October 18, 2011.
Auspicious: marriage, travel, moving, moving into a new home, opening for business.
Inauspicious: installing gates/doors, Taoist rites.
…
…
Five days passed in the blink of an eye…
And soon, it was finally the day of the newcomer debut race.
"So many people…" Fuka Chiori sighed in pure reaction-image fashion as she stared at the long lines ahead.
Was this what Tokyo was like?
Tokyo Tracen… Central Tracen—the place with the highest standard in all of Japan!
Even debut races could be set at Tokyo Racecourse, one of the four major tracks.
And considering Tokai Teio's follower count…
The stands were already packed with thousands upon thousands of fans, all waiting for Teio to win!!!
So these are the top-tier horse girls…?
Chiori couldn't help marveling again.
She didn't know—no, she wasn't sure—whether her sister was really going to step onto that track today…
Honestly speaking…
Even though Chiori was biased toward her own sister—
she still couldn't imagine any reason her sister could possibly beat Tokai Teio.
Even if you tried to make it up…
how could you even write something that outrageous!?
Worry seeped into the girl's eyes.
Forget it, forget it…
You can't beat her.
No chance.
Chiori gently tugged her sister's sleeve, thinking: We're here to watch, right?
Sis is just joking—bringing me out to relax.
Fuka Shirayuki looked at her. "What's wrong?"
"N-nothing." Chiori originally wanted a clear answer.
But…
when she saw the light in Shirayuki's eyes, she fell silent.
She didn't want to crush her sister's confidence, so she simply shut up.
And…
Fuka Shirayuki, wearing her "King of Kings—Boots among Boots," stood in the audience area.
These past days she hadn't done anything at all—
just typed and typed…
and waited for the ending to happen.
The corners of Shirayuki's lips lifted slightly.
When Tokai Teio loses… that young, prideful little foal—what kind of despairing face will she make?
Just imagining it felt delicious.
She lightly licked her lips.
Shirayuki's face was full of amused anticipation.
She couldn't wait anymore!
Today—today—today!
She could even hear a voice constantly ringing in her head:
["Divine Pen Horse-Girl System."]
[First "Chronicle of Time": Conditions met.]
[Target: Tokai Teio.]
So…
[Contract established.]
[The outcome of this race has been rewritten.]
[After the newcomer debut race ends, the system will upgrade.]
[New features unlocked: Personal Status Panel, Deathmatch Space, Growth Path, Chronicle of Time.]
…Ho ho ho.
That's kind of insane.
It even upgrades?
Shirayuki thought.
…
Time trickled by again, second by second.
This time, the cameras stopped focusing on the thousands in the outer grounds and the stands—
and switched to backstage.
As a first-time racer, Fuka Shirayuki had no experience.
So right now she was still standing in the spectator area, waiting like an idiot…
Too excited—
and she'd completely forgotten about the whole "competitors prepare backstage" thing.
Every racer had their own private lounge…
And this was Tokai Teio's backstage room.
The blue-eyed foal sat on a chair.
In the mirror, her reflection showed a face that kept shifting between moods.
Her mind still echoed with what happened three days ago…
Back then, Tokai Teio believed a novel was just a novel.
A novel couldn't interfere with reality.
So…
that "unrivaled under heaven, an enemy descends from above" plot was obviously fake!
Those names on the entry list—
they looked like roadside strays to her!
Why are you headbutting Teio-sama's feet with your faces!?
But…
can someone please tell Tokai Teio why someone actually registered after her?
When she saw that Fuka Shirayuki had entered, Teio froze like she'd been struck by lightning.
Is this real!? This kind of thing!?
Could it be…
was she really going to lose, just like the book wrote?
How was that possible!
A young foal bristling with thorns—sharp and prickly—wanted to declare to the whole world that none of it was real.
She tried to soothe her emotions, telling herself: It's all fake.
Only the ending where I win is real.
But…
even Tokai Teio didn't realize it—
the expression in the mirror…
looked a little nervous!?
She took deep—deep—breaths, trying to calm down.
Knock, knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Teio turned toward it, face blank.
Outside was Symboli Rudolf.
"Teio, it's me."
She didn't say who she was, but just the voice was enough.
"Chairwoman?" Teio's expression showed surprise.
The door creaked open.
Rudolf leaned against the doorway, smiling at her junior.
"What's wrong?"
"First race of your life coming up—feeling nervous?"
Teio tried to deny it. "I… I'm not—" She panicked a little, hands and feet clumsy.
"Or is it because of that novel?" Rudolf asked with a smile.
This time Teio lowered her head—drooping, deflated—without answering.
But that was the best answer possible.
Rudolf understood exactly what Teio was thinking.
Amused and exasperated, she said:
"That horse girl named Fuka Shirayuki isn't even backstage!"
"There are only ten minutes until the race starts. She's acting like she isn't even coming to compete!"
"Up till now she hasn't prepared at all—honestly, I'm starting to doubt she even exists!"
"Or maybe someone's trying to mess with your head on purpose—made up a character just to shake you."
"I really don't know what kind of screening the JRA is doing. A horse girl like that can pass?"
The door wasn't closed.
Teio could still hear staff outside shouting in panic:
"Fuka Shirayuki! Where is Fuka Shirayuki?!"
"..."
Teio went blank.
"…Huh?"
This is… allowed?
She didn't even know what to say!
So all that time Teio was nervous—
she was scared of an enemy that didn't even exist!?
Rudolf didn't need a long comforting speech at all.
Once Teio understood this—
a smile slowly bloomed across her face.
"So… so that's how it is."
Fuka Shirayuki!
Where are you?
You're not even in the Tokyo newcomer race!
As her mindset finally settled…
Tokai Teio lowered her head, then lifted it again—
only this time, her eyes were filled with resolve and determination!
Teio-sama…
is invincible!!!
Seeing Teio's change clearly, Rudolf turned to leave.
From here on, it wasn't something she could manage.
Honestly, Rudolf was pretty happy Teio had "awakened" on her own.
Sometimes, the ability to adjust your mentality was just as important—
otherwise, why would there be so many people who choke under pressure?
After turning away, Rudolf returned toward the stands.
She scanned the entire Tokyo Racecourse and suddenly realized there were quite a few familiar faces.
Right beside her was Fine Motion—the Flower Queen—who had come specifically to watch Tokai Teio's debut.
And in the distance…
Wasn't that the Green Devil!?
Hayakawa Tazuna?
The only question was: why was Hayakawa Tazuna here?
Rudolf suddenly seemed to think of something—
"Wait!"
Her expression turned into pure horror!!!
…
"Where the hell are you!?"
A phone rang.
Fuka Shirayuki answered.
The caller ID said Hayakawa Tazuna.
The moment she picked up, Tazuna roared from the other end:
"The organizers are asking me—where are you!?"
"You're not messing with me, are you?"
Fuka Shirayuki looked utterly confused.
"…Huh?"
"I'm at Tokyo Racecourse."
Tazuna couldn't help pressing: "Then why aren't you backstage?"
"Wait, there's backstage?" Shirayuki froze.
Now it was Tazuna's turn to be stunned.
She thought: Isn't that common sense?
But there was no time to explain.
She could only say quickly:
"Hurry over! The race is about to start—forget it, just get on the track. There's no time left!"
Shirayuki hung up fast.
She turned back to her little sister, pointed down toward the track, and said:
"I'm going to race."
"…?" Chiori stared at her.
Is this imagination time!?
The race starts in five minutes…
What is Sis even saying!?
Sasuke.JPG.
"Don't mess with me," Chiori replied softly.
Shirayuki walked while pulling off her coat. "I'm not messing with you! They're already calling me to get on!"
Are you a pro horse girl?
"I think I am," Shirayuki murmured.
A passerby who'd overheard the whole exchange laughed.
"You're saying you're a pro?"
"Of course." Shirayuki lifted her chin proudly.
The passerby grinned. "Me too. I'm a pro—professionally a security guard."
But…
right at that moment—
"Competitor Fuka Shirayuki, please proceed immediately to the backstage area for pre-race preparation… otherwise, your qualification will be revoked."
"Competitor Fuka Shirayuki, please proceed immediately to the backstage area for pre-race preparation… otherwise, your qualification will be revoked."
The Tokyo Racecourse broadcast blared.
Some spectators looked confused—Who the heck is that?
Only Fuka Chiori snapped stiff—
She understood Japanese!
Dear god, she was practically Japanese!
And that meant…
she understood the familiar name in the announcement—
her sister's name!!!
She watched her sister, now in sportswear after taking off her coat, sprint unobstructed toward the track…
Show her credentials…
The staff let her through…
Chiori froze completely!!!
Frozen on the spot!
Including the passerby who'd just cracked the joke.
Passerby: "…Huh?"
Passerby: "Wait—no, you really are!?"
Your own failure might be hard to accept…
but becoming the clown is even more heartbreaking!!!
Watching her sister step onto the track—
Fuka Chiori: "!???????"
-------
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