Seeing the reluctance in Saint Halo's eyes, Terizumi Shinji could only smile helplessly and pat her on the head.
Once the Takarazuka Kinen was over, he and Offside Trap had to set off again to prepare for the upcoming Eclipse Stakes.
There might not be any especially famous opponents in that race, but Offside Trap still had to treat it seriously. The earlier they could get to England, the better.
Tōjō Hana was also traveling on the same flight, walking beside Shinji, and Saint Halo had barely even had time to savor the joy of completing the Spring Triple Crown before she was forced to face the fact that she had to part with him again.
Only now was she truly beginning to understand how a trainee horse girl felt when her trainer became terribly busy.
She turned to glance at Narita Brian. The student council vice president was clearly just as reluctant to see him go, yet she said nothing at all.
A farewell hug before departure—that was all Narita Brian allowed herself.
Saint Halo wanted to do the same, but in the end, she could only stand there and watch as her trainer disappeared into the terminal.
She left together with Narita Brian. Outside, Goodbye Halo had already been waiting for some time.
The atmosphere between mother and daughter was still awkward in a way Brian could clearly sense, so after she got into the car with them, she kept silent the whole time.
"Are you going back to the academy tonight, or coming home?"
At Goodbye Halo's question, Saint Halo turned her gaze out the window.
The city's neon lights reflected her face in the glass. There, she could see the pattern running down from beneath her eye.
It was a mark Shinji had drawn there with his own hand.
Even now, whenever she saw it, she remembered the sensation of that moment—his fingers touching her skin, the way her heart had pounded.
His hands had not been soft, but neither were they rough. They had simply been warm. And when those large hands had cupped her face, Saint Halo had to admit now that she had harbored more thoughts than she had let herself acknowledge.
Beside her, Narita Brian noticed she still had not answered, and gently nudged her.
"Auntie asked whether you're going home or heading back to the academy tonight."
In the rearview mirror, Goodbye Halo's expression was tinged with bitterness.
Saint Halo stared for a moment, then quietly answered, "Home."
The flash of delight that crossed Goodbye Halo's eyes was so sudden that even Brian scratched her head awkwardly. She still did not really understand how the relationship between these two had ended up in such a state, but she also knew it was not her place to mend it.
So when they reached the academy, she quickly got out of the car and left.
That left only Saint Halo and Goodbye Halo inside.
The interior of the car fell into silence. Only the music from the stereo tried its best to soften the atmosphere.
"Has Terizumi Shinji talked to you about plans for the second half of the year yet?"
Goodbye Halo's voice seemed to tremble ever so slightly.
Saint Halo thought she must have imagined it.
A woman like that—how could her voice ever shake?
"Not yet."
As soon as Saint Halo answered, she saw hesitation pass across her mother's face.
She did not know what Goodbye Halo was wavering over, but she did realize one thing very clearly:
now, whether it was what race she would run or where she would compete, all of those arrangements were entirely in Shinji's hands. Her mother—the once-proud Goodbye Halo—no longer had any ability to control her.
"Have you considered racing overseas?"
Saint Halo turned to stare at her in surprise.
This was the same woman who had always been most opposed to the idea of her going abroad—and now she was the one bringing it up herself.
She did not bother hiding her disbelief. She simply looked at her mother.
"Before... I didn't trust you enough. And there were other reasons too. I'll tell you in a moment..." Goodbye Halo seemed to understand what that look meant, and added with a bitter smile, "I don't know if you've heard of the Halo family."
Saint Halo froze.
Of course she knew of the Halo family.
That great American dynasty was a legendary racing household. But she had never once connected it to herself. She had only known the name because of how famous it was.
But now that Goodbye Halo had emphasized it like this, she could not help but think further.
That shared surname... could it mean—
"Yes. That is my family," Goodbye Halo said softly. "And yours as well."
Saint Halo took a moment before she found her voice again.
"So you want me to go race in America?"
It was not a bad idea, really.
Offside Trap was already heading toward Europe, a land of elite horse girls. America was just as much a powerhouse of world-class racers. If she could conquer that stage too, then the gap between her and Offside Trap in reputation might finally disappear.
She would become one of the pillars of the team.
"Something like that. But of course, your trainer's opinion matters most. I'll talk to him."
That added explanation finally made Saint Halo realize just how much her mother had changed.
She was no longer as overbearing as before, no longer as domineering, no longer acting as though her word alone decided everything.
"I don't know whether you'll forgive me," Goodbye Halo said, her eyes fixed ahead on the road, "but I still want to explain it to you. You should know about your mother, Yu Mai. She was once one of the strongest and most famous horse girls in the world. She was the embodiment of a finishing kick. A candidate for the strongest in history."
At last, Saint Halo's emotions were stirred.
That was her family. That was the source of the strength now running in her own body.
"But her running style..." Goodbye Halo's voice tightened. "She pushed herself too hard. So after she retired from the Twinkle Series, before she could even enter the Dream Trophy League, she had already gone away to recover her health."
Goodbye Halo did not say how that recovery ended.
But Saint Halo already knew.
If it had ended well, then she would not have seen that figure at the Spring Tennōshō. She would have met her mother properly, at home—not only in a desperate moment, when she had needed hope the most.
"I already lost her. I don't want to lose you too..."
Her mother's gaze was utterly sincere now, filled with a pleading hope as she looked at her daughter.
The girl sitting there still retained traces of youth, but after the journey of the Spring Triple Crown, she had already grown into her own presence, her own aura. She met her mother's eyes directly.
She said nothing.
And the light in Goodbye Halo's eyes dimmed.
Perhaps it was simply the blood in her veins, the blood of those born to race and fight.
She would keep running. She would keep striving toward her goals and dreams. No matter what setbacks awaited her, she would keep pressing forward without yielding.
She was born to run.
And so...
Goodbye Halo realized she was destined to lose her.
Then Saint Halo suddenly smiled.
That smile made Goodbye Halo go still.
"Mother."
"Yes?"
"Let me treat you to a big meal."
Goodbye Halo pressed her lips together, looking at the bright smile on her daughter's face, and nodded with quiet guilt.
Join here to read ahead.
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 180)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl 285
"Is this chat group even serious?" 150
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 255
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 210
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 305
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (This matter is completely finished.)
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 130
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 155
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 120
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 155
My Harem Is Indescribable 105
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 110
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 110
Still playing traditional Honk 96
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 95
What Should I Do After Switchi 51
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 105
Checking In in Demon Slayer 95
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 105
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 95
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel (This matter is completely finished.)
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 95
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 90
Why did they assign me to Uma 80
MYGO Beauties 75
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 80
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 100
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 120
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 65
The Uma Musume Who Became 70
I'm Definitely Not the King of 105
After Maxing Out Every Class 110
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 95
I, the Elden Sword Saint 60
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 60
No One Knows Pokémon Better 60
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 69
From Trilobites to Titans 57
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 75
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 86
An Anime Heroine Darkened 60
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 70
Honkai: The Fire Devil 70
Honkai Transformation Cards Volume2/30
Age of Heroes, I'm Just a Back 60
Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 74
At age 8, she co-starred with 45
Honkai: Schicksal Media 53
An Extremist in a Slice-of-Lif 30
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