Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You say you wanna move on, and

You say I’m falling behind.

Can you read my mind?”

Smirking, Vodka watched as the girl across the table from her stewed in her seat, looking absolutely anywhere but straight ahead to avoid her gaze. “Is there an issue?”

“Nope!”

Her grin only grew as Daiwa Scarlet crossed her arms in protest, clearly fuming despite her best efforts to play it cool. Behind her, in an oddly poetic framing, their Trainer stood on a chair as he carefully pinned a green sash to the wall, with Sapporo Junior Stakes fashioned across the front in gold text - Vodka's latest victory, increasing her seasonal tally to four, with all four sashes now hanging from the wall together.

Ironically, it had been Scarlet's idea at the beginning of the season. After getting off to a hot start by being the first team member to bring home a victory, the hot-headed Scarlet had insisted that the victory sashes that each of the Team Spica members won that year should be displayed in the team’s club room. Her hubris had got one over on her, though, and now her measly two sashes were dwarfed by Vodka's four - which, admittedly, were dwarfed by Silence Suzuka’s seven American competition sashes, the mock paper replicas that Special Week had made for her overseas rival beginning to run out of space for more.

“It's a little crooked!” Vodka called out, reclining back in the plastic chair as she closed one eye, taking in its leveling. The coach fiddled with it slightly before Vodka shot him a thumbs-up, the man stepping down as he dusted off his hands.

“You girls keep this up, and we'll run out of wallspace by the New Year.”

His comment made each Team Spica member smile - save for Scarlet, who was still fuming. The perfect time to strike.

“There's still plenty of space in Scarlet's row-”

The auburn-haired girl shot up from her seat, slamming both hands down on the table as she towered over Vodka. “You only won because they set up the camera wrong!”

The Sapporo Junior Stakes had come down to a photo finish, the judges decreeing that Vodka had inched Scarlet out by a literal nose - which had left the sore loser demanding a protest be lodged, quickly coming up with an array of conspiracy theories to justify her claims of victory, all of which were denied. She held tight to her claims that the photo-finish camera was faulty in some form, though, but had yet to exactly explain how or why, just that it was. Whenever one of her teammates teasingly pressed her about it to ask for proof, Scarlet had begun to declare that the time for argument was now past, and that if they could not see it, then that was their fault and not hers.

Waving her hand in front of her face to dismiss her rival and roommate, Vodka met Scarlet's gaze with her best rage-inducing smirk. “Should've leaned forward more, princess.”

Her barb found its mark, and Scarlet’s rage morphed into annoyance, the horsegirl collapsing in a huff back into her chair with a deflated sigh. “Ugh.”  

“Alright, alright… That's enough you two.” Their Trainer bravely interjected, stepping up to the table at the center of the room. Beside her, Vodka could sense both Special Week and Gold Ship trying to stifle their laughter, though McQueen seemed stereotypically nonplussed by the back-and-forth between the rivals, fiddling with her phone instead. “We're here for a team meeting, not a fight.”

“I dunno, a fight sounds more fun to me, Trainer.” Gold Ship interjected with her typical lack of restraint, always finding a way to fan the flames no matter who the spat was between.

“No, no fighting…” Special Week weakly attempted to agree with her Trainer, the smile on her face betraying her true preference. For as innocent and clueless as she liked to portray herself, Spe had a special knack for lighting the fuse between the two roommates-turned-rivals.

“Can we just get on with it?” Called out Tokai Teio from her position slumped across the lone couch in the clubroom. “My legs are killing me from training, I’ve gotta go rest up.”

Resigning himself to his trainees’ hatred for his team meetings, the Trainer crossed his arms and took up his best authoritative stance, glancing between the girls. “Has everyone finished putting together their entry lists for the season?” He asked, slightly uncomfortable with having to play the role of a hard-ass.

With a variety of responses ranging from indifference to exasperation, each of the six horsegirls made for their bags - save for Teio, who in her plight from the couch, pointed her Trainer towards her backpack rather than fetching it herself. “It's in there, somewhere…”

Shaking his head, the Trainer fished out the partially crumpled and torn piece of paper as the rest of the team members placed theirs on the table, the older man quickly leafing through them. Before the start of the season, he had entered each of the girls in some preliminary races to ease them into their seasons, ranging from open races to GIII’s - but rather than unilaterally decreeing the full season schedules for each trainee (and to save himself a bit of time), he had tasked them with drafting their own preferred entries for the race season for him to sort through and compile their entries for.

A quick glance revealed all to more or less be in order for each of them, but he paused as he came to Vodka's and Scarlet's back to back, flipping between the two a few times. “So which of you two stole the other's list, huh?” He asked, glancing between the girls with a look of bemusement on his face.

“...Huh?”

“...Wuh?”

Feigning ignorance, the two roommates bore expressions of confusion at their Trainer's quip. “Your lists are nearly identical, you've each put down the exact same G1 and G2 races.” He explained, waving the two sheets in a hand. “So who copied the other?”

In an instant, both girls shot up from their seats and bowled over their chairs, snatching the papers from his grasp. Her hair frazzled, Scarlet clenched Vodka's list tightly as she scanned line-by-line, her eyes bulging at the sight. Similarly, Vodka's mouth dropped open as she took in Scarlet's sheet, her rival’s proposed races nearly one-to-one with her own for the season.

“What do you think you're doing?!”

“What the hell is this?!”

“Did you steal my damn paper off my desk?!”

“You're trying to snipe me, you idiot!”

“You're obsessed with me!”

“Girls.”

“What makes you think you can even keep up with me, huh?!”

On the sidelines, each of the other Team Spica members were beside themselves at the two rivals going at it yet again, their Trainer powerless to prevent the spat - even the stoic McQueen had broken out in a smile, her shoulders shaking as she laughed politely into her hand.

“Ah, these two going at it will never get old…” Gold Ship remarked with a grin, leaning over to Special Week and elbowing her in the ribs.

Giggling, Spe placed a hand against her cheek. “They're like an old married couple~” She spoke - a touch too loudly.

“WHAT?!”

Together, Vodka and Scarlet turned to a deer-in-the-headlights Special Week, Gold Ship quickly pedalling her chair backwards and out of the way to disassociate herself from her teammate's comment. “I-I-I meant, uhm-” Waving her hands in front of her face in a panic, Spe stood, slowly backing up towards the window as the enraged Vodka and Scarlet approached her, still clutching one another's lists. “I-I meant th-that you're, uhm, r-really good rivals! Yeah!”

Shaking his head and rubbing his brow in frustration, the Trainer let out a sigh before shooting McQueen a silent look that said ‘Please help.’

With a smile, the demure horsegirl stood and bravely entered the fray to calm the two incensed rivals down, the Trainer turning back to the other lists as Teio and Gold Ship took in the late afternoon entertainment.

Her hands in her pockets, Vodka ruminated as she glanced at Scarlet from out of the corner of her eye, the two roommates making their way towards the campus dormitories. She felt bad about it, honestly - not about beating Scarlet, don’t be ridiculous, but rather about how their teammates had jumped in on teasing her about Vodka’s victory. It was one thing for her to tease Scarlet - they were rivals, through and through - but for the others to chime in, well, it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Sorry about all that.” Vodka murmured aloud, almost having to force it out despite her internal guilt.

“Hm? About what?” Aloof as usual, the auburn-haired horsegirl turned her gaze towards Vodka, sipping away at her water bottle. 

That put Vodka on the backfoot, not having expected for Scarlet to be so non-plussed. “Uh, well, y’know, all that back at the clubroom.” She was floundering, blush rising to her cheeks as she gestured with her hands. “It felt a little overboard to me.”

Her roommate let out a laugh, causing Vodka to cringe slightly. “Ha! Are you suddenly feeling bad about all of this?”

“What? No! I mean, about the others piling on you about your loss.” She tried to explain, her apology having been misconstrued. “It was lame.”

A shrug from Scarlet, the horsegirl slipping her water bottle back into her saddlebag. “It’s whatever, honestly. Just motivates me to beat you next time!”

“Hmph, sure.”

“I mean it!” Scarlet asserted, the pair coming around a bend in the path to join up with the main walkway through the dorms. “Plus, it sounds like somebody’s jealous about the others.”

Vodka scoffed, trying to play it cool. No way she could let her get one over on her. “What’re you on about this time?”

The grin on Scarlet’s lips nearly infuriated Vodka, her rival clearly delighting in whatever assumption she was making. “You don’t need to worry about me so much, Vodka. I can handle it.”

“I wasn’t worrying about you.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. ”

Scarlet hummed, crossing her arms as she walked, the pair approaching the main entrance to the building. Gritting her teeth, Vodka opened the door and held it for her prissy roommate to saunter inside, carrying herself with a frustrating smugness. Up a few flights of stairs and down the hallway nearly to the end of the building, the two roommates made their way to their shared room, Vodka tossing herself face-first onto the bed while Scarlet busied herself with a hairbrush, letting down her trademark twintails.

“I was gonna take a nap and then hit up the caf in a bit, if you wanna join.” Vodka remarked, her voice muffled by the pillow, extending an invitation to her rival.

“Dinner sounds nice, but I think your bed is a little small for the two of us~” Scarlet replied, throwing a slight jab at her weary roommate, thankful that Vodka couldn’t see her blush at the thought of it. 

“Pfft, don’t flatter yourself.” Vodka somehow managed to keep her cool at the joke, unaware of her roommate’s expression and similarly thankful that Scarlet couldn’t see her rosy cheeks. “Wake me up in thirty.”

Turning back to the mirror mounted on the wall, Scarlet ran her fingers through her auburn locks, unable to stop herself from stealing another glance at Vodka. Clearly tired out from their busy training schedule, the horsegirl’s tail idly flicked to-and-fro as she seemed to pass out just about instantly, the room falling quiet. What a pain. Scarlet thought to herself, ruminating over her roommate. She’ll realize it one day…

“You know, if you keep eating like that-”

“I’ve earned it.”

“Have you?”

Vodka took a big gulp of her drink, before diving back into her second helping of donburi. “I need all the energy I can get for these!” She exclaimed, smacking a hand against one of her muscular thighs. “Besides, not all of us have to watch what we eat…”

“What’re you trying to imply, huh?” Scarlet protested, slamming a fist on the table.

Watching the scene unfold at the next table over, Seiun Sky smirked to herself, polishing off the last bit of her own dinner. It pays well to be a wallflower sometimes , she mused to herself, the “conversation” between Vodka and Scarlet being far better entertainment than the soap operas that her roommate would frequently put on their t.v.

“Do you really think I don’t understand?”

“What’s there to understand?”

“Oh, so now you’re playing aloof.”

“You should watch your temper, Scarlet - it’s not good for you.”

Watching as Scarlet reached across the table to snatch away Vodka’s bowl of food, Seiun Sky had to stifle her laughter with a hand, finally ripping her gaze away from everyone’s favourite rivalry on campus. “Have those two ever had a normal conversation?” She remarked aloud to her classmates - Grass Wonder, El Condor Pasa, Haru Urara, and Special Week, the latter of them speaking up in response, her cheeks stuffed with food.

“Sometimes! I think they’re both super heated lately because of their last race, though.” The bright-eyed horsegirl explained in-between bites of her meal. “They’ve been fighting a bunch recently, but they usually make-up during the training sessions our Trainer makes them do together to make them cut it out.”

“Just make-up, huh?” Seiun Sky quipped, sharing a look with Grass Wonder, who laughed into her hand at the implication.

“Wuh? What’s that mean?” Special Week asked, Urara sharing a similarly confused expression.

“Nothing, nothing, just a bad joke.” Waving a hand, Seiun Sky glanced at El Condor Pasa, who had turned back to dousing her bowl of rice with yet more hot sauce with a knowing smirk.

Pouting at being left out of the joke, Special Week shrugged. “Honestly, I’m sort of jealous of them…”

“How so?” Grass Wonder asked, wearing her trademark soft smile.

“Because I miss my rival! I totally get why Vodka and Scarlet are always so fired up, running with Suzuka always pushed me to give it my all!” Special Week’s sincerity was endearing, the horsegirl from the countryside sometimes a little too aloof for her own good, given what she was unintentionally implying.

“I can be your rival!” Urara interjected just as Grass Wonder was about to speak up, the pink-haired sprinter excitedly drumming her hands on the table.

“Hmm, but you’re a sprinter, Urara…” Seiun Sky remarked, tapping a finger against her cheek.

“So?”

Seiun Sky glanced over at Grass Wonder, silently asking her with a look for help to let Urara down gently. “Urara, dear… Rivals need to be able to go head-to-head in races. Spe runs long races, not sprints like you do.”

“So? I’m gonna run in the Arima Kinen this year, anyways!”

All eyes instantly turned towards Urara, the girl’s smile not faltering. “...You are?” Seiun Sky asked, incredulous.

“Mhm! I’m already planning on how to get all the votes I need to enter! I’ve just gotta win some races this year and I’ll be all set!” Urara’s energy was infectious, causing the other girls to break out in smiles at her bold claim.

“That’ll be something…” El Condor Pasa muttered to herself, before taking a direct swig from her bottle of hot sauce, Special Week’s eyes widening at the sight. 

Watching as Grass Wonder scooted closer to Urara to try to gently talk some sense into her, Seiun Sky’s gaze and attention slowly began to wander away like it tended to, the laid-back horsegirl’s eyes once again settling on the duo at the next table over, who had suspiciously gone quiet, refusing to look at one another. Scarlet sat with both of her arms crossed, pouting with a deep blush on her cheeks - meanwhile, Vodka sported a nearly identical expression, blush and all, as she half-heartedly ate from her reclaimed bowl of food, the two roommates no longer arguing.

With a dopey smile, Seiun Sky’s head tilted to the side as she took in the sight, something clearly having happened while she had been distracted. Those two are totally hopeless…

Chapter Text

"I listened to your problems, now listen to mine.

I didn't want to anymore."

Absentmindedly rubbing the tension bandage wrapped around her thigh, Vodka’s eyes followed along with the distant figures on the track. Summer had come and gone, with autumn beginning to roll in as the leaves changed and the Sun began to set earlier, washing the sky above in a deep orange-red. Chilly enough to justify having slipped her leather jacket on over her exercise outfit, the horsegirl’s uninjured leg bounced restlessly as she observed from the bleachers, a sigh escaping her lips.

One more week, then I’m back to it.

It had been a tough pill to swallow, having to follow her Trainer’s orders to rest up for three weeks after a concerning cramp in her left thigh had left her teary-eyed in the office of one of Tracen’s nurses. She knew it was the right call, even if she had joked to him that he was being neurotic (and to be fair, he was being sensitive after Teio’s injury the month prior) , but that didn’t make being sidelined any more enjoyable.

Watching as Special Week and Gold Ship duked it out in a front-straight sprint showdown, Vodka couldn’t help but crack a grin at the sight. Even with her distance from them, she could spot Spe’s deadly serious expression contrasting with Gold Ship’s relaxed, goofy grin, the duo not holding back as they ran down towards the finish. With a sharp surge, Gold Ship broke ahead as Spe gave her all to keep up, her long tail trailing out behind her as she began to slip behind.

Chewing her bottom lip, the contrast she felt between her desire to get back out there, and the other emotions she had been struggling with recently were tough to reconcile. The stretch heading into the summer break back in June and July had been… Rough.

No podium finishes in that time, coupled with the fact that Scarlet had suddenly shrugged off her rust, her roommate having been more than happy to return the same sort of treatment that Vodka had been dishing out at the start of the year. Plus, there was the fact that the exam season had kicked her ass six ways from Sunday, and then there was this whole thigh cramp debacle. She had been overdoing it in an attempt to somehow catch back up and get back to her normal groove - and so she had ended up having to be carried off of the training track by a couple of her peers, her Trainer giving her a stern talking-to later on about breaking from her training schedule.

Giving her head a shake, Vodka tried to snap herself out of her tailspinning mood. She knew that she had been inside her own head way too often in recent weeks - ever since the summer break, really - and that she needed to be in top shape both physically and mentally once she was back out on the track, but the nagging sensation simply wouldn’t fade away like usual. Not too dissimilar to how her injury was taking its sweet time to heal.

Her eyes shifted to another figure behind Gold Ship and Special Week, moving slower. Jogging along the turf, Scarlet was seemingly running some cooldown laps to finish up her afternoon of training. So what? Everyone trains, why the hell would I even care what she’s doing. Don’t be weird.

…

Vodka very much did care, and she loathed to admit it. Scarlet had snatched three successive wins in a row to end off the spring semester, and made some very deliberate and pointed jabs at Vodka, as if to make up for when Vodka had been doing the same to her. The two had barely been speaking terms by the time Vodka’s injury came around, and it was only that which had slightly diffused the tension, at least externally - internally, the demeaning way that Scarlet had tried to treat her had led to another spat, that one without the usual levity, and now Scarlet was acting as if there was nothing amiss between them.

It didn’t help that Scarlet had become so unbelievably insufferable about it all. It was as if a switch had flipped in her, letting her find an extra gear on the turf and then also find a way to be even more annoying than usual. The way Vodka had to listen to her roommate babble on in the team room, during training sessions, in the hallways after class, and most of all back in their dormroom at the end of each day had been driving her mad. Everywhere she went, there she was. 

Now, Scarlet was out there and Vodka was stuck here. In the bleachers, watching and not running. Piling onto it was the fact that she was also struggling with something else with it all - something that she was rue to admit even to herself. Seeing Scarlet running out on the track, carrying along without a care in the world. The smile that she wore whenever she was running. How her twintails and tail trailed out behind her with her speed. Her cheery demeanour. How she laughed, how she shot Vodka playful glares whenever she was around. All of it made Vodka… It made her feel as if there was a lightness in her chest. She hated how Scarlet was making her feel, and yet she didn’t want it to stop.

Idiot. Stop that. Stop that right now.

Pulling her jacket tighter around her, the horsegirl’s mind drifted like it had been doing for the last few weeks. With no ability to blow off some steam on the track, it’s like her brain had been in overdrive to make up for that, running itself in circles and thinking thinking thinking endlessly. 

She was stuck, plain and simple. Partly because of the injury, but at the same time, the injury had seemingly revealed some things to her - things that she was having a tough time coming to grips with.

Maybe Tracen wasn’t what she needed.

A shake of her head banished that thought. When that line of thinking came up, she knew that she was starting to get in too deep and that she needed to do something to get herself out of it.

It had bubbled up naturally at first, predominantly thanks to none other than Special Week. No, there was no blame held there - Spe was simply excited to share everything to do with her roommate and rival Silence Suzuka, who had left Tracen for the entire school year to instead test her mettle overseas. The bright-eyed countrygirl had been staying up into the early hours of the morning to watch Suzuka’s each and every race in America, showing up to practice in the mornings bleary-eyed and with a contagious yawn - one that had earned her a few noogies from Gold Ship for making her tired via osmosis. 

Special Week had also been very insistent on not just keeping in touch with her best friend, but also in making sure Suzuka kept in touch with all of Team Spica, frequently relaying messages and videocalls on the demure filly’s behalf. This, then, had been the true source of the annoying, nagging thoughts Vodka kept having to fight off - of Suzuka relaying her experiences of living and running in the United States.

Since then, that little brainworm had refused to die, leaving Vodka spending many sleepless nights thinking herself to exhaustion. With no ability to run, all she could do was think, dwell, and ruminate. 

Would a change of scenery snap me out of this?

“That’s it.” Standing suddenly, haphazardly grabbing her backpack, Vodka made the move to physically remove herself from the situation her brain was causing. No more thinking. No - it was time for food, and lots of it. And a soda.

Slinging her backpack over one shoulder - as that’s how it was supposed to be done - Vodka carefully dismounted from the bleachers from the side of the track, shooting her Trainer a stoic wave and nod as she headed out, keen on hitting up the cafeteria for some fuel. Leaving behind the training facilities and stepping onto the path that led back to the main stretch of campus, Vodka gave one last glance over her shoulder, her brow furrowing in annoyance as she caught a glimpse of a pair of auburn twintails swaying back and forth in the distance, Scarlet rounding a curve as she kept on running.

“Something on your mind?”

“GAH!”

The laughter of Seiun Sky instantly defused the tension in Vodka’s body from having been caught off guard by the shorter girl. Collecting herself, Vodka glanced over at her. “Where the hell did you come from?”

“I was just watching from the bleachers, saw you leaving so I figured it was probably a good time to leave, too.” With a typical shrug of hers, Seiun walked alongside her, her eyes giving Vodka a look up and down. “Cool jacket.”

“Thanks.” To really hammer home her innate coolness, Vodka offered up her best grin as she tried to play it off as effortlessly natural. Unfortunately, for some reason, it only made Seiun laugh more.

Vodka had to hold herself back from elbowing the light-haired girl in the side like she would’ve with Scarlet or any of her team members, instead shoving her hands into her pockets. “I’m gonna go grab dinner, if you wanna join.”

“Hm, why not?” Seiun Sky replied with yet another shrug, her eyes focusing on something off in the distance as she thought for a moment. “What’s on your mind?”

“Whaddya mean?” Was she that obvious?

Seiun Sky let out a long exhale. “I’ve never seen you so down before, you know.”

The statement hung in the air between the two of them, their footfalls on the asphalt the only sound for a few moments, aside from the distant birds and shouts from the training track. “Just my injury weighing me down, is all.” It was Vodka’s turn to shrug, once again trying to play it cool. “I’ll be good to go in no time.”

The look that Seiun Sky shot her was skeptical at best, the lackadaisical horsegirl having a knack for picking up on the unsaid. “I didn’t think a muscle cramp could be so depressing.”

Her gaze now steadily focused on the ground immediately in front of her, Vodka grimaced. “I…” Nothing cooler than being at a loss for words, right? A deflated sigh. “I just feel stuck, like I’m running in mud.”

“Maybe go chat with Urara about that, I’m not good in the dirt.”

Seiun Sky’s joke immediately disarmed Vodka, the glum horsegirl unable to prevent herself from laughing along with her. “That was bad.”

“Maybe, but it made you laugh, right?”

Vodka shook her head despite the genuine smile on her lips. “You know what I mean, though, and this stupid injury ain’t helping.”

“Yeah, yeah… But you’ll be back out there soon, right?”

“I guess.”

Silence hung in the air between them briefly, Vodka’s mouth opening for a moment before she stopped herself. Seiun’s eyes flicked over towards her, before looking straight ahead again.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do when I get back out there.” Vodka murmured, her chest tight as she struggled to get the words out of her. For the weeks of ruminating and thinking she had been doing on all of it, it was a mystery how she couldn’t put her words straight. “I just, I dunno.”

“Not feeling confident?”

“I guess? I think it’s more that I don’t know where to go next, how to improve or take things to the next level.”

“Hmm.”

Still walking together, the two girls broke to the right as they approached the back entrance of the main academy building, heading towards the wing that held the cafeteria. Stuck in the mud, that was a good way of putting it. Try as she might, she felt as if her legs were too heavy to keep moving, too bogged down to break free. Whatever switch had happened back in June, she hadn’t been able to rebound from it. The losses piled up, the injury happened, and now she was directionless. 

She wasn’t living up to what she knew she was capable of, it was that simple. She knew she could win - she had been winning - but suddenly the bottom had dropped out from underneath her and she was left grasping at things to try to pick up the pieces. It didn’t help that a certain someone was in the exact opposite situation. She won, won, won again, beating out Vodka in every single race they ran in and even trouncing her during practices. Sure, Scarlet seemed to have been worried when Vodka came down with her injury, but so what? If anything, Scarlet was probably glad that Vodka was out of her way for a while, since it meant that-

Suddenly, Seiun Sky spoke up, breaking through Vodka’s thoughts with a pointed question. “Have you tried changing anything?”

Vodka’s gait slowed to a crawl, hands still in her pockets as she came to stop, staring straight ahead. She had thought about it - a very specific “it” that she could do. If it was so obvious to Seiun, then maybe…

“Have you?” Standing with one hand grasping the door that led inside, Seiun’s blue-green hair gently swayed in the autumn breeze, the girl awash with the dying hues of the sunset. Her typical soft smile was missing, instead replaced with a grimace and a raised eyebrow.

Vodka glanced at her, putting her mask of coolness back on. “Let’s go eat, I need some fuel.”

Gliding past the girl as she opened the door for her, Vodka’s footfalls echoed out into the empty hallway, Seiun Sky watching her go, hair still swaying in the breeze.

Chapter Text

“You begged me not to go.

Sinking like a stone.

Use me like an oar,

And get yourself to shore.”

Now or never.

Bursting through the doorway into the trainer’s common room, Vodka didn't allow herself any time to wait outside to brood and think twice about what she was about to do. She was here for a reason, having shirked her responsibilities after class and dodged invites from her teammates to join them on various outings to start the weekend. Instead, Vodka had found her way towards the third floor where she knew her Trainer would be - full credit to McQueen for having figured out his daily schedule, certainly not weird at all.

“Yo, got a minute or are ya busy slacking off?” Nonchalantly, Vodka approached the seated man, his brow furrowed as he barely gave her a glance, his eyes turning back to the laptop screen in front of him.

“Here to bother me with something annoying like usual?”

The two of them had a fun dynamic, the trainer and trainee both sporting grins despite their exchange of barbs. That was something she appreciated about him, and why she felt that Team Spica worked so well - he wasn't a hard-ass, and he knew how to get the best out of his trainees, rather than molding them into something they weren't.

Which is why doing this was going to suck.

Slapping her hand down on the desk where her Trainer sat, she pushed the folded piece of paper towards him before taking a step back, her cheeky grin not betraying the emotions she was feeling inside. You need a brave face for this, you can't give him the chance to talk you out of it.

Picking up the piece of paper, unaware of what its contents consisted of, the older man waved it in his hand, leaning back in his chair. “I'm going to be upset if this is another one of Gold Ship’s formal ‘complaints’ about our training.” He joked, Vodka well-aware of how Team Spica’s longest tenured member continually pulled out all the stops to weasel her way out of having to practice, often roping in her teammates for help.

“Just give it a read.” She said with a grin, wishing that he was right.

Unfolding the paper, her Trainer scanned over the page once, and then twice, his smile faltering. “Why?”

She had prepared a canned answer for that very question.

“The competition is better there - if I want to be the best, I need to beat the best.”

The expression on his face was skeptical. “...You do know what this whole process entails, right?”

“I spoke with Suzuka, she filled me in about it all. I can handle it.”

He let out a long sigh, placing the form on the desk in front of him before reaching for his bag to fish around in it. “All I'll say is that you're lucky I'm in Akikawa’s good graces at the moment.” Producing a pen, he turned to the paper to sign his name at the bottom, beneath Vodka’s own messy signature. “But I'm still going to have to plead with her to allow it.”

“You? In her good graces? Pfft.” Vodka tried to deflect his concern with a flippant joke, earning a chuckle and a shake of his head. Had it really been that easy to get him to agree to sign the transfer form?

“Transfers during the semester rarely happen, you know. I can't guarantee anything.”

“It's all good, I know I'll get in.” With her typical confidence, Vodka approached the table to peer at his signature, making sure he hadn't duped her. “They'll take one look at my record and they'll have to let me go!”

“Have you made your portfolio yet?”

“...My what?”

He sighed yet again, suddenly standing from his chair and heading over to a filing cabinet situated in the corner of the trainers office. “I'm surprised Suzuka didn't tell you about that…” Beckoning her to follow, he quickly spun the dial to unlock the top drawer, Vodka watching as he produced a manilla coloured folder. “ This is Suzuka’s portfolio that she submitted for her transfer.” Opening it, he quickly leafed through it in front of the horsegirl, showing off the extent of it. “Race results, reference letters, medical history, school records, disciplinary records- ”

“Not a problem.”

“Hmm, I'm sure…” Snapping the folder closed, he tucked it under his arm as his other elbow nudged the cabinet closed. “What I'm trying to say is that they take more into account than just being fast. We'll need to put together something like this and submit it with your request.”

“You’d better get started, then.” Still sporting an outward smirk, Vodka didn't let her nervousness show.

“ I have the easy part.” He explained, sitting back down at his desk as Vodka followed. “I just need to pull your records and put it all together - you're the one who has to write a paper.”

“Paper?”

Sliding a thick stack of paper from out of Suzuka's folder, he pushed the essay across the table towards her, tapping it with a finger. “Now, Suzuka's a perfectionist so don't take it for gospel - but give it a read and you'll see what I mean.”

Vodka's eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head as she picked up Suzuka's paper and took in what he had meant. Fifteen pages of pure text - not even a graph or a single picture - in which Suzuka told her life story of growing up with a love for racing, went on about her race results and dedicated training regimen, how she had overcome the incredible adversity of her fractured leg, and of course detailed her goals and aspirations behind her requested transfer to Tracen’s sister academy in the United States.

“....Shit.”

“You didn't hear me say this, but ‘shit’ indeed.” He agreed with her, his cursing only slightly assuaging her fears. “If you want to get your request in front of the Director soon, you'll need to put that paper together quickly.”

Her bravado deflating, Vodka's posture visibly sagged. “Can I at least hold onto this as a guide?”

“As long as you're not copying it, sure.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

“Also, another question for you.” Leaning back in his chair, her Trainer's tone changed suddenly, the man looking up at her with a concerned look on his face. “This doesn't have anything to do with how your season's going, does it?”

“Whaddya mean by that?” Managing to fight off her offence, Vodka's eyes narrowed at the implication. It had been a rough stretch, sure, but she knew she had what it took in her somewhere.

“I mean,” gesturing with his hands, he fumbled with his words for a few moments. “Are you feeling that you're not getting the support you need here?”

Realization dawned on her as her Trainer pressed her, Vodka's eyes widening. In a moment, she recalled a story that Gold Ship had relayed to her once before, about the time before her and Scarlet had joined Spica - so it went, that their Trainer's previous iteration of the team had fallen apart despite his best efforts, all of his trainees - Gold Ship the lone exception - voluntarily dropping themselves from the team over disagreements with his training and guidance. Now, Suzuka had already transferred overseas and Spica had been plagued by injuries. That's what this question's about.

“Nothing like that at all.” Vodka replied, shaking her head and betraying a rare serious side of herself, instantly feeling bad that she had led him down such a line of thought. “The opposite, honestly. I… I want to do this, but leaving Spica behind is going to sorta suck…”

Letting out a relieved sigh, her Trainer scratched the back of his neck, slightly more relaxed following her explanation. “Well, that's good at least… I hope you're ready to handle Spe when she starts crying after finding out.” The two shared a laugh at that before he spoke up again, instantly souring the levity of the mood. “And what about Scarlet?”

An involuntary chill went down her spine at that question, one she had been hoping wouldn't be raised. Vodka had pushed any thought of it down and away, refusing to address or even think about it this entire time, as if she couldn't face it - as if she couldn't face her. Yet again, she had another canned response for this one, but her quieter, shaky voice threatened to betray her.

“What about her?”

“Well, you're roommates and all.” 

“...So?”

He sighed, his gaze falling. “I don't think she's going to take your transfer well.”

“That’s her problem, not mine.” Vodka choked out, unable to look at him. “She'll probably be better off-”

Vodka cut herself off and glanced over her shoulder when she heard a rattle at the door, her ears perking up at the sound. The two of them stayed quiet for a few seconds, expecting someone to come in and interrupt, but the door stayed closed.

Turning back to him, she shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”

“Hm, alright.” He said, unconvicingly. “Well, have fun writing that paper this weekend. I’ll try to get some time in front of the Director to see if we can make this happen.”

Tucking Suzuka’s essay away into her backpack, Vodka turned to go, throwing up a hand to wave goodbye. “I appreciate the help.”

“It’s what I’m here for, right? I want to help you all achieve your dreams, no matter what.”

Vodka paused halfway out the door, staring down the empty hallway. “Yeah, totally.” 

With that, she left. Essay writing awaited her.

Her hand resting against the wall beside the door, Scarlet held her breath so she could better listen in on the conversation happening in the common room.

“And what about Scarlet?”

“What about her?”

“Well, you're roommates and all.” 

“...So?”

She almost didn’t want to believe it, the entire thing felt out of left field. Why the hell hadn’t Vodka talked to her about this? Were they not friends? Was it because of…

Steeling herself, even as a lump rose in her throat, Scarlet craned to pick up the words, the voices growing hushed.

“I don't think she's going to take your transfer well.”

A transfer. Vodka was going to leave.

“That’s her problem, not mine.”

…

“She'll probably be better off-”

Turning away and rushing off down the hall, Scarlet’s nails dug into the soft flesh of her palms as she clenched her fists, a tightness forming in her chest. Down the stairs to the first floor with her head bowed as her mind raced, the horsegirl pushed through the doorway and outside, stumbling slightly as she descended the short set of concrete stairs.

McQueen had told her that Vodka had, for some reason, gone to track down their Trainer in the trainer’s common room, her roommate having apparently forgotten about her promise to join Scarlet for an outing in the city. When she had tracked her down, though, Scarlet had the misfortune of overhearing the conversation between Vodka and their Trainer, her friend’s words rattling around in her head.

‘What about her?’

Thankful that the campus grounds were already mostly deserted after classes had let out for the weekend, Scarlet blinked back tears, veering off the path towards a shortcut through a glade of trees, her legs slightly wobbling. She’s… She’s…

‘That’s her problem, not mine.’

Thinking back, Scarlet instantly faulted herself. Had she pushed too hard? She had, she absolutely had. She had rubbed it in Vodka’s face too much, and then when her roommate came down with her leg injury, Scarlet clearly hadn’t done enough to help her out. Placing her hand on one of the towering trees, she took in a shaky breath. She should’ve, she could’ve-

“Scarlet?”

Gasping, Scarlet’s tear-brimmed eyes shot open, the girl hurrying to compose herself in the face of being interrupted. “G-Grass, h-hi.”

“Are you alright?” Approaching her from behind, the brown-haired horsegirl had seemingly spotted Scarlet peeling off to somewhere quiet to cry her eyes out, Grass Wonder following her amongst the shaded trees, their autumn-coloured leaves gently swaying in the wind. “Did something happen?”

“It’s alright, I’m fine.” She lied, so obviously so that it did nothing to assuage Grass Wonder, who softly placed a hand on Scarlet’s shoulder. “I-I-”

Unable to stop herself from letting out a sob, the tears began to flow as she stifled herself with a hand, feeling Grass Wonder wrap her arms around her in a hug. Stupid, stupid!

Saying nothing, Grass Wonder instead simply held Scarlet as the girl softly cried in her arms, struggling to compose herself enough to speak and explain the source. Wettening the other girl’s uniform with her tears, her crying didn’t make Scarlet feel any better - if anything, the distress she felt simply grew.

“I-I’m sorry-”

“It’s alright.” Grass Wonder said, pulling back slightly to rifle through her tote bag, fishing out a travelpack of tissues. “Here, take some deep breaths.”

The girl’s calm demeanour helped Scarlet slightly, the taller girl finding herself too weak-kneed to continue standing, instead leaning her back against the tree as she sagged to sit on the ground, Grass Wonder following her. Dabbing her eyes with a tissue as she tried to compose herself, Scarlet’s breathing calmed down as the initial shock wore off, leaving her feeling despondent.

“What happened, Scarlet?”

“I… Think Vodka’s requesting a transfer.”

Grass Wonder’s brows rose in surprise, taken aback and not having expected that response. “...Really?”

Scarlet nodded. “I overheard her talking to our Trainer.”

“And you didn’t know already?”

“...No? Why would I?”

Choosing her words carefully, Grass Wonder glanced away. “Well, with how close you and her are…”

“Clearly we’re not that close.” Scarlet interjected bitterly, a certain venom in her tone. Why was Vodka doing this? Why hadn’t she talked to Scarlet about it?

She knew the answer to that, she just didn’t want to admit it.

“I’m sorry, Scarlet.” Grass Wonder said, fingers picking at her skirt as she searched for the right words. “That’s a big surprise.”

Scarlet shrugged, her mind still racing with thoughts and worries. “It’s fine.” It’s not. “Not like it matters much to me.” It does.

“Maybe you should talk to her about it…?”

“What’s there to talk about? If she wanted to, she would’ve brought it up already.” Resentment began to sink in, Scarlet’s emotions rapidly shifting as she tried to digest the news. In a moment, her mind turned back to the last few months, flashing through it all in rapid succession. Her victories, Vodka’s losses. The way she had flaunted her wins over her roommate, and how Vodka’s reactions had changed from incensed and fiery, to despondent and uncaring, especially after her injury happened.

This is your fault. You chased her off.

Tears welling up again, she dabbed them away with another tissue as Grass Wonder tried her best to console her. “I just think that it’s important for you to talk it out with her, Scarlet.”

Not meeting the other girl’s gaze, Scarlet shrugged, refusing to admit it to herself. “Yeah, maybe…” 

Sniffling, Scarlet stared off into the distance, able to spy the training track through the trees in which she had retreated. If Vodka didn’t think that she had to talk to her about it, then she wouldn’t bother to bring it up. Clearly her roommate - her rival - didn’t think it was important enough.

And she would have to live with that.

Slowly working her way through Grass Wonder’s pack of loaned tissues, Scarlet gradually calmed herself down, much in thanks to the other girl’s soothing personality - at one point, Grass Wonder even managed to draw a smile out of the dejected girl, the two chatting idly beneath the trees.

“Will you be alright?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Scarlet’s smile was slightly strained. Even as the initial shock of the revelation wore off, the pain of it lingered.

Zipping up her bag, Grass Wonder stood and held a hand out to Scarlet, beckoning her to join her. “Let’s go have some supper, then. I’m sure that would help.”

Reluctantly accepting the offer, her original Friday evening plans now ruined, Scarlet took Grass Wonder’s hand and stood. “Sure…” With that, Grass Wonder started off, Scarlet lingering behind her momentarily to dust off her skirt before following, leaving her worries behind if only for a brief moment.

Slipping her key into the lock of the dormroom door, Scarlet put on a brave face as she entered her shared room. Without a single hint of her true emotions or mood, the auburn-haired horsegirl gave her roommate a glance as she dumped her bag onto the bed, beginning to unpack it at the end of a long week. “So I guess you forgot about our dinner plans, hm?” She said aloud, trying to return things to how they were before.

“Huh? Oh, right. That.” Vodka’s gaze didn’t leave the piece of paper she was scribbling on at her desk, her hazel eyes uncharacteristically focused.

“Thankfully, Grass Wonder was there to make up for your absence~” Scarlet waited for Vodka’s response to her teasing, and was left waiting. “...It was a nice time.”

“Uh huh.”

“What’s gotten into you?” Scarlet spoke before she could stop herself, the cracks in her mask already beginning to show. “You barely talk with me anymore.”

Vodka paused her writing, giving her roommate an unamused glance. “I’m busy, Scarlet.” Normally, Vodka’s reply would be in protest, but at the very least engaged or animated. Now, just as she had been in the last few weeks, she was terse and stilted, the typical bickering between them no longer light-hearted and familiar.

And the cause of that is you.

“...I’m sure you are.” Her reply was brief and pointed, Scarlet hurriedly grabbing her bath towel and a change of clothes, having to turn her back to hide her quivering lower lip. Without a word, she made for the door again, pausing briefly and opening her mouth, unable to find the words to bring up the topic at hand. You should do what Grass Wonder said to do. Air it out and don’t push it down.

Vodka didn’t give her another glance, her attention once again focused on whatever she was writing.

The door closed without another word as Scarlet left to take a shower, her ears flattened against her head, ruminations and self-blame swirling around in her mind.

She pushed it down.

Chapter Text

“Will someone please call a surgeon,

Who can crack my ribs and repair this broken heart,

That you’re deserting for better company?”

Trudging along in the rain, Scarlet hurried along the pathway that led towards Team Spica’s team clubroom, tucked away in one of the courtyards flanking the main wing of the Academy. Autumn had truly begun to rear its ugly head as October approached, the leaves just beginning to turn as rainstorms grew more common - though they were usually nothing compared to the monsoon season of the early summer. Dodging her way around a particularly large puddle, the horsegirl approached the door to the clubroom, having to take a minute to shake her umbrella off so as to not track any more water inside before slipping in.

Sharing a smile with McQueen, who greeted her with her typical polite wave, Scarlet ditched her rainjacket and umbrella with the rest of the girls’ by the door, having arrived slightly later than her teammates. Admittedly, it was a fight to even convince herself to come - Scarlet had a bad feeling as to what this was all about, but had to play it painfully dumb.

“Looks like that’s it.” Gold Ship piped up, Team Spica’s longest-tenured member leaning against the wall by the window, shooting a glance over at Vodka. “So why’d you call us in on our day off today, Vodka?” She asked aloud, Scarlet unable to bring herself to look at her roommate, instead making for a seat at the main table at the center of the room.

Vodka, who had been sitting atop one of the hip-height cabinets up until then, sluggishly pushed off to stand on her feet, the tomboy looking slightly abashed to be at the center of attention, even amongst her teammates. “Well…”

Suddenly, Special Week gasped. “Did you get picked for the Arima Kinen?” She exclaimed, practically bounding out of her seat as she rushed headlong to a conclusion.

“What? No no no!” Vodka frantically tried to dissuade the eager horsegirl, drawing laughs out of the team from her panicked reaction. “Nothing nearly that exciting…” 

Scarlet absentmindedly clenched the hem of her blouse, fingers anxiously wringing the fabric as her teeth ground together. It had only been two weeks since that day, and not a single thing between her and Vodka had gotten any better. Her roommate had fully withdrawn into herself, refusing any invites for meals or outings, and even going so far as to change up her training schedule to practice on her own, leaving Scarlet without her usual training partner. Conversations fizzled out instantly, and Scarlet hadn’t been able to build up the courage - or the responsibility - to try to address things. Shame burned deep within her over all of it, and every day she woke up wishing things would go back to normal.

Taking a deep breath, Vodka clapped her hands together once before speaking to the team. “I’ll be transferring to Tracen’s American academy at the end of the month.”

The news she was dreading finally arrived, news the Scarlet had tried to forget about the possibility of, or her role in. 

In an instant, Team Spica was in an uproar, Gold Ship throwing her head back in laughter as Special Week launched out of her chair to capture Vodka in a tight hug. Teio, stuck with her fractured leg elevated on the couch, responded with a cheer while McQueen similarly rose to her feet, sporting a wide, surprised smile as she clapped her hands.

Scarlet’s thoughts were a maelstrom of a mess, keeping her rooted in her seat as the rest of the team crowded around Vodka - only McQueen gave her a wayward glance, which caused Scarlet’s simmering angst to burn hotter, leaving her feeling flush and restless.

“ Please please please give Suzuka a hug for me!” Special Week practically sobbed out, having buried her face against the taller girl to hide her joyful yet teary eyes. “Have you told her yet? Oh gosh, I should call her right now!”

Vodka, painfully unused to such affection, gave Spe an awkward few taps on the back to console her, wearing an abashed grin. “Yeah, yeah, whatever you want, Spe.”

Throwing an arm around Vodka’s shoulder, Gold Ship gave the horsegirl a friendly shake, Vodka uncomfortable with all of the attention she was getting. “What’re you going to be running over there?” Gold Ship inquired, the tallest of Team Spica looming over the gaggle of girls.

Vodka’s answer didn’t reach Scarlet’s ears, the auburn-haired horsegirl silently disassociating in her seat. So that’s it, then. Not even the common courtesy to let her know about it before this.

As if you’d deserve that.

A tap on her shoulder drew Scarlet out of her ruminating, leading her to glance over at how McQueen was bending over beside her to whisper in her ear. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

McQueen’s gaze lingered, the normally put-together girl at a rare loss as to what to do, having instantly picked up on the tension between the two roommates thanks to Scarlet’s lack of a reaction.

“We’re gonna really miss you!” Teio’s voice cut through from her spot on the couch, the injury-prone horsegirl having recently graduated to a lightweight walking cast, finally ditching her crutches.

“Promise that you’ll call us every day!” Special Week chimed in, still struggling to keep her emotions in check as she sniffled back her tears, her equine tail thrashing to and fro.

“Yeah yeah, I’ll keep you all in the loop, heh. Maybe not every day, though.”

“How long have you known?”

The room fell silent as Scarlet finally spoke up, unable to keep her tact as her eyes stayed rooted on the table in front of her, accusation heavy in her voice.

“I, uh, found out the other day.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

Teio shared an uneasy glance with Gold Ship, the team’s congratulations and well-wishes being cast aside as the two roommates addressed one another - and not in the typical light-hearted fashion that their bickering tended to take.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a little while, okay? I think this is what I need.” Vodka defended herself, cringing slightly as Scarlet lodged her protest. With a shrug, she tried to dodge her roommate’s ire, playing it cool. “It’ll be good for me.”

“Wait… You hadn’t told her?” Putting two and two together, Special Week bore an expression of confusion at finding out that Vodka had kept the secret so close that even her roommate had yet to find out about it. Her head tilting to the side, the quizzical countrygirl’s brow furrowed further. “When Suzuka was transferring, she…” 

Weeks of closed-off frustration began to surge in Scarlet’s chest, her eyes finally flicking over to meet her rival. “This is the most she has said to me in weeks, so yes, I only found out right now.” Her words pointed even as she told a slight lie, having known about the possibility weeks beforehand, simply never finding the guts to address it until now.

She watched as Vodka shrank back a touch, her eyes nervously glancing away. “What makes you think you deserved to know ahead of time?” She defended herself, clearly not going to roll over and take it.

Scarlet’s eyes went wide as Vodka showed her hand, her friend’s true feelings seemingly coming to light. “Excuse me? We’re- Do you really think that?”

“You guys…” Clearly uncomfortable with how heated the argument between the two rivals was getting, Special Week shrunk back, her gaze falling to the floor.

Rising to her feet, Scarlet felt her frustration shifting itself into something difficult for her to control, her bottom lip beginning its classic quivering as she struggled to keep composure. “Vodka, why won’t you just talk to me?”

“We need to simmer down.” McQueen interjected, holding her hands out towards the two arguing rivals. “Why don’t we all-”

“Why would I talk to you?” Finally frustrated enough to let her emotions be shown, Vodka began to lose her cool as well as she raised her voice. “All you’ve been doing the last few months is flaunting your wins and pretending that you’re above me!”

“That is not true.”

“Dammit Scarlet, do you hear yourself? It is true!” Taking a step towards her and jabbing a finger at Scarlet’s chest, Vodka stopped holding back. “I spent weeks having to hear and listen and watch you go on and on about yourself and your races. You were so focused on yourself that you barely took stock of when I got injured! Remember how you said you were too busy with training to help me out, and then you had the audacity the very next day to get upset when I couldn’t make it to dinner because I couldn’t fucking walk. ”

Taking a shaky breath, Scarlet attempted to keep her composure in the face of her friend’s accusations, not letting her eyes grow teary. She had already been berating herself all this time for being so lost in herself that she hadn’t been treating Vodka as she should have been, having been stuck pushing down the feelings that she was so scared to admit. “I-I do not appreciate your tone.”

“Really now? Well I don’t appreciate your fakeness. ”

“Alright, we’re done here.” Physically inserting herself between the sparring roommates, Gold Ship’s height cut an imposing figure as she used her toned arms to force Scarlet and Vodka apart, stepping into her role as the de-facto team lead whenever their Trainer wasn’t around.

Stumbling back, Vodka didn’t quit. “Fuck off, Gold Ship. Scarlet’s just trying to save face, I know that she won’t care that I’m gone!”

That snapped Scarlet out of it, Special Week gasping at Vodka’s careless comment, aghast at the scene unfolding in front of her. Seeing the kind-hearted horsegirl on the verge of genuine tears was the final straw that shifted Scarlet’s emotions into overdrive, abandoning her anger and instead replacing it with anguish, her emotions over the last few weeks finally bubbling up to the surface, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. “Y-You’re the one shutting me out! That’s not- I-I would never-”

With Gold Ship corralling Vodka, McQueen stepped up to place a hand on Scarlet’s arm, trying to soothe her. “Let’s stop, Scarlet.”

Wrenching herself away from her well-meaning friend, Scarlet took a few steps back, her eyes blurry from the tears. “ I’m sorry! ” Letting out a sob, Scarlet turned and bolted for the door, stumbling out into the rain as fast as her legs would carry her, wherever they would take her. It is your fault.

All she could do was run.

Gold Ship watched as Special Week and McQueen jogged out into the rain, having donned their rain jackets to go searching for Scarlet, who had sprinted off without so much an umbrella. Closing the door to the team’s clubroom, she turned back towards the two remaining members, sharing a glance with a glum-looking Teio, who had remained in her usual seat on the couch, her injured left leg propped up.

“What the hell was that?” She asked accusingly, walking to stand before Vodka, who had come to lean against the wall, arms crossed and a pissed-off look on her face.

“You heard what I said.”

“Yeah, I did, and that’s why I’m asking you.” Gold Ship continued, not letting the tomboyish horsegirl shrug it off. 

Vodka looked anywhere but at Gold Ship, the horsegirl trying to play aloof. “Have you not seen how she’s been the last few months?” Bitterness in her voice, Vodka held her stance, not wanting to budge even in the face of the displeased team captain. “I could care less.”

“ Couldn’t care less.” Teio interjected, earning a glare from Gold Ship as Vodka rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. I meant what I said, though. I’m transferring because it’s the right thing for my career, and Scarlet hasn’t done a damn thing to earn any special treatment from me. I’m telling you, it’s all an act that she puts up.”

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Gold Ship backed off physically, but didn’t relent in grilling her teammate. “I know things have been shitty between you two for a bit, I get that-”

“So then-”

“ But- ” Holding out a finger to silence Vodka before she could butt in, Gold Ship shook her head. “I cannot allow for any member of Team Spica to talk to each other like that.”

Vodka’s bravado crumbled slightly, the horsegirl looking uncomfortable as her ears flattened against her head. Trying to face down a serious Gold Ship was a tall order. “I guess…”

“Is it true that you two haven’t been talking? I know you’ve been training on your own, but I chalked that up to rehab for your leg.”

She’s damn scary when she gets serious. “It’s been tough, okay? You should hear the way she’s been talking to me.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Letting out a sigh, Vodka deflated further, chewing her tongue as she tried to find the words. “...We haven’t been, not for a while. I just- I just feel like she hasn’t been as supportive to me as I needed, I guess. It sounds dumb.”

“Nah, that makes sense to me.” Teio spoke up, causing Gold Ship to squint her eyes as she agreed with Vodka. “Even though McQueen and I are rivals, her and I always help each other out.”

“But how hard would it have been to just tell her that? ‘Hey Scarlet, I feel like crap and I want to talk about it.’ Rather than letting it get to whatever the hell this was.”

“I dunno, Gold Ship.” Vodka replied with a shrug, glancing out the window at the grey skies. “Easier said than done. I didn’t wanna drag her down with me, I guess… She deserves better than that.”

A silence fell over the room at that, which caused Vodka’s cheeks to begin to burn in embarrassment.

“Honestly, I find it hard to believe that the two of you are so painfully aloof.” Teio spoke up, the normally chipper girl looking deadly serious for a change. “I told you, I get it. But I think that Scarlet just has her own way about things. Maybe if you told her that wasn’t what you needed, then…”

Vodka thought on Teio’s words for a few moments. It made sense, to a degree. Scarlet was always - how should she put this - chipper, outgoing, and bordering on annoying with her positivity and righteousness. Thinking back to the specific incident she had brought up as a jab at her roommate, realization began to dawn on her that Scarlet had maybe simply been trying to keep the status quo, to include Vodka in outings and meals when Vodka, admittedly, had been feeling sorry for herself, as if trying to cheer her up. If she had told Scarlet that she wasn’t too big on that, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. If they had just talked-

Shame and embarrassment began to wash over her, the horsegirl’s fingers tightly clenching the sleeves of her leather jacket.

“I’m not trying to tell you that you shouldn’t feel how you’re feeling, Vodka.” Gold Ship continued, still wearing that scarily serious expression on her face. “But I’m not happy with how you two handled this.”

Vodka nodded glumly. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“You need to talk to her.”

Still staring at the rain outside the window, she knew that Gold Ship was right.

Thing is - she sucked at talking.

Chest heaving with effort, Scarlet ran.

She ran, ran, and ran until she got where her legs wanted to take her - somewhere she could keep running. She wasn’t in her typical running shoes, so every stride on the wet turf of the practice track was a struggle, the slippery grass threatening to turn to mud beneath her - and yet she ran.

You ruined things, again.

The blame and self-criticism weighed heavy on her, Scarlet’s mind running itself, too, in circles about everything.

She’s leaving, and it’s your fault.

How did she get here? Her and Vodka had been thick as thieves since the first day of freshman year, the two paired up as roommates, with them immediately criticizing one another’s choice of posters they had pinned up on the walls of the dormroom - and yet, that had been lighthearted and fun. Now? Anything but.

You didn’t treat her like she needed to be. She said as much.

She was thankful that it was raining, because it hid the tears that would otherwise be staining her cheeks. Rounding the corner of the track, the intensity of her self-hatred burned hot enough to prompt Scarlet to try to dig in with her right foot to really launch ahead - if she could run fast enough, burn enough energy, then maybe she wouldn’t have to-

Scarlet had the wind knocked out of her before she could react, her foot having slipped on the wet turf and sent her tumbling forward, landing hard on her ribcage as she slid for a few yards, soaking her with water and mud. Wheezing with her eyes clenched tight, she bashed a hand against the ground, letting out a pained groan as she fought to regain control of her breathing, the impact leaving her lungs paralyzed for a few moments.

Finally able to take in a gasp, she pushed herself up to a seated position, taking in her sorry state of affairs. Her outfit was ruined, her favourite pair of boots caked with mud and her long hair not fairing any better. She had gouged out a huge divot in the turf that the grounds crew would have to fix up, and she was lucky that she hadn’t actually injured herself in her fall. Gazing up at the grey clouds, she nearly laughed at her patheticness.

This is what you get for never telling her about your feelings.

“Scarlet!”

Hearing Special Week’s voice caused Scarlet’s eyes to slowly close, knowing that she had been tracked down.

“Scarlet, are you okay?” Heavy footfalls sounded closer as her teammate jumped the outer railing lining the track, Special Week stumbling slightly in the rain. “Oh gosh, are you-?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” She replied weakly with a wave of her hand, slowly turning over onto her knees to begin picking herself up, keeping her gaze low so she wouldn’t have to look at her friend.

“Here, here.” Still slightly panicking, Special Week hurriedly unfurled Scarlet’s raincoat, the one she had left behind when she had dashed out of the clubroom. “Oh no, your outfit…”

Smiling to herself at the absurdity of the situation she had foisted upon herself, Scarlet donned her jacket to at least fend off the rain a little bit, accepting Spe’s hand to help her to her feet. “Sorry about all that…”

“No no, it’s okay It’s…” Special Week trailed off, grimacing as she took in the sight of the mud tracked in Scarlet’s long twintails. “I’m sorry, too.”

The two girls stood in silence for a few moments, the patter of the rain overhead filling the void. Suddenly, as Scarlet struggled with what to say, Special Week spoke up again. “I know exactly how you feel! Well, maybe not exactly, but…”

Meeting the shorter girl’s gaze, Scarlet wiped her cheeks, sniffling. “You do?”

Spe nodded. “When I found out that Suzuka was going to transfer, I was a total mess, heh… Honestly I couldn’t even sleep because of it, I felt awful.”

“Yeah, I do, too.” 

“She was my whole motivation to run, right? When I first got to Tracen, Suzuka was just… Everything I had done up to that point was because of her. All my races, all the training and studying I did - I did it so I could run with her.” Swaying her arms back and forth as she tried to string together what she was getting at, Special Week continued. “And we did! Even with everything we went through that season, her and I raced together!” Now beaming widely as she recalled the fond memory, Special Week slowly trailed off, her brow furrowing as she lost her place. “Oh, um… What was I…”

“About Suzuka and-”

“Oh, right! So when Suzuka told me she was going to transfer to America for our sophomore season, I like, really struggled for a while. I barely wanted to run anymore without her here!” The two girls standing together in the rain, Scarlet listened as Special Week did her earnest to relate to her. “I guess what I’m trying to get at, is that… That there’s more to all of this than just your rival! Suzuka told me all about her motivations to run and why the transfer made sense to her, and it really put everything into place for me. So I guess, maybe…”

“...Maybe?”

“Maybe you and Vodka just need to talk, like Suzuka and I did?” Special Week looked abashed as she suggested it, unsure of herself. “I dunno, I know that you and her are fighting and all that…”

Standing in the rain, soaked to the bone and coated in mud, Scarlet somehow felt the lightest she had in weeks - all thanks to Special Week’s words. Her chest was still tight and Vodka’s words still stung when she recalled them, but she knew that Spe was right. Bottling this up doesn’t help anyone.

In an instant, Scarlet lunged forward to wrap Special Week in a hug, the shorter girl gasping and standing shock-still for a few moments, before happily returning the embrace, giving Scarlet a tight squeeze. “Thank you, Spe.”

Special Week giggled. “Huh? For what?”

“Scarlet! Spe! Oh gosh…” Interrupting them, another figure ran towards two two girls from out of the rain, McQueen holding an umbrella up high as she carefully climbed over the fence and onto the track. “Are you- Your hair!?”

Scarlet could only laugh at McQueen’s shocked expression and worried tone, well aware of how awful and beat-up she looked. “I’m alright, I promise.”

“No no, we need to get you inside right now. You too, Spe.” It was then that Scarlet realized that in their hug, she had inadvertently smeared Special Week with the mud she was coated in as well, though thankfully most of it was restricted to her rain jacket. 

Letting herself be led off by her two friends, Scarlet let out a wistful sigh. Things hadn’t been solved, far from it - but she knew where to go next, at the very least.

Chapter Text

“I don’t feel alright, in spite of these comforting sounds you make.

I don’t feel alright, because you make promises that you break.”

Her leg propped up on the short table in front of the couch, Teio watched out of the corner of her eye, her gaze slowly drifting from the figure sat beside her, all the way across the room to the other figure sat as far away as possible, arms crossed.

They clearly hadn’t talked it out yet.

Scarlet was putting on a brave face and Vodka seemed reluctant to join in on the fun, even though it had all been planned just for her. A room rented at Teio’s favourite karaoke spot, she thought, was the perfect send-off the night before Vodka’s flight overseas, and she had hoped that the lighthearted outing would be the best way to send their teammate off on the best note possible - but that was tough, given the pall hanging over a certain pairing.

For the slight awkwardness present, though, Special Week was doing her damndest with the microphone to bring some cheer to the group, singing away and dancing to one of the songs the jukebox had that she knew by heart, keeping McQueen’s, Gold Ship’s, and Scarlet’s attention rapt as she did so. An admirable effort, as usual of the countrygirl.

It hadn’t been a failure, though - not yet, at least. But given how Scarlet and Vodka had clearly yet to make-up after their spat a week ago, Teio was left racking her brain to try to figure out a solution.

As Spe’s song ended, she cheerfully held the microphone out to Gold Ship. “Your turn!”

That was all the invitation the team captain needed, a wicked grin spreading across her lips as Special Week inadvertently gave her the exact excuse she had been waiting for. Snatching the  microphone, Gold Ship hoisted the unsuspecting McQueen up to her feet as well, her grip on the shorter girl’s arm unbreakable.

“What?! Hey! No!” McQueen’s pleadings went unheard as she was dragged onto the small stage of the private karaoke booth, suddenly aware of what Gold Ship was getting at. Forcing the microphone into McQueen’s hand, she snatched the second one and began scrolling through the list of songs to find the exact one she was looking for, the poor Mejiro heiress struggling - and failing - to break free, much to the enjoyment of the rest of Team Spica. 

As the song came on over the speakers, realization washed over Teio, a plan hatching in her mind as to how to ensure the celebration went off perfectly, the smile that snuck onto her lips earning her a nudge from the taller girl beside her.

“Pretty funny, huh?” Scarlet remarked, sporting her own smile as they watched McQueen clumsily stumbling her way through the song alongside Gold Ship, who still had an iron grip on her wrist.

Yeah, that’s totally what I’m smiling about. “Mhm!”

Much to McQueen’s relief, the song Gold Ship had picked out for their impromptu duet was mercifully short, and she managed to wiggle herself free of her captain’s grip and retreat to the safety of sitting right beside Teio, the horsegirl knowing that Gold Ship wouldn’t dare roughhouse beside their injured teammate. Teio suppressed a slight fluttering of her heart at her closeness with her rival, using the opportunity to grab the microphone from her. Slowly rising to her feet, McQueen giving her a “Be careful!”, Teio hobbled towards the stage in her walking cast, taking the second microphone from Gold Ship, who looked rather glum about McQueen not being keen on an encore with her.

Doing her best to not betray her plan, Teio turned back to Scarlet, handing over one of the microphones to bait her into thinking that she was asking the auburn-haired girl to join her for a duet, Scarlet falling for it without a second thought. “Oh! What song?” She asked, rising to her feet and climbing onto the stage, holding out a hand to offer Teio help to join her.

She didn’t respond, instead shooting her friend a grin as she turned her back on her. Rounding her way past the table, empty soda cans and half-eaten food littering it, Teio scooted past Special Week and stopped before a surprised looking Vodka, thrusting the second microphone out towards her. “Go get up there!” She could practically feel Scarlet’s eyes boring a hole in the back of her skull.

“Um… No.”

Vodka had fallen for the bait, too - it was time for Teio to employ one of her strongest weapons.

Tears began to well up in her eyes on command, the injured horsegirl putting on her best theatrics. “I… I arranged a-all of this f-for you, Vodka…” She stammered out, lower lip trembling as she leaned heavy on the guilt trip. “Since you’re going away, I thought… I’m sorr-”

Vodka instantly snatched the microphone away from her and rose to her feet, Teio having to suppress a snicker at how painfully easy it had been to get her way. Turning to give Scarlet a glance, she spotted the other girl standing on stage with a borderline pissed-off look on her face, stewing silently but unable to do anything about it. These two are so predictable…

Following along behind Vodka, Teio didn’t give the two rivals a chance to start their bickering, commandeering the jukebox screen to queue up the song she had in mind for them. As the opening notes rang out, Teio hurried back to her spot on the couch, her masterful plan having worked - all that was left was to watch it play out.

Vodka groaned aloud as she realized what Teio had done, the song that she was being forced to duet being one of her greatest shames. Why did I ever agree to record that damn thing…

Scarlet’s reaction was hardly better, the horsegirl shooting daggers at the grinning Teio as the lyrics to the song began to surface in her mind. This is so embarrassing…

Uma Musume STARTING GATE 03: Bokura no Bluebird Days (ぼくらのブルーバードデイズ)

And yet they sang, Vodka starting them off. "When we're together, we clash all the time…”

Followed up by Scarlet, unable to bring herself to glance across the stage. “When we're together, we get angry all the time…”

And then together. “But still, we’re together… Why is that?”

Clapping her hands together as the song began in its earnest, Special Week cheered aloud from her seat on one of the couches, totally oblivious to the actual meaning behind the song. “Did you…?” McQueen whispered in Teio’s ear, leaning over as the duet continued on stage, unable to stop herself from grinning.

“I have no clue what you mean!” Was her response, still trying to maintain her innocence. “It was just the first song I saw!”

“My pride gets the better of me all the time… We always end up fighting, it’s boring... What should I do?” The song they had recorded together during their rookie year was taking on a new meaning now as Scarlet sang, the choreography of the performance slowly coming back to her as she struck a pose, turning her back on Vodka - who she knew would do the same during her next line.

“I won't apologize! 'Cause I didn't do anything wrong! But the other person isn’t exactly at fault…” Her own back now turned, Vodka choked the words out, struggling to find her voice. The live performances were never her strong suit, and yet…

“Being honest and open... It's not that easy, is it?”

“Just one phrase is all it takes…”

"I'm sorry!"

Team Spica erupted in applause as Scarlet and Vodka sang together, their voices complimenting one another as they turned to face one another, finally both saying the words they needed to say, even if it was simply for show.

A thrown snack snapped Teio out of her revelry at the show on stage, the pretzel chip smacking against her head. Gold Ship winked at her from across the table. “Smooth.” She remarked, clearly having caught on to Teio’s master plan.

All she could do was shrug and laugh a bit.

“I'll be noisy and bother you all the time, too.”

“Even so, I like being around you.”

“Let's face each other once again and say, "Can we talk things out?"

“Look into each other's eyes, And smile at the starry sky!”

As the song continued on towards the ending, the two rivals slowly began to loosen up, Vodka’s voice singing clearer and Scarlet’s dancing growing more confident. Glancing at her roommate from out of the corner of her eye, Scarlet could feel the blush deepening on her cheeks as a grin crept onto her lips, noticing how Vodka was doing the exact same - except her gaze was squarely fixed anywhere but on Scarlet, unable to bring herself to share a glance.

"When we're together, we clash all the time…”

“When we're together, we get angry all the time…”

“Even so, let's stay together…”

“Now and forever!" 

Cheers and applause rang out as the song ended, the two rivals on stage slightly short on breath. Still watching Vodka, Scarlet quickly looked away when her roommate finally met her gaze, the short-haired girl looking effortlessly cool as she put the microphone back and dismounted from the stage.

“Encore!” Special Week called out, clearly keen for more.

“No, no…” Vodka waved her down, her dour mood having been replaced with a shy smile.

“Who wants to duet with me, then?” Was Spe’s reply, shooting up to her feet, all too eager for another turn on stage.

Watching from the sidelines as Vodka slunk out of the room, the tomboy having grabbed another soda, Teio couldn’t help but notice how Scarlet followed along moments later, slipping out the door to join her rival. Smirking to herself, her smile only grew as she spotted McQueen once again being dragged onto the stage against her will, Special Week all too oblivious as to two of her teammates no longer being present. Across the room, Gold Ship raised her eyebrows twice at Teio in a flirty manner while wearing a knowing grin, also having spotted the disappearance of the two rivals.

The brisk autumn air was more than welcome as Scarlet stepped outside, hurrying after Vodka as her roommate stopped a few yards away from the entrance to the karaoke bar. Leaning against a streetlight while taking a sip from her soda, she raised an eyebrow upon seeing Scarlet following her, trying to keep it cool, as always. “Need something?”

“I-” Scarlet stopped herself, not having thought things through. “I needed some fresh air, too…”

“Mmm… The AC in there sucks, yeah.”

“Yeah.”

The two stood in awkward silence for a moment, and Scarlet could see her rival gritting her teeth, clearly on the verge of speaking up. “You sounded good back there.” Voice barely above a whisper, Vodka yet again couldn’t meet Scarlet’s eyes as she complimented her. “Been a while since we sang that.”

The compliment caught her off guard, a lump forming in Scarlet’s throat. It was hard to tell what her rival was thinking, but the fact that she was finally talking to her again… “You sounded really nice, too.” She said, stupidly, her head too much of a mess to sound elegant. “I’m sorr-”

Vodka suddenly held up a hand, sporting a chagrin expression. “It’s fine, Scarlet. It’s my fault, anyways. I’m sorry.” The two shared a look, Scarlet well aware of the stupid look on her own face. “I guess I’m… I dunno, I’m never good at this sorta thing.”

Scarlet giggled, enjoying Vodka’s bashful look. “I don’t think either of us are, honestly.” 

“I mean it, though. I’m sorry. This all has just been… I’ve been stupid.”

“It’s alright.”

“It really isn’t, Scarlet. I hate it when you put up a happy face, you know that.”

Vodka’s words made Scarlet think back to their first year, to the moment when something similar had happened between them. Vodka had passed their first athletics test while Scarlet had failed to place at all, meaning that the two of them would have been separated into different training classes and be appointed to different trainers. At the time, Scarlet had pretended that she didn’t mind at all, but Vodka had seen through that mask and the entire thing blew up into their first genuine spat, only being resolved after their friends had intervened.

“Those things I said last week, I didn’t mean them.” Vodka’s voice was still hushed, her roommate intensely studying the sidewalk in front of her as her short hair was kicked up by a passing car on the street. “Well, I mean, with the whole thing about going overseas being right for me. I meant that, but the other stuff-”

“No no, I get it.” Scarlet assured her with a smile, waving her hands in front of her to disquiet her rival. “I put you on the spot, anyways. I guess I deserved it for-”

“Scarlet.” The pair kept cutting each other off as they danced around all the reasons why and who was to blame for what, awkwardly talking out their feelings. The bite of the nighttime air caused Scarlet to shiver a bit, rueful that she hadn’t had the mind to grab her jacket on the way out.

Watching as her roommate shrunk back slightly from the cold, Vodka felt her heart seize, a certain lightness in her chest making her act before she could think. In a fluid motion, she ditched her leather jacket and stepped towards Scarlet, paying no mind as the other horsegirl insisted she was fine while Vodka slung her jacket over her shoulders for her to fight off the cold. Standing closer together now, she could feel that welling-up in her chest grow even further, and it was far from the first time that sensation burned within her. Every time it had, though, she had pushed it down, hidden it away and kept it to herself - it was nonsense, foolish even.

But it’s how she felt.

Her cheeks burning with blush, Scarlet’s usually composed and articulate mind raced to find a way to keep herself afloat, all too aware of how close Vodka was standing, her eyes trailing over her rival’s muscular shoulders, left mostly bare beneath her tanktop. She should… Just say it.

“I’ll miss you.”

Scarlet’s words weren’t exactly the ones she had been thinking of in her mind, but she had meant them all the same. Barely audible over the din of cars and the busy sidewalk, the words hung between the two as Vodka’s hand remained on Scarlet’s shoulder, the horsegirls both deathly still. “...I’ll miss you, too. A bunch.”

Scarlet chewed on her lower lip, stealing a glance at Vodka, who had already diverted her gaze away in embarrassment, showing a rare soft side to her. “I won’t pester you as much as Spe does with Suzuka, but…” The pair shared a laugh at that comment, which helped lift the mood slightly. “I’d like to keep in touch, if that’s alright.”

“Of course, yeah.” Vodka admittedly felt awkward with their conversation, a mix of lingering resentments, regrets, and desires swirling within her.

All of that went away, though, the moment that Scarlet stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Vodka, resting her chin on the slightly taller horsegirl’s shoulder.

“I’ll be rooting for you.”

It took a few moments for it to register in her brain, but Vodka eventually returned the embrace, all too aware of how close her rival was to her, and just how nice it made her feel. Heart beating fast, the moment was over all too quickly, and she struggled to recover back to her typical cool persona, too self-conscious about how she was almost certainly looking like an idiot - all while Scarlet looked absolutely lovely.

“We should probably get back inside…” Her rival said, wistfully glancing over her shoulder at the entrance to the karaoke bar, seemingly unaware that one of her hands was still resting on Vodka’s hip.

Why couldn’t that have lasted forever?

“Yeah, good idea.”

Many words left unsaid between the two, the pair of rivals made their way back inside and towards their rented room, both of them sporting goofy smiles and slight blushes.

Glancing over her shoulder as the door to the room opened, Gold Ship raised a hand to greet her two teammates as they returned, having just missed out on the second duet between Special Week and McQueen, the latter having slightly warmed up to being the most popular duet partner for the evening. “Yo.” She said casually, Vodka returning the gesture with a raised hand, Scarlet seemingly too lost in her thoughts to notice.

Coming to sit on the couch beside Gold Ship, Scarlet patted the seat beside her to beckon Vodka to join her, the butch horsegirl playing it cool as she sat down and sipped from her drink. It was only then that Gold Ship took notice of that fact that the auburn-haired horsegirl was wearing her rival’s leather jacket, slung over her shoulders as Scarlet didn’t seem in all too much of a hurry to return it.

Choosing to not ruin the moment, Gold Ship kept her comments to herself as she polished off her third plate of spring rolls, rather pleased with the outcome as Spe and McQueen launched into yet another song together, Scarlet and Vodka idly chatting on the couch.

Chapter Text

“You just walked away,

And I just watched you.

What could I say?”

Sleep was fitful, if not entirely non-existent. One would think that an outing that lasted late into the night, one that the group had even gotten special permission to stay out past curfew for, would have tired Scarlet out enough to collapse into bed at the end of it, but no. She had indeed collapsed, sure, but trying to sleep with her face buried in her pillow was a tall order with the thoughts swirling around her mind.

The small mending herself and Vodka had achieved was a good thing, but still paled in comparison to the other emotions she had felt but hadn’t been brave enough to raise, as well as the matter at hand unfolding early that morning. Try as she might, twisting and turning in bed - even going so far as to employ the most stereotypical tricks to fall asleep - sleep never really came, and her head remained a mess, despite the sheep she counted.

Vodka had refused to let her apologize at all, which she didn’t agree with. Guilt still ate at her about the last few weeks, even if her roommate had insisted that it was alright. Deeper down, buried underneath that turmoil, were yet more emotions that she struggled to admit even to herself, much less say out loud to anyone, and most of all to the one those emotions were about. Scarlet had never dared to show her hand or broach the subject, well-aware of how horribly it could backfire - and yet, she never did anything to stamp out the flames, either. Foolish delusions had played and repeated in her head for well over a year now, the horsegirl having resigned herself to mere what-ifs without ever taking that plunge to tell Vodka about how she felt towards her. It ebbed and flowed, but it always bubbled up whenever she thought too long and too hard about her rival, which was something she had been doing plenty of over the past weeks.

Which is why it made that day so much tougher.

She heard Vodka stir in her bed from across the room, but she didn’t dare lift her head, instead remaining with her back to her roommate while feigning sleep. The goodbyes they had said at the end of their outing had been slightly less heartfelt than when the two of them had stolen away for some fresh air, owing to the presence of the rest of Team Spica. Special Week and even Teio had been in tears, of course, but Scarlet could’ve sworn she had seen even Gold Ship holding back a sniffle when she had gone in for a bone-crushing hug with Vodka. Nice as it was, it didn't leave Scarlet with the room to say things as honestly as she knew she should have.

Listening as Vodka rose and left the room for the showers, Scarlet rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, glancing at the clock to spy that it was half past four in the morning, the outside world still mostly dark. Now alone, she let out a deep, tired sigh, immersing herself in her thoughts, regrets, and ruminations.

All she had to do was say it. But she didn’t. Yet she still felt it. But it would be unfair of her to say it now. So maybe-

Another sigh, Scarlet snapping herself out of those thoughts, struggling to keep them away. The more she pushed them away, the harder they fought back, and the more her mind latched onto the fact that her chance had slipped through her fingers through her own inaction and fault. Ever since she had met Vodka over a year ago, the two had quickly moved from acquaintances to friends in no time, and then made the jump to rivals once their rookie seasons had started up and they ended up in close contention race after race. Yet, off the track and despite their predilection to bicker back and forth, Scarlet had felt her feelings towards Vodka only grow and shift, oftentimes leaving her feeling as if she had made a fool of herself before her rival, or that maybe, just maybe, the feelings that left her chest feeling tight and stomach full of butterflies were shared by Vodka as well.

Resting her eyes, she returned to her most common delusion, head resting on her pillow while her mind raced, obsessing over the details she had always imagined in the fantasy of finally telling her rival of how she truly felt.

This time, though, her mind derailed itself at the end. Instead of what she yearned for, her fantastical confession was met with derision, offence, and scorn, as if her deeper consciousness was trying to, once and for all, stamp out her foolish dream of something more than friendship with her rival - and, in a way, it was coming to pass with Vodka’s departure.

Tears wettened Scarlet’s pillow, and she brought her blanket up to cover her face, curling up in a ball as she revelled in the self-inflicted pain. You were stupid to ever expect anything else.

The quiet opening of the door caused Scarlet to fall still, holding back a sniffle as Vodka returned from her shower. Noises rang out as the other horsegirl shuffled around the room, clearly trying to keep as quiet as possible as to not wake Scarlet. In a mere few minutes, though, her roommate headed for the door one more time, the light of the hallway illuminating the room as she hesitated for a few moments.

It was only when the door closed that Scarlet peeked out from under her covers, finding the room empty. Vodka’s pre-packed bags were gone, her side of the room left barren from having already been packed up and shipped overseas.

Vodka had left.

In a way, that realization didn’t hit Scarlet too hard. It had been building up for weeks within her, but now instead of anything dramatic, a sense of resignation washed over her, once more staring up at the ceiling. Her roommate, her friend - her rival - was gone.

Trying once again in vain to banish her thoughts and get at least a few hours of sleep, Scarlet’s mind wandered - this time, though, it settled on something quite different. Days ago, Special Week had caught up with her at the training track, where Scarlet had been running laps in the rain to try to burn off her inner turmoil following a spat with Vodka in front of the team. There, the kind-hearted countrygirl had tried her best to give Scarlet a heart-to-heart, and for the first time since then, Scarlet’s mind latched onto something Spe had said to her.

“Suzuka told me all about her motivations to run and why the transfer made sense to her, and it really put everything into place for me. So I guess, maybe…”

“Maybe you and Vodka just need to talk, like Suzuka and I did?”

They had talked the night before - but it was clear that neither of them had really said what they wanted to say. Guilt and regret still ate away at Scarlet, and nothing she had tried had made it any better or any easier to handle. 

“Maybe you and Vodka just need to talk.”

Her heart hurt just thinking about it. Her stomach was doing backflips. Her mind was a confusing mix of a whirlwind and yet totally blank. A lump formed in her throat.

But, she got up.

Throwing on her slippers, having to stumble around in the dark to find the second of the pair, Scarlet threw on her long autumn jacket, palming her keys to her - to their - dormroom, hurrying her way outside. No time to think of words or plans or a strategy, she thundered down the stairs to the first floor of the dorms and made for the main exit, stepping out into the chilly early morning air, the path ahead illuminated by the occasional lamppost. Not quite running, the auburn-haired horsegirl hurried along towards the lone carpark on campus, the place where Vodka had off-handedly mentioned she would be departing from while complaining about the early timing of her flight out.

Rounding past a row of hedges, the sight of a parked car near the curb came into view, its trunk raised with a pair of figures standing behind it, lifting some travel bags into the vehicle. Her slippers shuffling along the concrete sidewalk, Scarlet came to stop a dozen yards shy of the car, watching as one of the figures closed the trunk and moved to make their way to one of the rear doors, pausing with their hand reached out when they spotted her.

“Scarlet?”

She put on her best brave face and stepped forward a few steps towards Vodka, glancing over to see Symboli Rudolf about to step inside the car’s passenger seat, Tracen’s president glancing between the two rivals before excusing herself into the car to give them some privacy.

“You forgot something.” She said, her mouth working faster than her mind. Don’t mess this up again.

Vodka patted her jean pockets to check for her personal effects, her brow furrowed in confusion from Scarlet’s comment. “I did? I thought I…” Trailing off, she waited for her rival to enlighten her.

“You forgot to say goodbye.” That sounded so stupid.

Letting out one of her classic chuckles, Vodka awkwardly scratched the back of her head, her tired expression betraying that she hadn’t gotten much sleep, either. “I mean, we said it last night and I didn’t want to wake you up…” She trailed off yet again as she spotted Scarlet’s expression and realized that she was being dumb. Correcting herself by closing the gap between the two of them, Vodka wore a chagrin smile as she spoke. “I guess this is it, then.”

Scarlet nodded. “I’m sorry.”

“Scarlet, I said-” Holding out her hand to try to stop Scarlet, Vodka stopped short as her roommate grabbed hold of her hand with both of her own, forcing Vodka to meet her gaze.

“I said I’m sorry. For everything these last few weeks, months even. I-” She hadn’t rehearsed a thing, instead having her inner emotions speaking for themselves. As messy and haphazard as they were, they were still the truth. “I was wrong, I was selfish, I was a whole host of things - but most of all I was stupid, and me being stupid really messed a lot of things up.”

“Scarlet…”

“I meant it when I told you that I’ll miss you, and that I’ll be rooting for you. I’ll be watching every single race of yours.”

Vodka fell silent, her gaze falling and eyes glancing away, cheeks burning red as Scarlet continued to hold her hand. “I’ll be back one day, you know.”

The words tried to come out before she could stop herself, her years-long longing finally boiling over. “Vodka, I…”

“Don’t make this any harder on us than it has to be, Scarlet.”

Vodka’s words cut her off and cut deep, Scarlet’s bravado faltering as she looked away in shock, her rival able to sense her reaction. Knowing that she had made a misstep with that comment, Vodka grabbed Scarlet’s forearm to stop her from stepping away. “I meant- What I meant to say, was…” Vodka was even worse at this than she was. “I’ll come back, I promise. This path is what’s right for me, I think, and… I’ll miss you a lot, too. More than anyone else.”

Vodka’s words were all Scarlet needed to hear to finally muster up the courage. She didn’t have the words or the phrase or the confession that she had spent daydreaming of over and over again in her head, but what she did have was the resolve to not live with regrets any longer.

And so Scarlet did the stupidest thing she had done in her entire life. 

Leaning forward, slightly on her tiptoes to make up for their height difference, with one of her hands coming to rest on her rival’s shoulder, Scarlet kissed Vodka on the cheek. It was over in an instant, but with it, she had said what she hadn’t ever been able to actually say with her own words.

Vodka’s expression was dumbstruck as Scarlet stepped back, the horsegirl lifting a hand to her cheek to rub where her rival had kissed her. “I’ll be waiting for you.” The auburn-haired girl said quietly, her bravado crumbling slightly as it was replaced with a flustered, overwhelmed and shy girl who had just done the unthinkable. Turning on her heels before her rival could respond, she darted off yet again to save herself from anything else stupid, be they words or tears, and headed back to her - to their - dormroom.

Being left behind, Vodka stood dumbly on the sidewalk, still feeling the sensation of her rival’s lips against her cheek.

Her chest heaving with effort, Scarlet slowed down from her run, gradually coming to a stop at the start-finish line while the rest of Team Spica continued onwards, save for Gold Ship, who had been bringing up the rear. “All good?” She asked, doing her captainly duties and checking in on her teammate who had fallen out of the pack.

Hands on her hips, Scarlet fought for breath as her jelly legs got the break they had been dying for, her mind anywhere but on the track. “Yeah, I didn’t get much sleep last night.” She said, motioning with her head towards the receding group of Team Spica. “I’ll join back up on the next pass.”

Gold Ship didn’t say a thing, but Scarlet took note of her captain’s expression. The normally laid-back and aloof horsegirl sported a certain look of concern for a brief moment before starting back up, surging ahead to catch up with the pack.

Stepping out of the way and towards the fence, Scarlet grabbed her water bottle and took the breather she had needed. Two hours of sleep before having to get up for their Saturday morning training session had left her out of gas, and everything else going on was also stopping her from being focused on her practice. Looking out across the track, with the warm hues of the early morning sun bathing the trees in and soft orange, Scarlet took another sip. 

Beyond the trees, her eyes caught sight of a distant speck in the sky, condensation trailing off behind the airborne object as it headed eastwards to begin its journey across the ocean. She let out a sigh.

Chapter Text

“If only I'd thought of the right words,
I could have held on to your heart.
If only I'd thought of the right words,
I wouldn't be breaking apart all my pictures of you.”


Watching the scene unfolding across the table with a bemused smile, Seiun Sky idly poked at her half-eaten lunch, not particularly hungry anymore. The girl across from her let out a dramatic sigh, obviously playing up her plight as she, too, played with her food rather than eating.

“It'll be alright, Digital.”

“It won't be!” Agnes Digital rebuked Grass Wonder's assurance, collapsing back in her chair, crossing her arms in a pout. “I still can't believe my two oomfs did this…”

Grass Wonder's brow furrowed in confusion. “Your… What?”

Seiun Sky couldn't help but laugh at that, her friend's confused expression absolutely priceless. 

“My oomfs! You know, oomfies!”

All Grass Wonder could do was blink and shake her head in befuddlement, absolutely aghast at Agnes Digital’s mystical language. The horsegirl had joined the two of them for lunch, mostly unprompted - but Seiun knew that Digital was likely looking for gossip, that horsegirl always having her ear to the ground to try and sniff out any new juicy details and leads, particularly around the various sorts of liaisons between Tracen's track stars.

“Ugh, I mean - Vodka and Scarlet…” The pink-haired horsegirl let out yet another dramatic sigh, the normally chipper and excitable Agnes Digital now a shell of her former self - though no less dramatic. “I just, I always thought they would-”

“There there…” Grass Wonder assured her, interjecting so that she couldn't finish her sentence, knowing where it was headed.

“I had even planned out how I was going to congratulate them! I was going to-”

“Digital, I think-”

“No no, I wanna hear this.” Interrupting Grass Wonder's own interruption of Agnes Digital, Seiun Sky goaded the starry-eyed girl on, eager to see where this all would go.

“Well…” Twirling one of her twintails with a finger, the girl cradled her cheek with her other hand, looking dreamily off into the distance. “Once they made it official, I was like, totally going to surprise them with a cake! One that said something like ‘Congrats to Tracen's cutest couple' or something! And then I'd help set them up with a photoshoot, and - oh my gosh and if they ever did a duet after a race together AAAHH!” Digital's outburst turned some heads in the cafeteria towards their table, forcing Grass Wonder to mime an apology as the overexcited horsegirl nearly melted in her chair at the thought, holding the back of her hand to her forehead.

Shaking her head while chuckling, Seiun Sky sighed. “Well, maybe it'll happen one day…”

“Even after all that's happened?” Grass Wonder replied, unable to stop herself from getting in on the gossip, even if she always acted as if she was above it.

“It has to happen! Has to! Those two are like, perfect together.” Slamming her hands on the table, Agnes Digital nearly bounded out of her seat in excitement.

Smirking as she rested her cheek in her hand, Seiun Sky’s gaze drifted across the cafeteria, settling on one of the individuals Digital was fawning over. Seeing her sitting alone at a table, idly picking at her food, her smirk slowly fell.

“And then! And then!” Special Week’s excited voice blared through the laptop speakers, the excited horsegirl regaling Silence Suzuka with all the details about the recent running of the Japan Cup, Spe all too happy to keep her roommate up to date.

“Yes yes, Spe.” Suzuka said with a smile, her eyes drifting from the screen to her dormroom door, which cracked open as her guest for the evening joined her. “I watched the replay the other day, it was quite the race.”

“Yeah! And then the concert after- OHMYGOD VODKA! Hi!” As the tomboy unintentionally wandered into the frame of Suzuka’s videocall, Spe called out to her, causing Vodka to break out in a bemused grin.

“Hi Spe, nice to see ya.” Stepping closer, she leaned forward over Suzuka’s shoulder, holding up a pair of chip bags in her hands for Spe to see. “Check it out, American snacks.”

Special Week’s eyes lit up at the sight, the countrygirl far too easily enticed by the prospect of a new snack to try. “Those look so good! Can you send me some? I’ll send you two some snacks from back home!”

“If you can figure out a way…” Suzuka assured her friend, happily accepting Vodka’s offering of one of the bags as the other girl turned her attention towards the television Suzuka had in her dorm, aiming to pick out a movie for their Saturday night hangout.

“How’re you liking it over there?” Spe continued, nearly two months having lapsed since Vodka’s departure for overseas, the New Year fast approaching.

“It’s pretty cool, honestly.” Vodka mused, her attention briefly stolen away from the streaming service to answer Spe’s question. “I haven’t had much down time to check things out since I’ve been catching up on my training and school, but it’s been cool. I’ve got my first actual race coming up next week, too.”

“I know! I have all the races you two are racing in in my calendar!” Special Week’s energy was seemingly endless. “I even convinced the rest of the team to stay up late and watch your last race live with me, Suzuka!”

Suzuka’s cheeks burned slightly with blush, embarrassed to have so much attention. “It wasn’t that big of a deal…”

“Wrong! You were amazing! I’ll probably try to convince them to watch Vodka’s race, too.”

“Fine by me.” Vodka replied with a shrug, having tossed aside the remote to sit on Suzuka’s bed, her friend turning her laptop so that she could be in frame as well. “How’s everyone doing?”

Spe thought for a moment. “Hmm, good! I don't have any races until next month, so I'm just training a bunch. It’s just the five of us now, so Gold Ship’s been making us plan out how to get some new recruits for next year. Oh! And McQueen and Teio have a big showdown coming up before the holidays, you two should totally watch it!”

“And what has Scarlet been up to, Vodka?” Suzuka raised, her gaze turning from the screen and to Vodka, expecting an answer from her friend as to the only Team Spica member yet to be mentioned.

Vodka, though, was in the middle of opening her bag of chips and sporting a maligned expression. “I dunno.” She shrugged, liberating a chip from its bag and chowing down.

Suzuka’s brows furrowed in confusion, but Special Week spoke up before she could. “Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Have you two not talked-”

“Spe, it’s alright.” With a wave of her hand, Suzuka caught on and tried to steer her friend away from saying something without a second thought. “What’s your next race, again?”

With that, the excitable girl’s mind raced off to the next thought - but for Suzuka, Vodka’s response and chagrin expression lingered in the back of her mind as she tried to wind down the conversation with her roommate. Finally managing to get Spe to drop off the call - only with the promise of another chat the following day - Suzuka closed her laptop and glanced over at Vodka. “Ready?” She asked, sporting a rare smile.

Vodka’s own grin grew as she scooted over to let Suzuka join her on the bed, the tomboy hitting un-pause on the movie she had picked for their movie night together. Even as the movie started, though, Suzuka found her mind drifting back to Vodka’s terse response to her question during the call, unable to stop herself from glancing over at her friend.

Vodka quirked an eyebrow, having caught Suzuka’s glance. “What’s up?”

She momentarily weighed it in her head, before going ahead with it - in a way that had a bit more tact that Special Week would have used. “Did something happen between yourself and Scarlet?”

Vodka’s reaction, a deep blush and stammering excuse, was all Suzuka needed to confirm her suspicions.

Tapping her feet idly, Aston Machan watched as the lone figure on the track made a beeline for the start-finish, the twintailed horsegirl seemingly practicing her sprints. Again and again, she would launch off from one side of the track’s front stretch, going all out as fast as she could, before stumbling to a stop for a brief breather, turning around to get another sprint done in the opposite direction.

From her vantage point, though, it was tough to make out Scarlet’s face. Her auburn hair trailing far behind her as she ran, Machan imagined the determined expression on the girl’s face as she gave it her all, even in practice, leaving behind imprints on the turf with every long stride she made.

Sadly, though, she knew that Scarlet likely wasn’t having a good time. There was an anger in her stride, a frustration. The last two races Scarlet had been in, both low-level open events, Machan had observed and watched Scarlet fail to place in both. In the first, she got off to a late start, seemingly distracted as the gate swung open; and in the second race, Machan observed as Scarlet curiously let up coming out of the final corner. At first there had been worry that she had injured herself, perhaps a pulled muscle, but Scarlet dismissed those concerns during her post-race interview, handwaving the issue and insisting she was fine - though she offered no explanation for her sudden easing up.

Since then, Machan had been left at first dumbfounded, then concerned. A lightbulb had gone off in her head when she had been ruminating over it while in bed a few nights previous, and the realization was a bit of an ‘a-ha’ moment that quickly turned sour.

Scarlet was missing Vodka.

Everyone at Tracen knew about those two. Every genuine fan of the sport knew about those two. Whether it was the fact that their race histories were nearly identical; that they were often in dead heats in those races; or that they were rarely ever apart whether on the track or off - Scarlet and Vodka had been a fixture of campus life at Tracen, one of those things one would always expect to see. Mascots, even. How aspirational.

Of course, things were different now. Although she wasn’t terribly close with either of them, owing to running in different circles and being in different classes, Machan’s paths had crossed with them both enough times to have at least some sort of rapport. She had even run against Scarlet and Vodka thrice that season, and was queued to race a fourth time with Scarlet before the holidays. Even with how often the pair were at odds with one another, it was clear that Tracen’s strongest rivalry was something that spurred both participants forward, chasing after their dreams and goals side by side, their careers inextricably linked.

Zipping up her winter jacket fully, Machan rose and began to make her way down the bleachers, still watching as Scarlet completed another set of her sprints. Snow had yet to fall, but it was chilly enough to leave condensation in the air with every heavy breath the horsegirl took, the winter season fast approaching.

When Scarlet finally spotted her, the pair exchanged a friendly wave, Machan glad to see her competitor sporting a smile, no matter how slight. Then, she was off again, peeling away down the straight to keep herself going, seemingly unfazed by the cold.

Machan watched her go. Try as she might, she wasn’t able to suppress that lingering concern within her. She was all too familiar with what Scarlet was thinking. The worries, the anxieties, the inability to even know where to begin to resolve the issue at hand.

It wasn’t pity, far from it. Machan was acquainted with the fear that she could tell Scarlet herself was currently wrestling with. Vodka had left Tracen for overseas to seek out a new path in her career, leaving Scarlet behind - it had been the talk of the campus for weeks, and Scarlet’s poor performances since had only thrown kerosene on that fire.

Scarlet had lost her rival, her very motivation to run. It was as if she had been cast adrift and left to find her way forward on her own. 

Scarlet was afraid that Vodka had forgotten about her. 

The keen horsegirl’s eyes narrowed as she walked away from the practice track, Machan’s hands stuffed into her jacket pockets to stave off the cold as an epiphany struck her.

Well, not if she could help it.

Bouncing on her toes, Vodka tried to bleed off the extra energy within her that was begging to be unleashed. She always got the jitters ahead of a race, usually when the trumpets sounded and the gate was wheeled out for the racers to line up in. It wasn't a bad thing, typically. It meant she was hungry to win. A nervous energy was a good thing to be able to tap into.

This time was a little different, though.

Racing was as much a mental sport as it was a physical one. Athletes that came back from injuries were often hesitant to get back to pushing themselves as much as they had been before. A bad day could string itself along into throwing a competitor off their game during a race. There was a good reason why Tracen employed not only nurses and doctors and kinesiologists, but therapists and sports psychologists as well, and why trainers played such a pivotal role in the development and career of their trainee.

Vodka had been through her ups and downs, both physically and emotionally. The first half of her sophomore season had been turbulent, to say the least, and it had only been through a drastic change in scenery and regular visits with a psychologist at Tracen’s sister academy in the United States that she had shook the proverbial devil off of her back.

Or so she had thought.

An unease crept into her mind, and she struggled to keep herself focused on the task at hand as her competitors were guided into their gates to await the race start. Although she had overcome the mental slump she had been in with her running, one thing still persisted and continued to rear its ugly head before every race of hers.

Was she watching?

The time zones made it difficult. Vodka had stayed up until two in the morning to watch Scarlet run in the Shuka Sho, and had just about fallen asleep in class the day following because of it.

A hand on her shoulder snapped her out of it, if only momentarily, and a track worker gave her a small nudge forward to prompt Vodka to step into her gate, the metal enclosure hemming her in. Only moments remained.

Her tail flicking furiously from side to side, she felt those thoughts creeping back up again. There was no time for that. It was time to focus, to win.

But was she watching?

Vodka's cheeks burned with blush as she thought back to the last time she had seen her rival months prior, the auburn-haired girl having wished her well, having promised to watch all of her races, having put her hands on her shoulders and…

She had been stupid to not say anything then. Now, the distance between them made it that much harder. The months-old memory of Scarlet's shy smile and teary eyes played in her head.

‘I'll be waiting for you.’

The roar of the crowd rang in her ears as Vodka’s focus finally returned, the horsegirl giving it all one final thought.

Wait for me just a little longer.

The buzzer went off, and the gates flung open. Vodka surged forward.

Chapter Text

“The distance is quite simply much too far for me to row,

It seems farther than ever before.

I need you so much closer.”

Vodka’s and Suzuka’s weekly movie nights had slowly morphed over the months, from being focused on the movies and having a night to relax, to being something more akin to talk therapy. Well, to be more accurate, it was more like Vodka complaining and embarrassing herself in front of her stoic and seemingly put-together friend, Suzuka’s calm yet inquisitive personality always somehow managing to cause Vodka to make a fool of herself, even with the red-headed horsegirl insisting that it was alright.

Staring up at the ceiling, Vodka let out a sigh, enjoying how the hard carpeted floor was helping stretch out her back. Suzuka was scarily good at this - she always managed to totally disarm her despite Vodka’s best efforts to be cool and non-plussed - and so, over the past few weeks, Vodka had essentially laid herself bare before her friend, first about her troubles adjusting to racing in the United States, and now…

“I just- I never know what to say to her when we talk.” Vodka admitted, a hand scrounging around to find her bag of chips, liberating a few to snack on.

“What do you talk about?” Suzuka inquired from her position on her bed, having crossed her legs underneath herself as she idly ran a brush through her tail.

“I dunno, racing and school mostly.” Vodka continued, rummaging through her memories to recall the last video chat herself and Scarlet had. “Every time I try to bring it up,I just… Can’t. And she hasn’t brought it up either.”

‘It’ was something that Suzuka had somehow managed to pry out of her during one of their previous movie nights, that being what had happened between Vodka and Scarlet the morning that Vodka had departed. Vodka had never been more embarrassed in her life - Suzuka grilling her on it had been even more embarrassing than the actual event herself. The way Suzuka’s brows had shot up in surprise, followed by a smile that was far too excited and giddy had caused Vodka to be seriously uncool in response, burying her face in her hands as her friend began to ply her with questions.

Suzuka remained thoughtful for a few moments before responding. “Do you think it’s because you don’t know how you feel about it, much less what you would say to her?”

She’s going to make an amazing therapist one day.

Once again, Suzuka had punched right through Vodka’s cool exterior with a pointed and hard-hitting question. “Ugh, I mean… I know how I feel about it, I guess. It’s just a different thing entirely to say it to her.”

“So what would you want to say?”

Vodka faltered, buying herself some time by pushing off the ground to sit up as she glanced at Suzuka. “I… Don’t know.” With that, a sense of frustration washed over her, causing her body to feel flush as she thought of Scarlet’s show of affection on the morning she left. “Agh! It’s so damn frustrating! Why would she do that?!” Vodka cried out dramatically, suddenly rising to her feet with her hands on her head, gritting her teeth. 

Suzuka had to hold back a giggle at her friend’s reaction, watching as Vodka stamped her feet and lightly slapped herself on the cheeks to vent. It was serious, what Vodka was feeling, but she couldn’t help but find a bit of humour in the entire situation. Of course Vodka and Scarlet would end up like this. Of course.

“Why don’t we try something, Vodka.” She said, patting a spot on the bed beside her to beckon her friend to join her. “Why don’t you pretend that I’m Scarlet, and you can practice talking to me about it?”

Vodka’s eyes bulged at the suggestion, aghast at such a thing. She had already been making an utter and total fool of herself already - something such as that was a step too far. “No way!” She replied, crossing her arms even as Suzuka smiled politely up at her.

“Why not?”

“Because! I…” vodka struggled to find a good reason, one that the serious Suzuka would accept as valid. “I…”

“Come and sit.”

Her ears pressed flat against her skull in a show of embarrassment, Vodka sulked her way over to the bed and sat down in a heap, her posture poor. “I don’t know where I would even start…”

“That’s alright. Perhaps try saying something like ‘Scarlet, I wish to talk about that night.’”

Letting out a sigh, Vodka spoke through clenched teeth. “S-Scarlet, I- Agh!” Flopping onto her back on the bed, the tomboy hid her face as she heard Suzuka giggle beside her.

“Well, it’s a start.”

“I stuttered! That was so uncool!”

“Sit up, Vodka. Try again.” 

Begrudgingly sitting back up, Vodka glanced at her friend before trying again, pushing down her embarrassment. “Scarlet, I… Wanna talk about that night.”

Suzuka didn’t say a thing, instead smiling at Vodka and giving her a single nod.

Even though it wasn’t her, the entire situation made it nearly impossible for Vodka to find the words, the girl having to take a few moments to start again. “...I… Haven’t stopped thinking about it.” Her voice hushed, she kept her eyes fixed firmly on the floor, absolutely dying on the inside. “I’ve missed you a bunch since then, and…”

As Vodka trailed off, Suzuka reached out to rub her shoulder reassuringly. “Wasn’t that bad, was it?”

It felt like it was. “I guess not…” Suzuka was still staring at her, waiting for her to continue. “...I just hate feeling like this. I never used to have issues trying to talk with her.”

“It’s only natural, given your feelings.” Suzuka explained. “Once you had that realization, it’s almost as if you don’t want to mess things up, correct?”

“Yeah.”

A silence hovered between the two girls for a moment before Suzuka spoke up. “Why do you run, Vodka?”

The question hung in the air as Vodka blinked a few times. “I... Run because I want to win.”

“Do you? Why?”

Vodka chewed her lip as Suzuka continued to press her. “I dunno, I race because I want to win, because I want to be cool. I grew up watching all of these girls just… Winning and looking cool. I wanted to be like they were. In my eyes, there was nothing better than winning.”

“So how does Scarlet fit into that?”

That was a question Vodka hadn’t been expecting. “Wh-What? What does she have to do with this?”

Suzuka bore a rare expression of exasperation. “You two are rivals, Vodka. How does Scarlet fit into why you run?”

“I…” Vodka began to think back. The two of them had been assigned as roommates back during their first year at Tracen, and by happenstance both herself and Scarlet ran the same distance races, ending up being assigned to the same trainer and the same team. From their very first race during their freshman tests, they had declared one another as rivals, vowing to defeat the other and to never go easy. In the months and now years that followed, the two of them had repeatedly gone head-to-head on the track, and rarely did Vodka ever give any other racer the same level of attention that she gave to Scarlet. The times she had surged past the auburn-haired pace runner on the final stretch were the most exhilarating of her career, and the times that she was left floundering as Scarlet pulled away towards the finish were her toughest moments.

And yet, in those latter moments, she couldn’t help but see the same things she saw when she watched her favourite runners growing up. The practiced fluidity that Scarlet ran with. Her confident strides and endless stamina to push herself to - and beyond - her limits. Her rival’s flawless celebrations and perfect interviews following the race. The way she carried herself as she lifted her trophies and accepted her pennants. 

Scarlet was the coolest racer Vodka had ever seen.

The pieces began to fall into place in her mind, thanks to Suzuka’s gentle prodding and tough questions. Scarlet’s infuriating confidence and naturally perfect abilities had driven Vodka to push herself harder, push herself further to be as great as she could be - after all, if she could defeat Scarlet, the best racer on the circuit, wouldn’t that make Vodka even cooler? As these realizations hit her, though, the final piece finally flashed into Vodka’s mind, one that made her visibly wilt. 

Why had she run away from Scarlet?

A hand coming to rest on her shoulder roused her out of her trance, Suzuka having sensed that Vodka was starting to spiral. “It’s alright, Vodka.” She reassured her friend, rubbing her back in support. 

“I think I get it now.”

“You do?”

Vodka nodded. There was a responsibility here, one that fell upon her for her to undertake. The very thought of doing so, though, was terrifying, and the realization she had arrived at still weighed on her mind. “I don’t think I’d be what I am today without Scarlet.” She admitted, finally beginning to arrive at what she had been denying to herself all along. “But, I… Ran away.”

“Hm.” Suzuka didn’t pass judgement, but she made sure to voice her agreement with her friend’s conclusion. 

Beyond that, too, there was something else. Something much more tangible and real, rather than any of this esoteric bullshit she had been wrestling with, and it played a part in why she had been so uncertain of any of it, and possibly why she had run.

“Suzuka, do you like girls?”

Vodka had never seen the calm and collected Silence Suzuka ever freeze the way she did as when she had asked her that question. “I…” Suzuka’s reaction to when Vodka had told her about Scarlet’s kiss and her own feelings towards her rival had ensured that she knew that her friend was at the very least okay with it - but she needed to be more direct to make the point she was getting to now. “I-I, uhm, I don’t know?”

Suzuka not knowing something? Another first. “I’m not asking ya to tell me about your crushes or anything.” Vodka joked with a smirk to lighten the mood, playfully bumping her fist against her friend’s arm. “But it’s alright if you don’t - it’s just sorta connected to what I’m trying to get at.”

Staying silent, Suzuka waited for her to continue. “Have you noticed how different things are here? In America, I mean. And not just the tracks and races, or even the food. I mean like…” Snapping her fingers a few times, the tomboy searched for the words she was needing. “The vibes, right? Things are both weirdly laid-back compared to what Tracen is like, but also much more cutthroat.”

Suzuka nodded. “I’ve noticed, yes. Dirt racing is much more, uhm…”

“Violent?”

“Yeah…”

In Japan, the races were clean. Sure, the runners would jockey for position here and there, but the style of the sport was much more focused around tactical awareness and seizing the moment. Knowing what your opponents would do and going out of your way to prevent that, or to put yourself in such a position that you could hold on. Chess-like, almost, even for a runner with a more rough-and-tumble style like Vodka had.

Both Vodka and Suzuka were forced to have rude awakenings when they had arrived overseas, the two of them having chatted plenty about it. At Vodka’s first race, unlike the typical friendly well-wishes and lighthearted banter while the racers lined up at the gate, she had quickly come to understand how different racing culture was in America amongst the runners. Shittalking was the norm during warm-ups and the call to the gate, even if her English skills still weren’t the strongest. During that first race, too, Vodka had been on the receiving end of more elbows, bodyblocks, and grabs than she had ever experienced in her entire career combined up to that point.

Even with the bruises suffered, though, Vodka had never felt more at home while running than she had been in America - but also on the Academy’s grounds.

“I got bullied a lot, growing up.” Vodka revealed to her friend, her tone serious. “When I cut my hair to this length back in middle school, started wearing jackets and jeans and stuff, you should’ve heard what they were calling me.” She offered up a chuckle to try to reassure Suzuka about it, who was sporting a concerned look.

“I’m sorry…”

“It’s fine, I’m used to it. But…” Vodka’s mind raced as she tried to connect the points she was making. “I guess part of it is that I dunno how to handle it back home, you know? I’m not saying here is perfect, either, but like, I’ve been able to be myself, right?”

“No no, I get it.” Suzuka agreed, well aware of how things could play out. Even at a place as forward thinking and inclusive as Tracen, there were still quite some difficulties with rumours and assumptions about certain things and certain runners, and the public-facing aspect of the sport only made things tougher.

“Yeah…” Vodka’s point fizzled off slightly, even if Suzuka had understood it. Being gay had always been a burden to her, something she had to hide - and, if called out, something she had to withstand amongst the jokes, assumptions, and hurtful words. “So it makes all these things a lot more complicated on my end, I guess. Not just worrying about Scarlet, but worrying about everyone else. And worrying about how people would treat her.”

Suzuka chewed her bottom lip, trying to find tactful words. “Vodka? If I may…”

Vodka nodded, giving her friend a small smile to urge her on.

“I think what I’m hearing here, is… A lot of reasons. Good reasons, yes, but, uhm-” Vodka had never heard Suzuka so hesitant before, as if she was in the process of putting together her thoughts as she spoke. The redhead sighed.

“Isn’t simply being yourself the coolest thing you could be?”

Suzuka’s epiphany hit Vodka hard, her eyes widening. She had said ‘reasons’, but Vodka knew that was her trying to subtly imply ‘excuses’. She had run from Scarlet for a long list of reasons. Her insecurities around her sub-par racing in the face of Scarlet’s continued success. How she always compared herself to her rival. Her anxieties around coming out, and how she worried about Scarlet’s reaction to it.

Of course, that last one had already been thrown on its head.

Rubbing her face with her hands, the realizations from the tough conversation with Suzuka rattled around in her head as she sighed. “I should talk with her.”

“You truly should.” Suzuka affirmed, seemingly relieved that she hadn’t misstepped with her opinion. “Would you like to watch that movie now?” 

Vodka thought for a moment. She doubted she would be able to focus on the movie at all, honestly, but maybe she could use the time to think some more.

“Yeah, sure.”

Picking up the bag of chips from the floor, she sat back down on the bed as Suzuka busied herself with setting up her television and picking something for them to watch. Wisely, she avoided picking a romantic movie for that evening.

Chapter Text

New Year’s had come and gone, and with it the racing season. The Arima Kinen had barely snuck in a few days before the first real snowfall of the winter, and the festivities in the weeks that followed had closed the page on the circuit for the year. Although there were still a few months left in the school term, racing was done for the most part, with Tracen falling more quiet than in the warmer months.

Even with her mittens on, Scarlet’s hands were clenched in response to the cold as she made her way along one of the paths leading from the dormitories to the main buildings of the academy. The weeks off around the holiday season had finally drawn to a close, and so she found herself heading for class on a cold, bright January morning, her mind very much not focused on school. 

With the arrival of a new year, her mind had been stuck in rumination and analysis of the year now passed. A slow start to her sophomore season on the track had gradually picked up, and she had packed away multiple G1 and G2 victories in that stretch, the elusive Triple Tiara just barely slipping through her fingers at the October Shuka Sho, Scarlet falling short of the title by a mere few lengths. Still, she had collected an impressive number of pennants that now hung proudly on the wall of Team Spica’s clubroom, and a handful of replica trophies made good decoration for her dormroom.

Her dormroom.

She had been spending as little time as possible there for the last few months. Even with the trophies, knicknacks, and visits from friends and classmates, her dormroom was far too quiet and depressing for her to want to do much beyond sleep in it. Even then, she often spent long nights staring across the room at the empty bed, a collection of motorcycle and motorsports posters standing watch on the corkboard on the far wall.

Vodka’s absence hadn’t gotten any easier. Though they kept in touch through texts and the infrequent videocall, Scarlet’s close to the year had been rough. She only truly felt like herself when she was on the track, but now with the colder weather and her hate for both the weightroom and pool, she found herself frequently unable to find ways to clear her mind in the way that running would.

It wasn’t all bad, of course. The rest of Team Spica had seemingly gone out of their way to spend more time with her, and thinking back to the team’s shenanigans on New Year’s Eve brought a smile to her lips as she walked. Thankfully, Gold Ship had put on her usual charms and talked the group’s way out of any sort of punishment.

Off in the distance, Scarlet caught sight of a new constant in her life. With a wave, Aston Machan beckoned towards her as she closed the gap between them. “Good morning, Scarlet.”

Scarlet offered up her own wave and smiled at her friend. “Hi, Machan. How was your time off?”

“Fantastic.” The horsegirl replied, sporting a warm smile. “I’m happy to talk all about it over breakfast!”

Neither girl wanting to spend any more time in the cold than was needed, the pair slipped inside, Scarlet’s wandering mind having been stayed for the time being.

“...and then we went to the local shrine in the morning!” Special Week exclaimed between mouthfuls of her breakfast, the starry-eyed horsegirl far too eager to relate the stories of her holidays spent at home back north. “It’s not as big as the one we usually go to near here, but it’s the one I always went to as a kid! So I have a lot of special memories of it.”

“What did ya wish for?” Asked Seiun Sky, the seafoam-haired horsegirl having managed to drag herself out of bed to join her friends for breakfast.

Special Week giggled. “Well, I wished for everyone to be healthy this year…” Blushing in embarrassment, Spe wilted as the rest of the breakfast group melted at her kindness, a collective ‘aww’ ringing out as she panicked. “W-What about you guys! You’ve gotta tell me now that I said what mine was!”

Grass Wonder spoke up first. “Well, it’s similar to yours, Spe. I wished for the rest of my recovery to go smoothly and to get back to running in the spring.” Her hand absentmindedly rubbing her thigh, Grass Wonder’s mind wandered back to how the bulk of her sophomore season had been beset by a bad leg injury that had left her sidelined for more than half of it, the long-distance runner spending many evenings at the academy’s physiotherapist. She was still on the mend, but had graduated from using a cane to get around and was making good progress in her therapy.

“You’ll be back to normal in no time with two wishes on your side, then.” Seiun teased, elbowing her friend lightly in the shoulder. “I went with wishing to land my biggest catch yet, personally.”

Grass uncharacteristically rolled her eyes, Seiun Sky being one of the only people to ever make her break her typical demurity. “One day you’ll tell us what that means…”

Lounging back in her chair with her hands behind her head, Seiun glanced to her left. “How about you two?” She asked of Machan and Scarlet, the other girls having mostly been listening in to the group’s chatter so far.

“Hmm, well…” Machan began, breaking out into a wide smile. “If I told you, it might not come true.”

“D’aww, come on Machan!” Spe exclaimed, her feet tapping the floor beneath her in impatience. “It’s not fair if we all told ours!”

“Sorry…” Smiling, Machan shrugged as her mind wandered to what it was that she was planning. For something as important as it, the less people that knew, the better. “But it’s something big and important, that’s all I’ll say.”

“How about you, Scarlet?” Grass inquired of the last of the group, smiling at her friend.

Scarlet’s mind had been dragged back to things she hadn’t been wanting to think about. It wasn’t any of their faults, of course. It was on her. “Hm, I didn’t wish for anything in particular this year.” Liar.

“Really?” Special Week asked, her head tilting quizzically. “I’m sure you had something in mind!”

Scarlet shrunk back in her chair as her mind latched onto the one thing she cared about. It wasn’t for her to win races. It wasn’t a wish for a big event or a hard-fought victory, or even something as pleasant as wishing others well. It was something selfish entirely, moreso than a wish should be.

She wanted to see Vodka again. She wanted her to come back.

“I-I didn’t really wish for anything.” Scarlet lied, the tone of her voice clearly betraying her as she poked at her bowl of yogurt. Putting on her best brave face as her emotions began to overwhelm her, she suddenly began to tidy up her tray of breakfast before standing, slinging her bag over her shoulder. She had to go. “But I’m sure all of your wishes will come true.”

With that, Scarlet turned away from her table of friends, leaving them behind in silence as they watched her go, her head bowed. “Man…” Seiun said with a sigh.

“I wish we could do something more for her.” Spe said. Even she had picked up on how her teammate had been having a rough few months, but she was frequently left unsure of how to help.

Seeing how her friends’ moods were taking a dip, Machan took a deep breath. “I think my wish could help with that…” The attention of the group turned towards her, causing her to falter a little. “B-But only if you promise to not tell anyone else. Well, except maybe Suzuka.”

“Suzuka?!” Special Week exclaimed loudly, launching out of her seat and slamming her hands on the table, the sound causing a few heads in the cafeteria to turn towards their table. “Sorry, sorry…” She said shyly, shrinking back into her seat.

“What is it that you have in mind?” Grass Wonder asked, gently caressing Spe’s shoulder to make her feel better. 

“Well, it won’t happen for a few more months until the season starts, but…” Lowering her voice, Machan couldn’t help but smile as the other girls leaned in to get the scoop on her big plan to cheer Scarlet up for good.

Trudging her way upstairs, Scarlet unwound the bulky scarf from around her neck, the warmth of the dorm compared to the cold outside sending a shiver up her spine. The first day of the new semester had gone mostly well, but the one thing she didn’t want to be thinking about continued to linger in her mind. It didn’t help that Vodka’s seat continued to sit empty beside her in homeroom, always there to mark an empty void.

Reaching her door, Scarlet slipped her key in the lock and stepped inside, flipping on the light before she ditched her bag at her desk. Thankfully, it being the first day back meant that there was no homework to take care of, which left her plenty of time to…

Looking around the quiet room, Scarlet sighed. Her eyes settled not on her trophies, but rather on Vodka’s side of the room, which had laid undisturbed for the last few months ever since her departure. Slowly, her gaze came to lock onto one object in particular - a black leather jacket dangling off the back of Vodka’s desk chair. Her rival had, in her haste to leave, seemingly forgotten to pack her favourite jacket, but confusingly turned down any offers to have it shipped overseas to her. ‘Save the money’ she had claimed.

Unable to help herself, Scarlet’s hand reached out to trace over the cold leather, before she made the move to pick up the article. Shuffling over to her bed, the horsegirl collapsed into it and curled up into a ball, bringing Vodka’s jacket in close to cuddle it. Every time she had done this, she made sure to set the jacket back in the same place Vodka had left it, even if she hadn’t been back for months.

Her mind continued to wander. With her sole purpose being on-pause for the next few months until the warm weather returned, there was little standing between her and the endless turmoil that overthinking always brought her.

Even then, running had seemingly lost its luster. Sure, she continued to win and it helped take her mind off things, but Scarlet couldn’t help but feel a certain hollowness to the whole process at the end of a training session or after a race. Almost always, Vodka had been there beside her at either venture, whether it was her rival offering up a water after their cooldown laps at practice, or her shooting Scarlet her signature grin and thumbs-up that she always congratulated her with. Without her there, none of it felt the same.

Her loss at the Shuka Sho back in October had been crushing. Team Spica had done their best to cheer her up, Gold Ship dragging them all out for dinner after to try to lift Scarlet’s spirits - but all the same, she ended her day back in her dormroom, alone.

The worst part about it was that she knew Vodka had been watching the race, too. Her rival had sent her a few texts after, but Scarlet hadn't been able to find the fortitude to answer. 

Her desire to run wasn’t gone. Every day she felt the urge within her, the restlessness in her legs to get out there and leave everything behind while she gave it her all out on the track - but there was another side to her running that had taken a serious hit. Scarlet didn’t run for fun or out of a desire within her. When she had applied to Tracen Academy, she had written up a lengthy essay detailing the reasons why she wanted to be at Tracen, centered around why she ran. In that essay, she had penned her desires and had settled on what was, in retrospect, an admittedly shallow reason.

She wanted to be number one.

To her younger self, that had sounded like the ultimate goal, and clearly it had been good enough to ensure her enrollment. But now, over three years on from that? Scarlet wasn’t so sure.

She had some quality G1 wins under her belt, and plenty of G2 and G3 trophies, too. Her contention for the Triple Tiara in her sophomore season had been widely advertised, and even though she came up short in the end, she still ended up ranked as the number 1 mile-distance runner of her cohort for the season. She was number 1, at least nominally - so why did it all feel so empty?

Like always, her thoughts drifted back to the reason for all of her internal strife. Her hands tightly clenching the leather jacket, Scarlet let out a long sigh, closing her eyes tight to banish the tears welling up within. She didn’t want to be the number one runner.

She wanted to be Vodka’s number one.

The way her rival always drove her to train more, to run faster, to give it her all was a better motivator than any esoteric reason she could invent. How Vodka always made sure to give her a clap on the shoulder before they entered the gate, and how - no matter the result - she always gave Scarlet a thumbs-up after their races. For all the times the two of them had bickered and fought and swore to defeat one another - it was unthinkable now, then, for all of that to be totally absent from her life.

Her love of running wasn’t gone, but her reason to run was.

Flipping onto her back, Scarlet murmured to herself - something she was increasingly doing these days, now that she lived alone. “I’m such a-”

Suddenly, her phone blared loudly from her bag, buzzing and ringing inside it as the girl scrambled to her feet. Snatching it out of her bag, the bright screen showed that she was getting a videocall from none other than her rival, the horsegirl wholly caught off guard by the unplanned call. Hurriedly fixing her frazzled hair, Scarlet sat back down on her bed and cleared her throat before answering,

“Hello.”

“Yo.”

Vodka’s face popped up on her screen, the horsegirl sitting at her desk with her chin cradled in a hand. Soft light washed over her from her desk lamp, the rest of the room dark, owing to the time she was calling.

“Isn’t it midnight there?”

“Hm, yeah I guess it is.” She said nonchalantly, glancing aside to confirm the time. “About a good time as ever to get ahold of ya.”

Holding back on the urge to chastise her rival like she tended to, Scarlet smiled. “Well, it’s nice to hear from you. What did you need?”

Vodka shrugged. “Nothing, just wanted to chat…” Her eyes focused in on her screen, seemingly studying Scarlet through their call. “Hey, is that…?”

Her eyes bulged. Shit. In her haste to answer the call, Scarlet had forgotten about the presence of Vodka’s jacket on her bed, clearly in frame as she held her phone. Panicking, she slammed her phone face-down on the bed and tossed Vodka’s jacket away, the item landing on the opposite bed before she picked her phone back up. “S-Sorry! Dropped my phone, you know how clumsy I can be…”

That was a lie, and Vodka knew it. Out of the two of them, she was the clumsy one - but she didn’t pry. “How was the first day back?” She asked Scarlet, changing subjects to help her rival save some face.

Laying back against her pillows, Scarlet hummed. “Hm, it went alright. Nothing too noteworthy.”

“Ah, that’s good.” Their chats had gone like this for a while. Idle chit-chat without much substance, with plenty of awkward silence. The distance between them made it difficult.

“Spe says ‘hi’, by the way.” Scarlet said, breaking out in a smile. “She asked me to tell you that every time we talk.”

Vodka laughed, the sound of her voice helping Scarlet settle down a little more. “Oh, I’m sure… Did I tell you that she texts me ‘good morning’ every single day?”

“I’d expect nothing less of her.” Sharing a laugh, the two former roommates began to settle into their conversation, Vodka guiding them along. Even as they talked, though, Scarlet could tell that there was something sort of off. Vodka’s gaze frequently broke away from the screen to something behind her laptop, and the tomboy often had false starts to sentences, as if she was nervous about something. Just as Scarlet was about to speak up about it, though, Vodka did it herself.

“Hey, um, Scarlet.”

“Yes?”

Glancing away from the screen again, Vodka drew in a deep breath. Scarlet suddenly felt a nervousness creep into her.

“I-I wanna talk about that night. Y’know…” Nervously rubbing her upper arm with a hand, Vodka looked as pale as a ghost, even through the screen. “I-I’ve been thinking about it a lot since then.”

Scarlet nodded dumbly, her ears having pressed themselves flat against her skull in response to the tension. She couldn’t bring herself to speak.

“I’ve… Missed you a bunch since then, and…” Finally looking back at the screen, Vodka took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t give ya a response then.”

“It’s alright.” Scarlet said abruptly, the gears in her head moving far too slowly. Her mouth had gone dry, and it felt as if her heart was about to leap out of her chest. “I sort of surprised you with it I guess, heh…” Twirling one of her twintails around her finger, she felt the heat rising to her cheeks.

“I mean, yeah.” Vodka said with a certain levity to her voice, the two rivals sharing a small smile at that. “But, um, I really should’ve said something. Or at least soon after.”

“It’s alright Vodka, you don’t have to-”

“Scarlet, please.” It was clear that it was taking everything Vodka had to get through this. “Like I said, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since then. You’ve been on my mind a lot. Every day.”

Scarlet nodded. “Same here…”

“You know I watched you run in the Shuka Sho a few months back.” Vodka suddenly switched topics, Scarlet cringing at the memory of her second-place finish. “And, um, I thought you did amazing. It made me realize something.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. You looked just… so cool. You were amazing, and…” Vodka’s line of thought trailed off, the horsegirl clearly floundering to say what she wanted to say. Suddenly, she sighed, burying her face in her hands. “Sorry, I’m dumb and bad at this.”

“I think we both are…” Scarlet agreed, which served to get a rise out of her roommate.

“You’re not supposed to agree with me! You’re supposed to say it’s alright and that I sound cool!” Vodka cried, sporting her trademark grin as Scarlet giggled in response.

“Sorry, sorry… You sounded very cool there, Vodka.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever…” Was her rival’s response, waving her off with a hand. “I guess what I’m trying to get at, is like, I dunno. I guess I just want you to know that I haven’t forgotten about you. O-Or that night.”

“Thank you, Vodka…” Scarlet said, struggling to find the words on her end. “Honestly, I’ve just been, ugh…”

“Yeah…”

The two fell into a silence at that, neither of them sure where to take things next. Scarlet felt something bubble up within her - she couldn’t let their conversation end without some sort of assurance. “I meant it when I said it, Vodka. I’ll wait for you.”

Vodka, to her relief, nodded. “I know. I… I’ve been thinking about that.” Scarlet waited for her to continue, her heart in her throat. “I’ll be running my junior year here, Scarlet. I’ve got my sights set on a few races.”

Scarlet visibly deflated at that. She knew it was coming. Vodka had been impressing everyone with how well she had transitioned into dirt running, and she hadn’t left Japan for no reason, after all. She had goals. This was her attempt at letting Scarlet down easy.

“But-”

She perked up at that, eyes focusing back on her phone screen.

“Just my junior year. I’ll be back in Japan to run my senior year at home. Our senior year.”

Scarlet felt a rush of emotions and words come to her, but in the end, she could only muster one. “Really?”

Vodka nodded. “I’ve already got it all plotted out. My trainer here helped me put together a race schedule from now until next December. Then, after that, I’ll be coming back. A-And, um…”

“And we can race together again?”

A grin formed on her rival's lips. “Yeah, race. Sure.”

Letting out a sigh she didn’t know she was holding in, Scarlet knew that she was looking rather stupid in front of her rival - in front of her crush - at that moment. But the good news made it impossible to not act like that. It would still be a year, yes, but…

“Don’t keep me waiting then, alright?” She said, trying to recover.

“I’ll run as fast as I can.”

Scarlet smiled, genuinely for the first time in perhaps weeks. “What will you be running, then? You said you planned it all out already.”

Vodka yawned, the late hour clearly starting to catch up to her. “What else? It’s the Triple Crown, baby.” With a cheeky grin, her rival shot finger guns at her through the screen. “I have my sights set on the Kentucky Derby, though. It’s the coolest race out there, right?”

She had to laugh at that comment, Vodka being oh so predictable. “Will you be wearing one of those silly hats for it?”

“Oh fuck no.” The two of them laughed together, as if a weight had been lifted off of both of their chests. “Are you kidding me? I’d rather perform karaoke with you again before I do that!”

Scarlet’s cheeks hurt from smiling. “Of course, of course…” She said, waving her hand before collecting herself, her tone turning serious. “I’m sure you’ll achieve all of that and more.”

“Getting sappy on me now that I finally replied?” Vodka couldn’t stop herself from teasing, her rival making it far too easy to enjoy getting her riled up.

“Hey now!”

“Sorry, sorry…”

With a smile, Scarlet put a plug in things before Vodka could mess with her further. “I think you should be heading to bed now.”

With a yawn, Vodka shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah probably. I’ve got a race at the end of the week, I need to get my sleep schedule back in order before then.”

“Don’t let me keep you, then. I’ll be seeing yo-”

“Scarlet, hey.” Stopping her before she could end the call, Vodka leaned in closer to her laptop. “You didn’t say what your goal was this year, you know.”

She thought back to her conversation at breakfast that morning, and the non-committal answer she gave to her friends. Scarlet recalled Grass’s worried expression, and Spe’s crestfallen look. She needed to do better. “I… I’ve been thinking about the Arima Kinen this year. And the Spring Tenno Sho, too.”

Vodka whistled through the screen. “Those two, huh? Sounds like you’re switching to long runs, huh?”

“Says the idiot that’s running dirt now.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Neither of them could keep up the act beyond that, though, sharing yet another laugh at their teasing. “I honestly haven’t planned much, yet. It’ll be a few months before racing picks up again over here.”

Vodka nodded sagely. “Well, whatever it is you pick, I’ll be watching.”

“You should get to bed.”

“Yeah…”

“I’ll… Talk to you soon, alright?”

Vodka nodded, offering up a wave as she reached to end the call. “Be seeing ya, Scarlet.”

The call hung up suddenly, and Scarlet was left staring at her phone screen. The words she had been itching to say had refused to escape her lips before Vodka had hung up, those three little words left unsaid to her.

She said them anyways, aloud, to the empty dormroom.

Chapter Text

“If I don’t let myself be happy now, then when?

If not now, when?”

The warmth of the late-spring sun washed over Scarlet’s face as she stood alone, head tilted up as she breathed deeply. In, then out. In, then out. The nervous twitching of her tail slowly came to cease as her mind cleared. The sound of the crowd on the far side of the Kyoto Racecourse turned into static, then it, too, faded away. 

Three months of preparations had led her to this point - the Spring Tenno Sho. Sixteen furlongs in length, twice as long as her usual races. Weeks spent refining her strategies and working on her stamina to be able to hang with the best of the best Japan had to offer. Going into the season, she had sent ripples through the sport with her shock entry into a number of Grade-1 long-distance races, breaking away from her strengths on mile-long courses to focus on some of the most prestigious events on the circuit. The Tenno Sho was only the first of them, and her result here would set the tone for the rest of her third-year season.

A hand on her shoulder prompted Scarlet to step forwards towards the gate, her chin held high as the metal enclosure herded her in. She was intimately aware of every breath she took, every heartbeat that coursed through her body. Her mind was clear.

It was all up to her now. The training, the studying, the strategizing had all passed, and all that mattered was how she performed. She closed out last season dismally, hardly able to put one foot in front of the other without crumbling, her mind having been far too clouded to let her run at her full ability. Now, she had some closure, some certainty. 

She rocketed out as the buzzer sounded and the gates flung open, the thunder of hooves filling her ears as she broke to the front of the pack, setting the pace for her opponents to follow.

Daiwa Scarlet could run freely.

Stepping towards the metal railing, Vodka’s hands came to grip it for support, clenching tight as her eyes focused in on the sight across the track. Her expression deathly serious, she caught sight of a familiar auburn-haired girl breaking for the front, long twintails trailing behind her. Vodka’s heart leapt into her throat.

The roar of the crowd grew as the pack quickly entered the first right-hand curve of the race, the bulk of them clustered up behind Daiwa Scarlet, who had stretched out ahead early to set the pace.

“You’ve got this.” She whispered aloud, inaudible beneath the excitement of the other spectators. To Vodka’s right, another figure approached the railing, looking out beyond the crowd to take in the sight as the race got underway.

“Is she front running now?” Silence Suzuka asked, her eyes not daring to glance away.

“No. You’ll see.” Vodka said, intimately familiar with the strategy her rival was running. She could forgive Suzuka for thinking such a thing, though, given the filly’s own strengths on the track.

As the group rounded past the corner and began to make their way up the front straight for the first pass, Vodka’s mind flashed forward to what Scarlet surely had in mind. A quick start to set a fast pace, before falling back to conserve energy. Jockey behind the true frontrunners as they burn out, then surge ahead while keeping any late-comers at bay. Scarlet hadn’t told her a single thing about her plans for the Tenno Sho, but Vodka knew. Vodka knew her all too well.

All too many times had she seen it unfold, and Scarlet’s classic strategy was going to prove even more potent during the Tenno Sho than during their typical mile distance runs. Scarlet’s greatest strength was her deadly mix of high stamina and incredible speed, meaning that she was nigh impossible to out-run. If she got ahead of you and you had even the slightest sensation of fatigue, it was already too late.

Vodka’s head turned as she followed along the pack, watching as Scarlet began to carry out the next step of her strategy. Her placard - number 9 - fell down the digital signage from first to second, then fourth, and finally sixth, finding herself just behind the leading third of the pack.

“Dammit.”

Hearing Suzuka curse, no matter how tepid, always brought a smile to Vodka’s lips. “You’ll see.” She repeated again to reassure her friend.

The two of them had barely arrived in time. Their plane from Los Angeles had been delayed for multiple hours, and had then taken a wide route to avoid bad weather towards the end. What had been planned to get herself and Suzuka to Kyoto in time had nearly missed the mark, but they had made it.

Suddenly, to her left, a third figure joined the fray, her arms stuffed full with confectionary snacks. “Here!” Aston Machan exclaimed, the mastermind behind it all offering up a soft drink to each of the girls, along with some snacks. “The caffeine should help.” With a wink, the horsegirl turned to watch the race as well, a wide smile on her lips.

It was all thanks to Machan that any of this had materialized. She had pulled the strings to arrange Suzuka and Vodka being excused for a week from their training and schooling in America to come back home for a visit - one that just so happened to coincide with both the Spring Tenno Sho and one of Tracen’s festivals in Tokyo. Machan, though, had refused to reveal just how she managed to stack the deck in such a way as to get all the sign-offs needed for it, though Vodka was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Machan was a mystery to her at times.

At first, she had been confused about the insistence of both Machan and Suzuka for them to return home, but the pieces soon began to fall into place in her mind upon Suzuka’s less-than-subtle inquiries around Vodka’s plans during her visit, particularly about a certain rival of hers. She knew that she was being set-up, especially when she had been sworn to secrecy around her visit - she agreed with that, though. The last thing Scarlet needed was to be distracted before her race.

Onto the backstretch now, Vodka watched and took a long draw from her free soda. Honestly, though, it was a miracle not only that Suzuka and herself had made it in time, but even moreso that she was still standing, given the length of the flight and the brutal timezone difference. She was going to need more than one of those drinks to get through the day - and perhaps something stronger, too.

Scarlet held fast near the front, biding her time to strike. Watching through one of the large screens, Vodka focused in on her rival as she was setting herself up to make her move, the auburn-haired horsegirl running near the outside to make sure she could get around the pack. 

Then, as the front-runners rounded halfway through the final corner, it happened.

The loud calls of the announcer rang out through the course’s speakers, narrating the race as the competitors entered the last stretch. “Rounding the final corner and onto the front! The leader-” Only for the colour commentator to suddenly interject.

“Outside! Outside!”

Vodka grinned. “And Daiwa Scarlet has broken through! Daiwa Scarlet has found a second wind and surged back to the front!”

The plastic cup of soda crumpled in Vodka’s hand as she clenched her fist, the tension within her mounting as her rival made her move for the win. Beside her, she heard Suzuka gasp.

“Two hundred meters to go! Daiwa Scarlet and Super Creek are in a dead heat!”

“Come on.” Vodka grit her teeth, barely able to breathe. “Come on.”

A roar erupted through the crowd as the finish line was crossed, and Vodka’s head snapped to the display board on the inside of the track. Seconds passed without a result, the slower racers trailing in - then, from the bottom of the board, the final results were posted, starting from last. LEDs flashed as numbers popped up, but Vodka’s eyes stayed focused solely on the #1 position at the top of the board. Fifth, then fourth, then third lit up. A brief hesitation, then-

1 - #9       

            > Neck

2 - #4 

Vodka had to steady herself on the railing, the breath she had been holding in forcing its way out of her as the crowd around erupted in cheers. Daiwa Scarlet had won the Spring Tenno Sho by a neck.

Beside her, Suzuka showed an uncharacteristic amount of jubilation, clapping her hands together and bouncing in place. To her left, Aston Machan sported a wide grin, nudging Vodka in the side. “You should go congratulate her.”

She’s way too invested in this. Vodka thought, unable to hide her own smile. Stepping back from the railing, she tossed her crumbled drink into a nearby trashcan and took off - but instead of heading for the winner’s circle to watch the trophy ceremony, the tomboy slipped back into the superstructure of the stands, having somewhere else entirely in mind to catch up with her victorious rival.

Leaning against the wall, Vodka tried to soothe her racing mind by snacking on one of the candies Machan had given her a short while ago. Try as she might, though, she was panicking.

She had weeks to plan things out. She spent nearly the entire flight back to Japan thinking about it, rehearsing in her head what to say and how to say it and how to look cool and what she would do if-

Vodka groaned, her mind racing away from her again. Settle down, panicking is so uncool. You’re not uncool.

Loitering outside of the door to Scarlet’s assigned dressing room, Vodka knew that her rival would be returning any moment. With what she had in mind, she didn’t want to do any of it in front of a crowd - something that Suzuka had agreed with when Vodka had shared her plans with her. Ever since that conversation with her friend-turned-therapist and then the subsequent soft confession she made over videocall, Vodka had been running herself in circles trying to figure out how to go about all of it. She was more sure in her feelings than ever before, yes, but she didn’t want to mess things up. As cool as she portrayed herself to be, deep down, Vodka truly knew just how insecure and anxious she was.

Spotting a blur out of the corner of her eye, Vodka, tried to settle into what she had planned. She was there, only a few dozen yards away now. Here we go.

Scarlet hadn’t realized she was there, at least not right away. Focused on her conversation with Aston Machan - that girl ever the wingman - the Tenno Sho winner cradled her newest trophy in her hands as she rounded the corner that led to the changerooms, smiling widely as she took a few steps beyond where Machan had stopped herself. For as collected and perfect as she liked to portray herself, though, all Daiwa Scarlet could muster was a mere “Huh?” when her gaze focused on who stood in front of her, nonchalantly standing beside the door to her room.

“Yo.”

Time seemed to freeze as Vodka greeted her rival, the duo standing a distance apart as the tomboy pushed off the wall, sporting her signature grin. Scarlet felt the world contract around her, standing shock-still as if she had seen a ghost.

“Nice trophy you’ve got.” Leaning hard into her cool, unassuming persona, Vodka took a few steps towards the girl of her dreams, as if she was wholly nonplussed by seeing her for the first time in half a year. “Did a pretty good job out there, I’d say.” Reaching out, she rubbed a thumb along the contours of the metal trophy as if admiring it, trying to push things as far as she could to tease her rival just a bit more.

The two stood quietly for a few moments, Vodka’s gaze flicking to meet Scarlet’s. Goddesses, she’s pretty. “You almost-GAH!”

Before Vodka could continue her wholly unfair teasing, Scarlet had wrapped her up in a bone-crushing hug, arms latching around her rival’s back as she pulled in her tight. “Ew ew ew! You’re sweaty!” Vodka cried, karma instantly getting the better of her.

All Scarlet could do was stutter as she pulled back. “I-I… You’re…”

Vodka grimaced, hoping that she hadn’t made a mistake. “...Surprise? GAH! STOP!” With that, she was pulled back into an even tighter hug than before, her rival seemingly disbelieving that Vodka was even standing before her. The two hugged for moments longer, and Vodka spied a gaggle of girls peeking at them from around the corner - Aston Machan and her lazy, wide smile; Seiun Sky giving her a thumbs-up; and Grass Wonder, who was using a hand to gag Agnes Digital to prevent her from crying out in glee to ruin the moment. Suzuka’s and Special Week’s absence was notable.

Pulling back once again, Vodka hurried to take Scarlet’s trophy from her, her rival quickly growing weepy upon their reunion. “Scarlet, hey, it’s alright.”

“I know, I know, I just…” Tears rolled down her cheek, and she wiped them away with the sleeve of her racing silks, trying to calm herself down. “I-I feel like I’m dreaming. First that-” she explained, gesturing to the trophy. “A-And now you…”

Unable to help herself, Vodka reached out to playfully pinch Scarlet’s cheek. “Am I really that dreamy?” She teased, her well-thought-out plans having already been derailed, leaving her to have to improvise.

“Shut up, you moron.” Scarlet said while giggling, unable to make herself get truly mad at her roommate.

“Y-You did amazing out there, you know.” Vodka tried to compliment her rival, struggling with her words now that she was forced to be sincere. “Daiwa Scarlet, Spring Tenno Sho Winner. Heh.” She said aloud, reading the inscription etched into the front base of the trophy.

“Thanks.” Scarlet replied, both girls slightly unsure of where to take things next. Now faced with one another after all that had happened between them, both seemed to struggle with maintaining their usual fronts - Scarlet’s haughty demeanour and Vodka’s own cool personality faltering. “It’s, um, really nice to see you again, but I need to, um…”

“Right, yeah, your concert.” Vodka said awkwardly, handing the trophy back to her. “I’ll see you after it, alright?”

Scarlet nodded, her eyes red from the amount of tears she had shed in the last thirty minutes. “I’ll see you after.”

None of it had gone according to plan. All of the things she had wanted to say to Scarlet, how she wanted to go about all of it, it all got thrown out the window the second Scarlet had hugged her and began to cry. Honestly, she should’ve expected that. But there was still one thing she could do.

And so, Vodka did the coolest thing she had done in her entire life.

Stepping forward, brushing her long hair out of the way before placing a hand on her rival’s shoulder, Vodka kissed Scarlet on the cheek. It was fleeting, her lips lingering for only a few moments before pulling away, and Vodka followed up with one thing she had planned out. “Dinner tonight, yeah?”

Scarlet’s eyes were wide as Vodka stepped past her, the Tenno Sho winner unable to articulate the words to respond beyond a stuttering “Y-Yeah!” In an instant, she lunged forward to slam open the door to her changeroom, stumbling inside to try and collect herself.

Vodka bore a smirk as she approached the gaggle of onlookers, bemused by the sight of Agnes Digital now being restrained by both Grass Wonder and Seiun Sky at once. “Peak! It’s peak!” The megafan exclaimed, absolutely beside herself with joy.

“Yeah yeah, pack it up. We’ve got a concert to go watch.” Vodka said, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head with a hand.

With the other two dragging Digital off, Vodka reached out to grasp Aston Machan’s forearm, catching her mid-step. “Hey, Machan.”

“Hm?” Machan’s aloof smile caused Vodka to smile genuinely as well, shaking her head slightly as she spoke honestly. 

“Thanks for helping out. I appreciate it.”

Machan patted her on the back. “Don’t mention it, Vodka. I just want to see my friends happy.”

With that, the two of them started off together towards the post-race concert, Daiwa Scarlet soon to be center stage yet again.

Chapter Text

“You realize the sun doesn’t go down,

It’s just an illusion caused by the world spinning ‘round.”

That dinner had never materialized, in the end. Vodka had promptly passed out during the train ride back to Tokyo, and she had to practically be carried back to her old dormroom by both Gold Ship and Scarlet, the tomboy collapsing in her bed before proceeding to sleep for the next thirteen hours straight. Upon waking the next day, well after lunch, she had also managed to instantly piss off Scarlet by getting her hands on an energy drink, her roommate scolding her much like a mother would, which Vodka was all too happy to point out.

“Don’t call me that!” Scarlet had protested, playing keep-away with the freshly opened drink as Vodka tried in vain to snatch it back.

“What? Don’t like being called Mo-”

“Shut up, you idiot!” 

Vodka’s teasing had paid off, Scarlet’s rage causing her guard to drop and give her rival the opening she needed to snatch her energy drink back, Vodka bringing it to her lips for a healthy swig as she used her other arm to box Scarlet out.

That energy drink had worked wonders, though. She wouldn’t claim to be fully adjusted to the timezone change after a single sleep, but she also no longer felt like a walking corpse as Vodka and the rest of Team Spica meandered their way towards the main grounds of Tracen’s season-opening festival. Although it had been nearly two months since the first races of the year, the festival was held in late April to coincide with the Spring Tenno Sho, arguably the first ‘big’ event of the season.

The group walking together, Vodka stole a glance at her roommate, who was presently engaged in a chat with both Teio and McQueen. She felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of Scarlet being even more dressed up than usual for the occasion, the auburn-haired horsegirl wearing something reminiscent of her racing silks - a blue turtleneck sweater and long white skirt, her hair done-up in its usual twintails with that girly tiara of hers resting atop her head.

“Something catch your eye?” A deep voice whispered in her ear, snapping Vodka out of her revelry for her rival.

Using an elbow to nudge Gold Ship away, the tomboy frowned. “Shut it.” She said in protest, her team captain’s grin all too confident. 

“You’re as subtle as when Spe is eyeing up McQueen’s desserts.” Gold Ship continued her teasing, her eyes flicking over to where Special Week and Silence Suzuka were walking ahead of them, Spe having latched her arm around her best friend. “Or Suzuka.”

Vodka guffawed at that, having already noted the fondness Spe had been displaying for the redhead since their reunion the day before. “Yeah yeah, whatever…” She tried to play it off as Gold Ship slung an arm around her shoulder, giving her a small shake.

“I’m just happy to have you two back, even for only the week.” Gold Ship continued, showing a rare sincere side of herself. “Clubroom’s been mighty quiet lately without you, you know. We’re still working on nabbing some new recruits.”

Vodka smirked, knowing Gold Ship well enough to know that she meant the literal meaning of the word ‘nab’. “I’ll be back at the end of the year.”

“Mhm, Scarlet told us.”

“Really?”

Another laugh from the taller girl. “Of course! You're all she talks about lately, honestly. ‘Vodka this’ and ‘Vodka that’. She’s worse than Spe at times.”

It was a rare occurrence that Vodka was left blushing, genuinely surprised that her rival seemed so keen on talking about her with the others.

“Mind you,” Gold Ship continued, wagging a finger. “She dresses it up as if she’s frustrated with you, but…” Gold Ship winked at her, causing Vodka to roll her eyes.

“Whatever.” Pushing Gold Ship away again, Vodka tried to divest herself from the captain’s less than subtle teasing, the elder statesman of Team Spica mercifully having her attention distracted by Special Week calling her over to join her at a game tent.

“Such a waste of money.” Another voice filled her ear from behind, Scarlet approaching Vodka and watching on as the trio of Spe, Suzuka, and Golshi forked over some cash to take a shot at throwing some foam balls at stacked plastic bottles. 

“Do you ever do anything for fun?” Vodka poked back, daring her rival to take the bait - and as always, she did.

“Wasting money on frivolous scams is not fun, thank you very much.”

“You just say that because you’re bad at them.”

“Am not! They’re all rigged.”

In an act of divine intervention, the pair watched as Gold Ship wound up her throw like that of a baseball pitcher, the Tracen Academy student operating the game taking a step back as her eyes bulged in fear. With an audible ripping of the air, Golshi’s pitch struck the exact spot it needed to near the bottom of the bottle pyramid, sending the entire construct clattering to the floor.

“See?”

“Gold Ship’s freak of nature, that doesn’t count.” Scarlet instantly protested, refusing to allow herself to be proven wrong. All Vodka could do was laugh.

“Hey you guys!” Teio called out from a few yards away, waving above her head as she was in the process of dragging the protesting Mejiro McQueen away by the arm. “We’re gonna go grab some food! Don’t wait up!” With that, the two of them disappeared into the crowd, McQueen’s yelps quickly drowned out by the noise.

Their attention turning back to the rest of the group, Scarlet and Vodka watched as the trio approached, Special Week gleefully grasping the small stuffed animal that Gold Ship had won with her athletics, having gifted it to her teammate. “That was awesome! Let’s go play something else!” She said, earning a wide smile from her demure rival.

“Well, I was thinking that we could perhaps have some dinner first…” Suzuka replied, letting Spe down softly.

“Oh! Great idea! What’re you two gonna do?” Turning to Vodka and Scarlet, Spe’s bright eyes shone up at the two taller girls, her attitude infectious. 

Vodka shrugged. “Whatever Miss Tenno Sho Winner wants to do, I guess.”

“Don’t call me that.” 

“Whatever it is, I hope you two have fun on your date!” Before either Vodka or Scarlet could react, though, Spe had grabbed hold of Suzuka’s arm again and raced off with her, Gold Ship following behind - but not without winking at her two teammates, shooting them a peace sign with her fingers.

The two rivals stood awkwardly for a few moments, Spe’s choice of words having frozen them in place. Stealing a glance at Scarlet, Vodka spotted a deep blush on the horsegirl’s cheeks, well aware that she was sporting the same. Coughing into a hand, she tried to recover. “So, uh, where to?”

Twirling one of her twintails around a finger like she always did when she was nervous, Scarlet’s eyes flicked to meet Vodka’s gaze before glancing away. Cute. “L-Let’s just walk around, see what we can find.”

For how confident Scarlet usually was, Vodka knew just how shy her roommate could get in the face of something romantic - thankfully, she knew how to handle her. All she needed was a little push. With a confident smile, Vodka looped one of her arms through Scarlet’s own to keep her by her side. “Big crowds, right? Wouldn’t want to get separated.”

That time, Scarlet wasn’t able to dive into a changeroom to hide her panic - all she could do was blush. “R-Right. Shall we be off?” 

Vodka noted how her rival came to grasp her arm with both hands, drawing her closer as they began to walk through the festival crowds together.

It took a bit of haggling to convince Scarlet to participate in the various game booths that had been set up. Thankfully, all Vodka needed was to boast that Scarlet was surely too afraid to go up against her, since she would undoubtedly lose - and with that, Scarlet ended up joining in with gusto, their rivalry temporarily reignited.

Vodka watched with a displeased glare as Scarlet threw yet another plastic ring towards the collection of bottles, the object landing successfully as her rival went three-for-three, much unlike how her own rings had all bounced off and clattered onto the ground. “All luck.” She grumbled as Scarlet cheered, all too happy to rub it in her foe’s face. “Miss Sore Winner.”

“That’s Miss Tenno Sho Winner to you~” Scarlet replied with a lilt to her tone, laughing in Vodka’s face.

“Oh, so now it’s okay to call you that?”

“Hey, excuse me!” From within the booth, the horsegirl manning the game called out to Scarlet, Hishi Amazon brashly interjecting between the warring rivals. “You’ve gotta pick a prize, you know!” The Okinawan’s annoyance was palpable, the girl having clearly been stuck with filling in to help out with the booths rather than getting to enjoy the festival herself.

Scarlet brought a finger to her lips as she thought, scanning the table of prizes. Stuffed plushies, random knickknacks, some cheap toys - but one thing in particular caught her attention. “Could I have that, please?” She asked, pointing towards a small object, no larger than a person’s palm.

Amazon guffawed, the dorm leader picking out one of the good luck amulets that Scarlet asked for, a mischievous smirk on her lips as she handed it over to the victor.

Turning towards Vodka with a confident smile without glancing at her prize, Scarlet held it out with a hand, seemingly pleased with herself in getting one over on her rival. “Here, since you’ll need all the help you can get to win the next game!”

Vodka turned the charm over in her hands, studying it - enshrouded in red fabric that was inscribed in gold with a prayer, she came to realize that the omamori was one that harboured far more than a simple ‘good luck’ message like most other charms. In an instant, her cheeks flushed red. “You idiot! What do you think you’re doing, huh!?”

Scarlet’s facade crumbled, her expression instantly turning from smug to concerned as her rival shouted at her. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“Read it!” Vodka shouted, holding the object up in front of her roommate’s face. In a second, Scarlet had taken in the actual inscription that was on the good luck charm - that of a prayer for a long-lasting, healthy relationship.

Snatching the item from Vodka’s hand, Scarlet whipped around to try and save face by returning it, but by then Hishi Amazon had already turned to her next eager customer, pretending to not hear Scarlet’s demands for a new prize despite being merely a few feet away. Shaking her head in disbelief, Vodka nearly laughed at how absurd the entire thing was. Amazon knew what she was doing. She’s probably still upset that Scarlet had beat her soundly last season.

Her protests falling upon deaf ears, Scarlet had no choice but to rejoin her roommate, thoroughly embarrassed and ashamed as she approached. “Let’s go get food or something…” She said glumly, unable to look Vodka in the eye. Seeing her like that made Vodka’s heart do that funny thing again, a lightness in her chest growing as she studied the other girl’s looks, unable to stop herself from taking note of how adorable she could be.

Choosing to let Scarlet off the hook for at least a little while, not wanting to pile on too much, Vodka simply shot her a grin, motioning for her to follow.

Taking a sip of the bottled water, Vodka’s nose upturned slightly at the boring taste. “You’re so lame.” She remarked to the girl sitting beside her, Scarlet busying herself with unpacking her box of bento she had purchased from one of the food stalls. 

“I’m looking out for your health because you won’t.” She remarked pointedly, having snatched a canned energy drink out of Vodka’s grasp and replaced it with a plain bottle of water merely a few minutes previous. “Eat up before it gets cold.”

Having found a somewhat quiet spot off the main path of the festival, Scarlet and Vodka had opted to sit on a bench underneath a tree to have their dinner together away from the crowds - with Scarlet footing the bill, of course.

“You know,” Vodka said through a mouthful of sticky rice, digging into her food. “Over in the States, I actually am careful with what I eat.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“I am!” Rudely pointing at her rival with her chopsticks, Vodka continued. “You should see some of the portion sizes they serve over there, it’s absurd.”

Scarlet shook her head in bemused disbelief, knowing all too well about her roommate’s love for all foods unhealthy. “It’s merely the energy drinks I don’t like you having.” She explained, glancing over at Vodka. It took all the resolve she had to not falter at the sight of her rival silhouetted by the setting sun, Vodka looking unbelievably handsome without any effort. She’s so… “I-I couldn’t care less if you gorge yourself on junk food.”

“Hmm.” Vodka hummed, unaware of how she was being leered at with how focused she was on her food. “I’ll send you some of my favs when I get back, then you’ll understand.” Shooting Scarlet a sincere smile, she went back to eating.

The pair fell quiet for a handful of minutes as they ate, and Vodka found her mind racing to find a way to fill the dead air. “That Tenno Sho run really was amazing.” She said, mostly without thinking. She always got so stupid around her these days.

Scarlet smiled, clearly embarrassed by having the topic brought up. “I suppose so… I’m glad it worked out.” Downplaying her accomplishment, she shrugged.

“I-I mean it! The way you fooled everyone by setting the pace, then that big sprint at the end to win it all!” Thinking back to the day before, Vodka found herself grinning, unwilling to let her rival be so reserved about her win. “Hell, you were what - tenth favourite? Eleventh?”

“Twelfth, actually.”

“Exactly!” Nudging Scarlet on the shoulder with her forearm, she goaded her on. “They had no clue who they were up against. Super cool.” Watching as Scarlet broke out in a bashful smile and slight blush, Vodka’s butterflies from before returned.

“You’ve been doing almost the same over there.” Scarlet replied, turning the tables on her rival to try to take some heat off of herself. “New type of track, new opponents, new country - but you’re already ranking near the top.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever…” Waving her hand, Vodka tried to play it cool in the face of being complimented by her rival. “Rankings don’t matter too much over there, it’s all about points.”

“Really?”

“Mhm! You see, Japan’s circuits rely a lot on either fan votes, or invitations from the league officials based on ranks. America uses points systems, where you get points based on how you place.”

“Is that why your schedule has been so packed?” Scarlet asked.

“Yeah! I’ve pretty much got enough points now to snag an invite to the Derby, we’re just waiting for official word and all that.”

Watching Vodka gush about her running in America, realization began to dawn on Scarlet. It had been tough, all of it. How things between the two of them unfolded and all of the stupid things she had done and said. The way the both of them had struggled to talk things out, then that selfish move she pulled just as Vodka had left.

It was only then that she began to realize just how important running in America was for Vodka.

“I guess it’s only a few weeks away now…” Picking at her food, Vodka’s mood suddenly turned sour, her previous energy replaced by a certain nervousness.

“And you’ll win!” Scarlet suddenly interjected, causing her roommate to jump slightly.

“Huh?”

Having spoken without thinking, Scarlet continued. “You’ll win! You’ll win the Derby! Here, I, um…” Oh Goddesses, this is stupid. Reaching into the purse she had been carrying around, Scarlet snatched a small red object out of it and turned back to her rival, holding the lucky amulet out with both hands as an offering. “Th-This will help you win, I’m sure of it.”

Eyeing the omamori again, Vodka hesitantly reached out to grasp it once more, her thumb trailing over the prayer written on the little bag holding the charm. “Are you…?”

Scarlet had glanced away and was twirling one of her twintails again. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and, um, especially after yesterday…” She let out a nervous laugh. “I-I’ve been having a lot of feelings, heh.” Normally verbose and well put-together, she was wilting in the face of what she was trying to explain, almost at a loss for words.

The butterflies were now in full force within Vodka, the tomboy turning where she sat to face her rival more fully, still holding the charm. 

“You’re just… Amazing, right? Whenever I see you run, it makes me want to run, too. Run even harder, even faster.” Trying to string her thoughts together, Scarlet continued. “And off the track, too. How you always know what to say, even if it’s super annoying.” 

Vodka laughed. “I dunno about that…”

“You do! And, like, since you’ve been gone…” Scarlet sighed, knowing that she was being selfish. “I just haven’t really felt like myself - but now that you’re back, I do feel like myself again. I-I dunno, sorry…”

Vodka hesitated for a moment, before reaching out to softly touch Scarlet on the shoulder. “Hey, I should be the one apologizing, y’know. I didn’t handle things right.”

“There’s been a lot of talk these last few months. About me, I mean. Rumours.”

Vodka paused, tilting her head at that revelation. “Really?”

“Yeah. Ones about my racing and my switch to long-distance, then stuff about you and me. Plus everything in the media, too. So many opinions.” Scarlet sighed, looking off into the distance before continuing. “But, honestly, none of those opinions really matter to me.

“Why not?”

“Because the only opinion that matters to me is yours.”

Vodka felt her mouth go dry at that, Scarlet glancing at her from out of the corner of her eye, visibly feeling down. “Stupid stuff, I know.” The auburn-haired girl said, putting herself down yet again.

“Hardly.” Scooting closer, Vodka kept her hand on her rival’s shoulder, her other hand still clenching the charm. “Plus you've already proved them wrong at the Tenno Sho, right?” That caused Scarlet to smile. “They counted you out before you even ran, and you kicked ass! You were so, just, so damn cool. And that concert after, are you kidding me?”

Scarlet waved a hand to try to brush the compliments off, Vodka acting more like a hype-man than a rival. “It wasn’t anything-”

“You’re so cool, Scarlet. Everything you do, every time you run and perform, and just…” Trailing off, it was Vodka’s turn to struggle with her words. “I-I’m really enjoying racing over there, but…”

“It’s alright, Vodka.”

“I promised to you that I’d come back for our final year, and I meant it. I miss running against you. I miss you.”

Scarlet’s eyes finally met Vodka’s upon hearing those words, the recent Tenno Sho winner sniffling slightly as a smile emerged on her lips. “We’re such a mess, aren’t we?”

Vodka chuckled, shaking her head slowly. “I guess we are, yeah.” Taking a deep breath, she steeled her nerves. “Will you forgive me for running away like I did?”

“Only if you forgive me for pushing you away.” Was Scarlet’s response, her heart racing as she felt an overwhelming urge begin to build within her, the rest of the world far, far away in that moment.

After all that time, Vodka knew that it was her moment. Craning forward, she reached out with her hand that cradled the omamori to gently turn Scarlet’s chin towards her. Unlike before, she had a different target.

Scarlet drew in a shaky breath as their lips separated from one another’s moments later, and she brought a hand up to touch her own. “I…”

“I forgive you.” Vodka said with a cheeky grin, unable to stop herself from blushing.

“I love you.” Scarlet replied, earnestly but also in correction of what her rival had just said. Those three words, finally said aloud, struck Vodka hard and caused her gaze to falter, it taking a moment for her to reply.

“I-I love you, too.”

With that, it was Scarlet’s turn to initiate, and the auburn-haired horsegirl leaned forward to enjoy another kiss, this one lingering slightly longer than before. As they pulled apart again, Vodka slipped her arm around her rival’s waist, bringing her in closer so they could sit together side by side.

“Now, about that dinner I owe ya…” Vodka said, her entire body buzzing with excitement, but somehow still finding a way to tease her rival.

Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Tomorrow night?”

“It’s a date!” With a wink, she leaned in to peck Scarlet on the cheek, her rival’s blushing somehow growing even deeper. 

Leaning back to rest against the bench, Vodka had to do her best to keep herself cool and collected at just how close Scarlet was now, her roommate having grabbed hold of her hand, cuddling in. From her position, she was able to see the wide smile that she wore on her lips, Vodka’s heart fluttering from how pretty Scarlet looked in the evening sunset.

Gently running her thumb along the inscription on the omamori, her mind dwelled on the fact that she was having to leave at the end of the week to return overseas, half a world away from her. Banishing that thought, she resolved to not let it ruin her mood for the evening, but to also address it with Scarlet at some point before her departure - she was through with being ‘a mess’, as Scarlet had put it.

Besides, it wouldn’t be forever.

Chapter Text

“You can change,

Baby you can change and still choose me.

Like a sailor in a big green boat.

Like a sailor in a big green coat.

You can be free,

You can be free,

Just come home, please.”

Eyes wearily opening, Scarlet took in the first rays of sunlight of the day, which peeked through a crack in the blinds of her dormroom. The night before had been a long one, and not only thanks to the outing Team Spica had put together ahead of Vodka’s and Suzuka’s departure back overseas. Her right arm numb, her eyes settled on the sleeping visage of the girl laying beside her in bed, Vodka’s hair having fallen across her face as she slept.

As much as she wished to not have to, Scarlet reached out with her free hand to brush the hair away, rousing her rival from her slumber. “Mmh…” Vodka let out, squinting her eyes tighter as she cuddled in, her arms squeezing around Scarlet in protest.

“You’ve got places to be.” She softly chided, unable to suppress a smile at her girlfriend’s reaction. A funny term, that was. She was still getting used to using it. “Don’t want to miss your flight, right?”

Vodka’s response was to crack open her eyes, her brown irises peering up at Scarlet as her cheek rested on her chest. “The flight was delayed last time…” She protested, her voice layered with tiredness thanks to how late the two of them had stayed up the night before. At least she could sleep on the flight back.

“That’s no excuse.” Scarlet said, once more stepping into the role of being the responsible one.

A long, exaggerated sigh made Scarlet smile, and Vodka finally pushed herself up to a sitting position, setting Scarlet’s arm free. She flexed and massaged her hand as it tingled, sensation slowly bleeding back into it.

Running her fingers through her hair, Vodka glanced around the room, her eyes settling on the nearby water bottle on the nightstand. Grabbing it, she clumsily stood up and arched her back to stretch, well aware of the pair of eyes on her nude body. “Enjoy it while ya can~” She teased, her voice strained as she finished her stretch. To further make her point, Vodka flicked her tail back and forth, nearly smacking Scarlet in the face with it as she glanced over her shoulder.

“Idiot.”

“You weren’t saying that last night~”

“Oh my god shut up.” Mortified, Scarlet hastily grabbed a pillow from behind her, throwing it overhead to smack Vodka in the back before collapsing back into bed. 

A glance at the clock revealed it was barely past seven in the morning. “I’m gonna go shower.” Vodka said, having picked up some discarded clothes from the night before - save for her t-shirt, which Scarlet was wearing - to don them for the walk to the bathroom. “Won’t be long.”

Watching her go, Scarlet sat up to slowly wake herself up as well, immediately reaching for the brush she left beside her bed to tame her unruly bedhead. As she brushed, her mind drifted back to the night previous, the memories of the outing with their friends fresh in her mind. Mercifully, Teio hadn’t gotten her way with yet another karaoke night to embarrass Scarlet and Vodka again, and instead the group - Team Spica, plus Machan, Seiun Sky, and Grass Wonder - had opted for teppenyaki, Gold Ship having liberated their Trainer’s credit card for the occasion. 

There, the group had enjoyed a fun night out as a farewell to both Vodka and Suzuka for the rest of the year. Although Vodka had done her damnedest to make a fool out of the two of them by being all too happy to tell their friends all of the details in order to tease Scarlet, she had a great night, and the outing was far less morose than what had happened the last time.

Of course, that was also due in part thanks to the time the two of them had spent together once getting back to their dorm.

Scarlet’s cheeks filled with blush, the horsegirl going lightheaded at the memory. In the week since herself and Vodka had taken the next step, the pair had been sleeping together in Scarlet’s bed - but it hadn’t been until the night before that they had taken things further.

What a mess.

Happy with her hair, Scarlet tied the long locks back into their usual twintails, rising to her feet to gather herself further as she donned a pair of comfortable clothes. As she did, she also took it upon herself to make a pass through the room to gather Vodka’s belongings for her, stuffing her spare clothes away into her travel bag and making sure that her other effects made their way into her backpack. 

She paused as she went over Vodka’s desk. Setting aside Vodka’s phone and passport, she came to pick up the memento that she had gifted her girlfriend nearly a week ago now, studying the prayer embroidered on the omamori. A smile forming on her lips, she made extra certain to ensure that the gift made its way into Vodka’s bag before she zipped it up.

A few more minutes passed before Vodka returned, the tomboy closing and locking the door behind her. “I got ambushed.” She said, her brown hair still wet from her shower.

“Huh?” Scarlet faced her, confused. “What do you mean?”

Thankfully, Vodka laughed, not taking it too seriously. “What do you think I mean? It was Digital.” Realization dawned on Scarlet, the trackstar hiding her face in her hands as Vodka laughed. “Told ya you were being too loud.” She teased.

“Shut up shut up shut up!” 

Still grinning, Vodka made her way over to her bags and pulled out her clothes for the day and flight ahead. Taking a glance around the room, she spied how everything of hers had already been packed away, save for her phone and personal documents for the airport, and of course her old leather jacket still hanging on the chair. As she dressed, though, and despite all her teasing, Vodka felt a certain hesitation within her thanks to the day at hand, the same uncertainties as before growing within her.

“Hey, Scarlet.” She said, her tone having dropped into one that was more serious. “You feeling alright?”

Realization dawned on her girlfriend’s face as she understood what Vodka was getting at. “Come here.” Scarlet said, taking a step forward as Vodka turned to meet her, the two rivals embracing in a hug. “I’m fine, Vodka. We talked about this the other day.”

“I know, I know…” She replied, squeezing her arms tightly around the slightly shorter girl, mind drifting back to earlier that week when the two of them had a heart-to-heart about the year to come. It was a tough one, with the two of them making short work of one of Scarlet’s tissue boxes, but in the end they had both arrived at an understanding, their burdens lessened - but it still didn’t make having to leave any easier.

Pulling back, it was Scarlet’s turn to console her partner. “I’ll be okay, I promise. I’ll be counting down the days, yes, but I know we can make it.”

Scarlet’s resolve emboldened her, a grin forming on Vodka’s lips. “Yeah, we can. Eight months, that’s all.”

Sharing a brief kiss, the two rivals lingered for a few more moments, Vodka’s eyes glancing at the clock. “I’m supposed to meet them at the carpark in about ten or so.” She said with a certain remorse, more bashful than usual.

“I’m sure Suzuka’s already there.” She replied with a smile, Scarlet stepping towards the bed to help Vodka out with her bags.

“I wonder if Spe was able to get herself out of bed for it.” Vodka wondered aloud as the pair slipped out of their dorm and into the hallway, beginning to make their way towards her departure.

“She wouldn’t miss a goodbye for anything.” Scarlet remarked in turn, the pair sharing a smile.

Approaching the stairs that led down to the second floor, though, Scarlet’s smile faltered just a touch upon spotting who was sitting in one of the chairs in the common room - Agnes Digital. Having spotted the duo, she leapt up from her seat, hurriedly approaching them.

“Um, hey you two, heh…” The shorter girl said, still wearing her pajamas while looking rather bashful.

“Yes?” Scarlet asked, placing a hand on Vodka’s arm to signal to her that she would handle it.

“I just wanted to wish you two well! A-and, um, apologize…”

Scarlet’s heart softened at that, the horsegirl’s sincerity winning her over. Yes, it was true that Digital could be a bit much at times, but she also knew that it came from a good place, and that while the girl only meant well, she simply got a touch overexcited sometimes - such as for the incident she was apologizing for. “It’s quite alright, Digital. We understand.” Thinking back to the evening that herself and Vodka had made things official, Scarlet admittedly was able to find a bit of humour in what had gone down. Agnes Digital had tried to snap a covert photo of the two lovebirds together, only to accidentally reveal herself by having forgotten to turn the flash off on her disposable camera. It was only when Scarlet had caught up to her that Digital had agreed to destroy the polaroid.

“Good luck with the rest of your time in America.” She said to Vodka, twirling her hair around a finger much in the same way that Scarlet was prone to doing. Clearly, she was holding something back, acting far too proper and relaxed compared to her typical personality.

“Thanks, Digital.” Was Vodka’s reply.

“And, um, if it’s alright…” Brandishing her camera from out of nowhere again, Digital sported a small smile as she kept herself restrained. Spotting the look Vodka and Scarlet gave each other, though, she panicked. “N-Not for me!” She insisted, waving her hands frantically. “One for each of you, as like, momentos…”

Vodka shrugged, volunteering to answer for them. “Sure, why not.” She said, soothing her protesting girlfriend with a look.

“Yes! Okay okay, strike a pose!” Hurrying to take a few steps back, Digital peered through the viewfinder of her disposable camera to frame the two girls, Scarlet letting out a sigh as she felt Vodka’s arm slip around her waist. Not wanting to be out-done, though, she let the travel bag fall to the floor, turning slightly towards her girlfriend to place a hand on Vodka’s chest in what she felt would be a good pose. Seconds later, the mechanism clicked and the camera began to print its polaroid, Digital fanning the photo through the air a few times before setting it aside on a chair. “One more!”

Holding their pose, Scarlet offered up another smile as Digital indulged in her vice yet again - except this time, just before the shutter clicked, Vodka did the most Vodka thing she could’ve done by pressing her lips against Scarlet’s cheek.

Agnes Digital just about screamed at the sight, barely managing to muffle herself with a hand as she reacted to Vodka’s kiss. Flustered, Scarlet gave her girlfriend a playful smack on the shoulder for her antics, the tomboy laughing at having once again pulled one over on her.

“Idiot.” Scarlet said venomously, hurriedly picking up the bag she had dropped as Digital approached with both pictures, her gaze lingering on them before handing them over to Vodka.

“Have a safe flight!” Digital said with glee, before hurrying her way down the hall back to her room, overcome with joy.

“Here.” Vodka said, handing over one of the photos. 

Of course she’s giving me that one. Watching as the polaroid continued to develop, Scarlet let out a sigh, smiling regardless. “Let’s get going.” With that, the rivals continued on and out of the dorm, thankfully not being interrupted again by any onlookers, mostly thanks to the early hour of the day. Without much said between them, Vodka and Scarlet made their way to where they had the time before months ago, a small gathering coming into sight as they rounded past some bushes.

Somehow, despite the hour of the day and the late night beforehand, all of Team Spica plus a few extras stood waiting near an idling car, the group chatting amongst themselves. Scarlet smiled as she spotted Special Week clinging to an embarrassed Silence Suzuka, the more mature of the two reassuringly caressing Spe’s hair to help her calm down. A sleepy Seiun Sky leaned on Grass Wonder for support, with the two of them being the first to spot their approach, Grass offering up a wave.

“Yo.” Vodka greeted in her typical fashion, the rest of the group turning to greet the late-comers. Scarlet couldn’t meet their gazes, given how Vodka had what amounted to a death-grip on her hand, as if to say to her ‘no running away this time’.

In an instant, Spe had peeled herself off of Suzuka and lunged forward to do much the same with Vodka. “Please don’t go!” The countrygirl pleaded, the waterworks starting up again.

“Spe, Spe…” Suzuka said, hurrying to grab her roommate and pry her off of the laughing tomboy. “We talked about this.”

“Sorry…” Sniffling, Spe stepped back, wiping her tears with a hand.

“Ready to go?” A voice cut through the crowd, Symboli Rudolf’s commanding presence causing the group to part for Vodka as Tracen’s President met her gaze, her car idling behind her.

Scarlet felt Vodka’s hand tighten on hers, betraying her reluctance despite her outward confidence. “Yeah, more or less.” With that, she took her travel bag from her girlfriend, Scarlet feeling her own bravery begin to waver as the moment arrived. 

Turning away from her for the time being, though, Vodka went to give her goodbyes to the rest of the group. A fistbump with their Trainer, who clapped the Derby-hopeful on the shoulder as he wished her luck; a lazy hug from Seiun Sky followed by a brief embrace from Grass Wonder, the three girls exchanging pleasantries; Special Week lunging forward for one final hug, of course, followed-up by the contrast of Mejiro McQueen’s polite embrace and Tokai Teio’s exceedingly enthusiastic bearhug - and of course, Gold Ship, who seized the opportunity to draw a reaction out of her friend by catching her in a bone-crushing hug, Scarlet having to laugh at how Vodka flailed and struggled to break free.

Last, however, was one girl who was standing slightly apart from the group, her hands clasped together in front of her. Wearing a dopey smile as Vodka approached, Aston Machan said something inaudible to Vodka, but it was enough to cause the tomboy to laugh as she wrapped her arms around the horsegirl responsible for making the entire trip happen in the first place. Watching, Scarlet felt her heart swell, struggling to believe how lucky she was to call the entire group before her her friends.

With that, though - but not before bidding Suzuka farewell herself, too - Scarlet hovered nearby as Vodka loaded her bags into the car, slamming the trunk closed. “You forgot someone!” Gold Ship called out from a few yards away, causing Vodka to roll her eyes as Scarlet blushed.

“Yeah yeah, I was saving the best for last.” Vodka protested with a smile, taking a few steps towards where Scarlet stood. Reaching out to grasp one another’s free hands, both girls still holding the photograph Digital had gifted them, the two rivals both hesitated for a second, giving Gold Ship yet another chance to disrupt.

“Now kis-mmph!” 

Mercifully, Grass Wonder had manoeuvred herself behind the tall mare, stifling Gold Ship with a hand to ensure the moment wasn’t ruined - but the group laughed all the same.

“Well, I’ll be seeing ya.” Vodka said through her grin, looking more bashful than usual at having to do this in front of everyone else.

“Yeah, I…” Not now, Scarlet. Keep it together.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Letting go of Scarlet’s hand, Vodka brought hers up to cradle her girlfriend’s cheek, giving it a small squeeze. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

Scarlet nodded, smiling despite the tears welling up in her eyes. Vodka leaned in.

A few cheers and hoots rang out as Vodka led their embrace, lips meeting and lingering for moments longer. Delight erupted through Scarlet’s entire being from the kiss, the closeness of her rival’s body soothing her worries. When Vodka tried to back away, though, Scarlet stepped forward to lengthen the kiss, embarrassing herself momentarily but staying true to her heart.

The kiss broke. “I love you.” She whispered, quiet enough so that only Vodka could hear it. 

It was Vodka’s turn to be embarrassed, sporting the deepest blush Scarlet had ever seen the horsegirl wear. “I love you, too.” She whispered as well, taking a step back towards the car before entering the backseat. In only a moment, the car took off, and Scarlet had to wipe her cheek with a hand, the rest of the group approaching her.

Of course, it was Spe who reached her first, throwing her arms around her teammate as she sobbed. “They’ll be back soon…” She said to reassure Scarlet, but mostly to reassure herself.

One by one, Scarlet thanked and embraced the rest of her friends, their words to her ranging from motivational quips (though Seiun Sky’s fishing analogy made no sense, as usual) to reassurances and promises. It being early in the morning, though, the group dwindled off until Scarlet was left standing alone, save for one other.

Aston Machan approached her, Scarlet feeling only marginally better than before. “Here.” The horsegirl said, having produced a tissue to hand over to her friend.

“You’re always so thoughtful.” Scarlet replied, smiling through her tears as she dabbed them away. As she did, she noticed that Machan’s own eyes were wet. “Why did you do all of this, Machan?” She asked, Scarlet still unsure of how her friend had organized the entire visit under her nose.

Breathing in deeply, the horsegirl glanced away for a moment, composing herself as she thought. “...All I wanted was to see you both smile.”

Scarlet’s tears started again, and she stepped forward to wrap her friend in a tight hug. It wouldn’t be easy, it wouldn’t be painless - but with friends like hers, and a love like Vodka’s, Scarlet knew that she would be smiling forever.

Chapter Text

“Shooting stars and satellites

From the passenger seat as

You are driving me home.

‘Do they collide?’ I ask, and you smile.

With my feet on the dash,

The world doesn't matter.”

Dropping the motorcycle down into first gear, Vodka carefully peeled off the street and across the sidewalk, beginning to ride down the ramp that led to the parking underneath her condo building. As the automatic garage opened, she wiped away the water droplets that had accumulated on her visor during her ride home from campus, the university student having to take her time on the ride home owing to the storm blanketing Tokyo that evening.

Rounding past a concrete pillar, she squeezed the brake and brought her bike to a stop in her designated parking spot near the door, the engine dying as she killed the ignition. Prying the stuffy helmet off of her, she ran a gloved hand through her hair a few times to set it straight before stepping off of the bike. Freeing her bag from the storage compartment beneath the seat - an oddity for bikes these days, she had learned - Vodka gave the vehicle a once over, her eyes lingering. It wasn’t her dream bike, admittedly, but it was a respectable starter bike that she had purchased with her prize money from her time at Tracen upon graduating. It got the job done in the city well enough, and one day she would make that leap to an even better bike.

At least she got it in the colours she wanted - black, with yellow trim.

Turning away, she carried her helmet and bag towards the elevators, giving herself a shake to fling off the rest of the rainwater still dripping off of her leather coat. It had been a long day - a long week, really - as her fourth-year exams approached, and she had been getting home later than usual thanks to it, well after sundown. Hopefully she wouldn’t be mad.

After punching in her access code and waiting for the elevator to arrive, Vodka stepped inside, allowing her mind to wander in a bit of a day dream. A hot shower. A hot meal. She smirked. A hot fiance.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Vodka listened to the beeps as the elevator ascended to the twelfth floor, finally arriving moments later. It took quite a bit of effort to drag herself down the hall with how rapidly her energy was depleting, and Vodka fumbled around for a few moments to find her key fob, tapping it against the sensor to unlock the door to the condo.

Able to both hear and smell the work that was going on in the kitchen, Vodka just about collapsed on the spot in pure joy. “I’m back!” She called out, setting her helmet down by the door and peeling off her leather jacket, hanging it up to dry.

“Go get washed up!” A voice replied from above the din in the kitchen, not even bothering to greet her. “It’s almost ready!”

Finding the resolve within herself to hold back and do as she was told, Vodka headed off for the bathroom, discarding her clothes this way and that as the hot shower of her dreams called to her.

As much as she wanted to linger, though, she knew better than to draw any unnecessary ire - and so her shower only lasted a scant few minutes, Vodka not even bothering to dry her hair beyond a cursory rubbing with a towel. Striding back across the condo, she came to pause at the doorway that led into the kitchen, taking in the sight.

Back turned to her, Scarlet busied herself in front of the stove, handling multiple pans and pots at once as the overhead ovenvent whirred resoundingly, her auburn hair tied back as she laser focused on her meal preparations. A smirk emerged on Vodka’s lips, unable to stop herself.

“What’re you-GAH!” Scarlet jumped in fright as a pair of freakishly cold hands slipped underneath her sweater, Vodka playfully grasping her hips as the shock of the cold startled her. “Idiot! Get out!” She protested, whipping around to bop the other woman on the shoulder, Vodka stumbling back with that stupid, typical, frustratingly handsome laughing grin of hers.  

“What, no ‘welcome back’ kiss?”

“You’ll get a ‘welcome back punch’ if you keep this up.” Scarlet warned tersely, yet with a smile on her own lips, her partner’s attitude infectious. “At least wait until I’m done…” She grumbled, turning back towards the stove to continue wrapping up her handiwork. Breaded pork cutlets with cabbage, rice, and miso soup, every inch of the countertop having been taking up all afternoon as she made her preparations. She wouldn’t let herself be distracted and ruin the meal right at the end.

Mercifully, Vodka behaved and let Scarlet wrap up her cooking, standing on the far side of their kitchen as they chatted idly. “Did you have an alright day?” Scarlet asked aloud, knowing that Vodka had come home late for a good reason.

“Alright, I guess. Lots of cramming going on ahead of exam season.” She was close to wrapping up her fourth and final year at university, where she had elected to study biology, having fallen in love with the subject during her latter years at Tracen. “You’ll be proud of me for not having snagged dinner on campus.”

Scarlet smiled at that. “And how many energy drinks today, hm?” She teased, Vodka’s lack of an answer being all she needed to hear.  “Here, grab a plate and bowl.” She said, changing subjects now that she had gotten one back at her partner.

Doing as she was told, Vodka held it out the plate and bowl as Scarlet served her her meal, feeling her stomach growl at the sight. “Thanks, babe.” She said, leaning in to kiss Scarlet on the cheek.

“I’ll be out soon.” She replied, reaching to untie her apron before grabbing her own plate to fill, Vodka heading for the adjoining “dining room” - which, thanks to the floor layout in their condo, was relegated to a small table pushed against the wall in the tiny space between the kitchen and the living room. It took everything she had to not dive in instantly with how famished she was, but Vodka waited all the same, Scarlet soon appearing with her own plate and a bottle of wine.

“Are we having a date night? I feel underdressed.” Vodka joked, noting how badly her shirt and sweatpants contrasted with Scarlet’s fashionable sweater and long skirt. Still so pretty after all this time.

“Hardly.” Scarlet barbed, pouring out their drinks as Vodka took her first spoonful of soup, her reaction to the incredible taste causing her partner to smile. 

“So fucking good…” Vodka raved, having another spoonful before turning her attention to the rest of the meal, Scarlet watching on as the ravenous horsegirl chowed down. 

Her gaze drifted, Scarlet instead savouring her first few sips of wine. “Machan called a bit before you got home.” She explained, having remembered to mention it. “I set up a dinner with her and her boyfriend this weekend, if you have time for it. I know you need to study.”

Vodka waved a hand to dismiss her partner. “Not a problem, wouldn’t miss it for the world. Where at?”

“You remember that ramen place Spe keeps raving about?” 

“That’s like, four different spots.” Vodka quipped in between bites, her focus still on her meal.

“Well, it’s one of them.” Scarlet said with a smile, watching her partner from across the table. It had been over five years since the two of them had sorted out their feelings, and her love for Vodka had only grown since then, her breath catching at the merest sight of her - even in her old t-shirt.

With the two women catching up on their days over a homemade meal, the rest of their condo sat quiet, the pair having moved in a few years ago by that point. Scarlet had been the one in charge of decorating, claiming that Vodka ‘couldn’t be trusted’ to make such important decisions - but she had been kind enough to allow one stretch of wall to be plastered with her partner’s tacky motorsports posters, the rest of their interior decoration being Scarlet’s handiwork.

Amongst the framed photos, furniture, and decor, however, an unassuming display case took up a sizable amount of floorspace, framed by an array of sashes from their past careers. A range of replica trophies and medals lay displayed on its different levels, along with photos from their time at Tracen, ranging from official photos during their races, to impromptu pictures snapped by them and their friends.

On the top shelf, two trophies sat alone, the left inscribed with ‘Daiwa Scarlet - Arima Kinen Winner’ and the right with ‘Vodka - Kentucky Derby Winner’. Positioned between them was a lone red-gold omamori, and behind that, two old polaroid photos.

Scarlet’s and Vodka’s laughs filled the room.

“When you feel embarrassed,

Then I'll be your pride.

When you need directions,

Then I'll be the guide.

For all time.”

The End.