Hachiman's Perspective
Six weeks had slipped by since we first arrived at the Chantilly Academy. With the Prix Royal-Oak now only seven days away, Rice had finished her heavy load and transitioned into the tapering phase—fine-tuning her condition rather than pushing for more speed. Since our stay wasn't intended to be long, the training hadn't been grueling, but I like to think we've done everything humanly possible to prepare. At thirty-one hundred meters, this race is a true test of endurance; you don't go into a distance like that without doing your homework.
During our time here, I'd been proactive about arranging joint gallops and training sessions with the local girls. One day, while Mr. Fabre and I were observing a group of trainees, I pulled out a notebook where I'd summarized my observations. Before I could even show the notes to the girls, Mr. Fabre took an interest in them. After scanning the pages, he turned to his students with a look of profound realization.
"Everyone," Fabre had said, his voice carrying across the turf. "It seems you've made the best decision of your careers by joining this session. These pages contain a meticulous breakdown of your weaknesses, your strengths, and the exact points you need to overcome. But that is not the most impressive part. What is truly staggering is that Mr. Hikigaya has identified in a single glance what took me months of observation to understand. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for this stroke of luck."
After that ringing endorsement, I somehow ended up in charge of specialized training to help the local girls fix their flaws. Since then, I've seen marked improvements across the board. We've been tackling everything from bad habits like premature "rolling" moves and poor cornering to the tendency to swing too wide on the final turn or failing to settle on the backstretch. In Europe, where you often face long, sweeping bends and massive straightaways, ironing out these kinks is more than just helpful—it's essential.
As for Rice, she's been handling the drills with effortless grace. In the beginning, she'd leave the others in her dust the moment they cleared the fourth corner. The local girls are starting to hold their own now, but none of them can quite match Rice's raw, sustained cruising speed.
"Mr. Hikigaya," Fabre said, approaching me as training wound down. "I've just had word from Mr. O'Ryan and Mr. Apple. They've both just touched down in France. I was wondering... would you care to join the four of us for dinner later this evening?"
"I'd be honored," I replied. "I've been looking for an opportunity to thank them properly for their advice anyway. I'd love to come."
"Splendid! I'll let them know. I'm sure they'll be delighted. Besides," Fabre added with a mischievous glint in his eye, "it gives me a chance to brag a little."
"Brag? About what?"
"Ha! Don't play modest with me, Mr. Hikigaya. Thanks to you, my trainees have grown leaps and bounds. They knew they had hurdles to clear, but they were stuck—they didn't know how to change. I wanted to help them, but the right method eluded me. Having you look over them has given them more than just technique; it's given them confidence. Both they and I are truly grateful."
"I'm just returning the favor," I muttered, feeling a bit itchy under the praise. "You've given us a place to stay; it's the least I can do. But about that 'bragging'... are you sure that's a good idea?"
"How do you mean?"
"I'm not going to end up being shipped off to England or Ireland next, am I? Because I have to draw the line somewhere."
Fabre laughed heartily. "Ah... knowing those two, that's actually a distinct possibility. I'll try to keep my praise somewhat restrained, then. By the way, Mr. Hikigaya... would it be possible to get a copy of those weakness-correction menus you drew up?"
"Of course. I'll translate them and hand them over."
So, O'Ryan and Apple were officially in the country. If they were arriving a week before the race, it meant they were definitely bringing their own heavy hitters to the field. The stakes were officially rising.
"Big Brother! I'm all finished with my warm-down," Rice called out, trotting over.
"Man, Rice is just on another level!" Carnegie panted, following behind her.
"No kidding!" another girl added, wiping sweat from her brow. "Still couldn't catch her today!"
"But you're all getting so much faster!" Rice insisted, waving her hands modestly. "There were moments today where I actually started to panic because I could feel you behind me."
"She's right," I added. "You guys are closing the gap bit by bit. I can see the growth."
"See? You really are getting faster!" Rice beamed.
Carnegie looked at her with wide, shimmering eyes. "Rice... you truly are—"
"I told you, please don't pray to me!" Rice squeaked.
"H-ha!" Carnegie gasped. "I can't help it! Sometimes I swear I see a divine aura radiating from you!"
Rice with a literal halo, huh? I thought. Now that's an image I could get behind.
"Alright, once you've finished your cool-downs, you're free to head back to the dorms," Fabre announced. "Mr. Hikigaya and I will be heading into town for dinner, so we won't be around tonight."
"Huh? Big Brother, you're eating out?" Rice asked, tilting her head.
"Yeah. Remember those trainers from the UK and Ireland we met before? They just arrived in France, so I'm going to go pay my respects. I'll be out for the evening. Sorry to leave you on your own."
"Don't worry about it, Trainer!" Carnegie chirped, throwing an arm around Rice's shoulder. "If Rice looks even remotely bored, I'll just drag her into my room and keep her entertained!"
"C-Carnegie-san... that sounds a little scary," Rice giggled. "But I might just take you up on that."
"Carnegie, I'm holding you to that. Look after her," I said.
"You got it! Leave it to me!" Carnegie gave a playful salute.
As I walked away, I couldn't help but wonder if Cloud Road and Krone would be at this dinner too. Probably. I tried not to let it bother me, but one question still nagged at me: Why has Krone taken such a massive liking to Rice? I still hadn't figured that one out.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"