After dinner, Just a Way tinkered with her various strange gadgets. Kousei, drying her damp hair, gazed absently out the window.
As night fell, the world outside had grown completely silent.
Yurei's kindness reminded Kousei of her own mother. Fuji Kiseki and Big Sister, the two dorm leaders, had also taken excellent care of her.
They were some of the few comforts Kousei had in her early days.
"Kousei, have you run with Yurei-san before?" Just a Way suddenly asked.
Kousei glanced over. Just a Way's focused expression suggested it was just a casual question.
"I have."
"Is she strong?"
"Well..." Kousei hesitated, struggling to find the right words.
Her reaction successfully caught Just a Way's attention.
"What's wrong?"
"It's a bit strange."
"Strange?"
"Yeah. Yurei-san's running form is a little odd. The moment Genbao-san arrived, he scolded her for overtraining. We ran until we lost ourselves in the moment, but it wasn't intense enough to warrant such caution."
"You mean...?" Just a Way gave Kousei a knowing look, and Kousei nodded.
"I think Yurei-san has a leg injury, so she can't use her full strength."
"I knew it," Just a Way said with a hint of regret. "Reiko told me Yurei-san has been running for six years but has never broken out of the local circuit. Could it be because of a leg injury?"
"I can't say for sure," Kousei replied. "It could also be a chronic issue from her long racing career."
Injuries are an athlete's destiny. Only a very few can escape their lingering effects after retirement.
"Besides, Yurei-san seems to have a lot on her mind," Kousei added, recalling Yurei's melancholic expression.
"I feel like things are getting complicated," Just a Way said, scratching her head.
"I'm going out for a bit." Kousei threw on a jacket and headed for the door.
"Where are you going?"
"To find Reiko."
With that, Kousei rushed out the door.
Just a Way sighed as she watched Kousei's retreating figure.
-
Kousei knocked gently on a door.
"Kousei?"
Kousei was surprised for a moment before replying, "It's me, Reiko."
The door opened, and Reiko poked her head out, drying her dripping hair.
"Come in."
As Kousei entered, she noticed a report on the desk. It listed her various stats and training plans, covered in Reiko's numerous annotations.
"You're here to ask about Yurei-san, aren't you?" Reiko said, plopping down on her bed.
"Yes. I want to know more about her."
"I don't know much about Yurei-san myself, just a few things I overheard while chatting with Genbao-san. Kousei, do you know about Umamusume Idols?"
"Like Smart Falcon-san?"
"Not quite. More like Hokko Tarumae."
Kousei quickly searched her mind for the name, confirming she had never heard it before.
Reiko seems to know more about Tracen Academy than I do, Kousei thought.
"Rukomachi's transportation network is underdeveloped," Reiko continued. "Even with the best fish, it was no use. To change this situation, Yurei Belle stepped forward.
"You know this, Kousei. Umamusume are creatures who run for their dreams. Yurei Belle is an Umamusume who runs to lift her hometown out of poverty. From the very beginning, she dedicated herself to her home."
"Then Yurei-san..."
"She's been racing for six years and has never made it out of the local circuit."
Kousei didn't know what to say. The words struck a chord within her.
Six years.
An incredibly long time. A typical racing career lasts only two years, and Kousei's own had been far from smooth. She knew all too well the impact of failure. The world was far less forgiving of defeat than one might imagine.
People only love winners. That's just how the rules are.
"These aren't secrets," Reiko said. "You could learn this just by asking anyone who lives here. But whenever people talk about Yurei-san, they always look so sad.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but for a town that's the first stop on the NAU Route and has its own racetrack, Rukomachi has surprisingly few Umamusume."
Kousei had noticed, of course, but hadn't asked further at the time because of Yurei's strange behavior.
"Yurei-san had a melancholic look on her face then, too."
The two fell silent. It seemed there was more to this story than met the eye.
"Is there anything else?" Kousei asked.
Reiko shook her head.
It seemed this was all the information she could get about Yurei. As Kousei organized her thoughts, something suddenly came to mind. Back when Sirius was training her, she had asked Kousei to promise her one favor someday.
Kousei had agreed at the time, but the subsequent accident had forced her away from the Central circuit, and she never saw Sirius again.
Kousei grew curious. What exactly was the favor Sirius had wanted?
She glanced at Reiko beside her and thought, Reiko is so knowledgeable. Tachyon once said that "Sirius" was a buried piece of history. If my expulsion is even slightly related to the original "Sirius," maybe I can learn something from her.
Kousei immediately asked, "Reiko, do you know about 'Sirius'?"
At the mention of "Sirius," Reiko's expression hardened. She asked cautiously, "Sirius Symboli?"
Kousei shook her head. "No, the team I used to be on. But that was the second generation. I want to know about the original Team Sirius."
Reiko's posture shifted from relaxed to formal. "Why do you want to know about that?"
"Is it forbidden to ask?"
Reiko sighed. "Overprotective as ever, T. You didn't even tell her this?"
After silently grumbling about T, Reiko looked at Kousei. "What do you want to know?"
A question that had plagued Kousei for so long suddenly seemed close to an answer. She felt her heart skip a beat.
Kousei recalled what Tachyon had told her, then said after a long pause, "I want to know... the reason for Symboli Rudolf's defeat."
Kousei could feel her own heart trembling.
Symboli Rudolf was a milestone for the Central circuit, the face of Tracen Academy, and the ideal Kousei had once aspired to.
She couldn't imagine a scenario where Symboli Rudolf would lose, let alone what kind of person could possibly defeat her.
How could Team Sirius—which had gathered the strongest racers of its time, including two "Symboli" members—have suffered such a devastating defeat?
"Ah, that's obvious."
The night fell into an unprecedented silence, like the heart-pounding stillness before a truth is revealed.
"Because the Emperor never raced."