Chapter 9: San Diego

Ren looked up at the large signboard above the terminal entrance, then back at the airport around him.

"San Diego?" he muttered.

He turned toward Dream Journey, who stood calmly beside him as if this entire international trip had been the most ordinary thing in the world.

"So this is the place you were talking about earlier?" Ren asked.

"Yes," Dream Journey replied simply. "There are many places here where we can spend time together."

Ren nodded slowly.

He honestly hadn't expected Dream Journey to bring them all the way to California.

Just as he was about to say something else, he felt pressure on his arm.

He glanced down.

Seabiscuit was tightly clinging to his right arm, her grip firm while her eyes locked onto Dream Journey with a sharp glare.

Ren could only smile awkwardly.

She didn't act like this before…

Actually, it started earlier—when the group stopped to eat at a restaurant inside the airport.

Earlier in airport family restaurant

Ren paused in front of a family restaurant and glanced inside.

"Let's eat here," he said before walking in.

The Gold sisters and Seabiscuit followed behind him.

After scanning the dining area for a moment, Ren found a large table that could fit their whole group. He slid into a seat at the corner of the table.

Seabiscuit immediately noticed the empty seat beside him.

Just as she stepped forward to claim it—

Dream Journey calmly walked past her and sat down.

Right next to Ren.

Seabiscuit froze.

For a moment she simply stood there, staring at the scene in disbelief. When the realization finally hit, she slowly turned her head toward Dream Journey.

Her glare was sharp enough to cut steel.

Dream Journey met her gaze calmly.

Her eyes seemed to say one thing clearly.

This time… it's my turn.

Seabiscuit's eyebrow twitched.

The two of them stared at each other in complete silence.

Ren suddenly felt a strange chill beside him like sparks crackling in the air.

Confused, he turned his head.

Instantly, Dream Journey relaxed her expression and looked completely innocent.

Seabiscuit quickly looked away.

"Biscuit?" Ren asked. "What's wrong?"

Seabiscuit snapped out of her trance when she heard his voice.

"It's nothing, Trainer," she replied, forcing a smile. "My seat just got taken."

"What do you mean?" Ren said, glancing around. "There's still a seat across from me."

Seabiscuit opened her mouth to argue… then quietly swallowed her words.

She slowly walked around the table and took the seat opposite him instead.

This time you win, Dream Journey, she admitted silently.

--------divide---------

Back to the Present

Inside the van, Ren sat behind the wheel as they drove along the highway.

Beside him in the passenger seat was Stay Gold, who looked like she had already fallen asleep—though with her, it was hard to tell if she was truly sleeping or simply conserving energy.

From the back seat, Dream Journey leaned slightly forward as they spoke.

“Are you sure Belmont Park is holding a race today?” Ren asked, keeping his eyes on the road.

“Yes,” Dream Journey replied calmly. “After all, the Umamusume you’ve been checking lately is practicing there.”

Seabiscuit’s ears instantly perked up.

She slowly turned her head toward Ren, giving him a suspicious look.

“An Umamusume you’ve been paying attention to… without me knowing?” Seabiscuit said quietly.

Ren didn’t notice the danger in her tone.

“Hmm… who was it again?” he muttered while thinking.

Then it clicked.

“Ah, you mean War Admiral.”

Dream Journey simply nodded.

Seabiscuit leaned forward slightly.
“Trainer… who is this War Admiral you’ve suddenly started paying attention to?”

Her voice remained soft.

Dangerously soft.

Ren continued speaking normally from the driver’s seat.

“Well, that filly won her debut race by a huge margin,” he explained. “And—”

He paused briefly.

“And?” Seabiscuit prompted.

“And she apparently has some connection to Man o’ War. That legendary Umamusume even attended her debut race personally. So I started paying attention. Who knows—your races might cross paths with hers someday.”

Seabiscuit fell silent for a moment before nodding.

“Trainer Ren is a trainer, after all,” she said calmly.

Ren blinked in confusion.

“...?”

He had no idea what she meant by that.

From the very back seat, Gold Ship suddenly shot upright.

“Wait! Who is this Man o’ War?!” she shouted. “Why is there man in the name? Is she an Umamusuko?!”

Fenomeno, sitting beside her, immediately shook her head.

“Gold Ship-san… that’s impossible.”

“Then explain the man in her name!” Gold Ship demanded.

Fenomeno opened her mouth to answer…

Then slowly fell silent.

“…Now that you mention it…”

Ren glanced at them through the rearview mirror.

“You seriously don’t know who she is?” he asked. “And don’t question names. Look at your own first. Do you look like a ship made of gold?”

Gold Ship crossed her arms.

“…Mind games. You’re good.”

Ren sighed.

“Man o’ War is a legend here,” he continued. “She won 20 out of her 21 races.”

“Only twenty out of twenty-one?” Gold Ship scoffed confidently. “This master could do better.”

Ren simply shook his head.

Knowing Gold Ship, even if she could achieve something like that, her personality alone would probably prevent it. Just like those infamous “twelve billion accidents” people joked about online.

Still… who knew?

“Could you win most of your races by overwhelming margins like her?” Ren asked.

Gold Ship grinned.

“Hmm. Yeah, I could.”

“Then guess her largest margin of victory,” Ren said. He glanced back at the others in the van. “You can all guess too.”

“Eight lengths?” Fenomeno offered.

Ren shook his head.

Nakayama Festa leaned forward slightly.

“Is this a bet?” she asked with a sly grin. “Add a prize if someone guesses correctly.”

“Sure,” Ren agreed casually.

Seabiscuit’s ears perked instantly.

Before she could speak, Dream Journey calmly answered.

“One hundred lengths.”

Seabiscuit’s eyebrow twitched.

Ren nodded.

“That’s correct.”

Even Orfevre looked surprised.

“…One hundred lengths?” she murmured.

Gold Ship scoffed loudly.

“I could do that too. Gold Ship first, the rest nowhere!”

She proudly altered Eclipse’s famous quote.

Ren chuckled.

“So you know Eclipse, but you don’t know Man o’ War?”

By the time he looked back through the mirror again, Gold Ship had already lost interest and was busy playing on her Nintendo.

Ren just sighed.

“By the way, Trainer Ren… about the prize you mentioned earlier,” Dream Journey said calmly from the back seat.

“Ah—”

Ren blinked. He had completely forgotten about that.

The truth was, he hadn’t even thought of a prize yet.

“…I actually don’t know what to give,” Ren admitted honestly.

Dream Journey seemed to consider it for a moment before speaking again.

“Then how about this,” she suggested gently. “Spend more time with us until we return to Japan.”

Ren raised an eyebrow. “Hmm? How long are you planning to stay?”

“About two weeks,” Dream Journey replied.

“I see…”

Ren nodded thoughtfully.

Then he glanced at the rearview mirror, silently asking Seabiscuit whether she was okay with that arrangement.

Seabiscuit noticed the look.

But instead of answering immediately, her eyes slowly drifted toward Dream Journey sitting beside her.

A quiet tension passed between the two.

Then Seabiscuit spoke.

“Sure.”

Her voice was calm—but her gaze clearly said something else.

Let’s see who wins.

Dream Journey noticed the challenge in her eyes.

She simply responded with a gentle, polite smile before turning her attention back to Ren.

“Seabiscuit agreed,” Ren said. “Then let’s get along for these next two weeks.”

“Cut them down!”

Gold Ship suddenly shouted from the back seat.

She was still playing on her Nintendo, completely absorbed.

“…Enemy reinforcements approaching,” she muttered intensely while mashing buttons.

-----divide----

(A/n: short cappy 1.3k)