Hokubu Genkoma finally left the paddock, her face flushed and her smile stiff. One hand waved mechanically while the other clutched her broken zipper.
As she walked backstage toward the underground passage leading to the racecourse, she glanced around and spotted the nearest Uma Musume more than a hundred meters away...
"AAAAAAH, this is so embarrassing! How did my zipper get stuck all of a sudden?! The Trainer and the others must have seen it! This is so embarrassing!"
She pressed her head against the wall and twisted her arms and legs around as if she didn't know what to do with them. After silently freaking out for a while, she straightened up, lifted her chin, clenched her fists, and let out a long breath.
"Fine, look on the bright side. At least I didn't put my shoes on backward this time... But it's still so embarrassing, aaaaah!"
She pressed herself against the wall and squirmed around some more.
"All competitors, please proceed to the starting gates and get ready. All competitors, please proceed to the starting gates and get ready. Repeat: all competitors, please proceed to the starting gates and get ready."
At the announcement echoing through the passage, she froze for a moment, then hurriedly patted her cheeks and took a few deep breaths. Hokubu Genkoma jogged toward the passage exit.
Her opponents from the paddock were already heading toward the starting gates one after another. With no time to think, she quickened her pace.
Just as she passed one Uma Musume, the other girl called out to her in a strange voice.
"Hokubu Genkoma..."
"Huh? Oh! Satono Diamond..." Seeing who had called her, Hokubu Genkoma quickly stopped and greeted her warmly. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Nothing in particular, it's just..."
Still speaking in that strange voice, Satono Diamond pointed at Hokubu Genkoma's upper body.
"Did you forget to take off your tracksuit?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
Hokubu Genkoma wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
Even though she couldn't see her own face, the burning heat made it clear that her cheeks must be bright red.
Noticing Hokubu Genkoma's embarrassment, Satono Diamond kindly said:
"The staff are still here, and there's a little time before you enter the gate. Hurry and take it off and hand it to them..."
She trailed off when she saw Hokubu Genkoma tugging at the zipper, her face growing even redder. It looked like she couldn't get it open, so Satono Diamond took a couple of steps closer.
"Uh, do you need me to help..."
She suddenly froze.
Riiip—
A loud tearing sound rang out. To Satono Diamond's astonishment, Hokubu Genkoma ripped her tracksuit jacket right open.
Then the black-haired girl, cheeks flushed and mouth twitching, gave her an awkward smile. She covered her face with the jacket—or what was left of it—and ran toward the staff on the track.
After staring for a while, Satono Diamond shook her head with an amused smile, then turned serious and began thinking.
She was still just as careless, but that strength... Hmm, just as the Trainer had said, I'll have to keep an eye on that.
Hokubu Genkoma's impromptu "striptease" had naturally been seen by quite a few spectators, and it promptly drew bursts of laughter.
Yasui Makoto, Yamato Akagi, and Vodka had seen it too. After sharing a moment of speechless silence, Vodka furrowed her brows thoughtfully.
"Xiao Bei is still so strong... It must be hard for her to control that during a race, right?"
"It really is like that when I run alongside Xiao Bei."
Yamato Akagi frowned as well.
"Her pace control is a real problem. She can manage if she has to maintain a steady speed; she has a good sense of rhythm in that regard.
"But when she needs to speed up or slow down, it takes her too long.
"That's all right in training, but in a race..."
She shook her head.
"Her opponents won't give her that many chances."
As she said this, she deliberately glanced at Yasui Makoto. Vodka beside her did the same.
Yasui Makoto knew the two Uma Musume probably wanted to ask how he planned to handle it, and he did have an approach in mind. But he didn't say anything.
This wasn't something he could explain clearly in a moment. Besides, the race was about to begin.
Rather than explain now, it might be easier to let the two Uma Musume see it for themselves.
With their talent and experience, they would understand what he was thinking.
"Everything is ready, and the competitors are entering the starting gates one after another.
"Now, here at Tokyo Racecourse, it's the turf 2,000-meter conditions race...
"Start!"
As the announcer finished speaking, fourteen figures burst out of the gates.
In a familiar scene, all the Uma Musume leaned toward the inside lane in unison.
Suddenly, the commentator's voice changed.
"One competitor got off to a poor start and lost a step!
"It's Minisuke, the third favorite!
"But she lives up to her popularity and her previous results, quickly settling toward the back of the pack.
"The current leader is Touki, the tenth favorite!
"She's moving fast, surging straight to the front.
"On the outside!
"She's charging out! It's Satono Diamond!
"She's closing in on Touki. Is she trying to take the lead?
"No, Satono Diamond briefly increased her speed before settling into third place.
"Saint Martin is in second.
"Right behind the leading group is Hokubu Genkoma. She's taken a much more forward position this time."
At this point, in the stands, Vodka nodded.
"Just as I thought. Yamato, you guessed it too, didn't you?"
"Yeah. Touki is leading, just as I thought."
Yamato Akagi nodded as well.
"She probably isn't an Escape Horse. Her running form, positioning habits, and pacing don't suit that style.
"But her previous races were all short, and she's used to higher-speed races. Once she starts running, she naturally falls back on the speed and rhythm she knows.
"Still, it could also be the Trainer's instructions. If that's the case, and the others can't react in time, they'll be led around by the nose.
"Especially..."
She paused, exchanged a look with her friend, then glanced at Yasui Makoto, puzzled.
This was strange. He should know very well that Xiao Bei wasn't good at precise speed control, and that a race led at high speed would be difficult to handle. He didn't seem to have begun training Xiao Bei in that area yet, either...
So why was he still so calm?
Yamato Akagi furrowed her brows to herself.
As one of the finest front-runners of recent generations, if not the entire industry, she didn't think her judgment was wrong.
Nor was she denying this Trainer's talent and ability. She had confirmed his excellence many times.
Still, no matter how outstanding he was, and no matter how much she set aside his youth, the fact remained that this was only Xiao Bei's second race.
So she lacked precise control over her speed, and in her second race she had run into a situation that demanded exactly that skill. What was the confidence behind this Trainer's composure based on?
Frowning again, Yamato Akagi stared at the pack racing at high speed around the course and rapidly considered the possibilities.
She had no intention of asking Yasui Makoto.
If other people could do it, so could she—and she would do it best. That was her only goal, and nothing else mattered.
That had always been her creed.
She was confident she could figure out the key.
But as time passed, her frown deepened.
Because she still couldn't figure out what Yasui Makoto was planning.
So... could it be that he hadn't made any arrangements at all?
No, that couldn't be right. I'm not seeing things. His abilities aren't fake...
But they were almost at the third turn, and Xiao Bei still hadn't made a move. Was she planning to follow the others the whole way...
Wait!
Follow...
Yamato Akagi's eyes widened, and she let out a quiet gasp.
"Satono Diamond?!"
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