I'm Still the Faster One, Right? (cont.)

Oguri Cap didn't recognize her, nor did she find her familiar.

Then Oguri Cap noticed that Zhou Yuang had been staring over there the whole time, and she couldn't help but freeze.

So she took small steps, shifting little by little until she slowly moved in front of Zhou Yuang.

She noticed that Zhou Yuang's expression was rather unique.

She didn't know whether it was just her imagination, but a line suddenly came to mind.

What a fine horse. She'll be mine sooner or later!

Oguri Cap herself had no idea why she had thought of that. It had simply occurred to her.

Oguri Cap turned to look at the three Uma Musume.

Come to think of it, it seems to be noon now?

"Trainer?"

Oguri Cap held out her fair little hand and waved it in front of Zhou Yuang.

The quick movement made it hard for Zhou Yuang not to notice.

"Sorry, I spaced out just now. Let's go train."

He had almost forgotten that his own Oguri Cap was here.

After seeing Air Groove standing beside Suzuka together with Digital, Zhou Yuang really wanted to ask one question.

Weren't you supposed to go find Rudolf?

You're going back on your word, huh?

Well, that question didn't really matter. After all, it was normal to change plans temporarily after encountering an unexpected situation halfway there.

Silence Suzuka was that unexpected factor.

In Zhou Yuang's impression, Air Groove and Silence Suzuka were either classmates or at least in the same year. After all, they had competed against each other before.

They had also interacted quite a bit.

The Uma Musume whose souls came from another world would also come into contact with each other in this world because of the connections between their souls.

It was just like how Stand Users were drawn to one another.

Air Groove had immediately encountered Silence Suzuka after leaving Zhou Yuang.

"Training as usual today. I'll keep count for you."

Zhou Yuang turned to Oguri Cap and took a counting device out of his pocket.

"Okay!"

Oguri Cap smiled and raised her clenched fist.

She was full of confidence as she planned to continue training. She would be competing in a few days, so she couldn't reduce her training.

Oguri Cap turned and walked toward the track, beginning today's training.

While counting, Zhou Yuang adjusted the device.

Once Oguri Cap reached the track, Zhou Yuang placed his hand on the button and turned to look to the side.

After all, Silence Suzuka and the others were still here. There was no way Zhou Yuang wouldn't look over, especially since Oguri Cap hadn't started running yet.

Besides, Zhou Yuang couldn't say what would happen with these three Uma Musume gathered together.

But after he turned around...

"Hey, you over there! Why are you here again?"

Agnes Digital seemed like a patrol hound, sharply noticing Zhou Yuang's gaze.

Then she charged over without hesitation.

She looked up at Zhou Yuang, seemingly harboring deep suspicion toward him.

"Could it be that you acted that way before just to dispel suspicion?"

Digital's vigilance increased slightly.

After all, someone who had claimed not to know Silence Suzuka had now returned.

Although he hadn't come specifically to find Silence Suzuka, there was still something suspicious about it.

What if he had deliberately dressed himself up to attract Silence Suzuka?

And coming back here again and again definitely meant there was a problem.

"What?"

Seeing Digital rush over, Zhou Yuang continued to wear a blank expression.

Air Groove was over there, after all. If he revealed everything on the spot, he'd be arrested.

"Why are you saying such inexplicable things again?"

Because Digital was short, Zhou Yuang could easily see Air Groove and Silence Suzuka approaching out of the corner of his eye.

"Hmph, you're pretending not to know anything, aren't you?"

Digital immediately put her hands on her hips, seemingly having caught the key clue.

Looking at her confident, petite, and adorable appearance, Zhou Yuang even felt like reaching out to pat her.

This Uma Musume was highly compatible with him. They both liked Uma Musume, and if she were on his side, she would definitely be excellent at helping him set things up. Unfortunately, she was currently standing against him.

But it didn't matter. Winning Digital over was something Zhou Yuang wanted to do later anyway.

"According to the principle that criminals always return to the scene of the crime, your return definitely isn't a coincidence!"

Digital assumed that Zhou Yuang had come here because he was hiding some unknown secret.

And that secret was definitely...

"I'm only here to train with my Uma Musume."

Zhou Yuang waved toward Oguri Cap in the distance.

Oguri Cap, who had been about to start training, immediately ran over obediently.

Training could happen at any time. As an Uma Musume, she had plenty of time.

Besides, Oguri Cap trusted her Trainer. Being called over and sent away at his whim didn't bother her.

More importantly, whenever she saw Zhou Yuang staring at those Uma Musume, she felt that something was strange.

The way Zhou Yuang looked at those Uma Musume seemed a little off.

"Let me introduce you. This is my Uma Musume, Oguri Cap. Say hello."

Zhou Yuang gestured with his hand, and Oguri Cap walked over.

"Hello. My name is Oguri Cap. Is something wrong?"

Although Oguri Cap looked cold, she was actually a simple and honest girl with a very gentle heart. She politely greeted Digital, Silence Suzuka, and Air Groove, who had followed her over.

"Oguri Cap?"

Air Groove couldn't possibly fail to recognize this Uma Musume.

After all, President Rudolf had personally intervened to get her out not long ago, and the incident had caused quite a stir.

The news had spread throughout Tracen Academy. This newcomer from a small place must possess talent even President Rudolf had no choice but to acknowledge.

Air Groove had seen Oguri Cap's file. Although her debut race had not been particularly impressive, Oguri Cap's competition data was outstanding.

It was a shame for her to be racing in the countryside.

She truly deserved to come to the Central area. At the same time, Air Groove remembered that mysterious AT had recommended Oguri Cap as the first choice in the Uma Musume game during his livestream.

He had even said that she could become AT's "father" of an Uma Musume.

It wasn't only Air Groove. Silence Suzuka and Agnes Digital also couldn't help staring at Oguri Cap.

During the livestream, Zhou Yuang had even circled Oguri Cap's icon with his mouse.

"This one looks cold, but her eyes are so pure... Could she actually be the honest, airheaded type? And she's a silver-haired Gray Coat beauty, too..."

Agnes Digital immediately clasped her hands over her chest, as if pressing down on her heart to keep it from beating too fast and leaping out.

Digital's emotions were stable upon seeing the Gray Coat beauty, because she was excited all the time anyway.

Silence Suzuka, however, wasn't doing so well.

After watching the livestream, she had wanted to run a lap.

The first time she saw Zhou Yuang in person, she had experienced a sense of déjà vu.

Unfortunately, she had no way to confirm it. Later, she went to observe the other Trainers around the training grounds.

She found that not a single Trainer could give her that same sense of déjà vu.

Perhaps the other Trainers were suspicious, but they were nowhere near as suspicious as Zhou Yuang.

Could it be a girl's intuition?

Silence Suzuka knew that some girls could always instinctively and keenly pick up on certain information through intuition.

Perhaps she could do it too?

Come to think of it, Oguri Cap was strongly recommended, wasn't she? Though it was because of her strength.

That AT had displayed Oguri Cap's attributes while speaking. Her adaptability, which covered nearly every course in the game, had surprised Silence Suzuka.

Compared to her attributes in the game, reality was simply impossible to look at.

Could there be another possibility? Was she recommended not only because Senior Oguri Cap was powerful, but also because she was his Uma Musume?

Upon thinking of this possibility, Silence Suzuka couldn't help forming an idea.

She turned to look at Oguri Cap and felt uncomfortable when she saw Oguri Cap standing close to Zhou Yuang.

If Zhou Yuang really was AT, then Oguri Cap was also Zhou Yuang's Uma Musume.

Wouldn't that mean Senior Oguri Cap had gotten there first and seen scenery that she hadn't?

I should still be faster, right?

With the thoughts of an elementary school boy, Silence Suzuka silently mused as she locked eyes with Oguri Cap.

At the same time, Oguri Cap also met her gaze.

There was a hint of unwillingness to lose in Silence Suzuka's eyes. Regardless of whether Zhou Yuang was AT, as an Uma Musume, she instinctively wanted to outrun other Uma Musume. What was wrong with that?

After meeting Silence Suzuka's gaze, Oguri Cap's soft little face seemed to lose much of its earlier heroic air.

She stared blankly at Silence Suzuka and even tilted her head, unable to understand why this Uma Musume was staring at her.

"Um... talkative Trainer, is this the Uma Musume you kept mentioning before?"

Air Groove also had her reservations. After all, she was a character who had appeared in the game.

Rudolf was also a character from the game. Although Air Groove didn't understand the game, that didn't mean mentioning someone implied they had any connection to the game's characters.

During his earlier livestream, Zhou Yuang had also mentioned the two Uma Musume Taiki Shuttle and Maruzensky.

Surely a Trainer looking for them wouldn't mean he was AT, right?

"Yeah. What about it?"

Zhou Yuang was somewhat puzzled, but Air Groove shook her head.

"Forget it. I suppose I was overthinking things. You're planning to train, right?"

"Yeah. I'm planning to train with Oguri Cap. Are you planning to do joint training?"

Zhou Yuang refused to let any opportunity pass. If he could close the distance, he would.

"Sure."

Silence Suzuka agreed immediately, so quickly that Digital and Air Groove both felt troubled.

Could this person really be AT?

No, that can't be right. Didn't Silence Suzuka never watch the livestream?

After Digital found Silence Suzuka, she immediately explained what had happened during the livestream.