"Palmer! You're so slow!"
"Whoa!"
Kousei's eyes sharpened as she realized this was Mejiro Palmer, a name she had heard countless times from McQueen and Gold City. During the Hopeful Stakes, Kousei had only glimpsed her from afar.
"Another Mejiro?"
Palmer's appearance immediately reminded Kousei of McQueen, the second Mejiro she had encountered.
"Completely different vibe from McQueen, but since she's a Mejiro, she must be ridiculously strong."
"Ah~ That look again. Everyone gets that look when they hear the name 'Mejiro.' I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I'm nothing like the other Mejiros—just the bottom of the barrel."
"Even though I was born into the Mejiro Family, I'm just like you—a mediocre talent." Palmer's smile concealed a faint sorrow, a bitterness perhaps only she could truly understand.
"You must be Kousei. I've heard so much about you from McQueen. Your race with her was spectacular."
"McQueen has mentioned Palmer many times too. She said the three of you used to run together a lot when you were little."
Since it was their first meeting, the conversation felt a little stiff. Not that Kousei herself was particularly talkative anyway.
"Listen, Palmer! Kousei lost a race recently, and she's been so down! That's why I brought her here!"
"Lost a race? I thought she was demoted for breaking the rules."
"Eh? What's 'demoted'?"
Palmer patiently explained the concept of demotion to Shuttle, while Kousei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness Palmer's here. I wouldn't have been able to handle Shuttle alone.
Suddenly, Kousei's ears perked up, her gaze snapping to the side.
"What's wrong?" Palmer and Shuttle asked, noticing her sudden alertness.
"Someone's coming. Judging by the footsteps, it's not an Umamusume."
The three exchanged glances. In Tracen Academy at this hour, anyone who wasn't an Umamusume was likely a patrol officer.
"Looks like it's time to skedaddle~" Palmer grinned.
"Let's go play! Let's sneak out and play! Kousei Pro gets to pick the place!"
"Eh? Then... let's go to the arcade!" Kousei blurted out, making up a destination on the spot.
"OK! GO! Yay!"
"Yay~"
Swept up by the sudden momentum, the three Umamusume sprinted off. Kousei remembered the Academy rules, but Palmer and Shuttle clearly had no intention of following them.
Even though everyone lives under Kashimoto Riko's rules, Umamusume who yearn for freedom will always maintain their true selves. That challenge back then really was meaningful.
As she ran, Kousei glanced at the bulletin board.
[A student has exhibited bizarre behavior and repeatedly violated Academy rules. As punishment, they will be required to grow carrots at Tracen Academy for one week under strict supervision. Let this serve as a warning to all students.]
Kousei's eye twitched. Though the student's eyes were blurred in the photo, she immediately recognized Gold Ship.
This one's probably taken freedom too far.
Kousei remembered that Gold Ship seemed to have a close relationship with McQueen. Last time, McQueen had brushed it off with the "grandchild" explanation. Now that Kousei saw Gold Ship again, she felt a bit uneasy.
"Three o'clock already—time for tea," the gatekeeper said leisurely, cradling his thermos. "Ever since Acting Chairman Kashimoto took over, my job has become so much easier. There used to be a few mischievous kids who would arrive late or leave early, but even the most troublesome one has settled down lately. I'm finally starting to enjoy life's simple pleasures. After all, it's impossible..."
A gust of wind swept through, accompanied by an indistinct, eerie sound. The gatekeeper glanced at his thermos; a green leaf floated on the surface of his tea.
"Getting old," he muttered, "even the wind sounds like it's calling out."
Tracen Academy remained remarkably quiet today.
"Ha ha ha! I'm the first one here!"
"Ugh~ The sun's as relentless as ever~"
Palmer and Taiki gasped for breath, while Kousei stood calmly beside them, her expression serene and radiant.
"Not even out of breath! Amazing, Kousei! No wonder you can rival McQueen! Keeping up with Taiki's explosive Front-Runner speed is exhausting!"
"Exactly! Kousei-chan, are you perhaps... exceptionally compatible with us?!"
Caught off guard by their praise, Kousei was momentarily stunned before realizing she showed no signs of fatigue.
Throughout the journey, Shuttle had been leading the way, with Kousei and Palmer simply following close behind. Though she hadn't clung as tightly as Palmer, who tended to double up with Shuttle, Kousei hadn't fallen far behind either.
Most importantly, her stamina clearly surpassed theirs.
Kousei held up her palm, examined it briefly, and smiled faintly. Those everyday routines, which had felt like filler scenes, had finally left their mark on her.
"Is that so? I guess my stamina is pretty good, huh?" A sudden surge of quiet elation filled her as she continued to walk forward, one step at a time.
"Eiei! Kousei-chan, you're looking so smug~ Guess being stronger than us physically makes you happy, huh?"
"Ehh~ You're so mean~"
Kousei wanted to explain, but she didn't know how. She was genuinely pleased.
Seeing Kousei's flustered reaction, Palmer and Shuttle burst into even heartier laughter. Kousei sighed inwardly. Forget it. They're too spicy for me to handle.
"Speaking of which, this is my first time in an arcade! What should we play?" Shuttle asked excitedly.
"I've never been to an arcade either, so let's leave it to Kousei," Palmer replied, handing the reins to Kousei.
Kousei thought carefully. McQueen had initially been clueless about arcades, and since Palmer was also a Mejiro, she likely grew up in an environment where arcades were inaccessible.
"Actually, I'm not very familiar with them either. The only games I've really played are claw machines," Kousei admitted after a moment's consideration.
"Yay! Claw machines! OK! Watch me win a Kousei and Palmer plushie!" Shuttle exclaimed, dashing into the arcade without a second thought.
Kousei and Palmer followed silently. Seeing Shuttle's enthusiasm, they let her go first.
After several fruitless attempts, Shuttle grew discouraged. "Is this even possible?"
"Does Kousei have any clever tricks?" Palmer asked.
"Well, actually..." Kousei said seriously, imparting her wisdom to Shuttle, who nodded frequently, seemingly listening with rapt attention.
"I don't understand a word!"
"Eh? But I explained everything so clearly!"
"I still don't understand! Because I'm an idiot! Ha ha ha!" Shuttle burst into uproarious laughter, clutching her stomach.
Kousei's brain felt like it was about to short-circuit. Palmer gently patted her shoulder. "Ha ha~ You'll get used to it. Taiki's always been like this."
Kousei turned to look at Palmer. Though both were gyaru, Palmer gave Kousei a completely different vibe than Shuttle.
Suddenly, Kousei remembered something: Palmer was also a Mejiro. Perhaps she could learn from her the reason behind the Mejiro Family's sudden upheaval.