When Sakura Baimu woke up the next day, she couldn't remember anything about what had happened the night before.
She only remembered:
Leaving the bar with Maruzensky the previous night, after getting into the passenger seat of her sports car and buckling her seatbelt, she reminded Maruzensky, "There are many roads, but safety is the first priority."
Maruzensky replied with an "Okay," and the last thing Sakura Baimu heard was, "I'm stepping on the gas."
After that, all her memories mysteriously vanished.
Sakura Baimu looked around and found herself in an unfamiliar room.
After opening the door, she saw Maruzensky slumped over the living room table, radiating an aura of deep sorrow.
"What...what happened last night?"
Sakura Baimu asked.
"My Ta-chan!!!! It's been sent for repairs again!!!"
Then came Maruzensky's heartbroken voice.
This was the first time Sakura Baimu had ever seen the ever-smiling Maruzensky wail like this.
"You can be sad all you want. I'm going to the academy."
Sakura Baimu sighed, suddenly feeling that all the Umamusumes in the academy were acting strangely.
"Okay, bye-bye, see you tonight." Maruzensky didn't look up, but simply waved a hand at Sakura Baimu.
"???"
Sakura Baimu had just reached Maruzensky's door when she heard this and stopped abruptly, turning back to look at Maruzensky with utter horror.
"I'll never ride in your car again!"
"No, we agreed to run together tonight, right? I'll wait for you at the academy. Don't worry, Rudolf isn't here this time."
Maruzensky looked up, but her expression didn't show much sadness; instead, her eyes shone brightly with anticipation.
"No, no, I won't trouble you, Miss 'Hotrod.' I'll train on my own."
Sakura Baimu quickly declined. Maruzensky is just too crazy, making her a little uncomfortable.
"No way, I haven't run with you yet!"
"If you want to run with me, just say so. Why say 'running side-by-side…'" Sakura Baimu sighed, "But never mind, running with you in the academy feels like it'll be easy to get caught."
With that, Sakura Baimu turned around to open the door and leave.
Just as she placed her hand on the doorknob, she suddenly sensed movement behind her. She quickly turned around and saw Maruzensky, who had been sitting at the table, now standing before her.
"Miss Sakura, I'm not asking you to do anything too outrageous. I just want to go for a run with you. I've been looking forward to tonight for so long~"
Maruzensky's eyes were fixed on Sakura Baimu's with a playful gaze, her red lips slightly parted:
"Besides, I've been keeping your identity a secret all along. If I were really like Golden Crown Eagle or Obey Your Master, your identity would probably be known to everyone by now."
Hearing Maruzensky's words, Sakura Baimu recalled what Akikawa Yayoi had told her about Maruzensky.
Sakura Baimu smiled.
"I still have a lot of faith in Maruzen-san's character. I think even if I refuse, Maruzen-san definitely won't tell anyone about my situation."
"After all, you wouldn't gain anything by telling anyone, and I might even have to leave the academy. I'm sure Maruzen-san wouldn't want that either, right?"
Maruzensky's expression showed a hint of surprise upon hearing Sakura Baimu's words.
She hadn't expected Sakura Baimu to be so certain that she wouldn't do such a thing.
They hadn't interacted much before.
However, Maruzensky was very clever; after a moment's thought, she guessed the reason.
"Oh, it seems Chairman Akikawa told you something."
Sakura Baimu smiled slightly, neither confirming nor denying.
"Oh dear, what a pity. It seems your identity no longer poses a threat to you, Sakura-san~"
Maruzensky's tone held a hint of regret, but her expression remained mischievous and playful, not much different from her usual self.
"Since Sakura-san isn't worried about her identity being exposed, I suppose you don't want your trainees and sister to see this video, right?"
Maruzensky said, pulling out her phone and playing a video for Sakura Baimu.
Sakura Baimu was still wondering what it was when she heard that incredibly familiar music coming from the phone and saw the person appear in the center of the video.
It was a recording of a Winning Live performance.
The song performed at this Winning Live was "Umapyoi Legend."
But that wasn't the point. The point was the person standing in the center of the stage.
It was her from years ago, back when she was still active, a short-haired Mejiro Sakura.
As if struck by lightning, Sakura Baimu stared wide-eyed in horror at her reflection on stage.
She saw herself from years ago, on that stage with a giant screen behind her, dressed in a stage costume, her face displaying a variety of incredibly vivid expressions, performing dance moves that now seemed utterly cringeworthy.
[Mejiro Sakura: Ooooh— (Umapyoi Umapyoi)]
[Mejiro Sakura: Baby steps, low-key nervous (So what! So what!)]
[Mejiro Sakura: ╮(￣▽￣)╭]
[Mejiro Sakura: Wanna eat rice (What about my Race Weight)]
[Mejiro Sakura: Only I'm getting a kiss from the Goddess of Victory today]
[Mejiro Sakura: Here comes your Beloved]
...
Sakura Baimu stared wide-eyed in surprise at her reflection from four or five years ago, her fair face visibly flushing red.
Sakura Baimu considered herself socially adept, rarely feeling shy except when facing Akikawa Yayoi.
But!
She really hadn't sung or danced in a very, very long time.
On stage, with so many people around, it wasn't so bad; after all, she couldn't see herself, so she could bear the embarrassment.
Sakura Baimu would never watch the recording of her Winning Live performance afterward.
But now, four or five years later, Sakura Baimu saw the recording of her Winning Live performance again. She felt so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground.
Across from Sakura Baimu, Maruzensky watched as Sakura Baimu's expression slowly changed from confusion to astonishment, and then to utter embarrassment. The corners of her mouth curved upward.
"Ah~~ So cute," Maruzensky thought to herself, touching her cheek and looking at Sakura Baimu's now flushed face.
"Sakura-san was so cute back then! Her singing and dancing were both top-notch, and her skills were outstanding. Look at those lively and adorable expressions, they're truly captivating!"
Maruzensky took her phone back, dragged the progress bar to the beginning, and looked up at Sakura Baimu with a squinting smile:
"Sakura-san, shall we enjoy it one more time?"
After seeing Sakura Baimu shaking her head frantically, she chuckled twice and brought her lips close to Sakura Baimu's ear again.
"Miss Sakura, you wouldn't want your subordinate Umamusume to see this video, would you?"