"Are you warming up?"
"Trainer Chiya, this is my serious running."
"Running? Are you kidding me? You're not even as fast as me."
"Oh my~ Want to give it a try? Let's see who's faster."
A hint of challenge appeared in her lazy eyes.
Has this girl gotten a little too bold lately?
Chiya narrowed his eyes.
"Seiun Sky, I don't care what you do normally, but you must be serious during training. During this joint training period, I am also your trainer."
Looking at the righteous Chiya, Seiun Sky shook her head, then waved him over.
"What?"
He leaned in closer.
"Actually, I haven't told Trainer Kiryuuin what you did to me that day," she whispered.
"Wh-what? That was just an accident! It's your fault for clamping down so tight..."
"You know, there are two words to describe people who take advantage of a Horse Girl and then claim they're innocent." In a voice barely louder than a breath, she whispered in his ear, "Per-vert~"
Instantly, Chiya felt his knees go weak.
"N-no way! I am a man of integrity and honor! Stop slandering me..."
"Trainer Kiryuuin!"
"Wait!"
Chiya clamped a hand over her mouth.
"Ten minutes. I'll give you ten minutes to slack off and get yourself together."
"Twenty."
"Fifteen. That's my limit."
"I'll give you a discount today."
"Are you planning to make this a sustainable extortion racket?!"
"Just kidding. Actually, Sky-chan slept on her neck wrong last night. It's a little sore, so I'm not in top condition..."
"For real? You can get a stiff neck?"
"Anything can happen."
Chiya walked back.
"I think I heard Seiun Sky call for me just now."
"Her neck is sore. She requested a break."
"I see... By the way, Chiya, are you close with her?"
"When I used to look for Doto, she was the one I ran into the most. We got to know each other over time. I just didn't expect you to become her trainer. I guess that's a kind of fate."
Leaving Seiun Sky, the two trainers turned their attention to the other Horse Girls.
Special Week, Happy Meek, Rice Shower, Meisho Doto, Machikane Fukukitaru, and Mejiro Dober.
The six of them were conducting a mock race.
Special Week and Rice Shower were at the front, Fukukitaru and Happy Meek were in the middle, and Doto and Dober were at the back.
"By the way, what kind of Horse Girl is Happy Meek? Judging by her running style, is she a Closer or a Late Burst runner?"
"I suggested she run as a Closer. That child has plenty of leg strength and very precise timing, so it's a good choice for her."
"I see. How did you end up signing with her?" Chiya asked casually.
"During a dirt track mock race, I saw her get boxed in on the inner rail. She was looking for a way to break through, but unfortunately, she couldn't find an opportunity and ended up in third place. Even though she lost, I felt she had a lot of potential."
"Is that so... Wait, dirt track?"
Chiya suddenly noticed the key detail.
"She ran a dirt track mock race?"
"Yes."
"But this is a turf track."
"Meek seems to have a strong aptitude for turf as well. She said it feels no different from dirt, so I let her run on turf."
"How can there be no difference?! The difference between dirt and turf is huge. Even with a strong turf aptitude, you might not be able to use even seventy or eighty percent of your strength on dirt."
"I thought so too, but she just said the feeling underfoot was the same."
"Could it be that she has aptitude for both surfaces...?"
That was incredibly rare.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call such a Horse Girl a genius. Such strong adaptability meant she could perform well in any condition—rain, snow, heavy track, or yielding track. This was an extremely valuable trait.
What should I do? I kind of want her.
But she was Kiryuuin's Horse Girl. If he were to poach her, it would be utterly shameless.
He didn't want to ruin his relationship with Kiryuuin.
"Onii-sama~"
A soft voice called out. Rice Shower, having crossed the finish line, ran straight towards him without stopping.
"Onii-sama, there's something Rice wants to tell you..." Panting a little, she looked at him cautiously.
"What is it?"
Chiya knelt down, leaning closer to her mouth.
"If Rice passes the exam, could you grant me one request?"
"A request?"
Her breath tickled his ear.
"It's not an unreasonable request. It's just... something I want you to do."
Generally, rewards shouldn't be given too frequently. Otherwise, if they suddenly stop one day, it would cause dissatisfaction.
And giving a reward only to Rice Shower while ignoring the others wouldn't be fair.
They were all his Horse Girls, and they were all equal. He shouldn't give special treatment to any one of them.
However, considering the incident with the compatibility test, he felt he might have upset her somewhere along the line. As compensation, he agreed.
"Alright. But don't tell anyone else about this."
"Okay! This will be our secret!"
Rice Shower smiled.
Just as she was excitedly heading back to train...
"Is that child your sister?" Kiryuuin Aoi asked. "She just called you Onii-sama, didn't she?"
"No, my sister is..."
"Rice is Onii-sama's little sister!"
Stopping in her tracks, Rice Shower turned and said to Aoi.
"Rice... Rice is Onii-sama's little sister! I'm Onii-sama's little sister... I'm... I'm going to train now!"
With that, she lowered her head and ran back onto the track.
The two trainers left behind looked at each other, bewildered.
After Rice Shower went back, Shirayuki's training was nearing its end.
Looking at the two figures pulling further and further away, her breathing grew faster.
The gap in skill was too large.
An undebuted Horse Girl and these accomplished champions were worlds apart. After running over a thousand meters, they were still breathing easily, while she was already feeling fatigued.
Her current stamina was only enough for a 1600 to 1800-meter race.
And the exam distance was 1800 meters.
Looking at the finish line in the distance, Shirayuki gritted her teeth.
If I go all out, how many meters can I sprint? Four hundred, five hundred, or six hundred?
Looking at the distance markers on the railing, an idea began to form in her mind.
If I'm going to sprint, I'll sprint until I drop! Sprint completely!
Whether it was a straight or a curve, whether the race pace was fast or slow, she only needed to do one thing.
Conserve stamina in the early stages, and then, with a few hundred meters left, sprint to the finish line without a moment's hesitation.
Unlike a Closer or a Late Burst, this was a race that completely ignored the team's rhythm, a race that belonged only to her.
At that thought, Shirayuki gritted her teeth, lowered her body, and unleashed her remaining stamina. She transformed into a white stream of light, flying towards the two in front of her.
At the finish line, she leaned against the railing, gasping for air.
"Senpais..." she said, looking at the two who had arrived three seconds ahead of her.
"I've had an enlightenment."
-------
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