Tamamo Cross noticed something was off.
Of course she knew Chiemi Representative—she was one of Tracen's most famous names.
What Tamamo hadn't expected was this: the girl who was "said to look down on every trainer" had actually paired up with Yu-nii.
And more importantly—
why did the two of them look so… harmonious?
Too harmonious, if you asked her.
So harmonious it made Tamamo feel a tiny stab of jealousy she didn't want to admit.
She'd imagined it before, you know.
Partnering with Wu You someday, the two of them writing a legendary chapter in the racing world.
But then there was the promise she'd made with Oguri Cap—their "duel" that would settle everything properly on the track.
Tamamo could also see it clearly: Oguri's fixation on Wu You ran just as deep as her own.
So the more "mature" Tamamo had chosen to step back, to choose a different trainer.
That didn't mean her current trainer—Coach Komiyama—was bad. On the contrary, Tamamo was genuinely grateful to that dependable older sister who'd stayed with her and believed in her.
Still…
Watching Chiemi and Wu You together tangled her thoughts.
A sliver of jealousy, yes—but more than that, worry.
Especially worry about the idiot behind her.
Tamamo turned her head.
Oguri Cap looked completely normal, watching Wu You and Chiemi talk. When she noticed Tamamo looking, she even tilted her head slightly.
"What is it, Tama?"
Tamamo pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. "Seriously… you're hopeless."
The opponent was already absurdly strong, and her teammate was acting like she hadn't even learned how to think yet.
At this rate, they wouldn't even get the hot stuff.
Not even the first bite.
Tamamo lifted her right arm, and Oguri cooperatively bent down so Tamamo could hook an arm around her neck.
The two of them quietly slipped to a calmer spot nearby.
"Listen, Oguri! Are you stupid?!" Tamamo hissed, keeping her voice low. "You saw Chiemi and Yu-nii like that and you had no reaction?!"
Oguri wore her usual blank expression. "Why would I react?"
Tamamo's expression screamed I cannot believe you.
"Idiot! She's already Yu-nii's first official partner Umamusume! And you're saying 'why'?!"
Tamamo mashed her cheek against Oguri's, grinding the point into her skull.
Oguri mumbled through the squish, "I don't care whether I'm first or not. As long as my trainer is Yu-nii… that's enough…"
"You—idiot!"
Tamamo almost collapsed from frustration.
She was ready to die on this hill, and her teammate had already surrendered.
We were about to fight to the death! Oguri, why are you kneeling first?!
Tamamo stared at Oguri's unwaveringly vacant face and came to a grim conclusion.
Fine.
If this was going to be a high-level match, she'd have to carry it herself.
Tamamo marched straight up to Chiemi Representative.
Oguri followed naturally. She didn't really understand, but if Tamamo was going, Oguri wasn't going to hide behind her.
"Hm?" Chiemi looked down at the small figure standing in front of her—because yes, she had to look down.
Tamamo planted her hands on her hips. Even though she was shorter, she showed zero intimidation.
"You're Chiemi, right?! Your name is famous, even where I'm from!"
Chiemi flicked her gaze to Oguri behind Tamamo and immediately understood what was happening.
To be fair—snatching Oguri's "first" did leave Chiemi with a winner's twinge of guilt.
But.
That didn't mean she was going to back down.
On the student council wall hung Tracen's motto: To be first among horses is to outshine a thousand others.
If you were an Umamusume, competitiveness wasn't a personality trait.
It was in your blood.
"Hi, Tamamo Cross," Chiemi replied, arms folded, as sharp and breezy as ever.
Tamamo had expected that reaction.
Honestly, if Chiemi wasn't like this, Tamamo would've been surprised.
Geniuses… all had something wrong with them.
But Tamamo wasn't here for herself.
She was here to secure her best friend's future.
Sorry, Chiemi.
She wasn't as easy to take down as Oguri.
"Oh? You actually know who I am?" Tamamo asked, feigning innocence.
"Gold always shines," Chiemi said evenly. "You're just missing the right opportunity."
"W-Well! Even if you praise me, I'm not going to be happy!"
Oguri Cap and Wu You, watching from the side, reached the same silent conclusion.
Tama's been captured.
Tamamo's tail swished for a moment—then snapped stiff.
Her pupils tightened sharply as she stared at Chiemi with sudden alarm.
Crap.
She'd fallen for it.
But you couldn't really blame her.
Tamamo hadn't revealed her true potential yet, and she usually only got praised by a tiny circle—Coach Komiyama, Oguri, and Super Creek.
Anyone liked being acknowledged.
Especially by Chiemi Representative—one of Tracen's top prodigies.
Tamamo's eyes sharpened with renewed caution.
This Chiemi… she's dangerous.
"Tama, are you okay?" Oguri asked innocently.
"I'm fine! I'm great! Oguri, just you wait—I'll win your face back for you!"
Oguri smiled faintly. "Mm. I'm looking forward to it."
Listening to the three of them chatter, Wu You couldn't help but laugh.
Sometimes, a bit of noise was nice.
…
"Too loud. Quiet down!"
In the student council room, an Umamusume with a style completely different from Chiemi—much stricter, sharper, and more severe—was visibly restraining her temper.
The student council vice president, known as the "Empress"—
Air Groove.
In front of her, Tokai Teio was rolling around restlessly on the sofa.
"President is sick! I want to go take care of her!"
"She's not sick. She's just uncomfortable and took the morning off. She'll be back this afternoon…"
"No, no, no! I'm going!"
"…!"
A vein throbbed on Air Groove's forehead. In the end, she could only let out a long sigh.
With the president absent, there was basically no one who could control this little gremlin.
But it was strange—this morning, Rudolf Symbol had called and said she wasn't feeling well and would take half a day off…
Air Groove's heart tightened.
She was probably just overworked.
The student council workload had been brutal lately.
Air Groove felt sympathy for Rudolf—yet the thought that she was now the only reliable one left made her head throb.
"Stop being childish," Air Groove said, standing up. "Go to class like a good girl. I'm going to the chairman's office."
She picked up a meeting report from the desk, turned, and started toward the door.
"Oh—and at lunch," she added without looking back, "go to the chairman's office and retrieve the recent trainer–Umamusume contract list. The president will need to review it."
With that, Air Groove ignored Teio's protests and left.
She arrived at the chairman's office without any trouble.
"Chairman. I've brought the previous meeting report."
"Much appreciated! Thank you for the trouble, Air Groove!" Akikawa Yayoi said brightly, waving her folding fan behind the desk.
After a quick check, Akikawa set the report aside.
"Checking in—how is Rudolf doing?"
"From her voice, nothing serious," Air Groove answered. "Most likely exhaustion from overwork."
Akikawa's expression turned contemplative. "Reflection… we have increased the student council's workload recently."
URA races ran year-round, but two seasons always drew the most attention.
The spring "Classic Season," focused on the new generation—future stars were decided there.
And the autumn "Older Horse Battles and Year-End Finale," when the strongest faced off.
During those peaks, work multiplied fast.
Air Groove understood. She wasn't going to complain.
So she shifted topics.
"By the way, Chairman—have the recent trainer–Umamusume contract applications been compiled yet?"
Akikawa's eyes flickered away for the briefest moment, then she smiled. "Soon. There's only a little left."
"I see. Good."
Following Akikawa's earlier glance, Air Groove's gaze drifted to a corner of the desk.
Only a few sheets of paper lay there—apparently the total number of applications during this period.
Air Groove felt a heavy, quiet thought settle in her chest.
The state of the trainer world…
You could see it clearly, just from that.
Then her eyes swept across the top page—
and her pupils snapped tight, needle-thin.
Because on that paper…
she saw a name she knew.
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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