Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 361 So I'm the weakest one here...

"The hat... the hat is the real thing...?"

As if afraid someone would snatch his hat, Gao Shangjunyi pressed his hand to the top of his head, paused for a moment, and then muttered softly, "Why do my sisters say that... and Xiao Bei... says that too..."

"Huh? What did Gao Shang-chan say?" Not having heard the muttering that followed, Bei Fang Xuanju quickly asked.

"No, nothing..."

Waving his hands repeatedly, Gao Shangjunyi quickly changed the subject: "Speaking of which, Xiao Bei... came to see me...?"

When she asked this question, she felt both anticipation and trepidation.

From childhood to adulthood, she always felt that both her older and younger sisters were more outstanding than her.

Or to be more precise, my own talent is quite mediocre. Compared to anyone else, I would appear superior, let alone my already outstanding older and younger sisters.

Compared to her sisters who exude a glamorous aura, it's normal for her to go unnoticed.

This isn't fantasy; it's that on many occasions when the three sisters went out together, people came looking for the older or younger sister in droves, but almost no one approached them because of them.

So when they were complete strangers, the enthusiastic and proactive approach of the Northern Black Horse really startled her.

She had once thought that this overly cheerful and optimistic black-haired girl might have only approached her on a whim.

But ever since we met, every time we meet on or off campus, the other person is always very enthusiastic and greets me first.

And often, they would call or text her to ask her out without her noticing at all.

Not only that, but I also brought her a gift when I returned from Dubai.

It's a smart fishing watch. According to the instruction manual, it uses high-end materials like titanium alloy and has impressive features such as fish sensing, ecological detection, and night mode.

The watch is also very beautiful, with an etched Arabic-style star pattern on the surface. The pattern reflects an iridescent light similar to that of a rainforest in the sunlight, and the strap is her favorite sea blue.

She fell in love with the watch at first sight and was amazed.

Because of her love for fishing and her fondness for the color sea blue, she couldn't even recall mentioning it to Kita Genko, yet Kita Genko had precisely chosen a gift that perfectly matched her preferences.

This suggests that she probably mentioned it unintentionally, and it was carefully and attentively remembered.

This also illustrates that his contact with her was not a spur-of-the-moment thing, but rather that Northern Xuanju truly regarded her as a friend and cared about her deeply.

And the Northern Black Horse's next answer was exactly what she expected:
"Of course!"

Nodding repeatedly, Beifang Xuanju clenched his fist and said excitedly, "I'm going to have dinner with Guangzuan-chan and the others now. Gaoshang-chan, why don't you come too? It's more fun when everyone's together!"

"Drill... Satomi Drill?"

He asked a question instinctively, and when Beifang Xuanju nodded in affirmation, Gao Shangjunyi hesitated for a moment.

She would really like to go out and have fun together, or even just have a meal together.

After all, just as Beifang Xuanju said, she also felt that more people would make it more lively and fun.

From childhood to adulthood, she had always been warmly invited by older or younger sisters, so even now, after learning about the Northern Black Horse's enthusiasm and cheerfulness, she still hesitated.

However, she quickly realized that Satomi Hikari... seemed to have only received the Satsuki Prize of three moves before.

The reason Northern Black Horse first met her was because she was unable to compete in the Young Horse Stakes due to injury, thus missing out on the classic Triple Crown.

"So, the reason they said they were going to a dinner party was probably partly to comfort Guangzuan-kun..."

Thinking this, Gao Shangjunyi nodded: "Then... if I attend the dinner party, it shouldn't be too much trouble..."

"Of course it won't be troublesome!"

Before Gao Shangjunyi could finish speaking, Beibu Xuanju excitedly reached out and grabbed her, interrupting her with a smile: "They're all friends that Gao Shang-chan knows, how could it be troublesome?"

"So let's hurry up and not keep them waiting!"

...A short while later, inside a private room at the "Grey Impression" restaurant.

When Beifang Xuanju entered with Gao Shangjunyi carrying a large square box, the latter quickly realized that all the people attending the dinner were indeed familiar faces.

At the dining table, Satomi Takashi was chatting and laughing with his sister, Hikari. Naruto listened with a smile, while Shin'ya Shirou listened as well, occasionally taking out his phone to reply to a text message or snapping a couple of photos.

The horse racing girls in the room were only surprised for a moment when they learned that Northern Black Horse and High Noble Junyi had come together, and quickly began to warmly welcome them.

Completely unsure how to respond, Gao Shangjunyi only knew to follow Beibu Xuanju into the house and sit down. He had faced an extremely difficult journey, and his scalp was tingling and his heart was pounding with tension.

Because of her personality, she almost never takes the initiative to invite anyone out to play or do anything together.

Aside from her junior, Mitsuzu Satomi, the other racehorse girls in the house are not only classmates but also friends due to their several encounters.

However, compared to the overly enthusiastic Northern Genko, she had very little contact with other people.

That's why she hadn't thought of something before.

Even setting aside her junior, Hikari Satomi, all of her other friends are... top-tier Uma Musume Girls.

In particular, the Northern Black Horse, the Unyielding Steel, and the Thunderous Roar are all G1-level fighters.

The Unyielding Steel team won the overseas G1 tournament just last month, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that their strength is top-notch internationally.

While the Hanshin Grand Prix, which they had just won, also offered a substantial reward, the difference between G2 and G1 was quite significant.

As for Satomi Crown, although his best achievement is also the G2 championship, he has more wins than me and has also achieved remarkable results in the G1 tournament.

In other words, she had just realized that... she seemed to be the weakest person at this gathering...

With this thought in mind, she habitually pulled down her hat brim, sat down, shrank her neck and body, and felt a deep sorrow welling up inside her:

"Ugh... So why did I even think of coming to this party? I'm starting to regret it... Please, they... don't notice me..."

As if sensing Gao Shangjunyi's thoughts, after the initial pleasantries, the conversation at the table quickly shifted to the topic of gifts brought back from Dubai, led by Beibu Xuanju.

"Finally, I can give this gift to Diamond-chan!"

With that, Kita Genko handed the square box he had been carrying when he entered the house to Satomi Hikari, saying in a comforting tone:

"I originally wanted to give it as a congratulatory gift, but with competitions like this... there are many times when things don't work out, so I can only give it as a consolation prize."

As soon as he finished speaking, Satomi Hikaru and the others were only stunned for a moment before they began to express their feelings in various ways.

Gao Shangjunyi was dumbfounded, secretly surprised: "This, this is so direct... is it really okay to say? Or is it... as expected of Xiao Bei, he really dares to say it..."

Meanwhile, Satomi Hikari smiled and curiously accepted the box handed to him by Kita Genko:

"Didn't we already have a gift? Why are there more, Xiao Bei?"

(End of this chapter)