“Run!”
A clear command pierced the night sky, and two figures shot out under the silver moonlight, startling a few resting insects in the roadside bushes.
Oguri Cap’s start was still as swift as lightning, her long gray hair forming a smooth arc behind her.
Her lithe figure exuded a pure, primal sense of power, as if by instinct, she instantly pulled ahead by several body lengths.
The moonlight outlined her smooth muscular lines; every step was light yet powerful, the precision and coordination of years of professional training etched into her bones.
However, unlike the despairing feeling in his memory of being almost instantly left far behind, unable to even catch her silhouette, Kitano this time actually managed to keep up with her initial pace!
Although still trailing, his strides were exceptionally firm and powerful, and the subtle crunch of gravel under his feet could even be heard as he pushed off the ground.
A burst of power far exceeding that of an ordinary human propelled his body, allowing him to cling tightly behind her, not immediately shaken off by that gray flash of lightning.
Oguri Cap, ahead, tilted her head slightly, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing in her blue eyes.
She knew very well that Kitano was hiding something in his body.
When Kitano first transmigrated and gradually adapted to this body, discovering his abnormal physical abilities, he had briefly showed off, meaning he had teased Oguri Cap when she first started running.
Especially during the period when she first entered local training and her strength had not yet rapidly improved, although he couldn’t outrun her, the speed and strength he displayed were definitely not within the realm of ordinary people.
She still remembered one time when Kitano was also spurred by a competitive spirit, and for the first and only time, he seemed to forget the limitations of his body, attempting to truly unleash his full power to compete with her.
The terrifying speed that erupted in that instant, almost tearing through the air, made her even turn her head, completely refreshing her understanding of the limits of humans.
But the result…
was joy turning to sorrow.
His human bones and muscles, far exceeding those of an ordinary person, seemed unable to fully withstand that level of power output, directly leading to a stress fracture.
Since then, he had learned his lesson and never dared to truly go all out again.
Running with her was more about playing along and exercising, never again touching that dangerous boundary.
And tonight, although he still held back to avoid burdening his body, the basic speed, explosiveness, and endurance he displayed were clearly a notch higher than when he trained with her before.
This extent of improvement, in Oguri Cap’s eyes, was already almost approaching the level of a…
well, an undertrained, ordinarily talented, bottom-tier Uma Musume.
“Hoo…
hoo…
I can’t go on…
Cap, you…
you’re trying to murder me…”
They reached the finish line, under the bright lights of the convenience store entrance.
Oguri Cap stopped calmly, her breathing steady.
Only a few glistening beads of sweat on her temples proved that she hadn’t been completely inactive.
Kitano, on the other hand, immediately bent over, hands on his knees, his chest heaving violently, gasping for air.
Sweat dripped down his jawline onto the warm ground.
“Cap…” He caught his breath, looked up, a helpless bitter smile on his face, “This isn’t a post-meal stroll…
this is clearly pre-race special training intensity…
Next time…
next time, let’s just take a walk…
or find an arcade to compete…
This kind of strenuous exercise… Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
really isn’t suitable for a normal civilian like me…”
He deliberately emphasized the word normal, as if highlighting something.
Oguri Cap watched him pant quietly, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes.
She didn’t expose the non-ordinary footwork he had just displayed, merely giving a soft “Mhm,” then handed him a handkerchief she had prepared at some point.
“Kitano-kun, you’re sweating.”
Kitano paused, taking the handkerchief that still carried the faint warmth of the young girl.
He haphazardly wiped his face; a familiar, fresh scent of sunshine and hay entered his nostrils, seemingly calming his heart, which was still pounding from the run.
He straightened up, looking at the completely darkened sky dotted with a few sparse stars and the distant streetlights winding like a galaxy.
He said helplessly, “Let’s go, let’s go, hurry back.
It’ll be deserted on the road if we stay out much longer.”
“Okay.” Oguri Cap nodded, naturally walking to a position slightly ahead of his side—her usual spot, where she could both lead and keep an eye on the situation behind her.
The moonlight was like water, quietly flowing over the quiet street where only cicadas chirped.
The two said no more, walking side by side toward the shared direction they called home.
Two figures, one tall and one short, were stretched, intertwined, separated, and then rejoined by the streetlights.
The sounds of the wind from their run and their heavy breathing seemed to still linger in the hot air, but more than that, there was an unspoken understanding and a tranquility that enveloped the two of them.
Perhaps this was their unique, unspoken way of being together.
It really helps the fic grow!