"...Mmm..."
Warm sunlight pressed against the Astonishing's eyelids, nudging her awake. She groaned softly as she rolled onto her side.
For a moment, she forgot where she was. The mattress felt different than the one back home, and the smell is nothing like her old room.
'Ah... Right... '
Tracen Academy. The Ritto Dorm. Her new life as a central student.
She blinked her eyes open and slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her face. She looked at the window; it was still quiet outside, bathed in that soft glow.
She slid out of bed and walked towards the drawer. Inside, is Tracen official uniform. A combination of white and purple. In the spring/summer version, it was short sleeved combined with a big purple bow tie.
She brushes her finger against the fabric.
'It's high quality. They sure don't cut cost'
Astonishing began to get dressed. She pulled on the crisp white blouse, the sleeves reaching just the right length above her elbows. Next came the skirt, and then the signature purple bow tie.
She spent a good minute in front of the mirror, adjusting the bow until it sat perfectly centered. As she fastened her school shoes, she noticed her hair is all the way down.
She smoothen the stray strands with a brush before securing them with a simple red band into a ponytail she accustomed with.
With a final nod to her reflection, she grabbed her bag and stepped out into the hallway.
The Ritto Dorm was already buzzing with life. Most of the occupants has already awake by this hour and preparing to go to the cafeteria.
As Astonishing descended the stairs, her eyes were immediately drawn to a crowd of students gathered near the entrance of the common area. At the center of the whirlpool stood Fuji Kiseki.
It can't be helped, she's pretty popular in Tracen. People would gather around her like chicks.
Astonishing hesitated, she feels like a small boat in the wake of a great ship. With the exit blocked, there's nothing she can do. Storming through would be too rude. However, as the clock ticked closer to breakfast, the group began to disperse.
Fuji's eyes eventually turned towards Astonishing.
"Oh, it's you! Good morning!"
!
"G-good morning, Fuji-senpai, you certainly seem... busy"
"A little popularity is just part of the 'star' package, isn't it?" Fuji let out a little laugh. "Now now, we better hurry. Dont want someone to wipe all the food for herself. "
"Who? "
As they walked past the exit, someone called from behind.
"FUJI-SAN!"
Well, it's more like a shout.
A girl came charging up from behind, moving with a restless, explosive energy towards their direction.
"Oh, Pokke! Morning"
The girl skidded to a halt just inches away from them.
"Good morning! Huh?" She noticed Astonishing. "And this is...? "
Astonishing tried to mutter a word but she is completely frozen. After all, the person in front of her is the same person she watched win the Derby on TV.
"Pokke, meet Astonishing," Fuji said, her voice a cool contrast to the other's heat. "She just joined us yesterday. Astonishing, this is Jungle Pocket. Though you might've know her"
"Astonishing, huh?... What's the matter? Are you a silent type like Cafe? "
"P-pleased to meet you," Astonishing managed to squeak out.
"I think you scared her, Pokke. Calm down a bit"
"Ehhh... Am I really intimidating to the juniors?"
"Now, now, Pokke," Fuji interjected, stepping between them. "Let's chat another time. If we don't cross the road now, we'll run out of omelets."
"The omelets!" Pokke's eyes widened. "Why didn't you say so?! Where's Dantsu? She must've gone ahead. Let's hurry up then! "
Without a second's hesitation, the Derby winner exploded into a sprint across the empty street.
Fuji Kiseki sighed, though her lips were curled in an amused smile. "And there she goes."
"... Is she always like that? " Astonishing asked.
"Hmm... Not always, there are also times when she's feeling down, but that was her truest self. She has really grown, she doesn't need my help as much as before."
There was a touch of pride in her voice, the kind a veteran performer has for a protégé who finally found their own spotlight.
Fuji turned back to Astonishing with a reassuring wink. "We better hurry, if we don't pick up the pace, we really will be eating the leftovers."
"Yes! "
.
.
.
The sheer scale of the Tracen cafeteria hit Astonishing like a physical wave. The room was a massive hall of high ceilings and sunlight, filled with the rhythmic clatter of trays and the humming chatter of hundreds of Umamusume.
'It's so fancy! :o'
The polished floors and the elegant, arched windows made it feel more like a high-end restaurant than a school canteen.
"Let's get our trays"
"Right!" Astonishing nodded.
Astonishing followed Fuji toward the stack of trays, her eyes darting between the various stations. The variety was staggering, everything from traditional Japanese breakfast sets with grilled fish to fluffy Western-style pancakes.
"Don't hold back," Fuji encouraged. "The training here is intense. So fuel up."
Astonishing didn't need to be told twice. She picked up a tray
First came a large bowl of white rice, followed by a portion of grilled mackerel. Then, she reached the omelet station and politely asked for two. At the side-dish counter, she added a bowl of miso soup, a plate of natto, some tamagoyaki, and a small mountain of salad.
By the time she reached the end of the line, her trays were a vibrant, towering mosaic of nutrients.
"My, my," Fuji remarked, looking at her tray.
'I think we just got another glutton' Fuji thought.
"I... I hope there's still enough left for everyone else," Astonishing murmured, her cheeks dusting with a faint pink as she realized her tray was significantly heavier than Fuji's, or any other normal umamusumes.
"Don't worry," Fuji laughed, leading the way toward the seats. "The kitchen is prepared for much more than one healthy appetite. If they can survive a hungry Oguri Cap, they can certainly handle you."
As they wove through the tables, the sound of a familiar, boisterous voice cut through the morning hum.
"OY! OVER HERE!"
It was Jungle Pocket.
"There they are," Fuji noted. "And it looks like Dantsu Flame managed to save us enough room for your... collection of dishes."
As they reached the table, the gentle girl stood up slightly to welcome them. "Good morning, Fuji-san. And you must be Astonishing-san? "
"Nice to meet you," Astonishing managed, carefully lowering her tray.
"Seriously though, can you really finish that? " Pokke asked.
"This is nothing," Astonishing replied, her voice regaining some strength now that food was within arm's reach.
What followed was a display of sheer, efficient consumption.
'Too fast! ' Thoughts the three of them.
.
.
.
-In the kitchen-
The staffs' attention are centered on how much and fast Astonishing ate her food.
"Oh, God... Another one!"
They begin to doubt if they can meet the demand anymore.
.
.
.
The chime of the academy bells echoed across the campus, signaling the start of the academic day. The group split up as they headed toward their respective classroom.
So here she is, standing right outside the classroom.
"Alright... calm down," She whispered.
Truth is... She was never good with making friends, or approaching anyone at all. All the time it was them who approached her.
"Just open the door and walk in. Easy."
She slid the door open.
"Ah, another one," a sharp voice cut through her internal panic.
Standing at the front was a woman with a short black hair and eyeglass. "You're just in time. I'm your teacher for Racing Theory. Find a seat quickly"
Astonishing nodded frantically and scurried toward the middle rows. She spotted a vacant seat and practically dived into it, clutching her bag to her chest.
'Okay... I'm in. I survived the entrance,' she thought.
BAM!
The door slammed open, making everyone jump. A white-haired girl stumbled in, her uniform is messy, her bag hanging open with notebooks sticking out.
"Wait, wait, I'm not late, right?! Please don't mark me late !!" she cried, already rushing for an empty desk without even looking where she was going.
She tripped, nearly face-planting, but caught herself at the last second and collapsed into the seat directly beside her.
The girl's head thunked onto the desk with a dramatic groan.
"...Morning..." she mumbled into the wood.
She blinked, staring at the newcomer.
'...What did I just witness?'
.
.
.
RIIIIIIIINNGGGGG
The classroom was far more boring than she had expected.
'Maybe because it's still the first day? No, shouldn't the first day feel exciting?!'
The teacher droned on, explaining everything from race types and aptitude to distance and strategy. If they wanted to make a name for themselves, they had to compete and win graded races. These were categorized into G3, G2, and G1, with G3 being the entry level for graded race and G1 representing the pinnacle of the sport.
She was still processing half of what the teacher had said when the girl beside her finally stirred.
"HEY!"
She flinched at the sudden outburst.
"You're new too, aren't you?!" the girl asked, leaning forward as if she were conducting an interrogation.
Before she could even manage a response, the girl leaned closer. "I'm Dorazora!" she declared.
She shrank into her seat, overwhelmed by the energy. "Uh... I'm Astonishing. Nice to meet you"
"Nice to meet you to Astonishing! Or maybe I should call you Aston? You can call me Dora too! " Dora shakes her hand with too much energy.
"H-hey enough of it" Astonishing protested.
"Come on, we must get ready for the examination race!"
And then, just like that, Dora grabbed Aston by the arm and pulled her toward the door with all the force of a runaway horse.
What am I talking about? They all are horses.
.
.
.
The track looked different when you stepped onto it knowing you were being evaluated. A few adults leaned near the fence, speaking in low voices.
Her eyes drifted instinctively.
Takeda was there.
Standing slightly apart from the others, stopwatch hanging from his neck. When he noticed her, he waved.
'Focus' she told myself.
"First group, line up!"
Names were called.
Dora squeezed Aston's hand briefly before stepping into a different group. "Go all out" she whispered.
"I will"
Metal creaked as the starting gates back door opened and everybody stepped forward one by one. Except her.
Seeing the gate up close made her stomach tighten. It looks so cramped in there.
Inhales... exhales...
After a brief moment, she too entered the gate.
The gates were narrower than they looked from afar, just enough space to stand straight
'Okay... ' she readied herself.
'I can do this!'
The gates opened and all Umamusumes shot forward. Astonishing surged forward with the others, but instead of fighting for the lead immediately, she slowed her pace and stayed at the back of the pack.
Meanwhile, Takeda watched as everything unfold. 'A late-surger huh, or maybe an end-closer type?'
Takeda looks back at Astonishing. 'That running style.... just by seeing her running with at low center of gravity like that is amazing. She's truly unique...
...By utilizing her flexible body, she purposedly let herself fall forward as she run. If she makes even the slightlest miss step, she would fall and that would be fatal. Where did she learn to do that? '
The first 600 meters chewed through the weaker students. Two of the eager sprinters dropped pace and started to fall behind. Since it's a mile race, the pace is quite fast, but sprinting all the way to the finish isn't always the best option.
Astonishing inhales deeply and make her move.
She planted her feet deep into the turf and launches herself forward. She weaved past one runner, then another.
But...
'Ngghh... The track feels slippery under my foot. It becomes even worse the faster I run. The only logical reason I can be in this position is because the other students lacked experience. If I encounter someone even only slightly weaker than me, I'll be doomed.'
They are close to the last corner, but just as Astonishing prepared to give her final, kick, she could her someone is getting closer and closer to her.
Whoosh!
A shadow flickered in her peripheral vision. Before Astonishing could even register a face, someone blasted past her.
"What...?" Astonishing gasped, her rhythm breaking for a split second.
The girl who had just overtaken her started building a gap.
1 length.
2 lengths.
She managed to build a 3 lengths gap in such a short time.
Astonishing's eyes widened. She was pushing her body to the absolute limit, but this girl was moving with a terrifying, effortless power.
In the end, she crossed the finish line with 4 lengths gap. Astonishing surged across the line moments later.
"Hah! Hahh! Hah!" Astonishing came to a halt, her chest is heavy as she tries to steady her breathing, her legs trembling so violently she had to stoop and grab her knees to keep from collapsing. She looked up, squinting through the sweat, desperate to see the face of the one who had just dismantled her confidence.
She had a long chestnut hair, and a piercing golden eyes.
Their eyes met.
"Oh? It seems you are interested in me?" the girl said. She began to walk toward Astonishing
"Naturally,". She swept a hand through her long chestnut hair, tilting her head back to catch the sunlight. "My name is World's End Opening. And while I appreciate the gaze, you really shouldn't look so surprised. Excellence is simply my natural state."
Astonishing stammered, still clutching her knees. "You... you were so fast. I couldn't even..."
"Now now... I have no interest in being a ruler over a field of weaklings. It would be a stain on my reputation. So, since you had the audacity to keep me in your sights for so long, I expect you to get much, much faster. It is your duty to become a rival worthy of being defeated by me. Do you understand?"
Astonishing blinked, stunned by the sheer confidence radiating from the other girl. "You want me to... get better just so you can beat me again?"
"Of course! A star only shines brightest when the sky is dark, and I need you to be a very, very bright shadow behind me. Hahahahaha! " She declared with a radiant smile.
'Is she... A narcissistic? '
Astonishing couldn't help but cringed.
Though... Her personality kinda resemble someone.