“Let’s not talk about that. Do you want to go for a run together?”
Polaris Glacier shook her head without much hesitation, suggesting.
“Okay!”
Tokai Teio smiled and agreed, and the two of them jogged together on the park path.
The morning temperature was still very comfortable. It seemed to have rained last night, and water droplets still clung to the green plants beside the path.
“Polaris, let me tell you, I got first place in the exchange competition held at school this week. Isn't that amazing?”
Not long after they started running, Tokai Teio suddenly brought up a topic boastfully. The crescent-shaped highlights on her forehead, very similar to Rudolph Symboli's, swayed slightly as she ran.
Upon hearing this, Polaris Glacier didn't rush to reply. She first guessed the concept of an exchange competition, thinking it probably meant Horse Girl from elementary school competing together.
“First place, Teio is indeed amazing.”
“Right, right~ The Horse Girl who ran with me were all left far behind, and the teacher even gave me special praise.”
Tokai Teio said, her smile growing brighter. She paused, not forgetting to ask Polaris Glacier about her week:
“Polaris, what about you? Did you encounter anything happy this week? Tell me.”
“Happy things, huh… quite a lot, actually.”
Polaris Glacier assumed a thoughtful expression and began to recount with a smile:
“First and foremost, it’s probably completing my debut race…”
Afterward, Polaris Glacier recounted, one by one, what she considered to be happy events from the past week.
This included the process of pulling ahead of other Horse Girl by a large margin in her debut race, and her feelings about her first winner's stage.
Various things that happened during the mock race, being praised by her senior, and her two good friends, who were her rivals, becoming stronger, and so on.
Tokai Teio was still very interested when listening to the first thing about the debut race. She even expressed her own thoughts when she heard about the winner's stage, and the atmosphere was fully hyped.
But when she heard about the mock race and the subsequent events, there were signs of her becoming a bit numb.
“Polaris, Polaris, did you really win against a Triple Crown Horse Girls?”
“Hmm? Yes, I did. But Chitose Meiji probably didn’t use her full strength, I always felt like she was holding back, even her Domain…”
At this point, Polaris Glacier paused. She suddenly remembered that Chitose Meiji hadn't used her Domain in that mock race, and neither had Maruzensky.
Even though the latter had used it at the end of their first parallel run.
Excluding the possibility that they couldn't use it, or that they underestimated her, it must have been inconvenient to use? Or perhaps they didn't have enough stamina at the time to use it?
“Polaris? What’s wrong?”
“No, nothing. Anyway, I won, that’s what matters.”
Polaris Glacier shook her head, planning to ask Maruzensky when she had the chance.
She was never one to procrastinate. After running with Teio for a while and then going their separate ways, she immediately sent a message to Maruzensky.
“Why didn’t you use your Domain during the mock race, Maruzensky?”
Somewhat unexpectedly, the other side quickly showed as 'read', followed by a reply message.
“Where are you? Big sister will come find you. Let’s go out together and grab some lunch or something.”
Looking at the message on her phone screen, Polaris Glacier thought for a moment and decided that talking in person would be good too.
She first informed the Head Maid, then typed with her fingers in reply:
“Okay, I’m home. Come over.”
Going upstairs to change, and then walking through the front garden, Polaris Glacier stood outside the mansion gate and waited.
After waiting for about five or six minutes, a red sports car suddenly roared into view, followed by a clean, sharp drift that brought it to a stop in front of her.
Polaris Glacier's gaze was slightly vacant, and her face was expressionless as she watched the scene. Memories from last week gradually surfaced in her mind.
“Polaris, yo-ho~”
Maruzensky rolled down the car window, raised her hand to wave, and looked very cheerful.
Polaris Glacier sighed, ignoring her greeting, and silently pulled open the door to get into the car.
“Where should we go today?”
Maruzensky didn't mind, smoothly put on a thoughtful expression, then as if something came to mind, she suggested:
“Surely, a thrilling drive on the mountain road from last time would be best, wouldn’t it?”
“No, no need. I want to eat something first. Let’s just go straight to a restaurant.”
Upon hearing this, Polaris Glacier quickly denied it, shaking her head vigorously.
“Alright, big sister just found a really good ramen shop recently. Shall we go there to eat?”
“Ramen, huh? That works.”
Their first stop was thus decided. Polaris Glacier fastened her seatbelt, and just as she was about to take a deep breath to relax, a strong push-back sensation suddenly surged over her.
This made her heart skip a beat. Maruzensky, completely oblivious, was still pressing the accelerator, bringing the car up to high speed.
One could only say she was pretty much used to it by now. Riding in Maruzensky’s car was like this; if it didn't come with a bit of thrill and dizziness, you couldn't even say you'd ridden in it.
They sped along, and thankfully, Maruzensky still obeyed traffic rules, slowing down where necessary. This allowed for some breathing room during those brief moments.
Perhaps because it was a holiday, there were many more pedestrians on the streets, and quite a few Horse Girl could be seen.
They arrived at the ramen shop's location, parked the car, and then entered.
Greeting the owner, Maruzensky ordered two bowls of their signature ramen and led Polaris Glacier to an empty seat.
Looking around, the ramen shop was very clean and had a tidy feel to it.
Business seemed brisk, with customers constantly coming and going, indicating that the taste was truly guaranteed.
“Polaris, you asked me earlier why I didn’t use my Domain in the mock race, right?”
While waiting for their food, Maruzensky smiled and brought up the topic from the message.
“That’s because, for us, Domain isn’t a technique that can be used multiple times.”
Upon hearing this, Polaris Glacier tilted her head, looking somewhat puzzled.
This was different from what she understood. Although she knew that not every Horse Girl might be able to use Domain, like Sirius Symboli and Mihono Bourbon currently, she hadn’t expected that the usage of Domain had limitations.
“Polaris, you essentially use it in every run that has a competitive nature, which is actually very unusual.”
“Is that so? So, I’m actually an exception?”
“You could say that.”
Just then, the waitress came over with a tray, placing the two bowls of ramen they had ordered on the table.
“Using Domain usually puts a certain amount of strain on a Horse Girl’s body, especially their legs.”
Maruzensky took out a pair of disposable chopsticks from a nearby container, already ready to start eating.
Polaris Glacier followed suit, her mind pondering the words she had just heard.
“So, under normal circumstances, we try not to use it if we can, but during a race, when the desire to win kicks in, we might unconsciously use it.”
“We” referred to the senior Horse Girl, led by Rudolph Symboli, Maruzensky, and Chitose Meiji.
“I see.”
With that explanation, Polaris Glacier understood and didn't press further, choosing instead to pick up a slice of char siu pork from the noodles with her chopsticks and taste it.
Her taste buds sent back a response, and her eyes lit up slightly.
“Maruzensky, I might take a while to eat.”
“Eh?”
Maruzensky quickly understood the meaning of this sentence.
Looking at Polaris Glacier, who was in a state similar to when they first went for dessert, she smiled and decisively raised her hand to signal the waitress, ordering a few more bowls.
In a familiar situation, by the time Polaris Glacier had eaten to her satisfaction, even feeling a bit full, Maruzensky had already taken out her phone to pass the time.
Hearing the sound of chopsticks being put down, Maruzensky looked up and exchanged glances with Polaris Glacier across the table.
The two immediately got up, paid the bill, and then walked out of the shop.
“Maruzensky, the academy has summer training camps in July and August, right?”
In the car, Polaris Glacier suddenly asked.
“Yes, that’s the plan. Why do you ask?” Maruzensky nodded, looking straight ahead as she replied.
“Can I participate? I kind of want to experience it.”
“For Polaris… since you’re a Junior Horse Girl, it’s not allowed by the rules.”
Summer training camp was actually a type of activity similar to summer remedial classes.
It was just a bit more relaxed and enjoyable than traditional summer remedial classes, as they could play with other Horse Girl of the same year, and it was by the sea.
“You’ll have to wait until Classic Class, which is next year.”
Turning a corner, Maruzensky gradually accelerated the car.
“Is that so? Then, Maruzensky, will you go?”
Polaris Glacier didn't dwell on it too much, instead becoming curious if a senior like Maruzensky would go.
“Me? I’m long past that stage, I won’t go join in the fun with those kids.”
She paused briefly.
“By the way, Rudolf won’t be going either because she has student council affairs to handle, but CB-chan might go if she wants to socialize with Horse Girl her age.”
Past that stage…? So, how old are you, Maruzensky?
Isn't it strange that you have a driver's license but are still in the High School division?
Of course, Polaris Glacier didn't ask this directly, as that would have been too rude.
Since neither of them had decided on their next destination, this outing ended here. After dropping Polaris Glacier off at the mansion, Maruzensky left.
In the afternoon, Polaris Glacier called Kumi Trainer to go to the academy for training.
In the evening, she scrolled through Jun Yu Circle as usual, and then went to bed when it was time.
Sunday had no plans. Polaris Glacier didn't go to the park in the morning this time. Teio sent a message to ask, but the reply she got was that she was going to the academy for training, so…
She trained all day. Even when she encountered Mihono Bourbon, she only exchanged greetings and there was nothing further.
There were no significant races to participate in June. In July, when summer vacation began, the academy suddenly became less crowded.
Those who were going to the training camp went, and most of those who weren't went back to their hometowns.
One day, Polaris Glacier came to the grass field as usual to train, and suddenly noticed a figure rarely seen in sportswear.
Those distinctive crescent-shaped white highlights unmistakably belonged to the Student Council President—Rudolph Symboli.
