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

The ventilation system in the training room emitted a low hum, making it difficult for Shi and Jiu to fully hear what Ai-Orihime was saying.

所以她没有立刻回答。

Poetry and Wine looked at the crooked poster that had been re-pasted across from them, then glanced at the densely packed schedule next to it, before turning their gaze back to the back of their hands resting on their knees.

'Narita Road, admiration for Orihime, love of opera, and...who was it again?'

I can't quite recall who I should be mindful of when appreciating poetry and wine this past Satsuki.

However, she didn't need to pay attention to the other horse girls besides these three.

"Ah."

Poetry and wine responded faintly.

Ai Mushi glanced at her, then picked up her notebook again, turned to the page with the folded corner, and continued writing as if nothing had happened.

The two sat side by side on the bench for a while longer without saying anything more.

The last few people in the training room also left one after another.

As a trainer passed by them, he nodded to Shi and Jiu and gestured with his chin toward the exit. Shi and Jiu nodded in acknowledgment.

Once the training room lights were switched to night mode, all the incandescent bulbs in the room were replaced with warm yellow, low-power lighting.

The light suddenly dimmed, shortening the shadows of the two people and casting them blurry shadows on the ground.

Ai Mushi stood up first, tucked the notebook under her arm, and picked up the training bag that was on the ground with her other hand.

Go back to sleep early.

She finished speaking and left. Her footsteps echoed a few times in the empty training room before disappearing down the corridor with the sound of the door opening.

Poetry and Wine sat there for a while, listening to the hum of the ventilation system and the occasional distant footsteps coming from the corridor outside.

Then she took her coat off the back of the chair and stood up.

My knees weren't sore, and my legs weren't shaking. I felt much better than I did before the Yayoi Appreciation.

Unless something goes wrong tomorrow, she will be in top form.

As we walked to the exit of the training room, we pushed open the door and were greeted by a cool evening breeze.

There are less than 24 hours left.

Poetry and Wine put on his coat, zipped it all the way up, and walked towards the cafeteria with his head down.

……

Dinner time, school cafeteria.

Poetry and Wine sat in the corner by the window, holding a plate with a dish that looked no different from usual.

Rice, grilled fish, miso soup, and a small dish of pickled radish.

She didn't have much of an appetite today, but for the sake of her health, she forced herself to eat at least half of everything.

There weren't too many people in the cafeteria.

Because of the pre-exam adjustment period, most of the girls ate simpler dinners than usual, gathered in twos and threes, and spoke in a lower voice.

The lighting wasn't very bright, making the whole space feel a bit dim.

As Shi Yujiu poked at the remaining rice in his bowl with his chopsticks, he suddenly caught a glimpse of gold approaching out of the corner of his eye.

"Jiusang!"

Narita's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet cafeteria.

She stopped at the table of poetry and wine, carrying her own plate, a gentle smile on her face.

Is anyone here?

Just as Poetry and Wine were about to say "no," Naritaji had already casually sat down.

Then she turned her head and waved to Orihime, who was standing there for a second and hesitated slightly.

"Aizhi-san, come and eat with us, there are still seats available."

Ai Musou was holding a glass of milk and a paper bag containing bread, clearly intending to grab them and leave.

She stood two steps away, her gaze sweeping over Narita Road and between Poetry and Wine, her expression unchanged, but she eventually moved over.

"...I thought trainer Watanabe would have you do a track review tonight."

Ai Mu sat down opposite the poet and the wine, speaking softly.

"Is that over?"

Narita put his plate on the table and forked a piece of fried pork cutlet.

"Before the competition, it's more important to adjust your condition than to train, Ai-san."

Ai Mu didn't reply, but simply placed the milk on the table, took out a small round bread from the paper bag, and broke it in half.

Poetry and Wine lowered their heads and continued eating their meal, without speaking.

The last decent conversation between her and Naritaji was at the "Just One Step Away" sign next to the finish line of the Yayoi Sho.

Although we see each other every day, Shi and Jiu are not very clingy and rarely bring up topics of conversation.

Narita Road, on the other hand, seems completely unaware of this.

As she ate, she glanced at the poetry and wine plate, then asked in a very natural tone.

"How much training did Jiu Sang do today?"

"The last set is a slow jog, 5,000 meters."

"Is there so much training today too?"

Narita took a bite of the fried pork cutlet and chewed it twice.

"The competition is tomorrow. By the way, where's Ai-Zi-Sang?"

"I'm eating."

He interrupted Orihime without even looking up.

Naritaji's words caught in mid-air, and he blinked.

"If you keep making so much noise, I'm worried about tomorrow's game."

Ai Mu Shi put half a piece of bread into her mouth, her voice slightly muffled.

Narita paused for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.

Because of the laughter from Narita Road, the women at the next few tables all turned to look.

Poetry and Wine lowered their heads, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"I'm sorry."

Narita raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"But Mr. Jiu, I really won't be just one step away again tomorrow."

The blonde girl gazed brightly at the poetry and wine.

Poetry and Wine glanced at her, then put the last mouthful of rice into his mouth.

"I won't just win one step at a time."

she says.

Narita paused for a second, then a smile spread across his eyes.

"Then it's settled."

……

Meanwhile, the seats on the other side of the cafeteria against the wall.

Good Opera rested his chin on his folded hands, across a small square table, staring at the little chestnut hat opposite him who was concentrating on dealing with a mountain of food, his expression carrying a subtle meaning that was hard to tell whether it was admiration or scrutiny.

“I watched your race in the Daily Cup before, and you ran very well.”

"Thank you, I never expected to get noticed by such an outstanding horse girl like you."

"Good opera," he said with a smile.

Little Chestnut Hat swallowed the food in his mouth and then smiled.

"Because I also have a deep affection for the Daily Cup."

P.S.: I noticed that the previous "ps" text was missing. I also participated in the 99 Yayoi Sho Orihime competition and came in second. I changed it slightly because it was difficult to arrange the plot. Also, the previous changes, including the Derby Desert Heroes race, were made to some extent compared to historical records.

Main character: Conversation in Chapter 344

Have you decided which race you'll be running in next?

Little Chestnut Hat put a new piece of food into his mouth and mumbled something.

Good Opera raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, a knowing smile appearing on his face.

"That's the Satsuki Prize, of course. I've devised an extremely rigorous competition plan for it."

As she spoke, she glanced casually under the table.

Under the table, there were several patches of medicine on the orange-haired girl's calves.

The patches extended from the ankle down to the lower edge of the knee, along with irregularly shaped gel cooling patches in colors ranging from flesh to light brown. Some patches had slightly curled edges, indicating they had been in use for some time.

"But the cost is also considerable."

Good Opera turned its gaze back to the table, its voice becoming somewhat weary.

"My body is covered in wounds from exhaustion."

“Every day of training feels like dismantling my splendid body. When I’m applying pain relief patches at night, I often wonder if I can still put on the effort tomorrow.”

As she spoke, her bright purple eyes still shone with a bright light, her sharpness undiminished by pain and exhaustion.

"However, even so,"

Good Opera looked up and smiled at Little Chestnut Hat.

"Being able to stand on that stage is already the best reward, isn't it?"

Little Chestnut Hat stopped chewing and looked at her intently.

"You should participate."

She swallowed the food in her mouth and continued speaking.

"Your eyes are still shining."

Good Opera paused for a moment.

"Oh? I didn't expect to get your approval."

Her tone was noticeably lighter, and the heaviness caused by her physical pain was somewhat alleviated by Oguri Hat's words.

Little Chestnut Hat glanced at her, but didn't respond to the conversation. Instead, she continued to focus on the food in front of her.

She picked up a piece of fried pork chop with a fork and stuffed it into her mouth without a care in the world.

"I'm just telling the truth."

Little Chestnut Hat chewed his food while speaking indistinctly.

"Moreover, I believe you will definitely have a wonderful performance."

Good Opera stared at her for two seconds, then her smile widened.

"Thank you, Oguri-san."

She said excitedly.

"It has given me a lot of confidence."

Upon hearing this, Little Chestnut Hat simply continued eating with her head down, a smile playing on her lips as if she had thought of something happy.

Good opera said nothing more.

She leaned back in her chair, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and looked over the top of the chestnut hat at a view outside the cafeteria's floor-to-ceiling windows that was about to be swallowed by the night.