“Where is this…?”
At seven in the morning, Polaris Glacier slowly opened her eyes on the bed, her expression a little hazy and bewildered.
The blanket covering her body was soft and comfortable, with a faint lingering scent of flowers.
Due to the curtains, the outside sunlight could not enter, and the room was a bit dim.
The temperature was a bit low due to the air conditioning, just at a level that wouldn't make one feel cold.
Polaris Glacier stared at the ceiling, blinking, feeling a sense of familiarity.
“My room? When did I fall asleep yesterday?”
Memories gradually emerged in her mind, and she remembered that she had originally been discussing the upcoming races with Kumi Trainer yesterday.
It seemed to be two G3 races...
Hmm… does that mean she can perform on the winner's stage twice then?
Secretly anticipating it, Polaris Glacier ran her fingers through her long hair, suddenly realizing her memory stopped after discussing the races.
That meant she had unconsciously fallen asleep in the car.
She looked down at the academy uniform she was still wearing, thinking that she must have been brought directly back to her room after that.
She shook her head lightly, no longer trying to recall, choosing to focus on the present.
Today was Saturday, and there were no classes at the academy, so there was no need to rush.
She threw off the covers and got out of bed, turned off the air conditioning, pulled open the curtains, and habitually walked to the wardrobe.
When choosing clothes to change into, her gaze always involuntarily drifted to the black dress.
However, in her actions, she always deliberately avoided it, not letting herself touch it in the slightest.
“It’s not time yet.”
The voice in her heart conveyed this, and Polaris Glacier closed her eyes slightly, took her sportswear, and turned to enter the bathroom.
The time came to eight o'clock the next morning, and according to the schedule, today was the day of the Mainichi Okan.
Polaris Glacier immediately got into Maruzensky's car and went to the train station to meet Rudolph Symboli, Chitose Meiji, and Katsuragi Ace.
They seemed to have been talking for some time, and the atmosphere looked quite harmonious.
(The corresponding comments below have character images. If you see them, please like them to let the author know if they have been swallowed.)
“Good morning, everyone, I’ve brought Polaris over~”
Maruzensky smiled and waved, greeting them first.
“Good morning, Maruzensky, and Polaris junior. Now everyone is here.”
Chitose Meiji nodded, with one hand on her hip.
“I’ve finally been waiting for this day! My blood is already uncontrollably boiling!”
Katsuragi Ace clenched her fist with one hand, her fighting spirit especially clear in her eyes.
“Everyone, let us depart now, towards the racecourse!”
Rudolph Symboli crossed her arms, scanned everyone one by one, and turned to declare.
“So… why am I in the middle seat again?”
On the train, Polaris Glacier murmured in confusion, always feeling that the four people beside her were doing it on purpose.
They were exceptionally quick in choosing their seats, and specifically left a middle seat, so it would be unreasonable for her not to sit there.
“Hee hee, because Polaris is so cute, everyone implicitly left the middle for you.”
Maruzensky smiled and wrapped Polaris Glacier’s left hand with both of hers; it felt cool and comfortable to the touch.
“Hmm… it’s also very important to appropriately yield to one’s juniors.”
Rudolph Symboli closed her eyes, maintaining a smile on her lips, speaking nonsense.
“As for me, I just simply feel that I’m not suitable for sitting in the middle, after all, not even Rudolf had that intention.”
Chitose Meiji glanced to her left, shook her head slightly, as if she vaguely understood something.
“Huh? What are you talking about? Aren’t seats taken in order?”
Katsuragi Ace, who was the first to board the train and take a seat, blinked, a little lost in the conversation.
The Mainichi Okan was scheduled to start at 10:30 AM, at the Tokyo Racecourse, which is located in Fuchu.
After they got off the train, they arrived after about a ten-minute walk.
“Katsuragi Ace and Chitose Meiji, your showdown will surely be very exciting. We will go to the stands to anticipate it.”
As Rudolph Symboli’s words fell, the original team of five Horse Girl split into two groups.
Katsuragi Ace and Chitose Meiji would go to their respective waiting rooms to prepare, while Polaris Glacier and the other two went to the audience stands.
Perhaps because of the return of Chitose Meiji, who is a Triple Crown Horse Girls, the number of spectators on site was very large.
From time to time, one could hear discussions from the surroundings:
“CB-sensei is finally back! The last time I saw her was at last year’s Kikuka-shō (菊花赏).”
“But… it’s been so long since she last raced, can CB-sensei still maintain her condition?”
“That’s not important. What’s important is that we can see her figure once again, and see her run once again.”
“That kind of comeback from the very back, a last-ditch pursuit, don’t you want to see it again?!”
Listening to those discussions, Polaris Glacier couldn’t help but marvel at the immense charm of Chitose Meiji, and at the same time, a point of curiosity emerged in her heart.
“Rudolf’s popularity is also very high, right? How does she compare to Chitose Meiji?”
Hearing this, Rudolph Symboli smiled and replied without hesitation:
“Naturally, Chitose Meiji’s popularity is higher.”
Not only because Chitose Meiji is a Triple Crown Horse Girls, but also because her running style is a chase.
It is said that the runaway and the chase are the most popular running styles; the former is because one can fully enjoy the thrill of being in the lead, while the latter is because one can fully enjoy the exhilaration of a comeback victory.
The Emperor, who mainly runs in the lead, putting aside her strength for now, is certainly not as popular as CB-sensei.
Before the two could talk more, accompanied by the playing of the opening music, the participating Horse Girl successively arrived on the track, already ready to enter the gate.
