But it ain't looking good. Her lil' bro and sis don't know, but she and her ma do. The doctors had made it clear—her father's body was failing him. He'd already suffered multiple heart attacks, and the doctors didn't know just how long his weakening body could last before…
…damn it.
She grit her teeth as she subtly wipes her eyes dry. "Shut it, pops." She whispered, turning away from him despite knowing he wasn't awake. "I ain't cryin'. Just got some dust in ma' eyes."
She took a shaky breath.
Despite her hopes, she knew that there wasn't much else she could do. Her pa wasn't an umamusume—he couldn't just unlock her Domain or something and suddenly extend his lifespan.
But, as her ma put it, it was probably for the best to let her pa enjoy the last of his life in peace. Most of the more intrusive treatments her pa had been going through had been stopped, and instead the doctors were doing their best to return enough vitality to her pa to at least get him to walk.
No need for more pain.
Let him rest.
…
"I'll leave now." She said, forcing a smile back onto her face. "Ya better wake up soon, pa. Can't let those fruits go bad, ya?" And before her smile could collapse, she quickly turned and left the hospital room. She passed a few nurses as she went, and she scowled whenever she noticed the pitying looks they had.
Time blurred a little after that, and when she next knew, she was outside, standing in the middle of a public children's playground she vaguely recognized. Her breathing was labored, and she grit her teeth as she forced back the urge to scream.
…Hah. Fine.
She grinned darkly. If her pa's deadline was comin' up, then all she needed to do was to make sure that he enjoyed every second of it. She'd bring him to all those stupid places he always wanted to visit. She'd ride all the dumb rollercoasters he always liked riding on, even if it made her stomach flip all over.
And she'd run. She'd race and shower him with all her victories. Show him that all the time he spent on her wasn't wasted. Or in other words—to borrow that Chunni catchphrase Team Kitahara liked sayin' for some reason;
She'd conquer Japan and crown him with the gold she earned.
.
.
.
BANG!!
The sandbag crashed onto the wall with a terrifying bang, and Tamamo watched with empty eyes as the sandbag slid onto the ground.
It wasn't the first time she'd punched a sandbag so hard that it flew off the stand it was hanging from. But it was the first time she'd punched one so hard that it outright tore through the fabric, causing the sand inside to spill out onto the floor.
She watched the sand trickle onto the floor for a few more seconds before she let loose the breath she'd been holding. "S'rry, Komiyama-trainer."
Not too far away, Komiyama Masami gently shook her head. "It's fine, Tama-chan." She gave a cheery smile. "It just shows how strong you are!"
But Tamamo failed to return her usual grin. Instead she just nodded, and in silence she slowly dragged the fallen sandbag away, careful to not let any more sand spill out onto the floor. "I'll help clean it up later." She said dully.
Seeing Tamamo's dull expression, Masami could only silently sigh. Of course, she understood the reason for Tamamo's silent rage. Yesterday, she'd received a call from the hospital Tamamo's father was being cared for—telling her that some of the staff had seen Tamamo rush out without rhyme or reason.
It was clear that her father's condition was hitting her hard. And it sucked because things had looked so good before the [Arima Kinen]. She'd been over the moon when she saw Tamamo chatting with her father over the phone before the race, and when Tamamo later won the [Arima Kinen], her heart had been brimming with anticipation as they raced to the hospital to share the achievement.
Yet all they received was news that her father had another relapse, and that Tamamo's mother was now debating whether they should finally put a halt to most of the treatments her father was going through.
It…was the first time she'd ever witnessed Tamamo have an argument with her mother, and it terrified her. She knew Tamamo was strong—perhaps even the strongest in Japan right now—but that fact became starkly clear when she saw Tamamo punch a hole through the wall in her anger.
Their relationship had frayed after that, though last she heard, things had at least mellowed out somewhat. Tamamo still refused to visit her mother to this day, but she was at least willing to talk with her whenever her mother called.
She herself wasn't sure what the correct option was. Keeping Tamamo's father alive was clearly the correct choice, but she also knew that prolonging her father's suffering was wrong as well.
She just-, she didn't know what to do.
"Komiyama-trainer."
"Y-Yes?" She asked, nearly yelping when she noticed Tamamo was suddenly standing in front of her, her usually bright eyes now dull.
"What's the first race Oguri's competin' in when she's back?"
Her eyes widened slightly when she realized what Tamamo was implying, and her eyes sharpened as she quickly began flipping through the papers on her clipboard. "Oguri's first race…" She whispered as she found the page of notes she'd written from a few days ago. "If nothing changes, Musaka-san said that she'll be running in the [Osaka Hai] together with Belno Light."
Tamamo Cross took a deep breath. "...[Osaka Hai], huh?" Masami could've sworn she smelled the scent of ozone at that moment, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. "Cool." She said as she turned away to grab another sandbag.
Masami gulped. "D-Do you want me to sign you up too?"
Tamamo paused for a moment, before she looked over her shoulder. "Yeah, sure." She then grabbed a sandbag and began attaching it to the stand.
Masami pursed her lips slightly as she considered it. Having Tamamo race in the [Osaka Hai], especially as she was now—it would only invite disaster. But at the same time, she didn't know how long Tamamo had left in her career, and who knew if she'd get another chance.
So, with a heavy heart, she could only make a note in her clipboard.
She only hoped that this wasn't a mistake.