At the Tenno Sho (Autumn), Symboli Sirius ended with an abysmally poor performance.
It wasn't surprising. After all, her competitive career as an Uma Musume was inevitably approaching the Dream Trophy phase.
High-intensity races like these were best left to younger girls.
So, during her upcoming break, she had something important to attend to.
In late November, Symboli Sirius once again found herself standing across from Tokai Natural's restaurant.
She didn't enter immediately. The restaurant still had plenty of customers, and noticing this, Symboli Sirius quietly stood opposite the shop, waiting until everyone inside had left.
That Tokai Natural's restaurant was thriving came as no surprise—after all, it'd be stranger if someone as skilled as her didn't attract customers.
But still…
Pulling out her phone to check the time, Symboli Sirius realized it was already 10:30 p.m.—nearly six hours since she'd arrived in the afternoon.
Only now was the restaurant finally emptying out.
Seeing that only Tokai Natural remained inside, Symboli Sirius approached the door.
She didn't enter right away.
Instead, she gently knocked on the glass—hoping not to startle Tokai Natural again.
Not long after, Tokai Natural's voice came from inside.
"Sorry, we're closed for today. Please come again tomorrow morning."
"It's me—Symboli Sirius."
A simple introduction.
Then...
The clattering sound of cookware falling echoed out to Sirius's ears.
Hearing this, Symboli Sirius didn't open the door or speak further. She simply waited, letting Tokai Natural decide what to do next.
A few minutes later, Tokai Natural's voice finally spoke again.
"Wh-what…are you here for?"
Hearing the slight trembling in her voice, Symboli Sirius continued staring quietly at the closed door.
Through the frosted glass, she could barely make out a human figure inside. Letting out a white breath into the night air, Symboli Sirius finally spoke: "Should I tell Tokai Roman that you're still alive?"
Another long silence followed.
Tokai Natural stood behind the door, likewise staring at the blurred figure outside.
She knew clearly that her sister had always cared for her—but she never expected Roman would still believe she was alive.
Thus…
"C-can you tell her…tell my sister that I…"
Tokai Natural hesitated, never imagining that admitting her situation to someone who still cared could be this difficult. Yet eventually, she forced the words out:
"…That I'm already dead?"
"…Alright."
After saying this, Symboli Sirius glanced down at her phone again.
It was now 10:40 p.m., already a full hour past curfew at her dormitory.
Confirming the time, Symboli Sirius spoke again:
"I'll be staying with the Tokai Family for a while, starting tomorrow."
"…Mm."
"I'm going there to investigate Tokai Teio's bloodline. If it's confirmed that she's your child with that bastard, do you want me to take her out?"
After posing this question, Symboli Sirius leaned against the doorframe, quietly awaiting Tokai Natural's answer.
"The Symboli Family—"
"The Symboli Family won't be a problem," Symboli Sirius interrupted, recalling what she'd read in the reports.
Unlike Symboli Rudolf, Sirius had spent plenty of time abroad due to her overseas racing, so she wasn't overly concerned with domestic family politics. That experience had also given her insight into the struggles of ordinary Uma Musume.
Besides, there was still one last person in the Symboli Family who could resolve almost everything, so she wasn't particularly worried.
Inside the restaurant, Tokai Natural listened to Symboli Sirius's words, mouth slightly open in surprise.
She was undeniably tempted by what Sirius offered.
No mother with a conscience could stand having her child taken away immediately after birth.
But…
Reality harshly reminded Tokai Natural that she had no way of raising an Uma Musume.
If she hadn't been sickly, perhaps she could have managed—but her fragile health left her powerless to afford the resources a racing Uma Musume required.
So…
"I'm sorry."
Tokai Natural lowered her head, abandoning her fleeting hopes.
"You don't need her, then…"
Outside the door, Symboli Sirius lifted her head, staring at the restaurant's canopy stretching above the entrance.
Adjusting her posture slightly, she quietly said: "I'll be going now."
With those words, Symboli Sirius took a step forward—
Only to pause again upon hearing Tokai Natural's voice behind her:
"Do you have a place to stay?"
"Don't worry about me."
Sirius gave a simple reply. Though she understood clearly what Natural was suggesting, she still refused.
And this time, without hesitation, she continued walking forward.
She had to leave quickly; she still didn't know where she'd sleep tonight.
Behind the frosted glass, the vague figure gradually moved away.
Tokai Natural didn't open the door.
From start to finish, the two of them hadn't faced each other directly, but—
When Tokai Natural finally opened the restaurant door, she could only watch Symboli Sirius's silhouette receding into the distance.
She wanted to say something, anything, but no words came to mind. In the end, all she could do was silently watch as Symboli Sirius walked further and further away.
Only when Symboli Sirius vanished from sight entirely did Tokai Natural clasp her hands gently together:
Please, let her be safe.
Offering a quiet prayer for Symboli Sirius, Tokai Natural closed the restaurant door again.
She still needed to tidy up the kitchen.
Earlier, startled by Symboli Sirius's sudden appearance, she'd knocked over the neatly arranged pots and pans.
Seeing the scattered cookware on the floor, Tokai Natural sighed softly. By the time she'd finished reorganizing everything—pots, spoons, and ladles—it was already 11 p.m.
She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, confirmed the late hour, quickly locked up, switched off the lights, and went upstairs.
On the restaurant's second floor, Mochizuki remained quietly asleep in her cradle.
Standing beside Mochizuki's crib, Tokai Natural no longer found herself lamenting her current situation as she often had before.
Because somehow, she sensed that things were starting to get better.
Even though Teio still wasn't by her side...
At least her present circumstances were slowly improving.
With that comforting thought, Tokai Natural climbed onto her makeshift bed.
And from somewhere within the darkness, a soft voice whispered:
"Good night."