"Are you here for the race?" Yurei Belle asked, taking the initiative.
"Mm... It's still early, so I came to the Training Track for a couple of laps and got a little too engrossed in watching."
"Heh~ I'm Yurei Belle, Rukomachi's local Umamusume."
"Belle..."
Yurei Belle extended her right hand to Kousei, smiling warmly. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too!" Kousei quickly shook her hand.
What a friendly person, Kousei thought.
"Since we're both here, how about we do a parallel run?" Yurei Belle suggested.
"Sure!" Kousei readily agreed.
And so, the two Umamusume began training together.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Kousei, who had only intended to do some maintenance training, found herself running with Yurei until sunset. Even then, neither of them felt satisfied.
Kousei felt dazed; time seemed to have vanished far too quickly.
"Ah! It's gotten so late without me noticing!" Yurei Belle plopped down on the ground, sweat trickling down her cheeks.
"Yeah! Once I start running, it's like I forget all about time," Kousei panted heavily, her breath ragged.
"Right?" Yurei tilted her head and grinned.
Then she turned to study Kousei. "Kousei, your stamina is incredible."
"Huh?"
The two of them in the same frame highlighted the stark contrast, emphasizing Kousei's endurance.
"You've been running for so long, but you're nowhere near your limit. I've never seen an Umamusume like you."
"That's probably because I've been doing a lot of stamina training."
Since her debut, Kousei had never stopped her stamina training. Day after day, the training had become as routine as breathing.
"Eh?" Yurei sprawled out on the ground in a wide-armed, legs-spread pose. "Is Kousei aiming for long-distance races?"
Kousei paused, then lifted her gaze to the distant night sky.
"Mm-hmm."
"A dream... how wonderful," Yurei murmured, gazing at the same stars.
"Speaking of which, why haven't I seen any other Umamusume around?" Kousei asked, her voice tinged with confusion.
As the first stop on the NAU Route and during the competition period, why was it so deserted?
"Well, these days, very few Umamusume still try to chase impossible dreams."
Kousei sensed an odd undertone in Yurei's words and quickly turned to her. "What do you mean?"
"Since you're here to compete, you must be planning to follow the NAU promotion route as well, right?"
"As well?" Kousei picked up on the key word.
"It's a pity, though. Children like you are becoming increasingly rare. Everyone else has given up on their dreams. The Super Grand Prix is a celebration for geniuses, and throughout history, the names of ordinary competitors have never been etched into its annals.
The so-called geniuses are even more dazzling and powerful than the legends suggest.
If only hard work could guarantee victory over genius..."
Genius, huh... That word carried such a heavy weight.
"The children who repeatedly lose to geniuses eventually abandon the Twinkle Series. I've seen countless Umamusume part ways with their Trainers."
"I've seen countless children tear up as they announced their withdrawal from the Twinkle Series. It's dazzling... but failure is terrifying."
Yurei's gaze turned wistful. Only a future she could foresee could be so terrifying.
"One horse takes the lead, overshadowing all others," Kousei murmured, her mind drifting back to the Spring Tenno Sho, to that celestial light that scorned all living beings.
"That's the school motto! Are you a Central Academy student?" Yurei shot up from the ground.
Startled, Kousei stammered, "I used to be..."
Yurei's disappointment was palpable. "Right, why would a Central Academy student end up in a place like this?"
Swept up in her emotional turmoil, Yurei seemed to forget to ask Kousei why she had "used to be" a Central Academy student.
Kousei, however, understood the implication perfectly. The NAU Route demanded exceptional talent, so how could someone with such aptitude have fallen to this place?
Genius is merely the threshold.
Yet that very threshold barred the vast majority of Umamusume.
"I can understand the others, but surely Rukomachi has Umamusume eager to participate, given your legendary status?"
From her words, Kousei could already sense that Yurei was a senior figure, having fought on the Racetrack far longer than she had.
"Rukomachi... perhaps it's partly my fault too," Yurei said with a self-deprecating smile, closing her eyes briefly.
Kousei frowned slightly but didn't press further.
"Little Belle, you've been overtraining," she said, her tone carrying a hint of reproach but even more concern.
The voice sounded familiar, and Kousei glanced back to see Genbao, whom she'd met earlier that morning.
"Trainer! You're here!" Yurei jumped up excitedly, casting aside her earlier disappointment.
She naturally linked her arm through Genbao's, who returned the gesture with tenderness. Their interaction was strikingly intimate.
"Oh, right! Kousei! Would you like to come over for dinner? I'm not bragging, but my cooking is amazing!"
"No thanks. Reiko's still waiting for me."
Genbao seemed to recall something. "Don't worry about them. Your companions are already at my house. Just a Way, right? That child bought a ton of local specialties and is busy moving them inside."
Kousei maintained her smile. "You sneaky little Just a Way!"
We clearly agreed to move together!
In short, Kousei went home with Yurei.
As expected, Reiko and the others were eating oranges and watching TV at Genbao's house, as comfortable as if it were their own home.
"Could it be that the accommodation they provided is Mr. Genbao's house?"
Genbao cleared his throat, trying to hide his embarrassment. "It's just a small town. Resources are limited, so this is how it is."
"Kousei!" Just a Way exclaimed joyfully, showing Kousei her purchases. "Look! I bought these especially for you!"
Kousei's eyes widened. They were the Rukomachi specialties she had been craving earlier.
"Way!" Overwhelmed by the thought that Just a Way had remembered her, Kousei felt a wave of emotion. "So you went to buy all those things by yourself just to surprise me?"
"No, the other stuff was for me."
"Alright, alright."
The ingredients Just a Way had bought were transformed into a lavish feast by Yurei. The travel-weary group, ravenously hungry after their long journey, couldn't wait to dig in.
Yurei hadn't exaggerated to Kousei—her culinary skills were truly exceptional.
"Easy there, Kousei! Don't rush! There's plenty more here. Try some of this."
"Mmm-hmm!"
Kousei devoured the food voraciously while Yurei constantly heaped more onto her plate. In her doting gaze, something maternal seemed to overflow.
The others stared dumbfounded, involuntarily wondering, "What's with this overwhelming maternal halo?"
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world...
Oguri Cap was gobbling down her food when she suddenly froze mid-bite, as if electrocuted. Cold sweat streamed down her face.
"Ara ara~ Oguri, eating so little won't do, you know?"
From behind Oguri Cap, a blue figure slowly approached...