"Hmm... What exactly happened?"
Sei cracked one eye open as she lazily lifted her head, looking directly at King.
"Doesn't Urara share the same dorm room as you, King?"
"Shouldn't you be the one answering that question more confidently than me?"
"Th-That's exactly the problem, Sei!" King immediately protested.
"She never returned to the dorm yesterday!"
"So I came to the conclusion that she might've stayed in your dorm instead!"
"S-Since..." She hesitated.
She lowered her head before continuing in a much quieter voice.
"You know..."
"What happened between us..."
"And I thought..."
Before she could finish, Sei casually interrupted.
"You thought she stayed somewhere else because she couldn't bear sharing the same room with you?"
"W-Well! I-I mean...!" King stumbled over her words as her shoulders slowly drooped.
"...You wouldn't want to face someone after they've said such terrible things to you..."
"Let alone spend the night in the same room with them..."
"Oh...?" A smug smile then appeared on Sei's face.
"I see someone's feeling guilty again."
Immediately, King's face flushed red.
"H-Hey!"
"I'm being serious here!"
"Well..."
Sei rested her cheek against the desk again.
"I can't speak for Urara."
"But I can tell you that's probably not what happened."
"After all..."
"Urara isn't the type to run away over a little hardship."
She paused before adding lazily,
"...Unlike a certain someone I know."
"Enough with your sarcastic remarks!" King growled in frustration as she folded her arms and turned away.
"Fine!"
"If you don't know where she is, then simply say so and spare me your dreadful sarcasm."
Sei shrugged.
"Why don't you wait here a little longer?"
"I'm pretty sure El and Grass will be here any minute now."
"W-What?"
"Why would I—"
Before King could finish—
"Speaking of the devil..." Sei murmured with a yawn.
"There they are."
Sei then lazily gestured toward the doorway as two familiar figures entered the classroom together.
"Oh! Is that... King?!" El immediately waved with a bright grin.
"¡Buenos días, King Halo! How are you?"
And King simply sighed.
"Yeah, I-I'm fine."
"My, I never expected to see you joining us again, King." Grass added as she smiled softly.
"But it's certainly a pleasure to have you back."
"Oh!" El suddenly perked up.
"By the way!"
"Where's Urara, King?"
"Did you two finally make up already?"
"Wait." King froze.
"You mean..."
"You two haven't seen Urara either?"
Grass blinked.
"What do you mean?"
There, Sei answered before King could.
"It seems Urara never returned to the dorm yesterday."
"So King came here hoping one of us had seen her."
She shrugged.
"And apparently..."
"None of us have."
"¡Dios mío!"
El visibly stiffened.
"Th-Th-Th-That's bad news!"
Grass slowly shook her head.
"We haven't seen Urara since we said goodbye yesterday."
"We actually thought she went to find you afterward."
"She did," Sei replied flatly.
"But..."
"King here decided to ruin that."
"Th-That's...!"
King instinctively protested.
But the words died in her throat before she lowered her head.
"Yeah."
"Th-That... was partially my fault." She clenched her fists.
She then perked back up as she turned to them both.
"B-But if Urara didn't stay with any of you..."
"Then..."
"Where could she possibly be?!"
Grass paused for a moment before speaking gently.
"Perhaps we shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet. We don't even know for sure that she's actually missing."
"Sí, sí!"
El gave a confident thumbs-up.
"Maybe she's just running late!"
"Or something, or someone, held her up!"
Grass nodded.
"Exactly. Let's not assume the worst until we know for certain."
"And if she still hasn't shown up by lunch, we can continue this conversation then."
With that, King took a slow breath.
"Alright..."
"Then..."
"I'll meet you all during lunch."
The three of them nodded in agreement.
Before King could leave, Grass spoke again.
"However..."
"If it's truly as serious as you described..."
"We may have to inform the staff."
"Or even the Student Council."
"W-What?!"
King immediately turned around.
"Isn't that a little too much?!"
Grass gently shook her head.
"Nothing is overkill if someone's life could be at risk. Don't you think?"
King fell silent.
"But don't worry," Grass continued with a reassuring smile.
"We'll only do that as a last resort."
Before anyone could add another word...
The first-period bell rang throughout the academy.
And their conversation naturally came to an end as they returned to their respective classrooms or seats...
...
...
...
During class...
Ishida once again noticed the empty seat where Urara's was.
His gaze lingered there for a moment before shifting toward King.
And she looked rather unusually restless.
He had already noticed that King and Urara had stopped coming to class together after their recent fallout.
But...
He didn't know Urara had failed to return to the dorm altogether.
With no clear connection to make...
He simply assumed Urara was late again.
So he continued the lesson without further delay.
Until the lunch break came.
And Urara's seat remained empty...
As soon as the bell rang, students streamed out of the classroom toward the cafeteria and school grounds.
Among the first to leave...
Was King.
She hurried toward the door with unusual urgency.
Ishida narrowed his eyes.
That alone was enough to catch his attention, since King Halo was never one to rush out of class.
So, he called her, "King."
And his voice immediately stopped her in her tracks as she turned around.
"Y-Yes, Mr. Ishida?" She visibly fidgeted.
"Do you happen to know where Urara is?"
"She missed the entire morning."
"Is she ill?"
King stiffened.
"I-I..."
"I don't k-know anything."
For a moment, Ishida studied her expression as her stammer only deepened his suspicion.
"Hmm..."
Still...
He had no evidence to connect King's behavior with Urara's disappearance.
After a brief pause, he simply nodded.
"Very well, you may go."
There, King bowed quickly.
"Th-Thank you, Mr. Ishida."
Without another word...
She hurried out of the classroom.
Straight toward the cafeteria...
...
...
...
A moment later...
The four of them gathered around the same table in the cafeteria once again.
This time...
King sat with her head lowered.
Her thoughts wandered elsewhere.
As guilt, worry, and regret threatened to consume her.
But before they could—
"King...?" Someone uttered.
No response.
"King!"
The three called out together.
Only then did King immediately jolt upright.
"Y-Yes?!" she fidgeted as El began.
"So, King..."
"Did she come to school?"
"Or..."
"Do you have any idea where Urara might've gone?"
King slowly lowered her head again.
She gently shook it.
"No..."
"She didn't come to class today..."
"And... I haven't seen her."
"Then perhaps we should—"
Grass started to speak.
But King quietly interrupted.
"Do you think..."
"Something happened to her?"
She looked at the table.
"Do you think..."
"She might've gotten into an accident?"
"Or..."
"Maybe she got lost somewhere outside the academy?"
Her hands slowly curled into fists.
"And..."
"What if all of this..."
"...is because of me?"
Her voice trembled.
"Because I treated her like that..."
"If I hadn't said those things..."
"If I had never pushed her away..."
"...None of this would've happened."
She gritted her teeth.
Her shoulders trembled ever so slightly.
The other three quietly watched her, and none spoke.
Until...
Sei let out a sigh.
"Oh, come on, King."
She shrugged.
"Don't underestimate Urara."
"Even if she somehow got lost..."
"Or ended up in some..."
"...unfortunate situation."
"I'm sure she'll come back with that same ridiculous amount of energy."
"And that silly sparkle in her eyes." A faint smile then crossed Sei's face.
"Did you forget? Urara is a miracle Umamusume."
"How else do you think someone with those questionable results managed to get into Tracen in the first place?"
"So..."
Sei stretched lazily in her seat.
"Stop beating yourself up."
"And let's start thinking about how we're going to find her."
She shrugged.
"Even if you really were at fault..."
"Someone like Urara would probably say otherwise."
"So..."
"Why don't we look for her after school?"
"We can ask around."
"Who knows?"
"Someone might've seen her."
At that, Grass nodded.
"I agree. It's the most reasonable course of action."
"Sure! Count me in, mi amiga!" El said, giving a confident thumbs-up.
"I'm sure if we gather all our effort to search together, we'll surely find Urara and bring her safely back home!"
With that, King slowly lifted her head.
"Guys..."
Her eyes, heavy with guilt only moments ago, softened slightly.
Sei then looked at her and gave a faint smile.
"After all..."
"A friend will never..."
"...abandon a friend," and King finished the sentence.
With that...
The four of them settled on their plan.
Once classes ended...
They would search the academy together.
And if needed...
Beyond it.