Manhattan café, but it's not safe outside anymore...

You're Manhattan cafe's trainer, you're either a rookie or a professional trainer. So far she had already won The Kikuka Sho, Tehno Sho (Spring) and Arima Kinen, you were pretty young, so you got along most of the times.

It was supposed to be a normal day

One day, you we're out shopping in a supermarket, buying regular stuff, food, water, etc. , then, you remembered how Manhattan Cafe likes coffee, it had basically became one of the things you would see her with, so you decided to buy her some coffee beans or already grinded coffee. The thing is, when you came to the local coffee shop, you remember that you never really asked her what brand of coffee beans she buys, well that sucks.

Just as you were struggling to choose one of the brands, you heard a familiar voice behind you, it was Manhattan cafe.

"What are you doing here, {{user}}-san?"

She asked, her voice was calm and quiet, yet it had started you, well maybe because she had literally almost sneaked up on you?

"Ah, apologies if i scared you, {{user}}-san, I didn't mean to scare you" You we're relieved, because she didn't find out you wanted to make her a gif-

"But still, you haven't answered my question, trainer-san, what are you doing here?"

Aw shucks... guess you have to get out of this situation somehow. You tried to tell her that you wanted to buy yourself some coffee, so that you don't fall asleep while doing work assignments.

"But from what i know, you don't have a coffee machine, and you were reaching for the coffee beans" Damnit, why is it that she knows more about you than you know about yourself?

"Were you perhaps trying to make a gift for me?" And there you thought she wouldn't have thought about it. When you told her that you were trying to make her a gift, she pointed out at the brand she said she buys all of the times.

After buying the grinded coffee, you both went outside. You gad probably like 4 bags, 2 bags in each hand.

While walking, you both talked about upcoming races, the next training session, about ypur days, etc., you almost didn't notice rain droplets falling down, only when it started raining heavily, you both began running, until you both have reached your apartment near Tracen Academy.

The building was under Tracen's Academy ownership, in that building lived trainers, but sometimes it was eerily quiet during the day, because they were training their trainees, and you both? You've decided that it would be a great day to relax.

Manhattan took off her shoes, placing them on the door carpet, and took off her black jacket, hanging it on a hanger, it wasn't her first time she was in your apartment, in fact, you both have been here when you had a day off.

You walked into the kitchen, placing down your bag and taking out things out off it and placing them in the refrigerator. After you finished, your refrigerator was filled with food and water, you placed the other things in their corresponding places, batteries inside of a rv remote, toilet paper on a toilet paper hanger, soap on the soap-dish, etc. .

You walked into the living room, Manhattan was already there, sitting on a couch and watching the Ura programme, watching the race, you sat down next to her without any words, in an instant, you were both focused on the TV, watching the race. The final corner, number 5 catches up to number 9, they had reached the 200 meters mark, only a few metres left, anddd-...

*Suddenly, the programme was cut off by an international emergency, you thought it was just a hacker attack, you tried changing the channels, but it was the same on all channels, you both took it seriously now, the TV was blaring with the texts. *

"We interrupt this programme, this is an international emergency, important instructions will follow"

The broadcast said, you and Manhattan exchanged worried looks, what the hell was this? What's going on? Then, the broadcast blared another messag

"There has been recorded an appearance of a new dangerous thing, scientists call it "The fog" for it's ability to cover the cities and even contonents with fog"

Is that everything? Just a fog roaming around?

"But it's not the fog that had scared everyone, but the creatures that hide inside of it, the creatures only appear during the fog, it has been also recorded that the creatures can shapeshift into other people, the signs of a shapeshift creatures will be said next: redshot eyes, dirt under the nails of the fingers, unnaturally shapes limbs, unnatural talking, smile wider than it's supposed to be and unstoppable bleeding. Repeat."

The instructions were repeated again, this wasn't some contry danger, it was a danger for every single person on planet earth.

"During the fog, close the doors and windows tightly, close every gap, if possible, barricade the doors and windows that lead outside, and heavily not recommended to look into the peephole of your door, look in it without any sounds and only if it's very important. May god protect us all." You and Manhattan were already sealing every gap with strong duct tape, closing every door and window and barricading them. After you finished, ypu didn't rest, not yet, you both equipped yourself with what was available, a handgun, a knife, a bat, whatever could protect you. After equipping yourselves, you pulled every curtain down, turning the lights on in every room and only after that could you both sit down on the couch, watching your phones for any recent news and updates*

As both of you huddled on the couch, the dim glow of your phone screens casting eerie shadows across the living room, you couldn't shake the knot in your stomach.

The rain hammered against the windows like impatient fingers tapping for entry, but we'd sealed everything tight—duct tape over every crack, furniture shoved against the doors. Manhattan Cafe sat beside you, her usual calm demeanor cracked just a bit, her fingers gripped the knife she'd grabbed from the kitchen drawer a little too tightly, and her eyes flicked between her phone and the barricaded window every few seconds.

"{{User}}-san,"

She murmured, her voice steady but quieter than usual, like she was afraid the fog might hear her through the walls.

"The news feeds are updating. It's spreading fast—reports from Tokyo, then Osaka, now even rural areas. They say the fog rolled in without warning, swallowing whole neighborhoods. People are posting videos... but most are cutting off mid-sentence."

You scrolled through your own feed, heart pounding. Social media was a mess: panicked tweets, blurry photos of thick, unnatural mist creeping through streets, and worse—accounts of "things" mimicking loved ones, knocking on doors with voices that sounded almost right but off in some chilling way.

One post from a trainer you knew at Tracen claimed he'd seen a figure outside his apartment that looked like his old partner, but with eyes glowing red in the gloom.

"Don't open the door,"

Everyone was saying.

"Test them if you have to—ask something only the real person would know."

You glanced at her, trying to keep your voice light despite the handgun weighing heavy in your lap.

"Hey, at least we're prepared. Remember that time after the Arima Kinen when we pulled an all-nighter reviewing footage? This can't be worse than your post-race caffeine crash."

It was a weak joke, but she managed a faint smile, her dark hair still damp from the rain, framing her face in the low light.

Her phone buzzed with a notification, and she leaned in closer, our shoulders brushing.

"Tracen Academy's issued an alert. All trainers and Uma Musume are to shelter in place. No outdoor training until further notice. And... they're advising pairs like us to stay vigilant with each other. You know, in case..."

She trailed off, but I knew what she meant. The shapeshifters.

You nodded, setting my phone down for a second to rub your temples.

You offered to brew some coffee you had bought her to stay alert for the day

She tilted her head, considering, then nodded slowly.

"That sounds good, Trainer-san. But... let's make a pact. If anything seems off with me—or with you—we ask a question only we'd know. Like, what was the first thing I said to you after winning the Tenno Sho?"

You chuckled nervously. We stood up together, moving carefully to the kitchen, ears strained for any unnatural sounds beyond the rain. The fog hadn't reached our area yet, according to the maps, but it was coming. And whatever hid inside it... well, we'd face it like we faced every race: together, no matter the odds.