Stepping through the tasteful entrance of Gray Impression, Yasui Makoto and Kitasan Black glanced around with fresh curiosity, taking in the restaurant's warm wooden décor. Its inviting ambience, softly illuminated by warm yellow lighting, reminded them subtly of Tracen Academy's own cafeteria.
Though it was already lunchtime and plenty of customers filled the tables, the atmosphere was relaxed, carrying a gentle hum of quiet conversation.
Before they could fully appreciate the decor, their attention was drawn to two figures approaching from the side.
One was unmistakably Oguri Cap.
Yet today, she looked completely different from when she'd last delivered takeout. She wore a long beige cardigan over a simple white blouse, paired with slender, cropped jeans and low-heeled leather shoes. This modest and graceful appearance was worlds apart from her legendary reputation as a fierce competitor on the track.
Walking beside her, chatting with easy familiarity, was another Umamusume sporting shoulder-length silver-gray hair—a fellow gray coat by appearance, with facial features quite similar to Oguri Cap's own.
Dressed professionally in a sharp skirt suit, she gave off an air of maturity that made her look like Oguri Cap's older sister, rather than a younger sibling.
Seeing this, Kitasan Black leaned toward Yasui and whispered respectfully, "Trainer, that's Oguri-senpai's younger sister. She was also a strong racer back in the day… Wait, you probably already knew that, right?"
Yasui smiled slightly and nodded without speaking.
Technically, Oguri Roman was Oguri Cap's younger cousin. Having also come from Kasamatsu, expectations had naturally been high for her thanks to her famous older sister.
She'd lived up to those expectations initially—though she placed second in her debut, she swiftly redeemed herself by winning the next four races in a row, swiftly earning herself a transfer to the prestigious central Tracen Academy.
However, perhaps lacking her sister's adaptability, Oguri Roman stumbled badly in her first Central race, finishing ninth. Fortunately, she quickly rebounded to place second in the G3 Tulip Sho and even clinched victory in the first leg of the Filly Triple Crown—the G1 Oka Sho.
At that moment, everyone thought another "Gray Monster" was set to rise and continue Oguri Cap's legacy. But fate had other plans. After that brilliant win, Roman's performance plummeted sharply, and she never reached the heights she'd promised early on.
It was a bitter lesson in reality; a career like Oguri Cap's wasn't something you could replicate just through talent or willpower.
To Yasui, Oguri Roman's racing career was undeniably regrettable, yet also deeply representative of the sport's harsh realities. A flawless winning streak was an admirable dream, but even legends like the "Miracle" Oguri Cap, the "Emperor" Symboli Rudolf before her, and later the "King" T.M. Opera O couldn't maintain victory indefinitely.
Defeat was, perhaps, the truest constant in the sport.
Yet as the sisters walked closer, laughing and chatting happily, it seemed Roman carried no bitterness about her past struggles. Instead, like the comforting warmth of this restaurant, their current lives appeared filled with peace.
Just then, Oguri Cap glanced up and caught sight of Yasui and Kitasan Black. After a brief moment of surprise, she smiled warmly.
"Kita-chan? And… Yasuda-san, was it?"
About to bow politely, Kitasan Black froze, embarrassment flooding her face. Yasui also stiffened in place, momentarily bewildered.
Oguri Roman, seemingly accustomed to this, gave an amused sigh and leaned slightly toward her sister to gently correct her. "It's Yasui-san, not Yasuda-san, Onee-chan."
Then, turning toward Yasui and Kitasan, Roman gracefully took a step forward, bowed politely, and greeted them with a gentle smile.
"Back for another cooking lesson, Kita-chan? Welcome."
Turning specifically to Yasui, she gave another respectful bow. "You must be Yasui-san. It's a pleasure to finally meet you—I've heard so much about you. I hope we'll get along well."
Oguri Cap quickly followed her sister's lead, bowing slightly herself. "Sorry about that… I've always been bad with names. Yasui-san, my apologies."
"No worries at all, Oguri-san. Is that how I should call you?" Yasui responded gently.
She smiled softly, a hint of nostalgia crossing her features. "That's perfect. It reminds me of my racing days back at the academy. Oh, by the way…"
She turned toward Kitasan Black.
"I actually have to head out soon to pick up a few old classmates. I mentioned it in my message earlier. If you're here for cooking, Kita-chan, you might have to wait a bit."
"Oh, no worries at all! Actually, I just wanted to show Trainer around, and also ask for some racing advice from you," Kitasan Black quickly replied, shaking her head and giving Yasui a quick, bashful glance.
"Although… Oguri-senpai, the friends you mentioned earlier… Could they possibly be Tamamo Cross-senpai and the others?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Oguri Cap's face, quickly replaced by a confirming nod.
"That's right. It's Tama, along with Super Creek and Inari One. I also invited Yaeno Muteki, but she said she's busy at the dojo, so she'll join us later."
Oguri Cap's expression softened further. "Crown-chan asked me to help her prepare for the Tenno Sho Autumn. But the truth is, I challenged it three times and couldn't win once. After thinking it through, I decided to ask Tama and the others for their help. Besides, it's been a long time since we've gathered, so it felt like the perfect opportunity to invite them to Tokyo."
Kitasan Black's eyes sparkled with excitement, sneaking another amazed glance toward Yasui.
Back at the apartment, Oguri Cap's text message had simply mentioned "picking up some friends," without specifying who they were. Kitasan had just casually repeated the phrase, yet Yasui had immediately made the correct guess.
Now, her admiration for her trainer grew even stronger.
Internally, Yasui also felt a rush of excitement—not just because his prediction had proven accurate, but due to the names Oguri Cap mentioned.
After all, a racer's true strength wasn't judged solely by personal victories. It depended greatly upon the caliber of their rivals.
In Umamusume racing, greatness wasn't only measured by the number of wins, but also by the legendary opponents one competed against.
The first Umamusume ever to win consecutive Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho; another who was the first to achieve consecutive Autumn and Spring Tenno Sho victories; a record-setting double champion of both the Takarazuka Kinen and Arima Kinen… and numerous other awe-inspiring feats.
Any Umamusume capable of just one of these remarkable accomplishments would forever be remembered as a legend.
Yet Oguri Cap's generation had not merely one, but many such extraordinary talents.