A short while later, at a cozy Japanese restaurant near Nakayama Racecourse.
Tokai Teio savored a piece of cod sushi with obvious delight, closing her eyes briefly and sighing happily.
"As expected, no matter when we come, the sushi here is absolutely amazing."
Then, turning toward Yasui Makoto and Kitasan Black, she continued thoughtfully:
"So you ran into Chairwoman Yukishiro and Almond Eye…"
"Yeah. I really wanted Almond-chan to join us for the celebration, but she ended up going home with the Chairwoman," Kitasan said regretfully, before adding curiously:
"Still, I never would've guessed that Almond-chan and the Chairwoman were related…"
She had first encountered Chairwoman Yukishiro at the welcome ceremony for new students. Although the speech had been brief, the Chairwoman's icy aura and concise style had left a deep impression on her.
She hadn't seen Yukishiro again since then, hearing only that she'd been overseas handling academy business.
Today's unexpected encounter not only reminded her vividly of that first impression, but also made her realize the surprising relationship between Yukishiro and Almond Eye. From their interactions, it clearly felt like a senior-junior dynamic—or even family.
"It's probably more accurate to call her Almond Eye's senior," Teio clarified, popping another piece of sushi into her mouth.
"Like Chairwoman Akikawa, Chairwoman Yukishiro's family has enormous influence in our field. Her parents and other senior relatives have strong ties with many prominent families. They're likely close acquaintances with Almond Eye's family."
"I see…" Kitasan nodded thoughtfully, then brightened up again. "By the way, the Chairwoman praised my Satsuki Sho performance!"
"It was definitely impressive—even without the Chairwoman's praise, I'd say the same," Tokai Teio nodded warmly. "But her evaluation of Uma Musume and races is known to be one of the most accurate in the industry. Even seasoned trainers rarely match her judgment. If she says you were outstanding, then you truly were."
This made Kitasan even more excited.
"Then for the upcoming Japanese Derby, I'll have to train even harder! I definitely can't disappoint the Chairwoman!"
"Oh, right!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Teio-senpai, Trainer mentioned there'll be a practice race as part of my Derby preparations. Do you and McQueen-senpai have time to join?"
This instantly sparked enthusiasm around the table.
"Ohh? If Teio and McQueen are helping Kita-chan train, wouldn't we get to witness another legendary 'TM Showdown'?" Vodka perked up, her eyes shining. "I've been waiting years to see something like that again! I thought we might get a chance during the Dream Trophy, but nothing ever came of it. Never thought I'd see it happen now!"
Special Week smiled nostalgically, chiming in:
"Right? Before their big match, everyone was struggling to choose who to cheer for. Eventually, we ended up taking turns shouting both their names."
Daiwa Scarlet sighed wistfully. "Back then, Teio was undefeated, and McQueen was chasing her second consecutive Spring Tenno Sho victory. But since there could only be one winner, the best we could do was cheer them both on equally."
The race they spoke of was the first and only clash between Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen.
At the time, Teio had an undefeated streak of seven wins since debut, while McQueen had dominated major long-distance events. Their outstanding records had given them massive popularity, making their face-off one of the most anticipated races of the year, and among the most memorable long-distance matches ever.
"About this practice race… Trainer Yasui, is this part of your official training schedule?"
Rather than immediately responding to her friends' excitement, Tokai Teio first sought confirmation from Yasui Makoto.
Yasui nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, it was always part of our strategy."
"Everyone here is familiar with Kita-chan's condition. Her physical abilities are extremely robust, and she can handle intense training."
"Compared to her debut, her overall physique has improved significantly. Our recent training sessions have been very high-level, and she's coped extremely well."
"However, with one and a half months between the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby, continuously training at high intensity could negatively affect her Derby performance."
"Moderating the daily intensity while substituting competitive practice races, as we've done before, is the ideal approach."
Tokai Teio listened carefully and nodded inwardly, once again impressed by Yasui's insights.
As an undefeated double-crown winner herself, Teio had analyzed the recent Satsuki Sho closely. In her opinion, Kitasan's race tactics were highly strategic, skillfully exploiting the cautious hesitation of her opponents.
A lead of three to six lengths was subtle.
Normally, unless the gap was extremely large—over ten lengths or more—Uma Musume confident in their late kick typically banked on overtaking in the final straight. Front-runners often exhausted much of their stamina early, making it common for them to falter near the finish line if they miscalculated their remaining strength.
Rather than chasing a leader who might falter anyway, it was more practical to focus on rivals with similarly powerful late kicks. This was typical reasoning—one Teio herself had relied on. Throughout her career, she'd always believed she could overtake any front-runner with her closing sprint, and had indeed won many races this way.
But the wonder of racing was its unpredictability.
Through skill, determination, or some intangible factor, certain Uma Musume repeatedly surpassed perceived limits—like holding a relentless lead from start to finish.
Kitasan Black had clearly achieved this through excellent technique and exceptional grit, fighting to maintain her lead and withstanding all challengers to seize victory.
Her victory certainly owed much to her own talent and effort, but Yasui Makoto's contributions were undeniably crucial as well.
"It's a good plan. However…" After acknowledging Yasui's strategy, Teio turned apologetically toward Kitasan, looking conflicted.
"McQueen and I won't have time anytime soon, unfortunately."
"Even today, we only managed to come because the Chairwoman returned early and handled much of our workload. With so much on our plates before the Derby…"
She hesitated, trailing off regretfully.
"It's completely fine, Teio-senpai!" Kitasan quickly reassured her. "I was just casually asking anyway. Your work definitely comes first, so really, I—"
Her explanation was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a video call ringing from the other side of the table.
She reflexively looked over. Before she could speak, Mejiro McQueen glanced in the same direction, both amused and exasperated.
"Hey, Golshi, what exactly are you doing?"
"What do you mean, what am I doing? Obviously, I'm trying to help Kita-chan with her training!"
Waving her phone indignantly, Gold Ship, who'd previously remained quiet and thoughtful, scowled.
"You and Teio obviously won't have time, right? My next race is the Spring Tenno Sho, which is way longer than the Derby, so I can't join Kita-chan either."
"But what you all just said reminded me of someone else. I thought I'd ask if she's available soon..."
"Oh, by the way—does anyone here know what time it is in Paris right now?"