Duramente fell silent.
Cheval Grand smiled slightly, sat down, and began warming up her upper body before rising again to stretch properly.
As she stretched, she glanced at Duramente and said casually, "I usually just say whatever's on my mind—someone with your personality…"
"Oh right," she suddenly switched topics, "did you hear about that incident a while ago between Kitasan-san and Musee-san?"
Caught off guard mid-silence, Duramente blinked once, then nodded slightly.
"…I heard a bit."
She gestured vaguely toward the outside. "I was still in the hospital at the time. Kita-chan and Crown-chan visited me, and they talked about it then."
"Well, that saves me explaining."
Cheval Grand bent her right leg, balancing steadily on her left as she pulled her right foot above her head.
"In short, I think it was just a misunderstanding. Kitasan-san is usually so kind; she probably never experienced that kind of awkward situation before."
"As for Musee-san…well, I only heard about it secondhand, but if that'd been me in that situation, I'd be pretty embarrassed too. Imagine being obsessed with an opponent who doesn't even remember your name…"
"Ugh, just thinking about it makes my toes curl," she grimaced, shaking her foot as if genuinely uncomfortable. Switching legs, she raised her left foot, balancing again.
"But actually, what I really wanted to say was…"
"At first, I thought it was more like something you'd do, Duramente-san. I never expected Kitasan-san to be involved in something like that."
Duramente went quiet again, stunned.
After a moment, she put down her dumbbells and hesitantly raised her hand a bit, looking like a timid student responding in class.
"Um…"
"To be honest…at first, I couldn't recall your name either, Cheval-san…"
"And…"
"If Kita-chan hadn't mentioned that incident to me, I wouldn't even have realized how many classmates' names I'd forgotten…"
"I actually had to specifically memorize your name these past few days, and…"
Her gaze slid away awkwardly, cheeks reddening slightly as she scratched her nose.
"It seems like…I only remember the ones who'll be racing Kita-chan soon, or those racing against Crown-chan…"
As she said it, a wave of intense embarrassment washed over her, like an army of restless ants crawling anxiously through her heart.
Avoiding Cheval Grand's gaze, she felt her cheeks burning, the heat creeping all the way to the tips of her ears.
She felt annoyed with herself—annoyed that since she'd entered Tracen Academy, aside from training and racing, she'd never truly paid attention to anyone around her.
Those classmates she'd passed by every day—even the teachers—she'd never given them a second glance, let alone remembered their names.
If not for the past half-year, getting to know Kitasan Black and Satono Crown and gradually understanding others' feelings, a situation just like Kitasan's earlier misunderstanding probably would've happened to her.
Yet when she felt bored, lonely, and frustrated in the hospital, those same friends had visited her, bringing warmth and comfort.
Now, Duramente found herself believing more and more that even if she'd inevitably meet them again as rivals on the track, their warmth would actually help her draw closer to her own dreams.
Cheval Grand saw Duramente's embarrassment clearly but only smiled softly, saying nothing more.
This encounter in the gym was just a coincidence anyway; the conversation was casual. Besides, compared to her reserved classmate, Cheval was more curious about the girl currently celebrating on-screen at Nakayama: Kitasan Black.
Glancing once more at Duramente's complex expression, Cheval Grand's lips curved into a gentle, understanding smile.
"Alright, I'm about ready to start my own training. Remember, Duramente-san, don't push yourself too hard. Health comes first—don't rush and hurt yourself."
With that, she bent down, reaching for the barbell she'd brought over.
Snapping back from her deep thoughts, Duramente suddenly felt an impulsive urge, speaking up without thinking:
"Um…Cheval-san, after training…would you like to have dinner together?"
The barbell Cheval had just lifted halfway up her calves dropped heavily, hitting the floor with a loud thud. Several Uma Musume in the gym turned to stare curiously.
Cheval Grand looked at Duramente in shock, noticing the embarrassed yet sincere urgency in her eyes, staring as if seeing her for the first time.
"Hey, hey, don't spring something like that on me so suddenly!"
She laughed awkwardly, shaking her head and apologetically bowing to the others who had looked over, before turning back and dramatically sighing.
"Ah, I really can't help you, can I? Alright, dinner together it is."
"But you've probably trained enough already, right? I'll be training for a while longer—is that okay?"
"That's fine," Duramente quickly shook her head. "I can watch your training. I'm sure I can learn a lot."
"Learn a lot?"
Reaching again for her dropped barbell, Cheval Grand's face turned slightly weird, half jokingly, half seriously saying:
"I lost to you in both the Satsuki Sho and the Derby. What would you learn from me—how to lose to yourself?"
As soon as she saw Duramente's bewildered expression, Cheval immediately realized her blunt joke hadn't quite landed. Quickly waving her hand, she reassured:
"Kidding! I'm just kidding, Duramente-san! Ah, maybe when it comes to interacting with others, I really do have something I could teach you."
"…Yeah, I'm not good at dealing with people."
With an embarrassed nod, Duramente's eyes suddenly brightened urgently:
"Oh, right! Cheval-san…you came first in the Kyodo News Hai. That's something I could learn."
"Kyodo News Hai…well, alright. But let's not flatter each other too much."
Smiling lightly, Cheval Grand finally picked up the barbell again, starting her training.
"By the way," she said casually between lifts, "my next race is the Kobe Shimbun Hai. Duramente-san, if it were you, how would you approach this one?"
Hearing a race mentioned, Duramente's embarrassment faded, replaced by a focused seriousness.
Seeing that change, Cheval couldn't help but feel a bit of anticipation.
She knew Duramente's skill well—although her trainer had already arranged a strategy, advice from someone at Duramente's level definitely wouldn't hurt.
"…Sorry, I didn't specifically prepare for the Kobe Shimbun Hai."
Cheval Grand felt a bit disappointed at that, but Duramente's next words immediately lifted her spirits:
"But before deciding to aim for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Air Groove-san and the others ran some race simulations."
"I can't use them now, and some analyses might be a bit outdated, but…"
"Cheval-san, do you want to hear them?"
"Of course I do!"
Nodding without hesitation, Cheval Grand's confidence surged.
"Even though I couldn't win the Satsuki Sho or Derby, the Kikuka Sho hasn't started yet—anything's still possible! I have to try everything I can to prepare!"
"Especially with Kita-chan and Crown-chan's situation…"
"Oh—wait, maybe I shouldn't ask?"
She suddenly paused, scratching her head awkwardly. "Since they'll be my future opponents, Duramente-san, maybe pretend I didn't ask anything."
"Actually, it's fine. Kita-chan and Crown-chan wouldn't mind. We talk about this kind of thing regularly."
Duramente shook her head, then suddenly gave Cheval Grand an odd look.
"But…"
"Crown-chan has withdrawn from the Kikuka Sho. Cheval-san, didn't you know?"
---
T/N: WHATTT
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