Chapter 46
After Vodka got a nosebleed from overthinking things, a few of the Uma Musume headed to the infirmary just to be safe.
As with her previous check-ups, Vodka turned out to be perfectly fine. The doctor explained that her emotional agitation had increased blood flow, and some of the capillaries in her nasal cavity were a bit fragile, which caused the bleeding. She simply needed to work on managing her emotions and avoid getting too worked up.
Once they had thanked the doctor, Kitasan Black followed her two seniors as they saw Ines Fujin out of Tracen Academy.
Stepping through the school gates and into the cool night breeze, Ines Fujin stretched and laughed brightly.
"Oh, it was really fun coming back after such a long time. Especially eating in the cafeteria again… that brought back so many memories. I'm actually a little envious of you two. Maybe I should find a way to do something here at Tracen Academy too?"
Daiwa Scarlet chuckled.
"Senpai, you should probably think about your own situation first. Vodka and I only came back to look for some research inspiration. If you still have your sisters to look after, you should focus on them. But…"
She paused for a moment. "Since you're still doing deliveries like before, we might ask you to help transport some research materials and equipment later… if it's not too much trouble."
"Oh, I can definitely do that!" Vodka added quickly. "We'll be counting on you then, Senpai."
"Of course! It won't be any trouble at all!"
Ines Fujin nodded enthusiastically.
"Delivering packages is easy work anyway. Staying at home all the time can get pretty boring. It's settled then! I'm looking forward to your requests!"
She smiled and waved. "Alright, this is far enough. I should head back soon, or my sisters will start worrying and calling for me."
"Goodbye, Senpai!" the three replied together.
Ines Fujin turned around with a smile, ready to head down the street, when she suddenly stopped and squinted into the distance.
"Is that… Opera O? And those… they should all be Tracen Academy students, right?"
Everyone froze and followed her gaze. Kitasan Black and the rest quickly spotted Opera O along with the other Uma Musume.
"Ah! That's Crown-chan and Dia-chan, and… Satono Rasen?"
Kitasan Black looked surprised.
"That's strange. Why are they all together? And… what happened to Satono Rasen? Why does she look like she's been crying?"
After a brief hesitation, she couldn't help taking a couple of steps in their direction.
Just as she had said, the three Uma Musume from the Satono family were following behind Opera O in the distance. Satono Rasen walked in the middle with her head bowed low. She kept wiping her eyes and looked extremely downcast, clearly having cried quite a bit.
Opera O and the others beside her also had their heads down, looking worried as they whispered to her, seemingly trying to offer comfort.
The moment Kitasan Black took those two steps forward, both Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka reached out at the same time to gently stop her. They both spoke in low voices.
"Wait, Kita-chan. Don't go over there just yet."
"Satono Rasen's situation… might be a bit complicated right now. It would probably be better if we didn't disturb her."
A complex look flashed across both of their faces as they spoke.
Ines Fujin didn't try to stop them. She watched with a confused and thoughtful expression before lowering her voice as well.
"I don't know exactly what's going on, but since Opera O is with them, it should be fine. How about this? There's a bubble tea shop a few blocks away. I'll treat you all. You can walk me a little further."
Hearing her seniors' words, Kitasan Black looked completely lost. She had no idea what was happening, but she still nodded obediently. With a worried expression, she followed them away from the Tracen Academy entrance, glancing back every few steps.
She remained puzzled all the way to the bubble tea shop.
Once Ines Fujin had bought the drinks and handed them out, Kitasan Black took hers, thanked her, and finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"Seniors… just now, with Satono Rasen… what exactly happened? Was it because she lost the race? But… from what I remember, Satono Rasen shouldn't be that fragile, right?"
Daiwa Scarlet and the others exchanged glances. Ines Fujin thought for a moment before speaking first.
"Satono Rasen… I heard you mention her in the cafeteria earlier. She's the one who took second place against Kita-chan the other day, right? Although I haven't kept up with races much lately, I did hear that the Satono family has been gaining a lot of momentum recently… almost catching up to the Mejiro family. A girl from such a prominent family shouldn't be crying over just one race, should she?"
Indeed, there were many distinguished families in the Twinkle Series. Long-established ones like the Symboli, Mejiro, and Hishi families. Then there were relatively newer ones like the Sakura family, and even more recent rising powers like the Air family. And the most recently prominent family to emerge was, of course, the Satono family.
These major families not only produced strong Uma Musume, but they also possessed substantial resources and deep foundations. Naturally, they were also very strict with their own members. Someone who would break down and cry after losing a single race would not be viewed favorably at all.
"Exactly. She really shouldn't be," Daiwa Scarlet sighed. "Vodka and I don't know her personally, but we both watched that last race. She ran really well. If her timing on the final acceleration had been just a little better, Kita-chan wouldn't have won so easily. As for her current state…"
She hesitated and unconsciously glanced at Vodka.
Vodka sighed in turn and scratched the back of her head.
"Seriously, why do I always end up explaining these things… Fine, I'll do it."
She glanced toward the academy gate, then looked at Ines Fujin and Kitasan Black.
"Satono Rasen's trainer… is actually Opera O's junior."
At those words, Kitasan Black still looked lost, but Ines Fujin suddenly understood.
"So that's what this is about…"
After a soft sigh, Ines Fujin, just like Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka, let out a heavy breath.
"Ah… it's most likely that, then…"
Kitasan Black was growing more anxious by the second. She could tell she was the only one who still didn't understand what was going on.
"Wh-what do you mean…? Seniors, please explain it to me…"
The other three Uma Musume exchanged looks once more. Vodka scratched her head again and turned to Kitasan Black.
"I'll explain. It's good that you've already had two races, Kita-chan, so it's about time you learned about these things. When you first came to Tracen Academy… or rather, back when you were with us, we told you that this world isn't as wonderful as most people imagine. Especially when it comes to racing. There's only one champion in every race, and the pressure of not being able to take first place is enormous. Over the years, we've seen far too many people drop out because they couldn't handle that pressure."
Her tone grew heavier as she spoke.
Then she glanced toward the school gate again and continued.
"However, Satono Rasen doesn't seem like someone who would crumble under that kind of pressure. Compared to pressure, there's actually another possibility that's more likely. If we haven't guessed wrong… her trainer's contract with her has been terminated. Or more accurately… her trainer was fired by the Satono family."
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