After the Tulip Sho wrapped up, Hayato arranged to meet with King Halo's mother. The timing felt right, and he needed to have this conversation before things got more complicated.
They met at a café, the kind with outdoor seating where the afternoon sun filtered through the awning.
"I really didn't expect Mr. Hayato to be so young."
Sitting across from him was a young woman with chestnut hair, wearing a white sun hat and an elegant white dress that made her look more like she was heading to a garden party than a trainer meeting.
Hayato hadn't seen an uma musume who wasn't young yet, so the comment felt a bit ironic. "You're too kind, King Halo's mother."
"Too kind? Hehehe." Goodbye Halo's laugh had an edge to it, like she found his response genuinely amusing for reasons he couldn't quite grasp.
"What I didn't expect even more was that you'd have such guts." Her tone shifted as she recalled that day, his disrespectful words still fresh in her memory. She'd originally thought Hayato would never want to see her again after how things went, that he'd avoid this meeting forever.
She'd wanted to talk with Hayato for a while now, but she figured he couldn't be that foolish to actually reach out, right? Yet the first person to arrange a meeting was Hayato himself, walking straight into what could easily become another confrontation.
"Thank you for the compliment, King Halo's mother..."
"Compliment... don't be ridiculous!"
She suddenly shot to her feet, both hands slamming down on the table hard enough to make the coffee cups rattle. The sound drew a few curious glances from nearby tables.
Hayato had angered her multiple times now, and even if her temper was naturally good, she had her limits. Those limits were clearly being tested right now.
"Wait, I didn't come here today to fight." Hayato kept his voice calm, his hands coming up in a placating gesture. "I deeply apologize for what happened before. I'm not asking for forgiveness, but at least for Halo's sake, I hope you can calm down first and hear me out."
"Hmph!" Goodbye Halo dropped back into her seat with a huff, turning her face to the side so she wouldn't have to look at him directly. "Fine. What did you want to see me about?"
"Halo is working extremely hard for races right now and has never once thought about giving up." Hayato leaned forward slightly, making sure she could hear the sincerity in his voice. "I hope you can believe in her, and believe in me. Also, you're a fashion designer, right? I'd like you to help make winning outfits for them, too."
"That's it?" Goodbye Halo's face turned back toward him, surprise flickering across her features. If it were just making winning outfits, she really didn't need to be angry about this meeting.
"Yes. Thank you very much for your support and help." Hayato's expression softened. "If Halo knows you made the winning outfit, she'll be very happy."
"Alright, I suppose I'll forgive your disrespect..." She suddenly put on that classic tsundere expression, chin tilting up. "Hmph! For my daughter's sake, mind you."
What Hayato didn't know was that she'd actually already prepared King Halo's winning outfit. Two sets, even, one in white and one in green, both sitting in her studio waiting for the right moment. She'd just been worrying about not having an opportunity to give them without it seeming too obvious.
'This mother and daughter pair really weren't honest with their feelings at all, both too stubborn to just say what they meant.'
The next day after that meeting, Hayato took Seiun Sky to watch the Hanshin Daishoten race. The venue was already packed when they arrived.
3000 meters on turf, clockwise track. A true test of stamina and their power.
There were many races scheduled this month, all warm-up races after the New Year, before the big GI events kicked off. The Hanshin Daishoten was one of them, and next week would be Seiun Sky's Osaka Hai G2. The week after that, in early April, would be the Spring Stakes G2, where King Halo would compete.
The Hanshin Daishoten was a GII-level long-distance race, and since there weren't many long-distance races on the calendar, it naturally became a must-compete event for long-distance uma musume. In terms of difficulty and lineup strength, it wasn't any weaker than a GI-level race.
After winning the Triple Crown, Narita Brian had stumbled at the Tenno Sho Autumn and begun a losing streak that shocked everyone. Later, she'd even gotten injured and hadn't been able to achieve a single victory in half a year, her reputation taking hit after hit.
This race was Narita Brian's comeback, her chance to prove she wasn't finished. It would also be her fateful showdown with Mayano Top Gun, a battle everyone had been waiting for.
"Welcome to our Hanshin track! Today's race will be the 3000-meter turf Hanshin Daishoten! Now announcing the race favorites!"
"The third favorite in this race is number 13, last week's Nikkei Shinshun Hai winner, Hagino Real King!"
A yellow short-haired uma musume with delicate, almost handsome features raised her hand on the track, acknowledging the crowd.
The Nikkei Sho was also a GII-level 2500-meter long-distance race that had just been held last week, so her popularity wasn't low. Fresh off a win, she had momentum.
"The second favorite is number 3, last year's Kikka Sho and Arima Kinen champion, Mayano Top Gun!"
Mayano Top Gun practically bounced as she enthusiastically greeted the audience, blowing kisses with both hands. "Thank you everyone for your support! Maya can't wait to take off!"
"Go for it, Mayano Top Gun!"
"Mayano Top Gun, you have to win!"
The voices cheering for Mayano Top Gun were loud and passionate, a wall of sound that made the stands shake.
"Yo! It's Mayano-chan." Seeing Mayano Top Gun on the track below, Seiun Sky broke into a genuine smile, her whole face lighting up.
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That's an illustration of Hagino Real King and Mayano Top Gun(On the other side, patreon ch 73). By the way, Hagino Real King isn't in Uma Musume Game, so just consider it as that.