Hearing Starlight's incredibly gentle words, Tokai Teio's frame stiffened slightly.
She slowly raised her head to look at the silver-haired Uma Musume not far away.
Her brow furrowed, her azure pupils trembled, and she hurriedly wiped away her tears.
A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"I-It's nothing, Senpai, I... I just came back from seeing the doctor, and then I was in a rush to get back to the dorm. I ran too fast and got some sand in my eyes..."
Operating her wheelchair, Starlight slowly drew closer to her.
She tilted her head, asking tentatively:
"Is that true? Bottling things up inside can be very painful..."
"Of course it's true, senpai... Anyway, I'll be going now! Everyone in Team Spica is waiting for my results! Bye-bye~"
Starlight nodded.
Watching Teio squint her eyes, waving as she ran off, Starlight was certain that the girl's heart was anything but happy.
However, just as Rudolf had said, Tokai Teio was a strong and stubborn Uma Musume, she wouldn't give up easily, nor would she fall easily
Perhaps she just had some things she hadn't quite figured out yet.
Shaking her head, Starlight patted her own thigh.
She picked up a towel and wiped the sweat from her face while pushing her wheelchair forward.
"Being able to run... it must be so nice. Do your best, Teio~"
Strolling along the path above the turf, Tokai Teio felt a cool breeze brush against her cheeks
. Down below, not far away, groups of Uma Musume in training gear ran past.
She slowly came to a halt, gradually removing the mask of a smile she had been wearing to pretend nothing was wrong.
She stood there for quite a while before heading toward the Team Spica clubroom.
Before she even entered, she could faintly hear the bickering inside.
"Hey! A glass of milk and an egg every day is good for Teio's bone recovery!"
"But you can't just put them together! Mashing an egg into milk— Gold Ship, look at this, would you even eat it?"
"Doesn't it absorb better this way?"
Click.
The door opened, and everyone turned to look at Teio as she entered
"Come try some of these, Teio! I just bought these oranges today, they're quite fresh."
"Mhm~ Thank you, everyone..."
In the evening, at the Trainer's office, Teio peeked through the crack of the open door.
The room was brightly lit, with energy drinks and coffee cans scattered on the floor.
Ryo Nishizaki was typing away at his keyboard, his desk piled high with various training manuals and injury recovery methods.
Adjusting her state of mind, Teio's eyes wavered. It seemed the emotions stirred up today were too intense.
She slowly walked inside.
"Geez... How did you make such a mess in here?"
"Teio? Why aren't you resting yet? It's so late, it'll be hard for your injury to recover like this."
Stopping what he was doing, Ryo Nishizaki looked up at her.
"Well, I have to keep my promise. How hard I work depends on myself, but if the doctor stops me, I have to give up, right?"
With a bitter smile on her face, Teio spoke the words she found hardest to say.
Some people give up easily, while others refuse to because of a certain obsession or goal.
With the race drawing near, she couldn't even manage to run at full strength, and the doctor had forbidden her from competing.
Seeing her friends still working so hard for her sake, Teio felt an unbearable sense of guilt.
"I've decided..."
"No, you can't give up yet, Teio! There must be something else we can do! I'll find it! Teio, I will definitely make you an undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume!"
Seeing Ryo Nishizaki's persistent expression, Teio took a deep breath, her tone full of weariness.
"There's no need. As I am now, I can't run at full power. To force myself to enter the Kikuka Sho and face those Uma Musume who are giving it their all... I just can't do it."
"Thank you... for doing so much for me."
Teio withdrew from the Kikuka Sho due to her physical condition.
Many felt a deep sense of regret, the Uma Musume who had the best chance of achieving an undefeated Triple Crown this year had bowed out just like that.
"Sigh. But it was expected. Teio, you've already given it your all."
Sitting on a bench, Starlight looked at Teio across from her and reached out to pat her shoulder.
"Mm... It's just, I couldn't fulfill my promise to the President—"
"Haha, Rudolf definitely understands. Besides, Teio is a genius. Even without the Triple Crown, don't you still have your undefeated streak to prove yourself?"
Raising her eyes to meet Starlight's golden gaze, Tokai Teio nodded thoughtfully.
"Mm... Starlight-senpai is right. Since I don't have the Triple Crown, I'll use my undefeated record to prove myself! I am the genius Tokai Teio, after all—"
Ryo Nishizaki had said something similar.
Teio wasn't the type to stand still, since this goal was out of reach, she would simply set a new one and work toward it.
And then...
In the Autumn Tenno Sho, Mejiro McQueen ended up in second place. She had been too slow to pick up speed on the final straight.
In Starlight's dorm room, the gray-haired Uma Musume crying in her arms looked quite pathetic, but also somewhat comical.
"Geez~ Who told you not to watch what you eat lately? You snuck some more desserts, didn't you?"
"...N-no, I didn't! I've been maintaining my weight!"
"Really? I happen to have a scale right here under the bed. Let's weigh you~"
Starlight slowly pulled the scale out and suggested.
McQueen nodded and stepped on.
As the numbers lit up on the screen, her eyes widened in disbelief!
"Hmm? What's the result? Let me see~"
Starlight tried to lean forward to check, but Mejiro McQueen promptly shoved the scale back under the bed and let out a few dry coughs.
"I'm only a tiny bit heavier. Next time! Next time I'll definitely maintain my weight properly... but since this year's races are over, shall we go get something to eat?"
A drop of cold sweat rolled down Starlight's forehead, and her lip twitched.
"Could you at least wait until tomorrow to say that?"
"I can't help it! The new releases this year are all too tempting. Don't you want to try some, Starlight-chan?"
Saying this, Mejiro McQueen pulled out her phone and showed Starlight several high-impact photos of beautiful desserts.
After looking at them for just a moment, Starlight's mouth began to water.
She was a big dessert lover herself, but back when she was training, her workload was massive, and she had to maintain her weighted training state.
"Hehe~ McQueen-chan, I'm in a semi-retired state now. I don't have to race, so it doesn't matter how much I eat. But you're different."
"...Just today! Just this once! Treat it as a way to mend my broken heart over the loss, okay?"
"Alright, alright, let's go. You could have gone by yourself, you know, but you just had to drag me along."
"Hehe~ Starlight-chan..."
Meanwhile, Team Canopus had welcomed yet another heavy hitter.
Twin Turbo looked at Matikane Tannhauser, who was scratching the back of her head and laughing sheepishly, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Yay! Next year, Canopus will definitely become the number one team in the academy!"
Adjusting her glasses, the orange-haired Ikuno Dictus nodded and stood up to start drafting the training plans.
Nearby, Minamizaka watched as the Uma Musume of his team completely sidelined him, looking on in utter disbelief.
"Wait a minute, guys! I'm the Trainer here! At least let me get a few words in!"