Silence Suzuka also nodded, she wanted to see for herself. She had actually already completed her Debut Race with a staggering result, crushing the rest of the pack by a seven-length lead. Her Great Escape had caused a sensation at Tracen.
There is a fundamental difference between a Front Runner and a Great Escape Uma Musume.
A Front Runner stays at the front of the pack to lead, but a Great Escape runner uses every ounce of strength from the start, completely ignoring the rhythm of the pack behind them. Suzuka's Great Escape style created a scene of total isolation at the front.
Famous Great Escape horses included Silence Suzuka, Twin Turbo, and Panthalassa. This style burns through everything a horse has, making the entire racetrack boil with excitement.
Special Week had been deeply captivated by the sight of Silence Suzuka leading the way. However, Special Week was different; she was a Late Surger/Pace Chaser type. She saved her energy in the early stages and used a terrifying Final Kick to hunt down the runners in front.
That's why the most thrilling races at Tracen were often the showdowns between Great Escapists and Closers. One horse flies solo at the front, while the other relentlessly closes the gap— one seeking to end the race with a single blow, the other vowing to hunt them down.
Deep Impact was the absolute king of Closers. During her era, almost every talented Front Runner Uma lived under her terrifying shadow. She displayed speed that amazed the world time and time again, making it impossible to imagine the limits of her strength. Some even said her final sprint was enough to annihilate everything.
Regardless, Silence Suzuka had caused a stir, with many saying her speed could shock the world.
Sakura Bakushin O had watched her with intense passion, her cries of "Bakushin!" never stopping. But Suzuka didn't care much for "shocking the world." She wanted to use all her strength to hone her running style.
More than anything, she wanted to see the scenery from the front and keep running on the turf.
That was all.
On the way, Mizuki chatted with Special Week and Suzuka. her insights were incredibly beneficial to them. They realized that having a Trainer made a massive difference— areas they were confused about were suddenly clear.
Later, the three of them reached the training room and met up with McQueen, Daiwa Scarlet, Vodka, and Gold Ship. Gold Ship had actually been taking an exam that morning and managed to pass exactly with a 60. No shipwreck today.
"WOW! Trainer Mizuki is here!" Suddenly, the high-energy voice of Taiki Shuttle rang out. She was wearing her Western cowboy-style outfit, radiating a boisterous aura.
It turned out she was also training in the gym. Taiki was tall, standing half a head above many other Uma Musume. She gave a confident smile, her curves quite impressive. Her American-Japanese accent was very distinct.
Mizuki greeted her back. She knew Taiki Shuttle— she was the ultimate social butterfly— but her personality was great. As Mizuki walked a few steps further in, she was stunned by the scene before her.
McQueen was wearing boxing gloves, doing power training. She performed a combo and then concentrated all her strength into her right hand, throwing a massive punch.
A sandbag weighing over a hundred pounds was sent flying. Gold Ship clapped and cheered.
However, Little Gold Ship's luck was poor. Some sand leaked from the bag, and a stray grain struck Gold Ship in the eye.
She, like always, collapsed to the floor, rolling around in a tantrum. McQueen was startled and went to check on her, but her foot slipped, and she fell right on top of Gold Ship.
"Ugh-ahhh!!!!" Gold Ship let out a blood-curdling scream. This time, it looked like she was truly a goner...
...But Mizuki noted that Gold Ship was a real trooper.
Although she screamed at first, she didn't make a sound afterward. What a tough physique!
If Gold Ship knew what she was thinking, Mizuki would have hoofprints embedded into her stomach.
Was I being silent? I just couldn't breathe!
Fortunately, with her sturdy body, she eventually crawled back up. Another day alive. Gold Ship gave herself a thumbs up.
"I'm sorry you had to see such an unseemly side of us," Mejiro McQueen said, her face flushing crimson with embarrassment. She felt like she could curl up her toes and dig out a whole apartment complex.
"It's okay! McQueen, you were so cool just now. That power is incredible," Special Week praised.
"Mhm, as expected of the young lady of the Mejiro family," Suzuka added some polite praise.
"Not at all, it's all thanks to Trainer Mizuki's guidance," McQueen replied happily, chatting with everyone.
"Wait, is nobody going to care about me?" Gold Ship was baffled. She was the one who took the most damage!
Their chatting soon attracted Taiki Shuttle, who had just finished on the treadmill.
"Wow! Trainer Mizuki brought two new friends! It's Special Week and Silence Suzuka, right? Howdy!" Taiki had seen them before but hadn't been formally introduced, so she was very happy.
"Hello! I'm Special Week. I came to Tracen from Hokkaido, and my goal is to become the number one Uma Musume in the country!" Special Week introduced herself.
"I know~~ Spe-chan! I've seen you. When I was running with Grass, you were training too. You're Grass's good friend, right?" Taiki was incredibly enthusiastic.
"Eh? Ah... who is 'Grass'?" Special Week couldn't recall the name. There was no such person in her mental records.
"Grass Wonder. She's your classmate," Taiki Shuttle said with a smile.
"Ah, it's Grass-san! Yes, she is always so kind to me." Special Week and Taiki Shuttle immediately started chatting about Grass Wonder.
"My relationship with Grass is also 'VERY GOOD'! I know lots of fun stories about her. Next time I can tell you all about them— including her most embarrassing moments."
Taiki Shuttle was already gearing up to spill Ms. Grass's dark history. If Grass Wonder ever found out, Taiki would likely be done for.
"Hello. I am Silence Suzuka," Suzuka said concisely, a faint smile on her face.
"Oh! Suzuka-san! Give me a hug! Hug~~ Hug~~~" Taiki Shuttle spread her arms wide; this was her standard way of greeting close friends.
Taken by surprise, Silence Suzuka hadn't even processed the movement before she was enveloped in Taiki's embrace. In the next instant, she was buried in a wave of softness. The expression on her face shifted from surprise to a sort of resigned realization— as if she had just felt the sheer unfairness of how the Heavens distributed certain "assets."
However, Suzuka comforted herself. It's fine. The wheel of fortune turns; do not look down on a girl just because she's flat!
Soon, everyone became acquainted. Since Special Week and Silence Suzuka had just joined, Mizuki didn't start the training immediately. Instead, she made some slight adjustments to the schedule.
Special Week and Taiki Shuttle continued their conversation.
"Really? Spe-chan, you failed four subjects too?!!"
"Me too!!!"
Taiki Shuttle was talking about her exams. It turned out both she and Special Week had to take make-up tests.
"Ehehe, I thought I was the only one," Special Week said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. She mentioned she was prepared this time because Suzuka-chan had helped her review thoroughly. She had even gotten a set of "Good Luck Dice" from Matikane Fukukitaru. She was sure to pass this time!
Taiki Shuttle was amazed. She wanted those lucky dice from Fukukitaru too!
Mizuki felt a headache coming on as she listened. She hadn't expected this to turn into a support group for academic strugglers.
Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka arrived a bit later and quickly joined the group, as they were already on good terms with everyone. Mizuki had intended to start training right away, but letting them chat and bond first was a good move.
During the break, Daiwa Scarlet shared some local specialties her teacher had given her. Being a model student, the teachers often gave her snacks. The fruit she brought was a type of refreshing, thirst-quenching cherry tomato. Apparently, they were bought at Tomakomai Port, mentioned by Hokko Tarumae.
They tasted quite good.
Taiki Shuttle took a photo; she loved this kind of lively atmosphere.
"Wow! Today is SO HAPPY! I met new friends and took pictures!"
"Everyone, one more! At times like this, we must take all kinds of pictures!" Taiki Shuttle kept snapping photos, thriving in the mood.
"Haha, the photos look great. But there's one bad thing about this phone's camera— the 'Slim Face' filter always turns on automatically! It makes my face look unnatural. I definitely need to be 'big' to look right," Taiki joked with a laugh.
"Where'd you even get a phone like that?" Mizuki asked out of curiosity.
"Hmm? Does Trainer-san want to buy one too? Biwa Hayahide recommended it! She's an expert at data research. She's the one who suggested this smartphone," Taiki Shuttle said energetically.
"Ah... never mind then."
Mizuki thought if "The Big Head" recommended it, of course it has a face-slimming feature.
Meanwhile, in the library, Biwa Hayahide adjusted her glasses. For some reason, she felt like someone was victimizing her. Her strange sixth sense for these things was much stronger than others'.
Narita Taishin noticed Hayahide's odd behavior and looked over curiously. As for Winning Ticket, she had already fallen asleep in the library, bringing along a diary that recorded every little detail of their BNW journey.
Back at Spica, Taiki Shuttle finished her photoshoot and brought out some milk to share. This was her habit— carrying Kentucky milk everywhere. She claimed her big stature was all thanks to drinking milk.
Silence Suzuka took a few extra gulps. She wasn't trying to get big, she just genuinely thought it tasted good.
Really!
Mizuki agreed and asked Taiki about the price of Kentucky milk. However, after hearing the answer, she decided to pass. It wasn't that she couldn't afford Kentucky milk, but rather that Assam Milk Tea offered better value for the money.
Besides, she doesn't need to get big.
As Taiki Shuttle went to put the milk away, a race ticket fell out of her bag. On it was written:
"Kyoto Racecourse — G3 Shinzan Kinen (1600m Turf Mile)!"
Special Week froze for a moment and picked it up.
"Is this... a G3 race? The one you're participating in, Taiki-chan?" Spe-chan was a bit excited; after all, this was a Graded stakes race.