"Tell me, why exactly did you tag along?" the Trainer asked, lollipop in mouth, exasperated.
"I did talk Suzuka into coming; checking on her is only natural." Gold Legend munched on snacks, every word crisp.
"...How can you eat and still speak so clearly?" the Trainer asked in genuine bewilderment.
"Go eat with Oguri a few more times and you'll pick it up."
"That Oguri Cap? Pass—feels like a zone no human should enter." The Trainer refused without a second thought.
"Which race is Suzuka in?" Gold Legend checked her phone.
"Race eleven, why?"
"Just seeing how much time I can spare."
"You really..." The Trainer had no comeback.
"So why are you still here?" Gold Legend shot him a sidelong glance.
"...Am I being kicked out?" the Trainer finally realized.
"Walking beside a top-tier beauty like me—don't you feel ashamed?" Gold Legend teased.
"Yeah, yeah. You want some alone time; I get it. I'm off." The Trainer shrugged and left.
"Don't go touching an Uma Musume's legs unless you want to get kicked into next week!" Gold Legend called after him.
"Are you my mom or something?" the Trainer grumbled, probably not listening.
"Hmm, guess I'll go see Suzuka too." Gold Legend shrugged and returned to her old habit... "Hah..."
In the back-stage lounge, Silence Suzuka steadied her breathing.
Her heart pounded; the thought of the upcoming race made her nerves spike.
She had made up her mind—so why...
Knock knock.
Someone rapped on the door.
"Excuse me."
Before Silence Suzuka could answer, the visitor pushed the door open and walked right in.
"…Legend-san?"
"Oh, good afternoon, Suzuka. How are you feeling?" Gold Legend greeted.
"…You scared me!" All the composure she'd just gathered was gone.
Silence Suzuka was a little annoyed.
"My bad," Gold Legend said without a hint of sincerity, plopping down beside Suzuka.
"Legend-san? This is my lounge, isn't it?"
How are you so practiced at this?
Silence Suzuka stared speechlessly as Gold Legend made herself at home.
"The layout's basically the same everywhere," Gold Legend shrugged, "here, I bought one too many."
She held out a bottle of sports drink.
"…Legend-san, we don't usually drink before a race," Suzuka said flatly.
"You can have it after," Gold Legend beamed.
"Haa…" Suzuka sighed, turned back to the mirror, and resumed regulating her breathing.
Gold Legend watched the girl lift her chin slightly, strands of hair swaying, the fair curve of her neck fully exposed; her pretty profile brimmed with youthful vitality.
Such a waste about the figure, though.
"…I just felt a sudden wave of malice," Suzuka shivered.
"Did you?" Gold Legend guiltily averted her eyes.
"Speaking of which, how did you get in here?" Suzuka suddenly remembered. "We're not teammates, and you're not on my visitor list."
"What kind of question is that? I walked in fair and square!"
I've got plenty of practice!
Gold Legend puffed out her impressively developed chest.
A vein throbbed on Silence Suzuka's forehead.
She drew a long breath and forced down the dark emotions surging inside.
For some reason, her usual calm dissolved the moment this woman appeared.
"Have you made up your mind?" Gold Legend asked abruptly.
"Eh?"
"Have you decided to go for the Great Escape?"
"…Yes! I've decided—no one else is getting the view ahead of me!" Suzuka declared.
"Good. I thought someone of your temperament might still be wavering." Gold Legend smiled.
"…Legend-san, did you come because you were worried about me?" Suzuka studied her and suddenly understood.
"Nope, just here to watch," Gold Legend turned away.
"Really?" Suzuka's lips curved.
"Would I lie?"
"I see." Suzuka nodded, unable to stop her smile.
"…Looks like you're not nervous anymore." Gold Legend noted the upturned corners of Suzuka's mouth.
"Nervous? Huh?" Suzuka blinked; only now did she realize her heart had calmed.
Perhaps that tiny knot of anxiety had vanished the moment this person barged in.
"Just a whim, but if it works, great." Gold Legend sounded pleased.
Silence Suzuka looked at the figure beside her again.
She couldn't help recalling that dazzling glimpse the other night.
She shook her head with a helpless smile.
"Am I a child to you?"
A rare, amusing, and kind soul.
"All right, mature lady, time to make your entrance." Gold Legend changed the subject.
"Eh? Ah! I'm late!" Suzuka yelped and dashed out of the lounge.
"Safe travels!" Gold Legend waved lazily… then strolled out of the backstage area and into the stands.
She glanced left and right—no sign of Trainer.
"Strange, where'd that guy go?"
A girl's scream suddenly rang out.
"…Right, I know where."
Following the cry, she found a sleazebag with a nosebleed pestering a girl.
"Hey, which Uma Musume are you? Where're you from? Age? Weight?"
The man's slimy voice carried clearly.
Gold Legend sighed, walked up, rose on tiptoe, hooked her arms around the thug's head from behind, and twisted.
A crisp crack, and the thug crumpled.
"Sorry, our Trainer's causing trouble again." Gold Legend apologized to the harassed Uma Musume, supporting the 'corpse'.
"…" Silence answered her.
"What's wrong?" Gold Legend looked at the girl in puzzlement.
"Ah! Sorry!" The girl snapped out of it, bowed hastily, then asked timidly, "Um, horse—are you an Uma Musume?"
"...When was I expelled from the ranks of the Uma Musume?" Isn't that obvious?
Gold Legend was puzzled.
"That's not what I meant! That, this." The girl gestured nervously.
"Calm down a little," Gold Legend said.
"S-sorry, this is my first time seeing another Uma Musume!" The Uma Musume apologized again.
"...Is that so? My name is Gold Legend, hello."
Legend, who had long discerned the girl's identity, smiled and extended her hand.
"Ah! Hello, nice to meet you!" The girl excitedly grasped Legend's hand, her smile radiant. "I'm Special Week!"
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