Kousei ordered a coffee but had no intention of drinking it. She faced the bustling crowd, but her attention was elsewhere.
She kept glancing at the time, as if waiting for someone.
"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"
Kousei snapped her head up, meeting a pair of smiling eyes. She was utterly surprised. "City?!"
The newcomer was none other than Gold City.
"I was starting to think you wouldn't recognize me," Gold City said, flipping her hair with a dazzling flourish.
"How could I not? It'd be hard to find anyone in the world as beautiful as you."
"Hmph, you smooth-talker." Despite knowing Kousei was just teasing, Gold City couldn't help but smile.
Without waiting for Kousei's reply, Gold City took the seat.
Her presence instantly drew countless gazes. Passersby stopped in their tracks, employees became distracted from their work, and the shyest onlookers stole glances at the stunning beauty.
"I was wondering how long you'd keep avoiding me. Now I've finally caught you," Gold City said with perfect composure, clearly accustomed to the attention.
"My position is sensitive, after all. It wouldn't be right for us to meet privately." Kousei had long since shed her naivety and could now ignore the many probing gazes as if they didn't exist.
"Easy for you to say. You left without a word back then and never contacted me." Gold City's tone held a hint of playful reproach.
"I had no choice. If the Central Committee had caught me for sneaking into the Tenno Sho, things would have gotten ugly."
Part of the reason Kousei had chosen to leave so abruptly was to deny the Central Committee any opportunity to settle scores with her.
After so long, Gold City had blossomed into an even more captivating woman, with a newfound mature charm. Kousei studied her for a moment, then asked, "City, have you stopped racing since then?"
A flicker of melancholy crossed Gold City's smile. She toyed with the ends of her hair, replying nonchalantly, "After the Osaka Cup, I felt my strength waning. I couldn't balance being a racer and a model. After much thought, I decided to retire."
Kousei was stunned. She had noticed the lack of training marks on Gold City's body but had assumed she was just taking a temporary break as she had before. She never imagined Gold City would retire completely, and Kousei had been completely unaware.
"I thought you'd still want to run occasionally."
"A half-hearted commitment isn't enough to make it in the URA. Besides, it would have been irresponsible."
"Is that so... That's a real shame."
"Life is full of regrets, isn't it?"
Kousei didn't reply, merely stirring her coffee endlessly. Gold City could see she was completely distracted.
"Kousei-senpai~"
"City!"
Twilight Cloud, who happened to be passing by after shopping, sauntered over with a cheerful grin upon spotting Kousei. Jordan, trailing behind, grumbled, "Why'd you walk so fast?"
It was only then that the two groups noticed each other. Twilight Cloud gasped, "How can someone be so beautiful?"
No matter who it was, Gold City's beauty captivated them at first glance. But a pair of hands shot out to block Gold City from view, revealing Jordan's slightly hostile gaze.
Just as Twilight Cloud had noticed Gold City, Jordan had noticed the distracted Kousei. The difference was that Jordan knew who Kousei was. For one, Gold City often mentioned her. For another, Kousei was genuinely famous—both for her worldwide renown and her infamous reputation at Central.
Privately biased toward Gold City, Jordan naturally worried about her getting involved with Kousei.
"Even though you're gorgeous, don't cling to Kousei-senpai! Her heart already belongs to someone else!" Twilight Cloud declared, going on high alert like a wary little fox.
"Cling to her? That's what we should be saying! After all, the person you're with is—" Gold City yanked Jordan back sharply, cutting her off before she could finish.
Kousei, however, seemed unfazed. She took the lead in making introductions. "This is Gold City. She's a famous model in Central, a once-in-a-century talent."
"Hehe~ So you're a model! No wonder you're so beautiful," Twilight Cloud said with a goofy grin. Kousei shot her a sidelong glare.
"But! The only one who gets to stay by Senpai's side is me!" Twilight Cloud proclaimed with righteous indignation. Her earnestness made Gold City chuckle.
"I've seen you before."
"You've seen me?"
Twilight Cloud couldn't imagine where Gold City might have seen her. Gold City explained calmly, "At Longchamp's press conference. You spoke up for Kousei, didn't you? Thanks to you, she was spared a lot of trouble. Thank you."
"Ah~ Don't mention it~ Don't mention it~" Twilight Cloud replied, floating on cloud nine, clearly basking in the praise.
"Of course. After all, Kousei and I go way back."
Twilight Cloud's face fell as she grumbled inwardly, This is bad! Why does Kousei know so many people in Central? Didn't Caesar say she was a loner? Why is there someone else besides McQueen?
Taking advantage of Twilight Cloud's distraction, Gold City rose to her feet. "I was hoping to catch up, but you seem preoccupied. No matter. We'll have plenty of time for that later."
"Later?"
"Palmer is currently preparing for the Takarazuka Memorial, and as her friends, we'll naturally be supporting her. You won't be able to avoid me then," Gold City said, her gaze flicking sideways. "It's probably not appropriate for me to stay any longer, anyway. Your guest has arrived."
A figure slipped through the crowd, her indifferent gaze sweeping past Gold City and Jordan without lingering. Gold City's eyes narrowed slightly. "Quite an indescribable guest."
Gold City shot Jordan a look, silently urging her to leave. A frosty chill settled over Twilight Cloud, her own expression turning just as cold. The newcomer was none other than Morgan, the King of Killers.
That's right. The person Kousei had been waiting for was Morgan.
"What do you want? Make it quick," Morgan snapped, clearly in a foul mood.
"So, losing to me really got under your skin, huh?"
"Tch!" Morgan clicked her tongue impatiently. "Losing to you was infuriating, sure. But what's even more infuriating is that I'll never get another chance to win against you."
"Oh~ So you're mad at me now, are you?"
"No! It's just that you're the only one with connections to the Central Committee. I took a job from them and lost the race, so now I have to pay a huge penalty."
Kousei nodded in understanding. Morgan's greed was entirely within character. Twilight Cloud disliked Morgan, but since she was Kousei's guest, she could only glare in silent protest from the side.
"Can you tell that fox to stop staring at me?" Morgan said, clearly uncomfortable under Twilight Cloud's gaze.
"We'll need her help later. Try to be a little friendlier, okay?" Kousei whispered gently. Twilight Cloud huffed and turned her head away.
"Thanks. She's been annoying me ever since she started following Caesar around," Morgan muttered. It seemed she and Twilight Cloud had known each other longer than Kousei realized.
"I came to you because there's something I absolutely need your help with."
"I know."
"You know?"
"You want me to be Rice Shower's pacing partner, don't you?"
"You figured it out?"
"I didn't figure it out. Caesar told me long ago. In your current condition, it's practically impossible for you to guide Rice Shower. Just like back then, when Sirius specifically brought in Narita Brian to guide you. No matter how much you hate me, you'd still ask—if only for Rice Shower's sake."
Kousei had to admit that Caesar saw right through her.