"Gulp, gulp… haaah—"
After finishing the morning training plan Chihaya Yui had set for her, Xingyun Liuge, drenched in sweat, gulped down mouthful after mouthful of lightly salted water, then let out a long breath.
Hot air surged up from deep within her lungs, only to vanish almost at once into the crisp chill of the early morning, as though it had never been there at all.
Large beads of sweat gathered once more on the girl's forehead, adding to the dampness already clinging to her wet bangs. As they rolled downward, the hair at her temples—which the morning breeze had only just dried—grew slick with sweat again.
More sweat traced the curve of her cheeks, meeting at the smooth line of her chin and gathering into a round, full droplet before falling silently.
At that moment, a slender, fair hand—softly flushed with a hint of rosy color—suddenly opened and caught that droplet before it could fall freely to the ground.
One could count it as a strange little form of amusement.
By now, Xingyun Liuge was quite practiced at pulling a towel from the small shoulder bag she carried with her and wiping the sweat from her face and neck.
Of course, she could always stuff things into the Realm of Death and retrieve them whenever she needed, but if some passing horse girl happened to see that, it would be a problem. Better to stick with more ordinary methods.
Especially since, every now and then, she really was being watched.
(Stare—)
A gray-haired horse girl with medium-length silver hair was silently staring at Xingyun Liuge, though somehow there was almost a matching sound effect in the air.
Unlike Norn Ace, who seemed to have a bit of a fiery temper, this horse girl was probably the good-natured type.
She was just… a little strange.
This was not their first meeting. In fact, they could even be called companions in watching four-in-the-morning Kasamatsu. And it was not the first time she had stopped beside Xingyun Liuge and stared at her without saying a word.
Not once had she ever spoken first.
Her entire strategy was, essentially: if the enemy does not move, I do not move either.
By this point, she qualified as a weirdo in every possible sense.
Was it because strong horse girls were all like this?
Or was Oguri Cap just especially unique?
Although Xingyun Liuge had fought peak-form Oguri Cap many times in simulation battles, that had still only been a phantom possessing complete strength. So all Xingyun Liuge really knew was Oguri Cap's name and face.
Beyond that, she knew nothing about her.
Considering that both of them would be participating in the upcoming debut race, Xingyun Liuge decided she ought to talk to Oguri Cap a little, so that neither of them would end up disappointed.
"Hey, listen."
Xingyun Liuge waved at Oguri Cap.
She had originally assumed that early-stage Oguri Cap might simply be a bit slow or taciturn, which was why she never spoke. But unexpectedly, the other girl's reaction was very quick. Xingyun Liuge had only just started speaking when Oguri Cap immediately glanced around, then pointed at her own face, as if asking:
Were you talking to me?
Her deep blue eyes were remarkably clear and pure, like those of a child who understood nothing at all.
"Or rather, there are only the two of us by the riverbank right now, aren't there?"
Xingyun Liuge gave an awkward little laugh, and found Oguri Cap even stranger than before.
Hearing that, Oguri Cap actually showed an expression of sudden realization, then gave a small nod, as though affirming Xingyun Liuge's point.
Unexpectedly, she had a sort of absent-minded cuteness to her.
If this were an anime, there would probably be a glowing lightbulb popping up over her head right about now.
Xingyun Liuge had the vague feeling she still had not fully woken up yet. Otherwise, why would she find Oguri Cap like this a little adorable?
She even kind of wanted to pinch her cheeks.
"It's not anything important, really. Running shoes are important, though. Your pair's already close to its limit, right? It would be bad if that affected your regular training or a race, so you should replace them as soon as you can. That's all."
Xingyun Liuge gave a casual little wave and said goodbye to Oguri Cap.
"…"
Oguri Cap lowered her head and looked at her shoes. A faint flush rose to her fair cheeks, and by the time she looked up again, Xingyun Liuge had already gone far away.
Only then did she slowly realize:
"Ah… I still didn't ask her name…"
It was not a major problem, but for some reason, a faint, subtle feeling welled up in her chest, making her unconsciously clutch at her clothes.
Thinking back, the first time the two of them had met had truly been the first time.
The moment she saw Xingyun Liuge, Oguri Cap had felt a sudden throb in her chest, as though her whole body had trembled in response.
She had asked both her trainer and her good friend Belno Light about it, and the guess she got was:
It was the tremor of a warrior meeting a powerful opponent—the excitement that came from sensing true strength.
Just as Oguri Cap was thinking about that—
Grrrrr~
Her stomach let out a thunderous protest, demanding that she stop dwelling on such strange things. Filling her stomach was obviously the most important matter now!
"Still… I should talk to my trainer about the shoes today."
If they could affect her training and racing, then she could not just ignore the problem.
For the debut race, she absolutely intended to win cleanly and decisively!
Meanwhile, on the way to the cafeteria, Xingyun Liuge ran into another gray horse girl—
Kasamatsu Tracen's absolute star, Fujimasa March.
Xingyun Liuge could not help mocking herself inwardly.
Unlike an unnoticed Cinderella like me, this one's a dazzling superstar.
Still, self-mockery aside, Xingyun Liuge did not actually dislike Fujimasa March. After all, the girl was an out-and-out hard worker.
It was just that her excessively cold aura and her habit of glaring at people without meaning to…
Xingyun Liuge found that difficult to put into words.
Which only made her more curious.
She wanted to know:
If Fujimasa March lost her debut race, what kind of expression would she make?
Operating on the principle of well, our eyes already met, so I might as well say hello, Xingyun Liuge raised a hand out of habit and greeted her.
"Good morning, Fujimasa."
She had not expected a reply. That star racer looked like the very definition of a cold, aloof type.
To her surprise, Fujimasa March actually answered—though her tone was still a little chilly.
"Good morning. Just call me March."
Then her tone shifted.
"Xingyun, I heard you signed up for that debut race too."
The golden eyes of the girl suddenly widened.
"But the one who wins will be me!"
Xingyun Liuge: "?"
But Fujimasa March had no intention of elaborating any further. She simply took her leave and walked away.
That left Xingyun Liuge muttering to herself:
"Every last one of them is weird."
She was different.
All she wanted was to enjoy herself.
She thought running was something joyful—
because she was going to win everything.
Whether it was Fujimasa March, Oguri Cap, or even that Symboli Rudolf—
all of them would become opponents she had defeated.
Of that, she was absolutely certain.
And so, amid day after day of training, the day of the debut race finally arrived.
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 150)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 115)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 110)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter105)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter100)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter69)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter100)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 70
From Junkman to Wasteland 60
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 40
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 60
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 50
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 50
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 50
The Way the Umamusume Look at 31
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 26
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 26
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