Umamusume, they are born to run. They share names and dreams with horses from another dimension.

And differently from those horses, and normal humans, umamusume also share bonds deeper than any other. They call it “soulmates”.

A connection so deep you can feel it resonate within you, someone that will be a part of your life forever, it doesn't need to be romantic, as long as they're close.

But finding that soulmate is harder than it seems, they could be anywhere in the world, and while there is a mark that connects them, it's not so simple.

The mark is like a tattoo, somewhere in your body, and it is the thing your soulmate says at the exact moment you realize you want them in your life forever, and whoever is your soulmate might not have you as theirs.

Admire Vega is not an umamusume to allow herself to think of those things. The more she thinks about her soulmate, the less she focuses on races. And she never even thought she should have one, nevermind taking her sister's chance, there are just so many walls she needed to let down just to think about someone like that.

And of course, someone kicked those walls with the strength of a hurricane.

Ayabe looks at the mirror, staring at the spot on ribcage. The words “together with you from here on, I want to be your biggest rival.” engraved into her skin since her birth.

And, looking back, who else could it have been if not Narita Top Road? The girl that said Ayabe was her goal since the start; her first rival; the girl that is so bright she can make even the stars disappear, as the sun does every morning.

And what can the moon do if not admire the light of the sun?

Ayabe sighs, finally putting her shirt on and letting that mark be as it should. Hidden.

Top Road likely doesn't have her as her soulmate, why would she have Ayabe as anything other than a rival? Because of Top Road, she can run as she wants, live as she wants.

But she still does not deserve that love. She does not deserve to be treated so kindly by someone she keeps at arm's length, does not deserve her friend's concern over her. That affection should be given to someone that can match that energy, to someone that can smile and laugh with Top Road, to someone that doesn't bring the mood down so often.

Someone that will make Top Road happy, that someone is not her.

And Ayabe will be happy just to have Top Road as a friend, even if her heart aches to be closer, even if her skin burns every time they touch, even if Ayabe has looked at her lips so often she has memorized their shape.

She is too “down bad” (as Curren would say) for her own good.

She leaves the bathroom, a bit more composed, but those words burn into her mind. She regrets not saying anything back then, but what would she even say?

Outside of the dorm's bathroom, her eyes instantly move to the blonde passing by as if they're magnets, and it's her luck that the girl saw her too, giving her that bright smile of hers.

“Hey Ayabe!” The girl exclaims, running over to her side as if they hadn't seen each other earlier in class.

“Top Road.” She greets back, feeling the sides of her lips quirk up.

“Your hair looks pretty like this.” Top Road says, slowly (as if she didn't want to scare Ayabe) moving her hand to a strand of Ayabe's hair.

Vega hums, trying to both calm down her heart and not let her blush show too much.

“It's still a bit humid from the shower.” She answers.

“Yeah, but I don't think I ever saw your hair out of that ponytail.” Top Road says, looking back at Ayabe's eyes and softening her own. “Or your ears without that cover.”

Ayabe blinks, moving a hand to feel her own right ear. She had left the cover on the bedroom before going down to take a shower, but being seen without it somehow makes her feel like she's almost naked.

“Ah, I don't do this often.” She agrees. “Where were you going?”

“Oh.” Top Road lightens up as if she suddenly remembered something. “I was searching for you, actually. Can you meet me on the grounds behind the dorms in 10?”

“It's against the dorm rules to leave the dorms this late.” Ayabe says, but Top Road already knows that.

“Yes, but I really want to show you something!”

And honestly, how can Ayabe refuse that smile? She was always going to agree.

“Of course, see you there?”

Top Road nods, and runs off, giving her a thumbs up. Ayabe is left alone, trying to understand her friend before shaking her head and getting her smile back down before anyone sees her like this.

She should at least get her ear cover back, but maybe the hair can stay down…

—

It turns out that Vega leaves the dorm a bit earlier than Top Road told her to, so she stays in the shadows, leaning against the wall as she looks up at the stars and thinks.

Top Road can be unpredictable, honestly, the most predictable person in her life is Curren. Opera will predictably always cause a bit of chaos, but the how is never something she can guess, and Top Road….

Her brain works in a way that Ayabe can never know what she's thinking, but it is usually something mushy, happy.

Nothing that Ayabe is.

She tries to search at the stars for answers, but the stars are quiet, her eyes go over the sister stars as she sighs quietly to herself.

The door near her opens, and Ayabe looks to see Top Road come up, with a smile on her face and a small backpack on her hands, the lights from inside are just enough to show the tint of pink her cheeks have.

And Ayabe can't help but stare as Top Road looks at her, smile widening even more. Her heart soars.

“Hi, sorry I was searching for something and- were you here for long?” Ayabe shakes her head to answer, stars nearly forgotten already.

She really is too bright.

“That's good.” Top Road stars walking, holding Ayabe's wrist and pulling her along.

Ayabe closes her eyes, warmth radiating from the single touch in her arm and trusting Top Road to take them where she wants to go.

Until Top Road jerks forward, Ayabe opens her eyes just in time to see her friend barely able to keep herself from falling… of course, maybe Ayabe should be paying more attention actually.

Top Road doesn't look at her then, laughing quietly to herself and rubbing the back of her neck.

“Are you okay?” Ayabe asks.

“Yup, just tripped!” Top Road says, and keeps walking.

Soon, they leave the dorms area, and walk a bit more until the park nearby, it's apparently where Top Road wanted to take them to, since she just goes in, still pulling Ayabe along.

When they stop, she sees Top Road take a picnic blanket out of the backpack and put it on the grass.

“Come on!” She says, and Ayabe raises an eyebrow at her before quietly sitting down.

At that, Top Road almost flops down, laying on her back and staring up at the stars.

So, Ayabe does the same, leaning her head back to look above. Top Road mentioned having something to say, and Ayabe is curious but doesn't want to be pushy, so she waits.

“Wait Ayabe, where is Vega again?” Top Road breaks the silence, and Ayabe slightly smiles before pointing up to it.

“That one, I showed you before.” Ayabe answers, looking back at Top Road.

“I know, but they all look very similar.” Top Road pouts, looking up at Vega and then back at Ayabe. “Okay, I think I'm ready!”

Top Road sits up, clutching a hand to her chest and takes a deep breath before speaking.

“Hey, Ayabe. Do you know who your soulmate is?”

Ayabe blinks, slightly letting her head fall to one side. Answering ‘you’ seems too direct, so she decides not to answer.

“Is that what you came to talk about?”

“Yes!! Kind of! Yes.” Ayabe has never seen Top Road so… flustered. Her fingers are playing with the hem of her shirt, and she's not looking at Ayabe's face, while her own

Cantopop

Supper Moment- 無盡 (Infinity)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PACFmxlHm8

Dear Jane-銀河修理員 (Galatic Repairman)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sg8V5BLMEhE

Beyond - 光輝歲月

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j3swX5tycM

張敬軒 - 隱形遊樂場 (Imaginary fairground)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9ntnHvD4tQ

Chinese / Taiwanese Rock n Pop

草東沒有派對 - 山海 (Wayfarer)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2311FZWoFQ

萬能青年旅店-殺死那個石家莊人 （Kill That Shijiazhuang Man)

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Tg411G7t1

老王樂隊｜我還年輕 我還年輕 (Teen's Edge)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbNPJr_0tqA

Deca Johns- 海浪 (Waves)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FonjL7DQAUQ

溫蒂漫步- 我想和你一起 (Just Wanna Be With You)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltFNlTWDgU8