"Kousei, want to practice with me?"
"Let's train together!"
After her debut race, Kousei's popularity skyrocketed. Umamusume flocked to her, eager to learn from the "Mediocre Talent" who had managed to leap from obscurity to fame. Her victory over Mejiro McQueen was particularly impactful, seemingly shattering the perception that she was merely a Cinderella figure.
Yet Kousei herself couldn't articulate how she had unlocked her potential. Rather than feeling like a personal awakening, she felt McQueen had guided her.
Having only recently crossed the Forbidden Gate, Kousei was still a novice in this realm, completely unprepared to offer advice. Unfortunately, her reluctance was misinterpreted as unwillingness to share her secrets. Overwhelmed by the persistent Umamusume, Kousei found herself helpless.
"Everyone, disperse. She'll be training with me now."
At that critical moment, McQueen stepped in to rescue Kousei. The crowd scattered at the sight of Mejiro McQueen.
"Didn't I tell you to firmly reject anything you don't want to do?" McQueen asked as they stretched before training.
"It's not that I don't want to," Kousei replied honestly. "I just don't know how to answer them."
McQueen's expression practically screamed, "Oh, really?" She clearly didn't believe Kousei's dazzling explanation, suspecting that Kousei's inability to refuse stemmed from her personality.
A defenseless little flower like her, so unable to refuse... it's almost irresistible to tease. She was a completely different person on the racetrack.
"During that race, I entered the Forbidden Gate and became a completely new version of myself," Kousei said, voicing her confusion to McQueen. "But what exactly is this Forbidden Gate?"
McQueen pondered for a moment. "Honestly, it's hard to define precisely. It's a rather vague concept, something like a latent talent activator. The activation conditions vary from person to person, which explains why the timing differs. Some people experience it early—in extreme cases, even before their bodies are fully developed.
Others take much longer. There's even a story of a racehorse who fought for years on the the Vetern Horse Front before suddenly awakening. And one Umamusume didn't awaken until after nine years of tireless effort."
"So, it corresponds to the 'prodigy' and 'late bloomer' types, right?" Kousei asked.
"Little Kousei is quite clever," McQueen teased, then continued more seriously, "But the truth is, most Umamusume never reach that level in their entire careers. You know that if you don't start producing results, you're unlikely to continue racing. It's extremely rare for someone to persevere after nine fruitless years.
Some exceptionally talented racers awaken too early, and their underdeveloped bodies can't handle the strain of their gifts, leading to irreversible consequences. They rise like comets, only to fall like comets. Regret and shattered dreams are commonplace on this racetrack."
Kousei understood now. That's why passing through the Forbidden Gate was what truly made an Umamusume. Though she couldn't quite articulate it, she could clearly sense changes happening within her body. Come to think of it, was my own awakening early or late?
From that day onward, Kousei's legs always ached faintly.
"Mc... McQueen! My legs hurt so much! Am I going to fall already?!" Kousei cried, tears welling in her eyes, her voice trembling. Her racing career was about to end before it had even begun.
"Calm down! It's just fatigue from that race. Get a good massage and do some light training, and you'll be fine in no time."
Kousei breathed a sigh of relief. Now that her own worries had subsided, she turned her attention to McQueen. "McQueen, when did you first awaken your talent?"
"Oh my? Are you so interested in me?" McQueen teased. "Let me think... It was probably when I was three. My grandmother was holding me for a family photo, and my hand accidentally brushed against the Tenno Sho Trophy. That was the first time I saw the Gate, though I didn't know what it was back then."
"But under Mejiro's guidance, I gradually came to see the Tenno Sho as my ultimate goal. People expected me to uphold Mejiro's Glory, and I came to believe it myself. Day after day, the idea seeped into my bones. The moment I declared my resolve to conquer the Tenno Sho, the Gate opened for me. I hadn't even enrolled at Tracen Academy yet that year."
Kousei was astonished. "You awakened so early?"
"But according to what you said earlier, McQueen, wouldn't forcing your body to endure your talent cause irreversible harm if it couldn't handle it?"
McQueen seemed unsurprised by Kousei's question. "Yes, that's true. But such cases aren't uncommon in the Mejiro Family. That's why the family had long prepared countermeasures for my situation. Mejiro's physicians constantly monitored my physical condition, and I was instructed to suppress my talent."
Despite being hailed as "Mejiro's next great treasure," my initial performance wasn't particularly outstanding. The weight of societal expectations pressed down on me, and I grew increasingly impatient. But my grandmother always reminded me to be patient.
"Patience will allow your talent to blossom even more brilliantly."
Her calm expression made it seem like she was discussing something trivial, but to Kousei, it sounded utterly monstrous. How could McQueen describe something Kousei had to struggle desperately to achieve as something she needed to suppress?
What kind of monster am I sharing an era with? Kousei wondered. Is the other Twin this powerful too?
"Come to think of it, I haven't heard much about you, Kousei. Why don't you share some of your little secrets with me?"
Kousei paused, realizing she rarely spoke about her past, mainly because no one had ever asked.
"I'm from a Shopping Street. My parents run a small diner there. Not to brag, but our place is really popular—anyone who eats there once becomes a regular," Kousei said, her face brimming with pride as she described their humble establishment.
"Wow, you're quite proud of yourself! So, what's this dazzling dream of yours?"
Mejiro McQueen, driven by her family's long-held ambition to dominate the Tenno Sho, was curious about what motivated Kousei, who had come from the Shopping Street, to run.
For the first time, Kousei publicly shared her dream: "I want to become an Umamusume like President Rudolf, one who carries the dreams of others on her shoulders as she races."
McQueen was slightly surprised. "You're also a fan of the Emperor?"
Also? Though puzzled, Kousei didn't voice her confusion. Instead, she continued, "Actually, I wasn't particularly interested in running at first. I thought a normal life—studying, going to university, getting a job, getting married—sounded perfectly fine. But then, during that year's Japan Cup, I saw a sight I'll never forget.
That's why I decided to enroll in Tracen Academy. I want to run on the racetrack. Someday, I'll challenge President Rudolf herself!"
Kousei tilted her head back and slowly pointed toward the sky. "I want to win! I want to surpass the Umamusume who inspire dreams, to carry hope and dreams, and to stand at the pinnacle of all ideals. That kind of view... you can only glimpse it by transcending the peak!"