"Where the hell is the trainer? Seiun, you said he'd be here."
King Halo walks around the lounge, getting more restless by the second. Seiun Sky told her trainer was back, so logically, he should be here by now.
But after all this waiting? Nothing. She was starting to think Seiun Sky just said that to make her feel better.
She was just trying to comfort me, wasn't she?
She stared down at the four-leaf clover charm in her hand, running her thumb over it absently.
"Look, he's probably stuck in traffic somewhere. You know Tokyo, right? More cars than people."
"But..."
"Halo-chan, you're not yourself right now." Seiun Sky changed tactics. "This isn't the you I know. What happened to that whole 'I'm gonna be a top-tier uma musume' thing?"
The mention of being top-tier snapped King Halo back to attention. "Hmph! A press conference? Please. I can handle that with my eyes closed. Even without a trainer. Ohohoho..."
"There we go! That's the attitude. Keep that energy up. I'm gonna go check if the trainer showed up yet."
With King Halo temporarily stabilized, Seiun Sky headed out.
The second she was out the door, she started muttering, "That trainer, seriously. Forgetting about the press conference? Why doesn't he just lose himself while he's at it?"
Back in the lounge, King Halo dropped onto the couch. Her mind was completely occupied with thoughts of Hayato. How was she supposed to focus on a press conference?
She knew going out there in this state would be a disaster. Part of her was seriously considering just skipping the whole thing.
"If trainer actually shows up and sees me like this..."
She straightened up and put on the smile she'd been practicing since childhood. The one she could pull out anytime, anywhere.
It wasn't that she was actually feeling good. She'd just slipped on what she called her "verdant mask."
This was what Kawakami Princess admired most about her.
A top-tier Uma Musume had to face results with a winner's attitude, even after losing. That was King Halo's philosophy.
Mockery? Abuse? Gossip? So what?
Walk your own path!
Knock knock knock!
The door creaked open. King Halo looked up. It was Hayakawa Tazuna. Her heart sank a little.
"King Halo-san, the press conference is about to start! Please come to the front hall to prepare."
"Yeah, I'm coming. Give me a sec."
"Please hurry then." Hayakawa Tazuna left. She still had other uma musume to round up.
The TV in the lounge was already live-streaming the press conference. Uma musume were taking turns declaring their race intentions.
"Prepared statements? If it were me, I could answer any reporter's question off the cuff."
One uma musume looked familiar. Biwa Heidi, who'd lost to Silence Suzuka twice. The moment she appeared, reporters swarmed.
"Biwa Heidi-san, we heard you came to the Japan Derby to avoid Silence Suzuka. Any answer to that question?"
"Huh? Silence Suzuka?" Biwa Heidi didn't dodge the question. "She's strong, no doubt about it. But what does that have to do with me being here?"
"This track that Uma Musume can only run once in their lifetime, the Japan Derby that countless Uma Musume dream of. I have that same dream of becoming a Derby uma musume. Is that wrong?"
She'd come to terms with it. If she couldn't be the flower, she'd be the green leaf. When you know you're lacking, you face reality.
Of course, like every uma musume now, she hoped luck would be on her side. What if she succeeded? What if everyone else had slow starts? What if the front-runners got disqualified? What if they all underperformed?
She could dream. But the race wouldn't turn out like that. This wasn't a simulation race.
Luck was only the second condition for winning. The first was still ability. Without ability, even the best luck just meant running without mistakes. It wouldn't make you faster.
This isn't just Silence Suzuka's defeated opponent. She's got some real skill. King Halo quietly noted her name.
For an uma musume, winning races only proved sufficient ability. True inner strength had to be shown through perseverance after losing.
King Halo always kept one saying in mind: Inner strength is true strength.
It was her motto. Whenever she met a musume like this, she paid extra attention.
Narita Taishin and Biwa Hayahide appeared one after another, but Winning Ticket was nowhere to be seen.
Soon, she saw Hayakawa Tazuna running over in a panic. "Ahhhh... Ticket-san escaped! King Halo-san, please get on stage quickly. You absolutely cannot be absent."
"She escaped? How?" King Halo was startled. Someone else had done what she'd been thinking about.
"Yes, she said she was going to train, so she just ran off. It's completely unreasonable! King Halo-san, please get on stage quickly." Hayakawa Tazuna grabbed King Halo's arm. One had already escaped. This one couldn't run too just because her trainer was late.
"Can you wait a bit longer? I'm not ready yet."
Where's Seiun? Why hasn't she brought trainer back?
"We can't wait any longer. This is nationally broadcast. The commercials have been running forever. You can't escape." Hayakawa Tazuna was getting anxious. This was the first time an uma musume had escaped from a Japan Derby press conference. Hayakawa Tazuna didn't know what Winning Ticket was really thinking right now, even though he kept yelling that he wanted to enter the Japan Derby.
Just as she was forcefully dragging King Halo away, a man appeared in the doorway, gasping for breath and drenched in sweat, bracing himself against the frame. Seiun Sky was supporting him from below.
"Halo-chan, I brought trainer for you."
Seiun Sky tried to drag Hayato inside, but couldn't move him because he was bracing against the doorframe.
"Hehe, King... huff huff..." Hayato was completely wiped out, not an ounce of strength left. It would take at least fifteen minutes to recover.
"Trainer, what happened to you?" King Halo asked with genuine concern.
Hayato smiled. "I'm okay. At least I made it in time. I'm fine. Go to the press conference. I just can't come on stage with you."
"You... huff..." Hayato took a breath and smiled encouragingly. "Do your best! When you come back victorious, we'll go have a feast."
Someone's treating us anyway.
"Yes, Trainer, you can count on me. I'm not a child anymore. I don't absolutely need you to hold my hand." King Halo's face regained its calm, and she walked out with full confidence.
Stepping onto that red-carpeted platform, the reporters below quieted down and focused all their attention and lights on her.
Before the reporters could even ask questions, she laughed loudly. "Everyone is asking whether I possess the top-tier bloodline of the King family? Whether I can become another legend after Rudolf?"