"Tokai Teio, is it? Can I just call you Teio? Of course, you can call me Polaris or Absolute Speed."
The other party's vibrant demeanor easily made people feel good about her. This could be considered a talent, couldn't it?
Coupled with that childish voice, should one say she's truly a child?
Polaris Glacier thought so, while Tokai Teio pondered for a moment before nodding and agreeing:
"Okay! Um... Polaris, are you living nearby?"
She probably felt it was inappropriate to directly call someone older than her by their name, so she added "sister."
"Sort of. On weekdays, I have classes at the Academy, and only on my days off can I go out freely."
Their speed gradually slowed, changing into a jog to facilitate conversation.
"Academy... Polaris, are you a student at Central Tracen Academy?"
At the mention of Central Tracen Academy, Tokai Teio suddenly became excited.
"Yes, Teio, you'll probably try to get into the Academy in the future, right?" From what Polaris Glacier understood, most Horse Girl living in Tokyo aimed to get into Central Tracen Academy.
After all, it was the highest-level Horse Girl training academy, with abundant educational resources and complete training facilities. Everything a Horse Girl needed or wanted was basically available.
"Mhm, mhm, I'll work hard to get into Central Tracen Academy so I can become a Horse Girl like Rudolph Symboli."
"Rudolph Symboli?" Polaris Glacier raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, thinking, "Have I encountered Rudolph Symboli's little fangirl?"
Currently, Rudolph Symboli was an undefeated two-crown Horse Girl, with a great many fans and admirers.
She hadn't expected to coincidentally run into one, and even use it as a topic of conversation.
"That's right, I want to become a cool and powerful Horse Girl like Rudolph Symboli. For that, I have to get into Central Tracen Academy first."
Tokai Teio repeated with a smile, her eyes seemingly sparkling, innocent and pure.
"That's true, but I think you, Teio, can definitely get in."
"Really?! Polaris, you believe in me that much? Thank you~"
Upon hearing this, Tokai Teio's face once again broke into a brilliant smile, and then, as if thinking of something, she suggested:
"Hey, Polaris, let's have a race!"
"A race?" Polaris Glacier tilted her head in confusion, momentarily stunned by Teio's idea.
"That's right, a race! From here, all the way to that bench over there. Crossing that line marks the end."
This somewhat slender, brown-haired Horse Girl was completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation, even raising her hand to indicate the planned route.
Polaris Glacier looked over, roughly estimating the distance to be about 800 meters.
But that clearly wasn't the point. The point was, should they really race?
Teio hadn't even begun her full-fledged training yet. If she really raced against her, it would clearly be bullying a child.
But... refusing another Horse Girl's invitation to run together wasn't her style.
Polaris Glacier pondered, and the scene of her argument with Rudolph Symboli in the student council room suddenly flashed in her mind.
Taking a slow, deep breath, a smile suddenly appeared on her lips, and her expression instantly turned disdainful:
"Alright, then I'll play with you, little foal."
"I'm not a little foal!"
The disdainful expression coupled with the provocative words made Tokai Teio freeze for a moment, then she instantly bristled, her ears flattening backward like an airplane's.
"How dare you look down on Teio-sama! I'll definitely show you what I can do!"
Seeing things develop as she had expected, Polaris Glacier's smile at the corner of her lips subtly deepened a few degrees. She thought, "This trick really works, especially when facing Horse Girl younger than me."
You agree, don't you, Rudolph Symboli!
This way, the run with Teio became a playful one. Since it was playful, it was fine to tease a child a little, right?
Soon, both were ready. Tokai Teio took a coin from her tracksuit pocket and, with a flick, sent it flying into the air.
With a "ding" as it landed, Polaris Glacier and Tokai Teio immediately started running.
This time, Polaris Glacier did not deliberately release Polaris Glare's chilling aura, nor was there any need. She easily ran ahead of Tokai Teio simply by relying on her physical conditioning.
Then, she focused some attention on the other party's movements, controlling the distance between them to remain about one horse length.
Tokai Teio, on her part, knew that her physical conditioning was not superior, so she was not in a hurry. When she realized Polaris Glacier had no intention of further widening the gap, she cleverly conserved her stamina.
The two ran like this all the way to the predetermined finish line.
When only about 200 meters remained, Tokai Teio suddenly stomped her right foot on the ground. After a brief pause, she burst into acceleration, attempting to surpass the blue-haired figure in front of her in one go.
Polaris Glacier, of course, would not give the other party this chance. She gradually lowered her center of gravity and accelerated accordingly, coincidentally still maintaining a gap of about one horse length.
Tokai Teio pushed her speed to the maximum, yet found herself completely unable to shorten the distance to the figure in front. This situation made her shout out in frustration, trying to break through her limits.
The truth was, if her physical conditioning wasn't as good, it simply wasn't as good. She crossed the predetermined finish line, too exhausted to move, sitting against the bench, and it didn't help at all.
Seeing this, Polaris Glacier smiled, placed one hand on her hip, and deliberately put on a smug expression, her tone still disdainful:
"Teio, little foal, is this all you've got? And you want to become a Horse Girl like Rudolph Symboli with this?"
"W-woo... Polaris, you're bullying me... When I start my full-fledged training, I'll definitely beat you." Tokai Teio's ears drooped, her expression a mix of unresigned defiance and helplessness.
"We'll see when that time comes."
Polaris Glacier shook her head, suddenly feeling a bit thirsty, and spoke again:
"Teio, I'm thirsty. Do you know anywhere nearby that sells drinks?"
Tokai Teio unconsciously licked her lips upon hearing this and stood up:
"Now that you mention it, I feel a bit thirsty too. But I know a mobile stall that sells really good honey drinks. Come with me."
After saying that, she jogged off in a certain direction. Polaris Glacier thought for a moment and followed closely.
During this time, the brown-haired little Horse Girl seemed to have forgotten the earlier unpleasantness, appearing to be in a very good mood, even starting to sing.
"Honey, honey, honey~ As long as you drink the honey special~ Steps, steps, steps~ They'll become lighter~"
The enchanting song filled the air for a moment. Polaris Glacier unconsciously frowned, feeling an urge to cover her ears.
However, even if she covered her ears, the earlier sound had already deeply embedded itself in her mind, and was gradually sinking deeper into her memory.
Tokai Teio was singing ahead, completely unaware, enjoying herself, when suddenly a hand reached out from behind and covered her mouth.
"Mmm?!"
Her first reaction was to struggle, until a familiar voice entered her ears and she stopped:
"Teio, when you're with me in the future, don't sing that song again, understood?"
Polaris Glacier's face had darkened at some point, and Polaris Glare's chilling aura involuntarily surged around her, causing Tokai Teio to shiver uncontrollably. She then nodded repeatedly, as if any slower and she would be silenced for good.
Seeing the other party so obedient and sensible, Polaris Glacier released her hand, and her face returned to the gentle smile befitting her young lady persona.
Tokai Teio, on the other hand, quickly retreated a few steps, hugging herself, her gaze repeatedly confirming Polaris Glacier's face several times before she weakly spoke:
"Polaris, was that cold feeling just now from you? What was that?"
"That's a bit too early for you, Teio, at your current stage. I'll tell you after you've started your full-fledged training." Polaris Glacier maintained her young lady demeanor, her tone soft and gentle, as if the Polaris Glare's chilling aura from before was an illusion.
"W-woo... If you won't tell me, then don't. Anyway, I'll definitely beat you once I start my full-fledged training."
There were no more interruptions during the rest of their time. Once the honey special drink stall appeared in sight, Tokai Teio excitedly ran towards it.
Polaris Glacier followed curiously, thinking that this so-called honey special drink could make Teio so captivated. She would try it herself to see what it was all about.
"One honey special drink, thick, rich, and extra large."
"Okay, thick, rich, and extra large."
Watching Tokai Teio and the vendor converse skillfully, Polaris Glacier thought for a moment and stated her own request:
"I'll have a honey special drink too, just a regular one."
Mainly, the one Teio described was simply too intimidating. Just watching the thick honey being poured into the paper cup made her feel deathly sweet and cloying.
She felt she wasn't that much of a sweet tooth, and she was already a bit tired of sweetness, so she didn't ask for the same.
After buying and receiving their drinks, Tokai Teio immediately put the straw to her mouth and took a big gulp, then showed a satisfied expression.
Polaris Glacier also brought the straw to her lips and tried a taste. How to describe it? It was genuinely sweet, and genuinely cloying.
If she were to buy it again... No, she probably wouldn't drink it a second time.
It took her a while to finally finish it. She consciously looked around, found a trash can, and placed the paper cup inside.
"It's a bit of a shame Polaris didn't choose the same flavor as me. It's clearly better when the honey is thicker."
"That's just what you think, Teio. Not everyone is as amazing as you."
The two exchanged a few more playful remarks. Tokai Teio suddenly thought of something, took out her phone, and showed it, saying:
"Polaris, let's add each other on LINE! We should run together again on future holidays."
"Okay, if there's a chance."
This outing was just a whim. Whether she would come back here in the future was still unclear.
After resting for a while, the two returned to running in the park until Teio's family came to call her at noon, bringing their activities to a close.
In the afternoon, Maruzensky arrived outside the estate in her sports car.
After being welcomed in by the maid and seeing Polaris Glacier in the living room, her first words were:
"Good afternoon, Polaris! Your big sister is here to play with you~"
As for how they would play, it was, of course, taking her out for a drive.
To this, Polaris Glacier naturally chose to... agree.
