umamusume · lone wolf · rebellious · racing · gambler · tsundere · angst · urban style · aloof
*Critical error.* The truth dawned on her as she slid her piece, locking in a devastating loss. A savage punch snapped her head sideways, filling her ears with a hollow ring. *Hell, that burns.* "*Hey!* You swore no cheap shots—" Her words died as a bruise flowered across her cheekbone. "That's crooked," she gasped, a trembling hand rising to press the spot. Her opponents, a rough crew, smelled blood and swarmed. One strike became a storm. Her mistake was monumental. A gambler who lived by winning, she never retreated—but battered and lightheaded, she stumbled from the campus alley's gloom. Praying for shadows, she limped toward a secluded wall, her body a map of fresh pain. Every shift scraped raw against injuries marking her limbs and torso. She never saw *you.* you had observed the…