It was as if the entire world had frozen solid.
The eyes that usually longed only for the freedom of the run had suddenly shifted. Their clear radiance was being eroded and replaced by a deeper, more "violent" emotion at a speed visible to the naked eye.
The cerulean hues constricted and receded, replaced by a churning, roaring pitch-black surging from the deepest depths of her pupils.
This wasn't simply a case of "eyes losing their light." If one had to describe it, it was more like a total condensation of emotion—the deepest of nights, a black flame burning with such intensity it threatened to reduce everything to ash.
And that wasn't just a metaphor.
Double Bell Light watched in horror as the light surrounding Oguri Cap seemed to be swallowed by something invisible; even the air began to warp and distort.
The temperature in the room spiked. A wave of dry, searing heat swept through the hallway, blowing her short brown hair back.
With a soft thud, the delicious carrot fell to the floor, but Double Bell Light had no time to worry about dropped food.
Her eyes widened instinctively, and she took a step back in pure survival reflex. Overwhelmed by terror, her legs gave way, and she began to topple backward.
She felt her breath become incredibly difficult, as if the surrounding air had suddenly turned viscous and heavy, making it impossible to inhale.
In just a single moment of contact, Double Bell Light felt herself shivering uncontrollably, her legs turning to jelly. If Fujimaru Ritsuka hadn't reached out to steady her shoulder, she would have definitely hit the ground.
Then, she heard Fujimaru Ritsuka speak: "It's all right, Double Bell Light-san. It's just Oguri."
"..." Double Bell Light froze. She desperately wanted to ask: How is this "all right"?!
But at that exact moment, the world returned to its usual peace.
That powerful, overbearing pressure—something that felt as if it were being etched into her very soul—vanished instantly at Fujimaru Ritsuka's comforting words.
Double Bell Light instinctively looked at Oguri Cap. The image of "silver-gray hair fluttering without wind, as angry as a wild beast baring its claws" was gone.
Instead, Oguri's ears, which had been pinned back in fury, were now drooping forward despondently.
"?" The shift in Oguri Cap's mood was so drastic that Double Bell Light didn't know what to say. Oguri-san, what's with that trembling expression?! Weren't you the one who just released that terrifying pressure?!
Despite it lasting only a split second, Double Bell Light had clearly felt that "Presence"—something that wasn't fire, yet was far more terrifying.
The jet-black aura swirling around Oguri Cap had manifested as a restless flame, rising and falling with her breath, expanding bit by bit until it felt like the world itself was being distorted and eroded.
The moisture in the air seemed to have evaporated instantly; Double Bell Light's lips felt dry. She even wondered if she had hallucinated—that behind that warped light and air, Oguri Cap's silhouette had expanded into a silver-gray apex predator, crouched low and baring its fangs with a low, dangerous growl.
But... seeing so much in such a short time surely meant it was a hallucination, right? Besides, Oguri Cap looked like such a simple, salt-of-the-earth Uma Musume (Double Bell Light thought: even if she acts a bit weird sometimes...). With her ears drooping like that, looking like she'd accidentally made a mistake and was worried about being scolded, it had to be fine, right?
The kind-hearted Double Bell Light suppressed her nervousness and pushed the anomaly to the back of her mind. She tried to speak: "W-wait, Oguri-san..."
Speak? That only happened in her imagination.
Double Bell Light was an introverted Uma Musume who was terrible at socializing. After feeling that dangerous aura and crushing pressure, her lips were trembling so much she couldn't get a word out. The fact that she hadn't fainted on the spot was a testament to her surprisingly strong mental fortitude.
Seeing the black flames extinguished like they'd been doused with ice water, Fujimaru Ritsuka knew that Oguri's misunderstanding had been cleared. Seeing Double Bell Light's nervous yet soft expression, he knew she was a gentle girl—perfect friend material for Oguri.
So, Fujimaru Ritsuka spoke up decisively: "Oguri, aren't you going to come and meet your new friend? Light just helped me prepare a cake for you. Shouldn't you do something? Leaving without a word isn't your style, is it?"
Why had Oguri Cap fallen into a "berserk" state and unconsciously released that terrifying pressure? Because she thought Fujimaru Ritsuka was giving someone else a special meal without her. The promised carrot cake hadn't appeared yet, so why was he treating someone else to carrots? She was his trainee!
The more Oguri thought about it, the unhappier she got, until she finally ripped the door off in a fit of emotion.
But once she entered, her anger vanished instantly. Though her first sight was an unfamiliar Uma Musume with her mouth open, about to bite into a carrot, she also saw the sweet carrot cake sitting there.
In an instant, everything became clear.
It wasn't that Fujimaru Ritsuka had picked up some random girl and was feeding her in secret; they were preparing a cake for her.
The realization that she had completely misunderstood them made Oguri Cap feel embarrassed to death. She stood on her tiptoes, desperately trying to act like nothing had happened.
She even reached back and grabbed the door panel she had just unhinged, preparing to back away and disappear. It was as if she believed that as long as the door was in front of her, they wouldn't be able to see her.
But since Fujimaru Ritsuka had spoken, she couldn't lie to herself anymore. She walked toward them with her head low and her ears drooping. "Trainer-san... and... L-Light-san?"
From Double Bell Light's perspective, it was as if a "moe" filter had been slapped onto Oguri Cap. Every movement she made was full of simple, clear cuteness—there was no trace of the dangerous, monstrous entity from moments ago.
Looking at such an adorable creature, Double Bell Light's heart practically melted. Her last shred of hesitation vanished, and she spoke up nervously, "Ah, yes! Oguri-san, hello. I am Double Bell Light, your classmate. And... I'll be your teammate from now on. P-please take care of me!"
Though she almost bit her tongue, Double Bell Light let out a long sigh of relief. Inside, she cheered: I did it! I successfully introduced myself! Hell yeah!
Double Bell Light: >.<
Watching the internally celebrating Double Bell Light, Fujimaru Ritsuka nudged her elbow, encouraging her to reach out to Oguri.
Noticing Ritsuka's questioning gaze, Oguri Cap immediately caught on. "Please take care of me, Light."
And so, despite a few bumps in the road, the two became friends without any further disaster.
Then, there was a loud THUD as the door panel leaning against the wall fell flat onto the ground, startling Double Bell Light so much her tail stood straight up.
Still, one could probably count that as a tribute to the birth of their friendship.
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