…An unfamiliar ceiling.
Wait-, no. Not quite. She'd seen it a few times already, and as the fog in her mind slowly thinned, she realized where she was.
Obey Your Master grunted as she sat up, letting her blanket drape onto the floor. She held her face in her hand for a good few seconds, gently messaging her eyes to try and numb the headache she felt. Thankfully it wasn't as bad as yesterday—it seemed like her fever was finally beginning to die down.
She took a quick breath before she swung her legs to the side. She winced slightly as her left foot hit the floor, but she did her best to ignore it as she reached for the clutch leaning onto the small table by her bedside.
With her clutch, she slowly stood up from her bed. Her left leg sparked with pain, but she grit her teeth as she slowly made her way to the standing mirror on the other side of the room. It took her a bit—she wasn't quite used to using her crutch just yet, but she made do.
Once she saw her reflection, she couldn't help but wince slightly. God, she looked horrid. Her hair was all over the place, and it felt sticky due to all the sweat. Her skin was paler than she was used to. Her eyes were dull, bereft of any energy to even don the mask she usually wore. And most of all, the bandages wrapped around her left leg stuck out like an eyesore.
She attempted to smile wryly, but it came out all sharp and wrong, looking more like a disgusted smirk more than anything.
All in all, she looked like some shut-in who hadn't seen the sun in years.
And yet, she was somehow far from the worst.
She sighed as she glanced at her injured leg. Luckily, it wasn't a fracture or a torn tendon or whatever. She'd just sustained a sprain due to how wild her movements were during the [Japan Cup]. It did mean she wouldn't be running for about a month or so, but that was infinitely better compared to not being able to run at all.
Though it was close. Her doctor said that if she'd pushed herself just a little more, she could've faced something far worse than a sprain. Her calf muscles were practically on the verge of giving out by the end of the race, and if she didn't stop moving right after the [Japan Cup] ended, she wouldn't even be standing up.
But some part of her, tiny as it was, wished she did push herself during those last moments. That she ran just a little faster, even if it meant never running again.
Because she got 2nd.
She got 2nd.
That was perhaps what hurt the most. All the preparations she did, all the plans she made, all the effort she put in, all the exhaustion she faced—in the end, it wasn't enough. Oguri Cap still managed to snag victory from her by just a Head, and all done without even tapping into her own Domain.
…Well, whatever. There was nothing she could do about it; there was no point in getting angry. And she'd broken enough mirrors already. No need to cause anymore trouble.
Anyway, enough dawdling. She had a meeting she had to attend.
She took a deep breath, and using her fingers, she forced her lips into a big smile. Her cheeks hurt from the strain, but she kept it up. This was something she had to do—at least until her lips continued to smile even without any help. She closed her eyes, and with another breath, she opened them back up.
She lowered her fingers, and her mask was restored. The American gal—with a wide smile and starry eyes.
Ugh.
With her mask back on, she began dressing herself. Normally she'd wear her usual casual clothes, but considering where she was staying, she found it appropriate to wear the uniform she'd been provided with.
Gotta say, it's been a while since she wore a uniform, but the ones provided by Tracen Central sure were comfy. They were leagues above those standard uniforms she wore during her academy days, and she could probably use these to actually race. She couldn't help but wonder how much each of these uniforms cost.
She briefly brushed her hair, just enough to make her presentable. And once she was done, she finally went out of her temporary room.
It was late morning by the time she headed out—nearing noon, even. And so she wasn't alone as she slowly made her way to the student council room. Some students clearly recognized her due to the [Japan Cup], but their expressions quickly stiffened when they saw the crutch she was using to walk.
They were probably assuming she was way more injured than she actually was, and that was honestly fine. She didn't quite have the energy to talk to others right now—even maintaining her smile was tiring enough.
Eventually, she made it to her destination. The ornate wooden doors stood before her, and she stared up at it for a good moment.
She'd be lying if she said she wasn't somewhat worried. Suddenly being asked to meet with the student council president was suspicious enough, but then having that same demand repeated by Secretariat was more than enough to make her wonder what the hell she was about to walk into.
She sighed softly.
There was no point in delaying.
She knocked on the doors and waited. And it didn't take long before she got a response. "Come in." A calm voice said from inside, and she took a breath as she pushed the doors open. And inside the student council room was a line up that'd make many sweat with terror.
Symboli Rudolf, the 'Emperor'.
Maruzensky, the 'Supercar'.
Akikawa Yayoi, Director of Tracen Central Academy.
Hayakawa Tazuna, Personal Secretary of the Director.
Musaka Ginjirou, the 'Fairy Godfather'.
And Secretariat herself, America's famous 'Big Red'.
Obey's plastic smile deepened as she bowed. "Sorry for being late, Symboli-san."
Symboli Rudolf smiled mildly. "There is no need to apologize, Obey-san." Her eyes turned to her bandaged leg for a moment before her gaze darkened slightly. "If anything, I must apologize for calling you so soon."
She grinned. "It's fine. A little walk didn't hurt." It did, actually. But she didn't say that out loud.
"Alright, alright, 'nuff waiting around." Secretariat said with a grin, her Japanese surprisingly fluent. "Let's not dawdle around, yeah?"
"Agreement! We have wasted enough time!" Director Akikawa said brightly, bringing out a fan from…somewhere. "It is unfortunate that Oguri Cap and Blossom Star are unavailable for this meeting, but we must not let our momentum slow down for even a moment!"
Obey raised an eyebrow. "Momentum?" She smiled playfully. "Are we going on a war or something?"
Secretariat laughed brashly. "We might as well be!"
Her smile froze in place. "...what?"
Tazuna giggled. "Now, now. It's not that serious, Secretariat-san." She then turned to Obey, smiling gently. "But that aside, if I may ask, how did you find our turf, Obey-san?"
She raised an eyebrow at the odd question, but she didn't attempt to lie. "It's awesome. Feels way better compared to the dirt back home." She then froze, realizing that Secretariat was literally in the same room. "Sorry about that, Secretariat. Not trying to imply anything."
Secretariat snorted. "It's fine, ya little trickster. Ain't everyone's suited for those dirty-ass tracks."
Tazuna nodded, and with a calm smile, she then asked, "Then what do you think about continuing to run here in Japan?"
Her eyes widened. "What?"
"Indeed! By joining Tracen Central, you'll be able to run in prestigious races such as the [Arima Kinen] and the [Tenno Shos]!" Director Akikawa smiled confidently as she thrust her fan her way. "And in the future, I'm sure there will be even more turf races that you will be able to run in!"
"Won't be that easy, though." Musaka interjected, scowling. "Those URA bastards will make sure to block you from participating. They'll put out as many excuses as they can, saying shit like how the [Arima Kinen] is only for Japanese umamusume for whatever."
Maruzensky nodded, smiling sadly. "Musaka-san's correct. I'm afraid I have experienced this." Her eyes darkened as she recalled her past. "They forbade me from entering any of the Classic races, and even during my Senior years, I had trouble entering most G1 races."
Obey furrowed her brows. "If there's going to be that much red tape, then what's the point?" She smiled sharply. "Might as well just go to Australia or something."
"Fight! It just means we must defeat the URA!" Director Akikawa proclaimed proudly, as if she hadn't just admitted to taking down the main racing organization in Japan. "Their rules have become outdated in our rapidly changing world, and so they must be changed!"
Musaka scoffed. "The bastards sitting in that tower of theirs are too old by this point. It's 'bout time they take a long leave." He grinned sharply. "Maybe the vacation will finally pull the sticks out their asses."
Maruzensky giggled, though her usually gentle eyes sharpened into something darker. "It'll be a little payback for what they did~"
Tazuna said nothing, but her calm smile clearly showed her stance.
Rudolf sighed, looking decades older than she actually was. "I still can't believe we're doing this…" She smiled wanly. "To think Star would manage to do this in the span of mere days."
Obey snapped out of her surprise at that mention. "Blossom Star? What does she have to do with anything?"
"It's interesting, ya see?" Secretariat said, roughly dropping onto the couch. "Got a call a few days back from an umamusume. Called herself Blossom Star and asked if I could let ya transfer to Japan." She smirked. "Crazy gal. Even had the guts to say that since our people kept shittin' on ya, Japan might as well take 'cha in."
Her eyes widened, and suddenly she realized how these people even knew how she felt about her races back in America.
Blossom Star had done this. She'd basically assembled an ensemble of forces to tear down the URA. And all because Obey had lost control that one time and shouted all her grievances to Star after her victory at the [Queen Elizabeth II Cup].
Her lips trembled as her heart thumped with an emotion too overwhelming to describe, and she took a shaky breath as she forced her words out. "Why…? All this, just for…me?"
Musaka chuckled. "If she thinks you're worth it, then she'll turn the world upside down to get her way." He jabbed a thumb at Rudolf. "Just ask the Emperor over there if you need context."
"Ah, please spare me, Musaka-san…" Rudolf said weakly.
Secretariat laughed. "Sounds like the kinda gal I'd get along with!" She then turned back to Obey, smiling confidently. "So, what'cha say, Obey Your Master? Ya willing to take the plunge?"
…
Haha, she truly needed to thank Blossom Star when she woke up.
Obey smiled, and this time, she didn't need to rely on her mask. "I want to keep running, Secretariat." She bowed. "Please, let me transfer."
And Secretariat grinned.