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“Hey! Spe-chan!” El Condor Pasa waved at her from one of the tables. With a smile and a mountain of rice in her bowl, Special Week made her way to sit beside her friends.
“Hi everyone,” she said as she sat down next to El Condor Pasa and Seiun Sky. She picked up her chopsticks and carefully removed the top of her rice, making sure the whole thing didn't crumble, before placing it in her mouth.
“You look beat. Did your trainer work you too hard?” Sei asked as she took a bite of her roasted carrots.
“Not at all,” Special Week began with a full mouth, before swallowing. “If I want to become the best horse girl in Japan, I have to train hard.”
“Still, a break never hurt anyone,” Seiun Sky replied. “If you overdo it, you might get a fracture, you know.”
“Aww, look at you, worrying about our Spe,” El clasped her hands together, giving Sei a teasing smile.
“I'm just saying,” Sei retorted.
“Thanks for worrying, but I'm fine! Our trainer wouldn't make us overexert ourselves, or make us do something we can't handle. Besides, Suzuka ran at twice the pace, and she's barely out of breath!” Special Week exclaimed. “I have to catch up if I want to race with her someday.”
Seiun Sky and El Condor Pasa exchanged a knowing look. “Say, Spe,” Sei started, “you really seem to care about Suzuka.”
“Of course! She's my best friend, after all!”
“You really seem to look up to her, too,” El added.
“Yeah! She's the best from our team by far! I bet even the older girls from Rigil wouldn't be able to catch up to her. And she looks so graceful while running, too!”
“Your best friend?” Sei asked.
“Mhmm! She's so kind, and helps me out with training all the time!”
“She looks graceful, you say?” El inquired.
“Yep! The way she soars ahead of everyone else, and her outfit is really pretty too!”
The two once again gave each other that look. Special Week wondered what it meant, but didn't say anything.
“So, you really like her, huh?” Seiun Sky smiled slightly.
“Of course! As I said, she's my best friend,” Special Week replied.
“No, no,” El shook her head. “What she meant is: you like her, huh?”
Special Week looked first at one, then the other girl, trying to figure out what they mean. She made it clear that Suzuka is her friend, after all! And yet both of them had that expression on their faces, like they were patiently waiting for her to figure out what they wanted from her. She thought for a moment longer, then gave up. “I don't know what you mean…”
“Ugh, do we really need to spell this out for you,” El shook her head in disappointment, before leaning forward and looking Special Week right in the eyes. “You have a crush on Suzuka, don't you, Spe?”
It took a moment for her brain to process El’s question. When it did, her eyes widened in shock and she immediately stood up. “H-huh? No, of course I don't!!” Everyone in the canteen turned to stare at her, and she realised she may have been a little loud. Her face reddening, she sat right back down. “I-I mean, w-what makes you think that?”
“Hmm, let's see,” Seiun Sky tapped her chin, “you always talk about her, always talk with her, in fact you're practically inseparable, and the only reason you're here and she isn't is because you were too exhausted to continue training with her, right?”
“Huh? How'd you know…?”
“You constantly praise her with that starry-eyed look, and last time we had lunch, you told us you were thinking about how beautiful she is,” Sei finished. Special Week’s blush intensified even further.
“I-I don't know what you mean!” she exclaimed, taking care not to be as loud this time.
“Seiun Sky shrugged. “Whatever you say.”
“Ah, but I've got to go! Hana-san would get upset if I were late to training again!” El Condor Pasa cried out, before quickly collecting her plates. “See you Sei, Spe!”
“Wait, what time is it…?” Seiun Sky looked at the clock, before making a peculiar expression. “Ah, my lesson started five minutes ago. Guess I gotta go too, then. Goodbye, Spe.” She, too, collected her bowl and walked away at a leisurely pace, leaving Special Week alone with her thoughts. She continued eating her rice, trying to make sense of the conversation.
After finishing, she returned the now-empty bowl and made her way to her room. It was empty. Suzuka’s still training, I guess… or maybe she’s going to have lunch now and I just missed her? She thought about going back to the canteen to see her, but decided against it. After all, they spend so much time together, why would she need to see her even now?
And yet for some reason, the thought of Suzuka eating, chatting, and laughing with the others made Special Week’s heart tighten. It was a weird sensation, one she never experienced before now. Just what was she feeling? Surely her friends were just teasing. There was no way she had a crush on Suzuka, right? She mulled it over in her head.
Maybe… maybe if I imagine kissing her, I'll see if I like it or not… The thought alone made her blush. But with no other option that came to mind, Special Week closed her eyes, and imagined herself and Suzuka sitting atop a hill, looking together at the setting sun. She leaned in, gently pressing her lips against her friend’s. Suzuka tensed for a moment, surprised, before relaxing and kissing her back. Tenderly locked together, Special Week raised her hand and caressed Suzuka’s cheek, and–
“Hi, Spe-chan.” Her heart skipped a beat as she opened her eyes and saw Suzuka entering the room, closing the door behind her.
“O-oh, Suzuka-san! H-hi!” She looked away, trying desperately to conceal her blush.
“I just came back to change into my uniform. I'll go have lunch right after. I assume you already ate?”
“Yeah, w-with Seiun Sky and El Condor Pasa,” Special Week replied shakily.
“Ah, that's a shame. I wanted to have lunch with you,” Suzuka replied. Her heart skipped two beats. She wondered if she was suffering from some sort of cardiovascular disease and continued staring intently at the wall while her friend changed. “Okay. I'll see you later, then, Spe-chan,” came Suzuka’s voice.
“Mhmm!” Special Week nodded quickly, still staring at the wall. Once she heard the door close, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. If Suzuka suspected something, she didn't let it on. It took her a few moments to fully collect herself. She thought about what had just happened. And lost all composure she had regained.
What was that with Suzuka wanting to have lunch with her? Was she always like that? Was she just saying that because she likes spending time with her friend? Or did she have a crush too? Because, even though it took her longer to realise than it maybe should've, there was no denying it now. Special Week most definitely had a crush on her best friend.
What now? They're roommates, after all! How will she hide her feelings from the person who she lives together with? Should she even hide her feelings? When she imagined kissing Suzuka, it was the best feeling ever. And yet, what if Suzuka doesn't like her back? It could ruin the friendship they already have! All of it was too much for Special Week to handle. At the very least, she only had lessons this afternoon, and Suzuka wasn't in her class, so she'd have some time to think of a solution to her predicament, and maybe relax a little.
=======================
She did not relax. At all. Her afternoon lessons had ended, and not only did she not pay attention whatsoever, she didn't come up with anything, either. Her classmates all waved her goodbye as she continued to stare out the window. Did Suzuka’s lessons end already? Would she find her in their room when she entered? Would she be able to keep her cool? Only one way to find out, she supposed. Special Week got up, collected her books and made her way out of the now-empty classroom.
She walked through the hallways, down the stairs to the first floor, a left turn, then out of the school building. A short walk and some stairs later, and Special Week was standing in front of the door to her room. What should I say? Maybe it was best if she tried to act as normal as possible. Just say hi, don't get too flustered, it's nothing special. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, put her hand on the handle, and–
“Hi, Spe-chan.” Suzuka’s voice. Her heart skipped three beats. She quickly turned around.
“Hi, Suzuka-san!!” Was her voice always this high-pitched? “You scared me a little there!” she said with an embarrassed laugh.
Suzuka let out a cute little giggle. “Sorry. You looked like you were phasing out a bit.”
Special Week nodded. “Yeah, a little.” The two stared at each other for a moment, silent. Special Week’s heart raced.
“So, are you gonna go inside? You're blocking the door,” Suzuka said with a slight smile.
“Oh! Right! Of course! Sorry…” she let out, a blush appearing on her face, before turning around and entering the room. They both sat down on their beds, Suzuka looking at her friend and Special Week staring at her feet, playing with the hem of her skirt.
“So, Spe-chan,” Suzuka began, “do you have any plans for tomorrow? I was thinking we could go out.”
“G-go out?” Special Week had completely forgotten it was Sunday tomorrow. “Yeah, sure, I'd love to!” The idea of spending the day with Suzuka made her heart beat even faster.
“Great! I'm happy to hear that,” smiled Suzuka. “I was thinking we could go shopping, and maybe grab something for lunch after.”
“Yeah, that sounds amazing,” Special Week replied.
“I'm looking forward to it,” Suzuka said before lying down and picking up her book.
“Me too!” Suzuka didn't respond, but her smile widened a little. Was her face always this pretty? Special Week continued staring at her friend, before lying down herself and staring at the ceiling instead. Usually, she tended to be quite exhausted come the evening, still not being completely used to the daily training. Today, however, she felt like she could run a hundred more laps. Was it adrenaline?
Either way, they still had an hour before dinner was served in the canteen, and if Special Week didn't keep herself busy, her mind would probably explode in that time. She got up and sat at the desk, picked up her carrot-shaped pen and a piece of paper, and started writing.
Hi mom!
It's been a while since my last letter, so I wanted to write you another one!
Thanks for all the carrots you sent me! I still had some left over from before, so I think I'll be fine for a while. You don't have to send any more!
My training’s been going great! I'm finally able to compete with the others at short distances! Although I get exhausted a lot quicker than them, so after a few laps I start falling behind. Trainer-san said I don't have to worry about that, and that we'll work on my stamina next. Apparently I'm doing really well for a beginner! I guess our training back home helped a bunch!
Other than that, though, nothing new has really happened. I've fallen into a routine now, and have gotten used to it quite well.
Well, maybe one thing has happened. Special Week looked at Suzuka, peacefully reading her book. I think I have a crush on Su– She blushed, and quickly blacked out the start of the name. One of my friends. She read it after herself. Actually, her mom knew all of her friends from her letters! She'd be able to figure out who it is! She blacked it out again. Someone from Tracen. Thinking for a moment more, Special Week blacked out ‘from Tracen’ as well. She stared at the words in front of her. Then blacked out the entire paragraph.
“Spe-chan?” She nearly jumped at Suzuka’s voice. She quickly grabbed the paper and held it to her chest, wanting anything but for the other girl to see it.
“H-huh? You d-didn’t read it, right?” Please don't say yes please don't say yes please don't say yes plea–
“No, I didn't,” Suzuka replied, and Special Week felt a huge weight was lifted from her chest. “You just never cross out anything after yourself in your letters.”
“I just, uhh, had some trouble figuring out the proper words!” she let out with a nervous laugh.
“That's a first. Did something happen?” asked Suzuka, her voice slightly concerned.
“No, nothing. You don't have to worry!” Special Week exclaimed and tried to give Suzuka a reassuring smile. Judging by her friend’s expression, she wasn't very reassured.
“Alright then. But if you ever want to talk about something, feel free to do so.”
How can I talk to you about something like this?! “Thanks, Suzuka.” She crumpled the unfinished letter, almost threw it in the bin, but decided to stick it in her pocket, instead. She didn't think Suzuka would try to read the passages she intentionally blacked out, but didn't want to take any chances. Throwing it out somewhere else would be much safer. And more importantly, now Suzuka suspects something’s wrong. Great job at acting natural, Spe!
She lied back down in bed and picked up her own book. Getting any reading done would be impossible in her current state of mind, but it felt better to at least look like she was doing something.
“Spe-chan,” Suzuka said after a few minutes, “are you really reading? You're not flipping the pages…”
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The rest of their evening was thankfully uneventful. When Special Week and Suzuka went to the canteen for dinner, they found the rest of the girls from Spica already in line, and their antics and small talk worked wonders at distracting Special Week from the girl sitting right next to her. It was hard not to laugh at Vodka’s and Daiwa Scarlet’s constant bickering, or at McQueen’s masterful deflections of Gold Ship’s pranks.
Once everyone finished eating and chatting, the two returned back to their room, watched a nature documentary about wild turtles, then turned off the lights and went to sleep. Or, at the very least, Suzuka did. Special Week simply lay in bed, lost in her thoughts. She doubted her ability to get any sleep that night. Her thoughts rushed to and fro, remembering moments from when she first enrolled in Tracen, or from just today. Yet they were all linked in one thing– they were all about Suzuka.
Seiun Sky and El Condor Pasa looked like they knew about her crush on Suzuka for a while. But to Special Week, all of it was very new– her feelings, the way she couldn't concentrate on anything else, the underlying fear of being rejected. Or, was it really? She always considered Suzuka to be very pretty, but it was just a simple fact to her, nothing romantic. She tended to always think and talk about Suzuka, that was nothing new, either. Except now, that tendency suddenly gained a new meaning entirely. Or maybe she always had those feelings inside her, and all it took was a little nudge from her friends for them to awaken.
Eventually, exhaustion caught up to her, and she drifted off to sleep anyway. She didn't notice when it happened, all she knew is that somehow, night turned to day within an instant, and silence was replaced with the chirping of birds outside. Special Week turned around to see Suzuka already up and dressed. “Good morning, Spe-chan.” There was a slight smile on her face.
“Morning,” Special Week yawned and stretched in bed. “What time is it?”
“Eight twenty.”
“Mmm…” her blankets were comfortably warm, and she was perfectly ready to spend another hour in bed. But… “Wait, eight twenty?” She immediately shot up. “We're late for training!! C’mon Suzuka, if we skip breakfast, we might not be that late!”
Suzuka simply giggled. “Relax. It's Sunday, remember?”
“It's Sunday…?” Oh right. She sat back down and relaxed.
“So, where do you want to go first?” Suzuka’s blue eyes were set on Special Week. “The shops are waiting. Or maybe we could just go for a walk first.”
The memories of the previous day flooded back, and with them her promise to go out with Suzuka. Special Week tensed a little again, her heart starting to beat faster. “Oh, uh, I dunno! We can go wherever you want, I guess!”
“Sure!” The girl’s smile deepened.
It wasn't long before Special Week got dressed, had breakfast and exited the dorm building alongside Suzuka, the warm summer breeze ruffling their hair as they did. Suzuka, seemingly filled with energy, immediately startled Special Week by grabbing her hand and breaking out into a jog. “Come on! We don't have all day!”
“Huh? But we do, it's Sunday,” Special Week retorted. Suzuka stopped dead in her tracks.
“You're right, I guess we do!” she replied and laughed. Letting go of Special Week’s hand, she let the other girl walk up to her side and began walking again, this time much slower. The pair entered into a pleasant discussion about the documentary they had seen the previous day, waving to others who were also going out. Seiun Sky and El Condor Pasa waved at them from afar, then exchanged a knowing look. Special Week’s cheeks burned.
It only took a short while until Suzuka brought her to the store she wanted to visit. “I found this place while jogging through town the other day and wanted to bring you here.” The store looked very nice indeed, obviously trying its best to create a cozy atmosphere, and it certainly succeeded. Somehow, Special Week immediately felt at home, even though she had never before stepped inside. What caught her eye first, though, were all the beautiful summer dresses, skirts and shirts lining the displays. She immediately headed towards the stalls, with Suzuka doing the same. For a while, the two stayed silent, both looking through the collection.
After a while, Special Week heard Suzuka disappear behind a curtain in one of the changing stalls. She waited patiently outside until the other girl walked out. She could feel her cheeks redden. “What do you think?” Suzuka asked and did a little spin. She was wearing a sleeveless white dress with flower motifs all over and to Special Week looked absolutely stunning.
“I-I think you look g-great!” Special Week let out, trying desperately to hide her embarrassment. Unsuccessfully.
“Are you okay, Spe-chan?” Suzuka’s smile disappeared. She took a few steps towards her friend, causing Special Week’s heartbeat to quicken further. “You're not sick or something, are you? Your face is a little red.”
“I-I’m fine!! Really!”
Suzuka didn't look entirely convinced. “If you're not feeling well, you should really rest. Getting sick would hinder your training.” The look of genuine concern on her face warmed Special Week’s heart a little.
“Don't worry, I'm not sick. But thanks for caring!”
Suzuka smiled. “Alright, I'll trust you. Hold on for a moment, I've got another dress I want to try.” Special Week breathed a sigh of relief as her friend disappeared behind the curtain once again. Trying to act normal was proving to be more difficult than she thought.
The other dress was simpler, a nice green colour with long sleeves, and looked just as good. “Which one do you think I should get?” Suzuka asked.
“You look great in both,” Special Week replied, fully meaning it.
“Thanks, but that's not really helpful.” Special Week’s face reddened further, and Suzuka giggled. “I'm just teasing.”
“Then how about you get both?” Special Week offered. Suzuka ended up doing just that. The two left the store with a large paper bag in hand, Suzuka’s face bright and Special Week’s bright red.
They walked together in silence, enjoying the sun on their faces. At least for a while.
“You're weirdly quiet today, Spe-chan.”
Special Week almost jumped at the remark. “H-huh? W-well, you're weirdly talkative!” she retorted.
“It's just an observation—”
“Well, it's a wrong one!” Special Week cut her off immediately. “Of course I'm talkative, just like usual! I mean, what even makes you say that? I'm always like this!”
“You're never this jumpy, either. Or defensive.” Special Week’s face couldn't have been any redder. “And you never blush so much.” Or apparently it could have.
“Me, blushing? It's just that it's really hot today! That's all there is to it!”
“I guess it is a warm day, but your face isn't this red even after training,” Suzuka replied, obviously entirely unconvinced. But what was she to do? There really wasn't any other option than to hope Suzuka lets the topic drop. A desperate hope, more of a final gamble than an actual possibility, but there really wasn't any way of getting out of this situation. It was almost funny how she had been looking forward to today, and now all she wished for was to be as far away from her friend as physically possible.
Special Week stood entirely still, her body tense as Suzuka scrutinised her with crossed arms. She gulped. And then Suzuka smiled. “Alright. If you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you.” Special Week stared at her friend for a moment longer, processing what she just said. “Now come on, Spe-chan. We still have the whole day ahead of us,” Suzuka added. Special Week had no choice but to press on. And so she did.
======================
The day passed slowly, especially with Special Week being constantly conscious of her crush and trying to act as natural as possible, which in her case meant not at all. Thankfully, Suzuka retreated to her book quite soon after coming back and left Special Week alone. Eventually, when it was time for dinner, the two made their way to the canteen, where a glimmer of light appeared at last. “Hey, Suzuka!” Air Groove waved at her from a far away table, sitting beside the rest of Team Rigil. “Come sit with us and catch up! We haven't talked properly in ages!” She barely had a chance to say anything and El Condor Pasa, together with Taiki Shuttle, came to carry her with them.
“Sorry, Spe-chan,” was all she managed to say before being grabbed by both arms and dragged off to the table with the rest of the girls. Special Week simply waved at her, turned around, then let out a small sigh of relief. As much as she loved being around Suzuka, right now she just needed a little bit of calm to collect her thoughts. She did have some time after they had come back from their date (I-I mean, friendly outing!), but there was no way for her to clear her head properly with her crush in the same room.
Scouting the large canteen, her eyes eventually settled on Seiun Sky, who gave her a cheerful wave. Special Week made her way to her friend and sat down. “Hi there, Spe.” The girl leaned back in her chair.
“Hi, Sei.” The two stared at each other for a moment. “So um, how was your day?”
“It was fine. I lounged around in the morning and slept through most of the afternoon.” She yawned. “But that's boring. I'm more interested in how your day went.”
“Well, um…” Special Week trailed off, a blush appearing on her face.
“You two went on a date, right?” Seiun Sky inquired.
“I-it wasn't a date!! We just, um, went out, is all!” Special Week exclaimed. “A-and, I don't have a crush on her!” Seiun Sky raised her eyebrows, watching in amusement as the other girl’s face grew redder and redder. “Alright, maybe I do!!” Special Week eventually let out, unable to withstand the pressure of her friend's knowing gaze.
“See, that wasn't so hard to say, now was it?” shrugged Seiun Sky. “Did you have fun, at least?”
“I guess so… but it was kind of difficult to keep my head cool… I struggled to enjoy it because I had to constantly remind myself not to do or say something stupid… but that's not to say I didn't enjoy it, I definitely did, but… you get what I'm saying, right?”
“Well then, why don't you just tell her how you feel?”
“Huh?! I can't do that!!” Special Week exclaimed a little too loudly. Thankfully, this time no one seemed to notice.
“Why not? It's the perfect solution to your problems,” Seiun Sky retorted.
“Well, because what if she doesn't like me that way? It could ruin our friendship!”
Seiun Sky gave her an amused look. “Take it from me, if you really want to do something, just do it. Why worry about the consequences when they're purely hypothetical?”
“Skipping class because you're lazy and confessing your love to a friend is completely different!” Special Week said in a hushed voice, not wanting anyone to hear.
“I dunno, sounds quite similar to me,” Seiun Sky shrugged. “And besides, there's no way Suzuka doesn't like you, too. She’s so much more energetic since you joined, she constantly has her eyes on you, always goes everywhere with you and helps you with everything...”
“S-she does?” Special Week asked. There's no way, right?
Seiun Sky nodded. “Just look at it this way: either you live with the constant pain of non-reciprocated love, or you take the risk and live with the consequences. And even if she rejects you, it might be easier than not knowing her answer. You'd accept it eventually.”
“But…”
“I rest my case. Make your choice, Spe.”
“But making a choice is so hard! I haven't been able to think about it at all because I've been with her all day!” Special Week replied.
“Well, now is your time to think, while she's with her friends from Rigil. Who do you think gave them the idea to catch up with her, anyway?” Seiun Sky said.
“Wait… you planned this?”
“Not really. I just happened to bring up how they haven't had a chance to talk in a while to El, and when she heard of it, she proposed the idea to the rest of her team. The rest is history, I suppose. And it just so happens to give you a little bit of space.” Seiun Sky had a pleased look on her face. Almost as if she had indeed planned it and everything went exactly how she wanted it to. “But I can't help you with the rest. You need to figure that out by yourself.”
Special Week nodded. She knew this. Of course she did. In the end, the choice rested entirely with her. Still, what was she to do? The mere thought of telling Suzuka her true feelings made her anxious. And even if she were to do so, there was still the question of how. How does she put into words all the things tearing her up inside? And to say that directly to her face? It was almost unthinkable.
Eventually, Seiun Sky left and after finishing her food, so did Special Week. It was getting late, the sun was beginning to set, but she nonetheless didn't head back to the dorms. Instead, she wandered about the school area, absentmindedly waving to anyone she knew. In the end though, she found herself at the race track. It was entirely empty at this point and although she knew running on a full stomach wasn't a particularly great idea, she broke out into a jog anyway. There was simply no better way to clear her mind. And yet even that didn't help. Images of Suzuka flashed before her. She sped up. Then again. And even more.
Special Week ran at full speed, one lap, then two, she was slowing down, her stamina wasn't nearly high enough to sustain such a pace. But she grit her teeth and pushed on. Three laps. This was half of her previous speed now. She tried to go faster, but her legs didn't let her. The rush of air in her face was a pleasant feeling, and she focused her attention on it, trying to ignore the pain in her legs. The fourth lap was finished. Special Week fell down on her knees, catching her breath, and then heard a clap. She looked up.
“That was impressive, Spe-chan.” Silence Suzuka stood above her with that familiar, pleasant, warm, friendly smile. “You're getting better and better.” Special Week stared at her friend, taking long breaths until she finally cooled down. Suzuka offered her a hand, and she gratefully took it, accepting the help and standing up.
“Thanks,” Special Week responded simply. Suzuka didn't let go of her hand.
“Come on, you should sit down for a moment,” she said and started walking towards the benches, but was stopped by Special Week who remained standing in place, staring down at her shoes. “Huh? What is it, Spe-chan?”
“I had fun today.”
“Me too,” Suzuka smiled. “But, you seemed a little weird. Is something the matter?”
“No, nothing!” Special Week looked her friend in the eyes, and took her other hand as well. Suzuka’s expression grew surprised. “It's just that…” her voice trailed off. “I…” she looked down at the ground again.
“What is it? You can tell me anything.”
“I think I…” Special Week’s voice was shaking. She took a deep breath, and looked Suzuka in the eyes again. “Suzuka-san! You're the nicest, kindest, most skilled, prettiest person I know. You're the best friend I ever could've wished for! And…” Once again, she just couldn't say it. Why was it so hard to just say three simple words?
Suzuka’s expression of surprise disappeared, and was replaced with a smile. That same smile. She took a step forward, standing so close to Special Week she could feel her breath. And then–
Suzuka pressed her lips against her friend’s. Special Week tensed for a moment, taken aback by the sudden kiss, before relaxing and kissing her back. She felt a hand caressing her cheek and leaned against it, enjoying the warmth, how close they were, the feel of lips right against hers. Suzuka suddenly pulled away, giving her a tender look. “I love you too.”