Chapter 129: Can't You Pretend You Didn't See Me?
On the night of the Spring Tenno Sho, a grand concert was naturally held at the Kyoto Racecourse.
When Gold Ship's figure appeared at the center of the stage, the long-awaited audience erupted in cheers, waving their glow sticks as they joined in the chorus of "Next Frontier."
Just like "Winning the Soul," this song was exclusive to three races—the Spring Tenno Sho, Autumn Tenno Sho, and the Arima Kinen.
As the song reached its climax alongside the senpai on stage, Kitasan Black's eyes sparkled with admiration. Caught up in the energy of the crowd, she couldn't help but shout at the top of her lungs:
"Spring Tenno Sho… all right! On this same day next year, I'll be the one singing this song here!"
The nearby Umamusume blinked in surprise—then burst out laughing.
"You're already thinking about the Spring Tenno Sho, huh…"
Sitting behind Kitasan Black, Vodka chuckled and ruffled the younger girl's hair.
"That's some real ambition you've got there. But don't forget—you've still got the Japanese Derby coming up first."
Catching the gentle warning in her senpai's tone, Kitasan Black nodded earnestly.
"Of course! Once we're back at the academy, I'll train extra hard."
"But, remember what you said before, senpai—that I should aim higher, just like Ai-chan. That's why I said it."
"Besides…"
She scratched her cheek, a little embarrassed.
"Teio-senpai… never actually won the Tenno Sho, right?"
"So if I manage to take the trophy… maybe I could say I've surpassed her, just a little?"
"Would Teio-senpai think I'm being arrogant for saying that?"
"Teio would be thrilled to hear you say that."
Before Vodka could answer, Daiwa Scarlet—sitting behind Kitasan Black as well—laughed.
"Though it's something she should tell you herself, she's actually been wondering how to bring it up."
"'I hope Kita-chan becomes a Umamusume who surpasses me—and all our senpai before us.'"
"That's what she said during a few of our chats."
"She even said that if anyone could do it, it'd be you."
"I… could really have that kind of potential? Teio-senpai actually said that…"
Kitasan Black murmured in disbelief, instinctively reaching toward her side.
It wasn't exactly a secret that her idol was Tokai Teio—everyone who knew her was aware, and she'd mentioned it plenty of times herself.
Nor was it a secret that her admired senpai valued her deeply. Even before entering the academy, she had received Teio's guidance, and even now, the two often trained together.
But to surpass such a dazzling senpai…
People had mentioned the idea before, but she'd never been sure if Teio herself had actually said such a thing.
Singing the Tenno Sho's exclusive song just moments ago—and talking about "surpassing" her senpai—perhaps it was simply the excitement of the stage and the festive mood getting to her.
Now that she thought about it calmly, something about it felt… strange.
Just as Vodka-senpai said, the Japanese Derby was next—shouldn't that be her current focus, before thinking about anything else?
To talk about surpassing her senpai so soon felt a bit premature.
Feeling a little troubled, Kitasan Black shook her head.
She wasn't good at thinking about complicated things. If she couldn't figure it out, she'd simply stop trying—no need to trouble herself over it. That was how she handled such moments.
So, as usual, she decided to push the thought aside and turn her attention back to the stage.
But just as she did, she felt a small hand slip into hers.
"...Ai-chan?"
She blinked in surprise and turned her head.
"Senpai… you must be feeling nervous, right?"
Blinking her big eyes, Almond Eye—who sat beside Kitasan Black and was still holding her hand—nodded slightly.
"I think… I understand a little."
"Understand…?"
Kitasan Black froze for a second, then realized what Almond Eye meant.
She was referring to the conversation she'd just had with her senpai.
At the same time, Kitasan noticed that, without realizing it, she had been clutching the hem of Almond Eye's sleeve.
So that was why this little kouhai had misunderstood.
She didn't bother explaining. Instead, she gently turned her hand over and clasped Almond Eye's small one in return, smiling as she asked:
"Then tell me, Ai-chan—what is it that you understand?"
"Because… my family has always said they wanted me to become an excellent racer."
Almond Eye's fingers tightened slightly around Kitasan Black's. She bit her lip.
"One who could even surpass my senpai."
"Even though I don't agree with everything my family says, when it comes to becoming stronger… I feel the same way."
"So even though I haven't debuted yet, I can't help but imagine what'll happen in the future—what it'll feel like to win, or to lose."
"Senpai… you were thinking about that kind of thing just now too, weren't you?"
Kitasan Black found herself momentarily speechless.
She already knew Almond Eye was the type to think deeply about things.
When they talked on the phone or texted each other, Almond Eye was almost always the one leading the conversation—though in truth, Kitasan herself usually ended up just listening to her excited chatter or reading through her rapid messages.
From that alone, you could tell her little kouhai had a strong desire to express herself—though she rarely showed that side in front of strangers.
Her drive to win and her ambition were both remarkable—enough to make Kitasan Black feel humbled as a senpai.
The problem was… in this situation, she couldn't really say something like "Actually, I wasn't thinking about anything just now."
So what should she say instead…?
As she was hesitating awkwardly, Kitasan Black suddenly noticed that Makoto—standing a few seats over—had gotten up.
Not just him; Orfevre in the back row stood up too. The two exchanged a brief glance before heading out toward the aisles.
Kitasan Black blinked, then quickly realized they were probably going to discuss the upcoming training races.
But what surprised her was that another person—Cheval Grand—also stood up.
That friend she'd grown close to recently adjusted her hat and bent slightly as she turned to leave the audience section.
Their eyes met. For an instant, embarrassment flickered across Cheval's face; her mouth twitched slightly, and then—as if trying to flee—she quickened her pace toward the exit.
"W-wait a second— Ai-chan, hold on for a bit, okay? I'll talk to you later."
Murmuring quickly to Almond Eye, Kitasan Black excused herself with a trail of "Sorry, pardon me," as she hurried out after her friend.
The noise behind her gradually faded. She had intended to ask if Cheval Grand was just heading to the restroom—but soon realized that wasn't the case.
It seemed… she was actually leaving the concert altogether.
Unable to help herself, Kitasan Black called out and ran faster.
"Che–Cheval-chan, you… where are you going?"
At the sound of her voice, Cheval Grand froze in place. Her hand went up to the brim of her hat, and her mouth twitched slightly.
"Ugh… can't you just pretend you didn't see me…"
"Eh? Cheval-chan, what did you say?"
Having rushed over, Kitasan Black didn't catch her words clearly.
"N-nothing, I mean…"
Fidgeting, Cheval adjusted her hat and turned her gaze aside. Her foot scraped the ground nervously, and her tail swayed back and forth behind her.
"These past few days… have been really fun. But I have to head back now."
"Um… my sisters happen to be around here too. I mean, I'm… going to see them."
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