Since it was training camp, everyone wore the same swimsuits. After changing, Kousei headed to McQueen's dormitory.
"McQueen, are you ready yet?" Kousei called as she entered.
She found McQueen admiring herself in the mirror. "Oh? Am I so captivating with my elegance?" McQueen quipped, supremely confident in her aristocratic charm.
"Um... I think it really suits you, McQueen! Seriously!" Kousei said encouragingly.
McQueen's face immediately darkened. "If you ever say that out loud again, I'll kill you," she threatened, her voice cold.
The deadliest blades are those unseen.
As Kousei and McQueen were about to leave, they suddenly heard a commotion.
"Damn it! Three straight losses?!"
Curious, they followed the noise to its source.
"One more time! I'll definitely win this time!"
They found Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap facing off against Grass Wonder and Special Week.
"Give it up, Little Tama. You don't stand a chance," Oguri Cap said flatly.
"What?! Just you watch! I'm going to win this time for sure!" Tamamo Cross exclaimed, clearly unwilling to accept defeat.
Across from her, Grass exuded effortless composure. "Let's just relax and have some fun," she said.
"Grass is amazing~" Special Week chimed in enthusiastically.
"What are you all playing?" McQueen's sudden appearance startled everyone.
"Oh! It's just McQueen. I thought a mochi had started walking!" Tamamo Cross teased.
"Mochi..." Oguri Cap stared at McQueen, tears welling in her eyes.
"Wait! I was just joking!" Tamamo Cross quickly clarified.
"Oh my, long time no see, McQueen. We're playing a guessing game," Grass said softly, sounding like a perfectly normal Umamusume.
"A guessing game? How does it work?" McQueen asked, genuinely puzzled.
"It's simple! I'll use an object to represent something I'm thinking of, and you have to guess what I'm trying to convey based on that object. Each person gets only one guess," Tamamo Cross eagerly explained.
"Only one guess?" McQueen repeated, her brow furrowed.
"Exactly! Like a showdown between gunslingers in the Wild West—thrilling, isn't it?"
McQueen pondered for a moment, finding the idea intriguing. "Alright, count me in."
Whether as an Umamusume or Trivia Miss McQueen, she was a first-rate star. This time, Miss McQueen would take the lead!
"A three-way battle? How amusing!" Tamamo Cross exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.
As usual, Grass offered no objections, and the three-way trivia game officially began.
The initial rounds proceeded smoothly, with each contestant securing victories in turn. Then came the watermelon.
"This is the final question! Whoever answers correctly wins the entire trivia game! And of course, if no one can answer... I win! I'm staking the honor of an Osaka native on this—victory will be mine!"
"Hmph! Don't underestimate the Mejiro Family!"
McQueen stared intently at the plump watermelon, a sudden flash of insight striking her mind. Yet for some reason, she hesitated to voice the answer.
Tamamo Cross wore a triumphant grin, supremely confident that no one could possibly guess the answer.
"Hehe~," Tamamo Cross smirked triumphantly. "If no one guesses soon, I'm revealing the answer!"
She surveyed the group, then dramatically announced, "The correct answer is... Oguri Cap!"
"Why Oguri Cap?" Special Week asked, clearly puzzled.
"Too bad, that's just how it is," Tamamo Cross shrugged helplessly.
"I can't let that go unchallenged," Kousei suddenly spoke up, breaking her long silence.
Only then did the others notice someone standing behind Mejiro McQueen.
The moment McQueen heard Kousei's voice, she knew trouble was brewing and frantically tried to stop her. "No! No! It's fine! Never mind!"
"I refuse to accept that! McQueen is the rightful winner!"
"What?! Do you seriously think McQueen is more deserving than Oguri Cap?" Tamamo Cross scoffed, her skepticism palpable.
"Fine! I'll show you proof of McQueen's victory!"
"Don't! Don't! I concede! I concede!"
Kousei reached into her chest and pulled out a photograph.
Bang! Kousei slammed a photo onto the table. "Look closely! This is what a true winner looks like!"
The others crowded around, curious. The photo showed McQueen happily devouring dessert, her stomach swollen round like a watermelon.
"See? McQueen is the strongest! The most perfect!" Kousei declared triumphantly.
Meanwhile, McQueen looked utterly defeated.
"Damn it! Are you looking down on Oguri Cap?!" Tamamo Cross retorted sharply.
With lightning reflexes, Tamamo Cross ripped open Oguri Cap's uniform, revealing her own plump belly. "See? Oguri Cap is the right answer!"
Oguri Cap scratched her head sheepishly. "The yakisoba was just so good..."
Kousei and Tamamo Cross glared at each other, neither willing to back down, the tension rising.
"E-everyone, please don't fight!" Special Week tried to mediate, but his efforts were futile.
"What should we do, Grass?!" Desperate, Special Week turned to Grass Wonder for help.
A crimson aura enveloped Grass Wonder as she slowly opened her eyes. "The answer is Spe-chan."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
Kousei, Tamamo Cross, and Special Week reacted differently, but Grass Wonder remained utterly serious. "Spe-chan is the correct answer," she declared.
The tension in the air thickened, creating a tense three-way standoff.
"What do you mean? Are you trying to start a war?" Tamamo Cross struck a defiant pose.
"Perfect! Bring it on! McQueen won't lose!" Kousei retorted fiercely, refusing to back down.
Grass Wonder smiled faintly, resuming her Yamato Nadeshiko composure. "Kill."
Tamamo Cross and Kousei flinched simultaneously. "I have a feeling Grass is talking about something completely different from us," Tamamo Cross muttered.
They exchanged glances, swallowed hard, and silently maintained the unspoken truce.
A makeshift stage had been set up on the beach, drawing the attention of passing Umamusume who couldn't help but stop and stare.
"Alright! Next up is the grand finale of our quiz game! I'm your commentator, Sakura Bakushin O! And joining me is Silence Suzuka!"
"Hello, everyone. I'm Silence Suzuka."
Silence Suzuka's inner thoughts: Why am I even here?
Sakura Bakushin O's enthusiasm was infectious as she announced the contestants: "Bakushin! Bakushin! Let's introduce our competitors! In lane one, it's our national idol, Oguri Cap! In lane two, the indomitable Special Week! And finally, in lane three, the elite young lady of the Mejiro Family, Mejiro McQueen!"
Whoosh!
The atmosphere crackled with energy as the crowd erupted in cheers.
"It's Oguri Cap-senpai! I can't believe I get to see her compete here!"
"Go, Spe-chan!"
"Isn't that Mejiro McQueen? Unbelievable! This event is absolutely explosive!"
The stands buzzed with excitement as the three contestants faced a table piled high with food.
Oguri Cap kept her eyes closed in quiet contemplation, seemingly unaffected by the commotion.
Special Week muttered words of encouragement to himself.
But Mejiro McQueen... she had turned deathly pale, as if her very soul had been drained away.
The event's unexpected success had drawn not only top-tier racers from the Gold Generation but even members of the Student Council.
"Alright! Let the trivia game winners' showdown begin!"