"I choose McQueen."
"McQueen... Are you sure? Maybe you should reconsider?"
"I only go for the strongest."
"But she might not be the right fit for the Eastern Lands."
Jade puffed out her cheeks. "This isn't what we agreed on!"
"The agreement states that I'm to help the Eastern Lands establish a cooperative relationship with the Mejiro Family, right?" Kousei explained.
"Fine, I don't want McQueen anymore."
"Really?"
"Then you transfer to the Eastern Lands instead."
That's the same as saying nothing at all.
"The Northern Academy has been good to me, and I'm the face of the North. I can't just transfer whenever I please."
"Name your price. Anything you want," Jade said, clearly not taking the matter seriously.
Kousei sighed. Explaining things to a pampered young lady like her was proving to be quite difficult. With their conversation at a standstill, Jade sulked in silence. It seemed best to wait for Rohan to arrive. As Jade's Trainer, he was far better at communicating with her.
"Am I interrupting something?" Palmer suddenly appeared behind them.
"Not at all! Palmer, you're here!" Kousei was delighted by Palmer's timely arrival.
"I have no idea what's going on, but as long as you're happy, that's all that matters," Palmer said, completely bewildered.
"Come on, hurry!" Kousei pushed Palmer forward from behind.
"What's all this? Why so secretive?"
Palmer was a bit surprised by Kousei's sudden invitation and had been puzzling over it the whole way there. Her mind raced with questions until Kousei pushed open a door.
"PALMER!!!"
"Whoa!!!"
Daitaku Helios's loud shout startled Palmer, who yelped in surprise. Two party poppers went off—it was a surprise party.
"Palmer!"
Gold City and Tosen Jordan rushed over to give Palmer a hug. Palmer didn't react, simply staring blankly at the scene before her.
It wasn't just Gold City's trio; her own clan sisters were there too.
"It's been a long time, Palmer," Ryan said with a warm smile.
Palmer stood frozen for a moment before finally responding, "...It really has been a long time."
Gently pushing her two friends aside, Palmer walked up to Ryan. "It really has been a long time."
She embraced Ryan tightly, her hug filled more with sorrow than joy.
"It's okay, it's okay," Ryan murmured, gently patting Palmer's back to soothe her.
Suddenly—
"Palmer, you're so biased!" Dober pouted playfully from the side. "Bright and I are here too, but you only have eyes for Ryan!"
Palmer smiled. "Little sis."
She gave Dober a big hug, which finally satisfied her. Then she turned to Bright and hugged her as well.
"Palmer, you're so biased! Bright and I... huh?"
Bright's confused expression made everyone burst out laughing. Palmer gently stroked Bright's head. "You're as laid-back as ever, Bright."
Whether she was just slow on the uptake or simply operated at her own pace, Miss Bright was always unhurried.
Palmer's gaze swept across the room, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.
"McQueen... didn't she come?"
Everyone exchanged glances. Ryan quickly explained, "The doctors are running tests on McQueen. She really couldn't get away."
"But wasn't the surgery already over? Did she have a relapse?" Palmer's disappointment quickly turned to worry.
"It's okay, Palmer! You know better than anyone how skilled Dr. Mejiro is!" Dober added reassuringly.
Dr. Mejiro had always been among the best, and with the Central Committee's high regard for McQueen, Mejiro's current position was not one that could be easily compromised.
The thought put Palmer's mind at ease.
"Oh, right! Ardan, how's your health? Are you okay?" Mentioning McQueen reminded Palmer of Ardan, who had been frail since childhood.
"Yes, I'm fine with this level of activity. Thank you for your concern."
"What are you saying? We're family; you don't need to say things like that."
"Sorry."
Ardan had spent most of her life in a sickbed. Instead of strengthening her body, growing up had only increased its burden. Her legs were as fragile as glass, unable to withstand the intensity of racing, making her chances of debuting as an Umamusume slim.
"Are you really okay? You shouldn't overdo it."
"I know. Everyone's here to celebrate with you, Palmer, and I wanted to cheer you on too."
Palmer didn't press the matter. Unlike her fragile body, Ardan's spirit was incredibly resilient. Having grown up together, they all knew Ardan's temperament well, so no one lingered on the topic.
"Speaking of celebrating... what exactly are we celebrating?" Palmer asked, clueless.
"We're celebrating your return to the Twinkle Series, of course!"
Gold City's reminder made Palmer realize that the Takarazuka Memorial was her first G1 race since rejoining the Twinkle Series. Perhaps because she had been running Exhibition Races for so long, the reality of a G1 hadn't quite sunk in.
"It's not just a celebration; it's also to cheer you on, Palmer! The gap between the Twinkle Series and Exhibition Races is like night and day. Plus, you're a Senior Grade competitor now, so the Takarazuka Memorial will almost certainly feature G1-level racers. The intensity will be off the charts."
"So, Daitaku Helios suggested throwing a big party to let Palmer have some fun."
"Throwing a party when the Takarazuka is right around the corner... Well, that's very us, isn't it?"
Even though the confrontation with Acting Chairman Kashimoto was imminent, everyone wanted Palmer to face it with a relaxed mindset. They knew the pressure she would face in the foreseeable future would be immense, and they didn't want her to be crushed by it.
(Setting Recap: Each year has two routes—the Newcomer Year and the Classic Grade and above. This was initially implemented to merge the earlier-debuting Teibo, Kousei, and McQueen into the same generation.)
"Forget all that! For now, let's just get this party started!" Daitaku Helios whipped off a cloth, revealing a DJ booth underneath.
"Eh?!"
Daitaku Helios was practically bouncing with excitement. "Hehe~☆ This is gonna be super hype!☆ Here we go!"
"Really? Here?!" Palmer worried her sisters might not approve.
"You're the star today, Palmer! Just do whatever you want!"
The other sisters all assured her they'd get used to it. Palmer was still a bit worried, but Daitaku Helios had already started doing her own thing, with Jordan and Gold City teaming up to hype up the atmosphere. Gradually, Palmer found herself immersed in the fun, and the party officially began.
Seeing the perfect opportunity, Kousei slipped away.
"Are you satisfied now?"
After rounding a few corners, Kousei found McQueen, who had been hiding there all along.
"With you? Naturally, I'm satisfied," McQueen replied, looking up with a smile.
Kousei hadn't been the one to organize the party; she was just running errands for McQueen. After all, she was still sulking herself.
Kousei stretched lazily and sat down beside McQueen without a second thought.
"I'm an only child, so seeing so many sisters together... it's actually pretty nice."
McQueen's smile deepened. Though she said nothing, her expression spoke volumes.