"So she did watch Oguri Cap's race today… Tamamo Cross…"
Kitahara silently confirmed his suspicion. The two destined rivals faced each other for a moment, and he smiled, waving his hand:
"All right, don't be so tense just because we've just met. If you keep squabbling, the conductor will scold us again."
"…Huh? Oh, right…" Tamamo Cross quickly lowered her aura, curling up small in her seat, keeping her head down, acting obedient.
Oguri Cap also returned to her usual airheaded, carefree self.
Kitahara paused briefly, then steered the conversation in the direction he intended:
"But if you're a Central Uma Musume, Tamamo, why come to Kasamatsu?" He feigned ignorance, hoping to get Tamamo Cross to talk about her trainer.
Indeed, a true rival. In a sense, Tamamo Cross was naturally airheaded too—just a noisier type:
"Aah—! Talking about this makes me so mad! I want to eat noodles again!"
"I just lost a race today! At Hanshin! Only third place! So frustrating!"
"And five consecutive losses! How am I supposed to face the old man back home?!"
"My mind's a mess. I was supposed to take another train to go from Hanshin to Central, but I got on the wrong one."
"Anyway, going back would be unpleasant anyway, too embarrassed to face the old man, so I just got off wherever I could."
"The train happened to reach Nagoya, so I thought I'd have a bowl of Nagoya noodles."
"Then the owner mentioned a race at Kasamatsu, so I went to watch—and saw Oguri Cap… no, I mean, saw Little Ogu."
Like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, she openly recounted her losses, five-game losing streak, taking the wrong train, and going to watch the race.
Then she went off-topic:
"By the way, Nagoya noodles are really good. I wanted to eat two more bowls but didn't want to spend too much money… Still, really tasty!"
Oguri Cap also followed the tangent earnestly:
"Next time you come to Kasamatsu, Tamamo, I'll treat you to Nagoya noodles. You can eat until you're full. I've won a lot recently; aside from sending money to my mom, the rest is for meals. I can use it to treat you."
"R-Really?" Tamamo Cross was overjoyed, then hesitated:
"Um… It's not that I'm embarrassed about Oguri Cap treating me… I'm straightforward too, but I don't eat much. You don't need to spend much—just 5… 3… 1… two bowls! Two bowls is enough!"
Oguri Cap nodded seriously:
"Okay, I'll make sure you get five bowls, Tamamo."
Tamamo Cross froze, then awkwardly waved her hand:"Ah, I said two bowls is enough, no need to…"
Rarely, Oguri Cap interrupted:
"No, I heard you clearly. Tamamo wants five bowls."
"Huh?" Tamamo Cross froze.
Suddenly, Oguri Cap exuded a surprising aura. It wasn't the same as her racing spirit, but it was equally intimidating. Her fists clenched at her chest, firm and resolute:
"When it comes to food, I don't make mistakes!"
At this, Belno Light, who had been smiling quietly, covered her mouth and looked at the stunned Tamamo Cross:
"All right, Little Tamamo, don't argue with Oguri over food. Besides your mother, the two things Oguri is most obsessed with are racing and food."
"…Fine, five bowls it is. Well… then I won't hold back," Tamamo Cross scratched her head and smiled, "Oguri Cap, you really are a good one."
Oguri Cap lowered her "meal king" aura and smiled:
"You too, Little Tamamo."
As the three racehorse girls chatted and laughed, Kitahara, who had tried to guide the conversation earlier, remained silent.
Listening to Tamamo Cross, he felt a twinge of sadness.
He knew Tamamo Cross's hesitation around food was because of her modest upbringing.
Perhaps fate had a sense of humor—while making Oguri Cap and Tamamo Cross destined rivals, it also gave both a tough childhood.
Tamamo Cross's prototype horse was born on a tiny farm that went bankrupt. Her original owner had to give her up cheaply, and she was slender and frail, ignored by everyone.
In this world, Oguri Cap's family was poor, and Tamamo Cross's was equally so.
Tamamo Cross had it worse—she hadn't developed Oguri Cap's huge appetite, and was always careful not to trouble others with her meals.
Even after winning top-tier races and having plenty of prize money, she remained hesitant to spend freely.
In the original story, when she first joined Central Tracen Academy, she couldn't believe she could "eat freely" in the cafeteria, leading kind Uma Musumes to try feeding her.
A poor child. Recruiting her to the team could wait.
I had a lot of luck recruiting Oguri Cap, and she trusted me because I understood her, and she understood me.
So, perhaps Kitahara should first understand what kind of racehorse Tamamo Cross really was. The rest could wait.
Thinking this, Kitahara decided to start with her "old man."
"The 'old man' you mentioned, is he your trainer?" Kitahara asked directly.
"…Nagoya has so much good food… Huh? Oh, the old man."
Originally chatting with Oguri Cap and Belno Light about food, Tamamo Cross became more spirited at Kitahara's question:
"Yes! He's the old man who kindly took care of me and my mother when I was little! He's a trainer!"
"At that time, my mom and I couldn't find a cheap place to live. We searched forever, almost had to sleep on the street."
"The old man said I'd run fast someday and let us pay little rent, so I could grow properly!"
"He's so kind! I always knew it. He didn't just take care of me and mom, but many other Uma Musume and children! They're my brothers and sisters!"
"I want to become a famous Uma Musume to earn a lot of money and help take care of my brothers and sisters!"
"But…"
Tamamo Cross's lively storytelling suddenly turned frantic:
"But! Aah! I've lost five races in a row! Just today too!"
"How can I talk about helping the old man care for my siblings like this?!"
"Uh…"
Kitahara was momentarily at a loss. He hadn't expected Tamamo Cross's bond with her trainer to be so strong. Even though he considered himself more capable, he didn't want to break that bond.
At that moment, Oguri Cap spoke:
"Little Tamamo, don't be discouraged."
With a serious expression and tone, she pressed her hand on Tamamo Cross's shoulder.
"You said you'd wait for me at Central. You said I'm strong. If I'm strong… then when I reach Central, I'll be strong. And the Tamamo competing with me there will be strong too."
"If Little Tamamo is strong, you'll win lots and lots of races!"
…This logic sounded a bit odd… Kitahara couldn't quite follow.
"…Hmm, I know Oguri is trying to comfort her, but something seems off," Belno Light commented, then smiled at Tamamo Cross, trying a different approach:
"You won't keep losing forever. Don't you still have the old man?"
"And Kitahara-san is amazing. He'll definitely help train you." Unexpectedly, Belno Light said what Kitahara had intended to postpone mentioning.
Before Kitahara could react, Tamamo Cross brightened up.
"Well, Oguri Cap and Belno Light are really great!"
She calmed down and smiled brightly again:
"Kitahara-san too!"
"But… Oguri Cap and I are destined to be rivals. I still have the old man. So, asking Kitahara-san for help—let's leave that for now!"