Chapter 24: My Father is Superman

A flicker of clarity pierced Minai Takuya's clouded eyes. "So, you too...?"

Takuya didn't finish the sentence. Instead, his gaze drifted past Teio to McQueen, lingered on her briefly, and finally settled on Kousei's radiant figure.

"That must be your daughter," Dr. Takuya said, his voice tinged with wistful nostalgia.

"Yes, she looks just like her mother, doesn't she?" Teio replied.

Dr. Takuya nodded. Turning to Teio, he said, "I'm getting on in years and fear I can no longer assist you directly. However, my child has inherited some of my skills. Here's an address—go there tomorrow."

Teio beamed with delight and thanked him profusely.

"There's really a doctor even more skilled than those at Central?" McQueen murmured in awe.

Before leaving, Dr. Takuya cast a long, inscrutable glance at Kousei.

Kousei, too caught up in her joy for Teio, completely missed the doctor's gaze.

"Dinner's ready," a gentle female voice called from behind the curtain.

Slightly calloused hands parted the fabric, revealing the woman behind it.

"Wow~ That's Kousei's mother! She's stunningly beautiful!"

"No wonder Kousei is so lovely. She clearly inherited her mother's beauty."

Teio and McQueen showered their mother with effusive praise, making her beam with delight.

"Oh my, it's not that extravagant," she demurred, though her visible happiness betrayed her words.

Her father remained silent, as if murmuring, "Does no one have a word for me?"

Suddenly, Kousei poked him in the back and gave him a solemn thumbs-up, nodding earnestly.

A faint smile touched his lips. "Never mind."

After dinner, the three spread a futon on the floor of Kousei's room. Sharing a single bed would be too cramped, but fortunately, her room was spacious enough to accommodate them comfortably.

"I really hope Dr. Takuya's child can heal your legs tomorrow," McQueen said, her voice filled with worry.

"Relax," Teio reassured her. "I've consulted countless doctors who dismissed my case without even asking questions. Dr. Takuya, on the other hand, sent me straight to his child without any hesitation. He must be confident in their abilities."

"I agree," Kousei chimed in. "Dr. Takuya probably knows Teio well and understands her condition. That's why he made such a decisive judgment."

"How did you figure that out?" McQueen asked, clearly surprised by Kousei's sharp insight.

"It's a feeling."

The three lay nestled in their bedding, gazing up at the ceiling.

"What are your plans after winning the Triple Crown?" McQueen asked first.

"I'll enter more races, then challenge President Rudolf on the Veteran Horse Front," Teio replied.

"You make it sound so easy," McQueen said. "President Rudolf hardly races anymore, given her student council duties."

Having become a Hall of Fame-Class Star, Rudolf had largely become a symbolic figure among Umamusume.

"It doesn't matter. She hasn't completely stopped racing, and I'm certain we'll face each other on the track someday."

That was true. No Umamusume could refuse a challenge.

"Enough about me. What are your plans, McQueen and Kousei?"

"Naturally, I'll complete the Triple Crown Route and win the Tenno Sho Trophy," McQueen replied, her goal unwavering.

Sensing all eyes on her, Kousei calmly spoke, "I want to race alongside McQueen and defeat President Rudolf."

Just like McQueen, Kousei shared the same ambition.

"Ah~ A rival, huh? I'm so envious. If only I had debuted a year later, I could have raced with you both."

"Oh? Regrets?"

"As if! I'm just a little envious. Winning the Triple Crown undefeated by defeating both of you would be incredibly satisfying. I might even get to see McQueen cry her eyes out."

"You better be joking! Even if you did show up, I wouldn't lose."

Teio and McQueen's relationship truly embodied the term "rivals." The world regarded them as the Twins. One couldn't discuss Teio without mentioning McQueen, nor McQueen without Teio. Whether they shared the same racetrack or not, the mere sight of one inevitably brought the other to mind—that was the true bond between them, a connection as strong as the Red Thread.

"Hehe~," Kousei, who had been quietly observing, suddenly chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"I just think you two get along so well."

After a brief pause, they responded in unison: "Isn't that obvious?"

Someday, Kousei would catch up to the pace of these prodigies.

The next morning, after breakfast, the trio prepared to search for Dr. Takuya's child at the address he had provided. But as they were about to leave, Kousei's father stopped her.

"I'm sorry, but would you mind letting Kousei spend the day with me? We're so busy with the restaurant, we hardly get any time together."

Teio and McQueen understood the deeper meaning behind his words perfectly. "Don't mention it," they replied.

"Have a safe trip."

Kousei waved goodbye to Teio and McQueen, then turned to see her father smiling warmly.

"Why did you ask me to stay behind, Father?" she asked.

Instead of answering, he asked, "Have you found a Trainer at the Academy yet, Kousei?"

Kousei shook her head. "I haven't received any formal offers."

Tracen Academy primarily focuses on Umamusume, so they can still participate in races even without a Trainer. However, Trainers develop personalized training plans tailored to each Umamusume's unique strengths and weaknesses.

"So, you're training on your own right now?"

Kousei shook her head. "The Trainers who oversee undebuted Umamusume occasionally give me training schedules, which I follow."

"That sounds like a very kind person," her father remarked.

Kousei didn't deny it.

Her father nodded thoughtfully, muttering to himself, "Just as I suspected."

Kousei grew curious. Her father seemed to be brewing something.

"You passed your Debut Race and performed well in the Hopeful Stakes, yet you still haven't received any offers. This situation reminds me a lot of your mother's early days."

Kousei gasped in surprise. "Mom didn't have a Trainer at first either?"

"Yes, I told you, didn't I? You're very much like your mother—both of you are exceptional. It's not that you don't receive offers, but that there are very few Trainers capable of guiding you. Gate Technique Fighters are treasures born from mediocrity. They represent the evolutionary drive of mediocre talents striving to compete with geniuses. I went to great lengths for your mother back then."

Her father seemed poised to reminisce about the past, but Kousei immediately cut him off. "Father, please get to the point! The grand opening is about to start, and if we don't go help soon, Mother will scold us."

Her father's lips twitched. He coughed twice and pulled out a stack of documents. "I've reviewed your match recordings and training reports. This is a training plan tailored specifically for you. The other one contains your mother's match footage—you might learn something from it."

"A training plan and Mother's recordings..." Kousei exclaimed, her face lighting up. She cradled the documents as if they were priceless treasures.

"Father, you're amazing!"

Her starry eyes seemed to shimmer with genuine starlight, overflowing with admiration for her father. Watching his daughter, he smiled with contentment.

"After all, she is our daughter."