"Ha ha! Kousei! You came all this way just to see me!"
That maniacal laughter was exactly as Kousei remembered it. Tachyon, whom she hadn't seen in ages, seemed to have recovered remarkably well and was now walking normally. If Kousei had seen her still confined to a wheelchair, she would have been speechless.
However, Kousei and Cafe appeared stiff and uncomfortable, a stark contrast to Tachyon's nonchalant demeanor.
"What's wrong, you two? Why aren't you saying anything?"
Why are you asking? Can't you read the room?! they both screamed inwardly.
Kousei finally understood why Cafe was so tense—Tachyon's presence was overwhelmingly oppressive.
As soon as Kashimoto Riko took office, she launched an investigation into Tachyon's case. After all, Tachyon was just an Umamusume, and such matters couldn't be concealed. The truth inevitably surfaced.
The aftermath saw Tachyon confined to Tracen's special medical ward, surrounded by layers of guards. Even during their conversations, multiple pairs of eyes remained fixed on them.
The excessive protection felt suffocating, more like a prison than a hospital.
"How rare it is for you to visit me. Didn't you bring your prized creation? Cafe?"
But it seemed only Kousei and Cafe thought so. Tachyon remained completely unfazed, her expression indifferent.
"The Acting Chairman wouldn't allow anything here except medical treatments. Even getting permission to visit you required considerable persuasion."
"But coffee is essential for healing my soul!"
Though Tachyon made her case sound convincing, the staff clearly disagreed. Their gazes toward Kousei and her companions grew noticeably more tense.
"So this is how they treat their top troublemaker?"
Even a few casual remarks were enough to raise alarm. Every word from a reckless madwoman could be a harbinger of chaos.
"Please forgive me for interrupting your conversation, but Miss Tachyon, you must know you're still recovering. This is a critical time. You haven't been secretly planning to sneak out while we're distracted or conspiring with accomplices on any dangerous schemes, have you?"
Tachyon's eyes widened in mock surprise, nodding repeatedly. "That's an excellent idea."
Her words sent a wave of anxiety through the staff, who immediately fixed their gazes on Tachyon.
"If my leg heals properly, I might consider it," Tachyon said, spreading her hands in an obvious jest. When no one joined in her laughter, she tilted her head in confusion. "My joke just now? Wasn't it funny?"
An eerie silence descended upon the room, beads of sweat trickling down the staff's foreheads. Tachyon's words had done nothing to ease their tension.
Kousei knew Tachyon was joking, but the others didn't seem to share her understanding, so she remained silent, feeling it wasn't the right time to speak.
"Miss Tachyon, please refrain from joking. You must rest properly until you've fully recovered."
"Alright, alright."
The staff member cast a lingering, uneasy glance at Kousei and Cafe before finally leaving the room.
"So, why did you come looking for me?" Tachyon asked, her tone turning slightly more serious.
"Nothing much. I just heard you were locked up and wanted to check on you. I'd imagined you chained in the basement, completely shackled."
Tachyon burst into laughter. "We're students, you know! What academy would imprison students in a basement?"
It seemed Tachyon was unaware of the tense atmosphere in the Academy, though even Kousei didn't believe Kashimoto Riko would actually lock students in the basement.
"Speaking of which, you're incredibly bold to have prepared the surgery on your own! Acting Chairman Kashimoto told me the success rate was extremely low. It's a miracle you survived."
Even though Kousei had already heard the details once, hearing them again still sent a chill down her spine. Tachyon was far more reckless than she was.
Intellectual madness—a paradox incarnate.
"The Three Goddesses must favor me, giving me another chance to stand on the racetrack," Tachyon said, turning to Kousei. "Thank you."
Kousei nodded in acknowledgment, knowing Tachyon's experiment would have used her body data for adjustments.
For the first time, Kousei felt her healthy body could truly help someone else.
"I haven't heard anything about you since the Japan Cup. Would you tell me what you've been up to lately?"
This seemed like an invitation.
"Of course, I'd be delighted."
In truth, there wasn't much to tell—just the Seishun Cup and her dealings with Kashimoto Riko.
"So that's how it is. The atmosphere at the Academy must be very tense right now," Tachyon said. "Have those people given you any trouble since then?"
"No, they were just initially struggling to accept it. I just happened to be there. If they knew about your situation, they might turn their anger on you instead. Besides, I'm on a team with Teio now. With McQueen and Teio around, there's bound to be less trouble."
"Hmm... the team's name is Sirius, right?" After listening to the whole explanation, Tachyon seemed more intrigued by the name Sirius than anything else.
Kousei suddenly remembered McQueen mentioning that the name came from Mejiro Grandmother. These influential figures always harbor secrets. Who knew if Grandmother had deliberately revealed it to McQueen? After all, T was quite accustomed to pulling such strings.
"What do you know about Sirius?" Tachyon continued.
"I only know that Sirius Symboli is a name."
Tachyon wore an "of course" expression. "I think I know a little about this Sirius myself."
"Oh?"
The fact that Tachyon knew something about Sirius was both surprising and perfectly logical.
"You know Sirius and the President have a terrible relationship, right?"
"Yes. Sirius's face always darkens whenever the President's name is mentioned. That's why I never bring her up around Sirius anymore. They never seem to be in the same place at the same time—unless there's some business to attend to."
The "business" Kousei referred to usually involved quests that Tachyon had Sirius handle.
"Actually, their relationship wasn't always so bad. They used to be very close. They were even in the same team back then, which they called 'Sirius.'"
As Kousei had vaguely suspected, the situation definitely revolved around Rudolf and Sirius. Those two were at the heart of the storm.
"They were both so young and arrogant back then, just like Teio is now. But they had every right to be arrogant. 'Sirius' was invincible; no team at Tracen could defeat them. Here's a little guessing game: if a team is unbeatable domestically, what do you think their next move would be?"
Tachyon glanced between Kousei and Cafe. Cafe showed no interest, while Kousei appeared deep in thought.
Familiar faces flashed through her mind:
Caesar Rose
Twilight Cloud
Tenmile Cloud
Speedstar
The answer was practically shouting itself.
"An overseas expedition!"