Someone stepped onto the training track from outside.
The distinctive hoodie illuminated by the lights, paired with the unmistakable shark-like grin, instantly revealed who it was—Air Shakur. Having lost to Tokai Teio earlier in the day, this Senior Division Umamusume couldn't possibly sleep, let alone swallow that lingering resentment.
When her mind emptied out…
The only thing occupying her thoughts was the road toward getting stronger—not a trace of calmness suitable for sleep.
So Air Shakur had also come to the training track.
Her goal was clear: to train, grow stronger, and smooth out her own imperfections. She hadn't even informed her roommate; she simply wanted a moment of solitude. But unexpectedly, she stumbled upon another figure training alone—Garden Gale.
Air Shakur recognized her immediately.
After all, they had interacted during the day.
Garden Gale was running on the track—running clumsily.
Yes.
Clumsily.
That was exactly the impression Garden Gale left on Air Shakur. She'd initially thought this supposed genius was polishing her own unique skill, perfecting something uniquely hers. Add in the fact that she was training diligently at ten o'clock at night, and Air Shakur naturally stood there with interest, ready to observe closely and perhaps even pick up something useful for herself.
Except…
After carefully watching Garden Gale's running posture…
She unconsciously frowned.
What the hell is this?
Air Shakur couldn't help but think this; only four words surfaced clearly in her mind:
This actually hurts my eyes!???
Air Shakur was utterly stunned. Even from a distance, the flaws were painfully obvious—overflowing, actually. Perhaps "flaws" wasn't even the right word here: Garden Gale's technique was far too crude, as clumsy as a novice stepping into a car's driver seat for the very first time. Clearly, novices couldn't drive smoothly, just like how Garden Gale was running now—anyone could tell at a single glance she had no idea what she was doing.
It was genuinely... painfully clear.
...Is she really supposed to be a prodigy from the Junior Division??
Had she mistaken her for someone else? Was she sleep-deprived?
Air Shakur began to doubt herself—was her judgment correct? Impossible. Even Tokai Teio had claimed Garden Gale was stronger than herself, so what exactly was going on?
Was Air Shakur mistaken, or was Tokai Teio mistaken?
Seeing is believing... perhaps Teio had simply never seen Garden Gale run.
Mm.
But still—was Garden Gale actually this weak? Even Air Shakur herself could effortlessly crush her like this. How could someone this weak possibly be called a prodigy? Air Shakur's brows knitted further, and deep inside, a faint disappointment arose.
What should she do?
She... might actually be the first to discover this secret. Should she expose it? No, no, perhaps she ought to help Garden Gale keep this secret. After all, Gale seemed like a good person—wait, being nice wasn't the issue. She shouldn't deceive everyone and fake being a prodigy, right?
Confused thoughts tangled again.
Air Shakur just shrugged, deciding to let it go. She took one last distant glance, ready to leave and not meddle in Garden Gale's affairs anymore—it was simply making her mind chaotic.
But this last glance…
It made Air Shakur realize something was wrong.
...Huh?
Why did that running form suddenly seem so familiar? It even had a slightly awkward nuance to it…
Moreover—it wasn't just the running posture. At a closer glance, the previous glaring clumsiness had disappeared, now looking surprisingly convincing, even increasing considerably in speed, though still at rookie-level.
A sense of familiarity overwhelmed her.
…Almost as if…
It wasn't Garden Gale running, but rather Tokai Teio from many years ago.
Teio, when she had just stepped onto this path.
Air Shakur stopped in her tracks again, this time her disappointment replaced by seriousness, confusion, and curiosity—far more intensely than before—as she turned back to closely watch Garden Gale running.
Watching her improve, bit by bit.
More and more familiarity surged forth.
Shockwaves rose up in Air Shakur's heart! This time, she understood far more clearly!!!
This was undeniably Tokai Teio's unique skill!
Tokai Teio's flexibility, her balance control, even her running stance—everything was almost identical. It was a super-low dashing posture nearly impossible for ordinary Umamusume to replicate. Yet here Garden Gale was, perfectly imitating it like a copy-paste theft, absorbing and employing it seamlessly. She grew increasingly accustomed, increasingly comfortable.
Her ever-accelerating speed was proof enough.
But seriously… did she learn it just from watching a single race?!
She's able to replicate someone else's unique skill? FROM A SINGLE RACE?!?
Absolutely... she was a monster, a genius, a prodigy! Every word of praise could fit. She was like a shapeshifter, copying and transforming completely.
Air Shakur was shaken once more!
But this time, positively so—utterly convinced and wholeheartedly impressed.
Honestly, if she hadn't carefully observed Garden Gale's appearance and only judged her by her running, Air Shakur would absolutely think the Umamusume on the track was Tokai Teio, who'd raced against her earlier that day—not Garden Gale.
This monster who was able to copy to an utterly terrifying degree in just a short span of time.
Aside from Tokai Teio, just how many other Umamusume's skills had Garden Gale copied and transformed? Someday, she would surely blend a hundred different styles, surpass her own limits, and charge down the path toward the absolute summit.
She was truly a prodigy...
She had been too rash earlier… Air Shakur slapped her forehead lightly.
All those foolish thoughts earlier—that Garden Gale wasn't a prodigy, that she didn't deserve the title—all of that was retracted. Through this event, she also learned another important truth: appearances really couldn't tell the whole story. Sometimes, even seeing wasn't believing. If anyone had judged Garden Gale solely by that sluggish speed from earlier, they'd absolutely label her as trash-tier.
...Yet the truth was that she hadn't even been using her own running style or strength in the first place!
Of course she'd be slower at first.
Moreover...
As someone with unrivaled expertise in data analytics, Air Shakur understood more clearly than anyone just how difficult Garden Gale's actions truly were.
Too strong, she's simply too strong.
Her original expectations and respect were shattered. Yet from these fragments arose even stronger expectations and deeper respect, clear as day and impossible to deny.
Garden Gale… truly a monster among freaks!
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T/N: stuff happened so im just gonna update this and kiriko and not the rest of tls
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