Chapter 39: Manhattan Café’s Arc de Triomphe Expedition

Manhattan Café—an unusual Uma Musume who runs for one reason only: to catch up to her friend.

And now, she had set her sights on a new goal: the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

It wasn’t uncommon for an Uma Musume to aim for races overseas. Even El Condor Pasa had once talked about going abroad. In real history, she stayed overseas after the Japan Cup—but it seems that, in this world, she chose to stick to the domestic circuit instead.

"Hmm, so you came. Last time, I said it was possible, but… things are looking a bit grim now."

Agnes Tachyon wore a clouded expression.

And no wonder—every attempt she’d made to dissuade Café had failed. Manhattan Café had eyes only for her overseas expedition.

Honestly, I didn’t have a concrete plan to convince her either. The odds were low, but I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

"Yes, I’ve already heard through our chat, Tachyon-san. But she’s really stubborn, isn’t she?"

"You understand, don’t you? Her friend is what drives her forward. The thought of defying that simply doesn’t exist for her."

"Which is exactly why—unless we do something about that, calling off the expedition will be nearly impossible."

Thinking about it again, the difficulty was absurd. But if we didn’t stop her now, Manhattan Café might have no future.

I wish it were just my historical knowledge making me paranoid.

Unfortunately, even Agnes Tachyon—the one who understood Café’s condition best—believed that the Arc de Triomphe expedition was dangerously risky.

Which meant… we had no choice but to stop her.

"Ah, there she is. Looks like I’ll have to leave this to you now. I’m counting on you…"

It was rare to see Tachyon so hesitant.

Entrusted with her resolve, I turned to face Manhattan Café.

"Hello… You came to see me off, didn’t you?"

Apparently, she thought I was here for her send-off.

But that wasn’t the case.

"Café-san, please reconsider the Arc de Triomphe expedition. You mustn’t go to France."

"You too…? I’m sorry, but I am going to the Arc. That’s already decided."

Her reply came with unusual firmness.

Damn it. My words aren’t reaching her at all.

What should I do? Where do I even start?

"Tachyon-san… was this your doing? I told you I’m entering the Arc de Triomphe."

"Sigh… Café, let me say it too. Reconsider the Arc. With your legs, you can’t handle Longchamp’s turf."

Agnes Tachyon pressed her point with cool logic—but Manhattan Café had clearly heard it countless times before.

Her ears drooped flat against her head—an unmistakable “I’m not listening” pose.

Yeah, this was going to be tough.

"You realize it too, don’t you!? Manhattan Café’s strength lies in stamina, not power! Longchamp’s turf demands power! You could end up never running again!"

"I don’t mind… Even if that happens, I’ll go. If I’m being called, that’s reason enough…"

"You—! Ghh, I’m getting too worked up… Lux, keep her here for a bit, I need to cool my head."

Manhattan Café’s legs were never particularly strong.

If I had to place her on a scale between me and Tachyon, she’d lean heavily toward Tachyon’s side.

Actually, why are so many of the girls around me so fragile…? Mihono Bourbon can handle brutal race schedules, sure, but that doesn’t mean her legs are sturdy.

If anything, judging by her real-world record, she’s just as brittle.

"Café-san… are you really fine with never being able to run again?"

"Yes… As long as I can catch up to my friend, that’s enough for me…"

Her words made my blood boil.

This girl—after all our worry—how can she say that so easily!?

"So please, don’t concern yourself with me anymore… If I can see my friend, that’s all that matters. You have nothing to do with this…"

"Nothing to do with it!? How can you even say that!?"

I stepped closer—fast. Café flinched back, startled.

But I couldn’t back down now.

"You’re one of my few friends, you know!? With all the tea drinkers and green tea lovers around, I hardly ever get to brew coffee for anyone! If you’re gone, what am I supposed to do with all those coffee beans I bought in bulk!?"

"Um, that… doesn’t really have anything to do with—"

"Of course it does! Who was it that turned me into a coffee drinker in the first place!? Take some responsibility!"

While I was practically yelling at her, Agnes Tachyon returned.

She blinked at the scene before her, clearly bewildered.

"Uh… What exactly am I looking at here?"

"I’m confronting Café-san for recklessly trying to run off to France! I even managed to drag Bourbon-san into the coffee swamp, but the beans still keep piling up faster than I can use them!"

"Tachyon-san… could you please stop her…?"

Manhattan Café looked troubled, but that didn’t matter anymore.

I let everything I’d been holding in come pouring out.

And seriously—you, standing there pretending to be her friend, say something too! You’re the one who started this mess in the first place!

"There’s no need to stop me, Tachyon-san! Go on, you say something to her too!"

"Uh… Café? What did you do? I’ve never seen him like this before."

"I—I didn’t do anything in particular, but…"

There’s one thing that’s been bothering me. That friend of hers—are they even real?

I thought back to Manhattan Café’s training story in the app, the so-called “Normal End.” Back then, fans used to call it the horror ending—the one where Café finally catches up to her friend, only for it to be a fake that devours her very sense of self.

That’s when it hit me. The “friend” standing over there—could they be a fake too?

Manhattan Café is spiritually sensitive. It’s entirely possible that she’s being influenced by that imitation “friend,” and that’s what’s driving her into this obsessive state.

"Anyway! Why the Arc de Triomphe, of all races!? Doesn’t that strike you as strange, Café-san!?"

"No… my friend does things without much rhyme or reason all the time, so…"

"Ugh, come on!"

And then—the time limit finally arrived.

"Passengers for flight UAL 284 to France, please proceed to boarding if you have not yet done so—"

"It seems… it’s time. I’ll be going, then…"

Saying that, Café began the boarding process and moved toward the security checkpoint.

I grabbed her hand.

"P-please, let go…"

"I won’t! Tachyon-san, grab the other side!"

"Ah—right… this is getting rather forceful, isn’t it?"

With Café held between us, I glared at the “friend.”

"And you! What even are you!? Are you trying to protect her or destroy her? Make up your mind! And are you even the real friend she’s been talking about!?"

"Uh, Lux? Maybe you should calm down a bit, people are starting to stare—"

"Stay out of this, Tachyon-san! If you want to take Café with you, then you’ll have to take me first! Go on—try to break me!"

The words just kept spilling out, faster than I could think. I didn’t even know what I was saying anymore.

But this was the breaking point. I had to act before it was too late.

"Café-san, you too! Why are you being so stubborn when we’re trying this hard to stop you!?"

"I… um…"

"I don’t want you to go to France!"

I wrapped my arms around Manhattan Café, shielding her as I glared at the “friend.”

How long did we stand like that? I don’t know—but then, an announcement echoed through the terminal.

"Flight UAL 284 to France is now closed for boarding—"

"Ah… my friend… they’re gone…"

That was it. The time limit.

The “friend” turned toward me, eyes full of hatred, glaring daggers.

Then, in the next instant, its face twisted into something monstrous, it let out a bone-chilling scream—and dissolved into smoke.

The sight left both me and Manhattan Café frozen, speechless.

"What… was that?"

"I… don’t know. But, um… maybe we should move somewhere else? People are still watching us…"

Yeah. Fair point. The stares were painful. Both Café and I were fairly well-known Uma Musume, after all.

We slipped away from the crowd, taking a discreet route back to Tracen Academy.

When we finally reached the usual laboratory, Tachyon let out a long sigh.

"Haah… I don’t understand any of this. So—what exactly did you two see out there?"

"It means that the one calling to Café-san… wasn’t her friend. At least, that’s my best guess."

It was probably something entirely different pretending to be a friend.
That terrifying expression… I don’t want to believe that thing was truly her friend.

"Hmm? You’re right—it was far too different from her usual approach. They say a lion pushes its cubs off a cliff to make them stronger, but… this wasn’t a cliff. It was a death trap. No room for growth in that."

"Indeed. Still, I’m glad we managed to stop Café."

"Even if it was a pretty brute-force method. Well, even a G1-level Uma Musume can’t really resist when two of us gang up on her."

While we talked, Café brought over the coffee she’d brewed and set it on the table.
Mmm… that aroma. Manhattan Café’s brewing skills were as wonderful as ever.

"Here you go… As an apology of sorts, I used some good beans today."

"An apology…?"

"Just accept it. Feeling calmer now, Café?"

"Yes… It seems I caused quite a bit of trouble…"

Manhattan Café’s ears drooped as she gave a shy, slightly sorrowful smile.

"Thinking back on it, I wasn’t being very rational at all… I don’t even know why I was so stubborn."

"Figures. You were way too fixated, Café."

Otherwise, it probably wouldn’t have turned into such a mess.
Café was spiritually sensitive, so that likely played a part.
Would something like this happen again in the future?
No—her real turning point should be her trip to the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.

"Thank you, Lux-san… I’m really glad you stopped me."

"For something called ‘stopping,’ it was pretty forceful—and passionate, too."

Yeah… maybe I went a little overboard emotionally.
But the thought of losing a dear friend—I just couldn’t bear it. That’s what drove me to act like that.

"Haha, well, it’s true that Café-san’s an important friend to me! And besides, I still have plenty of beans left. You should come by my room next time—I want to brew some for you myself."

"I… see. I’d also like to check how much your brewing skills have improved, Lux-san…"

"Well, what matters is that everything’s settled peacefully. Now then, time to plan out your domestic rotation and training menu," Tachyon said.

Really, Tachyon was right—it all ended well.
As we shared a laugh over the coffee Café brewed (though Tachyon had made her own tea), I couldn’t help but feel relieved.

"Next up would be the Takarazuka Kinen, or maybe… Ah, you’re actually registered for Takarazuka already, so you can enter if you want."

"Wait, you already registered me? Tachyon-san, you never miss a thing, huh?"

"Well, I did plan on convincing you eventually. I just didn’t expect it to be this much trouble."

So Manhattan Café’s next race would be the Takarazuka Kinen, then.
Though, of course, that depended on her.

"I see… Tachyon-san, about me entering the Takarazuka Kinen…"

"If I were against it, I wouldn’t have registered you in the first place. There’s not much time left, but for you, Café, that’s plenty."

She seemed full of determination again.
Watching Tachyon and Café talk, I couldn’t help but smile.

Yeah… this really was for the best.
As I savored a sip of Café’s coffee, I watched the two of them—finally back to their usual selves.