Chapter 128.
Sunday had finally arrived!
Trainer Shuta An led a lively squad of Team Sadalsuud girls—plus a very excited Taiki Shuttle—straight to Kyoto Racecourse. Even Tokai Teio, who was supposedly scheduled for a strict training day, had tagged along for the ride.
"Come on, it's Dober-senpai's grand retirement race! There's no way we could miss cheering her on in person, right?"
Teio beamed, playfully rolling her eyes at her Trainer's surprised expression.
"That's true." Shuta chuckled with a shrug. "Not only is this her final bow in the Twinkle Series, but barring any massive surprises, Dober won't be joining the Dream Trophy Series either. So yeah, today is absolutely the day to show our support."
"Wait, what? Dober isn't debuting in the Dream Trophy Series?!"
Taiki Shuttle gasped, her eyes going incredibly wide.
"Why not? Is she done running completely?"
"She's planning to enroll in an art university to level up her painting skills." Shuta explained, turning to the blonde girl. "As her roommate, I figured you'd be totally in the loop about her hobbies, Miss Taiki."
"I mean, I knew she liked art! But honestly—"
Taiki paused, still trying to process the bombshell.
"It's just so hard to imagine an Uma Musume with her track record giving up the Dream Trophy Series just to paint!"
"It's Dober's choice, and we're going to fully support it." Shuta smiled, taking the lead. "Anyway, let's get moving! It's a bit chilly out here today. Let's snag our VIP Box early so we can chill. Standing out in the cold until the afternoon sounds miserable."
"I wonder if they have hot cocoa up in the Box!"
Teio trotted happily right behind him, practically bouncing with enthusiasm.
"Oh! If they have honey matcha, that would be even better!"
"I know Tokyo Racecourse stocks it, so Kyoto probably does too."
Shuta replied, though he wasn't entirely sure. Usually, it was Oguri—the team's self-appointed 'food critic'—who kept him updated on the VIP snack inventory.
Up in the spacious VIP Box reserved for Team Sadalsuud, Taiki Shuttle initially felt just a tiny bit awkward. But she warmed up in record time! Kurofune and Tokai Teio were absolute pros at hyping up a room. As a multi-award-winning Uma Musume herself, Taiki was soon laughing and chatting away with the two juniors like they'd been friends for years.
Meanwhile, Admire Vega sat quietly in the seat closest to her Trainer. She simply held her warm mug, silently sipping the hot cocoa Teio had happily shared with her. It had a slight, rich bitterness at first, but the moment she swallowed, a comforting wave of sweetness washed over her tastebuds.
"You know, hot cocoa totally tastes just like us!" Teio giggled, gently swirling her cup. "All that bitter, grueling training transforms into super sweet memories at the very end!"
"That's a nice thought, but not every Uma Musume gets a sweet return for their hard work." Taiki pointed out softly. "In this sport, raw talent and a good dose of luck are still super important."
"Ah, but everyone who manages to join Team Sadalsuud has to be bursting with talent and luck anyway!"
She quickly added with a bright laugh.
"Team Rigil is packed with incredible talent too."
Shuta chimed in with a nod.
—
Earlier that morning, the skies over Kyoto Racecourse had looked incredibly gloomy, threatening to dump rain on the parade. But by the time the group returned to their Box after lunch and some free time wandering the grounds, the heavy clouds had magically cleared out.
"Looks like even the heavens want a front-row seat to this race."
Shuta smiled, looking out the massive French windows at the sunlit track.
"A good, dry track definitely saves stamina, but it also makes it way harder to open up a massive gap."
Teio noted, leaning casually against her Trainer, her hand brushing playfully against his jacket.
"Doesn't matter. The raw gap in ability between Dober and the rest of this field is already massive enough."
Shuta replied, completely unbothered.
When the clock finally struck 3:00 PM, the young Trainer was the first to hop off the sofa.
"Alright team, let's head down. The Queen Elizabeth II Cup paddock presentation is starting."
"Oh, right! Dober also has a brand-new racing outfit to show off today!"
Shuta suddenly remembered to add.
It was a special custom uniform designed by the URA Association specifically for Dober's retirement race—basically a massive, shiny apology for dragging their feet on her previous promotional work. Shuta had already seen the concept art, and it was a flawless match for Dober's elegant, cool-beauty vibe.
The URA had really gone all out this time.
Taiki, who was also in on the secret, nodded enthusiastically.
"It is so gorgeous! Totally different from my outfit. Honestly, it's cute enough that she could just wear it out shopping!"
"Ooh, now I'm super excited to see it!" Teio blinked her big eyes. She already owned two racing uniforms herself, but the hype was real. "The URA promised me a new outfit too! But the Japan Cup is coming up so fast, and I haven't even seen a sketch yet!"
"I'll shoot them a message on LINE later and bug them about it."
Shuta offered. Naturally, he'd handle the nagging for her.
"Thank you, Trainer~!"
Teio beamed. Even though they were dating, she was still careful to keep things strictly professional in front of the others.
When they arrived at the VIP viewing area down in the stands, nobody bothered rushing to snag the 'lucky' spot right by the finish line. The Kikuka Sho had already definitively proven that racing 'superstitions' were totally useless.
Shuta, who wasn't exactly best buds with the other teams' Trainers, just gave a few polite nods and exchanged some basic small talk before their group found a comfortable spot to watch.
Kurofune peered over the railing, scanning the massive sea of people packed into the grandstands.
"Whoa... for a retirement race, this crowd is absolutely insane."
"Right?! Look at all those giant banners, the tifos, and basically everyone is waving her support towels! This whole racecourse is practically Dober-senpai's personal home field!"
Teio said, a hint of genuine awe and a tiny bit of envy in her voice. Sure, the cheers for Teio were always deafening, but seeing an entire stadium completely unified behind one Uma Musume was something else entirely.
"Well, it is her grand finale."
Shuta said simply.
This was Mejiro Dober's absolute last run in the Twinkle Series. Of course the fans wanted to be here to witness history.
"I just really hope today becomes their most beautiful, unforgettable racing memory." the young Trainer continued softly. "That's exactly what Dober has been preparing for."
"Then Phalaenopsis and the other girls are about to experience exactly how McQueen felt!" Teio chirped happily. "Because the power gap between them and Dober-senpai is way, way bigger than the gap between McQueen and me!"
"The race pace will probably be pretty slow." Taiki guessed, analyzing the field. "If Dober wants to run a race that blows everyone's minds, she's gonna have to break away from the pack early."
"I've already given her the green light for that. I trust Dober's instincts completely."
Shuta said, his grip tightening slightly on the railing.
"Because after today... Mejiro Dober will never step onto this track again."