The Spring Tenno Sho had drawn to its close.
Yet, in a way, it wasn't truly over—the winner's stage show, a moment belonging uniquely to Barbatos, was still to come.
In the stands, fans were still sharing the joy of victory with friends, family, and fellow Uma Musume lovers who adored Barbatos, eagerly awaiting the winner's stage performance.
At the same time, some had already begun leaving the racecourse grounds.
Mejiro Bright walked slowly along the exit passage reserved for competitors, her head lowered, bangs covering half her face so that her expression remained hard to read.
Unlike the spectators, competing Uma Musume rarely felt like staying in the venue to watch the winner's stage after a race.
Most would return to Tracen Academy—to sort through their emotions, find a quiet corner to cry, or throw themselves straight back into even more determined training.
A shuffling sound up ahead made Bright look up.
She spotted three familiar figures: the venerable matriarch of the Mejiro family, along with Mejiro Dober and Mejiro Ryan.
Bright approached the elder with an apologetic air.
As a member of the Mejiro family, suffering such a crushing defeat in the Spring Tenno Sho filled her with regret over her own insufficient strength, as well as guilt for not performing better despite the elder's guidance.
She bowed deeply. "Grandmother, I'm sorry."
"I lost."
And lost badly—by more than ten lengths!
Seeing Bright like this, the Mejiro elder let out a soft sigh, reminded of her own defeats at the hands of Symboli Rudolf so long ago.
However unwilling one might be to admit it, some rivals might simply remain out of reach, no matter how many years of effort one poured in.
Hard work can surpass genius, but how does one surpass a genius who also works hard?
Burdened by such heavy thoughts, the elder didn't show it outwardly. Instead, she gently reached out and stroked Bright's hair, her tone uncharacteristically tender.
"Your grandmother isn't blind, you know."
"If you hadn't been so fixated on the story of the tortoise and the hare, you might have achieved a better result."
"Grandmother…"
Bright murmured softly. She had never blamed her grandmother—only her own lack of strength.
It hadn't even crossed her mind that her usually stern grandmother would speak to her like this. To say she wasn't moved would be a lie.
Her already firm resolve solidified even further in that moment; she would train even harder after returning, striving to catch up to Barbatos' footsteps.
She didn't want to disappoint her grandmother again.
"We'll win it back next time."
In the end, the elder held back any discouraging words. As the pillar of the Mejiro family, how could she voice certain doubts aloud?
That tale of the tortoise and the hare—it was something she'd once devised in her own attempts to beat Symboli Rudolf, yet she herself had never succeeded with it.
Using the story to guide the younger generation had indeed yielded good results.
But never before had a rival like Barbatos appeared, and this generation was especially dazzling with so many stars shining bright.
How could a tortoise ever outrun a hare?
This wasn't self-deprecation. The Mejiro bloodline produced gifted Uma Musume who, at their peak, wouldn't flinch even before champions like Air Groove or Hishi Amazon.
But that group including Barbatos… they truly inspired despair.
Barbatos, El Condor Pasa, Silence Suzuka—if they fully matured, they might reach the same tier as legends like Maruzensky.
"Mhm…"
Bright nodded gently, feeling the warmth of her grandmother's palm, sensing that her grandmother seemed a little different today.
But she didn't press further. Instead, her determination to bring honor to the Mejiro family burned even brighter.
The biggest difference between elite-family Uma Musume and ordinary ones lay not only in personal desire for victory, but also in that deep sense of family pride.
--+--
Dressing room.
Changed into her performance outfit, Barbatos shook her head wryly.
Her original plans for the day had already been derailed, so now she was going with plan B—which basically meant no plan at all.
Originally, she'd figured that in a long-distance race like the Spring Tenno Sho, where she lacked experience, even if her raw ability gave her an edge over the others, a truly dominant win would be hard to pull off.
Usually, there was a gap between the race ending and the Winner's Stage show starting—time to prepare.
She had planned to slip away pretending to have a stomach ache, bypassing Minamizaka and the others to return early to Tracen and her dorm, ready to surprise Seiun Sky for her birthday.
April 26th—this date wasn't just the Spring Tenno Sho; it was also her girlfriend's birthday.
That, she would never forget.
But now, after such an overwhelming victory, she couldn't very well use a stomach ache as an excuse.
Asking Mejiro Bright, who had suffered a humiliating defeat, and the third-place finisher to come back and perform on the winner's stage now would feel almost like adding insult to injury.
If it hadn't been a complete victory, everyone would have been on that stage anyway—one person missing wouldn't be a big deal. But now, the others simply didn't have the chance to appear at all.
Barbatos hadn't considered holding back during the race.
Uma Musume always give their all in every competition—it's a mark of respect for their rivals, at least by bringing their strongest form outside of using their "Zone."
"Alright, then. This is how it'll be."
Barbatos made her decision, searching through her memories of this life for that song—the Japanese version of "Happy Birthday."
She just wondered if Symboli Rudolf would call her in for a talk after singing that on the winner's stage.
Still, compared to her debut winner's stage performance with that "Gang Torture Dance" routine, "Happy Birthday" was definitely much more acceptable.
Even if Rudolf did summon her later, that was a problem for another day. Who cared? It wouldn't bring any negative attention to Tracen Academy, and the racing committee never said she couldn't sing it.
A victor who wins decisively has the right to choose her own song!
"Hmm, better discuss it with the staff, too."
--+--
Night fell over Kyoto Racecourse.
The waiting crowd didn't complain about the long interval; they were still looking forward to the winner's stage—only after seeing it would the Spring Tenno Sho truly feel complete!
Just like after watching the World Championship finals—you might skip the post-match interviews, but you'd always stay to watch your favorite player lift the trophy!
Under the night sky, spotlights flicked on.
On the winner's stage, Barbatos in her dance outfit stepped to the front.
From her lips flowed the all-too-familiar tune of "Happy Birthday"—a song anyone in Japan could hum even if they couldn't sing, a melody that made you want to join in almost involuntarily.
The crowd didn't know why Barbatos was singing it or who it was for, but as a few scattered fans began singing along, more and more voices rose to join them.
The racecourse filled with a chorus, mostly devoid of technique but brimming with feeling.
As the final notes faded, the stage lights dimmed, as if the Spring Tenno Sho had truly ended in that moment.
Yet on the now-darkened stage, a faint glow appeared, tiny as a firefly's light.
The spotlight focused entirely on Barbatos, drawing every eye in the venue toward her.
That "firefly" glow came from a candle's flame. Beneath it sat a small, simple cake—not lavish or ceremonial, seemingly bought last-minute, yet in this moment it shone extraordinarily bright.
Holding the cake carefully in both hands, Barbatos walked step by step down from the stage.
She came to a stop before the members of Team Canopus, right in front of her girlfriend.
The candlelight flickered in Seiun Sky's eyes, her expression a mix of surprise and delight—even she hadn't expected Barbatos to use the winner's stage like this.
Their eyes met. With a soft smile, Barbatos said, "Happy Birthday!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.