6:00 AM.
The alarm sounded as scheduled.
Garden Gale finished her training and expressionlessly shut off the alarm. Sweat soaked through her clothes, dripping from her forehead onto the turf, yet her face remained blank. Lowering her gaze, she turned silently to head back to the dorms for a shower.
Yet now… an almost tangible aura of primal ferocity enveloped her—cold, fierce, like the bitter winds of late winter. It felt as though her determination had taken physical form, coiling around her like chains, declaring to all nearby Umamusume that she was either demon or deity.
Umamusume were born with a certain animal edge.
That hardly needed saying—especially with Honkakuka in the picture. Of course, it wasn't "savagery," the kind that tears into raw meat. It was the wildness of running free—the wind that drives the body to climb toward a new peak.
Put simply: she was coming into her prime.
But enough digression.
Just as Garden Gale was heading back to Ritto dormitory, another Umamusume appeared at the end of the path—one she recognized quite well. Her violet eyes held a distant, mysterious starlight.
Admire Vega.
Her number one enemy in the Satsuki Sho, the Gleaming First-Magnitude Star.
Garden Gale paused slightly in surprise.
From the sweat and heat radiating off Admire Vega, it was clear she'd also been training since early morning—or perhaps all night. Garden Gale felt a sudden gratitude towards the Japan Derby instance for waking her up sooner rather than later.
There was still time.
If she'd maintained her lazy attitude from before, how could she hope to defeat a rival like this?
As these thoughts crossed her mind…
Admire Vega herself wasn't the key issue. Rather, it was the Umamusume trailing right behind her—someone whose every movement, every word, was exaggerated to the point of theatricality. She even wore a gaudy golden-purple crown upon her head.
"Bwahahaha~!"
An absurdly flamboyant laugh echoed across the field, immediately sending a shiver of unease down Garden Gale's spine.
What the hell…?
With theatrical flair reminiscent of an aristocrat from a bygone era, this Umamusume dramatically removed her crown, leaned forward in an elaborate bow, and spoke with deep, heartfelt passion: "Truly, as expected of my rival… While I was just rising to train, you've already finished and are heading back?"
"Indeed! Of course you'd push yourself so hard to catch up with me! Perfect! How about I grant you the privilege of ascending three full ranks from fan to become my rival? How about it? Only you are worthy—Admire Vega, beauty without equal!"
Admire Vega, famously bad with words, responded flatly, "…I'm not that pretty."
Garden Gale's vague unease was quickly spiraling into a full-blown sense of crisis.
Maybe…
Is there time to choose another path back to the dorm…?
Seriously, who is this crazy girl?!
Admire Vega spotted Garden Gale standing nearby and instantly brightened, her eyes glittering like stars finding their savior. She quickly pointed straight at Garden and shouted desperately, "She's running the Satsuki Sho too! She even beat me before! She'd make a far better rival for you!"
???
Wait. What the hell are you saying?!
Did she just throw me under the bus?!
Her worst fears had been confirmed. Though Garden Gale had indeed been reborn and was now chasing her purpose as an Umamusume, deep down her social anxiety had barely improved at all. Even now, recovering as she was, facing someone like this… she had absolutely no clue how to respond.
One awkward star who couldn't hold a conversation, and one anxious introvert who wanted to hide forever—
The two combined didn't stand a chance against the force of nature known as T.M. Opera O.
Yes, T.M. Opera O.
The third Umamusume standing there, ranked sixth favorite for the Satsuki Sho, was a rare ikemen-type Umamusume. Perfect in every way... except for being an absolute chatterbox.
"Oh?" T.M. Opera O raised an eyebrow dramatically and turned her sharp gaze toward Garden Gale. "So, you're the one?"
In an instant, her eyes flashed as though she'd found her destiny. "For some reason, I feel an instant connection between us! Therefore—I challenge you to a contest to decide superiority once and for all!"
Burning passion rushed forth as T.M. Opera O stepped boldly toward Garden Gale—who stood frozen, utterly dumbfounded.
Why was this happening so suddenly?!
What was this chaotic mess she'd stumbled into? She should've just trained an extra hour or something. Her head was spinning; reality felt increasingly blurry.
Admire Vega, meanwhile, could only offer an apologetic look—honestly, she'd had enough of T.M. Opera O herself. Dragging Garden Gale into this mess hadn't been her intention, and she was already feeling guilty. Maybe she'd treat Garden to a meal later as an apology?
Admire Vega didn't yet realize she'd accidentally pushed this onto someone even more socially awkward than herself.
Garden Gale managed only a weak "Ah… uh…" before trailing off.
"Bwahahaha~!" T.M. Opera O laughed wildly again. If anything, Garden Gale's stunned silence seemed to please her even more. "What's this? Have I left you speechless by offering the honor of being my rival? Well, I can't blame you—it truly is an overwhelming privilege!"
Garden Gale searched desperately for words.
In the end, she could only silently spit out six venomous words in her mind:
Delusional narcissist, utterly cringe-worthy.
Who the hell wants to be your rival, you idiot! Stop acting like we're best buddies!
Guys, you won't believe it—I ran into an absolutely shameless narcissist today!
Of course, Garden Gale could only complain silently in her heart. Actually voicing those thoughts was completely beyond her.
T.M. Opera O clapped Garden Gale firmly on the shoulder, causing her complicated expression to turn even more tangled. She had no idea what to say as Opera O continued enthusiastically:
"In any case, train hard! I'll be waiting to settle our rivalry at the Satsuki Sho in twenty days!"
With that, having officially declared Garden her rival, T.M. Opera O began walking away, fully satisfied.
But after just two steps, she turned back suddenly and asked:
"Wait—what was your name again, my rival?"
"…Garden Gale," she finally answered weakly, watching helplessly as the self-proclaimed conqueror left in triumph.
In the end, only Garden Gale and Admire Vega remained, standing quietly in the breeze, utterly lost.
"I'm sorry—!"
Admire Vega instantly dropped to her knees in a dramatic apology.
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T/N: GOMENNASAI omg anyway i dont have tm opera o, so i cant play through her career and see how she laughs so im just doing the gil laugh hehehe