Platinum glanced down at her own chest, then at Agnes Tachyon's finger.
She still didn't get it.
"Even if you say that…"
Platinum shook her head in confusion, "A race you can't win is just unwinnable. Or are you trying to say that Golden Sixty is still recovering from an injury, so there's still a chance?"
"What are you even thinking?" Agnes Tachyon's tone was dripping with sarcasm.
"Even if Golden Sixty were injured, the gap between you two would still be wider than heaven and earth. I told you—the difference isn't just physical. You're lacking in every way."
"Golden Sixty is a champion who's already [bloomed] and is now at her peak. You do have the potential to become a champion, but right now, at best, you're still a [budding mushroom]."
As she said this, Agnes Tachyon withdrew her finger and swung a leg over the electric scooter parked nearby.
"Guess you won't understand just from my explanation. I'll take you to see for yourself."
She waved at the two of them. "Come on, let's jog to the racecourse. Consider it your morning workout. Golden Sixty's warming up there right now."
Agnes Digital and Platinum exchanged a look, then started jogging along the road.
"Listen while you run—I'll explain," said Agnes Tachyon from her scooter, its wheels whirring softly.
"Keep your form proper! Bad form during training will just backfire."
Out of nowhere, she produced a folding fan and smacked Platinum on the back of the head, making her grit her teeth in pain.
Agnes Digital had just been feeling relieved it wasn't her, wondering when Agnes Tachyon had turned into such a Spartan drillmaster, when she too got a sharp tap on the head.
"You too! Even if it's just a light reminder—to get back into your old rhythm, you've got to take even warm-ups seriously."
Rubbing her head in grievance, Agnes Digital let out a soft, "Okay."
And so the two of them jogged one after the other along the roadside, the cool sea breeze rustling their clothes as a tram rolled slowly past.
Agnes Tachyon followed behind on her scooter, folding fan resting in her hand.
"Platinum, pay close attention to how Agnes Digital runs. She's a seasoned veteran who's been through intense competition—a top-tier Uma Musume on the same level as Urban Sea and Sham. Even if she's retired and her bloom has faded, you should still be able to sense something, learn something from her."
What was there left to sense? Platinum flared her nostrils, taking deep breaths as she focused on the feeling in her legs.
Hong Kong was just too humid and warm. Even in the cool morning air, her breathing felt unsteady.
Maybe it was the influence of her past life, but Platinum preferred dry, cold weather—the kind where the roaring continental winds swept across vast lands.
As a child, she'd loved falling asleep to that very sound.
From Agnes Tachyon's footsteps, Platinum could truly sense beauty—and feel ashamed of her own inadequacy. But she couldn't feel that from Agnes Digital running beside her.
She knew there was still something separating her from the top-tier Uma Musume, but not knowing exactly what that was felt awful.
And Agnes Tachyon just looked at her blankly and said, "You'll understand once you run more." As if that explained anything.
Why was everyone speaking in riddles?
"In your current state, forget Golden Sixty—you can't even beat Urban Sea, Sham, or Agnes Digital. I'm starting to doubt you could beat me again if we raced now."
Platinum wanted to retort, but ended up swallowing a mouthful of warm wind: "Well, did I win or not?!"
"Heh, it's not like I can't admit defeat," Agnes Tachyon said, narrowing her eyes slightly as if savoring the feeling of riding her scooter by the seaside.
"That's why I supported your decision to enter this special race. Competing in low-tier races won't help you, and even among graded stakes, there are clear levels."
"G1 and G2 might seem close on paper, but in reality, you can tell at a glance—there's a fundamental difference between an Uma Musume who's won a G1 and one who's only won G2 races."
"You've essentially stepped early into the arena of the highest level—G1. But that's no excuse to accept defeat."
"—Because only losers lower their heads. Any Uma Musume who has won a G1, who has conquered that stage, would never look at another and say, 'You're stronger than me—I accept defeat.'"
"No matter how hopeless or impossible the race seems, you must step onto that track determined to seize the crown. Only amateurs treat it like a formality and just run half-heartedly."
As Agnes Tachyon spoke, the three of them drew closer to the racecourse.
After the two joggers cleared the racecourse's access barrier, Agnes Tachyon stopped her scooter and called out to Platinum: "Go on, see for yourself—experience it firsthand—"
"The Uma Musume who stood at the pinnacle of the last generation!"
Passing through the narrow entrance, the sunlight ahead grew increasingly glaring. Platinum raised a hand to shield her eyes as she ran into the racecourse.
Her first impression was that the racecourse was incredibly quiet. So quiet it felt like her ears had suddenly rang out—yet somehow different.
Because at the same time, Platinum also felt it was incredibly loud—like some sound was violently pounding against her eardrums.
Then, in an instant, Platinum understood. It wasn't that her ears had malfunctioned—it was that the sound was so overwhelming, it made everything else seem insignificant in comparison.
It was… the sound of footsteps.
Right at that moment, the trembling sound swept past Platinum.
The deafening noise reached its peak, like thunder roaring across the sky.
Platinum felt it again—that sensation she'd experienced on the track before: as if she could feel every single hair on her body, every drop of sweat, every tiny capillary.
Time seemed to stretch infinitely, and so did her thoughts.
In that moment, she suddenly felt as if she'd been placed inside a bottle—her vision so narrow, her body so fragile, and yet there was still a more perfect version of herself—
That feeling vanished as quickly as it came.
The thunderous sound rushed past, leaving only Platinum clutching her pounding chest, her body drenched in sweat as if she'd just finished a full-speed race.
That was… Sham.
The owner of those footsteps was none other than Sham.
"Ahh, and I thought it would be Golden Sixty's presence we'd hear…" Agnes Tachyon murmured as she slowly entered the racecourse, a strange, dazzling light flickering in her eyes as she watched Sham continue her stride.
"But it was Sham after all."
"Agnes Digital, my apologies—I take back what I said earlier."
"Sham is on the same level as Golden Sixty. Both of them are stronger than you two. Sham… she's still maintaining her [bloomed] state."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.