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

His gaze lingered on the names of poetry and wine for a few seconds, and his brow furrowed slightly.

'Why does this feel different from what the chairman told me?'

But in the end he said nothing.

He simply drew a circle next to that column and then closed the record board.

"Today's test is now over."

His voice carried throughout the training ground through the loudspeaker.

"Thank you all for your hard work. Remember to do some cool-down exercises. Especially those of you who ran really hard, be sure to stretch properly to avoid muscle strain."

"Disband."

At the coach's command, the students who had gathered around the track began to disperse in twos and threes.

Main character: After Chapter 277

Some students were doing stretches on the spot, while others went to the nearby rest area to get water.

Some students had already walked in groups toward the locker room, discussing their scores as they went.

The tense atmosphere on the training field gradually dissipated, replaced by a more relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

Poetry and Wine stood still, hands in the pockets of his tracksuit, watching the lively scene before him with a blank expression.

"Jiusang!"

A vibrant voice came from behind.

Poetry and wine turned their heads away.

Narita was running towards her, the girl's golden ponytail swaying merrily behind her, a bright smile on her face.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, and the collar of her tracksuit was slightly open from running, giving her an air of youthful energy.

"Sister Jiu, you run so steadily."

Narita stopped in front of her, hands on his hips, his purple-gold eyes gleaming with excitement.

“I’ve been watching you the whole time! You didn’t seem to be exerting any effort at all, your breathing was super steady, and your pace didn’t change at all! The coach must have noticed that too.”

"Fortunately."

Poetry and Wine responded simply and calmly.

"Fine? This is more than just fine!"

Narita gestured excitedly.

"Did you know? Your grades are in the top five among all the freshmen! And it looks like you weren't even giving it your all! If you ran seriously, you might have made it into the top three!"

Poetry and wine remained silent.

She simply listened quietly to Naritaji speak, her dark eyes remaining completely still.

Top five, top three—these rankings mean nothing to her in this world right now…

Meaningless.

Even if she doesn't participate in competitions, it won't affect her at all.

Narita seemed to have noticed her coldness, but he was not discouraged by it.

She just smiled, then turned around and waved in a direction not far away.

"Orihime has finished running too! Shall we go relax together?"

Poetry and wine followed her gaze.

Ai Musou was sitting on the grass, her hands behind her back, her head tilted back, panting heavily.

Her face was paler than usual, and beads of sweat covered her forehead, sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto the grass.

Her sportswear was soaked with sweat, clinging to her body and outlining her overly thin frame.

Her chest heaved violently, and each breath seemed extremely labored, as if she had just been pulled out of the water.

Clearly, the 3,000-meter test had taken a huge toll on her body, which had not yet fully recovered.

Poetry and Wine stared at the figure sitting on the grass, a complex emotion flashing in their eyes.

She instinctively wanted to walk over, but then stopped herself.

'Is she... really alright?'

The thought popped into her head, but she suppressed it.

This can't go on.

'I must...keep my distance.'

Poetry and wine—I'm a little unsure what I'm thinking right now.

'Before they are affected by my misfortune...'

'Before I lose everything again...'

'Sever these connections.'

The moment this decision took shape in his mind, Poetry and Wine felt a sense of emptiness.

"Jiusang?"

Naritaji's voice rang out again, tinged with confusion.

"What's wrong? Shall we go?"

Poetry and wine turned their attention to Narita Road.

The other person's vibrant face was filled with expectation and concern, not only for her, but also for the one who admired Orihime.

After a long silence, Poetry and Wine shook their heads.

"I'm going back now."

"Huh? Aren't you coming along?"

Narita was somewhat surprised, his purple-gold eyes wide open.

"But...it would be better if we relaxed together! Besides, Orihime looks really tired from running, we could..."

I'm a little tired.

Poetry and wine interrupted her, and compared to her usual cold rejection, this time her tone was a little... gentler?

"Feel sorry."

She added softly.

Then the black-haired girl turned around wearily and walked towards the changing room.

Narita stood there, stunned, and blinked.

"Saku-san...did you apologize just now?"

She muttered to herself, a look of surprise on her face.

The black-haired girl, who had always been cold and aloof, seemed to be slowly...

Will you open your heart?

Naritaji pondered.

……

Poetry and wine walked towards the locker room, the grass rustling softly underfoot.

The winter sun shone on her, bringing a warm touch, but it still couldn't dispel the chill that enveloped her.

After some time.

The locker room door came into view.

Poetry and Wine paused, staring at the locker room door for a few seconds.

Then I took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Several students were already changing clothes inside, discussing their test scores as they changed.

As Poetry and Wine entered, someone nodded to her and smiled amicably.

Poetry and Wine responded with a brief nod, then walked to their lockers and began changing their clothes.

After changing into her usual uniform, she immediately grabbed her schoolbag and turned to leave.

Students were still coming and going in the corridor.

Some had just finished training and were walking towards the locker room covered in sweat, while others had already changed their clothes and were walking together towards the cafeteria or dormitory.

Laughter and joy were everywhere.

Poetry and wine thus walked among the crowd.

With his hands in his pockets and his head down, he looked like an invisible ghost.

Nobody noticed her.

Even if a few people notice, they only glance at it briefly before continuing with their own business.

The setting sun cast a long shadow of hers, its rays almost swallowing her whole.

Poetry and Wine stared at the lonely shadow on the ground, and nodded as if they had finally thought of something.

'I knew it.'

She quickened her pace and headed towards the dormitory.

The black-haired girl's silhouette appeared exceptionally frail in the setting sun, like a fallen leaf that could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

……

The setting sun dyed the sky orange-red.

Having exchanged his poetry and wine for casual clothes, he walked alone back to his dormitory.

The noise from the training ground had faded away, and the corridor was quiet, with only her footsteps echoing in the empty space.

She pushed open the door to the room.

"Squeak-"

The room remained deserted.

The college admission notice was still lying in the corner of the desk, weighed down by other items.

The curtains were half-open, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone through the glass, casting a dim, yellowish hue on the floor.

Poetry and Wine closed the door, casually tossed his schoolbag on the floor, and then collapsed onto the bed.

She stared at the ceiling, her dark eyes empty.

I'm not physically tired.

The intensity of the test was nothing to her.

But then she suddenly realized something.

Main character: There's a class in Chapter 278!

Outside the window, the sun was gradually setting.

The orange-red light slowly dimmed, replaced by the deep blue twilight.

The light in the room gradually dimmed until it was completely dark.

Poetry and wine still lay motionless on the bed.

Time passed by, second by second.

It got completely dark.

The sound of other students returning to their dormitories could be heard outside the window, and footsteps and laughter echoed in the corridor.