"Central..."
Kuroha muttered the word under her breath.
Being a local trainer really did come with too many inconveniences—resources, facilities, exposure, and even the opportunity to participate in certain major races were all limited.
The talents of Fujimasa March and Inari One would eventually be buried if they stayed running on the sandy tracks of the local circuits.
They deserved a much bigger stage—and that stage was...
Central Tracen Academy!
While Kuroha was still lost in thought about Central Tracen Academy—
At this very moment inside the Academy, it was already lunchtime.
Uma Musume were gathered in the cafeteria, lively chatter and laughter filling the air.
A cute Uma Musume with shoulder-length cherry-pink hair held a lunch tray and stood off to the side, scanning the room for a spot.
When her gaze landed on a certain table, her eyes lit up and she quickly walked over with a bright smile.
"Mind if I join you?"
The Uma Musume at the table didn't mind at all and made space for her—it was already a habit for them to eat together.
"Chiyo-chan, here, sit here!"
A well-endowed Uma Musume with a gentle look on her face waved at the cherry-haired girl and patted the seat beside her.
"Ah, thank you, Gulf!"
Sakura Chiyono O ran over to Super Creek, set her tray down, and sat beside her.
No sooner had she sat down than Creek leaned over and softly asked,
"Why so late today?"
"Uh… I ran into Maruzensky-senpai on the way here, and we talked for a while."
As she spoke, Chiyono O picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece of fried chicken, popped it into her mouth, and squinted in satisfaction.
But as she remembered what actually happened, a blush crept onto her cheeks.
"Talked" wasn't exactly accurate—Maruzensky had just spent quite a while playing the "pinch the cheeks" game with her.
Ugh, so embarrassing… better not mention that.
At that moment, a yellow-hooded Uma Musume across the table set down her spoon and chimed in,
"Did you all see the news?"
"You mean about the Derby?"
"Oguri Cap?"
The girls tilted their heads in thought, then remembered—the story had been everywhere recently, both online and in the papers.
"You mean how Oguri Cap can't participate in the Derby because she didn't register early?"
The yellow-hooded Uma Musume—Daitaku Helios—sat next to Yayo no Muteki, who spoke up in a calm tone.
But while her voice was steady, her tightly clenched left fist betrayed her inner turmoil.
As the Satsuki Shō champion, she had been unable to defeat Narita Brian in the Mainichi Hai.
The news and gossip now swirled with extreme takes:
That if Oguri Cap had entered the Classic Triple Crown, she would definitely have been the champion!
That those who had beaten her were just benefiting from the URA's outdated and unfair rules!
That the Triple Crown without Oguri Cap was simply boring…
Although those hot takes were quickly drowned out by rebuttals, they still weighed on her mind.
"This can't be helped. Authority isn't so easily overturned."
Mejiro Ardan—Mejiro McQueen's older sister and a current member of the prestigious Mejiro family—spoke with a light smile.
She knew many of the behind-the-scenes details, even that "The Emperor" herself had gone to the URA to intervene, only to return empty-handed.
She knew Oguri's exclusion from the Triple Crown was irreversible.
"Such a shame," Creek sighed.
But the others didn't echo her sentiment.
For them, unlike Creek, the Japan Derby in the Classic Triple Crown was a mountain they had to climb.
Now, their strongest rival couldn't even attempt the ascent—they should be glad.
And yet, an invisible knot of frustration lingered in their hearts.
—Even if we lose, we still want to race her fair and square!
As if sensing this shared feeling, Creek smiled warmly to ease the mood.
"Speaking of which, where's Oguri? Haven't seen her for lunch yet."
Helios raised an eyebrow and pointed behind Creek with a teasing grin.
"Uh… isn't it obvious?"
They turned to look—
At another table piled high with mountains of food.
And in the middle of those food mountains sat a silver-gray figure, her head bobbing like a pecking chicken, blurring into countless afterimages.
In an instant, one of the mountains vanished without a trace.
And yet her belly looked as flat as ever, as if she had only drunk a glass of water.
"How does she even eat that much?" Helios stared curiously.
Creek just cupped her cheek and smiled gently.
"Totally something Oguri would do~"
Muteki frowned.
"I wonder what she'd think if she saw all those news articles?"
Chiyono O, who had been quietly eating like an ostrich avoiding trouble, thought for a moment and then ventured,
"If it's Oguri… she probably wouldn't even read the news, right?"
"…Yeah, sounds about right."
Helios shrugged with a helpless smile.
"That girl only cares about running and eating. News? She'd probably find it too much trouble to even glance at."
As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward Oguri—
The silver-haired girl had just demolished a second food mountain and was now happily licking oil from the corner of her mouth.
"But!"
Muteki unclenched her fist, her tone still stiff.
"Even if she doesn't know what's being said, I won't let it shake my resolve."
She took a sip of water to mask her emotions.
"On the stage of the Classic Triple Crown, I'll prove my strength—not because of who's absent!"
Ardan nodded elegantly, tapping the table with her fingertips.
"Exactly. Authority may be unshakable, but victory and defeat are still decided by ability. Oguri's situation is set in stone—we should focus on improving ourselves."
Chiyono O glanced at Oguri, who was rubbing her stomach contentedly, and murmured,
"Honestly… Oguri's way of living seems pretty nice. No worries at all."
Creek gently ruffled her hair and grinned.
"Alright, enough brooding! Chiyo-chan, didn't you say you wanted some extra training today? Want to hit the track together this afternoon?"
Chiyono O's eyes lit up, but she quickly remembered something and apologized.
"Sorry, Creek! Maruzensky-senpai said she'd take me somewhere for special training this afternoon."
"Maruzensky-senpai, huh…"
The girls all looked up, picturing the red-clad "Queen of Speed" in their minds.
"If it's her, then we can't argue." Creek smiled wistfully.
Just then, Oguri suddenly put down her bowl, drawing everyone's attention.
She stood, silver hair gleaming under the lights, and walked toward the head chef with light but determined steps—
As if facing a fearsome opponent.
When she reached the counter, the chef, her gaze sharp as a blade, smirked playfully at her.
Oguri lifted her chin slightly, her voice ringing out loud and clear across the cafeteria:
"Three more bowls!!!"
The chef's eyes gleamed with challenge.
"Not just three—even thirty, if you dare!!!"
Crack!
Their gazes clashed like lightning, battle intent surging.
Moments later, the gray-haired filly returned to her table with several more food mountains, oblivious to the stares, focusing only on her next battle.
Before long, the mountains were gone, and Oguri patted her now-round belly with a blissful smile.
(End of Chapter)
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