"What do you mean, 'didn't participate'?" Kousei swallowed nervously.
"Exactly what it sounds like."
"Why? Did the President suffer an accident?" Kousei couldn't help but think of the tragedy at the Takarazuka Kinen.
After that race, Tachyon had officially announced her retirement from the Twinkle Series due to a severe leg injury.
"To be honest, I don't know the full story either. But rumor has it that the Emperor's Trainer had a massive falling out with the Central Committee. They seemed to have irreconcilable differences, though the specifics of their argument remain unknown. The Emperor withdrew from the Expedition after her first race, and the other members followed suit one by one.
"In the end, only Sirius Symboli went to the Arc de Triomphe alone. Facing the world's strongest contenders, Sirius fought to the very last moment but ultimately met a crushing defeat.
"After that, the two's fates diverged completely. Sirius disbanded. Symboli Rudolf became the Student Council President, the representative of all Central Umamusume. Sirius Symboli, on the other hand, seemed to vanish from the academy. No one ever saw her again. There are only rumors of a delinquent leader outside the school—an Umamusume with a distinctive star-shaped blaze on her forehead."
"So that's Sirius," Kousei murmured. "What really happened back then? Defeat alone couldn't have driven a wedge between two people who were once so close."
The Central Committee... that name again, Kousei thought.
She had heard about the Central Committee more than once; their shadow seemed to loom over every major incident.
Is my situation similar to theirs?
Kousei hardened her resolve. One day, she would return to Central.
"I know very little," Reiko offered. "If you're interested, you might ask Director Akikawa."
Kousei simply shook her head, gave Reiko a nod, and excused herself.
Not yet, she thought, her resolve glinting like an eerie light in the quiet darkness. The time isn't right.
-
Tracen Academy
T stood alone, smoking and staring blankly at the moon. Behind him, a figure was bound and gagged, their eyes covered. It was the same staff member who had shod Kousei's horseshoes before the Takarazuka Kinen. He struggled violently, muffled groans escaping his lips.
From the shadows, another figure emerged—the Sakura Family Head.
"Time to go, T."
At his words, two Sakura Retainers stepped forward and dragged the bound man away. T casually stubbed out his cigarette in an ashtray, ignoring the man's struggles. He took one last look at the moon, pulling his collar tighter against the cold wind.
"Let's go. The authority will be returned."
He turned and vanished into the darkness.
-
Kousei awoke groggily to the sound of a vendor's cry. A glance at her alarm clock showed it was only six in the morning.
"Hamburg steaks! Fresh carrots! Green juice!"
Her curiosity piqued, Kousei noticed the crowd of customers consisted more of Umamusume than humans. Driven by intrigue, she trotted downstairs to find an old man pushing a small cart, calling out his wares.
At first, the old man looked at her with confusion. But as Kousei drew closer and he saw her face clearly, his expression erupted into pure joy.
"Old Man..."
"Little Umamusume! Would you like some fresh carrots?"
Without waiting for an answer, the old man began stuffing carrots into Kousei's arms, continuing even after she could no longer hold them all.
"That's enough! Old Man! I can't eat this many!"
Kousei quickly stopped the overzealous old man, narrowly avoiding the fate of being crushed by carrots. Buried in a pile of carrots, she looked up as the old man stroked his beard and watched her with a kind smile.
Kousei could feel the old man's special attention. His affection was just like Yurei's—a blend of kindness and sorrow.
"It's been a long time since Rukomachi has seen a young Umamusume," the old man murmured.
His words immediately caught Kousei's attention. She lifted her head and asked, "Old Man, what do you mean by that?"
The old man chuckled at her question. "So, you're interested in hearing some old stories, little miss?"
Kousei nodded eagerly. The old man glanced around wistfully. "Ah, the NAU Route..."
He smiled faintly. "Back in the day, Rukomachi was teeming with Umamusume. The streets were always filled with their cheerful laughter—that was our normal. As the first stop on the NAU Route, it naturally drew competitors from all over."
This was completely different from the Rukomachi Kousei knew. There had to be a hidden story.
"Why are there almost no other Umamusume here now?"
The Old Man's expression darkened. "For some reason, starting from a certain day, fewer and fewer Umamusume were willing to compete. Fewer and fewer were born in Rukomachi as well. It's as if the Three Goddesses have forgotten this town. Today's Rukomachi is nothing like it used to be."
"As the first stop on the NAU Route, Rukomachi had its moment of glory. The sight of girls running with hope in their hearts... it was always so inspiring."
"Old Man, you're telling those old stories again."
Yurei had appeared behind Kousei at some point. The two seemed quite familiar with each other.
"My apologies, Little Belle. I gave all your carrots to this child."
So that's why, Kousei realized. The Old Man came here specifically to give them to Yurei from the start.
"It's fine," Yurei said with a smile. "I can never finish the amount you bring me each day anyway. My Trainer always looks so miserable when he has to help me eat them."
"Good, good."
As the two chatted happily, Kousei picked up her Aojiru and silently took a sip.
"Little Belle," the Old Man asked, "are you participating again this year?"
"Yes, Old Man," Yurei replied. "As long as I can run, I'll give it my all. That's my principle."
Hearing this, the Old Man's expression clouded with worry.
"I heard from Mr. Genbao that your physical condition..."
"I know my own body," Yurei cut in. "My Trainer is just worrying too much."
With that, the Old Man knew there was nothing more he could say.
"Do your best, Little Belle. Goodbye, young lady."
He waved to Kousei and slowly pushed his cart away.
"Yurei-senpai, are you injured?" Kousei asked once the Old Man was gone.
"Didn't I just say? I know my own body," Yurei retorted, using the same words as before.
"Does 'knowing your body' mean your left leg uncontrollably veers outward just before the finish line?"
Yurei fell silent. Kousei said nothing more, and the atmosphere suddenly grew heavy.
"It must hurt a lot," Kousei continued softly. "That's why you can't control your left leg."
"So what?" Yurei snapped. "What do you want to hear? That I should beg for mercy? Or that you should go easy on me during the race?"
Kousei didn't want to say something tactless, but she felt an urgent need to speak her mind. Yet, being naturally quiet and clumsy with words, she struggled to find the right response to Yurei's challenge. In the end, she said nothing at all.
"Don't worry, Kousei-chan," Yurei said, her tone suddenly light and cheerful again, reverting to the approachable Yurei-senpai from before. "As an Umamusume, I'm your senpai. I wouldn't do anything foolish that would make my junior worry. Finish your Aojiru, and let's go train together!"
Kousei could only agree. The two quickly put the brief, tense exchange behind them.