A/N: Daily check-in.
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Dante had already decided he was going home.
The mock race was long over, the track nearly deserted, with trainers either celebrating modest victories or muttering into their phones. He lingered by the fence, hands tucked into his pockets, staring at the deep hoofprints carved into the dirt with a strange feeling settling in his chest.
He was a newly licensed trainer, barely finding his footing. On top of that, he wasn't Japanese, and as a foreigner living here, he still felt the faint but persistent edge of discrimination.
It was rarely overt, yet it was always there.
Not that he truly minded it. What troubled him more was the sense that he didn't belong, as if an invisible barrier stood between him and the other colleagues.
No one had paid him any attention. And even if they had, someone as insignificant as him wouldn't be worth a second thought.
He let out a quiet sigh and turned toward the cafeteria. But just then, he froze at the scene before him.
"…That's her."
Dante stared at Silver Tear as she stuffed her mouth full, her cheeks puffing up like a hamster's. His eyes caught on the jarring contrast between the girl in front of him and the figure he had seen tearing across the racetrack earlier.
For a second, he thought maybe he was having a delusion.
The tear-shaped mark on her cheek was unmistakable.
Without really thinking, the new trainer stepped closer.
"You're the dominating runner from earlier." Dante said, his voice sounded hesitant.
Silver Tear blinked, then nodded. "Yeah. I think so."
"You disappeared after the race. Many trainers want to invite you to their team." He added.
"Mm. Bad mood. Got hungry."
"Wait, hold on?! You dominated the racetrack?" Agnes looked at her with open disappointment.
"Can you tell me about it?"
The young scientist turned her gaze between Dante and Silver Tear.
Dante did the same, clearly unsure whether he should explain. In the end, he didn't.
"I—uh." He scratched the back of his neck, forcing himself to speak before the moment slipped away. "I'm Dante. Dante Inferno. New trainer."
There was a pause.
Silver Tear tilted her head. "I'm Silver Tear, nice to meet ya."
He took a breath, straightening his back even though doubt was written plainly across his face.
"Look, I'll be honest. I haven't had much luck lately." Dante said, deciding there was no point in dressing it up.
"Every Uma Musume I try to scout already has offers lined up. Or they take one look at my record and walk away."
Silver Tear listened with an easy, unbothered expression, as if he were commenting on the weather rather than confessing his frustrations.
"But you ran differently," Dante went on. "You're clearly not adept at a lot of things in racing. Even letting others take the lead before making your move."
As he kept talking, he failed to notice that Silver Tear's cheeks had already puffed up in protest.
'Hey, that wasn't my intention, okay?!'
She was fuming inwardly but got no one to talk to.
'Try explaining that to this system for me. Who designs a skill that is based on luck, anyway?'
[...Host, you do realize I never forbade you from using it, correct? Although the chance is only 50-50, you could still toss the coins at the start.] The system felt wrong and snapped back at her.
"You just… pure speed." Dante continued, oblivious to the unhappy Uma Musume. "And then you left the whole pack behind before anyone could do anything about it."
He finally met her eyes, holding her gaze this time. A small fire burned in his dark eyes, so small that it could be snuffed out at any moment, yet it was also that very spark that caught Silver Tear's attention.
"So I thought this might be my shot."
Agnes had already produced a laptop from somewhere, her fingers moving widely as interest lit up her face. "A long shot, then."
Dante gave a small nod. "Exactly."
He bowed lightly, but the gesture carried genuine intent. "I don't have flashy results. I don't have a big name. But if you're willing to take a chance, I'd like you be on my team."
Silver Tear paused, the noise of the cafeteria fading into the background. For a brief moment, it felt like something had quietly fallen into place, as if this meeting had been waiting for her all along.
The thought was strange, almost unreal, and she didn't quite know what to make of it.
Then she shrugged.
"Sure, I don't really have any plans."
Dante blinked. "R-Really?"
"Yeah." Silver Tear answered with easy confidence. "You found me. That's got to count for something, right?"
Dante let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
He had told himself not to expect anything, even as a quiet hope lingered in the back of his mind.
Still, hearing her answer him so simply, after he had laid bare his doubts and frustrations, felt heavier than he expected.
"…I didn't think that would work."
Silver Tear offered a faint smile. "You look like you could use a few wins to build that confidence."
He straightened, and a little light returned to his eyes. "Welcome aboard, Silver Tear."
"Mm." She nodded, offering a hand. "Danteh~, I'm going to freeload on you. Be ready to lose a lot of money."
Dante smiled, a small but genuine one.
"Deal."
He took her hand.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. It felt strange how something so casual had just shifted the course of both their lives.
Silver Tear stretched her arms over her head, already looking far too comfortable for someone who had just agreed to join a team.
"First things first." She said, peering past Dante toward the food counters.
He followed her gaze and let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "Figures. Guess I should get used to that."
"Do you want anything, Danteh~?" Silver Tear asked as she brought her tray to the counter.
"Well… yes, I haven't had lunch yet." Dante Inferno stood side by side with the tall Uma Musume.
"I'll have one portion of this, this. Oh, that too." Silver Tear pointed at the menu.
"I heard it's quite good, Danteh~."
"Then I will have one then." Dante said to the chef.
Behind them, Agnes watched in silence.
Her rational mind insisted this wasn't the optimal choice for Silver Tear. Yet her heart told her this was the right one, in a way that had nothing to do with data or numbers.
Why?
Agnes Tachyon couldn't put together a plausible explanation. She only knew that, someday, she would like to meet a trainer like this herself.
And somehow, that made everything feel more interesting.
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A/N: Did I cook again? Cuz I did get a bit emotional while editing the chapter.
Also, do you guys have the patience to let me cook up the background real quick?