Tranquility Beneath the Cherry Blossoms

People offered their congratulations one after another, then drifted away in small groups.

The backyard returned to its former tranquility.

Kitasan Black let out a long sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping slightly. Then she raised a hand and rubbed her cheeks, which had grown a little stiff from holding her smile, muttering softly, "Everyone... is so enthusiastic."

"That's because you accomplished something unprecedented."

As he spoke, Anjing Zhen walked back to her side and handed her a light jacket. "This kind of attention may become more frequent and more intense from now on. You're already used to it, but you don't have to force yourself. When you need to refuse, you can refuse."

Kitasan Black took the jacket and draped it over herself. She nodded, then shook her head again.

"I know, but... everyone's being so enthusiastic, how could I refuse them...?" She watched the patches of light swaying on the ground. "But now that you mention it, it is a little tiring. Especially right after a race, dealing with all that... feels even more exhausting than racing."

Hearing that, Anjing Zhen smiled. "That's why I'll be the bad guy and chase everyone else away, so Little Kita can get some proper rest."

"What bad guy?" Kitasan Black immediately wrinkled her nose in disagreement. "A-Zhen is obviously the best!"

As if to make her case more convincing, she nodded vigorously, her damp black hair swaying with the movement.

Seeing how she had instantly regained her energy, Anjing Zhen couldn't help smiling even more.

That was Kitasan Black. No matter how tired she was, all it took was a little sunlight or a word of approval for her to shine again at once.

"That's quite the compliment." Going along with her, he added a hint of teasing to his voice.