Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 644 The Reed-Feathered Horse Girl and the Genius Technician
After deciding to have both Apricot and Spring Awakening participate in the competition, the group walked through the bustling crowd to the temporary registration point next to the main building of the competition venue.

The closer you get to the main building, the more vibrant the carnival-like atmosphere becomes.

The air was filled with a variety of tempting aromas: the savory scent of freshly baked fried noodles and bread, the crispy and oily aroma of golden fried chicken nuggets, the sweetness of candied apples and marshmallows, and the fresh fragrance of bonito flakes dancing on takoyaki, all of which made one's mouth water.

The roadside was lined with all kinds of stalls, including snacks, souvenirs related to horse racing girls, traditional games such as shooting and goldfish scooping, and sheds showcasing local handicrafts.

Each stall was surrounded by enthusiastic tourists and locals, with excited chatter, cheers of winning prizes, and the sizzling sound of food on the hot plate creating a joyful and bustling atmosphere.

Huge banners and brightly colored balloons decorated the exterior walls of buildings and lampposts, with the eye-catching words "Kasamatsu Racer Carnival" and the vibrant images of legendary racer girls such as Oguri Hattori.

The loudspeakers played upbeat marches and event announcements on a loop, creating a somewhat noisy atmosphere that blended perfectly with the festive spirit.

They walked through a small, makeshift stage area where some kind of fun challenge was taking place, with bursts of applause and laughter erupting from time to time.

Finally, under a relatively open roof on the side of the main building, they saw the temporary registration point, which was simply made up of a few long tables.

The noisy atmosphere from the other side of the event area seemed to be separated by an invisible membrane, making this small area slightly quieter.

Several people dressed as staff members were gathered around the table, while two racehorse girls with very different personalities sat behind the table.

One of them had that signature gray hair and lively, sharp eyes. Everyone recognized him immediately at just one glance. He was none other than Tamamo Cross, known as the "White Lightning".

She seemed to have some opinion about the process or the list, arguing with the person next to her in that same signature loud Kansai accent, speaking rapidly and using gestures, appearing energetic and even a little impatient.

The woman beside her appeared much quieter. She had smooth, chestnut-colored short hair, adorned with a delicate "B"-shaped hair clip. She was slightly bowing her head, meticulously organizing the forms on the table, occasionally pausing to carefully check the contents.

Alice and Yamato Akaki almost simultaneously widened their eyes slightly, their gazes passing over the boisterous Tamamo Cross and focusing on the quiet racehorse girl.

"That is... the new radiant senior?" Yamato Akaki's tone carried a rare hint of surprise and respect, clearly not expecting to encounter this person here.

Alice nodded, a look of interest flashing in her eyes:
"Kukuku... I didn't expect to run into you here. Speaking of which, Yamato, you should have read Brilliant Senior's thesis, right?"

“Of course,” Yamato Akachi immediately replied. “Her papers and practical cases are classic teaching materials. I’ve cited them quite a bit in my recent and previous papers. After all, she’s a recognized genius in academia in recent years.”

As the two racehorse girls were talking in hushed tones, Yasui Makoto recognized the busy chestnut-haired racehorse girl and whispered with a hint of surprise:
"A brand-new, radiant senior? What's she doing here in charge of registration?"

These words immediately caught the attention of Alice and Yamato Akari, who both looked at Yasui Makoto with slight surprise.

"Oh?" A sharp curiosity flashed in Alice's eyes. "Yasui, you also know Brilliant-senpai?"

Yamato Akaki also cast an inquiring glance, seemingly surprised that Yasui Makoto would have any connection with this genius researcher from the Technology Bureau.

"Yes, I've been to the university and the technology bureau a few times before because of the application for permits for training equipment, especially drones," Yasui Makoto explained simply, his tone as calm as ever.

"The person in charge of receiving and reviewing the application was the newly appointed Department Head, Guanghui. The process was very efficient, and her professional advice was very insightful, so I was quite impressed."

“I see.” Alice nodded knowingly, a playful smile curving her lips. “Kuku… for her to process your application so quickly, it seems your proposal is quite outstanding and has caught her eye.”

Yamato Akaki also agreed: "Kouki-senpai is indeed known for his professionalism and efficiency, especially in his strict technical review."

During the brief conversation, Yasui Makoto's gaze naturally swept over the person beside him.

He was about to approach with Northern Black Horse, along with Almond and Spring and Autumn, when he noticed Spring and Autumn blinking curiously, her gaze shifting back and forth between the vibrant Tamamo Cross and the calm and capable New Radiance. Her little face was filled with unfamiliarity and curiosity, clearly showing a lack of understanding of these two very different yet equally extraordinary seniors, and she was trying to glean some clues from their current actions.

After thinking for a moment, recalling how little she knew about the Shining Series before the Spring and Autumn Equinox, Yasui leaned down slightly and whispered a brief introduction to her:

"You've probably heard of that loud-voiced Tamamo Cross, right? She's an incredibly powerful legendary racehorse girl."

"She once achieved a record of 7 consecutive wins in the competition and 6 consecutive wins in the prize pool. Even more impressively, she achieved consecutive victories in the Emperor's Spring and Emperor's Autumn festivals, which is two consecutive wins in G1."

"Her famous three 'gure-haired races' with Oguri Hattori completely changed the perception and evaluation of gure-haired racehorses in the Japanese horse racing world at the time, which is a remarkable achievement."

Chunqiufen listened in a daze, her little mouth slightly open. She was clearly shocked by the series of brilliant achievements and the weighty evaluation of "changing perceptions". Her eyes were filled with a complex emotion of amazement and bewilderment.

Seeing her like this, Yasui Makoto chuckled softly, his tone softening:

"You can learn about these things gradually later. The history of Uma Musume is also an important lesson. If you want to become outstanding, you should know at least some of the stories of these predecessors."

Chunqiufen finally came to her senses and nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice: "Yes, yes! I understand! I will study hard!"

She paused, her gaze shifting to the chestnut-haired racehorse girl who had been working quietly, and asked in a low voice:

"Then... what about the other senior? Is she also such a skilled racehorse girl?"

This time, before Yasui Makoto could speak, Alice Soko and Yamato Akaki spoke up almost simultaneously, their tone clearly showing respect.

Alice spoke quickly, capturing the researcher's interest:

"Glorious senior's achievements on the field... well, they're not bad. She debuted around the same time as Oguri-senpai, just not as dazzling as Oguri-senpai. But she is, after all, a Uma Musume, our senior."

"More importantly, she has talent in the technical field. She is one of the youngest geniuses in the history of Central Teresen College to pass the top trainee assessment. Many of the competition techniques and theories we use now owe their credit to her, and some were even proposed by her."

(End of this chapter)