"Is it that difficult…?"
Hearing Silence Suzuka's words, Kitasan Black pondered for a moment, then asked curiously,
"Then, senpai, who do you think will win this race?"
"Well…"
Pinching her chin and pondering for a while, Silence Suzuka looked at Kitasan Black with difficulty.
"This… it's really hard to say."
"Hard to say…"
Kitasan Black was stunned.
"Why? Didn't senpai Suzuka just say that senpai Journey would have a hard time winning?"
"While the outcome of a race can certainly be judged from past events, the Dream Cup is still quite special."
Silence Suzuka patiently explained,
"Everyone participating is very famous, but they have all retired after all, and they've all had their own things to do these past few years, so it's hard to say what kind of training they've maintained.
"You should have seen it too, right? For this Dream Cup, Special Week specially came back from her hometown to Tracen Academy for training. This kind of situation should be quite common.
"Maybe some even started preparing earlier, and of course, it's also possible that some haven't prepared much."
"I see…"
Kitasan Black was a little disappointed.
She had been looking forward to the Dream Cup race for a long time, hoping to see the seniors recreate their past glory on the racecourse.
If, as senpai Suzuka said, the seniors couldn't maintain their training due to personal matters, then the race she would see might be regrettable.
However, she quickly changed her mind and felt relieved.
No matter how much they loved running, their lives wouldn't be solely about running.
Just like herself, she had thought about becoming a singer in the future, so it was natural for the seniors to pursue the lives they loved.
More importantly, being able to see the once active figures on the racecourse again was the very meaning of the Dream Cup. There was no need to force the seniors.
As Kitasan Black was pondering, the subway gradually slowed down, and the announcement of arriving at "Fuchu Station" echoed through the carriage.
Fuchu Station is the closest station to Tokyo Racecourse, and it is also the venue for this year's Dream Cup.
"Ah! We're here!"
Suddenly excited, Kitasan Black leaped from her seat and stared at the approaching station sign.
"Then let's go cheer for everyone in this race together! Oh, right…"
She pulled out her phone and opened a message.
"Almond Eye said she's also here. Let's go find her at the racecourse entrance."
…
Kitasan Black learned last night that Almond Eye was also coming to watch the Dream Cup today.
The little one said she was on holiday and had a social activity assignment to do. She didn't hesitate much and chose the Dream Cup as her topic, also wanting to ask Kitasan Black and Yasui for some advice on the assignment.
Kitasan Black quickly agreed, and after telling Yasui, Yasui also thought it was fine.
Silence Suzuka and Rice Shower, upon hearing how this junior met the two, also wanted to meet her.
Like all G1 races, the Dream Cup was scheduled as the penultimate race, the highlight of the day's race card.
The group departed from Mount Mitou early in the morning, boarding the subway just past 8 AM, arriving at Fuchu Station just in time for the racecourse to open.
From the subway to the racecourse, especially on the skybridge leading to the main gate, there were people everywhere with excited expressions just like Kitasan Black.
Judging by the race pamphlets they held and the various ornaments on their bodies, they were undoubtedly all there for today's Dream Cup.
Amidst the bustling crowd, following the information Kitasan Black received, the group quickly spotted Almond Eye looking around at the Uma Musume statue at the racecourse entrance.
"Senpai Kita-chan!"
Spotting them sharply, Almond Eye's eyes lit up, and she raised her arms, waving frantically, running over with hops and skips.
"Almond Eye! Long time no see!"
Eagerly rushing forward, Kitasan Black embraced Almond Eye, who was a head shorter than her.
"It's been two months since we last met, hasn't it? Eh…?"
Reaching out to compare heights with Almond Eye's head, she was astonished.
"Almond Eye… you seem to have grown taller?"
Just now she was overjoyed, but now seeing that the surrounding people were looking at her because of Kitasan Black's enthusiasm, and Yasui and two somewhat familiar Uma Musume were sizing up her height, Almond Eye shyly averted her gaze.
"Senpai Kita-chan, can you please let go of me first…"
When Kitasan Black paused, then apologized profusely and let go, Almond Eye, as if guilty, looked around again, then smiled with a hint of pride, standing on her tiptoes.
"Yes! I've grown quite a bit.
"I don't know why, but before the summer holiday started, I began eating more than before, but I didn't get fat, only taller.
"If I keep growing like this, maybe I'll be as tall as senpai Kita-chan very soon."
"Mhm mhm! Almond Eye will definitely grow very tall! Eh…?"
Kitasan Black nodded her chin.
"In that case… you'll become Big Almond Eye?"
Beside them, Yasui and the others, who had been smiling as they watched Kitasan Black and Almond Eye, were all stunned by their conversation, then quickly began to ponder.
"Growing taller…"
Silence Suzuka stared at Almond Eye's head and calves.
"Her appetite has become larger than before…"
Rice Shower unconsciously looked at Almond Eye's mouth and stomach.
Rubbing his chin, Yasui looked Almond Eye up and down, then nodded as if concluding:
"…She should be entering her full-fledged development."
"Full-fledged development…?!"
Surprised, Kitasan Black's gaze darted between Yasui and Almond Eye.
"Who… Almond Eye? Is that true?"
"It should be true,"
Silence Suzuka also nodded.
"I heard from Kita-chan and Yasui before that Almond Eye is about to advance to a higher grade. Generally speaking, at this age, it's about time for full-fledged development."
"Yes, Rice Shower was pretty much the same back then,"
Rice Shower chimed in.
"My appetite also started getting bigger around that time… though I didn't grow too tall later on…"
"So,"
Yasui looked at the surprised Almond Eye, and asked curiously,
"Haven't your parents or other family members or seniors noticed? It should be very obvious."
Although an Uma Musume's full-fledged development is quite special, in terms of timing, it's similar to human puberty, generally after elementary school graduation, with a few individuals starting a bit earlier.
The signs are also very clear: continuous growth in height and increased appetite are common occurrences.
The difference is that an Uma Musume's talent will advance by leaps and bounds during this stage, meaning their running ability will rapidly increase after entering full-fledged development.
To exaggerate the difference between before and after, Almond Eye's speed and various abilities after her full-fledged development would far surpass two or three of her combined from the previous activity race.
As I recall, Almond Eye's debut in races was roughly two years after Kitasan Black.
The latter entered her full-fledged development a year ago, and after stabilizing, she was admitted to Tracen Academy.
The former is now beginning to enter this stage, and the timing aligns perfectly.