Back at the mall...
The lunch had finally come to an end.
The plates that had once been filled with food were now mostly empty, with only a few crumbs and traces of sauce remaining. The two had spent considerably more time sitting together than either of them had initially expected.
For King, it had almost felt strange.
Not bad.
Just strange.
She had spent so much of the past few weeks thinking about her mother, thinking about the things Goodbye Halo had said, and wondering whether their relationship could ever become something more than a constant source of tension.
Yet now, they had managed to sit across from one another.
Eat together.
Talk.
And, for the most part, remain civil.
There hadn't been any arguments.
No harsh criticism.
No comparisons.
No mention of Daring Tact.
No reminders that her mother had once been considered one of the greatest.
Just a mother and daughter sharing lunch.
The bill had already been paid.
By King herself.
She had insisted on it.
Goodbye Halo had initially tried to object, but King had waved her off.
"It's fine, Mom."
And that had been that.
Now the two remained seated at the table.
King held her cup of tea with both hands for a moment before bringing it toward her lips.
She took a small sip.
The warm tea soothed her.
Across the table, Goodbye Halo looked comfortable.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then her mother finally broke the silence.
"How is training at Tracen, King?"
King looked up.
She nodded.
"Training's alright."
She set her cup down carefully.
"I've been doing my hardest for the races this year."
Goodbye Halo nodded.
"So I've seen."
King froze.
Her ears immediately perked up.
Her eyes widened ever so slightly.
So she's seen?
King stared at her mother.
For just a moment, something inside her began to stir.
Could this be it?
Could this finally be the moment?
After everything?
Her mother's words echoed inside her mind.
So I've seen.
King's thoughts began racing.
Is she finally noticing?
Is she finally recognizing me?
Is she finally acknowledging that I'm a first-rate racer?
Her heart beat a little faster.
She could almost feel the excitement building in her chest.
She watched the Japanese Oaks.
She knows I won.
She knows about the record.
Maybe she's finally starting to understand.
Maybe...
King's expression began to brighten.
Then—
She stopped herself.
Her ears slowly lowered.
"No."
She mentally shook her head.
No, no, no.
Do not get your hopes up, King.
She stared down at her tea.
Don't assume anything.
Don't read too much into two words.
You know how this goes.
King took another small sip.
She composed herself.
Then looked back at her mother.
"Uh..."
She cleared her throat.
"How about you, Mother?"
Goodbye Halo nodded.
She adjusted her sitting posture.
"I'm alright."
She paused.
"Been taking more cooking lessons."
King blinked.
"Cooking lessons?"
Goodbye Halo nodded.
"Improving my culinary skills."
King's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh..."
She hadn't expected that answer.
"Really?"
"Yep."
Goodbye Halo's expression softened.
She looked almost embarrassed to admit it.
"I finally made a decent cake once."
King stared at her.
"A cake?"
Her mother nodded.
"Yes."
There was a small smile on her face.
"It actually turned out edible."
King couldn't help but smile.
"That's good."
Goodbye Halo shrugged.
"Eh..."
She looked away.
"It still needs work, though."
King nodded.
"Well, everyone has to start somewhere."
"That's what the instructor keeps telling me."
King smiled slightly.
"Then keep practicing."
Goodbye Halo nodded.
"I will."
Another quiet moment followed.
King took another sip of tea.
The conversation was simple.
Almost ordinary.
And somehow, that made it feel more meaningful.
There was no hostility.
No competition.
No attempt to prove anything.
Just conversation.
King looked down at the table.
She realized something.
She had been expecting every word from her mother to carry some hidden meaning.
Every compliment.
Every criticism.
Every casual observation.
She had become so accustomed to protecting herself that she was constantly waiting for the next blow.
But today...
There hadn't been one.
King relaxed slightly.
Her shoulders dropped.
The tea was beginning to cool.
The restaurant continued around them.
People talked.
Staff moved between tables.
Dishes were being cleared.
The afternoon outside was progressing.
King glanced toward the window.
The sunlight had shifted.
She reached for her phone.
The screen illuminated.
2:30 PM.
King blinked.
"...What?"
She stared at the time.
It felt impossible.
It had felt like only a few minutes had passed.
Like seconds.
An hour had somehow felt like five minutes.
King looked at her mother.
"It's two-thirty..."
Goodbye Halo looked at the clock as well.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Oh."
King slowly put her phone down.
"Shall we head back?"
Goodbye Halo nodded.
"Yes, please."
She placed her hands against the edge of the table.
Then pushed herself up from the seat.
King followed.
She stood and adjusted her skirt.
Goodbye Halo picked up her belongings.
King did the same.
The two stepped away from the table.
Before leaving, King briefly looked back.
It had been a surprisingly pleasant lunch.
Not perfect.
Not some dramatic reconciliation.
But pleasant.
That was enough.
For now.
They walked toward the restaurant exit.
The mall remained busy around them.
People moved through the corridors carrying shopping bags.
Families walked together.
Children ran between their parents.
The sounds of conversation and footsteps filled the building.
King and her mother moved through the crowd side by side.
After a short walk, they reached the main area of the mall.
Goodbye Halo glanced toward King.
"King."
"Hm?"
"If you wouldn't mind..."
She adjusted her bag.
"Could you drop me off at my hotel?"
King nodded.
"Of course, Mother."
Goodbye Halo then gave her the name.
"The name is Kyo no Yado SANGEN Ninenzaka."
King repeated it quietly to make sure she had heard correctly.
"Kyo no Yado SANGEN Ninenzaka."
"Yes."
King nodded.
"Got it."
The two continued toward the exit.
King could already feel herself thinking about the drive.
It wasn't particularly far.
And with the Tomei silencer installed, the R32 would hopefully be quiet enough for her mother's liking.
At least that was the plan.
Soon, they reached the doors.
The automatic doors opened.
Cool afternoon air entered the mall.
King stepped outside.
Her mother followed.
The two made their way toward the parking area.
King glanced back toward her mother.
"Ready?"
Goodbye Halo nodded.
"Yes."
King smiled faintly.
"Let's go."
Together, mother and daughter walked toward the Skyline.
For the first time in a long while, King didn't feel like she was walking beside an opponent.
Yet.
She was simply walking beside her mother.
And somehow, that felt different.
Not perfect.
Not fixed.
But different.
For once, the conversation between King Halo and her mother had not felt like another battlefield.
There had been no shouting.
No accusations.
No cutting remarks about racing.
No immediate dismissal of King's achievements.
It had simply been a lunch.
An ordinary lunch between a mother and daughter.
And perhaps that was why King had allowed herself, even if only for a little while, to believe that maybe things could change.
Maybe her mother had finally begun to see her.
Maybe, just maybe, Goodbye Halo was beginning to understand.
King almost smiled at the thought.
Almost.
The two of them exited the mall proper and made their way toward the closed parking area.
The afternoon light had begun to soften, casting long shadows across the pavement and the surrounding buildings. The sounds of the city continued around them—cars passing along the nearby road, distant voices, the occasional rumble of a delivery truck—but inside King's head, everything felt unusually quiet.
She reached the parking payment machine and pulled out her wallet.
The ticket went into the slot.
The machine beeped.
King paid the required amount, collected the ticket back, and tucked her wallet away.
Then she turned toward the section where she had left the R32.
"Come on, Mom."
Goodbye Halo followed.
For several seconds, neither of them said anything.
Their heels and shoes tapped against the concrete as they walked deeper into the parking area.
King could see the familiar silhouette ahead.
Her R32 GT-R.
Kyoseki Group A green paintwork reflecting the overhead lights.
The boxy, unmistakable shape.
The aggressive front end.
The RAYS Nissan LMGT1 400R Nismo wheels.
Her car.
The car that had become almost inseparable from her identity.
King's eyes lingered on it.
Then she glanced toward her mother.
She had been thinking about asking this question since the beginning of lunch.
Perhaps even before that.
She swallowed.
"So... Mom."
Goodbye Halo glanced at her.
"Yes?"
King hesitated for half a second.
"I was gonna ask if you're gonna go to the Shuka Sho tomorrow?"
Goodbye Halo's expression barely changed.
"Go to the Shuka Sho?"
She sounded genuinely puzzled.
"Why?"
King blinked.
Her ears twitched.
"It's my final race for this season."
She pointed toward herself.
"Also, it's the last leg of the Triple Tiara."
Goodbye Halo exhaled sharply.
"I might..."
King waited.
The word hung in the air.
Might.
Not will.
Not of course.
Not I'll be there.
Just...
Might.
Goodbye Halo continued.
"The other runners seem fairly interesting to see race."
King's jaw tightened.
Her expression changed almost imperceptibly.
The warmth from lunch began disappearing.
Her hands curled into fists at her sides.
"H-How about me?"
Goodbye Halo looked toward her.
"I'm racing too."
King's voice was quieter now.
But there was something underneath it.
Something desperate.
"It's the race that might put me in the history books, you know?"
Goodbye Halo nodded.
"Sure."
A pause.
"That too."
King stopped dead in her tracks.
Her foot remained planted on the concrete.
Her body went completely still.
Goodbye Halo continued walking for another two steps before realizing her daughter was no longer beside her.
She stopped.
Turned around.
"King-chan."
King's head was lowered.
"What are you doing?"
King didn't answer.
Her shoulders twitched.
Her fists tightened.
Harder.
Her fingernails pressed into her palms.
The memories came rushing back.
Every phone call.
Every dismissal.
Every victory reduced to luck.
Every time she had wanted to hear a single sentence of praise.
Every time she had wanted her mother to look at her and say:
I'm proud of you.
King slowly lifted her head.
Her eyes were already beginning to burn.
Then she snapped.
"Why do you hate seeing me race so much?!"
Her voice echoed through the parking area.
Goodbye Halo's eyebrows dropped.
"Watch your tone, young lady."
King's right foot slammed into the concrete.
"FUCK... YOU!"
Goodbye Halo froze.
King took a step forward.
"WHY IS IT THAT YOU HATE SEEING ME RACE SO MUCH?!"
Her voice cracked.
"WHY DO YOU NEVER SUPPORT MY DREAM TO BECOME LIKE YOU?!"
Another step.
"WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT FROM ME?!"
Goodbye Halo opened her mouth.
"Kin—"
King cut her off.
"I'm a more successful Umamusume than you've ever been!"
Her voice reverberated between the concrete pillars.
"You care more about the other fucking Umas than me!"
Her eyes filled.
The tears were impossible to hold back now.
"Why can't you just support me for who I am?!"
Her breathing became uneven.
"For what I want to be..."
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Then another.
She tried to wipe them away, but more followed.
"Why can't you just be supportive for once in your fucking life?"
Goodbye Halo's eyes widened.
She had never heard King speak like this.
Not to her.
Not ever.
And for once...
She didn't immediately interrupt.
She listened.
King continued.
"Every..."
Her voice trembled.
"Fucking..."
She swallowed.
"Time."
She clenched her fists.
"Every win I take..."
"You always say I have no talent."
Her voice rose again.
"It's just luck!"
She slammed a hand against her chest and grabbed her shirt tightly, wrinkling the fabric beneath her fingers.
"I TRAINED DAY AND NIGHT!"
Her voice cracked through the parking structure.
"EVERY DAY!"
"I TRAINED UNTIL MY BODY HURT!"
"I TRAINED WHEN I WAS TIRED!"
"I TRAINED WHEN I DIDN'T WANT TO!"
"I TRAINED WHEN EVERYONE ELSE WAS RESTING!"
She pointed toward herself.
"TO ACHIEVE MY GOALS!"
"MY FUCKING WINS!"
Goodbye Halo stood motionless.
King's breathing became heavier.
"You know what?"
She took another step forward.
Her eyes were red.
Her cheeks were wet.
Her expression was no longer simply angry.
It was wounded.
"You..."
She leaned forward slightly.
"...are a fucking bitch!"
Goodbye Halo's eyes widened.
She choked slightly on her breath.
King didn't stop.
"Is it luck that I won?!"
Her voice shook the entire way through the sentence.
"IS IT FUCKING LUCK THAT I'M A RECIPIENT OF THE TRIPLE CROWN?!"
Goodbye Halo's lips parted.
King shouted over her.
"IF MY TRIPLE CROWN IS LUCK—"
She jabbed a finger toward herself.
"WHY WAS I UNDEFEATED THAT YEAR?!"
Her chest rose and fell.
"LUCK THIS!"
She threw one hand outward.
"GIVE UP THAT!"
Her other hand followed.
"DON'T DO THIS!"
"DON'T DO THAT!"
She shook her head violently.
"EVERYTHING IS ALWAYS ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK I SHOULD DO!"
Her voice cracked again.
"And during those nights after your calls..."
She looked directly at her mother.
"I just wished..."
Her voice suddenly became quieter.
"I just wished for you to disappear from my life."
Goodbye Halo's jaw dropped slightly.
King's anger finally collapsed under the weight of everything she had been holding inside.
Her knees gave way.
She dropped onto the concrete.
Her head lowered.
Her shoulders began shaking.
She sobbed.
Once.
Then again.
And again.
The sound was raw.
Uncontrolled.
Years of frustration seemed to pour out of her all at once.
Goodbye Halo stared at her daughter.
For once...
She realized her mistake.
Not all of it.
Perhaps not even close to all of it.
But enough.
She finally understood that the things she had said so casually had never been casual to King.
Every dismissal had stayed with her.
Every comparison had stayed with her.
Every time Goodbye Halo had called one of King's accomplishments luck...
King had remembered.
Every single one.
Goodbye Halo slowly approached.
"King-chan..."
She reached toward her.
But King immediately rose.
She shoved her mother backward.
"STAY FUCKING BACK!"
Goodbye Halo stumbled.
King placed one hand against the concrete and pushed herself upright, rising first into a crouch before standing fully.
She stared at her mother.
Her eyes were filled with anger.
"Come close again..."
Her eyebrows lowered.
"...and I will not hesitate to hit you."
Goodbye Halo stopped.
She didn't move.
For a moment, neither woman spoke.
Then Goodbye Halo exhaled slowly.
"King-chan..."
Her voice had changed.
"Please."
She swallowed.
"Let me say something."
King clenched her fists tighter.
She stared at her mother.
"Say what?"
Her voice was bitter.
"That it's luck again?"
She laughed once.
But there was no humor in it.
"Give up racing?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"...or discipline me?"
She suddenly spread her arms wide.
"Go ahead."
Her voice trembled.
"Discipline me."
She stepped forward.
"Go ahead."
Her eyes narrowed further.
"DISCIPLINE ME."
Goodbye Halo choked.
A tear finally escaped her right eye.
It rolled down her cheek.
"King..."
She shook her head.
"All I wanted was for you to have a better future."
King stared.
"A future free from racing."
King slammed her palm against her chest.
"But THIS is what I want!"
Her voice cracked.
"YOU WERE LITERALLY MY FUCKING INSPIRATION!"
She sobbed once.
Then continued.
"I don't want to study business management under you!"
"I WANT TO BE AN UMAMUSUME RUNNER!"
"I get that horse girls can achieve things outside of racing!"
Her voice became quieter.
But somehow, that made the words hurt more.
"But this is what I want."
Tears continued falling from Goodbye Halo's eyes.
She didn't wipe them away.
Because there was nothing she could say.
King was telling her the truth.
And the truth hurt.
King reached into the pocket of her skirt.
Her fingers closed around something.
The ticket.
The front-row railing ticket for tomorrow's Shuka Sho.
The one she had taken from the R32's glovebox earlier.
The ticket she had intended to give to her mother.
The ticket that was supposed to be an invitation.
An olive branch.
A silent way of saying:
Please come.
Please watch me.
Please be there.
King slowly pulled it out.
She held it between her fingers.
"This is a ticket to the Shuka Sho."
Goodbye Halo looked at it.
King's voice was quieter now.
"I should have given this to you."
She looked down at the ticket.
"I already paid for it."
Her fingers tightened.
"So you could see me race in person."
She looked back at her mother.
"For the first time in your fucking life."
Goodbye Halo extended a hand.
"King-chan..."
King lowered the ticket.
"But you can go and fuck yourself."
Her fingers tightened.
Then she ripped the ticket.
Once.
The paper tore with a sharp little sound.
Goodbye Halo's eyes widened.
"King-chan, no!"
King ripped it again.
And again.
And again.
The ticket that had once represented hope became scraps between her fingers.
She tore it into tiny pieces.
Goodbye Halo's hand remained extended.
"Please..."
King's expression hardened.
She tore the final pieces apart.
Then threw them into the air.
The small pieces fluttered upward before slowly drifting back down.
White fragments scattered across the concrete.
Goodbye Halo choked.
Her knees gave way.
She dropped down.
For the first time in years...
Goodbye Halo sobbed.
Not quietly.
Not politely.
Not behind a composed expression.
She simply broke.
King stared down at her.
Her anger remained.
But somewhere beneath it was pain.
A deep, aching pain.
The kind that didn't disappear just because someone finally cried.
King narrowed her eyes.
"Don't bother coming to the Shuka Sho."
Goodbye Halo looked up.
King's expression was cold.
"I don't want to see you again."
She turned.
And walked away.
"King-chan!"
Goodbye Halo quickly stood.
She reached toward her daughter.
"Please!"
King didn't look back.
Not even once.
Her footsteps continued through the parking structure.
Goodbye Halo stood there.
Her hand remained outstretched.
Then slowly fell.
Her legs gave out again.
She dropped to her knees.
Her head lowered.
And she cried.
The scattered pieces of the Shuka Sho ticket lay around her.
The invitation she had never accepted.
The invitation she had not even understood was being offered.
King kept walking.
She passed beneath another row of overhead lights.
Her vision was blurred by tears.
She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand.
It didn't help.
More tears came.
She kept walking anyway.
Eventually, she reached the R32.
She stopped beside it.
For several seconds, she simply stared.
The Kyoseki Group A green paint reflected her distorted silhouette.
Her face was red.
Her eyes were wet.
She looked exhausted.
King reached into her pocket.
Pulled out the key.
Pressed the button.
The locks clicked.
She opened the right-hand driver's door.
The door swung outward.
King climbed inside.
The familiar cabin surrounded her.
The Bride bucket seat.
The Group A-style interior.
The Nardi steering wheel.
The half rollcage behind her.
Everything looked exactly as it had when she had left it.
But she didn't.
King pulled herself into the driver's seat.
Her hand rested on the steering wheel.
She stared forward.
For a moment, she didn't move.
Then she slammed the door shut.
THUD.
The sound echoed through the parking structure.
King reached down.
Pulled the seat belt across her body.
Clicked the buckle into place.
Her right hand moved toward the ignition.
The key slid into the slot on the right-hand side of the steering column.
She wrapped her fingers around it.
Paused.
Then twisted.
The RB26DETT turned over.
The starter motor cranked.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
WHUMM.
The engine fired.
The straight-six settled into its familiar idle.
King gripped the steering wheel.
Her tears continued falling.
She didn't wipe them away.
She shifted into reverse.
Depressed the clutch pedal.
Then released it aggressively.
The R32 shuddered.
The rear wheels broke traction.
They chirped against the concrete as the car lurched backward.
King immediately pressed the brake.
The front tires chirped.
The car stopped.
She breathed heavily through her nose.
Her hands tightened around the steering wheel.
She turned the wheel sharply left.
First gear.
Clutch down.
Throttle opened.
The RB26's revs climbed.
King released the clutch hard.
The four-wheel-drive system received the sudden surge of torque.
All four wheels spun briefly.
The engine roared.
The R32 lunged forward.
King accelerated toward the parking exit.
She wasn't thinking about the speed.
She wasn't thinking about the traffic.
She wasn't thinking about the road.
She was thinking about her mother.
About every word.
Every insult.
Every moment.
Every time she had stood alone after a victory, wishing the person she wanted to impress most would simply say:
Good job.
The R32 reached the exit.
King turned the steering wheel hard.
The rear stepped outward.
The tires squealed.
The car rotated more aggressively than intended.
King reacted instantly.
She countersteered.
Her hands moved rapidly across the Nardi wheel.
The R32 continued sliding.
For a split second, the rear end was still moving sideways.
Then the ATTESSA E-TS system transferred additional torque toward the front axle.
The front tires clawed at the pavement.
The chassis straightened.
King corrected the steering again.
The R32 snapped back into line.
She didn't slow down.
She merged onto the main road.
The engine's howl faded into the surrounding traffic.
But King didn't know where she was going.
She hadn't chosen a destination.
She simply drove.
Away.
Away from the mall.
Away from her mother.
Away from the conversation.
Away from everything.
The afternoon traffic flowed around her.
Cars passed.
Pedestrians crossed.
Traffic lights changed.
The city continued functioning as though nothing had happened.
But inside the R32, King Halo was falling apart.
Her hands remained locked around the steering wheel.
Her eyes remained fixed ahead.
Yet tears continued to slide down her cheeks.
She blinked them away.
Another tear replaced them.
She blinked again.
It didn't matter.
She had spent so long wanting her mother to acknowledge her.
To recognize her achievements.
To attend one race.
One.
That was all she had wanted.
She had even bought the ticket.
She had taken the time to put it in the glovebox.
She had imagined her mother standing at the front row railing.
Watching.
Seeing her daughter race.
Seeing what King had become.
Seeing the result of every morning training session, every afternoon workout, every evening run, every painful day she had pushed herself beyond what she thought she could endure.
King had imagined looking toward the railing after crossing the finish line.
And seeing her mother there.
Just once.
Now that ticket was scattered across a parking lot.
King's grip tightened.
Her knuckles turned pale.
The thought entered her mind.
Maybe I really am alone.
She immediately rejected it.
No.
She had Fumino.
Urara.
Teio.
Kitasan.
Rudolf.
C.B.
Gentildonna.
Orfevre.
Maruzensky.
Chiyono.
Forever Young.
So many people.
People who believed in her.
People who had supported her.
People who had celebrated her victories.
People who had stood beside her even when she was difficult.
Yet somehow...
The one person she wanted approval from most was the one person who seemed incapable of giving it.
King swallowed.
Her eyes remained on the road.
The R32 continued forward.
She didn't know where she was going.
She didn't know what road she was taking.
She didn't even know whether she was heading back toward the hotel.
All she knew was that she couldn't go back yet.
Not after that.
Not after everything she had said.
And somewhere behind her, in that parking structure, Goodbye Halo remained on her knees.
For once, she understood.
Her daughter hadn't been asking for perfection.
She hadn't been asking for money.
She hadn't been asking for business connections.
She hadn't been asking to inherit her mother's career.
She had only wanted her mother to be there.
To watch.
To support.
To believe.
And Goodbye Halo had failed to do that.
Again.
The afternoon sunlight slowly shifted across the city.
The R32 disappeared farther down the road.
The engine note became quieter with distance.
King Halo kept driving.
No destination.
No plan.
No idea what would happen next.
What had begun as a fairly ordinary lunch between a mother and daughter had turned into something neither of them could simply walk away from.
The conversation that had almost felt like reconciliation had instead ripped open years of buried resentment.
And now there was no easy way to close it again.
King's final race of the season was tomorrow.
The Shuka Sho.
The final leg of her Triple Tiara.
The race that could cement her name in history.
The race she had spent an entire season preparing for.
The race where she was expected to give everything.
But as the R32 disappeared into the Kyoto traffic, one terrible thought remained in the back of her mind.
Could she still race tomorrow?
Could she stand on that starting gate with everything that had just happened weighing on her?
Could she still focus?
Could she still run the way she had trained to run?
Could she still become the King everyone expected her to be?
She didn't know.
And for the first time in a very long time...
King Halo was afraid.
Not of the race.
Not of her rivals.
Not of the distance.
Not of the final stretch.
She was afraid of what was waiting for her after the finish line.
Because tomorrow was supposed to be the culmination of everything.
Her Triple Tiara.
Her final Twinkle Series race of the year.
Perhaps even the final Twinkle Series race of her career.
A moment that should have belonged entirely to her.
Instead, it was now tangled together with the one relationship she had spent years trying to repair.
King pressed harder on the accelerator.
The RB26DETT answered.
The R32 surged forward.
And she kept driving.
Without a destination.
Without looking back.
While behind her, the pieces of the ticket remained scattered across the concrete.
And tomorrow's Shuka Sho...
Suddenly felt much farther away than it had only an hour ago.
The time passed by.
The afternoon slowly gave way to evening.
Evening became night.
And as the hours slipped away, the atmosphere inside The Mitsui Kyoto changed with them.
The sunlight that had poured across the hotel's gardens was long gone. The small lake in the central garden reflected the warm lights surrounding it, while the trees stood quietly in the darkness. The stone path was illuminated by small lamps, and the Garden Bar had become considerably quieter than it had been earlier.
Most of the guests had already retreated to their rooms.
Some remained at the restaurant.
Others sat quietly at the bar, speaking in low voices.
But at one of the tables beside the garden, two Umamusume were still awake.
Symboli Rudolf sat with Maruzensky.
Rudolf glanced down at her phone.
9:45 PM.
Her eyes remained fixed on the time for several seconds.
She slowly closed the phone.
Her fingers tapped against the table.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Her expression remained composed.
But her mind was anything but.
"Where is King..."
Maruzensky looked toward her.
She had been thinking the same thing.
She sighed.
"King is never out this late."
She rested one arm against the table.
"Especially with a race she's entering tomorrow."
Rudolf looked down.
Something felt wrong.
She couldn't explain it.
There was no evidence.
No concrete reason.
No message.
No warning.
Just a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.
A feeling that something had changed.
Something important.
Something neither of them could see yet.
"The butterfly effect..."
Rudolf murmured.
Maruzensky raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Rudolf shook her head.
"I don't know, Maruzen."
She looked toward the darkened garden.
"Something feels off."
Maruzensky's expression became more serious.
She leaned forward, resting an arm on the table.
"You are not alone, Rudolf."
Rudolf sighed.
She picked her phone back up.
Her thumb hovered over the screen.
Then she opened her contacts.
There was only one person she wanted to call.
Fuji Kiseki.
The dorm leader back at Tracen.
If anyone had a chance of knowing where King was, it would be Fuji.
Rudolf pressed the call button.
The phone began ringing.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Meanwhile, several prefectures away—
Fuji Kiseki was driving through Ritto.
Not Ritto in Kyoto.
Ritto in Shiga Prefecture.
The city sat just to the east of Kyoto, and at this hour the roads were still busy enough to be irritating.
Fuji sat behind the wheel of her AMG GT R.
The green sports car was barely moving.
Traffic had backed up along the road, leaving Fuji with little choice but to sit and wait.
She rested one hand against the steering wheel.
Her other hand was near the center console.
The AMG's engine idled smoothly beneath the hood.
The infotainment system illuminated the cabin.
Then her phone rang.
Fuji glanced at the screen.
Her eyebrows lifted.
Rudolf.
"Kaichou?"
She tapped the touchscreen interface and accepted the call.
A faint sigh came through the speakers.
"Fuji."
Rudolf's voice was unusually serious.
"I need to know where King is."
Fuji raised an eyebrow.
"King?"
She glanced toward the road ahead.
"Is she not at the hotel?"
Rudolf shook her head, even though Fuji couldn't see her.
"No."
"She's not in her room."
"I tried calling."
"And texting."
"No reply."
Fuji's expression changed.
Rudolf continued.
"Considering you track King's whereabouts during her Tiara campaign, I need your help."
Fuji's eyes narrowed slightly.
Right.
The tracking system.
During King's Triple Tiara campaign, Fuji had been keeping track of King's movements and schedule as part of the monitoring surrounding one of the biggest racing campaigns of the season.
Fuji reached for her phone.
She brought up King's location.
The screen loaded.
A map appeared.
Fuji looked at it.
Her eyebrows immediately rose.
Then her eyes widened.
"Rudolf?"
"Still there?"
"Yes."
Fuji stared at the screen.
"King is here."
Rudolf immediately sat upright.
"Where?!"
Fuji blinked.
She zoomed in.
The location marker became clearer.
Her lips parted.
"She's here in Ritto."
Rudolf's expression tightened.
"Ritto?"
"Ritto, Shiga Prefecture."
Maruzensky's head snapped toward Rudolf.
"Shiga Prefecture?!"
Her voice was loud enough that several nearby people briefly glanced in their direction.
"What in the heck is she doing there?!"
Rudolf ignored the reaction.
"Where specifically, Fuji?"
Fuji zoomed further.
Her eyes followed the location marker.
Then she froze.
Her jaw dropped.
"No..."
Rudolf's voice immediately rose.
"Fuji!"
"I need answers."
"Now."
There was silence.
Fuji stared at the screen.
She didn't want to say it.
Not because she wasn't sure.
Because she was.
She knew exactly what the location was.
Finally, she spoke.
"Bar Neptune."
Silence.
Rudolf's eyes widened.
Maruzensky froze.
The name hung in the air.
Rudolf slowly lowered the phone from her ear.
"King's..."
She swallowed.
"...in a bar?"
Fuji nodded.
"Yeah."
Rudolf stared straight ahead.
For several seconds, she didn't move.
Then she slowly looked toward Maruzensky.
Her expression changed.
She already knew.
"I know exactly why."
Maruzensky's eyes narrowed.
"Tell."
Rudolf's voice was quiet.
"Her mother."
Maruzensky's palm slammed against the table.
BANG.
She immediately stood.
"Damn it!"
She turned away, taking several steps before stopping.
Then she turned back toward Rudolf and jabbed a finger in her direction.
"I KNEW her mom was bad news, Rudolf!"
Rudolf sighed.
She stood as well.
She brought the phone closer to her mouth.
"Fuji."
Fuji immediately answered.
"I'm heading there now, Kaichou."
Rudolf nodded.
"Good."
"I'll have Maruzensky brief the others here at the hotel."
She glanced toward Maruzensky.
"I'll bring along Yanko."
Fuji nodded.
"I'll wait for you outside the bar, Kaichou."
"I won't enter until you arrive."
Rudolf nodded.
"Okay."
The call ended.
Rudolf immediately opened her contacts again.
Maruzensky pointed toward the hotel lobby.
"I'll inform the others about King."
Rudolf nodded.
"And her trainer."
Maruzensky nodded.
"Right."
She turned around and began walking toward the main lobby.
Rudolf watched her go.
Then she selected another contact.
Forever Young.
The call connected.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
"Rudolf?"
Rudolf didn't waste time.
"Yanko."
"Get changed."
"We're picking up King."
Forever Young's voice immediately changed.
"What?"
She quickly sat upright on the bed.
"King?"
"What happened?!"
"I'll explain later."
Rudolf's voice was firm.
"Get down here."
"We've gotta go ASAP."
Forever Young was already moving.
"I'm heading down now."
The call ended.
Rudolf lowered her phone.
She turned and walked away from the Garden Bar.
The hotel's quiet atmosphere suddenly felt completely different.
Only minutes earlier, they had been discussing tomorrow's race.
Now they were preparing to retrieve one of their friends from a bar in another prefecture.
Rudolf reached the hotel parking area.
The cool night air met her face.
She walked toward Forever Young's dark cherry red GR GT.
She didn't have to wait long.
Forever Young appeared from the hotel entrance.
She was dressed for driving rather than racing, having clearly changed as quickly as possible after receiving Rudolf's call.
She hurried toward the car.
"Kaichou!"
She stopped beside the driver's door.
"What's going on?"
Rudolf walked around toward the passenger side.
"King's at a bar."
Forever Young blinked.
"What?"
"In Ritto."
"Ritto, Shiga Prefecture."
Forever Young's jaw dropped.
"Whaat?!"
Rudolf sighed.
"I guess King got into an explosive argument with her mother."
Forever Young's expression immediately hardened.
"I knew her mom was bad news, Rudolf!"
She pointed at Rudolf.
"I knew it!"
Rudolf nodded.
"I know."
She opened the passenger door.
"But now isn't the time to talk about that."
She climbed inside.
"Now is the time to be by King's side."
Forever Young stared at her for a moment.
Then her expression softened.
"Right."
She unlocked the car.
The driver's door opened.
Forever Young slid inside and closed it.
Rudolf shut her own door.
The cabin fell quiet.
Forever Young pressed the start/stop button.
The displays illuminated across the dashboard.
The car's systems came alive.
Instrument screens initialized.
Warning lights briefly illuminated before going through their normal checks.
Then the powertrain awakened.
The twin-turbo hybrid V8 fired into life.
A deep mechanical note filled the cabin before settling into a controlled idle.
Forever Young placed both hands on the steering wheel.
Rudolf fastened her seat belt.
Forever Young did the same.
She glanced at Rudolf.
"Ready?"
Rudolf nodded.
"Go."
Forever Young selected the appropriate driving mode.
The transmission engaged.
She eased the accelerator.
The GR GT rolled away from the parking space.
They passed through the hotel parking area and approached the exit.
The barrier lifted.
The car slipped onto the street.
Traffic was still moving through Kyoto.
Not nearly as heavily as during the afternoon, but enough to prevent them from simply charging through the city.
Forever Young kept her attention on the road.
Her hands moved smoothly around the steering wheel as she guided the car through the streets.
She wasn't reckless.
But she was noticeably more urgent than usual.
She accelerated decisively whenever a gap opened.
Braked firmly when traffic required it.
Changed lanes whenever it was safe.
The GR GT's chassis responded immediately to every input.
Rudolf sat beside her, watching the road.
Her phone remained in her hand.
The location tracker was still open.
King's marker was there.
Still moving.
Still in the Ritto area.
Rudolf's stomach tightened.
"She's still moving."
Forever Young glanced over briefly.
"How far?"
"Not sure yet."
Rudolf looked at the map.
"Fuji said she'll meet us outside Bar Neptune."
Forever Young nodded.
"Good."
A pause.
Then she spoke again.
"Do you think King is drunk?"
Rudolf frowned.
"I don't know."
"I dont even know if she drinks.."
"I doubt the bar would knowingly serve her that much drinks though."
Forever Young nodded.
"Then why is she there?"
Rudolf stared at the map.
"You heard what happened."
Forever Young's expression hardened again.
"The argument."
Rudolf nodded.
"King has been carrying this for a long time."
"I think today finally pushed her over the edge."
Forever Young gripped the steering wheel slightly tighter.
"Poor King."
Neither of them spoke for several seconds.
The GR GT continued through the streets.
Streetlights passed overhead in steady intervals.
Buildings gradually thinned as they moved farther from central Kyoto.
Signs illuminated the roadside.
Convenience stores glowed brightly against the darkness.
The road eventually opened up.
Forever Young accelerated.
The V8 responded immediately.
The car gathered speed.
Rudolf glanced toward her.
"Yanko."
"Hm?"
"Don't push too hard."
Forever Young nodded.
"I know."
She eased off slightly.
"We need to get there safely."
Rudolf looked ahead.
"Exactly."
They continued toward the expressway.
A junction appeared ahead.
Forever Young signaled.
Checked the mirrors.
Then guided the GR GT onto the entrance ramp.
The road curved upward.
The engine note deepened as the car accelerated onto the expressway.
Forever Young switched lanes smoothly.
The city lights stretched behind them.
Kyoto gradually receded into the distance.
Ahead lay Shiga.
And somewhere in Ritto...
King Halo was alone.
Rudolf looked down at her phone again.
The location marker remained visible.
She closed her eyes for a moment.
Please be okay, King.
She opened them.
Forever Young kept both hands on the wheel.
Neither woman said anything.
There was nothing left to say.
They simply drove.
Faster than they normally would.
Not because they wanted to race.
Not because they wanted to prove anything.
But because one of their friends was hurting.
And tomorrow was supposed to be the biggest day of King's season.
The Shuka Sho.
The final race of the Triple Tiara.
The race that could define her legacy.
The race that had already sold out Kyoto Racecourse.
And yet tonight, none of that mattered.
Not the records.
Not the trophies.
Not the headlines.
Not the Triple Tiara.
Right now, there was only one thing that mattered.
Finding King Halo.
And making sure she wasn't alone.
The GR GT continued west-to-east toward Shiga, its headlights cutting through the darkness.
Behind them, Kyoto grew smaller.
Ahead of them, the road stretched into the night.
And somewhere beyond that road, under the lights of Ritto...
King was waiting.
Whether she knew it or not.
Whether she knew it or not.
The engine hummed steadily beneath them.
Forever Young kept the GR GT at a steady 140 kilometers per hour, the car settled comfortably into the expressway as the darkness of the night surrounded them.
The road ahead was mostly clear.
Streetlights swept across the windshield in regular intervals.
The sound of the tires against the asphalt remained almost constant, occasionally interrupted by the rush of another vehicle passing in the opposite direction or disappearing ahead of them.
Rudolf sat quietly in the passenger seat.
Her arms were folded.
Her expression was serious.
Forever Young glanced toward her.
"You are not mad at her?"
Rudolf looked over.
"Absolutely not."
She returned her gaze to the road ahead.
"In fact..."
She scoffed.
"It's for the best that King actually snapped in front of her mother."
Forever Young raised an eyebrow.
Rudolf brought a hand to her forehead and rubbed it.
"It's the only thing that might finally get through that thick skull of Goodbye Halo."
She lowered her hand.
"Honestly."
Her palm rose briefly before dropping onto her lap.
"What happened to the Goodbye Halo that inspired students?"
She shook her head.
"The Goodbye Halo who was supposed to inspire people to chase their dreams?"
A pause.
"This..."
She gestured vaguely toward the road.
"...is a shitshow."
Forever Young sighed.
"More of a clusterfuck."
She kept both hands on the steering wheel.
"With Goodbye Halo trying to make King lose the race tomorrow."
Rudolf glanced toward her.
"That's what worries me."
Forever Young shook her head.
"This is mind fuckery."
Rudolf gave a tired sigh.
"Agreed."
Neither of them laughed.
The situation simply wasn't funny.
Tomorrow was supposed to be King's day.
Her final Triple Tiara race.
The culmination of an entire campaign.
Instead, she had spent the evening arguing with her mother, walking away in tears, and ending up in a bar in another prefecture.
Rudolf looked down at her phone.
King's location was still visible.
They were getting close.
"How long?"
Forever Young glanced at the navigation display.
"Not long."
Rudolf nodded.
"Good."
The GR GT continued forward.
Eventually, the expressway began to give way to ordinary roads.
Forever Young reduced her speed as they left the highway.
The GR GT entered the streets of Ritto.
The atmosphere changed immediately.
The road became narrower.
Buildings stood closer together.
Traffic was lighter.
The bright lights of the expressway were replaced by streetlights, storefronts, vending machines, and the occasional illuminated sign.
Forever Young followed the navigation.
A few more turns.
Then another.
Finally, the destination appeared.
Bar Neptune.
Outside the bar, Fuji Kiseki was waiting.
She leaned against the side of her AMG GT R, arms folded.
She glanced down at her wristwatch.
10:15 PM.
She lowered her hand.
"Where are they?"
Fuji looked down the street.
Then toward the intersection.
Nothing.
She looked toward the road behind her.
Still nothing.
Then she glanced at the R32 GT-R parked nearby.
King's car.
Silent.
The Kyoseki Group A green bodywork reflected the nearby streetlights.
Fuji stared at it.
For a moment, she wondered what exactly had happened inside that bar.
Then she heard something.
A faint sound.
Chirping tires.
Fuji looked toward the intersection.
The sound grew louder.
Then the GR GT appeared.
Its rear stepped out slightly as Forever Young made the turn.
She immediately caught it, straightening the car before accelerating toward Fuji's position.
The GR GT approached rapidly.
Then its brakes engaged.
The car came to a controlled halt behind Fuji's AMG GT R.
The headlights switched off.
A moment later, the engine shut down.
The cabin fell silent.
Both doors opened.
Rudolf and Forever Young stepped out.
They quickly jogged toward Fuji.
Fuji sighed in relief.
"Finally..."
Rudolf exhaled sharply.
"Where now, Fuji?"
Fuji pointed toward a narrow alley beside the building.
"Down that alley."
She pointed again.
"To the right."
Rudolf looked at Forever Young.
Forever Young nodded.
Rudolf then looked back at Fuji.
Fuji nodded as well.
"Then let's get going."
The three walked quickly across the pavement.
They entered the alley.
Then turned right.
And there it was.
A small establishment tucked away from the main road.
A sign illuminated above the entrance.
Bar Neptune.
The three slowed their pace.
They exchanged one last glance.
Then Rudolf reached for the door.
She pushed it open.
The door gave a soft creak.
They stepped inside.
The bar was almost completely empty.
The lighting was low.
The room was quiet.
A faint smell of alcohol lingered in the air.
Behind the counter stood the bartender.
And at the bar itself...
King Halo sat alone.
Her posture was slumped.
Her eyes were tired.
The tears that had covered her face earlier had long since dried.
The bartender looked toward the three newcomers.
Then pointed toward King.
"I'm guessin' she's your friend, right?"
Rudolf nodded.
"Right."
The bartender chuckled softly.
"She's quite a bad drinker."
He pointed toward the bottle sitting in front of King.
"Only had one cold beer."
Forever Young stared at the bottle.
The bartender continued.
"She never took a second sip."
He tapped the bottle lightly.
"That's still her first."
He crossed his arms.
"Again."
He shook his head.
"A horrible drinker."
Rudolf nodded.
"Thanks."
The bartender smiled faintly.
"I'll be at the back if you need me."
He glanced at King.
"Seems like you all need some time with her."
He walked through the doorway behind the counter.
Leaving the four of them alone.
Rudolf slowly approached.
She pulled out the stool beside King.
And sat.
Forever Young remained standing nearby.
Fuji stood on the other side.
King didn't move.
For several seconds, she simply stared ahead.
Her ears drooped slightly.
Her hands rested loosely on the counter.
Then she noticed Rudolf.
She turned her head.
Her eyes met Rudolf's.
"You know..."
King reached for the beer bottle.
She lifted it slightly.
"Beer tastes like shit."
Rudolf nodded.
"Glad to hear that."
King placed the bottle back down.
She stared at it.
One sip.
That was all.
She hadn't even finished enough to feel anything.
Rudolf leaned forward slightly and rested one hand on the counter.
"Your mom, I presume?"
King slowly nodded.
"I snapped in front of her, Rudolf."
Rudolf sighed.
She didn't lecture her.
Didn't tell her she was wrong.
Didn't tell her to calm down.
Instead, she spoke quietly.
"I think it's for the best, King."
King slowly nodded again.
"I know."
She looked down.
"I just..."
Her voice faded.
Rudolf waited.
King didn't continue.
There was no need.
Everyone already knew.
She had finally said everything she had wanted to say.
Whether it would change Goodbye Halo was another matter.
King reached into her pocket.
She pulled out a bill.
She placed it on the counter.
Then slowly stood.
Her legs were steady.
Her mind was clear.
Whatever else had happened tonight, at least she hadn't drunk enough to impair herself.
King turned toward Forever Young.
"Lets go home."
Her voice was quiet.
"Please."
Forever Young nodded immediately.
"Of course."
She extended her hand.
"Although, for your safety, I'll drive you home."
King nodded.
"Right."
She reached into her pocket.
Pulled out her R32 key.
Then placed it in Forever Young's palm.
Forever Young closed her fingers around it.
Fuji stepped closer.
She placed a hand gently on King's shoulder.
"I'm glad you're okay."
King nodded.
"I'll be even more okay when I win that race tomorrow."
Fuji smiled.
"Atta girl."
King took a breath.
Then started walking.
Fuji, Forever Young, and Rudolf followed behind her.
They exited the bar.
The cool night air met their faces.
They walked back into the alley.
King didn't stop.
She headed directly toward the R32.
The car sat exactly where she had left it.
King opened the passenger door.
She climbed inside.
The bucket seat accepted her weight.
She slid back into it and slowly pulled the door shut.
THUD.
The door closed.
Fuji looked toward King through the window.
Then looked at Forever Young and Rudolf.
She sighed.
"I'm glad King didn't take any more sips."
Rudolf nodded.
"Beer tastes like shit, she said."
Fuji nodded.
"And I'm glad it turned out to be like that."
She yawned and covered her mouth with her hand.
"I'll head back to the hotel."
She glanced toward the road.
"It's not far from here."
She looked at Rudolf.
"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
Rudolf nodded.
"Of course."
Forever Young nodded as well.
"See you tomorrow, Fuji."
Fuji walked back toward her AMG GT R.
She opened the driver's door and climbed inside.
The door shut.
A moment later, the bi-turbo V8 fired to life.
The engine settled into its idle.
Fuji selected gear.
The AMG slowly pulled away.
Its headlights swept across the alley as it disappeared around the corner.
Forever Young watched until it was gone.
Then she reached into her pants pocket.
Pulled out her GR GT key fob.
She placed it into Rudolf's hand.
"Lead the way, Rudolf."
Rudolf nodded.
"Alright, Yanko."
She turned toward the GR GT.
Forever Young walked toward the R32.
She opened the driver's door.
King was still sitting in the passenger seat.
Forever Young climbed inside.
She closed the door.
The interior became quiet again.
King looked toward her.
Forever Young placed the R32 key into the ignition.
She turned it.
The starter motor engaged.
The RB26DETT cranked.
Then—
WHUMM.
The engine fired.
The straight-six settled into a soft, steady hum.
Forever Young glanced toward King.
"Ready to go back to the hotel?"
King nodded.
"Yep."
Forever Young nodded.
"Alright."
Outside, Rudolf had already reached the GR GT.
She opened the driver's door.
Climbed inside.
Closed it.
She pressed the start button.
The GR GT's systems awakened.
Its displays illuminated.
The hybrid powertrain came alive.
Rudolf fastened her seat belt.
She glanced toward the R32.
Then selected reverse.
The GR GT slowly backed away from its parking position.
Forever Young watched.
Once Rudolf had cleared the space, she turned the R32's steering wheel.
She eased the clutch out.
The R32 moved forward smoothly.
No wheelspin.
No sudden acceleration.
No unnecessary drama.
King simply sat in the passenger seat.
For once, she wasn't the one driving.
And perhaps that was exactly what she needed.
The two cars slowly left the narrow streets of Ritto.
Rudolf led.
Forever Young followed.
The small buildings gradually disappeared behind them.
The road widened.
Streetlights became more frequent.
The navigation guided them toward the highway.
Neither car was being pushed.
There was no racing.
No spirited driving.
No attempt to make up time by taking unnecessary risks.
They simply drove.
Because tonight wasn't about speed.
It was about getting King home.
Eventually, the two cars reached the highway.
Rudolf's GR GT merged first.
Forever Young checked the mirrors.
Signaled.
Waited for an opening.
Then guided the R32 onto the highway behind her.
The RB26DETT continued humming.
King leaned back into the Bride bucket.
She stared through the windshield.
The lights of Shiga stretched ahead.
She was exhausted.
Emotionally drained.
But she was going home.
Tomorrow was still coming.
The Shuka Sho was still waiting.
Her rivals would still be there.
The packed Kyoto Racecourse would still be there.
The Triple Tiara would still be waiting at the finish line.
And despite everything that had happened...
King Halo still intended to race.
She looked toward Forever Young.
"Yanko."
"Hm?"
"Thanks."
Forever Young glanced toward her.
"For what?"
King looked down.
"For coming to get me."
Forever Young smiled faintly.
"That's what friends are for."
King's expression softened.
She looked back through the windshield.
Rudolf's GR GT remained ahead of them, its taillights visible in the distance.
The R32 followed.
And for the first time since leaving the mall...
King finally allowed herself to breathe.
The argument wasn't solved.
Her relationship with her mother wasn't repaired.
The words she had spoken couldn't be taken back.
The ticket was gone.
Tomorrow was uncertain.
But she wasn't alone.
Not tonight.
The highway carried them back toward Kyoto.
Toward The Mitsui Kyoto.
Toward Fumino.
Toward the others.
Toward the final night before the biggest race of King's season.
And perhaps the most important thing was that, despite everything...
King Halo was still going to show up.
She was still going to stand at the starting gate.
She was still going to run.
Because the Shuka Sho wasn't her mother's race.
It wasn't Rudolf's race.
It wasn't Fumino's race.
It wasn't anyone else's.
It was hers.
And whatever happened tomorrow...
King would decide what came next.
The two cars continued through the night.
The GR GT leading.
The R32 following closely behind.
The road ahead illuminated by their headlights.
Kyoto waited somewhere beyond the darkness.
And tomorrow...
The gates would open.
The crowd would roar.
The runners would take their places.
And King Halo would step onto the track.
But tonight, there was no racing.
No competition.
No Triple Tiara.
No history books.
Just a long highway home...
And a King who had finally said everything she had been too afraid to say.
The cars settled into a cruise.
No more rushing.
No more hard acceleration.
No more unnecessary lane changes.
Just a steady drive through the night.
The speedometer remained at the posted limit as the R32 followed Rudolf's GR GT along the highway.
The roads were quieter now.
Most of the daytime traffic had disappeared, leaving only a steady stream of cars and trucks traveling beneath the overhead lights.
The R32's RB26DETT hummed beneath the hood.
Forever Young kept both hands on the steering wheel.
Every so often, she glanced toward the instrument cluster.
Then back toward the road.
King sat silently in the passenger seat.
She watched the lights pass by.
One after another.
Streetlights.
Signs.
Buildings.
The occasional headlights of another vehicle.
Everything outside the window seemed to move in slow motion.
The adrenaline from earlier was finally leaving her body.
The anger was still there.
But it wasn't consuming her anymore.
Neither were the tears.
Her face had dried.
Her breathing had settled.
Her hands rested loosely in her lap.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke.
Then Forever Young sighed.
"You got us worried, King."
King's ears lowered slightly.
She looked down.
"Sorry, Yanko."
Her voice was quiet.
"I was just very upset."
Forever Young nodded.
"I know."
She kept her eyes on the road.
"And you had the right to be."
King looked toward her.
Forever Young briefly glanced back.
"What happened tonight..."
She paused.
"...wasn't something you should have had to carry alone."
King didn't answer immediately.
She turned toward the window again.
The lights of another interchange passed over the cabin.
She watched them disappear behind the car.
"I thought..."
King stopped.
Forever Young waited.
"I thought lunch was going well."
Her voice was soft.
"For once, I thought Mom was actually listening to me."
She lowered her head.
"I thought maybe..."
A pause.
"Maybe she was finally starting to understand."
Forever Young's hands tightened slightly around the steering wheel.
King continued.
"Then she asked why I wanted her to go to the Shuka Sho."
She swallowed.
"And when I told her it was my race..."
Her voice became quieter.
"She still talked about everyone else."
Forever Young nodded.
King took a deep breath.
"That's what hurt."
She stared down at her hands.
"It wasn't just the fact that she might not come."
"It was that she couldn't even understand why I wanted her there."
Forever Young remained silent.
King's expression softened.
"I've wanted her to watch me race for so long."
She looked toward the windshield.
"I wanted her to see what I became."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"I wanted her to see that I wasn't just some daughter following in her footsteps."
"I wanted to be King Halo."
Forever Young nodded.
"You are."
King looked at her.
Forever Young smiled.
"You've always been."
King stared at her for a moment.
Then slowly straightened her posture.
She took a long breath.
"I feel..."
She paused.
Searching for the right words.
"I feel..."
Her shoulders relaxed.
"Glad."
Forever Young glanced toward her.
King looked forward.
"All this burden..."
She exhaled.
"It's all away now."
Forever Young nodded slowly.
King continued.
"For years, I've kept everything inside."
"I kept thinking that if I won enough..."
"Maybe she'd finally see me."
"If I trained harder..."
"Maybe she'd understand."
"If I became successful enough..."
"Maybe she'd finally be proud."
King shook her head.
"But tonight..."
She looked down.
"I finally said everything."
Her fingers curled slightly.
"Everything I'd been holding back."
She turned toward Forever Young.
"And I've never been so determined to win this damn race."
Forever Young's mouth curled into a smirk.
"That's the King Halo I know."
King stared at her.
Then, despite everything...
She chuckled.
A small laugh.
But a genuine one.
Forever Young smiled.
King leaned back into the passenger seat.
Her eyes returned to the road ahead.
For the first time that night, the future didn't feel like something she needed to be afraid of.
Tomorrow was still coming.
Her mother might not be there.
Their relationship might be damaged beyond repair.
She might wake up tomorrow and still feel the weight of everything she had said.
But none of that changed one thing.
She was racing.
And she wanted to win.
Not because she needed to prove herself to her mother.
Not because she needed to silence the critics.
Not because she needed another trophy.
She wanted to win because she wanted to.
Because racing was hers.
Because the track was hers.
Because the Triple Tiara was hers to finish.
Because she had spent years building herself into the Umamusume she was today.
King smiled faintly.
"Tomorrow..."
Forever Young glanced toward her.
"Hm?"
King looked forward.
"I'm going to give it everything."
Forever Young nodded.
"I know you will."
King's ears perked slightly.
"And I'm not going to let anything from tonight ruin it."
"Good."
Forever Young kept her eyes on the road.
"Because tomorrow isn't about your mother."
King nodded.
"I know."
"It's about you."
King smiled.
"Exactly."
The R32 continued smoothly along the highway.
Rudolf's GR GT remained ahead.
Its taillights appeared and disappeared depending on the curves and traffic.
Every now and then, Rudolf would move slightly farther ahead.
Forever Young maintained a comfortable distance.
No pressure.
No hurry.
Just a convoy of friends returning home.
King watched the dark countryside beyond the roadside barriers.
Her thoughts wandered.
She remembered the beginning of her Triple Tiara campaign.
The training.
The early mornings.
The exhaustion.
The pressure.
The exhibition run.
Finding Fumino.
The Japanese Oaks.
The enormous margin.
The record.
The crowds.
The headlines.
Everything had led here.
Tomorrow would be the final step.
One final race.
One final chance to finish what she started.
King placed her hand against the window.
The glass was cool.
She could barely feel the vibration of the road beneath her palm.
Then she smiled.
"Yanko."
"Yeah?"
"Beer is shit."
Forever Young raised one hand briefly from the steering wheel.
"Amen to that, King."
King laughed.
This time, it lasted longer.
The sound filled the cabin.
Forever Young laughed too.
For a few seconds, everything felt normal.
Almost like the events of the evening had happened to someone else.
The R32 continued through the night.
The engine's soft mechanical hum filled the spaces between their laughter.
Eventually, the signs began pointing toward Kyoto.
The distant glow of the city appeared ahead.
King watched it grow brighter.
Home.
At least for tonight.
She didn't know what tomorrow would bring.
She didn't know whether Goodbye Halo would come to the race.
She didn't know whether her mother would speak to her again.
She didn't know what would happen after the Triple Tiara.
She didn't even know whether she would continue racing in the Twinkle Series after this season.
But she no longer needed all those answers tonight.
Tonight, she had finally released something she had been carrying for years.
The burden was gone.
And in its place was something else.
Determination.
The kind that didn't come from anger.
The kind that came from finally understanding what she wanted.
King Halo wanted to race.
She wanted to win.
And tomorrow, she would step onto the track with nothing left to hide.
The highway lights continued to sweep across the windshield.
The GR GT remained ahead.
The R32 followed.
Two cars.
Two friends.
One long road home.
The city slowly drew closer.
The first familiar signs appeared.
Then more buildings.
Then the glow of Kyoto's streets.
King sat quietly.
Her eyes remained on the road.
For the first time since the argument, she felt tired rather than broken.
She leaned her head against the headrest.
Her eyelids became slightly heavier.
Forever Young noticed.
"You can sleep if you want."
King shook her head.
"No."
She smiled.
"I want to see the city."
Forever Young nodded.
"Fair enough."
King continued watching.
Kyoto passed around them in the darkness.
People were still walking along the sidewalks.
Restaurants remained open.
Taxis moved through intersections.
Convenience stores illuminated the streets.
Somewhere, people were probably still discussing tomorrow's Shuka Sho.
Somewhere else, fans were probably already preparing to wake up early and head toward Kyoto Racecourse.
Tomorrow, tens of thousands of people would fill the stands.
Tomorrow, cameras would be waiting.
Tomorrow, every eye would be on the runners.
And tomorrow...
King Halo would be one of them.
The final leg of the Triple Tiara.
The final race of her season.
Perhaps the final Twinkle Series race before she moved on to something else.
A finish line.
And potentially...
A new starting line.
The R32 followed the GR GT toward the hotel.
King looked ahead.
Her expression was calm.
The anger had not disappeared.
The hurt had not disappeared.
But neither had her determination.
She had learned something tonight.
She couldn't force her mother to understand her.
She couldn't force Goodbye Halo to approve of her choices.
She couldn't force her to attend the race.
But she could choose what happened next.
And tomorrow, she would choose to run.
The two cars eventually left the busier streets and returned toward The Mitsui Kyoto.
The hotel appeared ahead, its lights glowing warmly against the night.
Forever Young slowed the R32.
Rudolf's GR GT turned toward the entrance.
Forever Young followed.
King looked toward the hotel.
Fumino would be there.
The others would be there.
People who believed in her.
People who had chosen to stand beside her.
People who had never demanded that she become someone else.
King smiled.
Maybe that was enough.
Maybe family wasn't always about blood.
Maybe sometimes...
Family was the people who came looking for you when you disappeared.
The people who drove across prefectures in the middle of the night because they were worried.
The people who didn't ask why you had made a mistake before making sure you were safe.
The people who believed in you even when you stopped believing in yourself.
King looked toward Forever Young.
"Yanko."
"Hm?"
"Thanks."
Forever Young smiled.
"You already said that."
"I know."
King chuckled.
"I just wanted to say it again."
Forever Young nodded.
"You're welcome."
The R32 rolled into the hotel's parking area.
The engine continued humming softly.
Forever Young followed Rudolf's GR GT into the reserved section.
The cars slowed.
The convoy that had left Kyoto earlier that night had finally returned.
Not exactly the same convoy.
Not exactly the same people.
But close enough.
Forever Young brought the R32 to a stop.
She left the engine running for another moment.
King looked at the dashboard.
Then at the windshield.
Then at the reflection of her own face in the glass.
Tomorrow.
She would race tomorrow.
She would wake up.
Put on her racing outfit.
Walk onto the track.
Stand among the other runners.
Hear the crowd.
Feel the starting gate beneath her feet.
And when the gates opened...
She would run.
Not for Goodbye Halo.
Not for the newspapers.
Not for the record books.
Not even for the Triple Tiara.
She would run for herself.
Because this was her dream.
The dream she had chosen.
The dream her mother had once inspired.
And the dream that King Halo had made her own.
Forever Young finally switched off the ignition.
The RB26DETT's hum faded away.
The cabin became silent.
King reached for the door handle.
She paused.
Then smiled.
"Tomorrow."
Forever Young looked at her.
"Tomorrow."
King opened the passenger door.
Cool night air entered the cabin.
She stepped out.
The hotel stood before her.
Warm.
Bright.
Waiting.
She looked up at it.
Then toward the night sky.
There were no stars visible through the city lights.
But she didn't need them.
She knew where she was going.
King closed the door.
Forever Young stepped out of the driver's side.
Together, they walked toward the hotel entrance.
Behind them, the R32 rested quietly in the parking area.
The car that had carried King away from her mother.
The car that had carried her through the night.
The car that had witnessed her anger, her tears, her silence...
And now her resolve.
Tomorrow, it would still be waiting.
But tonight, King didn't need it.
Tonight, she needed rest.
She needed to breathe.
She needed to let the night end.
The automatic doors opened.
Warm air greeted them.
King stepped inside.
And somewhere far behind them, on a quiet road in Kyoto, the pieces of a torn ticket were still scattered across a parking lot.
A ticket that had once represented hope.
A ticket that had been offered with love, even if that love had never been understood.
It was gone now.
But perhaps that was okay.
Because King didn't need a ticket anymore.
She didn't need permission to race.
She didn't need approval to dream.
She didn't need her mother's blessing to become the Umamusume she wanted to be.
She had already become her.
King Halo.
First-rate.
Proud.
Stubborn.
Loud.
Difficult.
Brilliant.
And, above all else...
Determined.
Tomorrow, Kyoto Racecourse would witness the final chapter of her Triple Tiara campaign.
Thousands would watch.
Millions would listen.
The cameras would follow every stride.
Her rivals would challenge her.
The pressure would be enormous.
But when the starting gates opened, there would be no mother standing in front of her.
No argument.
No insult.
No accusations.
No past.
There would only be the track.
The final stretch.
And the finish line.
King Halo would run toward it.
And whatever waited beyond it...
She would face it herself.
Because tonight had not ended her season.
It had not broken her.
It had not taken away her dream.
If anything...
It had finally set her free.
And as King disappeared into the warm lights of The Mitsui Kyoto, with Forever Young beside her and the rest of her friends waiting upstairs, the long night finally began to come to an end.
Tomorrow would bring the Shuka Sho.
Tomorrow would bring history.
Tomorrow would bring the final test.
But tonight...
King Halo had found something far more important than a victory.
She had found herself.
And for the first time in years, she no longer needed to wonder whether she was enough.
She was.
She always had been.
The road ahead was still uncertain.
Her future beyond the Twinkle Series was still unwritten.
Her relationship with her mother remained broken.
There would be difficult conversations waiting after the race.
There would be decisions to make.
There would be consequences for the words spoken tonight.
But those were problems for another day.
For now, there was only the quiet of the hotel.
The gentle glow of the lobby.
The familiar faces waiting for her.
And the promise of tomorrow.
King Halo took one final look back toward the entrance.
Then she smiled.
Tomorrow...
She would race.
And she would give everything she had.
Because she was King Halo.
And the King...
was not finished yet.