"Hmm, I see, so you told Lily-chan to enter the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes, huh…"
Ash Stone, who had just declared war on Shirono Lily, returned to her dorm room.
Her roommate, Kyoei Bogan—who had fainted from excitement after watching Lily's race on TV—had just woken up, so Ash decided to tell her what had happened.
"…And if Lily-chan's trainer says no, what are you gonna do then?"
"...I dunno, honestly."
"Ash… If you get rejected, I'm gonna laugh so hard at you☆."
With that bright smile and thumbs-up, Ash suddenly wanted to punch her—but she held back.
The truth was, Ash had said all that earlier purely out of impulse, and hadn't considered the possibility of rejection.
If Lily said "Sorry, I can't ♡," she'd probably die of embarrassment on the spot.
"…You're such a pain in the ass… Maybe I should tell Lily that you call her 'Lily-chan' when she's not around?"
"Wha—!? Don't you dare! That's embarrassing, you stupid carrot!!"
"Wasn't that a bit harsh? …And seriously, why don't you just call her Lily-chan normally? I doubt Shiro would even care."
"It doesn't fit my character, okay? I'm supposed to be the cool, intelligent, dependable onee-san type!"
"…You mean foolish and lewd? And besides, someone as short as you doesn't exactly scream onee-san."
"Huh??? I'm still taller than Lily-chan and Rice!!"
"You're only 149 cm, though?"
"Wha—!? Eh!? Aahhh!??"
"You're so easy to set off…"
As you might have guessed, Kyoei Bogan was another victim—one whose brain had been completely melted by Shirono Lily.
Ash Stone had figured that out immediately, though Kyoei herself was desperately trying to keep it a secret from Lily. Apparently, she was too embarrassed to admit that she was a fan of her own friend.
But honestly, that was nothing compared to Rice Shower—if anything, Lily would probably love it.
"I'm cute, so it's only natural! But I'm really happy! Thank you, Kyo-chan!"—you could almost imagine her saying that with her trademark radiant smile.
The truth was, Kyoei had fallen for Lily at first sight. The moment she saw her walking through the academy halls, she fell head over heels.
Good thing she didn't witness the entrance ceremony flirting session… then again, they were always flirting like that anyway…
"Fuuu… okay, calm down. Be cool, me… Listen, Ash, there's a reason I call Lily-chan just 'Lily.'"
"Bet it's something stupid. If it's not, I'll let the big oak tree swallow me whole."
"You said it! Heh… Then I'll tell you. It's because… calling her by name feels more special and gets me excited! "
Ash stared at Kyoei, utterly dumbfounded.
Whenever Shirono Lily was involved, Kyoei's intelligence stat dropped straight to G-rank.
"…That's creepy, just saying."
"What'd you say, punk!? You wanna go!? …Anyway, jokes aside. Could it be that Lily-chan's aiming for the Triple Crown route?"
The sudden shift to seriousness surprised Ash. She briefly thought, if only she were always like this, but quickly decided she'd find that annoying too.
"…You guessed it? Yeah. Once she moves up to the Classic class, she won't have many chances to race her again. It's now or never…"
"I thought so. …A miler choosing to run middle and long-distance, huh? She's following the same path as Mihono Bourbon…"
"…Wait, wasn't she a sprinter?"
"According to her and her trainer, 'If a sprinter builds stamina, she can handle longer distances.' Pure muscle-brain logic, honestly."
"…So you're saying Shiro's a muscle-brain too?"
"Lily-chan is different."
"…No, she's really not."
"Lily-chan is cute and smart! Mihono Bourbon's just a muscle-brained hill runner! They're totally different!"
"Sounds the same to me!!"
The two girls kept yelling back and forth, but honestly—they both enjoyed it.
They'd never admit it, but their constant banter felt comfortable, even precious.
"…Hey, Ash."
"Huh? What?"
"Saying stuff like 'I'll defeat you' is a death flag, you know?"
"…A what now?"
"Oh, you don't get the reference… Want me to show you some anime later?"
"The ones you watch are always too complicated. No thanks."
"You're so picky, Ash-chan~ Maybe you'd like Pui Pui Molcar instead? No death flags there, though."
"Wait, so no death flags? Then what's the point!? And don't call me Ash-chan."
"Lily-chan calls you that and you don't complain~ So it's fine if I do it too, right?"
"You annoy me. Shiro doesn't. And besides, when I told her to stop she got all sad, so I let her keep doing it… Stop grinning like that or I'll punch you!"
"Ohh, scary scary~ Angry Ash-chan!"
"You damn idiot!!"
Later, they ended up watching anime together anyway.
Ash surprisingly liked Molcar, and since she'd said she loved animals, Kyoei began plotting to show her Golden Kamuy next.
---
The day after the Saudi Arabia Royal Cup.
It was just around noon.
The trainer was reviewing her beloved horses' upcoming race schedules and training plans.
"Both Rice and Lily haven't lost a race yet. Training's been going smoothly too, so maybe it's time to adjust things a bit… If Rice wins the Kyoto Nisai Stakes, we'll go with the Hopeful Stakes as planned. As for Lily…"
She suddenly realized she was talking aloud even though she was alone in the trainer's office. She'd gotten used to always having the two of them around.
Smiling wryly at herself, she stood up to make some coffee to clear her head.
Instant coffee, of course—she liked it for the convenience, even if the taste wasn't great.
Still, she secretly wanted to try using proper coffee tools someday. It seemed a bit intimidating, though. She poured water into the electric kettle and waited for it to boil.
(I've heard of dandelion root coffee too… I wonder what that tastes like?)
She always drank it black—the bitterness and aroma helped reset her mind.
Apparently, only Japanese people drink coffee black, but she didn't care. She drank what she liked.
While sipping her coffee, she reviewed Lily's race schedule again.
The next G1 was coming up, but there were three options: the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes, the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, or the Hopeful Stakes.
(…The Hopeful, I think. It's the same track and distance as the Satsuki Sho. Perfect for preparing ahead.)
Her only concern was the distance—2,000 meters.
Lily had never gone beyond 1,800 meters before.
But if she wanted to chase the Triple Crown, she'd have to handle races from 2,000 to 3,000 meters.
This was the hurdle she had to clear.
(That means she'll face Rice directly… Well, that's fine. They both wanted to race each other anyway.)
Normally, having teammates race in the same event was discouraged, since one of them had to lose.
But the trainer knew—runners like them wouldn't back down from a rival.
Her job was to support them with everything she had.
That's what being a trainer meant.
While she was thinking that, she sensed her two beloved girls approaching the office.
She hadn't expected visitors at this time, but then came a knock, followed by two familiar voices bursting in:
"Lulu-chan! We want to enter the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes!"
She blinked, bewildered—but decided to hear them out first.
---
"…Hmm, so Ash Stone invited you, huh. And what if I said no?"
"...Then I'd be in big trouble."
She didn't really plan to refuse—it fit the schedule fine—but she couldn't resist teasing Lily a little.
Immediately, Lily's ears drooped, her expression turned sorrowful, and guilt stabbed through the trainer's heart.
She sighed, defeated by her own mischief.
"I—I'm kidding, okay? Don't make that face. The schedule's fine, really."
"Really!? Thank you, Lulu-chan!"
In an instant, Lily's face lit up with pure sunshine again, making the trainer's heart melt.
Though Rice Shower was now staring at her with that signature deadpan 'really? ' look.
"…Don't tease Lily-chan too much, okay, Onee-sama?"
"Yes ma'am, my sincerest apologies…"
"If you do it again, I'll have to 'pamper' you myself."
"Oh? That sounds very interesting…"
"What do you mean, what do you mean! Show me, Rice-chan!"
"…If Lily-chan wants to see, then I'll show you."
Lily's innocent eyes sparkled as Rice calmly guided the trainer over to the sofa.
"Onee-sama, are you excited~?"
"Then I'll give you your punishment now, Onee-sama♪"
Rice slipped her leg between the trainer's thighs, wrapped her arms around her waist, and gently pushed her down onto the sofa.
Her finger traced along the trainer's lips as she leaned closer.
The trainer's heartbeat pounded wildly. Rice smiled softly, clearly aware of it, and brushed a hand along her cheek.
The trainer twitched from the touch, and Rice giggled.
"…How was that, Onee-sama?"
"…f-fuhyo…"
"You're not resisting? Naughty Onee-sama~"
"More… please, more…!"
"Letting your student have her way with you? Tsk tsk~ such a bad teacher♪"
"Ah—by—uh—ugh!!"
"Oh my, your heartbeat's going crazy~ okay, that's enough for now♪"
"Fuwawawa…"
Rice pulled away, leaving the trainer trembling in a daze, completely broken.
Satisfied, Rice turned to Lily with a mischievous smile.
Lily, blushing furiously, looked utterly dazed.
"How was that, Lily-chan?"
"Uh… I-I think that was a bit too advanced for me…"
"Hehe, don't worry, Lily-chan. I wouldn't do that to you."
"T-that's… a little disappointing—no, wait! I mean, that's a relief!"
"Because you see, Lily-chan… if it were you…"
Rice stepped closer, embraced her gently, and whispered softly into her ear—
"…I might not be able to stop myself♪"
"...p-pyau…"
Lily let out a tiny, adorable squeak.
Rice chuckled, brushing her cheek tenderly.
Lily pouted slightly, but soon melted into a blissful smile, resting her head against Rice's chest, tail and ears flicking gently as she was petted.
Just then, the trainer finally regained consciousness and groaned, "They're at it again…"
Rice, smiling sweetly, went over to help her up.
"…You two sure get along, as usual. Anyway, I actually had something to tell you. Wasn't expecting you to come this early, but this works out."
"What is it, Onee-sama?"
"It's about your upcoming races. Rice, if you win the Kyoto Nisai Stakes, you'll proceed to the Hopeful Stakes as planned. Lily, same for you—but since Ash Stone challenged you, you'll do the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes first, then the Hopeful Stakes after."
"Ooh! My first G1, huh! I'm getting excited!"
"Wow! A G1 for me too! I've gotta give it my all! And Lily-chan—"
"'We'll be in the same race!'"
"—Exactly!"
"Can't wait! I've absolutely got to win the Kyoto Nisai!"
"And I'll cheer you on, Rice-chan!"
"Alright, alright. But Lily, don't forget about Ash Stone, okay?"
"Of course not! She's not someone you can beat if you're distracted. I'm gonna give it everything I've got!"
"Good answer! Oh, and since your training's been smoother lately, we'll be increasing the intensity a bit. Be ready!"
"Got it!"
"Okay, Onee-sama!"
Watching them smile so confidently, the trainer thought of Ash Stone.
In their debut, Lily had easily beaten her.
But after the summer camp, Ash had improved frighteningly fast.
At first, Lily had won nine out of ten practice runs—but by the end, they were evenly matched.
And that was months ago.
By now, Ash was definitely even stronger.
A tough battle awaited.
But they had to win.
(One month left… Ash Stone's a genius, no doubt. But my girls won't lose!)
Pumping herself up mentally, she clenched her fists.
"By the way, Onee-sama, did you eat lunch yet? If not, wanna join us?"
"Hmm? Ah, not yet. Sure, I'll come along."
"Yay! Let's go, Lulu-chan!"
"Come on, Onee-sama!"
The two girls cheerfully took her hands and led her toward the cafeteria.
"Hehehe… their hands are so soft… I'm in heaven…"
"…You always say weird stuff when you're flustered, Onee-sama."
"Huh? Really, Lulu-chan?"
"W-wait, Rice! Don't tell her that! When did you even notice!?"
"About a week after you scouted me? You're easy to read."
"Whoa! That's amazing, Rice-chan! I didn't notice at all!"
"Ugh… so embarrassing…"
"Come on now, let's go, Onee-sama."
"Yo… yo… yo…"
Later, at the cafeteria, the trainer jokingly asked the two to "feed her a bite—ahhn♡," and both actually did—
Rice playfully, Lily innocently—
causing the poor trainer to "die" once again.
---
"Hey, Trainer. About the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes—Lily said yes."
"I see. Got it, Ash. …But next time, please get my permission first, okay?"
"…Yeah, my bad."
"As long as you understand. Still, I wanted a rematch with her too. Granting a horse's wish is a trainer's duty."
"Don't call me your 'horse,' that's gross."
Her words were sharp, but compared to before, she'd mellowed out a lot.
He remembered their first meeting—
"Why'd I pick you as my trainer? Hah! 'Cause you looked easy to handle, duh. Those veteran types are way too strict. You better work hard for me, got it?"
…Yeah, she'd been awful back then.
Honestly, losing to Lily had been the best thing that could've happened to her.
If she'd kept winning, she probably would've broken completely the first time she ever lost.
But now—she'd learned from defeat.
She'd grown stronger because of it.
And she laughed more now. Not the cruel, mocking laugh she used to have—
but a bright, genuine smile.
She'd made friends too—Kyoei Bogan, Rice Shower, and others.
Her world had expanded, and her trainer was proud of that.
"…Why're you smiling like that, creep?"
"I was just thinking how much you've grown, Ash."
"…I'm reporting you to Miss Tazuna for harassment."
"Please don't!? I'd die! Seriously!!"
He shuddered in real fear at the thought, making Ash burst out laughing.
Then, suddenly, she looked him in the eye—serious again.
"…One month left. I'm counting on you, Trainer. …I'm gonna beat Shiro."
"That's my line. We'll win—absolutely."
"Heh. …Fine, I'll hold you to that, Trainer."
"Of course! My horse is the strongest there is!"
"Stop calling me that! …You know what, I am telling Miss Tazuna."
"Wait, Ash!! No, stop—Aaaash!!"
---
One month remained.
At the Daily Hai Nisai Stakes, Shirono Lily would come face-to-face with her own limits.