The Gray Haired Horse Girl and the Genius Technician

Gray Haired Horse Girl and Genius Technician

After deciding on the spot to have both Almond Eye and Spring and Autumn Equinox participate in the event's races, the group made their way through the bustling crowd to the temporary registration point beside the racecourse's main building.

The closer they got to the main building, the more vibrant the carnival-like atmosphere became.

The air was filled with an enticing blend of scents: the savory sauce of freshly baked yakisoba bread, the crisp oily fragrance of golden fried chicken bites, the cloying sweetness of candied apples and cotton candy, and the fresh aroma of dancing bonito flakes atop takoyaki, all enough to make one's mouth water.

All manner of stalls lined both sides of the road. Besides snacks, there were booths selling Horse Girl merchandise and souvenirs, traditional games like shooting galleries and goldfish scooping, as well as tents displaying local specialty handicrafts.

Eager tourists and local residents crowded around every stall. Excited chatter, cheers from winners, and the sizzling of food on griddles rose and fell in succession, blending into a joyful clamor.

Huge banners and brightly colored balloons decorated the buildings' outer walls and lampposts, printed with the eye-catching words "Kasamatsu Horse Girl Carnival" and energetic images of Legendary Horse Girls such as Oguri Cap.

A High Note speaker continuously played cheerful marches and event announcements. Though a little noisy, it blended perfectly into the lively festival atmosphere.

They passed through a temporarily built small stage area, where some sort of fun challenge seemed to be underway. Bursts of applause and laughter erupted from time to time.

Finally, beneath a relatively open awning at the side of the main hall, they spotted the temporary registration point, simply assembled from several long tables.

The waves of noise from the activity grounds