Tracen's plan to find Gold Ship's whereabouts was unknown to Gold Ship herself, and even if she knew, she probably wouldn't care much.
At this moment, Gold Ship was alone by the track at Tracen Academy. There wasn't anyone around right now because it was lunchtime, so Gold Ship could safely hide in a corner of the track, completely unnoticed.
"That idiot, bastard, fool…"
However, at this moment, Gold Ship revealed a side unknown to others. She picked up an eight-petaled flower, plucked from who knows where, and tore off the petals one by one, cursing someone under her breath:
"How dare you trick me? Who do you think you are? Just a Trainer, just a Trainer…"
Gold Ship felt very wronged. Ever since she kicked Ikezoe yesterday due to an inexplicable fit of anger, not only was she summoned to the Student Council for punishment and an apology, but she was also to be publicly reprimanded.
Of course, she admitted it was her fault. After all, even Gold Ship herself didn't know why she would suddenly find someone displeasing and attack them. This was something she had never dared to imagine before. Although she was very aggressive, she would back down when faced with someone even more forceful than her.
But Ikezoe just happened to be that existence whom "she unexpectedly disliked" and who "wasn't as fierce as her." Gold Ship herself didn't know what was going on, she just felt that after kicking Ikezoe that day, it was as if a switch had been flipped inside her. That moment, she felt a sense of relief, as if a great revenge had been exacted—even though she knew it was wrong, her body's instincts drove her to do it.
She had been punished, and Gold Ship had admitted her mistake. If she couldn't afford to provoke him, couldn't she at least avoid him? What's more, Gold Ship herself had seen that Ikezoe was getting along quite well with another Uma Musume. Although she was subtly annoyed, she hadn't said or done anything, had she?
She was just feeling irritable and running a few laps on the track, and then the "Empress" (Air Groove) brought Narita Brian, nicknamed the "Monster," and these two champions stood before her, earnestly advising her that it was time to choose a Trainer.
To be honest, Gold Ship considered herself just an ordinary Uma Musume. How could she possibly attract the Student Council's right-hand figures to personally urge her about a Trainer?—So, when Gold Ship saw the "Empress" and the "Monster of the Blinders" come before her, talking to her with a "kind" expression (it really was kind, but not from Gold Ship's perspective), Gold Ship was terrified.
"Giant, your potential is immense, you just haven't discovered it yourself. But the President and I have found the most suitable person to unleash your potential, Trainer Ikezoe."
Air Groove was truly earnest at the time, completely oblivious to Gold Ship's panicked eyes, and tried her best to persuade her: "I know you might have some, hmm… irresistible conflict with Trainer Ikezoe, but the President and I still hope you can consider it carefully."
"If you miss this opportunity, there might not be another one. I imagine you don't want your Debut Race to be postponed indefinitely, do you?"
—Air Groove said that at the time, and Gold Ship managed to calm down somewhat upon hearing it. Looking at Air Groove's hopeful gaze, and Narita Brian's seemingly indifferent but subtly imposing Presence beside her, Gold Ship, under semi-coercion, "voluntarily" said:
"Then, I'll go take a look… just a look, okay…"
—And then, she saw Ikezoe and Curren Chan's signed agreement in the Student Council office. Gold Ship, who had just held a glimmer of hope despite being coerced, can be imagined to have been devastated at that moment.
"How annoying! That guy actually dared to trick me, dared to conspire with the Student Council to trick me! I won't let him off!"
Gold Ship's eyes were teary, and her tone was vicious as she cursed. Behind her at this moment, Ikezoe was approaching almost silently, extending his hand… "Uh, Gold…"
"!" The moment Gold Ship caught Ikezoe's voice, her eyes instantly transformed from a pitiful, teary look to a fierce one. Before Ikezoe could react, Gold Ship suddenly stood up, her body slightly bent, and kicked forcefully backwards!
"Bang!"
"Puwah—!"
A full-force kick from an Uma Musume landed on Ikezoe's abdomen, sending Ikezoe flying. However, Ikezoe's cry of pain immediately sobered Gold Ship, and she instantly panicked and shouted:
"Uwaaaah! Why is it you again! Why are you coming close again?! You know I can't help but attack you!"
"Are you okay now? Are you alright? Did I kick your intestines out? I don't want to go to jail for murder!"
Gold Ship was truly panicked. The moment Ikezoe's voice appeared in her ear, she immediately lifted her leg and kicked backwards. It was almost a reflex, Gold Ship had no time to react, but she really didn't mean to attack Ikezoe!
It was just a reflex, like physical PTSD! It wasn't her intention!
"Ah… I'm fine, seems fine."
Fortunately, Ikezoe touched his still aching stomach and didn't feel anything unexpected. Besides a lingering, tolerable pain, there were no other issues, and he felt relieved.
"Putting everything else aside, I'm quite experienced with being kicked by a Racehorse. Based on the pain, I know roughly what level of trauma I have. In this situation, it's at most a playful injury."
"It really wasn't my imagination. If it were before, that kick would have surely finished me, but now it's just a minor injury."
Ikezoe also sat up from the ground, clutching his stomach. Looking at the slightly dazed Gold Ship in front of him, he managed a strained smile and said:
"So, how do you feel now? Gold Ship? If you've calmed down, shouldn't we head back?"
"Everyone is worried about you. Even if you're throwing a tantrum, you should at least let everyone know you're safe. Don't just run off anywhere."
"—Do I still need you to teach me? Hmph."
However, it was better that Ikezoe hadn't mentioned it. As soon as he did, Gold Ship became rather annoyed again, crossing her arms and saying: "Why are you looking for me again? To team up with the President and trick me? Is that very amusing?"
"Then you're wronging me. I've never blamed you." Ikezoe also stood up from the ground, clutching his stomach, enduring the pain as he looked directly into Gold Ship's eyes, and said with sincerity:
"Being kicked by an Uma Musume or being suddenly attacked, I'm already used to it. As you can see, you're not the only one who has some personal grievances with me. Perhaps my face is naturally unlikable to Uma Musume."
"But, I just want to tell you, Gold Ship, I initially thought you could unleash your potential even without me as your Trainer, but now what Rudolph told me made me realize one thing—we truly are the best partners."
"Gold Ship, be my in charge Uma Musume. Let us… let us try again, for a chance to challenge a broader stage."
"I believe in you, Gold Ship, you are always the strongest!"
Ikezoe declared his grand ambition like a protagonist in a "Shonen Jump" manga. In reality, Ikezoe was indeed building such an image for himself. He had never thought before what it would be like if Gold Ship became a Horse Girl and could communicate with him, after all, he was very young back then.
But if that day truly came, Ikezoe felt that even if his younger self and Gold Ship disliked each other, they would still be the partners who made a name for themselves across Japan. Gold Ship was his comrade, his best comrade.
Ikezoe's words, however, entered Gold Ship's ears. It was just a foolish, passionate declaration, and Gold Ship was initially unmoved, but Ikezoe's last sentence made her freeze in place.
In a daze, a blurry image suddenly flashed through Gold Ship's mind. She couldn't clearly see what was in front of her, but vaguely, she heard a male voice very similar to Ikezoe's… only, he was sobbing and shouting:
"I believe Gold Ship will become the representative of this era, I believe Gold Ship is the strongest in the world!"
"—Ha."
Gold Ship's expression instantly cleared, and she subconsciously clutched her head, her eyes uncontrollably beginning to well up with tears. But she immediately turned around and slapped away Ikezoe's hand reaching towards her.
"No way!" Gold Ship didn't know what was wrong with her, tears fell uncontrollably, yet her current embarrassment made her blush fiercely. With her back still turned, she said viciously:
"I'll win the Debut Race myself! I'll show Rudolph that even with my own training, I'll never lose to anyone! I'll prove that I don't need any guidance!"
"When it's my Debut Race, you better watch me! I'm not the kind of Uma Musume who needs your pointing fingers! I'm much stronger than you imagine!"
With that, Gold Ship seemed to be losing control of her emotions and ran off like a flash. Ikezoe reached out to pull her back but couldn't catch up to Gold Ship.
Much later, behind Ikezoe, Symboli Rudolf and Air Groove slowly emerged. Symboli Rudolf looked in the direction Gold Ship had fled and asked hesitantly:
"Does this count as… a failure?"
"...I think it's a success." Ikezoe, however, smiled and withdrew his hand, saying calmly: "From not wanting to bother with me at all, to now telling me to watch her Debut Race, and that she'll win, I think I've succeeded."
—"It seems I'm starting to understand Gold Ship's intentions too. As expected of my partner." Ikezoe didn't say this aloud, but he was already starting to be grateful for his transmigration. He could finally understand the thoughts of his best partner.
Perhaps this time, just as he imagined, he and Gold Ship could aim for an even higher goal than before.