"Rampage-saaa—?!"
"Shut it."
Agnes Flora—the woman who had relentlessly challenged the world's fastest and, in her final race, clocked a world-record class time herself—was currently pinned. Or rather, her face was. As Flora had lunged for a hug, Rampage's foot had met her nose with surgical precision. The sheer flexibility required to deliver a standing face-kick while keeping a neutral expression was a testament to the fact that Rampage's retirement hadn't softened her.
"How many times do we have to do this, you total moron?" Rampage sighed. "Read the room. Do you have zero capacity for critical thought?"
"My love for you is infinite, Rampage-san!" Flora muffled out from behind the sole of the boot.
"Who told you that multiplying by zero gets you infinity? Get off me."
The two onlookers—Air Groove and Mejiro Dober—watched with a mix of confusion and awe. While Rampage treated Flora with a localized version of "extreme violence," she never actually seemed to loathe her. It was a chaotic, rough-edged friendship that only those who had bled together on the turf could understand.
"Anyway," Flora said, smoothing her hair once Rampage finally lowered her leg. "Hana-san told me to report to you. What's the job? Is it something… naughty?"
"The second you make this sound like a cheap adult drama, I'm chaining you to the wing of my Impreza and taking you for a high-speed drift through the mountain passes," Rampage threatened.
"I-I was joking! Just a joke! Ahaha!" Flora laughed, though the sweat on her brow suggested she knew Rampage wasn't.
Rampage handed her a tablet displaying the performance data for Air Groove and Dober. Ever since Suzuka had been officially scouted, Dober had practically moved into Team Canopus, and Air Groove was following suit. They were in a strange state of being—half-cooperating, half-competing, both driven by a shared jealousy.
"I have errands to run," Rampage said. "I need you to handle these two for me today."
"Wait, why me?" Flora blinked, suddenly serious. "Minamisaka-san or Sasada-san are the official trainers here. Why is a member of Team Rigil being outsourced for Canopus grunt work?"
It was a rare moment of logic from the eccentric Flora. Rampage let out a heavy sigh and decided to be blunt.
"Those two joined Canopus because they're obsessed with me. They're currently throwing a silent tantrum because I chose Suzuka as my charge instead of them."
"Ah… I see." Flora looked over at the two younger girls. "I can't blame them, but let's be real—neither of them is suited to be your student right now. Air Groove is still sensitive to pressure, and Dober… well, her 'issue' with men makes her a bad fit for a high-profile trainer like you. You're too much of a lightning rod for them."
"I'm impressed you noticed," Rampage grunted.
"I have my moments. So, you chose the freshman Suzuka instead?"
"If I took those two on now, they'd spend every race trying too hard to please me. They'd burn out before they even debuted."
"And you think I'm the one to tell them that?"
"You're the one who learned to stop chasing shadows," Rampage reminded her. "Tachyon told you to throw away your reverence for the past, and you actually did it. You're the only one who can talk to them on that level."
"Ugh… did Taki-chan tell you all of that?" Flora pouted. "You two are way too close."
"We're friends. Now, deal with it."
"Fine, fine. Since I'm hopelessly in love with you, I'll take the job."
"One more word and it's the mountain pass for you."
"So cruel!"
Rampage walked away, signaling for Suzuka to follow. They were heading off-campus for a specialized run. Flora watched them go, then turned her attention to the two girls approaching her.
"A-Agnes Flora-senpai?" Dober stammered. "Why are you here? We were supposed to meet with Onee-sama… I mean, Rampage-san."
"Hate to break it to you, but Rampage-san is busy," Flora said, her voice taking on a sharper, more mature edge. "She doesn't have time for girls who aren't even her students."
Air Groove and Dober bristled, their expressions turning sour.
"Do either of you actually know why you weren't scouted?" Flora asked.
"It's because… we aren't strong enough yet," Dober murmured.
"Do you really think Mejiro Rampage cares about that?" Flora scoffed. "She can make you strong. That's not the reason."
"Then do you claim to know?" Air Groove challenged, her eyes flashing.
"Of course I do. I fought that woman until my lungs burned. I understand her better than anyone in the Mejiro family ever will."
"For someone she treats like a nuisance, you're awfully confident," Air Groove retorted.
A vein throbbed in Flora's temple, but she forced a smile. Be the bigger person, Flora. They're just middle-schoolers.
"Good grief… if she'd actually scouted you, you'd be broken before your debut. Do you even realize you're not runners to her? You're just followers. You're worshippers at an altar, praying to a god instead of looking at the track."
"How dare you!" Dober shouted. "What's wrong with admiring her? She's our inspiration!"
"Admiring her is one thing," Flora countered, her voice cold. "But you're being protected by her. If you can't see that she's shielding you from the weight of her own shadow, you'll never be on her level. You'll never even touch Suzuka's heels."
The mention of Silence Suzuka hit like a physical blow. The two girls went still, the jealousy flared in their eyes. Flora looked up at the sky, her expression turning uncharacteristically wistful.
"Love is blind, I suppose. I was like that once, too. That's why she picked me for this—I'm the cautionary tale. Look, you'll never reach her as long as you're looking up at her. You have to look past her. If you want to know what it really means to run in her world… then follow me."
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the academy grounds.
"What are we doing today, Rampage-san?" Suzuka asked.
"I'm introducing you to someone. An 'older sister' who helped me out a lot back in the day."
A roar of an engine interrupted them as a flashy, high-end sports car screeched to a halt beside them. The door swung open, and a woman with long, flowing hair and a radiant, slightly outdated vibe stepped out.
"Heeey! Look at these 'mabui' cuties!" the woman chirped, using 80s slang for 'cool.' "You girls need a lift?"
I looked at the car, then back at her. "That's a two-seater, Maruzensky. There's three of us."
"Details, details!" Maruzensky laughed, leaning against the hood. "So, this is the little bird everyone's talking about?"
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