"Whoa, she's fast, so fast! These two are definitely fated rivals!" Gold Ship exclaimed, binoculars pressed to her eyes as she tracked the two figures racing across the track. "McQueen, what are you thinking right now?"
"I think..." Mejiro McQueen held her phone tightly, a cold sweat breaking out. "We need to stop them. Now."
Huff, huff.
This feeling... it was exhilarating.
Even though they had just started, her body already ached with fatigue. A clear sign she was pushing too hard, too fast.
Tokai Teio glanced sideways at Platinum.
But her rival was in the same state.
Neither would slow down. Neither would let the other get ahead.
And so, they kept pushing, faster and faster and faster!
Teio could feel a dull ache in her legs, could feel her muscles screaming in protest.
Yet, she'd never felt such pure, unadulterated joy.
—So this is how fast I can really run.
And not just that.
If she could stay right here, right by Platinum's side—
She could go even faster!
The first corner was just ahead. Perfect, she'd push harder right here—
By now, all the scattered, pointless thoughts in Teio's mind had vanished. All that remained was genuine delight and soaring confidence.
I can do this!
And Platinum can, too!
Now—!
As she entered the first corner, Teio didn't see Platinum beside her. Instead, a heavy, sickening thud reached her ears from behind.
...Huh?
What was that?
For a moment, Teio couldn't process it.
She took a few more strides before gradually slowing to a stop. Only then did the shouts from the spectator stands finally break through to her.
"She's gone over—! Platinum went over—!"
"She crashed through the rail—! Is Platinum moving—?!"
Don't tell me...
Teio turned back, disbelief freezing her in place.
Two trails scarred the turf. One set of light, precise prints curved gracefully around the bend, leading right to where Teio now stood.
The other set, dug deep and violent into the grass, showed a terrible skid mark veering wildly from the inside lane outwards, completely out of control, straight towards—and through—the outer fence.
Her eyes followed the brutal trail to where Platinum lay, motionless, on the other side of the shattered barrier.
Up in the stands, Mejiro McQueen gasped, her phone gripped so tight her knuckles were white.
"Oh no, no, what do we do...?" Special Week could only fret helplessly. "Where's the trainer? Where's the trainer?!"
"Never mind that—!"
While everyone else descended into panic, Gold Ship shoved her binoculars into Vodka's arms, grabbed the guardrail, and vaulted over it.
The stands were a good two meters above the track, but Gold Ship dropped down without a second thought, landing with a heavy thud on the grass.
She immediately sprang up and sprinted towards Platinum's still form.
Stunned and horrified, Teio stood rooted to the spot, utterly lost.
What... what happened to Platinum?
She went over the rail?
What happens when you go over the rail?
Hitting that fence at such an insane speed, completely out of control... getting thrown...
Did she hurt her ankle?
Break a leg?
Or... was she...?
Teio's vision began to blur. She looked down, staring blankly at her own feet.
I was the one who insisted on accelerating in the corner.
I was the one who pushed Platinum, forced her to keep pace until she lost control.
I was the one who... stubbornly challenged her to this race.
From start to finish, this was a farce of my own making. And someone else was paying the price.
Would Platinum be injured? Would she break a bone? Would she... die? All because of me.
All because I was so selfish...
From the moment I decided to see her as a rival, to forcing this comparison, to recklessly speeding up without a single thought for her. I never once considered Platinum.
Warm drops began to fall from Teio's face, splattering on the grass. She stood there, sobbing quietly.
Hearing her own cries, she hurriedly wiped at her eyes. But the tears only fell faster, an unstoppable flood she couldn't wipe away.
"I... I..."
I'm just... the worst. Nothing like the President. Nothing like Platinum. Nothing like any of them.
Tilting her head back to the sky, Tokai Teio broke down into loud, wrenching sobs.
"Teio! Teio!"
"Teio, stop crying!"
Someone was shaking her shoulders hard. Teio looked up through a watery haze to see Mejiro McQueen glaring down at her.
But the anger in McQueen's eyes wasn't about Platinum's crash.
"You idiot! What good are your tears? What does blaming yourself right now accomplish?"
"Shouldn't you, the one closest to her, be rushing over to check on her? To make sure her injuries are as minor as possible? Did you forget everything the trainer taught us?"
"What's wrong with you today? This isn't the Tokai Teio I know!"
"R-right... Platinum..." Teio stared dumbly at McQueen, the words jolting her awake as if from a nightmare. "Platinum... how is Platinum?"
By now, Gold Ship had reached Platinum. She circled the fallen Uma Musume once, and seeing no obvious external wounds, she gently shook Platinum's head.
"Hey, hey! Can you see clearly?" Gold Ship held up three fingers in front of Platinum's face. "How many?"
"...Three?" Platinum felt dizzy, her head swimming, spots dancing in her vision.
"There are seven monkeys on the ground and one riding a tree. How many monkeys total?"
"...A riddle?"
"Fujino left home for school but forgot his homework. He called his dad to bring it. Assuming Fujino walks at 50 km/h and his dad walks at 70 km/h, Fujino had already been walking for five minutes and was only 3 km from school when he called. Can Fujino's dad get the homework to him before he reaches school? If yes, how far from school are they when they meet? If no, how long does Fujino wait at the school gate?"
"...Huh? Am I the one who's crazy, or are you?"
"I'm tapping your shin now. Does it hurt?"
"A little— No, actually, it really hurts. Did I break it...?"
"That's 'cause I'm hitting it hard." Gold Ship gave Platinum's thigh a firm slap. "You're fine. Healthier than I am, even."
With that, Gold Ship stood up and flashed a thumbs-up to Mejiro McQueen, Daiwa Scarlet, and the others in the distance. "Relax, everyone! She's all good. I know what I'm looking at, trust me on this."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.