The race moved on to the fourth group. Rice Shower clenched her fists and gave herself a small pep talk. Whenever she was nervous or down, she would use this method to help herself rally.
"Do your best, Rice Shower."
Shirayuki stood by her side.
"Yes, Rice... will do my best."
Although she felt a bit of envy and jealousy towards Shirayuki because of Onii-sama, she knew what was important. The race was the top priority right now. She couldn't let her feelings about Shirayuki's relationship with the trainer cause her to intentionally ignore her.
After graciously accepting her well wishes, Rice Shower walked onto the track.
Shirayuki waved at her.
On the track, everyone was making their final preparations. Three figures caught her eye. They were her biggest rivals in this race.
Third place, Twin Turbo, a girl with heterochromatic blue and purple eyes and a set of jagged teeth. She waved to her classmates.
"I'm going for first!"
Her loud voice carried across the crowd and into Rice Shower's ears.
Second place, Mihono Bourbon, with long chestnut hair and blue eyes, her face devoid of any emotion, as cold as a robot.
And finally, the most popular one, Mejiro McQueen. As a member of the Mejiro family, she had shown excellent results in her first mock race and was signed by a senior trainer. She was a Horse Girl with both skill and popularity.
Looking at the three who seemed to be at the center of the world, Rice Shower hid at the edge of the track.
The light there was too bright, so dazzling she didn't dare to get close.
Seeing this, Shirayuki walked out and took her hand.
"Shirayuki-san... what are you doing?"
"Rice Shower, you need to stand with them."
"What?! N-no, no, no, I can't. I'm different from them..."
"Listen to me. These people will be your rivals from now on, in the mock races and in the Twinkle Series. If you back down now because you think you're different, then you've already lost before the race even starts."
"But I..."
"You're no different from them." Shirayuki held her shoulders. "What they can do, you can do too. You will surpass them and shine brighter than anyone."
"I... can't do it..."
"Rice Shower, I will make you do it. I mean, we will make you do it. You're not alone anymore. Gold Ship, Doto, and your trainer, we will all help you. If you feel like you can't do it, come rely on us. We will give you courage!"
After hearing Shirayuki's words, Rice Shower finally spoke after a long pause.
"Really...? Is that what you really think, Shirayuki-san?"
"Of course."
With her sincere encouragement, Rice Shower's resentment towards her had unknowingly lessened. Led by Shirayuki, she walked over to the three of them.
I will do my best to beat them...
Rice Shower made up her mind.
"Go for it!"
In the spectator stands, Chiya gripped the railing.
"That little black-haired girl is your Horse Girl too, right?"
"That's right."
"Is she planning to run short-distance races?"
"No, I'm planning to have her run long-distance."
"Really...?" Nase Fumino raised an eyebrow. "I don't think her physique is suited for long-distance. She's too frail."
"That's where you're wrong, Trainer Nase." Chiya wagged a finger. "Rice Shower's heartbeat is very powerful, far exceeding that of an ordinary Horse Girl. Don't let her small size fool you. Her stamina and endurance are very strong, far from what you see."
"Her heartbeat... I see. But Trainer Fujiwara, how do you know her heartbeat is so strong?"
Nase Fumino looked at him with a strange expression, her eyes conveying an unspoken question.
"Hey, I didn't touch her to find out. I heard it."
An image of a man in his twenties pressing his ear to a little girl's chest flashed through Nase Fumino's mind.
"Wait a minute! When I said I heard it, I didn't mean I put my ear on her. I heard it from a distance."
"From a distance..."
Then her heart must be very strong indeed.
"By the way, Trainer Nase, I've been meaning to ask since just now. Why are you so proactive today?"
"Proactive?"
"I mean, look, you're usually so quiet and indifferent to these kinds of races. Why are you so interested in the race's progress today?"
This was the first time he had spoken so much with her, and it made him a little uncomfortable.
Hearing this, Nase Fumino pinched her chin, thought for a moment, and then said, "You could say I'm gathering intelligence."
"Intelligence?"
"Because the Horse Girl I'm training is from the same generation as yours, we will inevitably meet on the track in the future. Before that, I want to gather as much information as possible to prepare for the future."
"And here I thought you were just chatting with me! It turns out you're a spy!"
What surprised him even more was that she had admitted it so freely.
"Trainer Nase, if you're going to be like that, then I have to ask you some questions too."
"Go ahead."
"Besides Tokai Teio, who else are you in charge of?"
"All of them?"
"The ones in my year."
"El Condor Pasa, Grass Wonder, Tokai Teio, and Narita Top Road."
"Alright! From now on, I'm going to frantically gather intelligence on them," Chiya declared.
"Their races are coming up later. If there's anything you don't understand, I can explain it to you."
"...Aren't you afraid I'll surpass you after getting information on them?"
"No." Nase Fumino tucked her hair behind her ear. "Whether they are analyzed or not, I will do my best to help them win."
"Is that so..."
She said it so seriously that he didn't know how to respond.
Oh well, if she wanted to analyze, then let her. They were around the same age, probably the two youngest trainers in all of Tracen. He might as well think of her as a fated rival.
Of course, she was an advanced trainer, and he was just a rookie. The gap was still quite large.
Putting aside his thoughts about her, Chiya focused on the track. After the introductions, the race was in its preparation phase. The Horse Girls entered the gates one by one. Rice Shower was at gate six.
It wasn't the outermost lane, but it was quite close to the middle. The competition at the start would be fierce. Chiya had said that her heart was strong, so she wouldn't be at a disadvantage even against stronger Horse Girls.
But her small size was still a significant disadvantage in a race. If she got bumped, her stamina would drain much faster than others. Too much jostling would be bad for her.
As long as she could keep her cool and not fight for a position, it would be fine.
In the gate, Rice Shower took a deep breath.
If it were Onii-sama, he would definitely tell her to relax, not to be nervous, and not to panic if a good position was taken. The most important thing in the early stages was to conserve energy for the final sprint.
At that thought, she couldn't help but smile.
Rice knows Onii-sama so well. So, this race, Rice is going to win!
-------
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