Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.
June 21. Toyoake, Aichi Prefecture.
Chukyo Racecourse.
As a top-tier track in Central, this place should have been packed with noise and excitement.
But right now, the vast grandstands held only a sparse scattering of people.
Compared to the tens of thousands that flooded in for a G1 feature, this ordinary rookie debut felt exceptionally quiet.
There weren't many media outlets paying attention, either.
Even though there were rumors inside Tracen that a "Chasing Light" rookie Uma Musume was about to debut, in an age of information overload, Tokai Teio—without a prominent family name as a guarantee—still looked "ordinary" to most spectators, even if she carried the name "Iemitsu."
It was worlds apart from Mejiro McQueen, who debuted under the shining "Mejiro family" banner and caused a sensation from her very first race.
On the empty stands, a few thousand spectators were scattered here and there, their idle chatter blown across the track by the wind.
"Heave-ho!"
On the front-row seats along one side of the venue, where the view was especially good, a few figures in Central Tracen Junior Division uniforms broke the dull atmosphere.
Five girls, still a bit youthful-looking—clearly not long past their True Blooming.
"Yeah! This spot is great! The view's super wide!"
A girl with blue twin-tails and striking blue-violet heterochromia plopped down into her seat. Showing a cute little fang in her grin, she leaned over the railing and stared down in excitement.
"Huh? The race hasn't started yet? Why does it feel so empty?"
"Twin Turbo, don't rush. We've still got a few minutes before the scheduled time, I think."
Beside her, a red-brown twin-tailed girl explained gently, wearing an approachable, next-door smile.
If Teio were here, she'd recognize them instantly: her classmates and friends—Twin Turbo and Nice Nature.
"Oh…"
Twin Turbo nodded in understanding and sat back obediently, though her legs kept swinging restlessly.
Along with those two, there were two other classmates in the group.
One had a soft, breeze-like gentleness—Yamanin Zephyr.
The other had clear eyes that carried a faint, melancholic shade—K.S. Miracle.
And on the far outside sat the fifth girl, whose aura was completely different.
She wore long, elegant chestnut hair, and every gesture carried refined, noble upbringing.
A year above them, the "Gorgeous Clan" heiress—Daiichi Ruby.
"Tokai Teio… another Uma Musume from Chasing Light, hm?"
Ruby looked toward the empty starting gates and murmured softly, her gaze holding an inexplicable weight.
"Ruby, you seem really fixated on Chasing Light," K.S. Miracle asked curiously.
Despite the grade gap, Ruby didn't put on airs in private, so everyone had gotten used to calling her by name.
"Mm." Ruby nodded, not denying it. "My generation also has Mejiro McQueen. Even if I can't beat her right now, that doesn't mean it'll stay that way."
"Which is why learning and studying the running habits and techniques of every Uma Musume under Chasing Light is an important kind of accumulation."
"So that's what you mean…" K.S. Miracle nodded thoughtfully.
Compared to Ruby's "academic research," the other four had much simpler motives.
"It's Teio's debut race! How could we not watch? We'll debut someday too, so it's perfect to soak in the atmosphere!"—that was Twin Turbo's exact line.
And so, in a daze, the whole group got dragged to Chukyo Racecourse.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Chukyo Racecourse!"
Right then, the stadium broadcast suddenly rang out, cutting off the girls' conversation.
"Today's fourth race: Turf, 1800 meters. A rookie debut race. It is about to begin!"
The commentator's energetic voice echoed through the spacious venue. The girls finally snapped back to attention, all of them sitting up straighter.
"Ah, it's finally starting," Yamanin Zephyr said, eyes following the track entrance.
"Heh-heh. If Teio runs badly today, I'm definitely going to laugh at her when we get back!"
Twin Turbo's small hands gripped the seatback in front of her, tense enough to whiten her knuckles, but her mouth still refused to yield.
"Haha. If she really does run badly, I'll help you punish her."
A warm male voice spoke from behind them.
Immediately after, a tall, slender figure sat down naturally in the empty seats beside them.
"…And you are?"
Ruby turned with alert caution, focused her gaze for a moment, and then her expression tightened as recognition hit.
She immediately corrected her posture and gave a respectful nod.
"Kuroha Trainer."
The newcomer was Kuroha.
"Even though it's nearly noon already, I suppose 'good morning' still counts," Kuroha said with a light chuckle, waving a hand to signal she didn't need to be so formal.
He'd originally planned to find the best angle near the finish line, to record the exact moment Teio crossed the line for the first time in her life.
But before he reached the spot, he caught sight of a few familiar faces with a quick glance.
The view here was genuinely good, and he could also take the opportunity to observe these future members of the Golden Generation, so he walked right over.
"Teio's… Trainer?" Nice Nature carefully leaned forward, her gray eyes filled with curiosity and a touch of nervous restraint as she looked over the man rumored to be "incredibly capable."
Kuroha turned to her and offered a friendly smile. His tone was gentle.
"That's right, Nice Nature. I'm Tokai Teio's Trainer—Kuroha. It's a pleasure."
"Y-yes… it's a pleasure!"
Under the gaze of Kuroha's smiling eyes, Nice Nature felt every muscle in her body go taut.
She became stiff like a plank of wood, even the hairs on her fingertips feeling overly alert and flustered.
There was no helping it—she couldn't not be nervous.
Her nod looked mechanical, rigid, like a wind-up toy.
For girls like them—newcomers who had only just entered True Blooming and were still dreaming about the future—the man in front of them was practically a living legend.
Chasing Light's head Trainer.
Central Tracen's acknowledged strongest Trainer.
The architect of "Chasing Light's two-year reign."
Countless dazzling titles, heavy honors, and near-deifying praise from the outside world—
All of it had taken shape in this man who looked far too young, and frankly far too handsome.
Someone they could normally only see on magazine covers, in TV interviews, or from afar in the academy corridors.
And now he was sitting within arm's reach, speaking gently to her, saying "It's a pleasure."
It felt like a kid playing with mud suddenly seeing a king stroll past—unreal, and intimidating.
"You don't need to be that tense."
Seeing how adorably she looked like she was facing an enemy on the battlefield, Kuroha let out an amused laugh.
He waved a hand and said lightly, "Relax. Let's watch the race together."
"Ah… y-yes!"
Nice Nature's nerves eased a little at that warm voice, but she still sat as straight as an elementary student in class.
Kuroha could only shake his head helplessly and sigh inwardly.
Maybe he shouldn't have come over.
He'd thrown off the atmosphere a bit.
Just then, the stadium broadcast rang out again, breaking the faintly delicate mood in the stands and pulling everyone's attention back to the track.
"Thank you for your patience!"
"Now, please welcome today's entrants onto the course!"
As the upbeat music swelled, the previously quiet venue finally stirred with a ripple of energy.
The doors to the competitor tunnel slowly opened.
The rookie Uma Musume—wearing their training outfits—stepped onto the stage that would decide their fate, each carrying their own mixture of anticipation and unease.
(End of Chapter)
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