"Hiss… why does the number on the grill feel off?"
Peach Waves narrowed her eyes. She had just placed fifteen skewers on the grill. But now, right as she was about to sprinkle cumin, two or three were mysteriously missing.
"I swear I just put these on…"
She turned toward the prep station, where the raw skewers never seemed to pile up. Suspicious, she peeked around the corner—
—and caught Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap casually chatting, each with a skewer in hand, munching away like it was a picnic.
"You two! Aren't you full yet?! I'm not grilling for fun—get back to work!"
Startled, the two Uma Musume quickly stuffed the rest of their skewers into their mouths and scrambled back to skewering duty.
Meanwhile, Special Week was still devouring skewers at lightning speed, prompting Gold Ship to sigh.
"That girl eats like a black hole…"
As the race was about to begin and the crowd thinned, Peach Waves handed the stall over to Gold Ship and slipped away to watch Suzuka's match.
She'd invited the others, but Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap refused—claiming skewers were more important. Gold Ship, meanwhile, was lounging in a chair, nose-deep in a comic book.
"Welcome to the eleventh race of the Series! Next up—Silent Suzuka, the fan favorite!"
The announcer's voice echoed through the stadium. Suzuka stepped out in her training coat, then tossed it aside with a confident pose.
"So beautiful…"
Special Week, standing behind the fence, murmured in awe.
"Right? Suzuka-chan is stunning," Peach Waves added, arms crossed.
Special Week turned, eyes wide.
"You're… the kebab girl!"
Peach Waves waved casually.
"Just a part-time gig. No need to make a fuss."
"Your skewers were amazing! By the way, do you know Silent Suzuka?"
Peach Waves smiled mysteriously.
"We're friends. And you are?"
"I'm Special Week—from Hokkaido!"
"Nice to meet you. I'm Peach Waves."
They shook hands politely, then turned back to the race.
Suddenly, Special Week flinched. Something… touched her leg.
"W-wow… these leg muscles…"
Okino, squatting behind her, was muttering and touching her calves like a creep.
"There's a pervert!!"
With lightning reflexes, Special Week spun and kicked him square in the chest, sending him flying several meters. His lollipop landed nearby.
Peach Waves, ever prepared, snapped a photo of the scene.
Okino lay on the ground, nose bleeding, unconscious. Special Week cautiously approached.
"Um… are you okay?"
A crowd gathered. Two patrolling officers arrived.
"What's going on here?"
Okino groaned and sat up, ignoring the blood and sauce on his face. He reached toward Special Week with a dazed smile.
"I'm a good person… I didn't mean anything bad…"
Special Week backed away, clearly disturbed.
Just then, a burly officer stepped in and knocked Okino down again.
"Hey! Wait! I know her! Peach Waves—tell them I'm not a creep!"
The officers turned to Peach Waves.
She cleared her throat, walked over with a righteous expression, and handed them her phone.
"Here's a photo of him being a total creep. Please deal with him."
The officers nodded.
"Don't worry, miss. We'll take care of this idiot."
As Okino was dragged away, Peach Waves turned to Special Week.
"It's okay now."
"Thanks… but he called your name. Do you know him? Are you two… working together?!"
"Ah—no, no! He's Tracen's trainer. I'm on his team."
"A trainer?!"
"Yeah… don't worry. He'll be out in a few days."
"What do you even do in training?"
"Hmm… let me call Gold Ship. She'll explain."
Peach Waves dialed. Gold Ship, still reading comics in the food truck, picked up.
"Yo, what's up, Peach? I'm almost back at school."
"Gold ship, Okino just got arrested."
"What?! He finally got caught?!"
Her voice was loud enough for Special Week to hear.
Finally? What does that mean? Is he a repeat offender?!
Peach Waves laughed nervously.
"Ahaha, we're just joking. Trainers are… mostly decent. Just not always serious."
"Not always?!"
"Okay, okay—let's go watch the race."
Peach Waves and Special Week returned to the stands.
Suzuka was warming up at the gate. She spotted Peach Waves and smiled, then noticed Special Week beside her.
Who's that? A friend of Peach Waves?
The gate opened.
Suzuka exploded forward with a flawless start, immediately taking the lead.
"Wow! She's amazing!"
Special Week's eyes sparkled as she watched Suzuka glide across the track like a wind spirit.
"You really like Suzuka, huh?"
"She's so cool… I wish I could be that strong."
"So, what's your goal?"
"To become the number one horse girl in all of Japan!"
"Woah… I will be rooting for you then!"
As the race neared its end, Suzuka maintained her lead, widening the gap with each stride.
She crossed the finish line in first place. The crowd erupted in cheers.
"She did it!"
"There's a winner's stage after this. Want to go see it?"
"What about you?"
"I've got to get back to the food truck. Business calls. Bye-bye!"
"O-oh… okay!"