Chapter Text
“If you didn’t act so smug all the time, then maybe I wouldn’t want to kiss you so bad!”
“Me?! You’re the one who- wait what was that?”
The few who had stayed in the classroom all turned their heads to Vodka and Daiwa Scarlet, the latter of whom was turning bright red by the second.
“...wait, no, I-”
Vodka cut her off with an awkward laugh. “W-Wow, that’s a new one. You’re really going the extra mile to throw me off my game, aren’t you?”
Scarlet’s hands clutched the desk she was leaning on. “Y-Yeah! I just wanted to see how you reacted to something so ridiculous, t-that’s it! And you totally tripped up on it!”
“Well yeah, anyone would!” Vodka retorted. “It’s so stupid and lame and out of left field!”
“Obviously,” Scarlet agreed. “W-Whatever. I’m done arguing with you! Do me a favor and stop talking to me for the rest of the day.”
With that, the redhead stomped her way out of the room, making sure to stop and slide the door just hard enough for emphasis.
Vodka sunk back into her seat and glared at the other students who were snickering over the exchange.
What the hell just happened?
The thought was repeated in Scarlet’s mind, as she leaned against the classroom wall and put her face in her hands and tried not to scream. “Why did I say that?” she whispered. “What is wrong with me?! I would never in a million, billion years ever want to kiss that stupid face of hers!”
Scarlet forced herself to take a deep breath. Two deep breaths. “Okay, it’s fine. It’s fine. You just had a weird slip of the tongue. Just play it off like a joke. Everyone will forget about it by tomorrow, anyway. It’s not a big deal.”
Her stomach growled. All that arguing must’ve worked up an appetite, it seems. A quick straightening out of her uniform, and Scarlet was off to the cafeteria as if nothing had ever happened.
---
There were a good number of other students already having lunch. Of course there was the tower of whatever Oguri Cap had put together in one corner, who was one-handed fighting off Tamamo Cross, but the atmosphere was much more relaxed than in the classroom. There was simply less to worry about in here.
Daiwa Scarlet picked up a few lighter foods- a sandwich, some fruit, a small piece of cake- and headed for a table. Special Week, already halfway through her second bowl of curry and rice, waved hello as Scarlet sat down. Next to Spe was Grass Wonder, who verbalized her greeting instead.
“Good afternoon, Scarlet,” said Grass. “How has your day been so far?”
Scarlet beamed in trademark fashion. “I happened to get full marks on the math test from yesterday,” she stated with cheer. “Though it was nothing for such a model student like myself.”
“Yay!” Special Week exclaimed with a full mouth, splattering her tray with bits of rice in the process. “Oops- sorry, I know I shouldn’t chew with an open mouth…”
Grass nodded as congratulations. “That seems to be the case, Scarlet. You really do put everything you have into your studies.”
“Well, since my next race isn’t until the fall, I have plenty of time to study and train.” Scarlet wasn’t the biggest fan of it, but at least having a break between outings to the track gave her the space to work on some of her minor issues. She couldn’t wait to go back to the course and show everyone how perfect she was.
“But there’s not really much for me to talk about. I’ve just been doing what I can to improve, same as ever. How’s everything with you two?”
Spe swallowed so she could go first. “Ooh! Suzuka offered to do some partner running with me today! I’m really excited to show her how much I’ve grown since my last race!” she declared. With a determined twinkle in her eye, she added “And today’s the day I finally catch up to her!”
Scarlet gave a polite chuckle. Special Week’s determination to match Silence Suzuka was admirable to say the least. It did remind her of someone in particular…
The redheaded uma sighed quietly. Vodka. Of course she thought of Vodka first. That cocky mare was her biggest obstacle to being number one. Somehow Vodka was always there to get in her way, to piss her off and look like the big hero of the hour. What with that smug grin, that short-cropped hair, that loud mouth, that sad-but-cute look on her face when she lost-
“Scarlet? Is everything okay?” called Grass.
Daiwa Scarlet blinked and realized she had her sandwich hanging halfway out of her mouth, like a robot that stopped mid-orders. “What? Oh- I’m fine! Don’t worry about me,” she sputtered. “I was just… thinking. What were we talking about?”
Grass and Spe both had concerned looks on their faces. “Sorry, um,” Spe said, “you just look really distracted. Did something happen during class?”
It was that obvious, it seemed. Even Scarlet’s perfect poker face couldn’t mask it this time. With folded-back ears and a defeated sigh, the redhead leaned in and grew quiet. “Well… Vodka-”
“Ohh, okay,” said Grass and Spe in unison.
“H-Hey!” Scarlet huffed with a red face. “I wasn’t even finished!”
Someone from a table over giggled, and was promptly silenced by a glare from Miss Perfect. Daiwa turned back to her friends and tried to continue. “Vodka just can’t stop herself from being the most annoying idiot in the room, and tried to take it out on me. Only, this time, I may have said something that was way over the line…”
Grass tilted her head while Scarlet rambled, “I don’t know, I feel like maybe I took it too far this time. It’s sort of bugging me, I guess.”
“It sounds like the guilt is eating at you,” Grass suggested. “Have you tried to apologize for it yet?”
Daiwa Scarlet puffed out her cheeks and folded her arms. “As if. She should be apologizing to me for driving me crazy.”
She looked out across the cafeteria, not wanting to discuss it further. Her gaze caught something, however- on the other end was the one and only rival she hated, sitting with Mayano Top Gun and Kawakami Princess. Vodka looked to be cracking jokes with the others, but ceased her laughing as she turned and caught sight of Scarlet.
Silence. Furrowed brows. A strange tension filled the air between them, with both tables stopping to stare at the other. The moment lasted for several heartbeats.
Vodka then stuck out her tongue and turned back to her table.
Fumes just about erupted from Scarlet’s ears. “That little-”
Grass Wonder reached to grab Daiwa’s arm before the latter could fully stand up. “I wouldn’t if I were you,” said Grass.
Scarlet yelped in fear. With the calmest voice in the world, Grass really spooked her when she was least expecting it. Scarlet sat back down and stared at the table.
“W-Well, look on the bright side!” Special Week intervened. “You guys do share a dorm room. You could just tell her you’re sorry when you both get back, right?”
Miss Perfect sighed and put her sandwich back in her mouth. Spe would get no answer from her.
---
“Ooh, Scarlet’s really not happy with you,” said Mayano, still staring across the cafeteria. Vodka just shrugged as she took a swig of her tea.
That redheaded brat had the audacity to pull a stunt like that earlier and still stare daggers? What a joke. Vodka had never felt so disrespected in her life.
“My, my,” Kawakami chimed, “it seems like your fight must have really bothered her. I could’ve sworn she was about to come over here to start all over again!”
Vodka, again, shrugged. “She’s always like that. Little Miss Perfect really doesn’t like it when things go even just a little bit wrong for her.”
She chugged the rest of her drink and slapped the bottle down with a sigh. “Still. It was a really weird insult. Who says they wanna kiss someone in the middle of an argument like that?”
“Maybe it was just an accident?” Mayano suggested. She scrunched up her face in thought. “Then again, Scarlet doesn’t usually say something unless she really, really, really means it. I wonder what’s gotten into her…?”
Vodka waved down any sort of thought about it. “Who cares? She’s still gonna keep acting like the queen of castle at the end of day. It’s not my problem she can’t use words right.”
Though, Mayano did have a point. Daiwa Scarlet was a perfectionist by every measure; the tiniest slip-up meant something was off. Vodka admitted that she could use that against her rival- but that would probably lead to so many more questions from everyone and the thought of having to defend herself over it… it made her shudder.
Still, even knowing it was probably a mistake, Vodka couldn’t help but think about it. Scarlet said it out of anger but it felt genuine. Unexpected, but sincere. It got the dark-haired mare to think about every other fight they’ve had recently. How Scarlet just kept screeching, how she lost it over little things, how she refused to back down, how blindingly bright her smile was when she beat Vodka-
“Vodka? Your nose!” Kawakami said in fright.
Vodka could smell the copper before she felt it. That was new. She wasn’t thinking anything strange, right?
She reached for a napkin to blot away the streak of red and stood up to leave. “S-Sorry! I’ll be back in a minute!” She was off to the restroom before anyone could stop her.
Man, that was sudden, Vodka lamented. I feel so lame now. How am I supposed to surpass her when just talking to her gives me trouble?
Daiwa Scarlet could ask herself the same question.