In a quiet, out-of-the-way part of town, King Halo had gathered with her friends.
She hadn't done any training today—she'd already made plans to have a meal with Fine Motion and Mejiro McQueen.
What's more, today was the day of the Keio Hai Junior Stakes. Though it wasn't exactly what you'd call ladylike, she'd also arranged with her friends to watch Barbatos's race while they ate.
Barbatos was a strong rival she'd have to face sooner or later, and watching her race was a way of paying respect to her opponent.
"Miss Ines!"
Fine Motion called out gracefully in greeting. Coming toward them was an Uma Musume wearing a visor.
King Halo and Mejiro McQueen also stepped forward to welcome her.
They hadn't gone to one of their usual upscale restaurants today. Instead, they were on the hunt for good local food.
The Uma Musume in the visor was a friend of Fine Motion's, and she'd recommended their destination—a beef bowl place called "The Favorite."
Normally, they'd have changed into formal dresses for a meal out.
But at Miss Ines's request, they hadn't done so this time—a small break from habit that left them all feeling a little out of place.
Was it really okay to go out to eat without wearing a dress?
Once the four of them had met up, Ines led them to the beef bowl shop.
Fine Motion spotted a well-built man in a suit walking out from inside.
Hesitating a moment, she asked, "The people coming out are all wearing suits, though."
Some part of her still felt they ought to have changed into something more formal.
Ines narrowed her eyes and thought for a couple of seconds. "Those are just ordinary office workers. Clothes really don't matter here."
If Fine Motion and the others actually showed up here in evening dresses, they'd probably end up being stared at, wouldn't they?
"Is that so?"
"As expected of Miss Ines!"
"So reliable."
Ines fell silent.
A faint sense of unease began to stir in her. Could it be that Fine Motion and the others had genuinely never set foot in an ordinary restaurant before?
Bracing herself, she led the three inside. The sliding door opened automatically.
"Welcome!"
The owner called out while serving another customer.
Fine Motion looked around the interior, her eyes lighting up with delight. "It feels completely different from a ramen shop, too."
Mejiro McQueen raised a hand slightly. "There are four of us. Could you show us to a table?"
"?!"
Ines froze in alarm and hurriedly cut in, "Wait, McQueen!"
After that, she guided the three to an empty table and gently explained, "Any free seat is fine to take."
So it was true—the stories about high-class restaurants where you had to be escorted to your seat by staff were real after all.
McQueen's face flushed red. "...I see."
She felt so embarrassed she wanted to flee the planet and move to Mars.
King Halo smoothly stepped in to change the subject, raising her hand to call out, "Could we have a menu, please?"
"The menu's right here."
The owner pointed to the standing placard on the table.
It was a standard feature in normal restaurants, though she couldn't quite grasp why these Uma Musume seemed so unfamiliar with everything.
"Does everyone know how to order?"
Ines asked in advance, worried that the process here might be too different from what they were used to.
Fine Motion clenched her hands, brimming with confidence. "I've studied—no problem!"
She'd been to plenty of ramen shops. After careful observation, she'd mastered the art of ordering.
Meanwhile, McQueen and King Halo were studying the menu.
"Regular size… large…"
You could even choose your bowl size here?
That wasn't an option at the kinds of places they usually went to.
The owner chimed in, "There's also a secret menu item—the King Size Bowl."
"Though even grown men have a hard time finishing it."
King Halo's eyes sparkled. "It's practically made for a king!"
In the end, with Fine Motion handling the ordering, everyone got a regular bowl except King Halo, who went for the King Size—after all, the others weren't exactly big eaters, even for Uma Musume.
While waiting for their beef bowls to arrive, King Halo hesitantly pulled out her phone.
She'd assumed they'd be in a private room like usual, but under these circumstances, would watching Barbatos's race be inappropriate?
If they'd been in a room, and with the others' permission, she could've played the race broadcast aloud for everyone.
But here, with other people around in a public space, playing sound out loud would be rude.
So this time, she'd have to watch the race on mute.
Just then, at a table not far from theirs, an office worker glanced at his watch. "It's about time."
"Boss, could you turn on the TV?"
His tone was familiar—clearly a regular. The restaurant had a large screen TV, so customers could watch races and such while eating.
It just hadn't been on until now.
"Sure, the Uma Musume races again?"
"Yeah! Barbatos is running today—that one who became a legend right out of the gate!"
"Hehe, I know, I know."
"You young folks all love watching her races."
The owner cheerfully switched on the TV and tuned it to the Uma Musume racing broadcast. On screen, the Uma Musume were just about to enter the starting gates.
The office worker unconsciously set down his chopsticks, planning to finish watching Barbatos's race first.
He also noticed the four Uma Musume sitting nearby.
Running into Uma Musume in Kyoto wasn't all that rare, but he didn't recognize any of these four. For fans who weren't totally obsessed, the ones they followed were usually the most famous active runners and the living legends.
They rarely knew much about those who'd already retired, or newly debuted Uma Musume without much fame yet.
Especially nowadays, when every new debutante's spotlight was completely stolen by Barbatos and El Condor Pasa.
King Halo and the other three also turned their attention to the TV screen.
--+--
Tokyo Racecourse.
Barbatos stepped into the starting gate in order. And right beside her was someone she knew—Dramatic Development.
The moment she saw Barbatos enter, Dramatic Development clamped her hands over her own ears.
This time, she'd undergone specialized training—she absolutely would not be late out of the gate because of anything Barbatos said!
On Dramatic Development's other side was the second favorite, Tacit Accord.
She, too, was a bit wary about what Barbatos might say. After all, in Barbatos's previous races, the Uma Musume next to her had an unusually high rate of slow starts—something worth paying attention to.
Noticing Barbatos's gaze, Tacit Accord met it with confidence and sharpness. "Working on your trash talk?"
"No."
Barbatos shook her head with a faint smile.
"I just wanted to say—my qualifications aren't for you to measure."
"I hope you'll still have the nerve and the confidence to say what you just said, once this race is over."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.