Looking at the crowd of thoroughly familiar faces in front of him, Shinji Terumi felt both helpless and amused. The faint smile at the corner of his lips quickly spread to the reporters before him, who all returned the same expression.
His gaze shifted to the host. Holding the microphone, she was the same woman who had handled both Saint Halo's pre-race and post-race interviews back at the Osaka Cup, so she was clearly well practiced by now. Apart from the list of new honors that needed to be added, her introduction was more or less identical to before. Once she finished and looked up, she gave Saint Halo a casual wink.
The unexpected gesture startled Saint Halo slightly. She clearly had not expected the host to tease her a little even at a time like this, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks. The host, meanwhile, seemed even more delighted by how cute the reaction was, and the smile on her face deepened.
The reporters in front of them were making their final checks. Although their equipment had already been tested before the interview began, every last one of them was still making sure nothing could possibly go wrong for Saint Halo's interview today.
Out of the corner of his eye, Shinji noticed Saint Halo's fingers lacing and twisting together, as though she were struggling with something. He could not quite tell what was on her mind until he saw her hesitate for a moment, then quietly drag her chair a little closer to his.
He nearly laughed.
The faint change in his expression was immediately caught by the already-sensitive Saint Halo. The moment she noticed it, the blush spread all the way down her neck. At the same time, the system prompt sounded in his ears.
[Negative Emotion +70]
Then, in an extremely tiny voice, Saint Halo muttered,
"Trainer, I just thought it'd be more convenient to pass the microphone if we sat closer. And besides, if the horse girl and her trainer sit together, it creates a more intimate impression. That would be a positive form of publicity for the team."
It was such a formal explanation for such an oddly specific action.
"All right, all right."
Shinji did not say anything more. Saint Halo was already like this now; if he teased her even a little further, the entire interview would probably turn into a one-woman show.
"Okay then, the interview begins now!"
At last, the host spoke the words that made Saint Halo visibly relax. But the reporters gave her no time at all to recover before the first question came.
"Saint Halo, we've seen from the publicly released materials and training footage that many of the horses in this Takarazuka Kinen are coming in at excellent form. We'd like to ask—among this field, are there any rivals you feel especially deserve your attention?"
There was unmistakable excitement on the reporter's face. He looked at Saint Halo with bright, eager eyes, and Saint Halo's expression immediately turned serious.
"I think that if I can bring out all of my own strength, then I can definitely win this race. So while my opponents are all very strong, from my perspective, I'd rather keep more of my focus on myself. I don't need to pay too much attention to the others. As long as I can execute my strategy perfectly, then the result at the end will definitely be the one I want."
It was exactly the kind of statement that would be used to attack her if she lost, yet she said it with effortless calm. Everyone present could feel the force of her confidence.
More than a few reporters even showed hints of envy in their eyes. To stand on this stage with that kind of confidence—Saint Halo's current brilliance must have reminded many of them of their own younger days.
The next reporter stood.
"I'd also like to ask, Saint Halo—in the pre-race predictions this time, a great many trainers cast their votes for you. Once, you were someone no one was willing to bet on. Now you've become the overwhelming favorite for the Takarazuka Kinen. Could you share with us what that journey has felt like?"
Shinji could not help thinking Tazuna's intelligence network might not be quite as airtight as usual. These questions were clearly much fresher than the ones they had prepared for, and quite different from earlier pre- and post-race interviews. All the careful answers he and Saint Halo had come up with in advance to avoid sounding repetitive were suddenly useless.
"To be honest, I've never paid very much attention to the pre-race predictions made by trainers. I'm the one running in the race. I'm the one who has to fight for victory. For those trainers, all they have to do is make a prediction based on their own thoughts and feelings. But for any horse girl and her trainer, it takes an enormous amount of effort before the words of some trainer in a prediction segment either come true… or end up becoming a joke."
As she spoke, Saint Halo remembered the mocking laughter from the front row of those trainers after her defeat in the simulation race.
"All the way to this point, I think what I should be grateful for is my trainer's guidance and supervision, the way he helped temper my personality—and the fact that I chose to keep persevering. As for the gossip, the arguments, the controversy… what I need is victory, and then to take one more step toward my dream."
When she finished, the reporter gently applauded a few times before sitting down. The girlish softness she had shown before the interview had vanished entirely, replaced by firm determination.
The next question was directed to Shinji.
"Trainer Terumi, this Takarazuka Kinen may become the race that creates the very first Spring Triple Crown winner—and in the very first year that the title even exists. As this race approaches, have you felt anxiety, concern, or any special emotions during your preparations?"
"Having emotions is inevitable," Shinji replied softly, fingers loosely holding the microphone by its head. "But concern or anxiety? I haven't felt either of those."
"We know that not long ago, you took Overran Trap to Europe for the Coronation Cup. With you being away during that time, is there any chance you may have misjudged the relative gap between Saint Halo and the rest of this field?"
"If the gap were small enough, then yes."
Shinji looked toward the female reporter who had asked the follow-up. There was a faint carelessness in his expression, and she could not help curling her lips into a smile.
"But the gap between them doesn't fall within that range."
He paused, then finished lightly,
"So no… I don't think there'll be any misjudgment at all."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
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Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 165)
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TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
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Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
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Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 248
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Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
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Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 145
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 115
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Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
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Transmigrated as Sukuna 80
Checking In in Demon Slayer 85
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 100
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 85
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The Gacha Merchant Who Started 80
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 100
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 60
The Uma Musume Who Became 60
I'm Definitely Not the King of 80
After Maxing Out Every Class 80
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I, the Elden Sword Saint 50
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DanMachi: My Party Members Are 60
An Anime Heroine Darkened 55
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