As she looked at the comments on her phone, envy flickered through Satono Diamond once more. Then she glanced at the total number of followers and froze.
"310 followers... That doesn't seem like many..."
"Hm? Diamond-chan, what did you say?"
Still immersed in the joy of finally having a Racing Account, Kitasan Black had her head bowed over her phone and hadn't heard what her roommate said.
Satono Diamond hesitated, then shook her head and asked with concern,
"Nothing... I was just saying, now that Little Kita has an assigned Trainer and a Racing Account...
"Have you thought about what comes next in your racing career, Little Kita? Or has your Trainer...?"
Kitasan Black's scrolling finger stopped. The excitement on her face slowly faded, and her expression grew serious.
Actually, besides being roommates, Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond were Childhood Sweethearts.
They'd known each other since they were very young. They'd attended the same elementary school, and when they were nearing Full Maturity, they'd both passed the entrance exams for Central Treisen Academy.
Yet despite knowing her for so long, Satono Diamond could hardly remember seeing her friend wear an expression like this.
Oh no... Had I asked about something I shouldn't have?
Satono Diamond nervously clenched her fingers.
Silence filled the room. After a long moment,
"I've decided..."
Unlike her usually lively, energetic self, Kitasan Black took a deep breath, as if she'd just made a huge decision.
"I'm going to challenge the Triple Crown."
Satono Diamond's eyes widened, and her mouth fell slightly open.
In the Shining Star Series, G1 Races were the highest level of competition, and the fewest in number. There were only 25 each year.
Among these 25 top-tier races, three were especially unique.
The year a Horse Girl fully entered Full Maturity was called her "Classic Year." The years that followed were collectively known as her "Classic Years."
Satsuki Sho, Japanese Derby, and Kikuka Sho.
These three special G1 Races were open only to Horse Girls in their Classic Year.
For that reason, they were collectively known as the "Triple Crown."
In other words, each Horse Girl had only one chance to compete in them.
Every year, around ten thousand Horse Girls across Japan passed the selection exams held by their local Treisen Academies.
The Triple Crown was held only once a year, and each race had just one winner.
Winning even one of those three G1 Races was an achievement worthy of being called one in ten thousand.
Yet Satono Diamond remembered clearly that just a few days ago, her friend had been troubled and lost.
She'd been troubled because many Trainers had told her she should focus on sprint races.
She'd been lost because she didn't know what to do.
The Triple Crown races were 2,000, 2,400, and 3,000 meters—all middle- to long-distance events. If she focused on sprints, she'd have no chance of competing in them.
Her friend had dreamed since childhood of stepping onto the Triple Crown stage, just like her idol. Faced with a conflict between reality and her dream, Satono Diamond thought she'd be troubled and lost too, if she were in her friend's position.
But how had her friend suddenly made up her mind in just a few days—and set her sights on the racing series every Horse Girl dreamed of?
...Could it be because of her Trainer?
The thought came to Satono Diamond, and the more she considered it, the more certain she became.
Ever since her friend had excitedly told her she'd gotten an assigned Trainer, she'd hardly seemed troubled or lost at all.
Or rather, she'd forgotten all about those worries, completely immersed in the joy of having an assigned Trainer.
And today, her friend hadn't come back since classes ended in the afternoon.
At dinner, Satono Diamond's older sister had said that Kitasan Black had spent all afternoon training in the Dance Hall, under the guidance of that very Trainer.
Satono Diamond remembered the young Trainer, who seemed almost absurdly young.
It was unheard of for an eighteen-year-old to qualify as a Central Trainer. The news had caused a sensation a few months ago, and even now people at school occasionally brought it up.
But from the conversations she'd overheard, that Trainer apparently didn't plan to start out as an assistant like the older Trainers. Instead, he wanted to make his debut by signing an Assigned Horse Girl.
In the past, Satono Diamond would have thought that sounded a little far-fetched.
Knowledge alone wasn't enough to train someone. You also needed plenty of experience. Her older sister and others thought the same.
So when she first heard that her friend's assigned Trainer was this young man, she had to admit she'd been a little worried.
Now, though, this Trainer seemed to be a little different from the rest.
It wasn't just that he could teach her friend those unusual gestures and postures.
At dinner, her older sister had also mentioned that the afternoon's special training in the Dance Hall seemed to have a lot of thought behind it.
It was too soon to say how effective it was, but Kitasan Black had seemed to enjoy training and clearly adapted well to this new approach.
That was impressive. Finding the right training method for an Assigned Horse Girl was already difficult, let alone one she could adapt to right away.
It showed that the Trainer's ability was just as outstanding as his exam results.
If even her older sister thought he was exceptional, then perhaps...
After thinking it over, Satono Diamond ventured a question.
"Little Kita, was the Classic Frontline your Trainer's recommendation?"
"Huh? Hehehe, no..."
Like a soap bubble being popped, Satono Diamond's question instantly turned Kitasan Black from serious and hesitant to sheepishly scratching her head.
"He just asked me what kind of Horse Girl I thought was truly outstanding and dazzling. He also asked if I'd thought about what races I wanted to run in the future.
"I... Hey, Diamond-chan, do you remember what my dream was when I got into Central Academy?"
Her friend suddenly changed the subject. Satono Diamond paused, then nodded.
"Yeah. You wanted to become a miraculous Horse Girl like Teio-senpai."
"Right, Teio-senpai..."
Kitasan Black nodded, her eyes full of admiration but touched with hesitation, then fell silent for a moment.
"That's what I told my Trainer back then, too.
"Then he asked me how I understood the word 'miracle.'
"Suddenly, I didn't know how to answer."
Though she said she didn't know how to answer, the black-haired, red-eyed girl continued murmuring.
"And then I suddenly understood what he was asking.
"'Outstanding,' 'dazzling,' 'miracle'—those are all things you can't pin down.
"Compared to those vague, intangible things, my Trainer probably cared more about what he could see and touch.
"I don't understand what he's been doing for my training these past few days, especially today.
"But whether he's observing my training, adjusting my stride, or calculating all those numbers, those are things you can see and touch.
"So as his Horse Girl, I should think about things I can be sure of, too.
"I don't even know what it means to be outstanding, but I understand each race, one by one.
"And Teio-senpai's miracles were made on the track, one race at a time. So, in that case..."
She took a deep breath.
"I'm going to follow in her footsteps and start with the Triple Crown.
"I don't care what other people say. I believe in my Trainer. He said he'd help me make my dream come true.
"And I believe in myself. I won't let my Trainer down.
"I won't let down the fans who are already supporting me, either."
After a moment of quiet in the dorm room, gentle applause rang out.
"Diamond-chan..."
Kitasan Black looked at her friend, who was applauding her, and was surprised to see Satono Diamond smiling as she took out her phone. After a few taps, she showed her the page confirming she was following Kitasan Black's Racing Account.
"I believe in you, too. I believe you won't let me down as your fan, Little Kita."
Before you continue