High up on the other side of the stage.
Symboli Rudolf stood shoulder to shoulder with Maruzensky, both smiling as they watched the three youthful horse girls shining below.
"Come to think of it, where did C.B. sneak off to this time? She vanished the moment we came in."
Maruzensky glanced around curiously as she spoke.
"Ah, her."
Symboli Rudolf thought for a moment before replying.
"I think she went to find Kuroha."
"Kuroha?" Maruzensky blinked.
"Yeah. As soon as she came in and spotted where he was, she headed straight over."
"…I didn't see him at all," Maruzensky muttered gloomily.
When she came in, she'd done a quick sweep of the place, but there were too many people and the lighting was dim, so she really hadn't found where Kuroha was at first glance.
Besides…
A faint sense of unease was starting to creep up in Maruzensky's chest.
Seeing Maruzensky questioning her, Symboli Rudolf didn't think too much of it. She just pointed casually toward Kuroha's position not far away.
"Look, Kuroha and C.B. are right over there, aren't they?"
Maruzensky snapped her head in that direction.
The moment she saw the two figures over there, her expression changed, and she instantly grabbed Symboli Rudolf's ear between her fingers.
"Come on! We're going to them."
"Eh? O-okay…"
Still not sure what was happening, Symboli Rudolf let herself be dragged along in a daze.
Just as they came close enough, they heard Mr. C.B.'s clear, pleasant—and typically outrageous—voice ring out:
"Have you ever thought about… taking in retired horse girls?"
"For example, someone like me!"
Maruzensky: !!!
Symboli Rudolf: ???
After saying her piece, Mr. C.B. kept smiling brightly at Kuroha, waiting for his response.
But before he could recover from his shock, a familiar figure suddenly shoved herself between the two of them.
"Ha, excuse us, excuse us—"
Forcing herself in and physically wedging C.B. away from Kuroha, Maruzensky turned back with a slightly awkward grin.
"Kuroha, we need to borrow C.B. for a bit, okay? We'll be going now!"
Without giving anyone a chance to object, she hooked an arm under Mr. C.B.'s and started hauling her away.
C.B. stared wide-eyed, clearly not understanding what was happening as she was dragged off.
"…Oh. Okay."
Kuroha watched this sudden turn of events, completely at a loss as to what they were up to.
"Come have tea at the student council room sometime!" Maruzensky shouted over her shoulder, shoving C.B. along faster and faster.
"Hey, hey, slow down a little—"
"Shut it!"
Kuroha waved after them in farewell, then stood there thinking for a while, still utterly confused.
Taking in retired horse girls?
And 'someone like her'?
Was Mr. C.B. just joking with him?
Kuroha shook his head. He really couldn't figure out what was going on in that legendary horse girl's mind.
He decided not to dwell on it. Turning back around, he focused his attention on the center of the stage again.
His own horse girls were still dancing their hearts out up there—that was what he should be paying attention to right now.
…
Maruzensky practically dragged Mr. C.B. all the way to a deserted corner backstage.
Symboli Rudolf followed along, a faintly helpless look on her face.
Only once they got there did Maruzensky finally exhale in relief.
She stared at the utterly unconcerned Mr. C.B., baffled.
"C.B., do you even realize what you were just saying?"
"Of course I do."
Stretching lazily, C.B. showed absolutely no sense of having been 'caught in the act.'
Leaning back against the wall, she looked as free and unbothered as ever.
"Taking in retired horse girls."
"…"
For a moment, Maruzensky was at a loss for words.
Right now she looked completely different from her usual gentle, laid-back self—almost… aggressive.
"C.B.," Symboli Rudolf said, rubbing her temples as she stepped forward. "Were you serious just now? About retired horse girls switching teams. This isn't some small matter."
Not some small matter was putting it lightly.
Never mind whether there was any precedent.
Who was Mr. C.B., after all?
The third legendary Triple Crown horse girl of this Far Eastern island nation.
A symbol of an era.
Even if she'd slacked off a little—okay, a lot—after retiring, that title carried terrifying weight.
Her transferring to another team, whether for Chasing Light itself or for Central's overall balance, would be no trivial thing.
"Mmm~"
C.B. wagged a finger.
"Let's say… half and half."
"Half and half?"
Symboli Rudolf and Maruzensky both blinked.
"Don't you think Kuroha-san's team is definitely going to be fun?"
Excitement shimmered in C.B.'s eyes.
"Inari One, Fujimasa March, Obey Your Master… wah, and with Sakura Chiyono O too, plus the new era's Mejiro McQueen—what a complete monster house."
"Running together with kids like that, witnessing a new era's brilliance up close… just thinking about it gets my blood pumping!"
She spread her hands as if that settled everything.
"Besides, I'm just sitting around bored anyway~"
"…"
That reason was so very C.B. that both Maruzensky and Symboli Rudolf were struck speechless on the spot.
Bored, so I'll just join someone else's team… what kind of logic was that supposed to be?
Neither of them had any idea what to say.
"Hmm?"
Watching the unusually flustered look on Maruzensky's face—something she almost never showed—C.B. suddenly straightened up.
She tilted her head, eyes narrowing.
"But actually… Maru."
"What is it?"
Hands folded in front of her, Maruzensky looked puzzled.
"Isn't your reaction… a bit too big?"
Leaning in close, Mr. C.B. lowered her voice.
"I was just joking around with Kuroha-san a little, and you're this on edge…"
Drawing out the last few syllables, she smirked mischievously.
"Don't tell me… you like Kuroha-san?"
The air went instantly still.
Symboli Rudolf stared at C.B. in surprise.
C.B., you… with zero dating experience and you're still this sharp? Amazing.
Mr. C.B.: ?
Why do I feel like someone's badmouthing me…
"…"
Opposite her, Maruzensky didn't react the way she'd expected—no panicked hand-waving, no frantic denials.
Instead, after a couple seconds of dazed silence, she suddenly let out a little laugh.
"Looks like I've been found out~"
She didn't refute it. She just admitted it outright.
She had already laid everything out with Symboli Rudolf, after all.
To Maruzensky, there was nothing shameful about it anymore.
"????"
Mr. C.B.'s face froze for a moment.
She'd just thrown it out there as a wild guess.
Who knew Maruzensky would admit it that straightforwardly.
Wait, seriously?
Falling for a younger trainer… was that even allowed?
"Ahhh~"
Seeing C.B. turned to stone, Maruzensky winked playfully and smiled with perfect composure.
"Isn't it completely normal to fall for such an excellent and handsome trainer?"
"…Ahem, when you put it that way, I guess it is."
C.B.'s cheeks warmed. She quickly cleared her throat to ease the awkwardness.
Staaare.
Maruzensky regarded her quietly for a moment, something clearly forming in her mind.
They'd more or less resolved Chiyono-chan's situation.
The year was almost over, and the team itself shouldn't have much left on its plate.
In that case… it was actually the perfect timing.
Once that thought took hold, Central's resident "super sports car" moved with her usual decisive speed.
"You two keep watching the show," she said lightly, already backing away a few steps. "I've got a little something to take care of."
Leaving those words behind, Maruzensky turned and walked away from the corner.
Symboli Rudolf and C.B. could only look at each other in confusion.
"Hmm… that means she's going over there, right?" C.B. rubbed her chin, staring after Maruzensky's retreating back with mock seriousness.
Symboli Rudolf nodded, smiling.
"Most likely you spooked her with that sneak attack, so she decided to just go for it."
"…How was I supposed to know Maruzensky liked Kuroha-san? You guys never tell me anything."
Symboli Rudolf folded her arms and gave her a sideways look.
"You don't even show up to class, and you barely step foot in the student council office once a month. How exactly were we supposed to tell you?"
"Class is boring…" C.B. grumbled. "It's not like it's of any use to me."
Symboli Rudolf could only sigh helplessly at that.
But she had to admit, C.B. had a point.
For legendary horse girls like them, the money they'd earned in just a few years of racing was already enough to support several lifetimes.
C.B. didn't like working with the URA Association either.
Even having her name on a list made her feel tied down.
Go to school or not—it really didn't make much difference anymore.
She had already reached the absolute apex of her life.
There was nowhere higher to climb… and maybe nowhere she could climb anymore.
If she couldn't go higher, she might as well broaden her horizons instead.
That was the only way not to waste this one trip through the human world.
"By the way, about what you said earlier—about wanting to transfer to Chasing Light. Were you serious?" Symboli Rudolf asked.
"Of course!" C.B. replied without the slightest hesitation. "When have I ever lied?"
"…Don't go making decisions on your own just yet. Let me think it over properly."
"Yes, yes, my dear kaichou-sama."
…
On the other side.
Kuroha was watching the performance on stage with full concentration when he suddenly felt someone come stand next to him.
He turned his head and found Maruzensky—the very one who'd just dragged C.B. off—back at his side.
"Maruzensky?"
A little surprised to see her return so soon, Kuroha asked, "You… finished what you needed to do?"
"Mm, all done."
Maruzensky smiled softly. She didn't mention anything that had just happened.
Instead, she simply turned to look at the far side of the stage as naturally as he did.
"They're dancing so wonderfully. So full of energy."
She sighed quietly.
"They are," Kuroha agreed with a smile. "They're my pride."
The two of them watched side by side for a while.
Maruzensky finally took a deep breath, as if making up her mind.
She turned her head to look at his profile and said softly:
"Kuroha, it's almost Christmas."
"Mm? Ah, right."
Kuroha blinked, needing a second to catch up.
"Time really flies. Once Arima Kinen is over, the year's basically done."
"…"
At last, Kuroha sensed that something was off.
He noticed the smile in Maruzensky's eyes, and when he connected it with what had just happened earlier…
A sluggish thought finally clicked into place in his brain.
So that's… what this is about?
He looked at the gentle legendary horse girl standing before him.
She was smiling, but the tips of her ears seemed just a little red.
In those eyes fixed on him, there was a rare hint of nervousness.
And he suddenly found his own slowness from a moment ago a little funny.
"Um… Kuroha?" Maruzensky prompted in a quiet voice.
"Ah, it's nothing."
Kuroha put on a thinking face.
"Let me see… There are actually a lot of places I've been wanting to visit before Christmas. But going alone doesn't sound like much fun."
"Mm?"
The brown-haired onee-san tilted her head, smiling as she waited for him to finish.
Seeing that, Kuroha stopped hesitating.
She'd already taken such a brave step forward—
If he still couldn't give any kind of answer, he might as well just let his horse girls stomp him into the dirt.
"Maruzensky, let's go out and have some fun in a couple of days."
"Would that be a date?"
"That is a date," Kuroha replied firmly.
Their eyes met—and they both burst into happy laughter.
With the weight in her heart finally put down, Maruzensky's smile grew even brighter.
She slid a little closer to Kuroha's side, lightly pressing against his arm as she asked:
"So, when exactly is 'a couple of days'? I need to prepare, you know."
"Well, that might really depend…"
Kuroha pointed toward the three brilliantly shining horse girls on stage and sighed helplessly.
"On when they decide to let me go."
"…You really don't have it easy, do you."
At that, Maruzensky gave him a strange look—then, almost reflexively, glanced down at his lower half.
"Uh… maybe," Kuroha said. He honestly wasn't sure whether he had it easy or not.
(End of Chapter)
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