"Ugh, what am I even supposed to do with myself?"
It was a rare day off, and Rampage had planned to spend it training. Instead, she found herself slouched at an outdoor café table, a cup of coffee sitting untouched before her. She let out a heavy sigh, her mood as gray as the steam rising from her drink. The culprit? Canopus's trainer, Minamisaka.
"No training?!" Rampage had protested.
"That's right," Minamisaka had replied. "You've been pushing yourself too hard lately, Rampage-san. It's time to take a break. Rest is just as crucial for an Uma Musume."
"I get that, but… ugh, fine," she'd grumbled.
And so, Rampage had been forcibly sentenced to a day of leisure. Problem was, she had no idea how to spend it. Back at the Mejiro estate, she'd struggled with free time too, but at least then she had Ryan to drag along for training or doctor's visits. Now, with those options off the table, she'd wandered into a café on a whim. Big mistake—it felt utterly wrong.
"Sigh… Grandma banned me from working part-time too. What's a girl supposed to do?" she muttered.
She'd thought about getting a job on weekends to show her gratitude to the Mejiro family, but they'd preemptively shut that down the moment she entered high school. Worse, when she'd insisted on earning her own spending money, they'd handed her a credit card. Not just any card—a black card.
"A freakin' black card… Never even held one of these before," she said, staring at it.
Leave it to the illustrious Mejiro family. Grandma had handed it over with a warm smile and words that still echoed: "Use it as you please, dear. You're my granddaughter, after all." Rampage had tested it at the café, and of course, it worked flawlessly. Now she was at a loss for words—and ideas.
"What do you even buy with this? Games? As if…" she muttered, cradling her head in her hands.
The thought flickered briefly, but no, that wouldn't do. Going out alone on her day off had been a mistake. Maybe she should've invited Ryan. As she wallowed in self-pity, a familiar voice broke through.
"Hey, Ran?"
"…Ryan?"
Rampage looked up to see Ryan, dressed in sporty sky-blue attire, standing with another Uma Musume—presumably a friend—by her side.
"You startled me, Ran, moping at a café like that," Ryan said, grinning.
"Blame Minami-chan for banning me from training," Rampage replied. "Tried using Grandma's card, but this is about all I could manage."
"Ohh, gotcha! Oh, right, introductions!" Ryan gestured to her companion. "This is my new roommate this year."
"Hi! I'm Ines Fujin, nice to meet ya!" the girl chirped, brimming with energy.
"Likewise. You've probably heard, but I'm Rampage," she replied.
Ines Fujin greeted her with infectious enthusiasm. Rampage knew the name: the Derby horse who'd outrun Mejiro Ryan and Hakutaisei in the 57th Tokyo Yushun, drawing nearly 200,000 spectators. Her record-breaking front-running victory and the iconic "Nakano Call" for jockey Eiji Nakano were the stuff of legend.
"We're out having fun since we're roommates now," Ines said.
"Hope I'm not crashing the party," Rampage quipped.
"Nah, not at all! I'm actually stoked to meet the Rampage-chan Ryan's always talking about!" Ines beamed.
"Seriously, Ines?!" Ryan flushed, trying to hush her.
Rampage smirked. Ryan had been gushing about her again? Curious what she'd said, she finally took a sip of her coffee. It'd been a while, but the bitter warmth hit just right. She preferred tea, but coffee had its charm. Then she noticed the two girls staring at her.
"What's with the staring contest?" Rampage asked.
"It's just… your outfit's so cool," Ines said. "Like, super masculine but totally stylish!"
"Yeah, you really pull it off," Ryan added, wide-eyed. "I'm kinda shocked."
Their surprise stemmed from Rampage's attire: a sharp gray suit, sans jacket, paired with a crisp shirt. Tall and poised, she looked every bit the polished career woman.
"Didn't have much else that felt right," Rampage said. "The other stuff I got is all frilly and feminine—not my vibe."
She'd received new clothes from the Mejiro family as part of her "official" debut prep, but they were too girly for her taste. With a human soul inside, she gravitated toward what felt familiar. She'd worn suits before, rolling up sleeves to make them fit, but now that she'd grown into her frame, this one fit like a glove.
"You'd totally rock girly clothes too, though!" Ines insisted.
"Maybe, but skirts aren't my thing," Rampage said.
"Oh! Ines, what if we picked out some clothes for Ran?" Ryan suggested, eyes sparkling.
"Genius idea!" Ines clapped. "It'd be so fun!"
"What, you two gonna turn me into a dress-up doll?" Rampage said, raising an eyebrow.
She gave a wry smile, but their earnest enthusiasm warmed her heart. She'd meant to hide it behind her usual sarcasm, but Ryan and Ines only grinned wider.
"C'mon, it'll be great!" Ines said. "With your style, you'd look amazing in anything!"
"Yeah, let's try some girly stuff too!" Ryan urged. "Please?"
"Ugh, fine, fine," Rampage sighed, downing her coffee. "I'll play along, princesses."
As she stood, Ryan and Ines grabbed her hands, dragging her off with contagious excitement. Oddly enough, Rampage found herself smiling, caught up in their infectious energy.