Hachiman's POV
It's been a few days since Rice and I returned to Japan. Right now, I'm standing at the Tokyo Racecourse. The reason? Mr. C.B.'s debut race. I say that casually, but getting here was an absolute nightmare.
The day after we got back, the academy held a sudden school-wide assembly. Without a word of warning, Rice and I were shoved onto the stage to a deafening roar of applause. I mean, look, I get it. What Rice achieved was legendary. You have to go all the way back to the era before the Grade system was introduced to find a Japanese Horse Girl who conquered an overseas race. Since then, it's been a total drought—until Rice shattered the streak. It's a victory the whole country should celebrate.
But still… a little heads-up would've been nice. I'm not saying I would've refused, but a courtesy call isn't too much to ask, right? Madam Chairwoman, please, for the love of my blood pressure, let's coordinate next time.
"Still feeling the fatigue, Hachiman?"
I looked over at Taliato. "Oh, no. I was just remembering something that gave me a headache. It's nothing. More importantly, how's C.B. looking?"
"I've prepared her to give it everything she's got," Taliato replied, eyes fixed on the track. "She's not at a hundred percent of her true potential yet, but for a girl like C.B., this level should be more than enough to cruise through."
"Is that so? Well, I figured as much, but anything can happen once the gates open."
"True," Taliato chuckled. "Especially with Mr. C.B. You never quite know what she's going to pull."
"I'm just praying she actually runs the race properly."
Announcer: "And finally, in the outermost gate, number eleven—today's heavy favorite, Mr. C.B.!"
Color Commentator: "She's the one everyone is watching. I suspect many fans have been counting down the days for this debut. It might be premature, but I'm already looking forward to next year's Classics."
Talk about premature. The girl hasn't even run her first official meter yet, and they're already talking about the Triple Crown? I get the hype, I really do, but let's focus on the 'debut' part of 'debut race,' shall we?
"Ah! There he is! Hachimaaaan~!" C.B. suddenly cried out from the paddock, waving her arms frantically. "I'm gonna take first place, so make sure you're watching me! Okay~?!"
…Kill me now. Please. You don't need to do that! Why are you doing that?!
"Hahaha! C.B. is the same as ever, even at the racecourse," Rudolf remarked, clearly amused.
"Yeah… she looks like she's having fun," Rice added softly.
"Good grief… that girl…" I covered my face with my hand, shaking my head.
Man n' War watched her with a critical eye. "Her condition doesn't seem bad."
"Who knows what would have happened if Hachiman hadn't returned," Taliato noted. "She might have just refused to race entirely."
"No way, that's… actually, no, that sounds exactly like something she'd do."
With C.B., you can never rule out the absurd.
—The Paddock Waiting Room—
"Hachiman! Watch closely, okay? I'm gonna start from the very back and blow past everyone!"
"Yeah, I'll be watching. More importantly, C.B., what was that stunt in the paddock earlier?"
"Eh? What do you mean? I just saw you there."
"People don't usually do that in the paddock! You basically just declared war on every other girl in the race! Thanks to you, I was getting some seriously stinging glares from the crowd, you know?"
"It's fine, it's fine! If I win, everything's settled! So just keep your eyes on me, okay?"
"Where does that bottomless confidence even come from…? Fine, whatever. I heard the plan from Sensei—you're going with an 'extreme closer' strategy. I don't have much to add, just… go out there and have some fun."
"Hehe, okay! But once it's over, I get headpats, right~?"
She never misses an opportunity, does she?
—Grandstands—
"Ah, welcome back, Brother."
"Yeah, I'm back, Rice. Thanks for waiting."
"Mm-hmm!♪"
I looked at her. "…You seem to be in a good mood."
"It's my first time watching a debut race from the stands," Rice said, her eyes sparkling. "It feels fresh, and a little nostalgic."
"You debuted at Niigata, didn't you? You launched that long-distance sprint on the straight and won by seven lengths. I still think that win was borderline abnormal for a debut."
"A-Abnormal…?"
"Think about it. Who launches a sustained long-distance sprint in their very first race? No one."
Well, I knew Rice was a long-distance specialist, so I wasn't too shocked, but looking back, my little sister did something pretty terrifying.
"Now then… let's see what kind of chaos our resident tomboy is about to cause."
CLANG!
The gates swung open.
"Brother, the start!" Rudolf leaned forward. "C.B. is… I heard she was a closer, but this is…"
"The 'Last-to-First' charge," I muttered. "How very like her. If she has the legs for the final straight, she's going to steal every eye in this stadium."
C.B. didn't just drop back; she stayed at the absolute tail of the pack, trailing by four or five lengths, biding her time for a singular explosive burst on the home stretch. It was a high-risk, high-reward gambit. If it failed, she'd be buried. If it worked, she'd look like a god.
"Is she going to be okay?" Rice asked, sounding worried. "She's so far back…"
"Don't worry, Rice," Taliato reassured her. "This is her strategy. This is just how she runs."
"Already at the fourth corner…" Rudolf noted. "A mile race really does go by in a flash. C.B. hasn't moved yet."
Announcer: "They're rounding the final turn! It's the 525-meter Tokyo straight! The favorite, Mr. C.B., is still at the very back! Can she possibly reach them from there?!"
"Alright," I heard C.B.'s voice in my mind, "the fun starts now!"
"There she goes," I whispered.
"Whoa… she's so fast!" Rice gasped.
Announcer: "Mr. C.B. is charging down the outside! She's flying! Look at her go! She's picking them off one by one—she's into the lead! She's pulling away! What a monster! She's dominant!"
"Hmph. About what I expected," Man n' War grunted.
"Master's training, my conditioning… if Hachiman had been here the whole time, she'd be even better, but this will do for now," Taliato said.
"Still, she looks incredible," I admitted.
"You should know," Man n' War added, "she was in a total slump while your stay in France was extended. She only managed to pull it together once you came home."
"That girl… seriously…"
Announcer: "Mr. C.B. takes the win! An absolute landslide! She swept the entire field from the back in a single breath!"
"That was amazing, Brother!" Rice cheered.
"Yeah. Just like with you, I'm already looking forward to next year."
It looked like C.B. had managed to turn the race into her personal playground, just as she promised.
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