"Eh?!"
Mejiro McQueen's dessert slipped from her grasp and plopped straight onto the ground!
She never expected that the calm, genius girl standing before her would reject her offer without any hesitation!
Even that countryside-born legend, Oguri Cap, had probably taken some time to think it over back in the day, right?
And Oguri Cap's refusal hadn't even been that firm—joining Tracen Academy was practically inevitable for her sooner or later.
But this girl, Platinum—clearly sharper and more composed than any other horse girl she knew—had absolutely zero interest in Tracen Academy?!
How was that even possible?!
"U-um, could you tell me why? Why don't you want to come to Tracen?"
Unable to hold back her curiosity, Mejiro McQueen abandoned her usual elegance and pressed for an answer.
But the Pegasus girl simply shook her head.
"No reason. I just don't feel like it."
After a brief pause, Platinum added,
"Tracen's… training and resources wouldn't really help me improve much."
Improve much?
Well, no—Platinum wasn't entirely sure about that herself.
But one thing was certain: this wasn't some lazy excuse. It was a calculated decision.
She knew that if she enrolled in Tracen Academy officially… things would get messy.
She'd become a massive target—maybe even on par with Daiwa Scarlet! Trainers would swarm her, begging her to join their teams. Overachieving horse girls would drag her into grueling training sessions and mock races.
In other words—
Unpaid overtime. No bonuses. And some trainer would probably take a cut of her prize money!
What kind of scam was that?!
If she had to work overtime, she at least wanted overtime pay! But unpaid labor and sharing her earnings? Absolutely not.
Besides, if she became a full-time Uma Musume, how was she supposed to keep working as a doctor and rake in double the income?
'It's not like I'm after Tracen's cafeteria food. I'm not some gluttonous mare with a bottomless stomach.'
'Even the Winner's Stage has some "overtime" value, but joining Tracen? Nah.'
From every angle, Platinum saw zero reason to enroll in Tracen Academy.
"...I see."
Mejiro McQueen stole a pained glance at her fallen dessert before swiftly regaining her composure. With a graceful wave, she stepped aside, allowing Platinum to pass into the backstage area.
"Well, if you ever change your mind, you're always welcome to join us as my junior."
"Oh, and President Symboli Rudolf sent you a friend request. Make sure to accept it—she's someone you can rely on for anything!"
And just like that, their short conversation ended.
But the ripples of this race were far from fading.
Though it was just a G3 event—beneath G2 and the prestigious G1 races—nothing could overshadow the stunning spectacle of the Pegasus girl's dominant runaway victory!
Platinum's overwhelming win had already ignited a storm, one that was about to sweep across all of Japan!
--+--
A few minutes later...
Mejiro McQueen stepped out of the backstage area and rejoined Mejiro Dober.
"...I failed."
"Logically, this shouldn't have happened."
Even now, the elegant daughter of the Mejiro family couldn't stop frowning in confusion.
She couldn't understand why any horse girl would refuse to join Tracen Academy.
Sure, globally speaking, Japan's Tracen Academy wasn't the top-tier institution—there were other elite schools overseas.
But in Japan? Tracen's dominance was absolute. The Uma Musume world here was divided into "Tracen" and "everywhere else." No other school could compete.
And for Platinum to grow this strong, she had to be someone who poured her heart into training—just like McQueen and Tokai Teio, who loved racing with every fiber of their being.
So… why?
Giving up, Mejiro McQueen sighed and shook her head.
Then, recalling the just-finished stakes race, she couldn't help but murmur in awe.
"By tomorrow… the name 'Pegasus Platinum' will be known across all of Japan!**"
Uma Musume racing was already a national sensation in Japan.
A truly shocking performance could spread like wildfire within days—sometimes even hours!
Normally, only the highest-tier G1 races could achieve that level of fame.
But today… there was an exception.
This ordinary G3 race had stunned every spectator present.
Even among Tracen's elite, brimming with prodigies, countless horse girls would soon be talking about it in disbelief.
Platinum would shine just as brightly as Silence Suzuka once did—the legendary mare who became a household name after her own devastating front-running victory.
It was inevitable.
The racing world would soon crown Platinum with titles like "Silence Suzuka Reborn" or "Maruzensky's Return."
Even though she hadn't won a single G1 race yet…
No one could deny her limitless potential now.
--+--
Several hours later…
Platinum returned to her room after smoothly wrapping up the Winner's Stage.
"Phew…"
Finally off the clock, she lazily plopped into her chair.
To her, the Winner's Stage was way more exhausting than the actual race.
At most, a race was two kilometers—over in the span of a single song. But the stage? Multiple performances back-to-back!
But hey, if she wasn't a top-tier idol, how else would fans willingly throw their money at her?
A natural-born grinder, Platinum had embraced her destiny as the ultimate money-making machine.
"When will they start selling my merch…?"
Chin resting on her hand, she crossed her legs, dreaming of the day she could earn big without lifting a hoof.
"But first…"
She booted up her PC and pulled up the official URA website, scrolling until she found what she was looking for.
There it was—the entry forms for the classic races. The Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks) was just two weeks away, and the Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in three.
Normally, classic race entries closed a month in advance—way too late to sign up now.
But…
"All hail Oguri Cap!"
"Thanks to my glorious senpai, time to register!"
—And so began her unorthodox Triple Crown campaign!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
p@treon.com/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.