Even though summer had extended its stay well into September, it seemed winter still intended to arrive as scheduled. The increasingly low temperatures since the start of December had at last made the snow fall for the first time this morning. It wasn't a heavy snowfall, just a persistent, gentle dusting, but the track management crew had already been busy around the training tracks, clearing paths and ensuring safety. A professional bunch. My gratitude to them knew no bounds.
I let out a long, slow breath, and the usual cloud of steam formed in the frigid air. With both hands buried deep inside my parka's pockets, I trudged along the path to our team room, ready for the afternoon training session. This morning, we had done the detailed preparation training for my next race under the barrage of soft, wet snow. For this afternoon, we would focus on my decisive weapon: my Ideal Strides. And I was looking forward to it. I felt like I could finally grasp that elusive third gear today. I had a hunch.
I arrived at our team room and found Oguri-san had already made herself at home. She was inside the new kotatsu the Chief had bought recently, her head resting on the low table, her serene face turned towards a small mountain of orange peels. It seemed she had already devoured the entire bag of mikan we had bought yesterday.
Well, I didn't mind. We had a treaty, after all, to give me a monopoly on the corn supplies in the team room after I'd won a game of Shiritori against her. Though I said "monopoly," it was still okay for her to have some, as long as she asked me first.
But there was no one beside her. The Chief was gone, with only stacks of papers and his laptop left on his desk. This was rare. Usually, he was ready to go by the time I got here. I hung my parka on the hanger and made my way to the kotatsu. I would wait for the Chief in its warm, comforting embrace. Though the room's heater was on, nothing could beat the feeling of being inside a kotatsu while wearing a tracksuit.
I looked closer and realized Oguri-san was sleeping soundly, her breathing deep and even. She had been beaten by the comfort and warmth. I couldn't blame her. Enjoying the first snow of the year like this was a bliss in itself.
I walked over to the Chief's desk and picked up the paper I was looking for before I settled in.
Hmm... perfect. I thought, sliding my legs under the heavy quilt, feeling the instant onslaught of indulgence that had claimed Oguri-san. Then, I looked down at the paper in my hand. On it was a list of fourteen names. The fourteen runners I would have to face next week in the Hopeful Stakes. Yes, this was also a race against myself, or so they said.
"Blue Chouchou-san and Ribbon Humming-san really proved their words to come back and challenge me," I murmured, nodding to myself. Their records since their Maiden wins were impressive: 4:1-0-2 for Ribbon Humming-san and 4:2-1-1 including a Pre-Op race win for Blue Chouchou-san..
"Silver Miracle-san, who I faced in the Kyoto JS, is also here," I continued my scan. "Her race instinct and positioning are top-notch. She's dangerous, no doubt." After her Make Debut win, she had consistently finished second in three subsequent races. What a consistent runner.
"But, as expected... the HVTs are these three," I said, my eyebrows burrowing as my eyes landed on the highlighted names on the list.
"King Halo. 3:3-0-0. Undefeated, including one G3 victory." I noted her post position: Number 14. She had a tendency to win big when she started from an outer post, at least from all the data we had gathered.
"Seiun Sky. 4:4-0-0. Undefeated. The majority of her wins were in OP races, but two of them were new race records." She would start from the 2nd post. For a Frontrunner like her, an inner bracket meant an easier time securing the railing. That would be problematic.
"Special Week. 3:3-0-0. Undefeated. The majority of her wins were by a dominant margin." I guessed it wasn't just her dream that was big; her abilities were more than qualified to aim for it. She'd start from the 9th post, a neutral position, but she was skilled as both a Pace Chaser and a Late Surger. We wouldn't know her strategy until the race started.
And here I was, having only run twice so far. It wasn't that I didn't want to run more, but with the rapid growth I was experiencing, training had to be the main focus before I hit the growth equilibrium the doctor had theorized about. Plus, until I had perfected my Ideal Strides, we were attempting to reduce intelligence leakage by limiting their public appearance. Because no matter how others saw it, I was still a one-trick pony. My every decision on the track was built around that single, devastating last spurt.
On paper, we had some plans to deal with them. But their growth since their last races was an unknown variable. Other than their outside appearance and their training performances, we didn't know how much they had improved. In the end, it was still elusive whether our plans would be enough to contain them. We could only do our utmost best.
I was so absorbed in my tactical analysis that I didn't even notice the pair of heavy eyelids now fixed on me from across the kotatsu.
"Ko-chan... your face is scary," Oguri-san's sleepy voice pulled me from my thoughts. "Here. Mikan." She pushed three untouched mikan to my side of the table. I thought she had already devoured the entire bag.
"Gratitude, Oguri-san," I said, picking one up. I peeled the thin skin back and popped a segment into my mouth. The burst of cool, sweet citrus was a welcome contrast to the uncertainty I felt seconds ago.
"How is it? Not taste bitter anymore?" Oguri-san asked, a genuine question in her half-asleep eyes.
"Bitter? What do you mean?"
"Your face before," she explained while stifling a yawn, "looked like you were forced to eat goya and were already planning your revenge on the person who made you eat it."
Her analogy is oddly specific as usual.. I thought.
"Goya isn't that bad, Oguri-san," I said. Goya, a type of bitter melon, was just as its name implied. Extremely bitter.
"I once tried it, it's bad," She replied with a crunched up face, as if she remembered about the taste.
"No, no. As long as you don't eat it directly, it's a good side dish. Even if you just steam it, it tastes good enough." It was a cheap vegetable with high nutritional value. Back home, we often ate goya for several days in a row because it was very cheap when you bought it in bulk during its season.
"I see..." Oguri-san nodded seriously at that.
Wait. Did that mean she had eaten it raw?
"Ko-kun!"
Bang!
Shortly after my name was called, the sliding door to our team room was thrown open with a loud, rattling bang. The Chief stood there, a wide, triumphant grin on his face. In both of his hands were huge, luxurious paper bags emblazoned with the official URA logo.
"Ooh, just in time," Oguri-san said, her eyes suddenly gleaming with a newfound alertness.
"That's right! They really finished it in just a week!" the Chief said, his smile stretching even wider. "Your racewear is here, Ko-kun!"
Woah, it's here! I screamed inwardly. I had been waiting for this moment since I'd submitted my concept design a week ago. A unique costume that could only be worn in G1 races. My personal racewear.
Chief set the large paper bags on the table, and I grabbed one immediately. Even the packaging was top-notch. It wasn't just a paper bag; inside, the components were neatly sealed in individual zipper bags.
"Go ahead open it, Ko-kun," the Chief said with an urging smile.
"Yes!" I unzipped the first bag and began to take out the set of my racewear, laying each piece carefully on the kotatsu's surface.
The black and white cavalry boots. The pleated black and gold skirt. The huge black-and-gold ribbon sash belt. The cropped black cavalry jacket with its gold piping, epaulettes, and shining brass buttons. The white gloves. And the slim, simple black shoulder sash with its single thread of gold.
The concept design had come from a drawing Just-chan had shown me on our video call just before my debut race. Later, I'd asked the Director to send me all the drawings the children had made. When the academy had asked for my racewear design, I had instinctively gone back to what Just-chan had created.
When I asked her where she had gotten the idea, she'd said it was inspired by my favorite documentary film. I remembered it well. I had rented the movie so many times from Nagano-san's shop that he had eventually just given me a copy as a birthday present. Just-chan had said the design was similar to what a character in the movie wore, though hers had been mostly red and no skirts. Coincidentally, that character had also shared my name. Well, it wasn't uncommon for Umamusume to share a name, right?
The drawing was just what you'd expect from a child's imagination, but I felt a deep, undeniable connection to it. I didn't want to exaggerate, but it felt... fateful. In her drawing, I was standing in the center of a huge stage, wearing this exact racewear. I wanted to make that drawing come true.
"Can I try it on now!?" My voice was higher than usual, my tension and excitement bubbling over, but I didn't care. I had to try it on. Now.
"Haha, of course!" the Chief laughed.
"Do you need help, Ko-chan?" Oguri-san asked, offering her assistance.
"It's fine, Oguri-san! Though it looks complicated, I put emphasis on my concept design for it to be easy to wear!" I said, gathering the pieces.
"Okay. Let's go, Kitahara," Oguri-san said to the Chief, a warm, understanding smile on her face.
"Alright. If you need anything, we'll be right outside," the Chief said, giving me a final thumbs-up.
I replied with my own thumbs-up, tightly hugging the racewear to my chest.
Will it suit me well? Is it within my expectations? Will I look good in it? I'm so curious how it'll look! My mind was aflutter with a kind of giddy excitement I hadn't felt in a long time.
As the door slid shut behind them, I heard their muffled voices from behind the door.
"Even Ko-kun can make those kinds of expressions, huh?"
"She's still a young girl, after all."
I didn't really pay attention to their rude conversation. One thing was certain. I finally had my very own, personal racewear.
---
I slid open the door and let them in with a nervous flutter in my chest. The fabric felt new, crisp, and smooth against my skin.
"What do you think?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"The aura... is amplified," the Chief said, almost absentmindedly, his eyes wide as he took in the full uniform.
"Un," Oguri-san commented, her gaze thoughtful. "Even if I'm not as fashionable as Norn or Gold City-san, I know it suits you very well. Now," she added, "try to pose with a serious look."
"Serious? Like... this?" I replicated a simple, formal pose, straightening my back and setting my expression as she'd asked.
"It's really you, Ko-kun," the Chief said, a note of wonder in his voice. "I don't know how to explain it, but it's really you. Copenhagen."
"That's right," Oguri-san added, nodding in agreement. "Your racewear shows your character. Un, it's really Ko-chan."
I didn't fully grasp what they meant, but a deep, quiet sense of satisfaction settled within me. I felt... even more complete. As if another missing piece of myself had just clicked into place. I felt even more perfected. I felt like I could go faster. I gripped my hands tight and nodded to myself.
"Yes," I murmured. "It's perfect."
"Thank God it still fits, even from the measurements we took a week ago," the Chief sighed, a wave of relief washing over his face. "I was afraid you'd outgrow your racewear even before you received it."
"It's fine," I said. "We put a note in the order, right? To give a generous margin because I'm still growing."
"Yeah..." The Chief's smile turned a bit wry.
"Anything you want to add, Chief?" I asked.
"Nothing, it's just..." He adjusted his flat cap. "I've said it a lot, and you must be tired of hearing it, but... you're really growing fast, Ko-kun."
"Un," Oguri-san said, her eyes measuring me. "When I first met you, you were just a bit taller than Tama. But now... what's your height?"
"Yesterday's check, it was 160cm," I replied.
She then moved closer, facing me directly. She placed both of her hands on my shoulders, right on top of the ornate golden epaulettes.
"We almost have the same height, huh?" she said, a small, genuine smile on her face.
"Well, you're 167cm. With me wearing these boots, it probably seems like it," I said.
Then, she suddenly reached up and placed her right hand on my head. "You're ready. Un."
"What's this, Oguri-san?" I was shocked by the sudden gesture and tried to push her hand away.
"I've been wanting to do this since we first met," she smirked. "Let me do it before you get taller than me."
"Ugh... fine," I relented, letting her pat my head as if I were a child.
Snap!
A bright flash filled the room. "Oh damn, I forgot to turn off the flash," the Chief said, holding his phone up, the camera lens pointed directly at us. He had a sheepish, wry smile on his face.
"Chief?" I glared at him, my eyebrows raised.
"Send it to me later, Kitahara," Oguri-san said, not missing a beat.
"Oguri-san too?" I sighed.
"Now, now, how about we take a photo together?" the Chief proposed, quickly changing the subject.
"Un, let's do it," Oguri-san nodded, at last removing her hand from my head.
"Sure," I also agreed. I could send the picture to the Director tonight, to show her and the other children my new racewear.
"Alright! After that, let's do some training while you're wearing your racewear, Ko-kun! Let's treat it as a test run," the Chief declared.
"I see. Copy that, Chief!" The thought immediately clicked. He was right. It would be terrible if my racewear was uncomfortable or, even worse, hindered my Ideal Strides. That would be catastrophic.
"Alright, on your positions! The timer is set for 10 seconds!" the Chief said after positioning his smartphone on a stack of books at a good angle. He then moved to our spot, standing between us and placing a hand on both of our heads, complete with his signature wide, proud smile on his face.
Oguri-san and I looked at each other, then smiled warmly at the camera.
Snap.
And with that, a memory was immortalized. A memory that would become an anchor for Arcturus as a team, as a family, as a sanctuary. A memory that would be a witness to our journey ahead, no matter how difficult or blissful it would be. We would always do our best.
---
"Goal in!"
With that shout from the Chief, I hit the brakes, my new boots digging into the turf as I slowed to a jog.
"Fuh... huh... even after all these runs... it's still more comfortable... than the usual gym clothes," I said to myself, walking up to the Chief and Oguri-san on the finish line.
"How do you feel?" the Chief asked immediately.
"It's good," I replied, running a gloved hand over the jacket. "The manufacturer didn't spare any effort or materials, just like Oguri-san said. For dirt or mud," I demonstrated by wiping a small smudge off my sleeve, "with a gentle swipe, they just fall off."
"Great. How about the shoes?" he asked.
"They fit perfectly," I explained, rolling my ankle. "And although they're boots, they're still comfortable after all these runs. The air circulation is great."
We had done the training we had planned for the afternoon, but we had also run a series of test runs in parallel with it. Though he called them "test runs," they were more like stress tests. I had run at various intensities and through a full range of motions, but most importantly, I had engaged my Ideal Strides. The results were, as expected of the URA's designers and manufacturers, highly satisfactory. Not only did I not feel damp from sweat, but the fabrics were flexible and didn't hinder my movements in the slightest.
"So, let's say you don't have any complaints?" the Chief asked with a smile.
"No. Instead, I'll give the designer and manufacturer a compliment later. Personally," I said.
"Sure. You're certainly satisfied with it, huh?" the Chief smirked.
I just nodded repeatedly, unable to hide my contentment.
"Haha! Alright, how about a parallel run with Oguri next?" he suggested.
"Let's do a mock race. It's been a while," Oguri-san counter-offered instead.
"Oguri-san?" I asked, a little surprised. I was happy to race against her again, but for her to ask for it herself... that was quite rare.
"Let me change into my racewear. Please wait," she said, and then, without another word, she turned and headed back towards the team room.
"Oguri?" Even the Chief sounded surprised as he watched her leave.
"Chief?" I asked him, trying to understand what had just happened.
"She seems to be motivated," he said, a slow, knowing smile spreading across his face. "Isn't that great, Ko-kun? A race against a serious Oguri." He gave me a thumbs-up.
"I see..." I nodded, a shiver running down my spine. I felt goosebumps prickle my arms, not from the coldness of winter, but from the sudden, terrifying and exciting prospect of facing a serious, fully motivated Oguri-san head-on.
Could I keep up with her?
Could I finish closer to her this time?
Could I... win against her?
Curious. It was unexpected, but the shelved tactical plan I had formulated against Oguri-san, no, against the Monster, would have to be used. Let's see if it was enough.
"Oh, Oguri's back," the Chief said.
"She's quick," I said, my attention snapping back to her. She was already striding towards us, clad in her iconic white and blue racewear. The atmosphere around her was different now. Sharper. More intense.
"Not really," the Chief smirked. "It's just that you were lost in your own mind again."
I just shrugged at him and proceeded to redo my warm-up.
That was winter for you, even standing still for a few moments was enough to cool the body down. Alright..
Head, neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, torso, hips, knees, ankles, toes. And finally, I leaned down, my muscles now loose and warm, until I could kiss my own knees.
I'm ready, I thought.
"Kitahara. 2000 meters, right turn," Oguri-san said, her voice crisp and clear. She then looked at me. "Can you handle it, Ko-chan?"
"Sure," I nodded.
"Alright, you can go to the starting line," the Chief said. "Too bad we didn't borrow the starting gate today... hah." He sighed.
As we arrived at the starting line and positioned ourselves, I could feel the change in pressure from my side. An instinctive bead of sweat formed on my temple, even in this cold weather. Wasn't this interesting? Hehe...
"Ko-chan," she said shortly, "don't hold back."
"Affirmative," I replied, hiding the small, sharp smirk that had formed on my face.
We settled into our starting postures, and I saw the Chief wave his arm from the finish line far ahead. We both nodded at him, and a moment later, the sharp ring of a whistle echoed across the empty track.
Hehe. Let's begin.
...
...
...
"Haaaaaah... I lost!" I shouted, collapsing onto the damp, cold grass.
Even with the plan executed smoothly, I still couldn't get close to her. At best, I had only managed to cut a few lengths from the gap compared to our previous mock races. Hell, with the spare stamina I had in my tank, I'd managed to maintain a manageable distance from her all the way to the final corner. The exit momentum from that corner and the subsequent transition to Gear Two were among the best I had ever done. But once the last spurt began, the Monster just kept getting away. The thing was, she didn't even unleash her [Zone]..
"Nice try, Ko-chan." Oguri-san's hand appeared in front of me. I grabbed it, and she pulled me effortlessly to my feet. "Was that enough?"
"It's enough, Oguri-san. Gratitude," I said, giving her a small bow. I promised myself I would make her something as a thank you. Words alone would never be enough.
The result was clear. I had lost, without a doubt. It was utterly frustrating.
But thanks to her, I had finally gotten it.
---
A gust of cold wind flowed past me.
Surrounded by the dull, gray concrete, I stood there, fully immersed in an atmosphere so thick with tension and anticipation it was enough to ignite anyone's spirit.
No shakes. No tremble. No shudder.
Looking at the bright, white sunlight at the far end of the tunnel, I caressed my golden medallion, feeling the sharp, familiar texture against my gloved thumb.
The order had been received.
The strategy had been formulated.
The battlefield was ready.
The clash was imminent.
What was left was the execution.
"Commencing operation," I murmured to the cold, still air.
"Operation: Realizing Hope is underway."
---
[Black Cavalier] Copenhagen: