It was the end of the year, and a party was being held at URA Headquarters. With the Hopeful Stakes concluded, the racing calendar for the year was officially closed. Mejiro Ardan had participated in the Hopeful Stakes, and since her rivals Yaeno Muteki and Sakura Chiyono-O had sat this one out, Ardan was the sole powerhouse in the lineup. She secured the victory, finally achieving her long-awaited G1 win.
"Phew..." I tugged at my collar. "Wearing a tie really drains you. This is my third time attending one of these, but I still can't get used to it."
"It's weird seeing you dressed like that," Kuronuma remarked, looking me over. "You usually have your suit jacket unbuttoned and the top button of your shirt undone."
"No, no, hearing that from you is way weirder, Kuronuma-san," I retorted. "Usually, you're in a jersey, unziped all the way, looking like you're half-naked. I see you're actually wearing a suit today, though."
That said... he stuck out like a sore thumb.
A white suit with a wine-red shirt? And since he wasn't wearing his usual hat, his hair was visible—styled in a soft pompadour. He stood out tremendously... because he honestly looked like a member of the Yakuza.
"Well, never mind the clothes," Kuronuma grunted, waving it off. "More importantly, I think things are going to get absolutely ridiculous this year."
"Ridiculous? What do you mean?"
"It's scary that you have no self-awareness," Tojo-san interjected, joining us. "You've produced such results both domestically and internationally, yet you're playing dumb?"
"Tojo-san..."
"In his case, he genuinely doesn't get it, which makes it worse," Kuronuma sighed. "Can't you at least imagine how the awards are going to turn out?"
"I mean, I have a rough idea..." I scratched my cheek. "I figure C.B. might get the Classic Class and Horse Girl of the Year. Maybe Ardan or Arrow for the Junior Class, and perhaps Fuji for the Senior Class award."
"You actually made a proper prediction," Tojo noted, surprised.
"But," Kuronuma narrowed his eyes, "my gut tells me it's going to be way crazier than that."
"That's rare, coming from you."
"Just a hunch. That's all."
A little while later, the awards ceremony began. The order was Junior, Classic, then Senior, followed by Representative Horse Girl of the Year, and finally, Best Trainer.
MC:
"Ladies and gentlemen, are you enjoying the evening? We will now begin the class-specific awards ceremony for this year! First, we will announce the Junior Class! The Horse Girl who shone the brightest in the Junior Class is... Mejiro Ardan-san!! She finished her Junior year undefeated! Her performance in the Hopeful Stakes gave us an early glimpse of the scenery we can expect next spring!!"
"M-Me?" Ardan blinked in surprise.
"Good for you, Ardan," I smiled.
MC:
"Next is the Classic Class. The one who shone brightest in the Classic Class... She achieved the Triple Crown in Ireland!! Her running style has earned her the title 'The Flawless.' It is Mr. C.B.-san!! She remains undefeated in her career, displaying her prowess without fail overseas, and she showed us a powerful run in the year-end Japan Cup!!"
"Wow~, it's me~," C.B. chirped.
"Well, I suppose that is only natural," Air Groove nodded approvingly.
MC:
"And now, the Senior Class. The one who shone brightest in the Senior Class... She achieved four G1 victories this year! Furthermore, the aptitudes required for each were completely different!! The Sprint at the Sprinters Stakes, the Mile at the Yasuda Kinen, the Medium distance at the Tenno Sho (Autumn), and the Long distance at the Arima Kinen. This is a historic first!! The 'Beautiful Triple Crown Horse Girl,' Fuji Kiseki-san!!"
"I-Is it really okay for it to be me?" Fuji asked, looking around.
"B-Because you were chosen," Rice stammered happily.
"E-Exactly!" Maurice agreed.
"Wait," I muttered, looking at the stage. "Is everyone from our team?"
"You say that," Arrow nudged me, "but doesn't that mean the probability of you being chosen as Best Trainer is highest, Trainer?"
...Ah. Right.
Several Minutes Later
After several minutes of having cameras pointed at me and shutters clicking relentlessly, I was finally able to leave the stage. Incidentally, the Horse Girl of the Year award went to Mr. C.B. It made sense; she did win a Triple Crown overseas, after all.
MC:
"Next, we will present the international awards. First, the prestigious Eclipse Award from the United States has been awarded to Team Polaris's Wing Arrow-san!! Notably, receiving an Eclipse Award in the Junior Class is a feat not seen since Secretariat-san, the mentor of Team Polaris's Trainer, Hikigaya Yawata!!"
"Ehh~..." I stared blankly. "The Eclipse Award... that means she's the Representative Horse Girl of America..."
"No way..." Arrow covered her mouth.
MC:
"Continuing on, the prestigious Cartier Award from Europe has been awarded to a member of Team Polaris, Mr. C.B.-san!! Mr. C.B.-san has been selected as the Representative Horse Girl of the Year on two continents: Japan and Europe!! This is a monumental achievement, the first of its kind in the entire world!!"
"Yawata," C.B. tugged my sleeve. "The Cartier Award just now..."
"Yeah. It's the Horse Girl of the Year award for Europe."
"Oh my~... That's amazing~."
"Don't talk like it's someone else's business..."
MC:
"Furthermore, we have received a certificate of commendation from the International Federation of Horse Girl Authorities, known as the IFUA, based in Paris, France. Wing Arrow-san and Mr. C.B.-san, please come to the stage."
Several Tens of Minutes Later
MC:
"That concludes the awards ceremony. Please continue to enjoy the social gathering."
"Hey..." I whispered, looking at my group. "I don't really want to say this, but... was this entire ceremony just about us?"
"Yeah..." C.B. nodded slowly. "And I got three of them. This is crazy."
"To think this team would monopolize the awards to this extent..." Air Groove sighed, though she looked proud. "We truly have become completely absurd."
"B-But everyone was amazing!" Rice beamed. "And Brother looked so cool when he got his award!"
"Thanks, Rice."
And so, this year's awards ceremony came to a close. But it ended with the overwhelming result that everything was awarded to my team, Team Polaris.
Author's Note:
An awards ceremony like this is absolutely impossible...
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