The angry expression on King Halo's face was unmistakable. The moment Ryuichi caught it, the man who had been indirectly criticizing her—though his true target was himself—was shocked that his target had suddenly lashed out.
"Ms. Air Groove, let's go visit the high school division. I think I have a pretty good grasp of the middle school situation now."
"...Alright." Air Groove, of course, had also noticed. Their conversation had likely been overheard by King Halo, angering the proud young lady. Seeing Ryuichi's embarrassed state, she thought for a moment and decided not to intervene on his behalf.
It might be good if that young lady comes to him on her own... Although Air Groove felt that King Halo and Ryuichi didn't seem very compatible, she had a feeling that this proud girl might, surprisingly, be able to light a fire under their new, downcast trainer.
It wouldn't even be bad if she became his first assigned Uma Musume. Thinking this, Air Groove felt her plan was feasible. After all, she still thought highly of King Halo. She had both talent and diligence; she just needed to adjust the direction of her efforts. Perhaps with Trainer Kitano, they could complement each other perfectly.
With this in mind, Air Groove decided not to meddle in Ryuichi and King Halo's affairs. Instead, she was curious to see if these two, who were complete opposites, could truly achieve synergy.
At least for now, it seemed like they had a candidate for Trainer Kitano's first assigned Uma Musume.
"The high school division is upstairs. This way, please, Trainer Kitano."
Air Groove led Ryuichi towards the high school floor. Some time after they left, next to King Halo, the blue-haired Uma Musume who had been sleeping on her desk suddenly turned her head and said to King Halo:
"Don't be so angry, King-chan. Besides, Sei-chan thinks that trainer was right. I also think if you focused on your strengths, King-chan, you'd definitely be stronger than everyone."
"—What kind of first-class Uma Musume only excels at what she's already good at?"
King Halo, however, looked dismissive. She flicked her hair and continued, "A truly first-class racer should master everything—short distance, mile, medium distance, and long distance. That's what makes one truly first-class."
"That depressing guy doesn't know anything. Just you wait, I'll show him what a truly first-class racer is."
"Wow... King-chan is so cool."
"—Student Seiun Sky, please stand up and answer this question." At that moment, the teacher at the front, apparently fed up with the two girls' slacking, issued her first warning.
As for why she called on Seiun Sky... well, she slept in class every day. The teacher saw King Halo's effort and diligence. If both of them were causing trouble, the teacher would naturally assume Seiun Sky was the one leading King Halo astray.
King Halo watched as her friend stood up with a wail, stammering and gesturing for the correct answer—but King Halo had no intention of helping her friend right now.
That guy... why does he look so familiar? King Halo didn't know why she had this feeling, but the moment she heard that man named Kitano's words and looked over, she had frowned almost instinctively.
For some reason, the first time King Halo saw Ryuichi, she felt inexplicably angry. And after the anger, a wave of sadness washed over her, nearly making her lose control of her tear ducts. Thankfully, she held it in. If she had cried on the spot, it would have been too embarrassing.
But now, angered by Ryuichi's words, King Halo didn't want to cry at all. Instead, his words had ignited a competitive spirit in her. She said viciously in her heart:
"Just you wait. I'll show you what a first-class Uma Musume, acknowledged by everyone, looks like."
"I won't be a Uma Musume who's only good at one thing. I'll prove it to them. I definitely will."
I definitely will. King Halo repeated this silently in her heart. However, she didn't realize where this sudden surge of competitiveness and indignation at being looked down upon came from. Because King Halo hadn't even debuted yet, but her talent and lineage had already made her highly anticipated and admired by the other students at Tracen.
Contempt and ridicule had never been a part of her life. So why did she become so furious just thinking about it?
Even if King Halo realized it, she probably wouldn't be able to figure it out. But at this moment, she had already set her sights on a specific race.
—The Japanese Derby. A race pursued by every classic-year Uma Musume in Japan. King Halo was determined to aim for the Derby, to prove she was first-class and versatile, to make everyone see her in a new light.
And... to prove to her mother that her ideas were wrong, that she was already a Uma Musume who could stand on her own two feet.