"Maruzensky, what brings you down here?"
In the spectator stands, Green Grass had followed Ten Point and Tosho Boy to the front rows when she spotted Maruzensky leaning against the railing.
She never expected to see her here—the one who always preferred watching from the highest platforms.
"Could it be that there were no seats left up top?"
Noticing her old classmate, Maruzensky shook her head, her gaze fixed on the track.
"I just wanted to feel the atmosphere of the race up close. Sitting up there... it makes me feel too distant from it all."
During regular races, even if there weren't any seats, Maruzensky would usually end up in Symboli Rudolf's VIP booth.
The brighter the stage, the farther away it felt to her.
It was like the world on the other side of a screen—so vivid, so thrilling, yet separated by an impassable barrier.
So Maruzensky kept telling herself to stay away from that divide, as far as possible, to not cling to unrealistic fantasies that she could ever be one of those figures on the screen.
But now, that barrier had been shattered by a shadow, letting Maruzensky glimpse another world—one full of wondrous dreams.
She was captivated, utterly enchanted.
The feeling was no less intense than that of someone trapped in deep, dark waters, breaking the surface for the first time and greedily gasping for air.
Now, she—
"I don't need it anymore," Maruzensky said. "I don't need to lie to myself anymore."
"I, too, can rightfully stand on this track."
She didn't want to waste another second.
But her words didn't quite resonate with Green Grass, who puffed out her cheeks slightly.
"Speaking of which, I guess you'll be entering plenty of races from now on, won't you…"
"That's the plan." After all, bound by regulations, the number of official races Maruzensky could enter was less than a tenth of all competitions.
Even though, on average, her margins over second place were usually decisive.
But Maruzensky knew—none of those races had truly formidable opponents.
Green Grass, Ten Point, Tosho Boy, Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, Narita Brian…
All those famous powerhouses, past and present—Maruzensky hadn't raced against a single one.
As a contemporary of Green Grass and the other two, never having faced them on the track was her greatest regret.
After the three of them retired, none had plans for a comeback. So aside from training matches, there was no other way to compete with them.
Lost time could never be reclaimed.
Whenever Ten Point and Tosho Boy chatted with her about it, they too expressed their regret.
"Since you'll be racing, you're bound to run into your juniors."
"Well… there's no helping it."
Maruzensky didn't like it either, but all the Uma Musume from her generation had already retired. Except for events like the [Dream Cup]—made for retired Uma Musume, full of symbolic meaning—Maruzensky had no chance of meeting others from her era.
Some had left behind legendary careers, others departed with regrets.
So, inevitably, Maruzensky would have to compete against her juniors.
Hearing this, Green Grass's cheeks puffed out even more.
"You know, I've met a really talented junior."
"Oh?"
That's a good thing, isn't it?
Among their peers, Green Grass got along fairly well. But with juniors, her track record was surprisingly poor.
Others had at least a few juniors they were close to, offering guidance during training now and then.
But Green Grass—no lowerclassman wanted to interact with her.
Even though she had plenty of skill and experience, and clearly longed for better relationships with her juniors, why couldn't she make it work?
Maruzensky didn't get it either.
Had she finally found a junior who liked her?
It seemed Green Grass had been working hard too.
Maruzensky felt genuinely happy for her.
But what came next wiped that feeling away.
"Just thinking that you might face my junior on the track someday makes me strangely upset."
"…"
"Even though you're retired, you'd go back and bully the newcomers."
"…"
"And you're so fast—can't you let the juniors have a little more spotlight?!"
"…"
"You ought to reflect on yourself, you young-at-heart old auntie—"
The smile on Maruzensky's face froze. Silently, she reached out and pinched Green Grass's ear, then…
"My, my, Grass-chan, you're quite feisty today. Don't think I won't get upset. Bad girls need to be taught a lesson."
As she spoke, she began tugging Green Grass's ears to either side. She was still smiling, but the curve of her lips was enough to send a chill down anyone's spine.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow! Stop, it's going to tear…"
"Giving up already? It seems your ears aren't as tough as your mouth."
"You old auntie…"
"Seems your mouth is plenty tough, though."
As the two were locked in their ear tug-of-war, Ten Point finally stepped in.
"Maru, Green Grass has been a little too excited lately. She finally found a junior who wants to get along with her, and lately, all she talks about is that junior… so she might not be watching her words."
"Like a little kid, overjoyed about making a new friend," Tosho Boy added.
With both of them mediating, Maruzensky finally let go.
Of course, she knew Green Grass didn't truly mean what she'd said.
"Having a junior you're close to is a good thing, but you can't spoil them too much. If you're always sheltering them, you'll only hold them back."
That's how Maruzensky was—she'd only step in to help her juniors when they faced problems they couldn't solve themselves.
The rest of the time, she wanted them to handle things on their own.
With Green Grass, it felt like she'd hover over them like a nanny, never leaving their side.
That's not what a senior should do.
Rubbing her sore ear, Green Grass turned away sulkily, refusing to look at Maruzensky.
My, my…
Maruzensky touched her cheek, a troubled expression on her face.
Who would have thought that gentle, soft-spoken Green Grass could be this willful?
"By the way, that junior Green Grass mentioned—would she happen to be the one we saw at the training ground last time?"
"Oh? So you saw her too?" Ten Point asked, patting Green Grass's head.
"I saw her from a distance. So that's Green Grass's junior, huh?"
"W-what? Don't you dare get any ideas about my junior."
"I'd never do such a thing. Even if we end up meeting on the track someday, if that girl ever has any problems with her training, I can help her."
"Are you thinking of personally training her?" Tosho Boy suddenly cut in.
"Chances to train with you don't come around often."
"Well, since she's Grass-chan's junior, of course I'd look out for her."
"See, even Maru says so," Ten Point added, smoothing Green Grass's hair, trying to calm her.
"You're the one who offered…"
"Yes, yes, I did. What can I do?"
After all, Green Grass was her friend.
Her friend's junior was her junior too—that way of thinking wasn't so strange, was it?
Just as that matter was settling, a grand organ melody swelled through the Tokyo Racecourse.
The announcer's voice, amplified by the speakers, reached the ears of every spectator in the stands.
It's finally starting, isn't it?
In the stands, reporter Fujii, camera in hand, felt his fingers trembling uncontrollably.
On this track brimming with boundless hope…
Another legend was about to be born.
--+--
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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.