The grilled meat sizzled, and a drop of hot oil slowly slid down the grain of the plump meat, making one's heart swoon.
The location was a yakiniku restaurant. Legend sat opposite Teio and McQueen, leisurely grilling meat.
"So, why yakiniku? Is there something to celebrate?"
McQueen asked with narrowed eyes and a somewhat blank expression, completely the opposite of the enthusiastic Teio beside her.
In a traditional country like Japan, eating yakiniku together is often to celebrate something.
"Uh, to celebrate McQueen's upcoming debut?"
Legend said hesitantly.
"Eh? Is McQueen going to debut? Aren't you going to focus on training?"
Teio was surprised.
"Unlike us, McQueen is already 17 and has already had her second baptism."
Legend explained to Teio.
"Even though we're in the same grade?"
"...Because of health reasons, I spent a year recuperating at home."
McQueen explained.
"I see, McQueen is a year older than us... I couldn't tell at all."
Teio turned her head to scrutinize McQueen's well-proportioned figure.
"Where are you looking?!"
McQueen was incensed.
"I just feel like your figure doesn't look like a Horse Girl who has undergone 'honkakuka' at all, McQueen."
Teio looked at Legend, then back at McQueen, speaking in a tactful tone.
"...Don't you have a child-like figure yourself?"
Noticing Teio's gaze, McQueen quietly glanced at Legend's figure.
After comparing the gap between herself and the other, McQueen launched a desperate counterattack against Teio.
"...What! I haven't undergone 'honkakuka' yet, I still have room to grow!"
Teio's composure broke as well, her voice lacking confidence as if she were comforting herself.
No, I think this is pretty much your limit.
Standing aside in her OMO state, Legend thought about Teio's figure in the anime from her past life and wore a sorrowful expression.
"...Anyway, McQueen is making her debut this year, right?"
Realizing they were both hurting each other, Teio chose to change the subject.
"...Yes, I need to accumulate enough popularity before the third baptism to participate in the Kikuka Sho."
McQueen also realized Teio's intention and decided to go with the flow.
"I recall that your family seems to focus more on the Tenno Sho for older horses, right? You mentioned it during your self-introduction, McQueen."
Legend also found an opportunity to join the conversation.
"It's not something worth hiding; strictly speaking, it's a personal matter," McQueen explained. "There is another 'Mejiro' participating in this Kikuka Sho, and I want to settle things with her there."
"This year's Kikuka Sho... Mejiro... is it that Mejiro Ryan?" Teio, who had always paid attention to the classic three crowns, pressed for details.
"Yes, she is my sister and childhood friend, an Uma Musume the Mejiro Family has high hopes for," McQueen said calmly, her eyes filled with determination. "She and I have a promise to settle things at the Kikuka Sho!"
"A promise, huh? Then you must keep it properly," Legend smiled, her tone gentle.
"Hmph, then you mustn't lose. The Great Teio-sama won't allow you to lose to anyone other than me."
Teio, who had long since regarded McQueen as a rival, cheered her on in her own way.
"...Thank you, Classmate Teio, Classmate Legend."
"Alright, the meat is grilled. Here, McQueen."
Legend placed a large piece of grilled meat into McQueen's bowl with a mischievous smile.
"Eh!" McQueen's expression contorted.
"That's right, that's right! If McQueen is going to debut, she has to eat her fill!"
Teio, with an innocent and cute smile, followed Legend's lead and added another large piece of grilled meat.
"...Thank you." Seeing Teio's adorable expression, McQueen thanked her with a sense of grim resolve.
I can't hold it in; I really want to laugh.
Legend was struggling hard to stifle her laughter.
"Alright, since you've decided to debut, you can't be careless with food. Don't go on a diet, McQueen."
Legend advised.
"What! I am not dieting because I'm getting fat!" McQueen accidentally exposed herself.
"Eh! McQueen got fat?" Teio was startled.
"I am not fat! And how did you know I was dieting, Classmate Legend?" McQueen said excitedly.
"...Even though I'm a rookie Uma Musume, I know that Mejiro Family Horse Girls pride themselves on stamina and long distances. I don't think Teio, who hasn't even finished her honkakuka, could push you to this extent in terms of consumption," Legend explained with a teasing look. "Thinking back to your performance last week, the answer is quite clear. You have a constitution that gains weight easily, don't you, McQueen?"
"Guh, you guessed to that extent?" McQueen tried to bluff her way through.
"So McQueen gets fat easily?" Teio became interested and reached out to poke McQueen's waist.
McQueen got a bit flustered and wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Legend.
"Alright, alright, unreasonable dieting can easily lead to trouble. Let's eat our fill first."
"...I get it!" McQueen desperately stuffed the grilled meat into her mouth, then showed a surprised expression. "It's delicious."
"Really?" Hearing McQueen's evaluation, Teio also couldn't wait to stuff a piece of grilled meat into her mouth.
"Take it slow, there's plenty."
Watching the two Horse Girls start to scramble for food, Legend smiled and joined the fray... After a bout of gluttony, Teio and McQueen rubbed their bloated bellies and slumped onto the sofa of the BBQ restaurant.
Legend rested her face on her hand, looking at these two Horse Girls whose bellies she had filled (not).
"...Even though you ate more than us, why is Classmate Legend perfectly fine?"
McQueen asked unwillingly, looking at Legend who showed no change at all.
"...It's only this much."
Legend checked the time on her phone; it was still early before curfew. She looked at Teio and suggested, "Since it's still early, shall we go to Karaoke together? We can practice the Winner's Stage dance and digest our food at the same time."
Legend didn't have any obsessive fixation on the Winner's Stage, but since she had become an Uma Musume, the Winner's Stage was something she had to experience. She didn't want to end up like Special Week in the anime, standing there in a daze. Since Teio was here, trying it out was a good choice.
"...Teio won't lose in that department!" Teio's enthusiasm was reignited.
"Very well." Hearing the word 'digest,' McQueen hesitated for a moment before agreeing.
Then the three Horse Girls set off together... Returning to the same Karaoke shop that had previously landed her in the police station, Legend handled the procedures with a subtle mood.
Considering she might come back in the future, she went ahead and got a top-tier membership card.
I'm gradually being corrupted by capitalism too.
With a bit of self-deprecating commentary, Legend entered the private room.
Teio was already singing her favorite song, 'Love is a Derby.'
McQueen maintained a posture befitting the Mejiro Family on the sofa, but judging by her ears and tail, she was also itching to try.
With a hint of a mysterious smile, Legend joined their revelry... The next day, Legend arrived at the training room with slight dark circles under her eyes.
"...Are you... lacking sleep?" The Trainer asked in surprise, a lollipop in his mouth.
Legend's impression on him was that she was hassle-free. Although she was more or less a problem child, at least since joining the team, she hadn't given him much of a headache. She was the polar extreme of Gold Ship. It was truly rare for such a carefree fellow to be sleep-deprived.
"We played a bit too wildly yesterday," the culprit explained simply, thinking of the other two victims who were punished with standing today for sleeping in class.
"Forget it. Since you're not feeling well, take a break. It's a good time to explain the matter that was interrupted yesterday."
The Trainer waved his hand and pulled over a chair for Legend to sit.
?
"It's about your debut race and your running style," the Trainer said without wasting words.
"Your debut race is the second Friday of June. In other words, you have about two months to prepare."
"Two months, that's quite long," Legend said, somewhat speechless; she had thought there were only two weeks left.
"It's not. You need to undergo special training during these two months to make up for your shortcomings, and you also need to change and adapt to a new running style."
"Ah?"
"Basic training won't give you much of an improvement anymore. For some reason, your physical fitness has been rising automatically since your honkakuka, and you adapt quickly, so the effect of basic training on you is negligible," the Trainer explained. This was something he had discovered after careful observation and recording over the week. Although the daily progress was almost imperceptible, compared to the data from a week ago, it was significant.
However, such an incredible thing was none of the Trainer's business; he just treated it as the mysterious nature of Uma Musume. He only needed to know what effect it would have.
"So your basic training part only needs to maintain a normal maintenance state. Now we need to shift the focus of training to the theoretical side." The Trainer put on a pair of non-prescription black-rimmed glasses, looking unexpectedly serious.
"First is your running style. What do you think suits you?"
"...Probably Chaser?" After all, I'm not good at the gate start.
"No. Although your explosive power is excellent, it's not prominent compared to your stamina and speed."
"What do you mean?"
"That is to say, although you can run as a Chaser, it's easy to fail," the Trainer put it another way.
"Got it. So?" Legend indicated he could skip to the conclusion.
"You are suited for Front Runner, specifically Great Escape," the Trainer announced the answer.
"..." Are you trying to make me join the Escape Sisters★?
"I can understand your confusion, but this is indeed the optimal choice overall," the Trainer explained helplessly. "Your speed and explosive power are at an excellent level, but not top-tier. However, your stamina is unexpectedly high. To be honest, if I didn't know your surname was Gold, I would have thought you were a Horse Girl from the Mejiro Family."
"..." Does this count as being fated with McQueen?
"Your excellent stamina can support you in gaining a huge advantage in the early stage of the race and ensure your explosive power in the later stage. Moreover, you don't have much racing experience, unlike Gold and the others who have gone through the Hopeful Stakes. Great Escape happens to not emphasize those things. Overall, this is the optimal solution."
"So?"
"So, let's start training from the gate start."
S.h.i.t!