As soon as Kousei entered, she saw Contrail talking with someone. T, her trainer, stood at the edge of the room.
Kousei noticed the man talking with Contrail wore a Central Committee badge on his chest. The man, in turn, spotted Kousei's arrival. The moment he saw her, he lowered his head and hurried away.
Kousei didn't press the matter. She simply looked at her father, T, whose eyes held a complex, unreadable emotion.
"Kousei-senpai! You're here!" Contrail exclaimed, rushing to Kousei's side.
Kousei put on a smile. "This is your first G1 after winning the Classic Triple Crown. I wanted to come and cheer you on."
"Senpai!" Contrail was deeply moved.
Suddenly, she noticed Kousei was holding something. Kousei raised her hand and waved a small fan printed with Contrail's face.
"I bought this to support you. I think it's quite cute," Kousei said, waving it a couple more times.
Contrail's eyes sparkled. "Yes! I feel it! Thank you, Kousei-senpai!"
She felt incredibly encouraged, certain she would perform well in the Osaka Cup. Seizing the opportunity, Kousei asked, "That person you were talking to earlier... he was from the Central Committee, right? The race is about to start. What did he want?"
"Oh~ we were just discussing some arrangements for after I take over. It's no big deal. As long as I win, there won't be any problems," Contrail replied nonchalantly.
Kousei glanced at T, who immediately understood her unspoken message.
"It's about time. You should head to the athlete's tunnel and get ready," T said, lightly patting Contrail's shoulder. "The Triple Crown Winner shouldn't be late."
"Oh no! I have to go! Kousei-senpai, make sure you're in the front row! Watch me shine!" Contrail exclaimed, rushing out. She didn't forget to wave to Kousei as she left.
Kousei and T watched her go.
"She's such a vibrant girl, isn't she?" T remarked.
"Like morning dew, like the first buds of early spring."
T gave Kousei a playful look. "You've really grown up. You should have been like this at her age."
Kousei had indeed changed. She was more reserved now than when she first debuted, her emotions more restrained. Growth was always like this—some things were inevitably left behind without you even noticing.
"She's just like me, though," Kousei said. "Targeted by the Central Committee at such a young age."
T scratched his head, looking troubled. "That's right. According to the original plan, the Central Committee was supposed to choose Teio. I guess I got too complacent. Living with that girl made me feel too comfortable... She's a lot like you when you were little. You weren't this quiet and reserved back then."
"Are you hoping I'd act spoiled, Dad?"
"No need. A daughter changes as she grows, and as your father, I accept all of you," T said, feigning heartbreak, which earned him a series of eye-rolls from Kousei.
"By the way," T suddenly asked, making the atmosphere awkward, "did you meet anyone special while you were abroad?"
"Why are you asking that?"
"Youth! Hormones! After breaking free from Acting Chairman Kashimoto, didn't you feel any sparks while enjoying your freedom?"
"No. Between training and races, I couldn't think about anything else."
"Sigh... A hopeless case," T muttered, shaking his head repeatedly.
"I'm your daughter, you know. I might actually cry," Kousei said, pretending to tear up, only to receive a light chop on the head from her old man.
"Do you really think you can fool me? But this isn't so bad. After you retire, you can spend some time with me and your mom. What's that phrase again? 'Family bliss'?"
Kousei chuckled. "I wouldn't mind staying with you two forever, you know."
"No way. Your mom and I still want our couple time. How are we supposed to go on dates with a third wheel around?"
The playful banter between father and daughter brought back a glimmer of Kousei's old self.
"Dad," Kousei said, her expression turning serious again, "do you really think the Central Committee is going to promote Contrail?"
"Promote her? They definitely will. Central's situation is clear as day. Contrail is perfect in every way—the ideal successor to Emperor."
That's right. Contrail's story so far has been the standard protagonist template: a genius emerging in a dark era. Almost everyone has accepted her as the savior, hoping she can restore Central's lost prestige.
A Triple Crown Winner and Commander-in-Chief—the ultimate glory in Central.
"I'm guessing you're about to say 'but'..."
"But... back then, the Central Committee used family and the academy to control Emperor. This time, what will they use against Contrail?"
T didn't know how the Central Committee would act; he could only react as things unfolded. From the moment he took on Contrail, T had a bad feeling. But she was just too brilliant. When she actually became the Triple Crown Winner, the joy completely overwhelmed him.
Kousei knew exactly why Contrail had chosen the Osaka Cup. She was following Kousei's old path: after the Triple Crown came the Spring Triple Crown, and the Osaka Cup was the first step. Contrail desperately wanted Kousei's approval, to prove she was worthy of inheriting her legacy.
In truth, Contrail was far more brilliant than Kousei had been in her early days. During her own Classic Triple Crown season, Kousei had achieved nothing, even failing to make the scoreboard.
Even if Contrail wore Kousei's personal racing outfit, no one would ever associate her with Kousei. This was all just Contrail's obsession.
The phantom of the past lingered, and Kousei couldn't help but wonder how Rudolf would have handled this. As a junior, she had charged forward recklessly; now, as a senior, she found herself hesitating and overthinking. The problems one faced in life were endless.
That's just how life is, isn't it?
In the athletes' tunnel, Contrail walked with a light step, humming a tune.
"Well, well, look who it is~ If it isn't our great hero."
Contrail easily deflected the teasing remark. "Ah, I wondered who that was. It's Her Majesty the Queen! Forgive me for forgetting to bow, I beg your pardon."
Contrail's mock-terrified expression made Almond Eye laugh. It was the first time the two contemporaries had met on a G1 stage, and they were both overjoyed.
"It's really lively today, isn't it? You can hear the crowd even from the tunnel," Almond Eye remarked.
Contrail's nose was practically in the air. "Of course. Where I go, the crowd follows."
"Tch~ So smug."
Although Almond Eye knew most of the audience was there for Contrail, as an Umamusume racer, she had her own pride. Contrail was a Triple Crown Winner, but wasn't she one too?
"Don't get too cocky, or you might stumble."
"I won't lose. Not even to you, Almond-chan."
"Oh~?" Almond Eye puffed out her chest, her gaze sharp as a blade. Confidence and composure radiated from her. The new King and the new Queen both craved a battle against each other.
One day, they would realize how precious it was to have such a worthy rival in their limited careers.