Gildtown Manor, First Training Track.
The sun sank toward the horizon, bathing Ireland's grasslands in a warm gold-red glow.
"Hah… ha…"
By the track, Haido braced her hands on her knees, breathing a little hard.
Sweat had soaked through her fitted workout gear, outlining the soft, athletic shape of a girl who'd only just stepped into adulthood.
She wore a gloomy expression as she stretched, muttering under her breath. Her brown ponytail flicked back and forth with clear annoyance.
Beside her, Lisi immediately picked up on her horse girl's mood. Folding her arms, she teased with a grin.
"What's wrong? Still thinking about that childhood friend of yours?"
"…?!"
Haido snapped her head up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, baring her teeth for an instant.
Her cheeks flushed—whether from the intense workout or from being called out so directly, it was hard to tell—but in a blink, her face was bright pink.
"I-I'm not!"
She craned her neck and protested loudly. "I'm mad because that jerk dared to stand me up!"
"He said he'd come right after he landed, and now he's nowhere to be seen! I'm not thinking about him at all!"
…That's still thinking about him.
Lisi just smiled and shook her head, choosing not to say it out loud.
Just then—
"Who said I stood you up?"
A gentle male voice suddenly reached them.
In an environment filled with English and Irish, that familiar hometown tongue made both the trainer and horse girl from Tōkō (東煌) freeze for a beat.
They turned instinctively.
In the last light of sunset, a young man in casual clothes walked toward them, backlit by the glow.
He was handsome, tall, and carried himself with an easy confidence. And on his face was the same warm smile as always.
Stopping a few steps away, he greeted softly, "Long time no see, Haido."
"…"
Haido's body jolted.
But she quickly turned her head away, folded her arms, and put on a perfect tsundere front.
"Hmph! I didn't want to see a jerk like you anyway!"
"Haha."
Kuroha stepped up, the laugh slipping out before he could stop it.
He knew this kid too well. Tough talk, soft heart—it was her default setting.
He didn't rush to coax Haido. Instead, he turned to Lisi first and offered his hand politely.
"Hello. You're Trainer Lisi, right? I'm Kuroha. I'm from Tōkō—Haido's friend."
Lisi paused for a fraction of a second. Then a hint of appreciation flashed in her eyes as she shook his hand.
"Hello, Trainer Kuroha. I've heard a lot about you."
"I'm not exactly famous," Kuroha said with a light chuckle.
Lisi raised an eyebrow, tone casual.
"If the head trainer of Chasing Light—who personally trained multiple G1 horse girls and won two international G1s—doesn't count as 'famous,' then a nobody like me would honestly start crying."
Kuroha hadn't expected a middle-aged trainer overseas to know him that well.
All he could do was smile and say, "You flatter me," before letting go.
"Hey…"
Off to the side, Haido watched her trainer and her childhood friend talk like they were old pals.
Feeling completely ignored, she stomped her foot and called out three times in a row, irritated.
Kuroha turned smoothly to face her. His expression softened.
"Haido?"
"…Ayu, what did you just call me?" Haido's face darkened as she ground the words out through clenched teeth.
They stared at each other for a moment.
In the end, Kuroha was the one who surrendered first.
He sighed helplessly, then slowly opened his arms, smiling.
"Long time no see… Haido-chan."
That long-forgotten nickname shattered every last piece of her act.
"…I-I'm not Haido-chan!" Haido snapped, face red as she protested—then, like she was committing a crime, she stole a quick glance at Lisi.
Seeing her trainer smiling serenely at the clouds, Haido finally bolted forward.
Her eyes were practically sparkling.
"You're drenched in sweat," Kuroha said, feeling the warm, damp press against his chest. He didn't push her away—only teased her lightly.
"Doesn't matter if you don't like it! You're the one who showed up this late!"
Haido rubbed her face against his chest with a little huff, then finally—reluctantly—let him go.
"I didn't stand you up," Kuroha explained, resigned. "I'm a trainer. I had to finish arranging my horse girls' lodging and training schedule first, before I could come look for you."
"That horse girl named Oguri Cap?" Haido latched onto the key point instantly.
"She's your senpai, Haido-chan. Three years ahead of you, too," Kuroha said, pinching her cheek—still holding onto a trace of baby fat. The familiar feel hadn't changed.
Even though she'd grown up, Haido still couldn't quite handle that kind of closeness from him.
She pouted and swatted his hand away.
"What's so great about that… I'm going to become a G1 horse girl too! I'll make you look at me differently!"
"Alright, alright. I believe you," Kuroha said with a smile.
Of course, he knew she really would become a G1 horse girl one day—she'd even become a Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe legend.
It was just that… the "weight" of that achievement was, historically, a little controversial.
Kuroha ran through her future record in his head.
…
Twenty-four starts: eight wins, four seconds, three thirds.
Her only G1 victory was that famous Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
As the absolute long shot—thirteenth favorite—she'd stunned the world when no one believed in her, beating more than a dozen powerful G1-level opponents to take the crown.
And aside from that… no more crowns.
Because of that, compared with other Arc champions who truly dominated their era, her title was often criticized.
On the other hand, the name that really made her famous—the one that put her in the history books—was something else entirely.
Haido Star's sister.
Haido Star.
She was the world's strongest horse girl of her time.
Her racing career lasted only one short year, yet in the latter half of it she crushed six international G1s in a row—including the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Even the future "Tyrant of the Century," T.M. Opera O, at peak form only managed five G1s in a single year.
And even world-class horses like Deep Impact or Equinox would find it extremely difficult to reach that level.
In half a year, she'd accomplished what most top-tier racers could barely dream of across an entire lifetime.
In her Classic Year, she jumped straight into the conversation for world best.
A big part of Haido's later reputation was tied to her sister—packaged together as "the sisters who conquered the Arc."
But Kuroha knew the truth: that kind of fame wasn't born purely from strength.
It was born from pressure, expectation, and a burden heavy enough to crush a person.
And with a prideful little tsundere like Haido…
He doubted she'd ever truly like that.
(End of Chapter)
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