Watch Me
Kitasan Black was slightly taken aback. Then, as if with a whoosh, two blazing flames ignited in her crimson eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, she nodded firmly in reply. Her smile was just as radiant and confident, brimming with fighting spirit:
"Yeah! I've been looking forward to it for so long too! Going all out on the track with Shine-chan and everyone!"
They were friends, but also opponents they had to defeat with everything they had—this unspoken understanding became perfectly clear the instant their gazes met.
Time slipped quietly by, and before long, it was the afternoon of the Japan Cup race day.
The atmosphere inside Tokyo Racecourse was like a boiler under ever-increasing pressure. Cheers from the lower-level races outside faintly filtered through the walls, as though warming up the crowd for the grand finale to come.
Inside the preparation room reserved for G1 contestants, however, the air was relatively quiet, filled only with the grave voices making their final tactical confirmations.
"...That concludes the final plan confirmation."
Anjing Zhen gave one last tap with his finger at a spot on the track diagram pinned to the strategy board.
"But the race can change in an instant. Remember, the most important thing is always to trust your own on-the-spot judgment."
He raised his head, his gaze steady and full of trust as he looked at Kitasan Black. "We've made every preparation we possibly could.
"Go on, Little Kita."
Agnes Tachyon pushed up her glasses and added, "Let the data and analysis become the strength that drives you forward, not reins that bind your stride."
Daiwa Scarlet and Almond Eye followed with brief but resolute looks of encouragement.
One by one, the team members left the preparation room, leaving Kitasan Black with her final moments alone to