"The final winner... is Platinum!"
The stadium fell into utter silence. Then, a wave of noise surged forth, engulfing the entire racetrack.
Voices of doubt, voices of confusion, voices of anger, and voices of excitement all mingled together.
And at the center of all this discussion was Platinum, who had now reached the center stage.
Though she was a nobody before the race, and no one saw her as a real contender during it...
She truly had claimed the crown through her own ability, plus a little bit of luck.
...Was it me? Did I really win?
One hand pressed against her stomach, the other covering her lips, Platinum struggled to stand. Then she saw the camera lens right in front of her. Not just one camera; it felt like every camera on the track was pointed her way.
And then there were all those gazes. The Sha Tin Racecourse could hold eighty thousand people, and right now, nearly every single person in that massive stadium had their eyes fixed on her.
For a moment, Platinum couldn't process it. She felt floaty, unsteady on her feet, like she was in a dream.
She beat Golden Sixty? She beat that monster-strong Golden Sixty?
"Despite a poor start that left Platinum trapped at the back of the pack, relying on tenacious spirit and stubborn courage, she fought her way through the field and ultimately challenged Golden Sixty's throne right at the finish line!"
"Let's give our applause and blessings to this excellent Uma Musume who surpassed her own lethargy and limits. We all sincerely look forward to witnessing the moment Platinum truly takes flight. We believe that day is not far off."
"Similarly, let's also give our applause to Golden Sixty. Thank you for your years of companionship, you who have almost become the symbol of Hong Kong racing, the King among Kings."
"Platinum is still a newborn sun; her victory proclaims to us—a new era has arrived!"
This time, Platinum truly had no real sense of having won. She dumbly raised her arm, waving at the cameras and the spectators as if sleepwalking.
And through those cameras, this scene would be broadcast across the world simultaneously. Everyone would know that a rookie had defeated the Hong Kong Uma Musume King.
A single loss or victory doesn't prove everything, but without a doubt, the path ahead for Platinum had only just unfolded before her feet. One day, the whole world would watch her.
In the stands, Agnes Tachyon finally let out a long, slow breath.
She quickly wiped the sweat from her forehead, smoothed her hair, and after making sure she looked no different from usual, adjusted her expression to appear unmoved, then pushed through the crowd to leave.
"Going to share the victor's joy with the champion?" Uncle Francis called out to Agnes Tachyon.
Even though Golden Sixty had lost, he didn't seem particularly dejected. "Don't want her to see you in a state?"
"Heh, if she knew how excited I am, her tail would probably be wagging sky-high again." Agnes Tachyon's mood was clearly excellent, the corners of her mouth twitching upwards uncontrollably.
"I'm going to give her a hard time. Otherwise, that girl won't have any drive to improve."
She paused, then reached up and pressed down the smile tugging at her lips. "But she... she really gave me a huge, huge surprise."
"Even I never imagined that Platinum could actually go this far."
"She's already fought so desperately; I can't afford to hesitate or fall behind now."
--+--
Thousands of miles away, Symboli Rudolf was silent for a long moment before turning off the TV and sitting back down at her desk.
She picked up a pen and began writing on the official document before her. The soft scratch-scratch of the pen soon filled the entire student council room.
The sound continued for a while, then suddenly stopped. Symboli Rudolf sat at her desk, fiddling with her phone, and opened a chat window.
The contact named [File Transfer Assistant]was Platinum. When she first saw Platinum choose that name, Symboli Rudolf couldn't help but chuckle.
"If anyone actually mistakes me for the file transfer assistant and sends me all sorts of files, wouldn't I be able to snoop on them openly?" Platinum's earnest justification still echoed in Symboli Rudolf's ears.
[You performed well, but you need to be mindful of the risks. Didn't I tell you not to be so competitive...]
She wrote half the message, then shook her head and deleted it all.
In the end, she only typed one sentence: [Congratulations on your victory],and sent it.
The rest... she could deal with Platinum properly after she returned.
For now, let her enjoy the joy of winning properly.
--+--
"She won she won she won!" Daiwa Scarlet and Vodka excitedly hugged each other.
"She won she won she won!" Okino directly jumped up from his seat, pumped up and looking like he was about to launch into a set of military boxing right there in the training room.
"She won she won she won!" Gold Ship had already started doing military boxing in the training room. One careless swing, and her fist connected with Mejiro McQueen's head.
"Yelp!" Mejiro McQueen jerked backward, the back of her head smacking into Tokai Teio's forehead.
"Ow!" Tokai Teio also jerked backward, her head hitting Special Week's forehead. Special Week jerked back too... but there was no one behind her, so the back of her head met the wall with a solid thump, right against Suzuka's poster.
Mejiro McQueen, rubbing her reddened forehead, scolded Gold Ship: "Really... be more careful..."
It was then that Mejiro McQueen noticed Tokai Teio had fallen silent, just holding her forehead and staring unblinkingly at the TV.
"Teio, what's wrong?"
"It's... it's nothing." Tokai Teio watched Platinum on the TV screen, waving at the camera, and for a moment, she didn't know what emotion was welling up inside her. It felt like envy, yet also like blessing; like excitement, yet also like...
...How strange.
She just felt that Platinum, standing there inside the TV, standing in the Sha Tin Racecourse...
Was so dazzlingly brilliant at this moment.
--+--
And Platinum, standing before the camera, finally seemed to snap out of her dreamlike state and regain her senses.
"Ah, right... where's Golden Sixty?"
Platinum turned her gaze, looking into the distance.
Only then did she see the accident that had occurred on the racetrack.
"What? Leap of Faith actually..."
For a moment, the joy of victory was washed away. After all, that kid had ultimately decided to compete because of her encouragement.
You could say this accident on the track was indirectly connected to her.
With an anxious and conflicted heart, Platinum ran towards Leap of Faith's direction.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.