Time moved into August.
Chiyono O's debut race.
For most Uma Musume, their debut race didn't have a fixed schedule.
It depended on their prior training results and condition adjustments.
But because debut races were special by nature, expecting large crowds was pointless.
Still, whenever she had time, Symboli Rudolf would attend an Uma Musume's debut race—because she hoped to find a new star.
After a certain genius had appeared, the entire scene had entered a noticeably weaker era.
From Symboli Rudolf's retirement until now, not a single Uma Musume in Japan had emerged as a true star.
That was exactly why she had launched the local observation plan, and why she focused so heavily on rookies' debut races.
So Rudolf showing up at one wasn't unusual at all.
It was just that today...
"So this is where Chiyono O's debut race is being held?" Standing before the massive racetrack, Tokai Natural—pushing a baby stroller—glanced at the address written on a small slip of paper, then looked up again at the racecourse.
After confirming it was correct, she stepped inside.
The pre-race trash-talking segment was still going on—essentially the Uma Musume equivalent of tossing off their jackets before the real run.
Standing quietly, Tokai Natural watched the stage, waiting for a certain girl to appear.
After about half a minute, Chiyono O walked out.
Tokai Natural didn't wave.
She simply watched her.
Because the audience was sparse, Chiyono O also noticed her quickly.
Their eyes met—just briefly—but neither greeted the other.
...
Symboli Rudolf followed debut races closely, but she was often too busy to attend the introductions. Most of the time, she arrived right before the race.
With a bit of time left before the start, she entered the stands.
Debut races rarely drew many spectators.
Or rather—almost never.
They existed mainly for scouting potential.
Ordinary people lacked the ability to judge talent, so these events seldom attracted big crowds.
That was why Rudolf could enter the stands so easily now.
Although seats were usually reserved for the Student Council and academy teams, Rudolf preferred to watch debut races from closer up. Because of this—
She spotted a certain Uma Musume standing near the railing, holding something in her arms, and felt a faint familiarity.
But it was only familiarity.
For someone who memorized every student at Tracen Academy, it was normal to feel that way about an Uma Musume in Tokyo.
So she turned her eyes back to the track.
Most of the Uma Musume gathered there showed nothing special.
But there was at least one worth a look.
Rudolf's attention settled on the girl wearing the sakura hair ornament.
Sakura Chiyono O—Maruzensky had praised this kouhai highly.
The race hadn't started yet; they weren't even in the gates. But the atmosphere in the stands was unusually lively. The rumor of Maruzensky praising this newcomer had spread, drawing a slightly bigger crowd than a typical debut race.
Only slightly.
With time still left before loading, several Uma Musume glanced around at the spectators or…
...
When Rudolf turned back to Chiyono O, she saw her near the railing, talking to someone.
Because of the crowd, Rudolf couldn't see who it was, nor hear what they were saying. But it wasn't something she needed to care about.
So she refocused on the track.
Not long after, the race began.
Symboli Rudolf had no interest in the commentary—she could read the race herself, more accurately than the commentator.
Observing Sakura Chiyono O, Rudolf's gaze drifted.
She already knew—there was nothing remarkable about this race.
Even before the finish, she had reached her conclusion: Sakura Chiyono O didn't have the overwhelming gift to dominate an era the way she had.
Rudolf sighed quietly but didn't leave.
She never left early, so her attention slowly wandered from the race.
...
After the race ended, Rudolf turned to go.
But among the dispersing crowd, she caught sight of that same figure from earlier also turning away.
Is she leaving before the finish as well?
Thinking that, Rudolf didn't dwell on it. She still had Student Council decisions waiting back at the academy.
But as the crowd shifted—
That person briefly turned her head toward the track.
A face Rudolf had seen once appeared clearly in her view.
Someone from the Tokai Family...
Rudolf couldn't recall her name, but she remembered her face. She never forgot anyone she'd seen, and she instantly recalled something important:
This person had been expelled from the Tokai Family.
But...
More concerning than that trivial detail was the stroller she was pushing.
Rudolf's instincts jolted: inside that stroller might be...
She surged forward through the crowd.
But people blocked her view again.
By the time she pushed her way out of the gates, she spotted an Uma Musume with a stroller up ahead.
She hurried toward her.
"You there, with the stroller—could you hold on for a momen—"
As her voice reached out, the figure turned—
A completely unfamiliar face.
Rudolf stopped, frowned. "My apologies. I mistook you for someone else."
After saying that, she quickly scanned the area—but the person she sought was nowhere to be found.
...
Unlike Symboli Rudolf, Tokai Natural—despite being an Uma Musume—hadn't made it out of the crowd yet. Her weak constitution, and the fact she had Mochizuki with her, slowed her down.
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T/N: gulp