That was what was happening on the other side.
Now bring the camera back to the training track—
Right now, the front-running sprint was still going!
…
Tazuna Hayakawa watched Fuka Shirayuki keep charging forward…
Watched her show no sign whatsoever of slowing down—
Her eyes practically started sparkling.
This one's interesting, she thought.
With the "Green Devil's" experience as her yardstick: a horse girl who hadn't even debuted, hadn't undergone any systematic training, and yet already possessed speed like this…
With proper coaching, she might become a specialist built for mile races!
Maybe even a G1 champion wasn't out of reach!
Tazuna suddenly understood why Shirayuki had those long boots.
Why she could already possess a "Three Goddesses' blessing."
If she could really get Fuka Shirayuki onto the professional stage, then maybe—just maybe—she'd be holding the script for a Cinderella comeback.
…Honestly.
Tazuna recalled what she'd seen earlier—
Shirayuki pitching herself to Symboli Rudolf, and getting turned down by the Emperor.
With a wry chuckle, Tazuna shook her head.
Who would've thought the very Emperor who once discovered the Ashen Cinderella could fail to notice the birth of a second Cinderella?
No matter what, she had to get Shirayuki onto a real track and let her try!
As she was thinking—
Fuka Shirayuki finally blasted past the 1600-meter finish line!
Tazuna snapped back to herself and hit the stopwatch.
The numbers froze at something absurd.
Without hesitation, she started walking straight toward Shirayuki—
But halfway there, Tazuna realized she couldn't be that excited.
She was a senior. The chairwoman's secretary. She had to look composed.
Besides, she'd seen plenty of people waste their talent through arrogance.
Only the monsters who didn't pride themselves on "talent" could forge the name Legend.
So Tazuna kept a cold face and said, "Fuka Shirayuki… is it?"
"Mm…"
The sound the girl made was… strange.
Like… a sticky, clumped-together voice?
Had Shirayuki sounded like this just now?
While thinking that, Tazuna continued, "That speed of yours… it's okay, I guess. But it's pretty average. If you want to run a debut race…"
"Uh…" Shirayuki lowered her head and let out an unconscious syllable.
Wait.
Why did that sound like she was about to cry?!
Tazuna froze. The rest of her sentence wouldn't come out.
She'd only wanted to stop Shirayuki from getting cocky, so she didn't show how thrilled she actually was.
In truth, for a wild, unaffiliated horse girl, Shirayuki's ability was a massive pleasant surprise—more than enough for a debut race.
But the moment Tazuna finished those cold words—
A terrible premonition bloomed in her chest.
Tazuna stared at Shirayuki's bowed head and murmured, "No way…"
She watched Shirayuki slowly lift her face.
Those blue-green eyes that had carried a lonely calm were now flooded with water, like a lake swelling beyond its banks.
Clear tears slid down her cheeks.
That already delicate face now wore a fragile, shattered look unlike anything else.
"H-Hey—why are you crying?!" Tazuna yelped in panic!!!
What was going on?!
She wanted nothing more than to time-travel back one minute and urgently retract everything she'd just said.
Then Tazuna remembered—
Shirayuki had already been rejected by the Emperor earlier.
And that was only what Tazuna had personally witnessed.
How many times had Shirayuki—without connections, without a background, without favoritism, without training or technique—been turned down when no one was looking?
How many times had she been looked down on?
In a world where bloodline and pedigree mattered so much, it was practically normal for a wild horse girl's dream to shatter again and again.
Tazuna couldn't even imagine how miserable Shirayuki's past must have been.
All she'd wanted was one chance.
Just one chance to prove herself…
And Tazuna had to go and tug her around like that!
Couldn't she just say, You ran amazingly?
Right now, Tazuna wanted to slap herself.
"I—I lied, Fuka Shirayuki. You ran really well! I'll recommend you for the debut race! But—no, don't cry, okay? Don't be sad!" Even for an old-timer…
Tazuna had basically zero experience comforting people.
So she tried praising Shirayuki instead.
Shirayuki inhaled and sniffled twice. "I'm not sad… I just can't really hold it back. Thank you for recommending me for the debut-race qualification… it's really important to me."
To be honest—
It wasn't even that Shirayuki wanted to cry.
It felt like… emotions belonging to the body's original owner?
Like she couldn't avoid being influenced…
So this body's an easy crier? Shirayuki thought.
But even so—
She still showed no signs of stopping.
Tazuna could only raise the stakes of her consolation.
"How about… you try coming to Central Tracen Academy? Don't worry about entrance exams or evaluations—I'll arrange it for you!"
She said it like she just happened to have a bit of authority around here.
Local guns-and-cannons of Central Tracen: Tazuna Hayakawa.
"I… I still have a little sister…" Shirayuki replied softly.
Tazuna, not understanding, pressed on: "So what if you have a sister? People should live for themselves, shouldn't they? Don't you want to chase your dream? Shine on the professional stage! Proper training is absolutely your best choice!"
Her tone was bold, like she was painting Shirayuki a bright, special future.
Shirayuki fell silent.
The atmosphere turned awkward in an instant…
A dead hush spread through the air, and Tazuna slowly—gradually—began to realize something was off.
Her expression changed.
…No way.
She thought.
Shirayuki spoke weakly. "I only have one sister left. As her big sister… I have to take care of her."
"…"
"…"
Smack.
A crisp sound of palm striking cheek.
Tazuna slapped herself, whispering, "I really deserve to die."
"…"
"I REALLY DESERVE TO DIE!!!!"
Fuka Shirayuki was full of strengths—
And yet Tazuna just had to grab the one weak spot and stab it!
Even if she woke up in the middle of the night someday and remembered this, she'd still have to slap herself twice—seriously, why bring up the one thing you shouldn't?!
She really deserved to die!!!!
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (180 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (110 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (190 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (78 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (130 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (80 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (140 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (50 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (60 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (80 Chapter)
Arknights : Batman System (30 Chapter)
Chat Group: Swapping Bodies with the Bad-Ending Herta from the Start (43 Chapter)
DanMachi: Why Did My Dungeon Turn Into a Soulslike Game? (41 Chapter)
Losing Money on Uma Musume...What Do You Mean You Actually Won? (55 Chapter)
I'm Gotou Hitori—Who Are You? (30 Chapter)
Were You Ever Even a Uma Musume? Stop Making Things Up! (47 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it