Once Special Week and Silence Suzuka made their decision, they returned to their dorm and brought back the agreements.
In the gym.
Gold Ship, McQueen, Daiwa Scarlet, and Vodka were all incredibly happy about the two new members.
"Spe-chan, your handwriting is way too messy!"
Gold Ship laughed loudly.
"Eh? That's so mean!"
Special Week took another critical hit. But what was wrong with having a bit of messy handwriting?
"Suzuka-senpai's handwriting is much better. It feels very gentle," Vodka laughed.
Soon, Special Week and Silence Suzuka carefully filled out their applications to join Spica and signed the exclusive Trainer contracts with Mizuki.
Mizuki also wrote down her name. From now on, she would be in charge of these two Horse Girls' races, diet, health, training, and more.
Barring any accidents, it would be a lifetime commitment, never to change.
"Yay! Let's have a party tonight!"
Gold Ship was very excited. She was right— new members joining was definitely a reason to celebrate.
"Also, Special Week, Suzuka, since you've joined Spica, you have to come find me, Golshi. There's one skill you absolutely must learn."
Gold Ship spoke with a dead serious expression.
"Hey, Gold Ship, it couldn't be..."
McQueen took a step back, her expression one of utter shock.
Sure enough, Gold Ship pulled out two burlap sacks. She was actually teaching "Kidnapping 101."
"?"
Special Week and Silence Suzuka's faces showed their obvious confusion.
However, very quickly, one of them was hit by a surprise attack from Gold Ship...
Special Week was stuffed into a sack and hoisted up onto Gold Ship's shoulder.
Spe-chan ultimately couldn't escape Spica's "traditional art." Her legs kicked frantically in the air, tail swishing back and forth wildly.
McQueen hurried to stop her. "Gold Ship-san, right now you look like a total villain!"
Luckily, no one was passing by. Otherwise, they would have thought a kidnapping was in progress.
Soon, evening arrived. Mizuki helped everyone clean up the gym before returning to Spica's assigned room.
Then, everyone started preparing for the evening party.
Special Week felt that life was becoming more and more interesting. She had a training goal, had joined Spica, and had made many new friends. She was so happy!
Another one of her goals was to make 100 new friends and go on picnics with everyone. She already had over a dozen!
Mizuki bought some non-alcoholic beer. She hadn't expected these Horse Girls to actually enjoy drinking beer so much.
Night fell, and everyone was having a great time at Spica. There was even karaoke equipment for them to sing together.
Special Week was practicing hard. Since there were Winning Live stages, she had to take her singing practice seriously too.
Also, Spe had a worry: she didn't know what to sing for music class. Each of them had to choose a song, and the chosen songs could potentially be used for a Winning Live.
She asked Mizuki for suggestions, but didn't receive an answer from Mizuki other than "I'll think about it and tell you later."
While everyone was busy singing, Mizuki took a pen to a quiet corner to update her Horse Training Diary.
[This afternoon, I met Special Week, Silence Suzuka, and Taiki Shuttle. Taiki Shuttle killed me— she was having such a blast that she stood up Grass Wonder for an hour. I can't imagine what Grass Wonder was feeling during that hour.]
[I can only hope Taiki Shuttle is okay. She ate and drank her fill while leaving poor Grass-san all alone. I'd really love to see the scene at the other end.]
As Mizuki finished writing this entry, she had no idea that a giant character for DANGER had instantly appeared over Taiki Shuttle's head.
Tracen Academy.
Grass Wonder's dorm room.
"Oh my, oh my... Taiki... so the reason you stood me up for an hour today was to go out and enjoy yourself."
"No wonder you were being so vague. I see how it is."
Grass Wonder was fuming, yet she maintained a smile on her face.
At that moment, El Condor Pasa, who was busy giving her pet mambo a bath, suddenly felt a terrifying murderous aura.
El Condor Pasa began to tremble. 'What on earth is going on?!'
Mambo was also panicking, it was a true hawk, a predator of the skies, yet at this moment, it was trembling. This was terrifying— what on earth was happening?
Mambo was quite sensitive and immediately looked toward Grass Wonder.
'This person... she can't be a mere Uma! Just what exactly is she?!'
'A devil! A demon! So dangerous!'
El Condor Pasa was still adding fuel to the fire. Grass-san's rage, accompanied by her cute smile, burned fiercely.
In Taiki Shuttle's dorm:
"OH MY GOD!!!!"
Taiki Shuttle clutched her head. She knew she was finished. She had already apologized today, but she had only said she forgot— she didn't mention the part about her having a great time eating and drinking.
"Sorry, Grass, you know I love you!!!"
Taiki Shuttle was panicking big time, having no idea how to face Grass Wonder.
At a hospital in Tokyo:
"Haha, life at Tracen Academy looks so fun. I'd love to see that scene in person."
Mejiro Ardan lay in her hospital room, deeply envious of their lives. Free and unrestrained— that was what she yearned for.
Mejiro Ardan had blue hair and an optimistic expression, her beauty was a blend of pure innocence and mature elegance, with every movement revealing grace and composure. But within her smile, there was a faint trace of sorrow.
Mejiro Ardan had been frail and sickly since childhood. She was like a crystal flower— beautiful and translucent, yet incredibly fragile. Thus, she spent most of her time in a hospital bed, imagining a future where she could run.
She was strong. For her, if she had to choose a place to fall, it would be on the racetrack where she could shine.
In the past, Ardan's days in the hospital had always been dull. Now, Mizuki's diary let her know so much about Tracen Academy, she cherished every word and read with great interest.
At the same time, Mejiro Ardan wondered: If she wanted to join Spica, would Trainer Mizuki be willing? She really wanted to hang out with Trainer Mizuki and the others, it didn't matter what they did.
Mejiro Ardan smiled radiantly. She looked at her feet, at the ankles so fragile that they're often compared to glass, believing that one day, she too would run and make every racecourse cheer her name.
[As for Special Week and Silence Suzuka, they are now part of Spica. Since they joined today— which is wonderful news— we held a party and had a great time.]
[We plan to go to Kyoto Racecourse together later to watch Taiki Shuttle's race.]
[Spe-chan was so happy she just posted on her Umastagram, which immediately drew a like from Seiun Sky.]
[When I saw that, I couldn't help but snort.]
[Seiun Sky had slacked off to go fishing again and got caught by Hayakawa Tazuna. Now she has to sweep the grounds tonight— truly tragic.]
[But speaking of which, in all of Tracen Academy, there's no one I admire more than Seiun Sky.]
[This girl is actually very smart and talented, but she spends every day slacking off. No wonder King Halo says the probability of meeting Seiun Sky by the river is several times higher than meeting her at Tracen.]
[If I were Hayakawa Tazuna, I'd probably be speechless too. Others are in class, she's fishing. Others are out of class, she's fishing. This girl is truly a piece of work.]
[I'm so envious it hurts.]
At this moment, in the Tracen Student Council:
Symboli Rudolf sat in the council room. As she flipped through Mizuki's diary, she immediately massaged her temples.
At Tracen Academy, many Uma Musume had their own ideas. She often observed them, providing guidance and encouragement. Only with Seiun Sky— she really couldn't find her half the time. She would just vanish every now and then.
However, Rudolf agreed with the earlier words. She knew Seiun Sky's talent lay in her intellect. Perhaps fishing was a form of training for her, too.
Symboli Rudolf could only console herself with such thoughts.
At a bakery in Tokyo Station:
"Mmm... was Sky-chan caught and made to clean today? I wonder if she's eaten..."
Nishino Flower loved this bakery and came often. Right now, as she looked at Mizuki's diary, she was quite concerned about Seiun Sky's situation. She decided to buy some more bread to bring to her, or perhaps cook some warm food herself.
At this time, while most people were complaining about how much of a slacker Seiun Sky was, only Nishino Flower cared if she was hungry.
Similarly, on the streets of Tracen:
That "Fishing Master" Seiun Sky was currently sweeping the ground. Her cyan hair and lazy expression still looked quite cute. However, she was starting to feel that something was off.
"Hmm...? What's going on? It's not even cold out, so why do I keep sneezing? Trainer Mizuki wouldn't be speaking ill of me, would she?"
Seiun Sky knew Mizuki's diary had been updated and wondered if the diary was the problem.
Good grief, she really was smart— she hit the nail on the head instantly.
"Ahem, seriously! Other things are fine, but please don't let the word get out that I'm being punished with street sweeping— the whole world will know!"
Seiun Sky made a silent prayer, but it was already too late.
Outside Tracen Academy:
Mikki Rocket, an adorable little Uma, was seriously reading Mizuki's diary. Her ears twitched cutely, she hadn't hit her maturation period yet. Her mother, though she had never met Seiun Sky, already viewed her as the textbook example of a bad student.
She spoke earnestly: "Little Mikki, you can't be like Seiun Sky in the future, just fishing all day and being so aimless."
"Don't worry, Mom," Mikki Rocket nodded immediately.
Her mom asked again: "Then little Mikki, what do you plan to do when you get to Tracen Academy?"
"I... I want to perform in operas!" Mikki Rocket blurted it out without thinking.
"No, no, no, Mom, I said it wrong. Mikki doesn't want to perform in operas! Mikki wants to run!"
Realizing she had misspoke, Mikki Rocket immediately shook her little head like a rattle.
"Performing in operas... it's probably because of that Uma you admire, right? What was her name again?"
The middle-aged woman ruffled Mikki Rocket's hair. Seeing Mikki Rocket's apologetic gaze, she revealed a smile:
"Honestly, why do you like that dramatic Uma? Clearly, Narita Top Road and Admire Vega are stronger. But it's okay. Choose the idol you like, make her your goal, and move forward."
"Really? Mom, thank you so much! And I like her because she's so cool! Mikki wants to be just like her, running on the track with the heroic presence of an overlord!"
Her mother laughed. Regardless, liking a dramatic Uma was better than liking a slacker fisherman. She prepared to go back and properly memorize the name.
Ah, she remembered now. That obscure girl who had just debuted. Her name was... T.M. Opera O, right?