Although Xingyun Liuge could have easily broken free from the two girls and embraced her freedom, she found the rise and fall of those surging, rolling curves rather pleasant. That soft, yielding sensation was wonderfully soothing, both body and mind.
So after a moment's thought, Xingyun Liuge made a decisive choice:
Forget it. I'm staying right here.
Of course, there was another very important reason.
She was worried that once Cimu Jianyuan was done with her, she might turn around and start putting pressure on Chihaya Yui.
A trainer was never just for show. A trainer was supposed to keep her charge in mind at all times, to adjust her condition at the first sign of trouble, revise training plans, and reconsider race schedules when necessary—not simply let her horse girl do whatever she pleased. Especially not when that horse girl had put together a schedule so outrageous that anyone with eyes could see how reckless it was.
At times like this, a proper trainer was not supposed to "support her charge no matter what." She was supposed to stop her first and change that insane schedule.
That was why Xingyun Liuge chose to stay buried in the contest between the two older girls: to keep Cimu Jianyuan's attention fixed on herself.
She had heard before that Cimu Jianyuan was an exceptionally gentle, deeply maternal horse girl, so Xingyun Liuge refused to believe the woman truly didn't recognize her. By now, she was at least somewhat famous, wasn't she?
As one of America's distinguished senior horse girls—and everyone's "mom"—how could Cimu Jianyuan possibly not know who she was?
Pretending not to recognize her while still knowing all about her grand ambitions... most likely, she was trying to play the part of an ordinary bystander and gently persuade her to focus on just one side of the Atlantic.
But Xingyun Liuge was no ordinary horse girl.
She intended to run the full course, no matter what.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, the Kasamatsu Tracen "tour group" finally arrived near the shooting stall.
The trainers weren't there; apparently they had gone off to meet the American horse girls assigned to receive them. The horse girls, meanwhile, immediately spotted Xingyun Liuge wedged between those imposing mountains of womanhood.
Xingyun Liuge locked eyes with her old schoolmates from afar, but didn't move an inch.
She couldn't help it. She was stuck between the two of them. If she opened her mouth now, she might end up accidentally biting into something soft.
"..."
Nolen Ace, being the loyal sort, instantly assumed Xingyun Liuge was being bullied by the local horse girls. She strode forward in a fury, while her two companions failed utterly to hold her back.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!"
She sounded impressively fierce, but unfortunately, she seemed to have forgotten one small detail:
This was not Japan.
Speaking Japanese here was useless.
And the other two from Kasamatsu knew only the barest scraps of English—things like "hello," "thank you," and "bye-bye." They had no way to communicate properly.
More importantly, the difference in presence between the two sides was overwhelming.
How could local regional horse girls possibly compare to overseas competitors who had actually traveled abroad and won results there?
Latifa and Cimu Jianyuan merely glanced at them once, and the Kasamatsu girls froze on the spot.
Then the two foreign horse girls exchanged a look and quickly understood the situation.
These weak little horse girls were probably Xingyun Liuge's old classmates, girls from Japan's Tokai region. That explained the awkward language barrier.
Fujimasa March was stronger than Nolen Ace and the others, but she was still nowhere near the level required for international competition. And precisely because she was a little stronger, she could feel even more clearly just how powerful these two women were.
Poor Fujimasa March could barely force herself to step forward.
A bead of cold sweat slid slowly down her forehead.
So this is... the terror of international competition...
Seeing her old classmates being crushed under the unconscious pressure radiating from the two senior horse girls, Xingyun Liuge decided she couldn't keep enjoying their softness any longer. She promptly slipped free from their embrace, drawing even more of their attention back onto herself, then declared:
"This isn't very American hospitality, is it? Since I've publicly declared that I'm going to win both the European and American Triple Crowns, naturally that means I have the confidence and the ability to back those words up. Instead of worrying about whether I can handle it, how about you keep your eyes on me on the track? Watch me seize victory. Witness the brilliance of my triumph with your own eyes!"
The tiny silver-haired girl planted her hands on her hips, radiating absolute confidence.
Latifa's eyes widened slightly.
She found the little thing even more fascinating—and even more dazzling—than before.
Cimu Jianyuan, on the other hand, gave Xingyun Liuge another long look before sighing softly.
"My, my. It seems I underestimated the heroes of the world. Very well, then. Let me see it—your brilliance."
Her expression remained as gentle as ever, the kind that could make even a world-shaking hero fall willingly into her embrace and call her "Mom."
But her next action was decidedly less gentle.
She placed a gun in Xingyun Liuge's hand.
The Kasamatsu girls nearly jumped out of their skins, convinced some kind of shootout was about to break out.
Instead, Xingyun Liuge waved them over.
"Japan has shooting ranges too, but none of you have ever tried one, right? Come on, give it a shot. This is part of the Derby Festival. There are prizes."
It was basically like one of those festival games at a shrine fair: knock down the item you wanted, or rack up enough points, and you could take it home.
"Oh... I see."
Nolen Ace stared down at the gun in her hand, suddenly a little embarrassed. Compared to this, what she really wanted was to chat with Xingyun Liuge.
"By the way, what's with that outfit, Xingyun? It looks amazing! Are they making new plushies?"
Her eyes lit up like fireworks.
The meaning in them was obvious:
When are they going on sale? I'm buying one.
"Who knows?" Xingyun Liuge flicked the brim of her hat, utterly casual.
Come to think of it, she hadn't really kept up with what was happening back in Japan since leaving. Were the people at Kasamatsu Tracen handling her merchandise now? How well was it selling?
Still, it didn't matter much.
Prize money alone was enough for her to live very comfortably.
"They absolutely have to make one. You look ridiculously cool!"
Nolen Ace lunged forward and hugged Xingyun Liuge, apparently trying to imitate the way Cimu Jianyuan and Latifa had been all over her earlier.
But after experiencing the vast, generous softness of those two women, Xingyun Liuge had only one thought:
Average. Not big enough.
Naturally, she wasn't about to say something that cruel out loud. Nolen Ace certainly wasn't small. If anyone really qualified as "small," it was more like... a size 70.
Turning her attention elsewhere, Xingyun Liuge looked at Fujimasa March and asked,
"By the way, why are you all here? And March—how did the Tokai Derby go? Also, when did you change your hairstyle?"
It was already mid-May now, which meant the Tokai Derby had concluded. That was the main reason Fujimasa March could come abroad freely in the first place.
Now that her heart's desire had been fulfilled, the remaining races mattered less than coming here in person to cheer on an old classmate.
After all, Xingyun Liuge was Kasamatsu's pride.
Their hope.
When Xingyun Liuge brought up her own affairs, a blush like shy embarrassment crept across Fujimasa March's face.
"I..."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter116)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 118
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 111
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 80
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 112
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 95
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 89
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 53
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 61
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 65
Uma Musume: From Beginner 61
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 37
Uma Musume: I Want All 35
I Can Copy Unique Skills 36
A Guide to Aid in the Underwor 26
Summoning an Evil God, but the 27
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