Late afternoon had come, and as one would expect from an academy for umamusume, the tracks were filled with dozens of umamusume, all intent on training for their next race.
Yet, something was different this time. One particular track remained eerily quiet, despite there being various different umamusume and trainers down at the track. They all remained glued to the starting line, unsure whether they had the right to move.
There was one simple reason;
"Oi, where the hell is she?" Dicta Striker eventually asked. "We've been waiting for a while now, and that idiot hasn't showed up at all."
"Language, Dicta-san." Mejiro Ardan whispered, though she didn't disagree with her confusion.
"I-I don't know." Belno Light whispered, similarly confused. "Oguri-chan wasn't in our dorm room, and no one's seen her since yesterday!" She nervously trotted around in a small circle, before she frantically turned towards her trainer. "D-Do you know anything, Kitahara-san? March-san?"
But her expression only fell further when Kitahara only offered a small shrug. "I don't know. No one's said anything." His expression was similarly severe. "I even asked Hayakawa-san about it, but she doesn't know either."
"I don't know either." Fujimasa March said, brows furrowed. She knew Oguri wasn't the brightest, but she was never one to miss an opportunity to run.
"Awawawa…" Sakura Chiyono O trembled slightly as she began thinking of various possibilities. It was unlike Oguri to miss out on a day of training, at least willingly. Which could only mean-, "W-Was Oguri-san kidnapped!?"
"I doubt it is that serious." Yaeno Muteki said calmly. "I do not believe there exists anyone capable of restraining Oguri Cap if she wishes to escape." She glanced at her grandfather as she said that, and he returned a solemn nod.
"Ara~, maybe she just fell asleep?" Super Creek eventually offered a motherly smile on her lips as she placed a hand on her cheek. "Oguri-san has been rather lethargic as of late, hasn't she? Perhaps she is simply resting right now." She giggled as she looked at her trainer. "Don't you agree, trainer-san~?"
"Y-Y-Yes." Nase Fumino stuttered out, doing her best not to squirm as Super Creek continued hugging her from behind. Having Creek's arms snake around her waist already made her feel warm, but having the 'softness' pressing into her back was making her feel like she was about to combust.
The other trainers offered the poor woman a pitying gaze before they quickly looked away.
Kitahara silently promised himself to save some extra money, just in case Fumino needed a hip replacement or two.
"...should we maybe go to Star's room?" March eventually offered. "I mean, Oguri likes sleeping there whenever she stays up too late, doesn't she?"
When she mentioned that, Belno's eyes lit up. "Ah-, you're right! We haven't gone there!" She chuckled wryly. "I can't believe I didn't think of-"
"Cool y'er jets already. That gal's fine."
Before Belno could finish speaking however, they all heard a familiar voice, punctuated by the rhythmic clacks as a wooden cane tapped onto the ground. Belno's ears twitched in recognition, while Kitahara's eyes went comically wide as he immediately turned around.
He then grinned as he saw Musaka Ginjirou slowly walking towards them, still dressed in that beloved Hawaiian shirt of his. "So you're back, Roppei-san?"
Musaka's eyes twitched. "It's Musaka, you fool!" He shouted, before he sighed. "But yeah, I'm back. Came back the night b'fore."
Fumino took a quick breath to calm herself. "It's good to see you again, Musaka-san." She greeted, though her composure didn't last long when she then heard Creek's giggle.
Musaka offered the woman a small nod, entirely unfazed. After all, he'd been around for too long by this point; he'd seen more than his fair share of trainers who were eventually 'taken' by their assigned umamusume.
"So Oguri-chan and Star-chan are together?" Belno asked. Musaka hummed, and Belno sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. I thought something bad had happened." She said, and then paused. Her mind worked through just what she'd just heard, before her eyes went wide. "E-Eh!? Star is back!?"
Dicta Striker grinned. "Probably for the [Spring Tenno Sho]." She said, before she glanced at Creek. "How're you feeling, Creek? Ready to try and catch a comet?"
Creek giggled, before her eyes sharpened. "I will do my best."
Kitahara smiled as he saw the renewed vigor everyone had. "Well, since we know what's going on, let's get today's training on the way." He gave a quick glance at his watch. "We've already waited long enough, and there'll be more umamusume arriving soon."
Naturally, everyone agreed. And after all the umamusume stretched to get themselves ready, today's group training finally began in full.
And all the while, Musaka silently smiled, satisfied in seeing how his foolish nephew had grown since he last saw him.
.
.
.
It didn't take long before the news about Blossom Star's return began spreading around Tracen Central.
Despite the track being booked during Musaka's visit, there were still many umamusume who were walking just outside the track, and their enhanced hearing had clearly caught Belno's surprised words.
Once the rumor began, it immediately started spreading around, and with it came a growing excitement. After all, Blossom Star hadn't been seen in nearly 4 months by this point, and the [Spring Tenno Sho] was just around the corner. The return of one of this era's greatest umamusume was one nobody wanted to miss.
In the span of just a few hours, practically the entire Tracen knew about Star's return.
Of course, with that excitement also came an unescapable dread. Because they had seen how much Oguri and Belno had improved since they last disappeared—with Oguri's strength being so exaggerated that some people even began wondering if she genuinely had become stronger than the Emperor herself.
Since Oguri and Belno had improved so much, then what would Star be like? Her Great Escapes were already soul-crushing to most umamusume; how much more terrifying would the Comet be like when she finally returned to the track?
They had seen a glimpse of it a month back, when Blossom Star had participated in the [Santa Anita Handicap]. She had crushed her competition, despite it being an American G1 race. She had done something no Japanese umamusume had managed to do–
At that moment, Star became the first Japanese umamusume to win a foreign G1 race, and do so with such dominance.
And now that legendary figure had finally returned to the country she called home.
Excitement, fear, joy, dread—at that day, Tracen Academy was filled with all sorts of emotions. Even though Star had yet to show herself, there was a palpable sense of tension that hung in the air, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
The [Spring Tenno Sho] couldn't come any sooner!
…
And all the while, the main perpetrator of all this chaos remained in her room, soundly asleep.