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Partner running was usually no trouble at all but this afternoon was quite different. King Halo wouldn’t begin to claim to understand it at all: did she not see Haru Urara enough already as they were roommates? Apparently not according to both of their Trainers.
Truly, this was an unfathomable mix and match of aptitudes and tracks. King Halo preferred turf, Haru Urara preferred dirt. King Halo was an all rounder and Haru Urara was a sprint specialist. Though, at least they had short distances in common as they were put to the test on miles and even longer. It just made so very little sense to King Halo as she did what she was told, with no overt complaints but definitely a side eye. Haru Urara was much more agreeable, taking to it all with a smile even if she was out of her depth.
It was all very bizarre but an afternoon’s hard work was an afternoon’s hard work. Especially if it was going towards the vague goal of overcoming their weaknesses and expanding their strengths. So, really, what was one last lap around the block to that aim as a way to finish the more arduous sets that they had endured thus far?
The sun was setting on Tokyo. The streets that crisscrossed around Tracen Academy were clear of pedestrians and so, they had the full reign of right of way. Their cleats hit the concrete, one pounding step at a time of their jog. Chipped by their cleats as they cycled through good posture and a respectable speed. It was only intended to be a cool down jog so they could enjoy the autumnal air of the city and get themselves used to the noises as the arenas can be quite intimidating. Especially for the sensitive ears that Uma Musume are endowed with.
A one and a two and one and two, over and over, they ran to the beat. They neared the final corner of the block. The guarded railing and stone walls of Tracen Academy were in sight and with it, home time. A blissful and warm shower, a hot meal, and maybe even a bit of study awaited them past this final distance and then.
“Eek!”
King Halo jittered. The noise was sudden and there was the anguish that followed. Her tail whipped around in a frenzy as her eyes went wide. She turned on her heel and was horrified to see that Haru Urara had tripped in what was likely over exhaustion or perhaps. A crack in the concrete, fit to break one’s mother’s back, even.
Haru Urara was almost flat to the ground. Her hands and knees had broken her fall and as a result, those sensitive joints were jarred. She did her best not to cry but the way she whimpered under her breath was heartbreaking. Her ears curled in and crinkled, her tail had lost its energy as she tried to pull herself up.
After the initial shock of the fall, King Halo swooped in. Her mind raced. Her body overflowed with concern as she helped Haru Urara to her feet. She was wobbly like a newborn deer despite King Halo’s kind and guiding hands.
“Are you okay?” King Halo worried tremendously.
“Ugh, my knee hurts super bad.” Haru Urara complained with a frayed voice. She swayed slightly despite King Halo’s grip on her. She turned her head slightly to meet King Halo’s agonised expression. Haru Urara was trying to look brave for her as she continued and said, “But I think I’m alright.”
Thinking was not the same as knowing and as such, King Halo snapped into quite an overcontrolling frenzy. She helped Haru Urara hobble over to a bench so they could better assess the damage. God willing, there would be no infirmary visit in their future but there was only one way to find out.
“Sit here, don’t move.” King Halo strictly instructed.
“Okay.” Haru Urara said.
She lowered herself onto the fortunately placed, nearby bench with a clunk. She hung her head between her shoulders and blushed. She looked like such a child as she gingerly raised her leg to show off the scrape she had sustained. It was visible between rips in the knee of her track pants.
King Halo examined it. She pushed aside the torn, red fabric and poked around at the skin underneath it. Haru Urara jittered here and there at the prodding but thanked her lucky stars, it wasn’t excessive and King Halo soon had her analysis.
“I think it looks worse than it is,” King Halo decided, “you should be fine with a bandage and then a day of rest. I don’t think this is the level of injury the infirmary would be tasked with.”
Haru Urara sighed in relief, “Oh thank goodness…” Then, she perked up suddenly. “But what’re we gonna do? I still need something for it, a bandaid, like you said?” She tilted her head to the side ever so slightly.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” King Halo said, “allow me to proceed with your care.”
“Ah, alright, I won’t worry then.” Haru Urara said. She sounded dinged up but oddly carefree.
Thus, between the two of them, the one worrying more was actually King Halo. Haru Urara had seemingly gotten over her initial scare and now that King Halo said she was fine, she felt fine. She fidgetted but seemed like she was coming into her usual self despite the harrowing accident.
Regardless, King Halo chewed her bottom lip and looked around. She luckily spotted a convenience store just across the road, and turned to head for it. Only to be struck by feeling bad about turning her back on Haru Urara for even a second. Despite it being for her own good as she ducked into the nearest convenience store. A swipe of a box of band-aids later and a zap of her personal debit card, King Halo was back in a flash but even that felt too long to be apart from her in her time of need.
Even if her need was something so minor as a graze on her knee, it was better to be safe than sorry as Uma Musume.
Haru Urara’s face lit up when she saw King Halo return from the automatic sliding doors. She glided forward, hand on her hip and a box of bandaids clutched tightly in her other hand. Her expression was concerned as she strode forward and Haru Urara welcomed.
“Yay, your back.” Haru Urara exclaimed.
So she was. With a flip of her hair and a flounce of her training jumper, King Halo knelt in front of Haru Urara. She opened the box of bandaids and drew forth one from the packet. She took Haru Urara’s track pants by its ankles and ravelled them upwards to reveal her leg. The scrape looked far nastier than it did semi-obscured. Haru Urara spotted it and she made a face of disgust at the scrape.
It was speckled with grit from the concrete. Her skin had torn and she was bleeding a tiny bit. There was something of a bruise to discolour the skin around it as well as a block of what blood had already dried over. King Halo was gentle as she padded it with her hand, brushing out anything which could rankle Haru Urara and her healing.
“Aw, geez, I’m such a klutz.” Haru Urara complained.
“But at least you don’t have to go to the infirmary.” King Halo said and she was certain their Trainers would agree. They had had enough this afternoon, they were done.
“I’m so lucky to have a friend like you.” Haru Urara admired as King Halo administered the so-called first aid. “It’s like having a second mum around.” Haru Urara giggled but King Halo prickled.
If there was one thing most contentious about her life, it was her relationship to her mother. She vied so hard for her mother’s affections but their relationship remained dry and brittle. It didn’t matter how hard King Halo trained or how many first place medals and sashes that she won, all these material things never seemed to measure up to what her mother wanted from her. As such, that lustreless distance was all the maternal nature that she knew and it seemed so far away to what Haru Urara knew and thus insinuated in what was meant to be praise.
“Don’t call me that…” King Halo muttered under her breath.
Haru Urara cringed, her ears crinkled as a result, “Ah, sorry, I didn’t know.”
“That is quite alright.” King Halo told her a little louder than before. “I know you meant well.”
She pasted down the bandaid over Haru Urara’s graze. She smoothened it out so it would be without nary a wrinkle. She was gentle, even as Haru Urara dithered. Small sparks of pain radiated outwards from her scrape and interacted poorly with King Halo’s deft fingers, even as she was graceful and meant well.
“All done.” King Halo told Haru Urara.
She breathed a sigh of relief, “Thank goodness.”
Haru Urara lifted her leg again so she could look at the area now bandaided. It was a plain, plasticky bandaid which was nude coloured with a white square segment in the middle that bulged. She moved her leg back and forth slightly to test the tautness of the bandaid and with King Halo’s handiwork, it naturally had very little give.
“Thanks, King Halo.” Haru Urara smiled but she wasn’t quite back to her usual high spirits.
King Halo noticed and thus inquired, “Is everything okay?”
“Er, yes, but…” Haru Urara’s eyes dimmed in the low light of dusk, “Do you mind…” Her voice was tiny and vulnerable. “No, it’d be a bother, I’d hate to be a bother.”
“You can tell me.” King Halo firmly replied.
“Well, in that case…” Haru Urara still hesitated but she met King Halo’s eyes ever so pleadingly. “Do you mind… Can you kiss it better? For me, please?”
King Halo exhaled through her nose, her eyes closed. It would be a bother if she was being honest but never for Haru Urara. Sheesh, she really was like a second mother to Haru Urara and despite the difficulties of that comparison, if it was her, it was more like a balm to King Halo’s soul more than Haru Urara would ever know.
“It would be a pleasure, Haru.” King Halo assured her.
“Ooh, thank you for letting me be selfish.” Haru Urara thankfully replied with pinpricks of tears in the corner of her eyes.
Well, this kind of indulgence was what mothers were for, weren’t they? Though King Halo would reject the term “mom friend” or similar, her care and compassion for her nearest and dearest, such as Haru Urara, extended forth without condition. So, she found herself smiling as she spoiled Haru Urara just this little bit.
Her lips puckered. She lowered her head and she kissed the bandaid atop of Haru Urara’s knee. Haru Urara giggled, selfish but the light-hearted, joyous kind of selfishness that only a blithe spirit like she could ever hope to embody. King Halo even found herself enjoying it, even as she smelt the tang of iron, the plastickiness of the bandaid, and the dustiness of concrete over the scent of Haru Urara’s sweet and natural aroma.
“Mwah.” King Halo finished perhaps a bit too delectably with a smack of her lips. She reared back and met Haru Urara’s expression. “Do you feel better?”
“Way better.” Haru Urara enthusiastically replied.
“I’m glad.” King Halo replied.
She got up and off her knee. She dusted off her own track outfit and then extended her hand to Haru Urara as though she were a princess.
“Let’s go home.” King Halo said.
“Yeah, let’s.” Haru Urara agreed.
Haru Urara held King Halo’s hand more tightly and together, they were off. They walked, side by side, further into the autumnal blaze of twilight and the setting sun for home: their little dorm room where apparently they couldn’t get enough of each other’s precious company.