Horse Girl, Your Friend is Fighting Her Way Out of the Horse Racing Track

Diamond Treasure smiled, her eyes crinkling, and reached out to take Poetry and Wine's hand.

"Let's go, let's go! If we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"

She pulled Shi and Jiu outside, their steps unsteady.

She looked down at their clasped hands, and a feeling she couldn't quite describe welled up inside her.

It's very warm.

Something was churning in my chest, wanting to burst out, but it was being held down by something incomprehensible.

She didn't say anything, but silently followed Lingzuan Qibao out of the dormitory.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on them, casting long shadows of the two of them.

……

6:15 PM.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled onto the streets, and the sky was dyed orange-red, gradually transitioning to deep purple.

Poetry, wine, and diamond treasures walk side by side on the way to the seaside park.

They were all wearing yukatas, and their wooden clogs made a crisp "clattering" sound as they stepped on the stone pavement.

Poetry and wine have become somewhat unsteady.

The soles of wooden clogs are much harder than those of regular sneakers, so you have to carefully control your balance with every step.

Lanterns have been hung along both sides of the street, their warm yellow glow creating a cozy atmosphere in the twilight.

Many people were walking towards the seaside park, in twos and threes, chatting and laughing.

The air was filled with a festive atmosphere, and the aroma of takoyaki and grilled corn wafted from the food stalls in the distance.

Lingzuan Qibao walked beside Poetry and Wine, her silver-gray hair swaying gently in the evening breeze.

She would occasionally steal a glance at the person next to her, then quickly look away.

Poetry and wine, how they look in yukatas today...

how to say.

It's very different from usual.

Poetry and Wine usually wear simple sportswear or training clothes, looking capable and neat.

But after putting on the dark purple yukata today, I felt much softer.

The deep purple fabric made her skin look very fair, and the wavy pattern was faintly visible under the light.

Although her face was somewhat pale, in the warm light of the lantern, she actually appeared to have a certain...

I don't know how to describe the diamond treasure.

I just felt my heart beating a little fast.

She glanced at it again secretly.

This time it took a little longer to watch.

Then she discovered that poetry and wine were also watching her.

Eyes facing each other.

Lingzuan Qibao's face instantly turned red, and she hurriedly looked away.

"N-nothing!"

She pretended to be looking at the lanterns by the roadside.

"I was just thinking, the lanterns are so beautiful tonight..."

Poetry and wine did not speak.

After a few seconds of silence, she spoke softly:

"You are prettier."

Diamond Treasure was stunned.

She turned her head and looked at the poetry and wine.

Poetry and wine have shifted their focus; they are now looking at the road ahead.

But Diamond Treasure noticed that the black-haired girl's ear tips were slightly red, which was particularly noticeable in the twilight.

"A little bit of wine..."

Lingzuan Qibao's voice was a little stuttering.

"What are you talking about...?"

"truth."

Poetry and wine.

Her tone sounded calm.

The black horse's voice was a little lower than usual.

"Blue suits you very well."

Lingzuan Qibao's face turned even redder.

She lowered her head, her silver-gray horse ears trembling slightly, unsure of what to say.

Neither poetry nor wine spoke again.

Her heart was beating a little fast.

Why are you so nervous when you're just telling the truth?

He's usually so outgoing, why is he acting like this today?

She stole a glance at Lingzuan Qibao and found her face as red as a ripe apple, her ears drooping, looking somewhat at a loss.

so cute.

The moment this thought popped into his head, Poetry and Wine's heart skipped a beat.

She quickly looked away, pretending to look at the shops on the side of the road.

The two walked in silence for a while.

The sound of wooden clogs stepping on the stone slabs was exceptionally clear.

The surrounding crowd was bustling and lively, but there was an invisible bubble between them, shutting out the noise from the outside world.

"that……"

Diamond Treasure finally mustered up the courage to speak.

"Why is Xiao Jiu suddenly so eloquent today?"

She glanced furtively at the poem and the wine, her voice barely audible.

"They don't usually praise me much..."

The steps of poetry and wine paused for a moment.

She could feel her heart racing and her ears getting hotter.

"...I said what I wanted to say."

Her voice sounded muffled.

"Some things to say..."

Poetry and Wine hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to continue.

long silence.

Finally, she whispered:

"If you don't say it now, you might not have another chance."

Diamond Treasure tilted its head, somewhat puzzled.

"What do you mean there's no chance? What are you talking about, Xiao Jiu?"

Poetry and wine offered no answer.

She didn't know how to answer.

"Because I won't be here after tonight."

He didn't say those words aloud.

She quickened her pace, trying to avoid the question.

Lingzuan Qibao caught up and reached out to grab her sleeve.

Poetry and wine stiffened slightly.

"Little Jiu~ You're acting strange today..."

Lingzuan Qibao's voice carried a hint of coquetry.

"One minute they're saying I'm pretty, the next they're saying there's no chance... what are they thinking?"

Poetry and wine paused their steps.

She could feel the Diamond Treasure's fingers gripping her wrist through the fabric of her bathrobe; the slight tugging made her heart beat even faster.

She turned her head and looked at the Diamond Treasure.

In the twilight.

The silver-gray girl's light green eyes appeared exceptionally bright, as if they held stars.

Her cheeks still bore the blush from earlier, and her lips were slightly parted, giving her a confused look.

They were standing very close together.

Poetry and wine can smell a faint fragrance on her, like some kind of fruity scent.

"A little wine...?"

The diamond-cut treasure felt a little flustered under her gaze, but couldn't take her eyes off it.

Poetry and Wine's gaze was so earnest, so earnest, that it frightened her a little.

What does it mean?

"nothing."

Poetry and wine were finally taken a backseat.

Her voice was a little hoarse; the silence just now had taken a lot of her energy.

"Let's go, we're almost there."

She continued walking forward, her pace quickening slightly.

Diamond Treasure paused for a moment, then jogged after it.

She noticed that the tips of Shi Yu Jiu's ears were bright red, like tiny flames in the night.

It was Xiao Jiu who said those heart-pounding things first.

Why is she so shy herself...?

A strange feeling welled up in Lingzuan Qibao's heart.

There must be something gently scratching inside my chest.

The young girl was troubled.

The seaside park was more lively than I had imagined.

Everywhere you look, there are people wearing yukatas; couples holding hands, families with children, and groups of friends.

The food stalls are lined up along the walkway.

Takoyaki, marshmallows, candied apples, fried noodles... all sorts of aromas mingled together, making one's mouth water.

In the center of the park was a large lawn, which was already full of people.