...
"Special Week, huh... even for her, it's not certain she can win." Toujou Hana analyzed objectively.
"But this is a race that Spe-chan herself wants to participate in, so I will support her."
"You've always valued her highly." Toujou Hana said.
"But she has never let me down, always responding to my feelings, hasn't she?" Lucian stood up and put the cup back on the small square table. "I'm getting sleepy. I won't disturb you two's romantic moment under the flowers..."
His words suddenly choked because he noticed Toujou Hana's icy gaze. Lucian promptly corrected himself, "I won't disturb your elegant mood, but please don't drink too much at night."
...
The joy of the water park trip gradually settled into memories, and the horse girls' lives returned to daily training once again.
Between July and September, many G2, G3, and ungraded races were held.
The members from "Dream" who participated were mainly Nice Nature, Matikane Tannhauser, Twin Turbo, and Dextrous Bailey.
However, the results were not ideal and they still needed further tempering and growth.
In the rest room.
Lucian's fingertips hovered over the laptop keyboard. The screen displayed Nice Nature's race data, with a race video playing beside it.
"Nature, your rhythm when entering the bend was a bit too rushed. Adjusting your center of gravity after the bend consumed extra stamina."
"You can try shortening your stride two steps before entering the bend to reduce the effect of centrifugal force."
"Understood." Nice Nature, sitting beside him, nodded. Her tightly clenched fist seemed to be gripping the unwillingness from that loss. "Then next I..."
Before Nice Nature could finish, she was suddenly interrupted by a burst of hurried footsteps.
Twin Turbo burst through the door, her voice exploding in the rest room. "Who stole my drink! Was it you, Bailey!"
The wheel of fortune turns—Twin Turbo, who often stole other people's food, finally had her day.
"No." Dextrous Bailey, who had been named, sat to the side. Her agile tongue licked once, cleanly sweeping away the orange juice at the corner of her mouth. "It has nothing to do with me."
"I saw it!" Twin Turbo stood with hands on her hips, angrily confronting Dextrous Bailey.
"Hehe... I only took one sip. Next time I'll treat Twin Turbo to a whole bottle."
"No! I'm only missing that one sip right now! Give it back!"
"How do I give it back? Spit it out for you?"
...
Matikane Tannhauser hugged her tablet and turned a deaf ear to the farce behind her.
She focused on the scene of her final sprint on the screen, repeatedly dragging the progress bar. "If I could maintain my center of gravity and running posture in the last 200 meters, perhaps I could be a little faster..."
"Oh right!" Matikane Tannhauser suddenly looked up and muttered to herself, "Trainer said next we need to focus on single-side balance training. Note it down, note it down."
...
Behind her, Twin Turbo and Dextrous Bailey were still arguing nonstop.
Lucian couldn't stand it anymore. He stood up and grabbed the back of Twin Turbo's collar.
"Trainer, what are you doing!" The little shark pouted unhappily, tightly hugging her arms so that even her shoulders hunched up slightly, as if trying to shrink herself into a ball.
"I was analyzing the reasons for everyone's failure. Isn't Twin Turbo being too loud and disturbing others?"
"But... but it was clearly Bailey's fault... hmph." She lowered her head and fiercely rubbed the ground with her toe. After a muffled hum, tears rolled down uncontrollably. "Trainer is even blaming me..."
Her crying was muffled, full of a child's grievance.
Nice Nature took out a pack of tissues from her pocket, ready to hand them over. Matikane Tannhauser silently turned off her tablet and looked worriedly toward Lucian and Twin Turbo. Dextrous Bailey was also stunned, looking rather remorseful.
Why did Twin Turbo suddenly start crying?
Lucian had the same question, but he quickly understood. Being scolded for stealing the drink was only the trigger. The real reason was that the race results were unsatisfactory.
He squatted down in front of Twin Turbo, his voice softening. "I'm not blaming you... We lost the race, so everyone has to summarize the reasons and improve, right?"
"Mhm!" Twin Turbo held back her tears, her tense shoulders relaxing a little. "Trainer... hug."
"Okay okay, come here for a hug." Lucian suspected that Twin Turbo used every hug as an excuse to wipe her nose and tears on him.
With a sobbing voice, she whispered in Lucian's ear, "Then... Bailey also needs to improve together."
"Of course. Everyone will work hard together."
(I will also arrange the plot for Ta Pump to be very interesting. She is also a very cute horse girl after all.)
...
In early October, "Dream" welcomed their first G2 race since June—the 2400-meter Kyoto Daishoten.
Mejiro McQueen won strongly, defending her dominance in the middle-to-long distance.
When she faced the cheers of the audience, one hand rested on her chest. The lingering pain from her loss at the Takarazuka Kinen in June was finally washed away by the joy of victory.
The "Dream" team members ran onto the grass to welcome Mejiro McQueen. Some reporters seized the opportunity to interview Tokai Teio and the others, microphones and cameras aimed at this group of horse girls.
Reporter A: "Miss McQueen, how would you evaluate your performance today?"
"I believe I performed at the level I should have."
Reporter B: "This is your victory after the loss at Takarazuka Kinen. Do you have any special thoughts?"
Mejiro McQueen's eyes flickered. Lucian's figure appeared in her mind. "I thank my own hard work, I thank my companions' encouragement... and Torena-san's support."
...
The reporters' questions were too on point. Mejiro McQueen waved her hand to signal that was enough. The reporters then turned their microphones toward the other horse girls.
Reporter: "Miss Tokai Teio, do you look forward to a direct confrontation with Miss Mejiro McQueen?"
Tokai Teio: "We already had one! My queen was so dizzy she begged me for mercy."
Reporter: "Ah? Can you explain when that was?"
Tokai Teio: "When we went to Joyful Valley!"
...
Twin Turbo: "My turn, my turn! Reporter-san, pass me the microphone!"
The reporter hesitated for a moment but still handed it over. "Miss Twin Turbo, do you have anything you want to say?"
Twin Turbo: "Both McQueen and Teio will be defeated by me, Twin Turbo!"
...
Special Week also snatched the microphone. "I think McQueen performed so outstandingly today, it definitely has a lot to do with my specially made carrot drink!"
Haru Urara: "I encouraged McQueen with one sentence before the race, so I also get some credit!"
...
Lucian finally walked over. Looking at the reporters being besieged by the horse girls, he sighed. "You guys! Stop causing trouble and let's go already!"
...