Too Embarrassing

Daiwa Scarlet sighed.

"Yeah. She'd won so many races back home, only to be turned away because of all those ridiculous rules.

"But if it weren't for that, I probably wouldn't have met him.

"Why bring that up all of a sudden?"

Vodka shrugged.

"It just crossed my mind.

"The spot Trainer Yasui mentioned is usually off-limits to rookies. Only veteran trainers are allowed there.

"Honestly, those rules are pointless. I have no idea what they're thinking.

"Anyway, I like this trainer, so..."

She smiled, picked up her tray, and stood.

"Come on, let's go save him a spot."

When they came from the preparation room to the stands, Anjing Zhen had expected it to take a while to find a place.

The viewing area at the front of the major racecourses had no seats; it was standing room only, and spots went to whoever arrived first.

There was an unwritten rule among trainers: the spots with the best views went to their seniors first.

The same sort of rule applied to resource allocation.

Newcomers like Anjing Zhen didn't get private offices or access to various facilities, or even dorm rooms closer to the school. That was why he'd been renting a place farther away all this time.

He knew about these rules, but he'd never paid them much mind.

But this race was later in the day, and there were more spectators than last time.

The spots with the best views in the front viewing area were already taken.

After looking around for a while without finding a suitable spot, he was about to give up when Daiwa Scarlet suddenly called him.

"Trainer Yasui, we see you. Keep walking a little farther... Do you see me?"

Following her directions, Anjing Zhen quickly spotted the two horse girls he'd had lunch with. He was puzzled, but also secretly delighted that they'd saved him a spot.

"Thanks. Otherwise, I'd probably have had to watch from farther back."

Gratefully, Anjing Zhen took a pair of binoculars, a stopwatch, and a tablet out of his shoulder bag.

Daiwa Scarlet looked unsurprised, while Vodka seemed taken aback.

"Trainer Yasui, are you going to work while you watch the race?"

"Yeah. The Shining Series is full of uncertainty, and a lot of the time, instinct can be more accurate than the data."

Putting in one Bluetooth earbud, Anjing Zhen explained:

"I record my first impressions of the race, then compare them with the precise data. That can help correct the errors in my instincts to some extent.

"My father told me that.

"He said trainers of his generation relied on instinct and experience. Newcomers like us have to combine different approaches and find training methods that can better help horse girls."

Now even Daiwa Scarlet looked a little surprised, not just Vodka.

"So Trainer Yasui's father was a trainer too?" Daiwa Scarlet asked in surprise.

"He was a local trainer. He never came to the Central Circuit."

Anjing Zhen smiled. "A lot of my training methods and ideas came from him.

"My mother taught me a lot too. She used to be a horse girl at a local racecourse."

The two horse girls exchanged a glance, even more surprised. A hint of warmth crept into their expressions.

"I see. Now I understand why Trainer Yasui is so capable."

Vodka held up her index finger and brushed it under her nose.

"But besides your parents' guidance, Anjing-kun, you must work really hard too... Is it all right if I call you Anjing-kun?"

"Of course. I don't really mind what people call me..."

Anjing Zhen had only gotten halfway through his reply when the stands erupted in cheers, and the broadcast grew louder.

"Today's seventh race is about to begin."

A female commentator spoke first. Her clear voice drew the racecourse's attention, then she began introducing one of the horse girls.

"Without further ado, the top favorite is entering the paddock!

"She's competed in three races so far, placing first, second, and fourth.

"Moving up from 1,600 meters on turf to 2,000 meters hasn't diminished her ability. Her last race's 33.5-second final spurt proved just how impressive her finishing burst is.

"She's Crusher Blaze!"

The cheers grew louder. At the same time, on the giant screen facing the stands, a horse girl with long black hair, wearing a sports T-shirt and shorts with a long-sleeved athletic jacket draped over her shoulders, strode onto the paddock runway.

She raised an arm and waved, then grabbed her jacket and flung it away with a flourish.

Once the commentator had finished introducing her, she bowed, picked up the jacket she'd tossed aside, and headed backstage.

This was the regular "Introduction Segment" before every race.

Anjing Zhen had watched plenty of them while studying races, and the previous time had been no different.

But now, he suddenly found himself curious about something.

Looking to his side, he saw the two horse girls chatting with interest.

"1:36.3, 1:38.2, 1:34.8... She's not very consistent."

"Maybe that's why her trainer wants to move her from the mile to middle distance."

"Could be... But her final burst is definitely good: 33.2, 34.3, 33.5. I feel like that's even better than mine was when I debuted."

"After all these years, the younger generation is bound to improve."

After saying that, Daiwa Scarlet glanced over and noticed Anjing Zhen's gaze.

"Is something on your mind, Anjing-kun...? You can call me that too, like you call her, right?"

"Of course. Call me whatever you like. As for me..."

Anjing Zhen hesitated, then shook his head and lowered his eyes, pretending to organize his data.

"It's nothing. I suddenly forgot what I wanted to ask, so it can't have been important. Don't worry about it."

He'd wanted to ask whether horse girls felt awkward tossing their jackets aside in the paddock and then picking them back up afterward.

But then he thought that if they really did feel awkward about it, asking would only make things worse.

After pretending for a moment, he really did start organizing his data, while also finding himself looking forward to Kitasan Black's appearance.

It was quite a while before the commentator finally announced the black-haired girl's name.

"She made her debut a triumphant one, delivering a dazzling win with a powerful late-race acceleration.

"This is her second appearance, and also the second race of her trainer's career.

"Compared with her experienced seniors, this rookie duo's spirit is every bit as impressive—and you can see it in her.

"Kitasan Black!

"Let's look forward to this spirited young girl putting on a brilliant show!"

Anjing Zhen instinctively lifted his head and smiled.

A moment later, his smile froze.

Beside him, Vodka's delighted "Oh, Little Kita's finally—" abruptly trailed off, and her expression froze too.

Daiwa Scarlet turned her head away, pretending to admire the scenery as though she didn't recognize the junior on the big screen.

Laughter began to ripple through the stands.

"How did this girl even think to zip up her jacket for the paddock?"

"Is the zipper stuck? Looks like she can't get her jacket off..."

"Hahaha, this is hilarious! What was that horse girl's name again? I'm going to keep an eye on her. Hahaha, this is too funny!"

Hearing the barely-contained laughter around him and noticing Vodka turn her head and start whistling, Anjing Zhen looked around, hoping to find a crack in the ground he could crawl into.

There was no helping it. His own horse girl getting flustered and red-faced because her zipper had gotten stuck during her paddock appearance...

It really was too embarrassing.