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“Aruve!”
It came as no surprise, as always. She heard Red Desire before she even opened the door to their dorm room. She was clearly excited, abandoning her “saintly” visage to instead run up to their door and practically kick it open. At least it gave Admire Groove enough time to set her book down and abandon the idea of having a peaceful night.
Red Desire had flooded in, slamming the door behind her as she giddily fidgeted. “Oh, Aruve! I just had some wonderful news delivered to me! Vodka has agreed to a match together! We shall be running tomorrow, together! Oh, is that not fate?! Perhaps this will be just what I need!”
Admire Groove hummed, pushing down her bookmark from the page. Unfortunate. She had just gotten halfway through the chapter.
“Sure.”
“Oh, but not to worry, Aruve!” She beamed, spinning Admire Groove in her chair until she could clasp their hands together. “I will continue to think of you, even in the other world! I will pray for your happiness and peace!”
The sudden touch made Admire Groove's eyes fall to the other mare’s hands. There, tied around a finger, a red string pulled on Red Desire, leading out of their room and trailing through the roof and into the sky. It was ethereal, invisible to anyone else Arubu had asked about it, and almost everyone had one.
A red string of fate, destined to lead you to the perfect partner. A soulmate. Or whatever the fairytale said.
Personally, Arubu found it annoying. Especially the thought that people fawned over the idea. Half the time, the string called them somewhere they'd never go. People who swore they found their soulmate had Arubu seeing the string leading elsewhere. Love was an incredibly annoying and fickle thing, and, throughout her life, Arubu never saw one good thing about it.
So she looked away, scoffing at it internally.
“Do as you want.”
Hopefully the prayers from the other world would be more quiet.
Red Desire seemed to sense her disinterest, or maybe understood that Arubu did not believe this would transcend her. The way her excitement seemed to smooth over almost stung Arubu, but she was used to dashing hopeless dreams against rocks. Besides, she knew her roommate would bounce back.
She let go of Arubu's hands and spun on her heel.
“Well! I will at least leave behind a few things to help you adjust!”
“Please take the poster,” she insisted, knowing full well her roommate would simply laugh. “I do not need Vodka watching over me.”
“Oh, why not? Is it not wonderful to have her eyes upon you?” Red Desire laughed, of course, and pulled out her phone. “But not to worry! I shall ask upon your friend to take care of you!”
Admire Groove paused, raising an eyebrow. She struggled to think of anyone who would qualify. Surely Red Desire did not have Duramente or Cesarios’ number. Maybe she had a student council number to contact Air Groove but…
Arubu froze. She did know Cafe. And Cafe knew…
“Wait-”
“Oh, Still in Love has responded!” Red Desire beamed despite the twist in Arubu's chest. “She is willing!”
“... Joy…”
It was not that she disliked the idea of spending time with Still, in fact, she quite enjoyed the time she had together. It was simply awkward to have anyone, let alone her rival “watch over her”, as Red Desire put it. She and Still in Love were also awkward in general.
Still was a beast on the track, and quite frankly, Arubu had been scared before while racing her. The cackle she made, the smile she got, she seemed like someone who would hunt Arubu for sport.
That was not all of her though, as off the field she was quiet and kind. Dainty, for lack of a better term. She was easily overlooked and had an air about her that spelled out “fairytale princess”.
And yet, she did not have that fairytale string around her finger.
Yes, ironically, Still in Love was not bound to someone and, though she would not tell her, Arubu was slightly delighted by that fact. Proof that not everyone had such a partner. Proof that it was normal, fine. That it was not the reason behind Arubu’s…
Regardless.
Admire Groove could not help but find her eyes drawn to the only other person she had seen without the string. Even if it was under such embarrassing circumstances.
Still in Love, however, looked as normal as could be. She sipped her morning coffee with a peace around her and a soft smile, waiting for Arubu by the entrance of their dorm.
“Deza told me to watch you.”
But the peace was quickly brought to a halt by Arubu's slight irritation. She could not help the wince she got and the frown that followed.
Crossing her arms, she went over to her rival’s side.
“She made that clear.” She glanced over at Still before looking outside to gauge the weather. “You don't have to though.”
“I don't see what would change, anyway. We run into each other so much,” Still giggled. “So I accepted.”
Arubu hummed, noting the clouds but brushing off anything just yet.
“You do have a habit of sticking out.”
At that, Still’s eyes crinkled happily and she took another sip of her coffee.
“Only to you,” she said quietly. Whether or not she wanted Arubu to hear, she could not tell.
Instead of lingering on it though, Admire Groove went over to investigate if she had enough time to fetch her own coffee. To her surprise, the common room machine had just finished refilling.
“Oh, I finished the last pot, so I made another. You can't fall asleep today, we're supposed to run, Arubu.”
Something about that stirred Arubu's heart painfully. She tried to focus on getting her own morning boost, and yet the thought kept entering her mind: Still made it for her.
Stubbornly, she pushed the thought right out. It only made sense, there were others in the dorms who probably wanted some and it was the right thing to do. Besides, Still loved running like a match loved fuel, of course she'd look forward to it.
“Whatever,” she grumbled into her cup.
Right on at least one account, Still kept their routine relatively normal. Classes were the same, the workouts were the same, everything felt as if it were yet another day.
Arubu wanted to scold herself, of course it would be fine. Red Desire wasn't going to leave or anything, she never believed that. The only thing different seemed to be Still’s eyes on her and the fact that they walked together much more than usual. But that was fine, they knew each other well enough and Still did not bother Arubu in the slightest.
She did not understand why she felt nervous. When the time for their race together came closer, she found herself looking at the clock more. She should not be nervous when running with Still, she once had overcome that chill down her spine. Maybe she was concerned with the praying that she'd return to once Red Desire realized the race was not going to take her away.
“Aruve?”
Her ear flicked, realizing she had been standing in the hall while staring at the clock. Quickly she stepped back and looked to find Air Groove looking at her with a frown. The red thread coiled around her like a possessive python, and Arubu hid her annoyance at it.
“My apologies. I was thinking about my schedule.”
“I heard you have training with Still in Love,” Air Groove nodded. “Unfortunately, I do have paperwork for the event soon, but I could get Brian to work on it more…”
The invitation was unspoken, her gesture obvious. If Admire Groove wanted her there, she would be.
However…
“It's alright,” she insisted. “The President will need you.”
Air Groove looked mildly surprised and the red string bobbed around her. It was rather annoying the way the two were so oblivious to it. Regardless, the vice president pondered before her gaze hardened on Arubu.
“Are you sure?”
“I don’t mind either way,” she spoke. She’d rather not want more than she could afford.
And yet, Groove hardly seemed satisfied with the answer. Under her attention, Arubu was tempted to squirm like a child. Something about the mare made her question things that were once second nature.
But before it felt like too much and Arubu would flee, Air Groove pulled back.
“I’ll try to get it done before then.” Compromise; that was all Arubu was getting. “I do apologize.”
“It’s fine,” she weakly replied and looked away.
After a farewell, she was left to wonder why Groove was so intent on making her speak differently. Looking back up at the clock, her glare returned as she noticed a red string covering the face.
She could never understand feelings.
Running, however, that was something she understood deeply.
There was the taste of rain in the air, but she would never dare to call off training with Still. Not because the mare would track her down and be angry, but the pout she'd receive would be akin to a kicked puppy.
And also because Still had been keeping an eye on her all day and that had to end. Her skin felt hot under her gaze, uncomfortable and awkward. She did not know why.
It would soon be over, however, and she could put it behind her. “Are you ready, Arubu?” Still preened happily after their stretching.
“Whenever you are.”
It was a bit strange, seeing people gather to watch their training. She supposed the excitement was there for a Triple Tiara and QEII winner racing, but it wasn’t as if this was the real deal. She was there to give it her all though, and paid them no mind. After giving a cursory glance to the crowd, she went up to the starting line with Still.
Her body cooled slightly from her warm ups and she thought back to the scheduling. Still’s trainer had disappeared from the earth after the QEII, leaving another to scramble to pick up the Triple Tiara. People would normally flock to such an opportunity, but Still always replied with a tight smile and a simple: “No one has asked me yet.”
And, well, Arubu’s trainer was already a fool. It took some forceful nudging but they both managed to find someone agreeable to Still’s nature, on the condition that Arubu’s trainer help them.
If that meant Arubu had to do more duel training, she, who would normally avoid any group training, could accept that.
“Are you getting nervous?” Still giggled, her tail swishing as she got into position. “You’re much quieter than usual.”
“... I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she huffed and took her own place.
“Arubu’s very quiet, but her intentions are always so loud.”
Despite herself, Arubu’s ear flicked in frustration. She really had no idea what Still meant.
But it all washed away as Still’s new trainer called for the start.
Instinct took over Arubu, her legs shooting her ahead without a single other thought. Her posture, her breathing, she regulated it all with precision. That was the easy part, controlling herself and pushing herself further.
The hard part was that she was not doing this alone.
She felt Still more than she saw her, focusing her eyes more on the track than anything else. The dips and bumps that only slightly needed her attention. And yet, her presence was hard to deny, a far cry from how Still normally was. If she looked over, Arubu knew it would be the end. The slight goosebumps would turn into a chill as Still’s grin was wider than it should be.
Back in QEII, before everything slowed, she was sure that Still’s “other side” would no longer affect her. That she had grown used to the feeling of that chase. Still was no monster for it, and she had accepted it as Still.
So why…?
Why was her heart beating faster at the feeling of fangs upon her neck? Why did it feel worse than before? She could hear Still panting beside her as they fought for the edge in the race and yet-
Why was she heating up so much?
Arubu hadn’t even realized they had crossed the finish line until Still’s presence slowly lulled into its usual calm. She slowed herself down and fought to stop her heart from beating from her chest.
Had all that time without racing Still weakened her?
“Good job, both of you,” she heard a trainer comment. If they said any more, she did not register it.
Instead, a cold realization surprised her, sitting uncomfortably in her chest.
“... You weren't laughing.”
Still jolted, despite how quietly she said it. Her ears stood quickly to attention before only slightly falling. Arubu could see the tremble in them as Still willed them to stay aloft.
“I… I know. Maybe… maybe it's only for the big races now? You did quite satiate me last time!”
And yet, it rang hollow to Arubu.
For the rest of their training schedule, she kept an eye on Still.
The mare couldn't look at her.
She arrived back in her dorm room later in the day. Always before curfew, she did not even stop when Fuji Kiseki questioned her fast pace.
Arubu took a breath as she closed the door behind her.
“Ah, Aruve!”
She winced, looking over to the other side of the room to see Red Desire at her own desk. Her eyes glimmered from spotting her roommate, though Admire Groove did not respond in kind.
“Hello, Deza.”
Despite her lack of reaction, Red Desire leaped out of her chair with a grin.
“I must tell you, today was-!” She paused, her excited ramble cut short. Arubu frowned, almost going to glance around to see what happened when she continued, “Are you okay?”
“... Myself?” She scoffed and continued to go set her things down. “I'm fine.”
“Are you sure? You don't look…”
“Look how?”
“... I won't push,” she said carefully. “Just try to rest for now, okay? I'll pray for you extra hard tonight!”
Arubu grunted, choosing not to try and focus on that for the moment. Instead, she tried to go through her nightly routine early, hoping for some peace of mind.
Yet, as she laid in bed, she found herself unable to sleep. Not because Deza was still up and about, but her mind refused to settle. So childish, it kept thinking about the race she had just hours before.
Was Still in Love alright? Had something happened to her “other self”? It had showed up while they raced but…
It was all too strange. Even stranger that Arubu was caught up in it. She did not have to worry about Still in Love. She did not need to think about her so much.
… Granted, she had been trying to open up more, thanks to her trainer and Air Groove… Was this a consequence of that? Caring so much for just a rival…
“... -Admire Groove-”
Ah, Deza was praying for her again. Unfortunately, her ears easily picked up whenever her name was said, for better and definitely for worse. Which meant that even the smallest bit of sleep she once was building was gone as Deza grabbed her attention.
Mentally, she chastised herself for forgetting to charge her earbuds.
“Oh, Goddesses, I plead to you on behalf of my friend. She looks so conflicted and sad, and I pray that whatever plagues her clears before long. Even if she may never tell me, I wish this. She is a good person, and truly deserves your blessings.”
Arubu’s ear reflexively twitched and she let out a deep breath before turning to see Deza sat upright in bed, looking over their room.
“... Hey.”
Deza jolted before looking over at her and smiling.
“Oh! You're still awake? Sorry if I was loud! I thought you'd have your earbuds in like usual.”
“Forgot to…” She trailed off before glancing away from her roommate. “Anyway. I'm not… bothered by anything.”
“... Hm…”
Deza truly didn't seem to believe her. Arubu scoffed in kind.
“Still was just… acting weird.”
“Still in Love? How so?”
“Just…” She paused. It would sound weirder to say that she noticed such details. “... Nevermind.”
“Please? It seems to be bo- on your mind.”
Arubu sighed, running a hand through her hair.
“She didn’t seem like her usual self when we raced.”
“Oh.”
“She was fine for a little bit but…” She frowned. She couldn’t put it into words that sounded normal enough in her own mind, but it really did feel like she wasn’t being cornered like an animal then. “... Just seemed different. Couldn’t even look me in the eye afterward.” She shrugged. “I’m sure it’s fine. I probably shouldn’t assume-”
“You’re her rival, right?”
She blinked and looked over towards Red Desire, who smiled. “I would listen to your feelings, Aruve. Rivals can catch a lot that others can’t.”
“It’s silly,” she huffed. “Just because she did not act like she used to doesn’t mean anything.”
“Mhm,” Deza nodded. “But maybe you can train together again? Just to make sure.”
“... If it will lay this stupid doubt to rest, sure.” Arubu sighed, laying back in her bed and staring at the ceiling where Deza's string trailed off. “I just want to sleep.”
“I’ll pray for your peaceful slumber then!”
“... Whatever.”
Strangely, Still was not there by the door in the morning. The coffee was made, and Arubu could catch a wisp of her sugary scent, but she struggled to find the mare in the dorm. Maybe she was running early, but then why didn't she wait for her?
Arubu rolled her eyes at her own thoughts.
“Please. I’m sure it’s nothing.” She snatched the coffee pot and poured her own drink. “It's not like we need to walk together every day.”
The rest of the day was like any other, mostly filled with advanced classes and keeping herself busy with her routine. Without the eyes upon her now, it felt a bit lighter and easier to keep track of things.
As she walked through the hall, she noticed Air Groove on her way and nodded towards her mentor, who smiled. Even the red string seemed to greet her, brushing away and allowing her to see Groove's face better.
“Hello, Aruve. Sorry I could not make it yesterday.”
“That's fine. It was just training,” she lied. It almost worked, until Groove eyed her suspiciously.
“How is Still in Love?”
“I don't know. Haven't seen her.”
“Are you looking for her?”
“Not really. I'll probably catch her during training.”
“Hmm…” Groove's eyes were piercing, but Arubu refused to budge. “Well, alright. If you need anything, let me know, okay? I'll be able to come by this afternoon.”
“Sure,” she grumbled before continuing on her way. Her ears felt itchy as she felt Groove's eyes following her. She wasn't sure what her mentor wanted, but she did not have the time to speculate. She had to get through the rest of classes before she could get to training.
Thankfully, it was strangely peaceful for the rest of the day. There was the usual buzz from Spica or the Gold Clan, but even Arubu had gotten used to the chaos since she came to Tracen.
Which made the tugging feeling weirder.
No, Still in Love had to be okay. She was simply overreacting.
She'd prove it when walking up to meet her trainer, the sun already setting. Still would be training nearby, and she would see that the other mare was alright.
“Oh, they won’t be joining us today!” Her trainer spoke as if she had asked the moment she entered. “Did she not tell you?”
The sinking in her stomach was not helping as she had to quickly hide it on her face. Even her fool of a trainer seemed to see it, however. “Are you okay?”
“I’m… fine.” The words felt weak, even to herself. “I have not heard from her.”
“Oh, well…” Her trainer laughed nervously. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about! I just happened to run into them, is all.”
“... Right.” Arubu shook her head and made her way to her section of the facility. “If something was wrong, I’m sure people would…”
She couldn’t even finish the thought. Still always struggled to be noticed, and if no one noticed if something was wrong…
“Hey,” her trainer said softly and moved beside her. Not close enough to touch, having learned long ago that Arubu hated it, but enough to tug her out of her mind. “She was talking to her trainer. I’m sure they went to discuss it privately if there were any issues. It’ll be taken care of. And once it’s all done, I’m sure she’ll be happy to hang out with you again!”
“... I saw her yesterday,” she grunted before taking a deep breath and sighing. “... She doesn’t need to see me every day. It’s not like we “hang out” either. I just…”
Nothing sounded right to finish that sentence. And, she refused to say what she was thinking.
She was worried.
“This is why…” She whispered to herself, not even stopping her ears from drooping. “This is why I should never get close enough for it to hurt.”
Her trainer was quiet for a moment before taking their own breath and placing a hand on Arubu’s shoulder. Their red string was coiled tightly around the ring on their finger. Her trainer looked even more worried as she did not immediately kick them for doing so, but her trainer quickly threw on a smile that made her feel worse.
“Why don’t we take a rest day? No good training when your mood is so low. You’ll only invite bad luck.” Gently, her trainer pushed her away from the equipment. Arubu’s stomach twisted painfully.
“I-I can still-”
“I thought this would happen,” Air Groove’s voice cut through the room. Her furrowed brow directed at Arubu made her feel like a child again. Caught staying up too late. “You’d best listen to your trainer.”
“Oh hello, Air Groove!” Admire Groove’s trainer beamed. “I did not know you’d be watching us today!”
“Forgive me for interrupting, but you really should know my schedule by now.”
“My bad~”
“Fool,” Arubu grumbled halfheartedly and inadvertently turned Groove’s attention back to her.
“You look troubled, Aruve. Take a moment to detangle whatever has a hold on you, then we can train together, okay?”
Her ears flattened fully back, but Groove pushed. “If you want, I can maybe reach out to see what Still in Love’s trainer has to say.”
Before she could stop them, her ears perked back up and her mouth pulled back into a scowl to prevent her cursing them from becoming an external thought. The amusement on both her trainer’s and her mentor’s faces was annoying.
“... Do as you’d like,” she huffed before gathering her things back up and walking to the exit. “And stop looking at me like that!”
“I haven’t the faintest idea what you mean,” Air Groove chuckled. “Rest up, Aruve.”
She made her way quickly back to her dorm, trying to ignore the blush burning her cheeks.
That night, she had a dream.
Still was sitting there, among the flowers. She seemed at peace, smiling as she watched the clouds in the sky.
Arubu was there, watching her from further down the hill. As if she could pluck her from her place, she raised her hand towards Still.
The flowers froze over, frost startling Still and encasing her legs right after she stood.
No matter how Arubu screamed, she could only watch as Still froze over.
And when she awoke, her chest felt tight.
Deza looked concerned as Arubu went on with her morning routine, though she did not say anything. Even when Arubu sluggishly sat there, her mind still dazed from sleep, she only handed her shoes over with a smile. She tried to wake herself up afterward, splashing her face with water before heading downstairs to get a cup of coffee.
If disappointment showed on her face as she did not see Still in Love there, she wouldn't know.
More than anything, her worry began to eat away into frustration. It was only one day with Still by her side, why did she think it changed anything? She cursed her stupid heart. This was why she refused to indulge in anything, it would not stop wanting once it got it. In this case: it seemed longing for her rival.
What had caused it? Surely not just having Still by her side. No matter how she longed, they were separate people with separate paths. It was fine. She was fine.
She blamed the dream for being so horrible. Just seeing the red strings entangling some of the other students had her scowling. Normally she could ignore them or be mildly put off by them but now it felt as if they were taunting her.
You want someone near you, she could hear them, but you'll have no one.
But she was fine. Even if her body threatened to fall asleep during class. It didn't matter. She needed to focus on what was important.
"Did you sleep at all?" Her trainer commented as she arrived at the track. The red string tightly wrapped around the ring on their finger. Arubu huffed and looked away.
"I'm fine. I need to make up for yesterday."
As she was doing warmups, her trainer thought to speak up.
"Ah, by the way. I caught Still and her trainer earlier."
Arubu froze and immediately tried to recover, hoping her foolish trainer didn't see.
"They said they had some things to discuss and wouldn't be joining us for a while."
She said nothing, giving just a nod as she went to do her normal practice runs. They were sloppy, and she did not need anyone to say it. Her body would not cooperate with her and was as frustrating as it sounded. Her balance felt off. Instead of stopping, she braced herself and forced herself forward. She needed to run. She needed to be faster. The Queen Elizabeth Cup was not a fluke. Her rivalry with Still in Love was not a fluke.
Her body argued every step of the way, but eventually she got herself to a reasonable pace. Her lungs ached and her legs trembled as she slowed down.
Air Groove would surely lecture her if she were there, but she wasn't.
Still in Love would be disappointed if she was there, but she wasn't.
Admire Groove stood there, taking deep breaths and looking for something she couldn't have.
Eventually, her rational mind kicked back into gear and she trudged over to grab some water by her trainer.
Her trainer, who said nothing as she approached. Somehow, that made her feel worse.
"I'm fine," she said defensively.
"You're clearly not," they responded. "But that's okay."
"It's not. I'm better than that."
"Everyone has their off days, even the Empress." Her trainer smiled regardless. "Your win is still there, your times are still there. Everyone knows your strength. It's okay to slow down sometimes."
Arubu drank her water. Her legs refused to go back on the turf.
"... It's okay for something to bother you as well."
"It's not-!" She quickly growled back, her tail lashing before she realized and calmed herself. "... It doesn't bother me. I don't care what she does."
"I never mentioned anyone else," her trainer chuckled. "Maybe before sulking you could try... talking to her? Who knows, maybe she feels the same pull you do?"
At that, Arubu's lips pulled back in a grimace.
"What?"
"Oh come on, I've been through it. Everyone has!" Her trainer was now laughing, idly fiddling with their ring. "They say there's a red string of fate guiding us to the one we belong with. It's a nasty thing, always pulling and constricting hearts but never outwardly saying what it wants."
"I don't..." Her throat felt dry despite the water she just drank. "I don't have that."
"It's a metaphor, not literal." Their eyes were shockingly piercing. "I'm just saying: a lot of people have gone through this. A lot of people feel that ache when someone specific isn't by their side. It hurts, but everything clears up when that person is there, right?" They chuckled, "or in your case, maybe you just can't stop thinking about her?"
Arubu stayed silent, so they continued, "It's okay to be frustrated by it. It's okay to feel lonely. It's not okay and not fair to yourself to deny it. You're young, Aruve. Let yourself be."
The silence stretched on, her trainer not having more to say. Admire Groove sat in that silence, watching others train and playfully banter with their partner.
"... I didn't realize it until now," she quietly huffed, "she says my name differently."
"Really?" Her trainer blinked. "I didn't know that."
Arubu slowly stood up, her legs protesting but she ignored the pain.
"Do you know where she is?"
Her trainer smiled, gave her directions, and watched her go.
It felt strange, going to another trainer's office. A childish part of her mind gave the idea that she wouldn't be allowed in. That she shouldn't be there. It was childish though, as a few trainers had noticed her entering the building and helpfully pointed her to Still's trainer's office.
And yet, she could not get it out of her head as she stood in front of the door. Nervousness prevented her from knocking or just simply opening it. Absurd, how she could run in grand, important, life changing races and yet couldn't face this one obstacle in her way.
Regardless if it was a... crush... or anything, Admire Groove had to take that step.
She knocked a bit before grabbing the handle and-
The door flew open with unrestrained force, her hand stinging and she had to quickly remove it.
Eyes wide, she held her wrist and looked at the person who opened the door, who looked just as shocked as she did.
Still in Love threw her hands to her mouth, a habit she had when surprised, before she noticed Arubu gripping her own hand.
"A-Arubu! Sorry!"
"Still-?"
Before she could say much else, Still in Love grabbed her and pulled her into the office. There, she took Arubu's hurt hand so gently that it felt like her heart had stopped.
"Are you okay? I-I shouldn't have- I'm sorry, I-"
"I-I'm fine," she mumbled, taking her hand back to flex it a little. "See?"
"...Oh..." Still slowly relaxed, taking a deep breath. "Sorry..."
"... What are you apologizing for?" Arubu smiled despite herself.
Now with that solved, she took a moment to look around the room. It had certainly seemed like a new trainer's office, with a lot of the features wiped clean and kept orderly. Still's trainer sat at her desk, smiling and offering a wave to her.
"Good afternoon, Admire Groove. Do you have business with me?" Her expression shifted slightly and Arubu heard a squeak from Still. "... Or her?"
Right, her goal. Arubu shifted her eyes back to Still, finding her shying away. She had to act quickly then.
"If it's alright, I need to talk to Still." She thought about it for a moment before clarifying, "alone."
"Of course!" Still's trainer beamed and her trainee whipped her head around to look at her. Arubu got hit with her hair and the smell of coffee. It was more bitter than it usually was, making her wonder if Still had some recently. "Feel free to take your time, we were just going over a few things."
Arubu nodded before tilting her head as Still had not looked away from her trainer.
"... Shall we?"
Still jumped, as if she had forgotten she was even there. Arubu huffed, waiting for her to think before nodding. They both walked over to the door, Still nervously trotting behind her.
"Try not to forget to have dinner!" The trainer called as Arubu closed the door.
Arubu raised an eyebrow, looking over to Still, who had grown red.
"What did she mean by that?"
"N-nothing! Where would you like to talk?"
"... Maybe by the cafeteria?"
"I'm not going to forget this time..."
"This time?"
"Arubu..." Still pouted, but Arubu tried to ignore the feeling settling in her chest.
"Come on," she said with the last bit of certainty she had. The rest of it would be uncharted territory.
After a moment of scoping out spots, they found a good enough place to talk outside of the cafeteria. Many of the students were busy on the track or in the gyms, though some lingered about for one reason or another. Most stayed inside and were far enough away that they could talk without being overheard.
Not that she minded but... She'd like Tracen weirdness not to get mixed in with the already chaotic feelings she was having. Plus, seeing any of their red strings might make her too agitated to talk to Still properly.
So they stopped by the edge of the patio, hidden by foliage, and Arubu took a deep breath. For a moment, she thought about what to say, what she felt, and what would happen if she admitted to the carving of Still in her heart.
"... So..." Her tail lashed. She was never graceful at heading into topics and already it grated on her nerves. "Look, you've acted strange since we last raced." Beside her, Still tensed. "... Any reason why?"
Still remained quiet, not looking at her directly even as Arubu turned her attention to her. "... If it's none of my business, that's fine. Just tell me and I'll... leave you al-"
"No!" Still blurted, looking at Arubu with a panic that surprised her. "It's not like that! I-I...!" Her voice trailed off.
"... Okay." Arubu hummed. "... Was it... something I did then? I'll apologize."
"N-not at all! It's... It's..." Still's shoulders fell, her ears falling back. "... It's me. It's always me."
Arubu frowned, but allowed her to continue. "It's just... You're too kind, Arubu." She laughed halfheartedly, "you don't even know it."
"... Kind?"
"Do you even realize... how much you pay attention to me? How nice that feels when people either ignore you or fear you?" Still smiled. "... Even when you did fear me, it... it felt different. You challenged me... You also picked me up when I stumbled. You look out for me, even when you deny it." Her hands gripped at her uniform. "I feel the care you put into the smallest things... and it hurts because..." Her eyes watered and her voice wavered, immediately sending bolts through Arubu's spine. "I don't want to lose that."
"... Why would you lose that?" Arubu tried to ignore the heat rising to her face. "I'm not going anywhere."
"... Because I already lost someone like that." She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "What if... I caused that? What if you disappear too...?"
... Oh. She was talking about her trainer. Arubu felt anger replace any other feeling she had. She wanted to kick that trainer for hurting Still the way they did. But, they were gone. And she had Still crying in front of her.
Arubu hated it when someone cried. She never knew what to do to make them stop.
But she felt it, the pull she had been feeling all along.
Scowling and blushing, she sighed.
"Look. I don't know what happened with them. I won't pretend to know." She growled, "if something wants me gone? They'll have to fight me." Taking a deep breath, she placed a hand on Still's shoulder. "I'm not leaving. I... I... want to run with you forever."
That made Still look up from her shoes in surprise, her eyes still dropping tears. After a moment of staring at each other, Arubu felt the blush on her cheeks, but refused to back down and brushed away some of the tears.
"Fate won't separate us," she said quietly. "Not if we have anything to say, right?"
Still quietly watched her, the silence now very much bothering Arubu. She felt the urge to fidget under Still's gaze and lost the battle to look away. "... Please say something."
"O-oh! Sorry!" She laughed, lightly and truly. "Oh, Arubu... I just told you: you're too kind." Bowing her head, Still smiled. "I would love to stay by your side and run forever. Even if we never run again, I want to be with you." She laughed again, her body twitching. "Oh, Arubu, if you're not careful... you'll get me stirred up again!"
"That's fine," she huffed. "I'd rather that than have you cry."
"Mm... you're sweet," Still giggled. "'til death do us part, then?"
"Let's start by dating," she quickly amended. "I'll try to be better about... this."
"Oh, Arubu..." Her hand reached up, hesitating for her reaction before Arubu sighed and rested her cheek in Still's palm, her eyes closing.
It felt warm.
"... May I kiss you?" Still whispered. "I want to."
"... Yeah. So do I."
"Have they finally spoken?"
"Yup! Seems like they're together now!"
"Thank goodness," Air Groove sighed in relief, leaning on the desk for support. "I appreciate you both helping them with this."
"Of course! It's quite cute seeing the two fumble about but it gets old after a while. I was worried Aruve wouldn't allow herself this..."
"Same here with Still. Poor girl has been through a lot, but I'm glad they've found someone who loves them for who they are."
"Speaking of that," Arubu's trainer got a tilt to their voice that made Groove jolt. She could hear their smirk, "how have you been with the President, Air Groove?"
"Well, thank you but I must be going now," she quickly said before hanging up.
With a deep breath, she looked out of the student council windows into the sunset, a weight on her heart lifted.
"... Be happy, Admire Groove."