After the voice abruptly stopped, Kitasan Black fell silent.
When she asked the question, she hadn't thought too much about it.
Only after the words left her mouth did she belatedly remember that during the Tenno Sho (Autumn) involving Stay Gold, Silence Suzuka had suffered a serious accident after passing the fourth turn and fractured her leg.
Although she recovered after long-term treatment following the race, for every Uma Musume a bone fracture was always something difficult to let go of and something to avoid at all costs.
She instantly regretted her thoughtlessness.
However, just as regret surfaced in her heart, she felt a warm, soft hand press gently on her head.
She looked up in surprise and met Silence Suzuka's eyes, which held a comforting smile, and froze.
"Suzuka…"
"Don't worry too much, Kita-chan."
Smiling, Silence Suzuka said softly, "It's all in the past. I don't care about those things.
"Rather, it's precisely because I experienced something like that that I am now a rehabilitation therapist.
"No one wants to encounter a bone fracture. We all want to run freely and continuously.
"I can't predict anything. Since that's the case, doing my best to prevent even more heartbreaking things after an accident should be what I ought to do.
"At least, that's what I think."
Kitasan Black was even more surprised. She hadn't expected her senpai to be so nonchalant about the past.
At the same time, Rice Shower also looked over with a comforting gaze.
"Rice's thoughts… are similar to Suzuka's."
"In the Takarazuka Kinen, Rice also encountered the same thing as Suzuka…"
"Rice isn't as formidable as Suzuka, but she also wants to do something for everyone, which is why she wanted to become a nutritionist after retiring.
"If everyone eats well and is healthier, then there won't be any accidents, right?
"That's what Rice thinks."
Silence Suzuka smiled. "A nutritionist… Rice Shower has made a lot of delicious food recently."
"Is… is that so?" Rice Shower was a bit embarrassed. "I just wanted Kita-chan to eat better…"
At this point, Kitasan Black realized that both seniors were comforting her, or rather, changing the subject. She immediately felt a bit more energetic and no longer dwelled on her previous slip of the tongue.
"Mm! I also think Rice Shower's cooking is delicious!"
She nodded repeatedly. "The first few times I thought it was provided by the hotel. When I found out it was Rice Shower who specially went to the kitchen to cook, I was really surprised!"
"Is… is that so?" Even more embarrassed, Rice Shower smiled shyly. "It's good as long as Kita-chan likes it."
Seeing that Kitasan Black was no longer worried or guilty about the past, Silence Suzuka nodded to herself.
She also held a promotional brochure in her hand, lowered her head to flip through it, and memories surfaced in her eyes.
"Dream Journey… I remember racing against her in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
"Later, when I was in the hospital room, I watched the race replay and thought she could win that race, but unfortunately, she wasted some ground by veering in the final straight. As for the champion…
"It should have been Offside Trap, I remember."
After the comforting just now, Kitasan Black was not surprised that Silence Suzuka proactively brought up the Tenno Sho (Autumn) where the accident occurred.
She pondered for a moment, flipped through the brochure, and asked curiously:
"To achieve such a result… Dream Journey's strength should be very strong."
"But if you only look at her wins, she seems to be…" She trailed off, hesitant to speak.
"Not very satisfactory, right?"
Speaking for Kitasan Black, Silence Suzuka's tone became emotional.
"Dream Journey's strength is indeed very strong. I remember before that Tenno Sho (Autumn), she already had three G1 runner-up finishes.
"Generally speaking, winning one G1 runner-up can be attributed to luck, but three are enough to prove her strength… Of course, you could also say it's bad luck.
"But the Twinkle Series… is just like that."
"Dream Journey… just happened to encounter a strong generation."
"But she didn't give up."
Abruptly changing the subject, Silence Suzuka's eyes gleamed with respect.
"She did eventually win the Hong Kong Cup, a G1, before retiring, and… Kita-chan, you can calculate how long it took her."
"How long…?"
Quickly looking at the brochure, muttering as she counted on her fingers, Kitasan Black looked back at Silence Suzuka in astonishment.
"A full… five years?!"
Silence Suzuka nodded. "Before that G1, I remember her wins were only about two or three.
"The more outstanding ones… I remember the Akan Lake Special Race when she first debuted.
"Her only graded race victory seemed to be the Meguro Kinen.
"In other races, she regrettably finished either second or third.
"Another Uma Musume might have already given up, but she didn't.
"Five years. No one knows what she thought or how she experienced those five years.
"But she finally got her own G1."
Kitasan Black was not unaware of some anecdotes about Stay Gold. She had read many introductions in the promotional brochure just now.
But before Silence Suzuka mentioned that G1 that took five years to achieve, she didn't have a very deep understanding.
Now, after hearing the words of the senpai in front of her, she suddenly realized that whether it was the brochure, the promotions, or the anecdotes, many short sentences might represent the entire career of an Uma Musume.
Five years… If it were me, could I endure for such a long time and wait until the very end for a G1 victory…
No, it should be six years. Dream Journey was still running after winning the Hong Kong Cup…
Six years… I haven't heard of any Uma Musume capable of running for so long and still winning a G1…
If it were me…
Kitasan Black couldn't help but fall into silent contemplation. Seeing this, Silence Suzuka, Rice Shower, and Yasui, who had been listening quietly, did not disturb her.
After a while.
"I… think I understand something."
With a look of realization, Kitasan Black looked up and smiled.
Without saying what she had understood, she started flipping through the brochure again, pondering.
"According to Suzuka, Dream Journey is very strong, but unfortunately, she encountered a powerful generation."
"So, it should be very difficult for her to win this Dream Cup, right?"
"Because…"
She pointed to the brochure, where a page she had turned to showed a promotional image resembling a group photo.
"Are the seniors in this race almost all from the same generation?"
Looking at that promotional image, Silence Suzuka's eyes filled with memories and emotion.
"That's right. They're almost all from the same period. Let me see… in here…"
"Hmm… Offside Trap is also there, and Fukukitaru is also there.
"And that pair of sisters from the Mejiro Family… I remember Dream Journey should have run the Tenno Sho (Spring) with Bright.
"Then… Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi, Air Groove, Phalaenopsis… these debuted a bit later than Dream Journey and her peers, but they are all from the same generation.
"And after that…"
She unconsciously smiled, and as she smiled, her eyes sparkled with seriousness.
"Your familiar Special Week, Grass Wonder, and…"
"Agnes Tachyon, Agnes Digital, El Condor Pasa."
"It's very difficult. I mean, if Kita-chan, you're asking if Dream Journey can win against these opponents, I can only say…"
She shrugged helplessly.
"It's difficult."