Too Embarrassing

Daiwa Scarlet sighed.

"Yeah, even after winning so many races in the local circuit, I ended up getting shut out because of some messy rules.

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

"Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"

Vodka shrugged.

"Just a sudden thought, that's all.

"The spots Trainer Yasui mentioned—usually, no rookie dares to go there; those are places reserved for veteran trainers.

"Well, it's a boring rule. I don't know what they're thinking.

"Anyway, I find this trainer pretty agreeable, so..."

She smiled, picked up her tray, and stood up.

"Let's go. We'll go over and save him a spot."

When he arrived at the spectator stands from the Preparation Room, Anjing Zhen originally thought it would take some time to find a seat.

The front-most viewing area at major racecourses had no seats; it was all standing room, and spots were first-come, first-served.

Among trainers, there was an unwritten rule that the spots with the best views were prioritized for seniors.

Not only that, but resource allocation followed similar rules.

Things like independent offices, various access permissions, and even dormitories closer to the school were unavailable to newcomers like Anjing Zhen, which was why he had been renting a place further away.

He knew these rules, he just never really cared about them.

But this race was scheduled later in the day, and the number of spectators was higher than last time.

In particular, the spots with the perfect view in the front viewing area were already packed.

Just as he was about to give up after searching for a while, he suddenly received a call from Daiwa Scarlet.

"Trainer Yasui, we see you. Keep walking forward a bit... do you see me?"

Following her directions, Anjing Zhen spotted the two Horse Girls who had been eating lunch together. While feeling puzzled, he was also secretly pleased that they had saved him a spot.

"Thank you both. Otherwise, I probably would've had to watch the race from the back."

Feeling grateful, Anjing Zhen took his binoculars, stopwatch, and tablet out of his shoulder bag.

Seeing this, Daiwa Scarlet looked accustomed to it, but Vodka seemed surprised.

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

"Yeah, the Shining Series is full of uncertainties. A lot of the time, data isn't necessarily as accurate as intuition."

Putting on a Bluetooth headset, Anjing Zhen explained:

"Recording my first impressions of the race through data and then comparing them with precise metrics can, to a certain extent, correct the errors in my intuition.

"My father told me this.

"He said that trainers of his generation relied on intuition and experience, but for our generation, we need to combine various methods to explore training techniques that can better help the Horse Girls."

At this, not only Vodka but even Daiwa Scarlet looked a bit surprised.

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

"A local trainer. He never came to the Central circuit."

Anjing Zhen smiled. "Many of my training methods and philosophies were taught to me by him.

"My mom taught me a lot, too. She used to be a Horse Girl on the local circuit."

Exchanging a glance, the two Horse Girls were even more surprised, and a sense of closeness subtly emerged in their expressions.

"I see. That explains why Trainer Yasui is so outstanding."

Vodka swept her index finger across her nose.

"But besides your parents' guidance, Anjing-kun must work very hard... I can call you that, right, Anjing-kun?"

"No problem, I don't really care about titles..."

Anjing Zhen had only just finished half his sentence when the spectator stands erupted in cheers, and the broadcast became even louder.

"Now, today's seventh race is about to begin."

A female announcer's voice rang out first. After her clear, bright tone drew the attention of the racecourse, she began to introduce a Horse Girl.

"Without further ado, the crowd favorite has entered the track!

"In her three races to date, she has achieved a first, a second, and a fourth place.

"Moving from a 1600-meter turf to 2000 meters hasn't diminished her strength at all, and her Final Burst of 33.5 seconds in her last race proves just how excellent her finishing kick is.

"She is Crusher Blaze!"

The cheers grew even louder. At the same time, on the massive screen facing the spectator stands, a Horse Girl with long black hair, wearing a short-sleeved athletic shirt and shorts with a long-sleeved jacket draped over her shoulders, stepped out onto the Paddock runway.

She raised her arm high to wave, then grabbed her jacket and flung it away with a flourish.

Once the live broadcast finished announcing her information, she bowed, picked up the jacket she had tossed aside, and returned behind the scenes of the runway.

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

Anjing Zhen had watched plenty of these while studying races in the past, and the last time had been no different.

However, this time, a sudden curiosity struck him.

Looking to his side, two Horse Girls were chatting with great interest.

"1:36.3, 1:38.2, 1:34.8... not exactly a consistent performance."

"That's probably why her Trainer wants to move her from the mile to the middle distance."

"I suppose... though her Final Burst is certainly solid. 33.2, 34.3, 33.5—it feels even better than mine was during my debut."

"It's been so many years; the juniors are bound to improve."

After saying this, Daiwa Scarlet's eyes flickered, and she noticed Anjing Zhen's gaze.

"Is there something you need, Anjing-kun... I can call you that just like this one does, right?"

"Of course, please feel free. As for me..."

He hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and lowered his gaze, pretending to organize his data.

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

In truth, he had wanted to ask if they felt embarrassed every time they threw their jackets off in the Paddock only to have to pick them up again later.

But after thinking about it, if they actually did feel embarrassed, asking would only make things even more awkward.

He pretended to work for a while, but he soon began to organize his data in earnest, unconsciously looking forward to Kitasan Black's appearance.

After quite some time, the live broadcast finally announced the Black Haired Girl's name.

"She delivered a spectacular debut victory with a brilliant late-stage acceleration.

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

"Compared to the experienced seniors, the momentum of this newcomer duo is in no way inferior, as shown by her presence.

"Kitasan Black!

"Let us look forward to the dazzling performance this girl Full of Vigor will bring us!"

Anjing Zhen unconsciously looked up and offered a small smile.

A moment later, his expression stiffened.

Beside him, the joyful half-sentence "Oh, Little Kita is finally out" came to an abrupt halt, and Vodka's expression froze as well.

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

Amused laughter began to ripple through the spectator stands.

"This kid... why on earth did she think to zip up her jacket in the Paddock?"

"Could it be stuck? Look at her struggling to take it off..."

"Hahaha, too funny! What was this Horse Girl's name again? I have to follow her, hahaha, this is hilarious!"

Hearing the stifled laughter around him and catching Vodka turning her head away to whistle, Anjing Zhen looked around, wishing he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

There was no helping it; having his own Horse Girl turn bright red with anxiety because her zipper got stuck during the introduction...

That was truly a bit too embarrassing.