Chapter 13:

"Ha... ha..."

Running nonstop, I ran out of breath. My lungs were at their limit, my diaphragm heaving. My chest felt as hot as if I'd drunk a liter of liquor, and my mind was fuzzy.

I just cleared my head and moved my legs forward. Overwhelmed with emotion, I didn't even know where I was going, like a dog chasing a truck.

Then suddenly, when I regained consciousness,

[Tamamo Cross! First place! Finally, first place! First in seven consecutive wins! An impressive victory by seven lengths!]

[The finish time was only 2 minutes and 16 seconds! It beat the time from the Kyoto Shimbun Cup held a few hours earlier!]

There was no one in front of me.

"Good job!"

"Ah... yes."

The athletes' locker room. Takahashi opened the door, struggled in, and sat down next to her. 

Tamamo nodded vaguely and looked at herself in the mirror on the wall.

"Wol, you're just distracted. Are you excited?"

Normally, this would be the typical response, but after waiting a while, everything fell silent. Tamamo simply kept her mouth shut and looked at herself in the mirror. It was the same tired face she saw every morning, but why did it suddenly look so unfamiliar?

A series of scenes she saw at the end of the race came to mind. That pristine landscape, with no one present.

This wasn't her first victory, so it wasn't a new sight. But how long had it been since she'd seen it? She understood the situation, but she struggled to accept it. Am I, someone like me, worthy of enjoying such a spectacle?

She raised her arms, which moments before had been moving with all her might, and looked up. Both hands were shaking. But it wasn't just from exhaustion. She unconsciously clenched her fists. Only then did Tamamo realize the emotion that surged through her. 

It was what people usually call a thrill.

"I won."

"Yes, you won."

"I won."

"Ah, you're first place."

First place, what a good feeling. The cheers of the crowd and the announcer's voice shouting his name were still ringing in his eardrums. Excessive euphoria dragged his bewildered mind back to the plane.

Was he dreaming? A nagging doubt crossed his mind, and he slapped himself. Immediately, a sharp pain seized him, making the corners of his lips twitch.

It hurt, but why does it feel good?

"I... I..."

You can cry when you're sad, but you shouldn't cry when you're happy. He tried to hold back the tears escaping his eyes. But he couldn't stop the trembling, and Onyong trembled as if he'd been given an electric shock. His hands clenched involuntarily. He didn't know how to handle the emotions that were overwhelming him. She felt like a child, lost in thought, and a voice echoed above her head. The man's large hand brushed against her, its texture rough.

"Well done. That was the big race I wanted to see."

"Yes!"

A hand gently caressed the top of her head. Even a touch she would normally have ignored now felt incredibly sweet. Tamamo tilted her head slightly and obediently accepted Takahashi's touch. A deep blush spread across her soft cheeks.

"But we still have a long way to go. As you know, this victory was only a conditional one. Since we've made such a big difference, we may attract attention for a while, but it won't last long."

"Of course I know. Next time, your goal is to finish first in the Graded Race... no, in Graded Race 1, right?"

Before, she would have dismissed it as a far-fetched dream. But now, it doesn't seem like that anymore. It looks like a dazzling golden trophy before your eyes, within reach.

Obviously, to others, today's victory wouldn't seem so impressive. After all, it was only a victory in the Conditional Race. And it's not uncommon for a runner who shines in the Conditional Race to slip up as soon as they advance to the Graded Race.

But today's race was a turning point. It was like the awakening of the protagonist in a shounen manga. Maybe it's pure arrogance, but now I feel like I can't lose by running, no matter what.

The gray tail swished above her rear. Just thinking about it filled Tamamo with happiness, and she let out a... hearty laugh. That's how, in her happy imagination, she pictured herself. The door that had been closed flew open.

"Tamamo Cross? Please get ready soon."

"o..2."

Tamamo's eyes widened at the words the man in the green jacket had given the staff. The race was already over, and he was asking her to prepare again?

Leaving her frozen, Tikahashi was the first to speak.

"Come to think of it, there's still Winning Live. You've prepared the song, right?"

"W-Winning Live, huh?"

"Yeah, Winning Live. You've probably done it before, right?"

Winning Live is a commemorative live performance for the race winner. It's a luxury only available to the day's winner, and many Uma Musume are dying to get their hands on it... But Mamo felt despair creeping in.

Live? I haven't prepared anything, so what am I supposed to show? I've been focused solely on the race this whole time. I'd completely forgotten what happened next.

"Hey, Uyano."

"What's wrong? It's not even your first time."

"This is my, uh, first time at a Winning Live..."

"What? This isn't your first win either."

"Back then, it suddenly started pouring rain, and the concert was abruptly canceled. So I managed to avoid it..."

"Do it."

Takahashi's eyebrows twitched at the nonsense. Tamamo flinched, but grabbed Takahashi's sleeve.

A moment before, her slightly arrogant expression turned serious as she looked at Takahashi.

"T-Trainer, I'm sorry. I've never sung in front of others! I didn't even prepare for a concert..."

Of course, that excuse wasn't going to work. Time flew by, and before he knew it, it was time for the concert. As expected of a Winning Live with a pre-conditional battle, the audience was packed. Takahashi, sitting in a corner of the back row, crossed his arms and looked toward the stage. As the dazzling lights came on, illuminating the stage, Tamamo appeared, red-faced, clutching the microphone.

Soon, her falsetto was amplified by the stage's massive speakers.

[She's the queen of words!] No matter what anyone else says.

After her trainer carried her and she arrived at her cozy home, a natural buzzing sound was heard. Tamamo crossed the front door with a quick step. Excitement made her walk lightly. Her only thought was to tell her father about today's victory.

"Father! I'm home!"

She called out loud, but was he asleep? The moon was high in the sky, but it wasn't bedtime yet.

A brief moment of doubt crossed her mind, but it was quickly dispelled by a surge of joy. Tamamo passed the living room without hesitation and headed straight for the master bedroom.

"Father?"

...When humans reach the peak of happiness, they often fall into anxiety. This is because happiness, no matter how hard they cling to it, tends to fade away little by little.

That's why humans strive to preserve that happiness as fully as possible. To prevent happiness from seeping through her fingers, to protect it from prying eyes, she locks it so tightly that no one can see it.

But if she keeps holding on to it, not even she herself realizes what's inside. When she suddenly regains consciousness,

"Father..."

She realizes too late that what was inside has turned to despair.

"...Father?"

The girl stared at the man's body hanging from the ceiling.