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

Her gaze would occasionally drift towards Narita Road, then quickly shift away, as if checking on the other person's condition.

After a while, Narita took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

She stretched her stiff shoulders, then turned to look at Poetry and Wine, a gentle smile returning to her face.

"I need to go prepare for the winner's stage. Will you wait for me?"

Poetry and Wine raised their heads and looked at Narita Road.

A smile returned to the blonde girl's face. Although she still looked a little tired, at least the light in her eyes had completely returned.

"Ah."

Poetry and wine nodded slightly.

"I'm waiting for you."

After saying that, Poetry and Wine turned their gaze back to the wall in front of them.

She stopped rubbing her fingers in her palm, instead gently making a fist and placing it on her knee.

Naritaji's smile became even brighter.

She waved gently, then turned and walked towards the locker room.

Poetry and Wine watched Narita's retreating figure until that golden silhouette disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Then she sighed softly, lowered her head, and looked at the marks on her palms from clenching her fists. The faint red marks were particularly noticeable under the light.

Poetry and Wine clenched her fist lightly, then released it; the stinging pain in her palm made her thoughts clearer.

The black-haired girl leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

The corridor lights cast a faint red glow through my eyelids, and the sounds of the audience gathered in the distance because of the winner's stage drifted over.

'Bearing the expectations of others...'

'Aren't you tired?'

She didn't know the answer.

However, Narita Road doesn't seem as upset as it did before.

Is that enough?

……

After the winner's stage performance, Narita changed into a casual outfit, and his blond hair was styled again, making him look much more refreshed.

She walked out of the racetrack with poetry and wine, and found her car in the parking lot to take her home.

Poetry and Wine originally wanted to take the Shinkansen back by themselves, but they couldn't resist Naritaji's persistent pleading, so they rode back together in Naritaji's trainer's car.

Mr. Watanabe is the trainer on Narita Road.

Mr. Watanabe is a middle-aged man in his fifties, with graying hair and a face marked by the passage of time.

He was wearing a dark blue jacket and was leaning against the car waiting for Naritaji.

"Thank you for your hard work, Narita-ro."

Watanabe saw them approaching and opened the back door of the car.

"And this person is..."

"This is poetry and wine, my friend."

Narita explained, then turned to poetry and wine.

"This is Mr. Watanabe, my trainer."

"Hello, Mr. Watanabe."

Poetry and wine nodded slightly.

"Hello."

Watanabe said with a smile.

"You're such a good kid to come watch the Narita-ro game. Get in the car, it'll be several hours before you get back to school."

"It might take five or six hours to drive from Osaka to Tokyo. You can take a nap in the car if you get tired."

The two got into the back seat, with Narita sitting by the window and Shi and Jiu in the middle.

The car door closed, Watanabe started the engine, and the car slowly drove out of the parking lot.

The evening sunlight streamed through the car windows, casting dappled shadows inside.

The car was quiet, with only the low rumble of the engine and the occasional sound of passing vehicles.

"You ran well today."

Watanabe glanced at Narita Road through the rearview mirror and said in a gentle voice.

"Although you came in second place, your performance was already excellent."

"Thank you, Mr. Watanabe..."

Narita said in a low voice, his voice tinged with disappointment.

Don't worry about it too much.

Watanabe smiled.

"You know, I've trained a lot of female horse girls, but there aren't many like you who can get second place in their first debut competition."

Narita didn't speak, he just looked out the window.

Watanabe glanced at the poetry and wine in the rearview mirror, then said with a smile.

"Poetry and Wine classmate, you probably don't know how serious A-Lu is during training."

Poetry and wine turned their heads to look at Watanabe.

She didn't speak, but a hint of curiosity was in her eyes.

"Once, she stayed at the training ground until after 10 p.m. to practice starting the race."

Watanabe continued, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.

“I went to tell her to go back and rest, but she said, ‘Just ten more times,’ and then ten times turned into twenty.”

"Mr. Watanabe..."

Narita's face flushed slightly, and he pouted a little in dissatisfaction.

"And she especially likes to help other people."

Watanabe said with a smile.

“Once, one of her students couldn’t adjust her starting posture, so Narita spent the whole afternoon practicing with her, even postponing his own training.”

Poetry and Wine listened quietly, occasionally glancing at Narita with a puzzled look. This made Narita feel somewhat awkward.

"And there's more." With poetry and wine present, Watanabe seemed to have opened up.

“Alu is terrified of crows. Once, a crow flew over the grass at the training field and she jumped up in fright, only to bump into the equipment rack next to her and get a big bump on her forehead.”

Main character: Chapter 292 Return Journey

"Mr. Watanabe."

Narita's face turned even redder, and his voice carried a hint of embarrassment and annoyance.

"That...that doesn't count!"

Poetry and wine bring a slight upturn to the corners of their mouths.

She looked at Naritaji's flushed face with some surprise, a rare hint of a smile flashing in her eyes.

"But..."

Watanabe's tone became serious.

"Aru is a really hardworking girl. She's always the first to arrive at the training ground and the last to leave. She's kind to everyone and never refuses anyone's request."

He paused for a moment, looked at Narita Road through the rearview mirror, and felt a pang of heartache in his eyes.

"So, today's result really doesn't matter. You've already done a great job."

Narita lowered his head and clasped his hands together.

Her eyes were slightly red, but she blinked hard to keep the tears from falling.

"Thank you, Mr. Watanabe..."

The blonde girl said, her voice trembling slightly.

The car fell silent again. The evening sunlight gradually softened, and the sky began to glow with a faint orange-red hue.

The car was driving back to school, and the trees on both sides rushed past the car window.

After a while, Poetry and Wine spoke softly.

"Very impressive."

Narita looked up at the poetry and wine.

"what?"

"That's really impressive."

Poetry and wine were repeated softly once more.

"To be able to persist for so long and help so many people... that's really impressive."

Narita paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Thank you, poetry and wine."

Watanabe glanced at the two of them through the rearview mirror, a relieved smile on his face. He didn't speak, but focused on driving, making the atmosphere inside the car even warmer.

"By the way, poetry and wine, classmate."

Watanabe suddenly said.

"You must be the new horse girl? I've never seen you at the academy before..."

Poetry and Wine paused for a moment, then nodded gently.

"Ah."

"So you're a racehorse girl too?"

Watanabe asked with a smile.

Poetry and wine were silent for a moment, then spoke softly.

"That's it."

"Does it count?"

Watanabe was a little puzzled, but he quickly realized that this might be a sensitive topic, so he smiled and said...

"It's okay, it's okay, everyone has their own choices."

He paused for a moment, then continued.

"However, if you have the chance, you can come and watch the Narita Road race more often. This kid always runs more energetically when his friends are around."

"Mr. Watanabe..."

Narita's face turned red again.

Poetry and Wine looked at Narita Road, a slight smile playing on her lips. She didn't speak, only nodded gently.

The car continued driving, and the evening sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting a warm glow on the three of them.

The atmosphere inside the car became more relaxed.

Watanabe would occasionally tell some funny stories about Naritaji's training sessions. Naritaji would look at Shi and Sake with some embarrassment, while Shi and Sake would listen quietly, occasionally revealing a smile that was almost imperceptible.

Although the result of today's game was not satisfactory, a smile returned to Narita's face.

Poetry and wine also felt a long-lost peace in this warm atmosphere.