At Tracen, Skilled at Doing Time

"Um... when you and Literacy-kaa-san started talking at Trainer-san..."

Special Week only snapped out of her daze after Zhou Yuang questioned her.

She looked at Zhou Yuang with her beautiful amethyst-like eyes, seeming somewhat aggrieved.

"So that's how it was? You heard everything?"

Zhou Yuang folded his arms and put on a thoughtful expression, while Special Week suddenly looked anxious in front of him.

She clenched both fists.

"Trainer-san, I didn't mean to listen."

"It's fine. It wasn't anything shameful, anyway."

Zhou Yuang opened his eyes, looked at Special Week in front of him, and stepped past her.

"Let's get back to the stands first. We can't fail to see Suzuka..."

"...Yes, not being able to see Literacy-kaa-san would be really..."

Special Week spoke somewhat reluctantly. Watching Zhou Yuang pass by her, she even stumbled over her words.

She had intended to follow him, but then noticed that Zhou Yuang had stopped.

"What is it?"

Seeing Zhou Yuang standing there, Special Week cautiously came over and craned her neck to look at his face.

"Special Week, I need to ask you a favor."

Zhou Yuang turned to Special Week and even grabbed her by the shoulders with both hands.

Special Week suddenly blushed when Zhou Yuang grabbed her shoulders.

"W-What are you doing?!"

Silence Suzuka could no longer hear Zhou Yuang and Special Week's conversation. But after stepping onto the track, she heard the commentator's shout and the audience's cheers.

Along with them came an impossible-to-ignore wind.

"Phew, it's fine."

Trainer and Lil' Special are both watching me. I can't lose my nerve.

Silence Suzuka lifted her head and looked at all her opponents around her, as well as the Starting Gate.

And the 2000-Meter Track she could never forget.

Her various memories with Zhou Yuang flashed through her mind. Then Silence Suzuka walked toward the Starting Gate.

"Here I go!"

Get into the gate, wait, and burst out the instant it opened!

Good. My condition is safe.

Silence Suzuka lowered her head and glanced at her legs. After feeling the sensations coming from them, she began her Front Runner run in an orderly manner.

She turned her head and glanced at the stands. The sea of spectators was filled with countless faces.

She couldn't find Zhou Yuang for a moment, but she wasn't worried.

Because she knew that no matter where she ran, Zhou Yuang would be watching her.

Trainer, watch my Front Runner run!

Adjusting her breathing, Silence Suzuka maintained her pace.

The first straightaway—perfect! The first turn—perfect!

Everything proceeded according to plan. Silence Suzuka confirmed that her stride was fine, and she still had plenty of stamina.

I feel like... I can do it!

She easily cleared the second and third turns that followed.

She gradually left Fifth Pack several lengths behind her.

"Silence Suzuka is about to enter the Fourth Turn!"

The commentator couldn't help shouting. Just like in that dream, both the commentator and the audience thought Silence Suzuka would easily seize a dazzling victory.

The Uma Musume in the Livestream Room, however, couldn't help feeling their hearts sink when they heard that.

They waited nervously for Silence Suzuka's result. Although they cared deeply about the outcome, Zhou Yuang's actions now concerned them even more.

Quite a few comments had devolved into a storm of question marks.

"The Fourth Turn... The thicket is just ahead."

That was the place where the bad news in her dream had happened.

But I'm not the same as I was before. I'm... Huh?

Silence Suzuka looked at the track ahead.

Just like in her dream, Silence Suzuka saw the scenery before the Fourth Turn.

Although everything had looked more or less the same before, the scenery at the Fourth Turn seemed somewhat different now.

Two people stood outside the track.

No, more precisely, only one person was standing, because one of them was riding on the other's back.

Special Week stood outside the track, with Zhou Yuang being carried on her back.

A tall man being carried by a JK girl—this sight made Silence Suzuka hesitate for a moment.

Why is Special Week carrying Zhou Yuang? And why are they here... Oh, I see!

Silence Suzuka immediately figured out what had happened.

The Uma Musume in the Livestream Room witnessed Zhou Yuang's maneuver with their own eyes.

He had held Special Week to a promise that he would grant one of her wishes, in exchange for having her carry him to a spot outside the track.

Special Week will probably just ask for a good meal or something.

What could Special Week do? She was just a silly tool.

Zhou Yuang hadn't paid it much mind, either. He simply asked Special Week to carry him at once to the area before the Fourth Turn.

Special Week had been puzzled, but she did as he asked.

An Uma Musume's legs were truly efficient. She carried Zhou Yuang and ran over.

[Hates Flashes and Manic Guys]: Are you planning to do that thing from your previous training?

[Tracen Cold-Joke Master]: Probably. If that's the case, Silence Suzuka's chances of winning will be better, but...

[Invincible Lord of Seaside]: AT, you grown man are really pathetic for making a girl carry you. And this is so weird. Doesn't Special Week feel uncomfortable?

[Uma Musume Fan]: But Special Week doesn't look uncomfortable at all. Still, carrying her trainer around... It's so weird, and the more I look at it, the more itchy my heart feels.

Many Uma Musume in the comments complained about making an Uma Musume carry someone while running.

[Motherly Demon]: Come to think of it, should the Uma Musume with trainers try carrying their trainers while running?

Logically speaking, if Uma Musume inherited every characteristic of racehorses, they should be able to adapt to running while carrying people, right?

Perhaps once an Uma Musume took the lead, Tracen would develop a trend of trainers being carried during races.

Zhou Yuang was thinking this when he noticed Special Week suddenly stop.

"Trainer, we're here."

Special Week turned around with a flushed face and looked at Zhou Yuang. Zhou Yuang pressed his palms together, hoping Special Week wouldn't become too embarrassed because of the gazes of the other Uma Musume around them.

"Hang in there for a while."

"Yes."

After receiving Special Week's assurance, Zhou Yuang looked toward Silence Suzuka in the distance.

Then he waved at Silence Suzuka.

Even from far away, Silence Suzuka could see him clearly.

It wasn't only because he was riding Special Week. This was also how they had trained when he had soothed her heart before.

She would run in the distance while Zhou Yuang watched her and gave her instructions.

But Zhou Yuang didn't give her any instructions. He merely raised a hand toward Silence Suzuka.

Giving instructions from outside the track would be improper, but he had no intention of giving Silence Suzuka any instructions, either.

They had already covered this during her lessons.

That hand raised only its little finger.

From the very first day to before the race, Zhou Yuang and Silence Suzuka had made an agreement and sealed it with a pinky swear.

He mouthed something to Silence Suzuka.

Even from far away, she could tell what her trainer was saying.

I was wondering why I couldn't see my trainer in the stands at first. So he's here.

He wasn't in the stands, but he was still watching her, fulfilling their promise by keeping his eyes on her.

Was he reminding her of that, too?

Meeting you really was wonderful.

Silence Suzuka smiled as she looked at Zhou Yuang, who seemed foolishly to have come to the edge of the track. But when she saw Special Week beneath him, her smile gradually faded.

But him being carried by Lil' Special...

It looked really strange. She knew Trainer couldn't get here quickly by himself.

But still, seeing her own trainer being carried by another Uma Musume was simply too weird.

Next time, let me carry Trainer. I'm definitely faster than Special Week!

Silence Suzuka nodded toward Zhou Yuang. Then a serious expression appeared in her eyes.

She was incredibly grateful that Zhou Yuang was in the scenery before her.

She knew that she only needed to run. She could leave everything else to Zhou Yuang.

As long as her trainer kept watching her, she wouldn't feel any burden.

I'll run. I'll keep running, all the way to where Misfortune can't catch me. And at the same time... I'll be the first to run into Trainer's sight!

Silence Suzuka continued running, but the instant she did, flames seemed to blaze in her eyes.

It was a color that belonged only to her, just like the scenery reflected in her eyes.

It belonged only to her and no one else.

The very front of the track was the domain of the Front Runner!

The Supersonic Noble Prince, together with her trainer, challenged fate.

Ahead lay the turn she had no choice but to overcome.

"The thicket is blocking our view... She's breaking through! Silence Suzuka has burst out!"

The commentator watched the screen nervously. When she saw the Uma Musume who had charged through without the slightest hesitation, maintaining her firm stride and running at the front all the way, she nearly stood up.

"Silence Suzuka is still running at the front! Her speed hasn't slackened in the slightest!"

[Uma Musume Fan]: Yes, yes, yes! Go, Silence Suzuka!

[Festival Girl]: Go, go, go!!

[Unbreakable Glass]: Don't lose to fate!

[Side-Eyeing Lewd Manga Teacher]: In any case, victory is right before us. She isn't running alone.

[Motherly Demon]: You can do it~

[Skipping Genius Girl] Don't lose!

[Tracen Version Higuchi Madoka]: Why are all of you acting like this... Never mind. You can do it.