Some time had passed since the NAU ended.
"Ugh..."
A nauseating wave of dizziness washed over Kousei, making her head spin and throb. She groggily opened her eyes to a ceiling that was both familiar and strange. A large face was pressed right up against hers.
"Way, your face is too close."
Kousei managed a weak, visibly frail smile. Just a Way finally pulled back. "You can still joke? Looks like you're not in too bad shape."
The room was crowded with people—Reiko, Aoi, and Ivan were all there.
"You're lucky. You only slept for half a month before waking up," Reiko said, her voice filled with relief.
"Yeah, I haven't slept this soundly in ages."
Not wanting the atmosphere to become too somber, Kousei played along with a joke. She tried to push herself up but found she lacked the strength, failing after several attempts.
"Don't strain yourself. Just rest."
"No wonder everyone's so afraid of getting injured. I think I finally get it," Kousei said, giving up after a few more fruitless tries.
This was probably the first time she had woken up without her body fully recovered. In the past, no matter what happened, she would always wake up as if nothing had occurred.
It was precisely because she felt invincible that Kousei had dared to take such unbelievable routes in her races. Now, she was no different from anyone else.
"That was far too reckless. If I had known you were going to be so reckless, I never would have agreed," Ivan said, sitting by the bed, his eyes filled with the gentle warmth of an elder.
"That's exactly why we had to keep it from you, Lord Ivan," Reiko said with a smile.
"I'm truly sorry, Lord Ivan," Kousei apologized. Ivan had always shown her a special kind of care, and during her time in Yunlin, she had begun to suspect why.
This affection likely stemmed from their parents' generation. Perhaps her father had anticipated this when he sent her abroad.
"There's no need to be so formal. Please, relax. I don't blame you for not telling me. I know that if I had found out, I would have stopped you. What kind of Umamusume would be foolish enough to run a full 3400 meters?"
"Hehe~" Kousei flushed with embarrassment.
"Silly girl," Ivan chuckled, then sighed helplessly. "But the facts prove you were right. T's decision to let you grow on your own was the correct one. I suppose I'm still too old-fashioned."
"Mr. Ivan... did you really know my father?"
"The NAU was previously affiliated with the URA, so most racetracks were managed by Central. Your father and I were contemporaries, but we had a falling out at Central and went our separate ways.
"He stayed in Central, and I went to Yunlin. I'd guess it's been over a decade since we last saw each other."
"A falling out? Did you and my father cut ties completely?" Kousei asked bluntly, her words tumbling out before she could stop them.
"It wasn't that serious, just some minor disagreements. But since we were in different cities and never made an effort to contact each other, we naturally drifted apart."
"Huh? Why didn't you keep in touch?"
"Do you know why we didn't keep in touch?" Ivan asked, a mysterious glint in his eye.
"Why?"
"If things had gone differently, I might have been your father."
"Huh?"
Kousei's mind short-circuited, though the idea didn't feel entirely surprising.
Seeing Kousei's face twist into a knot, Ivan finally explained, "I'm just teasing you. I stayed in Yunlin and continued working in the Umamusume industry. Your father opened a shop in the Shopping District. His life is busy but happy. We're no longer part of the same world, so growing distant was inevitable. It has nothing to do with anyone, so don't overthink it."
"If you hadn't joined Tracen, perhaps those days would have continued forever."
"But if I hadn't joined Tracen, I never would have met McQueen. And if I hadn't been kicked out of Central, I never would have met you, Mr. Ivan. Then I never would have known that my father still has a friend somewhere in the world."
"A friend, huh..." Memories of the past flooded Ivan's mind like a rising tide, and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile. He must have recalled something wonderful.
Ivan reached out and ruffled Kousei's hair. "He raised a good daughter."
The past was now just a memory. Their story had ended long ago.
"I remember being badly injured. Could I meet the miracle-working doctor who treated me?"
Kousei knew that Takuya was currently in Central, preparing for McQueen's surgery. The person who had treated her must be someone she'd never met before.
"Oh, right," Reiko said, as if suddenly remembering. She pointed to a corner of the room. "It's her. Doctor Takuya recommended her before he left. She seems to be a doctor from Central."
Kousei followed Reiko's finger and saw a tall woman with an eyepatch sprawled carelessly on a bed, drool trickling from the corner of her mouth.
"Despite her mysterious eyepatch, she stated her name quite clearly. 'Anshinzawa Sasami—profession: Acupuncturist.'"
Even with the eyepatch, it was obvious at a glance that she was a stunning beauty.
"Acupuncturist? What's that?" Kousei had never heard the term before.
"You rarely get injured, Kousei, so you wouldn't have much contact with them. Acupuncturists actually hold a significant position in the Umamusume World, working alongside Doctors as medical staff. The difference is that their treatments often carry risks—it's a fifty-fifty chance. That's why Trainers only seek their help as a last resort."
"That dangerous? Does Central even allow it?" Kousei asked, confused.
"While their treatments are risky, Acupuncturists possess extensive and unique knowledge of medicinal herbs. When Doctors face problems they can't solve, some people will always choose to take a gamble. And Acupuncturists rarely disappoint them."
Kousei understood. "So, Miss Sasami gave me an acupuncture treatment?"
"More than one—you got three needles! You were lucky it worked out. Otherwise, who knows what might have happened," Just a Way grumbled from the side, her tone laced with disapproval.
"When Miss Sasami was about to give you the injection, Way desperately tried to stop her. She seemed extremely resistant to Miss Sasami," Reiko said, turning her gaze to Just a Way.
Come to think of it, Kousei recalled, Just a Way had tried to stop me before, too. Could she have been worried about Miss Sasami?
"You were gravely injured; we had no other choice. Thank goodness you pulled through. Otherwise, I don't know how I would have faced Mr. T," Reiko admitted, a lingering fear in her voice.
"It's okay. I've always been lucky," Kousei said reassuringly.
"Huh? Is someone chatting?" The voices seemed to have woken the sleeping Sasami, who yawned and slowly sat up.
"Ah! You're awake!" Seeing Kousei conscious, Sasami rushed to her side excitedly.
"How are you?! Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?!"
"I'm fine. Thank you, Miss Sasami," Kousei replied with a smile.
The words seemed to strike Sasami straight to the heart. "Ah! What a beautiful 'thank you'! Master! Did you hear that?!"
Lost in her joy, Sasami blurted out, "I can't believe it actually worked! All the previous attempts failed..."
The atmosphere suddenly turned strange. Sasami seemed to sense the shift. "Um..."
Everyone's eyes snapped toward her in unison. Sasami's heart leaped in alarm.
This is bad!