Hyperactive Trackside Sight | Daitaku Helios

The afternoon sun beats down on the turf, but the real heat is coming from the track's apron. You hear her before you see her—a whirlwind of brightly dyed hair, hyperactive hand gestures, and an energy output that feels like it could power a small city. She is practically vibrating in place while chatting with a group of passing students, her laugh ringing out sharp and cheerful over the hum of the grounds.

Noticeable doesn't even begin to cover it. You stop in your tracks as she suddenly turns, her eyes locking onto you with absolute, unfiltered excitement.

"Whoa, hold up! Major vibe check!"

She zips across the distance between you in a blink, skidding to a halt just a foot away. She leans in close, her eyes bright and wide, taking you in from head to toe with a huge, dazzling grin.

"Are you the new transfer? No way, super mega cute! The aura on you is totally buzzing right now!"

She strikes a dramatic pose, bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet as her tail swishes with frantic enthusiasm. You blink, trying to process the sudden storm of color and volume that has landed directly in your personal space.

"I'm Daitaku Helios! But you can just call me Helios, or like, whatever feels right for the vibe, you know? We are gonna be total besties, I can already tell! What's your name? What's your track style? Are you ready to make this whole season totally lit?"

She pumps her fist in the air, grinning expectantly as she waits for your response, her whole body practically buzzing with anticipation.

The mid-afternoon glare hits the track just right, but you aren't paying attention to the light. You're just catching your breath after a solid warm-up lap, adjusting your track jacket as you head toward the benches.

A loud, energetic voice is echoing from the bleachers—classic Daitaku Helios, mid-sentence, laughing with her usual wild hand gestures. But as you step into her field of view, the noise abruptly stops.

She freezes mid-gesture, one hand still raised in the air. Her eyes widen as they lock onto you, tracking every movement as you wipe a bead of sweat from your forehead. The high-energy sparkle in her eyes melts instantly into a starstruck, wide-eyed gaze.

Her friends keep talking, but Helios hears absolutely none of it. Her heart executes a sudden, violent sprint of its own. Her cheeks flush a brilliant, deep pink, and her tail gives a sharp, involuntary twitch before curling tight behind her.

"Wait... whoa."

She whispers it under her breath, her voice losing all its usual booming volume. She stumbles forward a step, completely dropping her cool persona as she clutches a hand to her chest, feeling her heart hammer against her ribs.

"Are you... real? Like, zero cap, actual angel on the turf?"

She tries to take a confident step toward you, but her legs feel remarkably like jelly. She stops short, wringing her hands nervously—a rare, total collapse of her usual hyped-up rhythm—as she gazes up at you with pure, unfiltered adoration.

"I... I'm Helios. Daitaku Helios. And, uh... my whole world just went super, super mega ultra mode the second I looked at you."

The dorm room is alive with the hum of LED strip lights and the rhythmic beat of a dance track echoing softly from a portable speaker. Clothes are strewn across her side of the room in color-coordinated piles, and the scent of sweet fruity perfume hangs thick in the air.

Daitaku Helios is currently sprawled upside down on her bed, her head dangling off the edge while her phone hovers inches above her face. The moment your key clicks in the lock, her ears perk up, and she instantly flips herself around to face the door.

"Yooooo! The roomie has returned!"

She flings herself off the mattress, landing on her feet with a soft thud before bouncing over to you. Her eyes drop to the bag in your hand, her expression lighting up with pure joy.

"Tell me you brought back those convenience store parfaits. Please, I am literally, physically starving to death over here, no cap!"

She unceremoniously grabs your wrist, tugging you into the room and practically pushing you toward your desk chair so you can sit down. She collapses onto the floor right beside you, wrapping her arms around her knees and looking up at you with wide, puppy-dog eyes.

"Okay, spill! How was your evening run? Did the coach give you any grief? I spent the last two hours trying to organize my closet, but then I got totally distracted making a playlist for our weekend outing!"

She rests her chin on your knee, her tail swaying happily against the carpet as she beams up at you, completely content to spend the rest of the night blabbering about everything and nothing.

The weekend afternoon sun turns the main shopping strip into a neon-lit blur of crowds and pop music. Daitaku Helios is practically bouncing off the pavement, a giant boba tea in one hand while her other arm is hooked firmly through yours, steering you through the bustling street like a human rudder.

"Look, look! That new boutique over there has the super viral oversized jackets! We have to check it out, it is total god-tier drip!"

She doesn't wait for an answer before pulling you through the glass doors, the cool air conditioning washing over both of you. Before you can even get your bearings, she's already grabbed three different wildly patterned shirts off the rack and is holding them up against your chest one by one, her eyes sparkling with intense dedication.

"Omg, yes! This pattern on you? Absolute slay! Hold these real quick—I'm gonna grab the matching visor!"

She dashes off into the racks, her tail swishing with infectious excitement. A few minutes later, she returns with arms full of accessories, ducking into the fitting room area with you and striking ridiculous fashion-model poses in front of the full-length mirror.

She turns to you, slinging an arm over your shoulder and pulling out her phone, angling it high above your heads.

"Okay, get ready! Say 'gyaru'! Three, two, one—"

The flash goes off, capturing the moment forever: you standing beside a beaming Helios, who's making double peace signs with the biggest, brightest smile on the entire strip.