At Tokyo International Airport, a girl with brown hair spread her arms wide and took a deep, deliberate breath.
"Japan's air—just as I remember it. Nothing's changed."
As she stepped off the plane, a crowd of journalists, who had somehow caught wind of her arrival, swarmed around her, cameras flashing incessantly.
"Miss Sirius Symboli, may we ask a few questions?"
"We'll only take a moment of your time!"
As a former Japanese Derby-winning Uma Musume, Sirius's return had naturally stirred up significant attention.
Every reporter who'd gotten the tip had rushed to the airport that very day, not wanting to miss out on a firsthand scoop.
Faced with the onslaught of journalists, Sirius wore a slightly bothered yet somewhat amused, mocking smile, as if she relished the spotlight.
She placed a hand over her chest and declared proudly,
"Very well. Ask away. Depending on your questions, I may consider answering."
"Miss Sirius, why have you suddenly decided to return to Japan? Have you given up on competing abroad?"
One reporter, clutching his notepad, fired off the question without any hesitation.
"What a simple yet decent question. I'll be direct, then. I've returned to aim for a higher stage."
A higher stage?
That left the reporters baffled.
There were plenty of high-caliber races overseas, often considered more prestigious than domestic ones.
Sirius Symboli had gone abroad precisely to improve herself. So why would she now claim she was seeking a "higher stage" back home?
It was hard to make sense of.
"Exactly. Only by clearing this challenge can I continue my campaign overseas. So no, I haven't abandoned international competitions. It's just that this year, at this very moment, there's a race I absolutely must run."
"What race is that?!" the reporters pressed.
At that, Sirius Symboli wagged her finger, as if to toy with their anticipation.
"Now, now, the details of that race will remain a secret for now. There's always a chance it might all come to nothing—after all, her identity remains completely unknown."
Completely unknown...
At those words, the same person surfaced in every reporter's mind.
That Black Uma Musume who had entered a period of rest, vanishing without a trace for nearly three months.
Truly, not a single clue had emerged.
Unlike other talented competitors, whom reporters could approach at Tracen Academy for interviews about their training and future race plans, this Black Uma Musume played by entirely different rules.
Once she left the track, it was as if she had sunk into a deep pond, leaving no ripple behind.
Invisible. Untraceable.
Well, "untraceable" wasn't entirely accurate. In the month following her last race, quite a few Uma Musume—whether seeking attention or genuinely inspired by her—had taken to dressing like her and wandering the streets.
This had prompted Central to mobilize en masse, only to find that the impersonators were ordinary Uma Musume who had never even set foot on a track.
And this wasn't just a one-time occurrence!
All in all, bandwagoners and attention-seekers were plentiful, and Central frequently fielded anonymous calls from individuals claiming to be the Black Uma Musume, leaving them thoroughly exasperated.
After filtering out all the noise and false leads, they realized there was genuinely zero credible information about her.
Not one in a hundred, not one in a thousand—but absolutely zero!
The reporters were at their wits' end, even considering fabricating news just to bring her back into the public eye.
And now, it turned out Sirius Symboli's reason for returning was connected to that very Uma Musume.
"The Black Phantom! Is it the Black Phantom you want to meet?!"
A reporter who had also rushed to the scene, wearing black-framed glasses, raised his hand excitedly from the crowd.
"The Black Phantom—is that what you call her?"
At Sirius Symboli's gesture, the man squeezed through the crowd and approached her.
"Hello, Miss Sirius Symboli. I'm Fujii Senosuke," he said, handing her his business card.
"Actually, it's not just a nickname," the reporter whispered, lowering his voice. "I've seen her—she really is a ghost."
"...Pfft! Heh, ahahaha!"
Sirius Symboli burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. "Not bad, not bad at all. Reporter Fujii, you've managed to make me remember you."
"Since you seem to know so much, I take it you have some information on her, then?"
His question immediately drew skeptical glances from his fellow journalists.
Stung by their piercing stares, Fujii frantically waved his hands in denial.
"No, not at all! I've been searching for her nonstop myself, but for months there's been no trace. I have no leads on her either."
"Oh, is that so?"
Sirius Symboli didn't seem surprised, as if she'd expected that answer. Her teasing tone remained unchanged.
Besides, she didn't put much stock in what he'd said—though it made for an amusing diversion.
"Miss Sirius Symboli, how long do you plan to stay in Japan? After you've competed in the domestic races, what are your plans regarding..."
A few other reporters began to ask follow-up questions, but before they could finish, a voice cut through.
"Sirius-chan." The caller had arrived.
Maruzensky, tasked with picking her up, had made her appearance.
It was the 'Red Supercar'!
Yet another heavyweight had arrived.
"My apologies, everyone," Maruzensky said, deftly deflecting the relentless reporters.
"Our priority today is seeing Sirius-chan off. If you have further questions, please save them for the pre-race press conference."
Though her smile was bright, it carried an undeniable "do not disturb" aura that made the crowd instinctively step back.
"Hey, Maruzensky. Didn't expect to see you here," Sirius Symboli greeted her. The two went way back as classmates.
"Rudolf-chan sent me to pick you up. And to bring this sign."
With that, Maruzensky held up a handmade plastic plaque that read: 'Sirius is the Brightest Star.'
It looked decidedly DIY.
"Feels a bit cheap, doesn't it?" Sirius remarked. "What I had in mind was dozens of people gathered together, holding up banners for a welcome ceremony. Now that would suit my style, don't you think?"
"It's a holiday today. Everyone's either out or asleep in their dorms. We don't have that kind of welcome party prepared," Maruzensky bluntly brought her back to reality.
"How troublesome."
But then, eyeing the sign, Sirius Symboli had an idea. "Reporter Fujii!" she called.
"Huh? Me?"
"That's right." Sirius Symboli nodded and handed the plaque to him.
"I'm counting on you for the rest."
"To do what?"
"Why, to hold my welcome ceremony, of course. Read what's on the sign, if you would."
"Sirius is the brightest star."
"Louder."
"Sirius is the brightest star—!"
"Say it a few more times, please."
"Sirius is the brightest star! Sirius is the brightest star—!!!"
"Ha!" The girl laughed. "Now that lifts the spirits."
After so long, Japan—the brightest first-magnitude star has returned to the stage today.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.