Fujimasa March had been brooding over the gap between herself and the truly elite horse girls. She had never expected Xingyun Liuge to suddenly speak up—and to ask about her, of all things.
Her heart trembled, and a flush of shyness rose at once.
The first thing to "betray" the composure she was trying so hard to maintain was her gaze.
Without thinking, Fujimasa March looked away, unable to meet the clear, unclouded light in Xingyun Liuge's eyes.
The second thing to betray her was her pale fingertips.
She instinctively reached up and caught a loose strand of hair, absentmindedly twining it around her fingers.
The blue-gray strands slid across her soft white fingertips, playfully curling around them, until the skin at the tips began to redden from the friction, warming with it.
Fujimasa March did not know how to answer.
The truth was actually very simple.
One day, while chatting, Nolen Ace had joked that she was just a country bumpkin, completely incomparable to the refined young ladies of Central—let alone the glittering superstars of the international circuit.
The speaker had meant nothing by it, but the listener had taken it to heart.
Fujimasa March had cut off her long hair and switched to a more fashionable style. Supposedly it involved some new thing called ionic perming or whatever; she did not really understand it, nor had she bothered to remember the details.
What mattered was that she had wanted Xingyun Liuge to see this new version of her.
But after arriving in Louisville, Fujimasa March had discovered that Japanese fashion was, in the end, only chasing international trends. Her new look did not seem particularly competitive here.
On the way over, she had even seen several horse girls wearing plain long hair, and yet—perhaps because of their aura?—they had looked incredibly... impressive.
She could not quite put it into words. Asking a country girl like her to come up with elegant compliments was simply too tall an order.
Still toying with a lock of hair, Fujimasa March lowered her eyes, her thick lashes casting wavering shadows, as though she were trying to hide the burning embarrassment in her cheeks.
Seeing that Fujimasa March was not speaking, Nolen Ace picked up on her friend's bashfulness and deliberately put on an easygoing, boisterous expression.
"Xingyun, March changed her hairstyle on purpose after finding out she could come to America. It suits her really well, doesn't it?"
She even gave an emphatic thumbs-up.
In truth, Nolen Ace had also made a few changes herself. She had trimmed her bangs to make them look airier, then used a new setting spray to give her side ponytail a glittering, crushed-diamond sheen.
But how could she possibly admit something like that in front of Xingyun Liuge? The embarrassment would be enough to make her dig a three-bedroom apartment out of the ground with her toes.
That, however, was only Nolen Ace's line of thought. A certain wicked little lady did not care about that sort of thing in the slightest. She immediately exposed Nolen Ace's secret efforts to make herself sparkle more brightly, leaving Nolen Ace mortified, her face flushing red as the rising sun, so embarrassed she looked ready to throw hands with her on the spot.
And as for the result of the Tokai Derby—
At first, Fujimasa March had actually been quite proud of it.
Because she had won it.
But that victory had come only because Xingyun Liuge and Oguri Cap had not been there. Worse, she had trained for ages using the methods Xingyun Liuge had taught her, yet in the end had still won by no more than a nose.
So after seeing Xingyun Liuge again, instead of joy, Fujimasa March found herself filled with unease.
Because Xingyun Liuge had gone and won an international GI—and not just won, but crushed it with an overwhelming margin. A horse girl like her, who had needed every ounce of strength just to scrape out a victory in a regional race...
She was not even qualified to stand in front of Xingyun Liuge anymore, was she?
It was a cruel thought, but Fujimasa March could feel it keenly: a thick, impenetrable wall had risen between the two of them.
It was a chasm called difference in ability.
A bitter taste spread through the girl's mouth. Nolen Ace and the others were loudly celebrating her Tokai Derby win, but Fujimasa March could not summon a shred of happiness.
When she finally spoke, her words were humble to a fault, all the youthful pride and spirit she had shown at her debut long gone.
It could not be helped. A horse girl who thought she had climbed a mountain and expected to look down upon the world—only to discover it was merely a low hill, while the true peaks still towered in the far distance—was bound to feel desolate.
Smiling faintly at Xingyun Liuge, Fujimasa March thought to herself:
I'm too weak...
That bitterness spread through her heart like wild spring grass, winding tighter and tighter around it as though trying to stop it from beating.
And then, at that very moment, she suddenly felt warmth around her wrist.
The rampant weeds seemed to have met their natural enemy. They recoiled all at once, no longer daring to entangle her.
Xingyun Liuge had taken hold of her hand and was pulling her forward.
She had noticed something was off about Fujimasa March's mood, but she said nothing about it. Instead, she put on a deliberately complaining tone and said,
"That's a good thing, though. March, you should've proudly reported the news to me and Oguri. Honestly, it came so suddenly I didn't have time to prepare any sort of congratulatory gift... so I guess this will have to do for now."
With that, Xingyun Liuge gave Fujimasa March a tug, nearly pulling her off balance, then plucked off her own hat and settled it onto March's head. After that, she took her by the hand and personally taught her how to shoot.
"Whatever you hit is yours, and if you don't like it, that's fine too. I'll just win the shooting stall grand prize later."
Her smile was bright and playful.
That stall counted as a competition too, so surely the prizes could not be that bad, right?
A present? Whatever she hit? Why make it so complicated?
For Fujimasa March, that hand taking hers and that one little tug were already gift enough—because it meant Xingyun Liuge still considered her a friend, had not forgotten her simply because she was weak.
Was there any better gift in the world than that?
So even though Xingyun Liuge was teaching her quite seriously, Fujimasa March did not learn a thing.
She merely held the gun blankly and pulled the trigger. Her eyes never once focused on the target.
The only thing reflected in them was the lovely face of the tiny girl beside her.
Watching how close the two horse girls were, Chihaya Yui pursed her lips, remained silent for a long while, and then sighed inwardly:
...Well, isn't this fine too?
Unlike the others, Xingyun Liuge's shooting was nothing short of flawless. She effortlessly won the shooting stall's grand prize, took the challenge match besides, and ended the day loaded down with loot.
Everyone took photos together to commemorate it, and together they celebrated a day well worth remembering.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, a private jet slowly descended toward the airport runway.
Secretariat stood there with her arms folded, a faint smile playing at her lips as she watched the "Emperor" step down from the cabin—
Rudolf Symbol.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter116)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter82)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter144)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 118
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 111
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 80
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 112
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 95
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 89
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 53
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 61
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 65
Uma Musume: From Beginner 61
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 37
Uma Musume: I Want All 35
I Can Copy Unique Skills 36
A Guide to Aid in the Underwor 26
Summoning an Evil God, but the 27
Supernatural Multiverse 27
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