Initially, I believed little would change after Oguri, Belno, and Kitahara returned to Japan. After all, it wasn't like I'd be away from them for that long, and I still had Musaka and Secretariat to keep me company. It was only a month—certainly it couldn't be too bad.
I was very wrong.
The first time I woke up without Oguri sleeping next to me, I was so shaken by the lack of her warmth that I found myself freezing, despite huddling beneath the blankets. When I then went out for breakfast, the sheer silence that now encompassed the mansion was almost maddening. I could barely maintain my polite greetings to the maids before I practically rushed out to the tracks, where I then ran for nearly an hour to try and clear the growing discomfort I felt.
It wasn't just that.
Training with Secretariat felt different. It wasn't as loud as it usually was, and it took me longer to muster the motivation to do anything. That empty feeling that'd plagued much of my life had returned, though not to the same extent. If I didn't actively remember, I'd find myself doing nothing for long periods of time.
Secretariat noticed, of course—but since my performance on the track hadn't really gone down in any way, she thankfully made no attempts to ask.
Not that she needed to. She probably knew I was just having the good old case of Oguri-Withdrawal. Oguri and I had never been particularly private about our relationship. The fact that we usually slept together was probably telling enough.
It was only now that I realized how deep my reliance on her had become.
…haha. Well, I guess the more things changed, the more they stayed the same, huh?
I smiled slightly as I sat on one of the many lounge chairs placed around the mansion's gardens. It was late at night now, and I was resting after another day of grueling training with Secretariat. Normally I'd be in my bed right now, but I felt particularly good today, and the incessant whispers of a dreamless sleep wasn't as prevalent this time.
The night sky above was filled with stars, colored bright colors by the light of distant galaxies. It was a sight that was rare back in Tokyo—all the light had subsumed the natural shine of stars. But here, far away from most other towns or cities, I had a full view of the starry skies.
And for a moment, I couldn't help but let my mind wander back to my previous life. Back when I was still just a young woman, having gotten lost in my hometown after returning for the first time in nearly a decade. I'd tired myself after all the walking, and the midsummer heat was really hitting me. So I decided to just sit down on a bench facing the river that passed through my hometown.
It was there that I met her for the first time, and from there, we were inseparable. For the first time, I had someone I could really call a friend, someone that could make that boring version of me into something that could mean something more.
Now that I thought about it, my meeting with Oguri was rather similar, wasn't it? I'd met her by the riverbank in the late midsummer afternoon, and it was there that my whole life was flipped around.
Funny how things turn out.
Isn't that right, ████?
I winced slightly as I felt my head screech with pain, but I then smiled when little else happened. I could still remember what I was thinking about, and I didn't feel that usual confusion that followed whenever I tried thinking about her.
It was one of the…stranger things I've noticed throughout my stay in America. I wasn't sure when it began, but one time I'd randomly begun thinking about my past life, and I inevitably ended up thinking about ████. But instead of suddenly forgetting it, I actually remember her.
And the moment that happened, I quickly realized where the many bouts of confusion I had back in Japan came from.
Which made me…confused. Why was this whole memory-deleting thing happening in Japan but not here? I didn't know, but my instincts told me that it had something to do with America—or, to be specific, something to do with Secretariat.
All I knew was that something, or someone, was actively erasing my memories of ████, as if her existence needed to be erased. It kind of reminded me of Aston Machan's story actually, and how the world actively tried erasing her presence the moment she reached the end of her 'Fate'.
Regardless, it didn't really change much in the end.
…
A few days later, I found myself heading towards Kentucky Tracen Academy, having flown for a couple hours from Virginia to Kentucky. Thankfully, since the runway our jet landed at was fairly close to the Tracen, I didn't need to suffer Secretariat's 'incredible' driving, instead just riding in the limousine the Tracen had kindly prepared for us.
Before long, we arrived at the gates of Kentucky Tracen, and I blinked slightly as I stepped out of the limousine.
The first thing I thought was how small it was.
Not to say that it was tiny—it was still an academy that spanned the size of a usual university. And the buildings were similarly beautiful, if built with a style more fitting to 1980s' America. But that was it. Compared to the frankly insane size of Tracen Central back in Tokyo, Kentucky Tracen looked small.
Secretariat stepped out of the limousine not long after, and she grinned when she saw my surprise. 「It ain't as big, is it?」
「...yeah.」I eventually said, unsure of what else to say.
She laughed.「And that's why y'er so lucky over there. That midget's quite the character, but she ain't afraid of goin' big for y'all.」
My lips twitched. Calling Director Akikawa a 'midget' would probably cause a certain Green Devil to snap your neck, but that was just how Secretariat was. And besides, I knew that Secretariat meant no harm; she actually rather liked Director Akikawa, with her constantly complaining that she wished she had someone like her as the director of her Tracen back when she was younger.
Just as I was about to reply, my ears perked up when I heard someone's steps. I turned towards the sound, and I soon saw a middle-aged man walking towards me, dressed in a sharp suit.
The man smiled slightly as bowed.「It's swell to meet you again, Ms. Secretariat.」He then made another small bow to me.「And I am happy to meet you, Ms. Blossom.」
Secretariat grinned, before she walked over and gave him a 'gentle' pat on the back.「Com'on! Why're ya' being a stranger? This ain't the first time we've met!」
The man coughed as he recovered from Secretariat's enthusiasm, before he smiled warily.「The last time we met, you nearly broke my colleagues' spine in half.」
Secretariat blinked, before she smirked.「Well, that guy was bein' a little dick, so I'd say it was deserved.」She smiled sharply, her eyes gleaming coldly.「Unless that baby wants another go at a wrestlin' match?」
He let out a small laugh.「I don't believe he'll be able speak to you, much less stand.」
He then paused for a moment, before he turned to me.「Ah, forgive me. I can't believe I haven't introduced myself.」He made another bow.「My name is D. Wayne Lukas. Please call me as you wish, Ms. Blossom.」
I blinked.
Wayne Lukas? Now that was a name I hadn't been expecting to hear. I didn't know much about the history of umamusume racing here, but I at least knew about him.
A prestigious trainer that'd guided many umamusume through their flourishing careers, with some of them had even attained the prestigious American Triple Crown. His achievements were enough to get some races to even be named after him.
I returned a polite smile as I bowed.「It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Lukas.」
「Alright, introduction's over.」Secretariat grinned as she slung her arm around my shoulders. I nearly gagged from the sudden force, but I managed to maintain my calm expression.「Why don't we get this tour goin'? This gal's looking for a full tour, so make sure y'er thorough, yeah?」
Wayne nodded.「I will make sure to do so.」
On the other hand, I blinked as I heard what Secretariat said.「Wait, you're not goin' with me?」
Secretariat shrugged.「Better not. I don't visit kiddie places like this no more. And 'sides, I'd probably just cause a ruckus all over.」She grinned lazily.「Might as well do somethin' else while y'er busy.」
I stared for a moment, before I slowly nodded.「Alright then.」
「Atta' girl.」She said, grinning as she ruffled my hair. After that, she waved at me as she stepped back into the limousine, and soon after, she was off.
I sighed slightly as I quickly fixed my hair, before I turned back to him.「Well, I'll follow your lead.」
Wayne stared at me for a moment, clearly thoughtful about the closeness between Secretariat and I, before he nodded.「Very well. Follow me.」He smiled politely as he led me through the gates.
And so began my seemingly ordinary visit to Kentucky Tracen Academy.
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AN: Sorry about the delayed upload. Things got hectic there, and I didn't have as much time as I thought. But the chapter for today is still coming, so don't worry about that.