Chapter 240: Tension
Earlier, when Makoto watched the press conference on TV together with Kitasan Black, and heard Gold Ship say the words "retirement race," he was also very surprised.
Although the reports showed that Gold Ship's mental strength had declined slightly, her physical condition remained extremely healthy, and he had even analyzed this together with Kitasan Black before.
So to suddenly announce that she would retire after the Arima Kinen still felt rather abrupt.
Especially since he had known her for nearly a year, and during that time she had helped them more than once. To be honest, Makoto's feelings were quite complicated.
At the same time, he gained a deeper appreciation for just how important the Arima Kinen was.
If Umamusume were asked to choose one race as their retirement race, almost without exception, the answer would be the Arima Kinen.
This tradition-like idea didn't really have a clear origin.
The most widely accepted explanation was that when Oguri Cap achieved a legendary "perfect ending" at the Arima Kinen—winning the final G1 of the year before retiring—more and more Umamusume began to think of that race as the ideal final stage.
Later, Tokai Teio returned to the track after 364 days, bringing her dramatic and miraculous career to a close with another miracle performance—and that race was also the Arima Kinen. This only strengthened that shared belief among Umamusume.
Of course, not every Umamusume could fulfill that wish.
After all, in such a grand race—one that symbolized both glory and an ending—there could only be one champion.
But precisely because of that, achieving a perfect farewell victory at the Arima Kinen was even rarer and more coveted.
Makoto knew that later on, Kitasan Black had gone to meet Gold Ship.
What the two of them talked about, or whether they made some kind of promise, he never asked—and Kitasan Black never brought it up either.
Even so, just knowing that a familiar runner was about to leave the Twinkle Series made him feel uneasy, melancholic, and nervous.
And Kitasan Black—who was always warm-hearted and valued bonds so deeply—must have had even more complicated feelings.
However, after a full year of racing, his assigned runner had clearly grown more mature and steady.
Although she still came to confide in him about many things in the end, before doing so she would first think through many things and try to handle them on her own. Only when she truly couldn't resolve them would she come to him.
Since she hadn't brought it up yet, perhaps that meant she was able to carry that complicated emotion herself, and might even be able to transform it into strength for this race.
At some point, Makoto had walked along the corridor outside the preparation rooms and reached the outer edge of the racecourse.
He silently gazed at the seemingly endless stretch of turf.
Although it was already winter, the racecourse was carefully maintained, and the grass remained a vivid green.
The warm winter sunlight of the afternoon spread across the track, casting a faint golden glow over it, as if the course had been draped in a sacred cloak.
Yet this beautiful scene did nothing to ease the tension and uneasiness in his heart.
His hands clenched unconsciously, his fingernails digging into his palms and leaving faint marks.
In his mind, images of Kitasan Black on the training field kept appearing.
Her determined gaze.
Her powerful running posture.
The sweat she shed in training.
Every image was vivid and clear.
Yes, this was the retirement race of her senior, Gold Ship.
All of the opponents had fought their way here as well, and Makoto had personally seen how much effort they had put in.
But that black-haired girl of his had also trained intensely day after day.
She had analyzed her opponents repeatedly with meticulous care.
Her growth—from physical ability to mental strength—had never faltered.
So she should be fine…
Yet just as that conviction formed in his heart, scenes from the race videos he had watched began appearing uncontrollably in his mind.
There were races where an Umamusume was overtaken during the final sprint, losing the championship with heartbreaking regret.
Others ran out of strength before even reaching the final straight, forced to watch helplessly as opponent after opponent passed them.
Some had made major mistakes right at the start, becoming irrelevant to the race almost immediately.
Makoto was usually calm, but now, uncontrollably, scene after scene flashed through his mind like sharp blades stabbing into his heart. Each image intensified the tension and unease he was already feeling.
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. But the moment he breathed in, the obvious quickness of his breathing made him instantly aware of how unsettled he really was.
"So… she'll definitely—"
He was just about to murmur something to encourage himself when a voice suddenly came from not far away—both dignified and playful.
"—If you're that nervous, you'll end up passing your anxiety on to Kita-chan."
Makoto instinctively looked up. A small but imposing Umamusume had appeared before him.
"President… Teio?"
Makoto couldn't help but freeze for a moment. The one smiling and waving toward him was Tokai Teio.
Then he looked behind the student council president—and froze again.
"And… Vice President Deep Impact? And Vice President Orfevre?"
Standing slightly behind Tokai Teio were the two student council vice presidents. And beside them stood another Umamusume.
She had reddish-brown medium-length hair and cherry-red eyes that sparkled like gemstones.
On her left ear was a heart-shaped fluffy ornament, giving her a playful yet distinctive charm.
From her faintly amused smile to her slightly relaxed yet strangely harmonious posture, everything about her radiated a unique blend of confidence and languid elegance, as if the world was under her control and nothing was worth fearing.
"Gentildonna…?"
Makoto stood there completely stunned, his mind full of question marks.
If the three members of the student council leadership had appeared together, he could understand—it would make sense for them to be inspecting the racecourse, considering how important the Arima Kinen was.
But Gentildonna… what was she doing here?
Before Makoto could figure it out, Tokai Teio glanced at him with concern and then turned her head toward the others behind her.
"You guys go to the stands first. Help grab a front-row free seat, preferably one close to the finish line. Thanks!"
Without saying much, Deep Impact glanced at Makoto, gave a silent nod, and quietly headed toward the grandstand.
Standing as if waiting for someone, Orfevre crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly. Her tail swayed lazily behind her, and the ears on her head were subtly angled toward Gentildonna.
After studying Makoto up and down with clear interest for a moment, Gentildonna smiled faintly and waved toward him in what seemed like a casual greeting. Then she glanced at Orfevre and began walking in the direction Deep Impact had gone.
Only then did Orfevre start moving as well—and somewhat subtly, she maintained a constant distance from Gentildonna as they walked.
"They… well, never mind them for now. Let's talk about you instead."
While Makoto was still watching the three departing Umamusume in confusion, Tokai Teio—showing none of the dignity expected of a student council president—walked over with her hands clasped behind her head and a carefree grin.
"What's wrong? You've already gone through so many races, and now that the Arima Kinen is right around the corner… are you getting nervous?"
"…Yeah. But President Teio, how did you—"
Makoto was about to ask how she knew, but he paused and laughed, shaking his head.
He himself could clearly feel how nervous he was. And for someone like Tokai Teio—who had probably seen countless trainers before—reading such obvious emotions at a glance was hardly difficult.
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