Days passed...
And with each one, Urara's journey toward Tracen grew closer.
In the meantime, she spent her days at home, reading manga.
Watching Umamusume races on repeat.
Sometimes, she would head out to the nearby field.
To run for the thrill.
Or maybe...
For something else.
To see Mary again.
As she returned to that same spot.
The very same place where they first met.
The very same place that inspired her to run again.
And the very same place where they once ran.
Every time she ran, she waited, hoping that maybe...
Just maybe...
Mary would appear again.
By coincidence, like before.
By fate, like they did.
But...
She never did.
Mary never came.
And yet—
Urara didn't stop.
She kept running.
One lap. Two laps. Three.
Over and over.
Without realizing it, she was actually growing from it.
Her stamina grew, her form improved, and her steps became steadier.
All from a simple wish...
...To see her again.
Just one day...
One more time... That they would meet again.
But...
...that day…
Never came...
…
…
…
A week passed.
And soon, Urara miraculously received her acceptance letter from Tracen Academy.
Just like before, her parents were overjoyed.
With almost the exact reaction from the time they received the acceptance letter for trials.
First shocked, then celebration.
Meanwhile, Urara was not as excited as she should have been.
Because something still lingered in her heart.
Something unfinished.
Something she couldn't let go of.
Something that was related to a promise.
A promise she treasured more than anything.
A promise she made with a person she adored and admired.
Then—
The days continued to pass.
And her departure from Kouchi drew nearer.
Closer and closer.
Until—
Two days before her move.
Before Urara was set to head to Tracen Academy for orientation.
To finally settle in Tracen for further studies.
The day she would truly leave Kochi behind...
Then, the morning came.
Sunlight spilled softly through the window, rising over the coast.
In the kitchen, her mother prepared breakfast as usual.
Humming gently.
*Thud* *Thud* *Thud*
The rhythm of chopping played throughout the room with her tail swaying idly behind her.
Suddenly—
*Knock* *knock*
The sound broke the calm, and her mother paused, slightly startled.
"Coming!" her mother called, wiping her hands on her apron as she hurried to the door.
Thinking it was probably a delivery.
Or the mailman.
Without high expectations, she slid it open.
"Sorry for the wait—" she greeted.
But—
She paused.
And instead of a man delivering packages, a pair of horse-like ears greeted her.
Her gaze then drifted forward, and she froze.
A gasp followed.
In an instant, she turned, rushing down the hall.
*Bang!*
The bedroom door slid open.
"Urara!" her mother called.
But Urara just groaned, barely stirring.
"Mom… just a little bit more… It's still early..."
Then—
"Urara…!" her mother continued, "…Mary's here to see you!"
"Mary…?" Urara murmured, still half-asleep, "Who's... that—"
Then—
Her ears instantly twitched, and her eyes snapped open.
"M-Mary-chan?!" She shot up.
Without a second thought, she bolted out of bed, her footsteps clattering wildly through the corridor.
One turn to another.
Toward the open front door, flooded with morning light.
As she stopped.
Her eyes widened.
There, without mistake—
Standing at the entrance was indeed...
...Mary Jane.
Wearing a dress they had never seen before.
With a soft smile, she could never fathom.
As Mary raised her hand and waved, she called.
"How have you been… Urara!" Her smile widened.
"Ma—Mary-chan!" Urara shouted back.
In the next instant—
She launched forward.
Straight into Mary's arms.
"Wah—!" Mary staggered a step back, nearly losing her balance as Urara crashed into her.
"Ma-Mary-chan…!" Urara's voice came out muffled against her, "Where have you been?!"
"I…" Mary paused, then smiled again, "Well… I've been busy."
"N-now that you're here!" Urara fidgeted excitedly, "That means we—we—!"
"I came to fulfill our promise," Mary cut in gently.
"If you beat me on the track… we'd continue where we left off, remember?"
"That's what you said, right?"
She smiled softly.
At that—
Urara paused and suddenly pulled away.
Took a few steps back.
And squinted at her.
Mary fluttered, caught off guard.
"W-what's wrong, Urara?" she asked, flustered, waving her hands.
Urara pointed straight at her.
"It's just that… are you really Mary-chan?!"
"…Or an imposter?!"
"W-what?" Mary froze.
"I-I mean… You don't look and sound like Mary-chan at all!"
"The Mary-chan I knew would never smile like that!"
Mary blinked...
Then puffed her cheeks slightly before bursting into soft laughter.
"Urara…" she said, wiping a tear from her eye, still chuckling, "What are you even saying…?"
She steadied herself, standing upright again.
"Well… It's me, Mary Jane, I'm still who I was," she added gently.
Then—
Her gaze lowered.
"It's just that…"
"I feel… better."
"Better?" Urara tilted her head, confused.
Before she could ask more, Mary stepped forward—
And pulled her into another hug tightly.
"I wanted to say... Thank you… Urara. For everything."
"Thank you for standing up for me."
"Thank you for never giving up on me."
"And…"
"...I'm sorry, too."
"I'm sorry for the things I said… for how I treated you…"
"The things you said?" Urara blinked, confused again.
"Yeah… remember? I used to call you weak… said all sorts of terrible things about you…" Mary said, pulling back slightly, "And I want to take them back..."
Urara tilted her head, then shook it.
"Well, I don't really remember."
Mary paused, then chuckled faintly.
"…Yeah. That sounds like you."
Then suddenly, her tone brightened.
"By the way! Are you planning to hang out in your pajamas or what?"
"I mean—I don't mind! But I'm not sure about others," she added with a small laugh.
Urara froze and looked down.
"…Oh no!" she blurted.
"Wait for me, Mary-chan! I'm changing now!"
She spun around and instantly dashed back inside.
"Mom! I need my clothes!" she added as she dashed past her mother.
"Okay, I'm coming!" and her mother followed after.
Inside the room, drawers opened, clothes flew everywhere as Urara scrambled to find something to wear.
Meanwhile—
Her father stirred on the futon, eyes barely open.
"…W-What's going on…?"
"Oh! Mary came to visit. I think she's here to hang out with Urara," her mother replied.
"I-I… see…" he mumbled, yawning as he rolled over.
He then gave a lazy wave.
"Have fun…"
And promptly went back to sleep...
After a few frantic minutes...
"Got it!"
Urara grabbed her outfit and sprinted to the bathroom.
Quickly brushed and splashed her face with water.
Then—
Her pajamas were tossed to the floor as she rushed into her clothes.
"Hey!" her mother called from behind.
"Put those in the basket properly—!"
But Urara had already bolted past her.
Before her mother could finish—
Urara was already at the door, slipping on her shoes.
"Bye, Mom! See you later!" she waved, bursting with energy.
Her mother sighed, arms crossing.
"This girl…"
Then she called out after her—
"Be careful, okay?!"
"Okay, Mom!" Urara replied brightly, already stepping outside.
And just like that—
She and Mary were already walking off together.
There, her mother also moved to the doorway, watching them go.
And their figures grew smaller along the path.
With that, she shook her head gently.
"My…"
A quiet sigh followed.
"…this girl never changes, did she?"