Chapter Text
Admire Vega loved to train at night. She preferred the cooler air, the darkness that surrounded the track brought her peace and most importantly, she was alone. No Opera O mocking her every step, no annoying encouragement from Top Road, it was just her and her running. Even if others joined her for late night running, they tended not to disturb her. Silence Suzuka and Manhattan Cafe frequented the training tracks at this hour, and this evening was no exception for the latter.
“Ayabe…” She heard Cafe call her name from behind her. She slowed her pace for a moment and allowed her to catch up. “You and your friend are putting a lot of work into this run. I hope you’re not over-exerting yourself.”
“I’m not over-exerting-” She began with a sigh. “Wait, what do you mean my friend?”
Cafe pointed to the empty space roughly a foot to her right. “Your friend.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said firmly, before leaving Cafe in the dust as she took off. She had a hunch as to what she meant- Cafe was somehow linked to spirits, and perhaps she could see-
“No, that’s stupid.” She said to herself, shaking her head as she ran. She felt Cafe’s presence behind her, but kept a steady pace.
“Ayabe, wait.” Cafe replied, her voice catching up. Ayabe stopped once again, before turning to Cafe.
“Does this ‘friend’ look like me?” She asked. She wanted Cafe to say no more than anything. She didn’t want it to be true.
“Yes.”
Ayabe flinched. She panicked. It can’t have been true. Her sister had been taken from day one- turned back into stardust and sent to the heavens. She looked up to the night sky and-
“Where are the stars?!” She turned back to Cafe, who was- now stood next to someone. “You- your friend, cafe! I see her!”
“Do you see her, too?” Cafe and her friend said in unison. Once again, Cafe pointed to her right, only her friend pointed too.
Ayabe froze. What on earth was happening to her? She slowly turned to her right, before locking eyes with a reflection of herself- identical in every way.
“I hate you.” Said her reflection. “You stole it all from me.”
And the next instant, she was awake. A cold sweat ran off her brow as her body lurched into an upright position. Next to her, a very concerned Curren Chan sat on the desk chair she’d positioned beside the bed.
“Ayabe! Are you okay?”
“What..? What happened? Why am I here?”
“You passed out during one of your late night runs. Manhattan Cafe found you and brought you back to the dorms, where Fuji took over and brought you here.” Curren explained, handing her a glass of water. “You’ve been on your bed for maybe ten minutes? I kept an eye on you the whole time.”
“Did Cafe say what had happened?”
“She said she found you laying down on the training tracks as if you’d collapsed. Your eyes were closed and you were mumbling “where are the stars” under some very shallow breathing.” Curren explained, before moving to the curtain and opening it. “The stars are still out, by the way. They haven’t gone anywhere.”
“So she wasn’t running with me?”
“No, she said you were alone…” Curren began, her voice tailing off.
“Curren?”
“Well, she said you weren’t with other people, but there was someone watching over you as you lay on the ground.”
“Where is Cafe now?” Ayabe shot out of bed and rushed to the door before being stopped by Curren.
“Woah, where are you going now?” She said, gently pushing Ayabe away from the door. “You need to stay in bed.”
“Says who?” Ayabe snapped.
“Your trainer.” Curren replied, pulling up a text from her trainer saying she’d been given the following day off to rest given the incident. “If you need to look for Cafe, you can probably find her tomorrow”
“Alright.” Ayabe sighed as she stepped back from the door. “You mind giving me a moment to get changed?”
Curren nodded with a smile, before stepping into their shared bathroom and allowing her roommate some privacy. Moments later, she heard the dorm door open and a flurry of footsteps dashing down the corridor, and Curren opened the bathroom door to realise she’d been tricked and Ayabe had left in her moments of ’privacy’. She couldn't help but laugh at herself for being fooled so easily as she began to get herself ready for bed.
Ayabe held back tears as she upped her pace, practically sprinting down the corridor of the dorm building. She dashed outside and headed right back to the training tracks, to find Manhattan Cafe running on her own.
“Cafe!” She called, waving to flag the attention of the dark-haired uma as she rounded the corner.
Cafe slowed as she approached. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“I know, I know, but I have to speak to you.” Ayabe began. “Curren told me you said you saw someone watching me when I passed out.”
Cafe stared off into the distance, looking to Ayabe’s left side. “She’s always been watching you. Even now.”
Ayabe felt a shiver down her spine. “I- She’s been watching me the whole time? But- she died, all those years ago- I dont understand.”
“And you can understand it tomorrow.” Called a voice from behind her, stern, yet caring. “Unless you want to understand while sitting in a detention classroom tomorrow afternoon.”
“Fuji- I-” Ayabe began as she turned to face her dorm leader. “I’m sorry.”
“Come on, you’re supposed to be resting.” She continued. “And your roommate is worried.”
“Of course she is.” Ayabe replied with a sigh as she began to follow Fuji back to the dorm.
“Find me tomorrow!” Cafe called out as the two of them left.
“How did you know I was out here?” Ayabe asked as the two of them walked along the starlit footpath.
“I heard you dash across the dorm corridor like you were possessed.”
“I guess that’s fair enough.”
“Is something troubling you?” Fuji asked, genuine concern on her face,
“Nothing out of the ordinary.” Ayabe lied
“You know you’re never alone in this, right? We’re always here to help if you need one.”
“Thanks Fuji, but whatever this is needs to be solved on its own.” She replied, before nodding goodbye to Fuji and heading off to her room.
Somehow, she would make sense of all of this- who this “friend” was, why she was being watched by them, and the meaning behind her nightmare while she was unconscious.