"Calf muscle increased by 1.2 centimeters. Gastrocnemius unchanged. Measure every five minutes. If it returns to the original size, have her pump the muscle again."
"After the next set, measure the size change again in five minutes. Get ready."
"Got it!"
Reiko pressed the stopwatch, her eyes fixed on Kousei's dazzling figure as she occasionally glanced down to jot notes. Dr. Takuya stood by, ready with medical supplies.
The sky gradually darkened.
"Control your breathing rhythm. Your footwork on the turns can be lighter. Pay attention to the dynamic balance of your ears and tail. We'll finish with shuttle runs and incline training. Let's build a solid foundation for Kousei's future."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Watching Kousei set off once more, the Quartet on the sidelines gasped in amazement.
"Eh? She's still running? I was hoping to do a parallel run with her at the end," Speedstar grumbled, slightly disappointed.
"I'd heard Kousei's training volume at Central was astonishing, but Reiko's regimen is even more severe. No ordinary athlete would train to this extent," Tenmile Cloud remarked, offering a rare opinion.
"Indeed, most athletes couldn't endure this. The fact that Dr. Takuya hasn't said anything confirms that Kousei's body isn't showing any signs of strain. What an incredible physique... It makes me wonder just how formidable Mejiro McQueen was in the Spring Tenno Sho." Caesar sized up Kousei, trying to glimpse the shadow of the Elite Gray who had conquered the pinnacle of long-distance racing.
"Senpai did a lot of endurance and incline training. Her dedication is truly intense," Twilight Cloud added.
"After all, Mejiro McQueen is special to her. The years they spent together and the tracks they raced on won't be easily erased by separation."
Twilight Cloud didn't reply to Caesar. The Quartet fell silent, waiting for Kousei to finish her training.
"By shattering a century of rigid breeding philosophy, can Kousei truly fulfill the family's long-held wish?" Caesar mused.
-
The training session ended.
"Whoa! You're eating so much!" Speedstar exclaimed in the cafeteria, staring at Kousei's tray.
"It's true. Senpai's appetite used to be pretty normal."
Kousei's tray was piled high like a small mountain, easily containing enough food for five Umamusume.
"It's probably because the training burned so many calories. I ate a lot back at Central, too," Kousei explained casually before digging in with gusto.
A recovered body combined with grueling training made her sudden spike in appetite perfectly understandable.
"But... don't you think too many people are staring at us?"
At Tenmile Cloud's words, the other three glanced around. Indeed, many Umamusume were watching them.
Or rather, they were watching Kousei. But Kousei, engrossed in her meal, hadn't noticed.
"Come to think of it, this is the first time they've seen Kousei."
Since enrolling, Kousei had been living at Reiko's mansion due to her injury. She had only moved into the dorms now that she could finally participate in training.
So, this was Kousei's first public appearance at the Academy.
"Those two are so carefree," Speedstar grumbled.
Kousei was focused solely on eating, while Just a Way watched her with a beaming smile, her own food growing cold, untouched.
"It's hard to believe those two came from the same academy as the Emperor," Tenmile Cloud remarked.
"I know this one! 'Don't judge a book by its cover,' right?" Speedstar chirped excitedly.
As they spoke, a group of Umamusume approached their table.
Kousei looked up, a strange sense of déjà vu washing over her.
"You're Kousei?" one of the Umamusume asked.
"I am," Kousei replied, thinking, Are they here to cause trouble?
To her surprise, the other Umamusume suddenly broke into a smile. "It really is you! You're incredible. I heard you were injured. Are you fully recovered now?"
"I'm fine."
The Umamusume all started talking at once, the scene erupting into a lively clamor. Surrounded by a wall of voices, Kousei felt her head spin.
"Just as I thought."
Caesar and her group watched the spectacle with amusement, completely unfazed. The chaos continued for some time. When the crowd finally dispersed, Kousei was visibly drained.
"What was all that about?"
Some had asked about her well-being, while others challenged her to races. There were so many voices that Kousei couldn't remember anything they'd said by the end.
"You'll get used to it. This is how we treat the strong," Caesar said as Just a Way gently rubbed Kousei's back.
"The strong? Me?"
"Of course. Don't forget, you defeated us fair and square. No matter what, you're the victor—the Umamusume who broke my undefeated streak."
"I see. And here I thought your undefeated record was just a rumor."
Caesar's eye twitched, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Very well. You've successfully caught my attention."
Kousei smiled. Northern Academy was completely different from Central.
"Alright, let's hurry up and finish eating so we can hit the hot springs! The ones at Northern Academy are legendary!" Speedstar proposed.
At the mention of hot springs, Kousei's eyes lit up. She devoured her food like a whirlwind, sweeping through the meal in an instant.
"Ah! Kousei! Wait for me!" Just a Way cried out, only then realizing she hadn't even touched her chopsticks.
"It's cold!"
With no other choice, Just a Way had to get a new portion. Kousei polished off the cold leftovers without a second thought.
"Haaah~"
The Umamusume sighed in bliss. Soaking in the hot springs improved blood circulation, and the contrast with the cold climate made it an incredibly enjoyable way to recover.
"Hehe~ Senpai~ Let me scrub your back!" Twilight Cloud said with a mischievous grin.
"Scrub my back?!" Kousei grew wary. "That's not necessary for a hot spring, is it?"
"Oh? Trying to get fresh with Senpai right in front of me? Don't think you'll get away with it!"
Twilight Cloud had clearly intended to use force from the start. She lunged forward, but Just a Way intercepted her mid-air. The two still collided with Kousei, and the three girls ended up in a tangled heap.
"Oh~ What a lovely view," Caesar remarked leisurely, leaning against the side of the bath to enjoy the show.
Cloud, wanting only to enjoy the hot spring in peace, pretended not to see anything. Suddenly, Caesar noticed something unusual about Kousei's tail.
"Kousei, is something wrong with your tail?"
Caesar's question brought the trio's roughhousing to a halt. They all turned to look at Kousei's tail in confusion.
Kousei lifted her tail out of the water, examining it from side to side, but found no injuries.
"The color," Cloud, who had been silent until now, suddenly said.
Only then did Kousei notice that her tail's color was mottled. Normally, her tail should be the same bright silver as her hair. But now, instead of being pure silver, it was interspersed with reddish-brown patches.
The others were intrigued by this discovery, and Kousei herself was baffled.
"I've heard a theory that a Gray Umamusume's coat gradually turns white over time. Could your tail be undergoing a similar change?" Caesar ventured.
McQueen's tail is already white, Kousei thought.
As another Gray Umamusume, why was she the only one so different? Though she couldn't understand it, the change seemed harmless, so the group didn't dwell on it.
They soon returned to their playful splashing.
But the mottled tail seemed to foreshadow something...