"Oh? Isn't that Teio? What brings you to see my Kousei?"
McQueen's voice suddenly cut through the air, causing Kousei to swallow the words she was about to say. Turning, she saw McQueen standing there, seemingly out of nowhere. McQueen's expression was anything but friendly, and Teio, upon noticing her, had already begun to provoke her with a challenging glare.
McQueen stepped closer, towering over Teio. "Her leg isn't fully healed yet. If you really want a race, why not compete against me instead?"
Teio grinned at McQueen's challenge. "I don't mind at all. Truth be told, we've never had a proper race before."
"Ready to be utterly humiliated, genius?"
"Hmph! Pompous Elite."
The air crackled with tension, so thick even Kousei could feel it. Overwhelmed by the hostility, she stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
What's going on? Kousei thought in a panic. Didn't McQueen say she and Teio were close? Is this how friends act?
Kousei's small, restless hands fluttered nervously as she stammered, "Don't fight! Don't fight!"
The two girls glanced at Kousei, then glared at each other with mutual disdain.
"This isn't a fight," McQueen explained. "We've always been like this."
"Exactly! We've been together since kindergarten. McQueen's always been such an attention-seeker, trying to one-up me in everything."
"Ha? You're the one who's always bragging about being the strongest and most invincible! It's infuriating!"
Before long, they were bickering again.
"Forget it. I'm not in the mood for this today," Teio suddenly said, losing interest. "It's still early. Want to go shopping?"
"Since we have some rare free time, I suppose I can reluctantly keep you company," McQueen replied.
Hearing this, Teio smirked. "Oh? But I distinctly saw a certain Miss McQueen sneaking onto the rooftop to secretly eat sweets. Too bad I can't quite remember her name..."
McQueen, who had been trying to maintain her composure, blushed slightly and glared silently at Teio.
"Kousei, why don't you come with us?" McQueen invited.
"Ah, um..."
Three young girls stood before a food truck in the shopping street.
"Three bubble teas, please. McQueen's paying."
"Huh? Why me?"
In the end, Miss McQueen, with her deep pockets, reluctantly paid. The trio sat on a bench, sipping their bubble teas. Kousei's bright head suddenly felt itchy as she fell into deep thought.
"Am I forgetting something?"
On the racetrack by the training grounds, Sakura Bakushin O stood, looking goofy.
"..."
-
"Wow! It's been ages since I last came here!"
"The Derby's almost here, and you're still goofing around so carefree?" McQueen seemed worried about Teio.
"Shut up," Teio mumbled through a mouthful of food.
"Swallow that first!"
Teio took a deep breath, looking completely relaxed. "I've been training as usual. I just got curious about Kousei and snuck out today. Enough about me—what are your plans?"
Kousei realized she hadn't even thought about which race to enter next. So much new information had flooded her mind lately that she'd been overwhelmed.
"I've already made up my mind," McQueen said, looking at Kousei with shining eyes. "Since we're aiming for the Triple Crown, we naturally have to participate in the Hopeful Stakes. You'll be with me, right?"
Kousei nodded gently. "Yes, if McQueen is there."
"Ooh~" Teio narrowed her eyes, sensing something fishy. "If McQueen is there? That sounds rather special," she said, giving McQueen a scrutinizing look as if she'd caught her stealing something.
"What's so special about it? We're just ordinary friends!" McQueen protested hastily.
Clearly, Teio didn't believe a word coming out of McQueen's mouth, so she turned her attention to Kousei. "And what does Kousei think of McQueen?"
"Hmm? McQueen? I really like McQueen!" Kousei blurted out without hesitation.
"Ah?!" McQueen looked as if she'd just heard something earth-shattering, while Kousei looked utterly clueless about the commotion.
"Hehe~ Lady Teio has made a great discovery! Kousei, please elaborate," Teio said, clearly relishing the drama.
"I guess it's because McQueen was my first real friend. Before that, I was practically invisible. My race results were mediocre, and after... what happened, I was completely isolated. But McQueen found me and said, 'Become my rival.'"
"To be honest, it made me happy. More than that, if it weren't for McQueen, I might never have opened that Gate and seen such a breathtaking view, not in a hundred lifetimes."
Teio smiled at McQueen. "That's what Kousei said. Care to retract your statement?"
"More or less," McQueen replied, unsure if Teio was deliberately teasing her but choosing to answer anyway.
"Just out of curiosity, what exactly did that 'breathtaking view' look like?" Teio asked.
Kousei pondered for a moment. "It was like an endless plain covered in the hoofprints of Umamusume. Running across the grassland with the wind on my face, feeling so free. And McQueen's silhouette as she ran ahead... it was beautiful."
"Stop! Shut up! Don't say another word!" McQueen snapped, her composure crumbling as she clapped a hand over Kousei's mouth to prevent her from saying anything more embarrassing.
Teio chuckled silently. "McQueen is as amusing as ever. That's why I adore her."
Having finally freed herself from McQueen's grasp, Kousei added, "But most importantly, beating McQueen was exhilarating, and I want to experience that feeling again."
"You certainly have a way with words," McQueen retorted. "Do you really think I would fall for the same trick twice?"
"Isn't that precisely what makes it so exciting?" Kousei countered.
Teio nodded. "Just as I suspected, you truly are a pure-blooded Umamusume."
Kousei tilted her head, puzzled. McQueen chimed in, "It wasn't me who guided you through that gate. You opened it yourself. Any true Umamusume can do it."
Partially understanding, Kousei didn't press further. Teio and McQueen seemed content to leave the matter there.
"By the way," Teio suddenly asked, "since McQueen is your first friend, would you mind if I became your friend too?"
"Of course not!" Kousei replied, visibly flattered. "I'm actually a little surprised."
"Should I call you Little Kou or KouKou?" Teio inquired.
"Whatever you prefer," Kousei answered shyly.
The contrast between Kousei's bashfulness and Teio's exuberance was striking.
"I thought you were stunning the moment I saw you," Teio declared. "Your hair is incredibly lustrous, and your eyes are unbelievably beautiful—like gazing into a starlit sky, so deep and full of... potential. Some certain noble lady couldn't hold a candle to you."
"Hey! No personal attacks! And how dare you criticize my figure when you look like a child yourself!"
Kousei couldn't help but smile at the scene unfolding before her. As dusk settled, the group parted ways.
McQueen and Teio lingered behind, their gazes fixed on Kousei's retreating figure.
"So that's your rival? She makes me want to run a race against her too," Teio mused.
"Really? You should focus on achieving the Triple Crown first. As the strongest and most invincible, I won't tolerate your failure."
"Who do you think you're talking to? And don't forget, Tokai Teio will be the one to defeat Mejiro McQueen!"
McQueen smiled radiantly. She remembered both her promise to Kousei and her unspoken vow to Teio.
"I'll win against both of you. Someday, you'll proudly tell others, 'I once raced against Mejiro McQueen.'"
With those words, Teio laughed and departed.
At that moment, destiny branched into three paths. The young girls, each driven by their own ambitions, set off for different battlefields, yet their roads to the summit would inevitably converge.
The real drama had only just begun.